EQ2 Clerics (Impressions from a vet EQ cleric)Follow

I am a veteran EQ cleric player. In getting EQ2, my first instinct was to create a cleric. I have to say, having leveled to 13, so far I am very disheartened. The only positive thing I have to say is that at least it's much easier to cast while being attacked (although I imagine that will change). However, the things I enjoyed most about being a cleric have been stripped away. Granted things may be different at higher levels (and if that's so, please let me know), but so far this is what I see as lacking:

Resurrection -- Part of the offset of playing a class generally dependent on others was the ability to resurrect yourself. Unless I am missing something, that's not possible here. We were in the gnoll caves in Antonica a couple nights ago and almost had a group whipe. Fortunately, myself, the enchanter, and the scout survived and were able to finish off the mobs. We were deep in the caves so it was fortunate that I was able to revive and bring everyone back who died. A few minutes later, we had another nasty fight and I was the only one who died. I didn't get my shard because we were so deep which meant an exp debt for me (as well as the group).

Healing & Buffing -- Part of the enjoyment of playing an EQ cleric was saving someone's life who was in a nasty fight. While I do like the lock system, it's hard as a vet cleric to sit there and watch someone die who doesn't call for help.

Class Value -- This may (and probably does) change at higher levels, but so far I don't see a lot of difference between clerics and the other healing classes. Even druids and shamans can revive (I'm assuming since it's a pre-10 spell I believe). I really wonder how valuable clerics will be down the road with their resurrection ability not as key as it was in EQ. I'm sure they get desirable buffs and stronger healing spells down the road, at least I hope so. I'm not knocking druids and shaman at all. I certainly hope that they get valuable spells for their classes. I know the fact that druids no longer port is a tough pill to swallow.

Please don't flame me! I'm just making an observation as I see it at this point. I realize things will change later but my main beef are the first two I listed.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Edited, Mon Nov 22 17:25:21 2004 by Shaladarra

Right now, you, as one of the Priest classes, are in-demand. As you grow in levels, the demand will not lessen in the least, however some classes start becomming just as popular as you. So that's something to take note of.



Ressurection, as you grow, will become something moot. Deaths happen alot at lower levels, but as a Cleric blossoms into a Templar (Assume you are going the good EQ1-Cleric-like route) you now become a juggernaut of HP. Deaths are rare, and you get a secondary In-battle Rez called Battle's Reprieve that makes the battles keep going even if somebody does die on the off-chance that they got some lucky hits in.


Once you settle into Templar, you soon realize how hard it is for your group to die if you're fully conscious.

Have a peak at the skills:

20 - Amending Fate - spell that heals the group when the target dies
20 - Faith Respect - Enforces a faithful respect of the templar
21 - Sign of Weakness - AoE str debuff
22 - Battle's Reprieve - Combat rez
24 - Combative faith - Divine DD
24 - Disgrace - Upgrade to rebuke
24 - Watery Respite - Enduring breath + increase of swimming speed
25 - Celestial Strike - Upgrade to Radiant Strike
26 - Protectorate - Str and wis buff
26 - Supplicant's prayer - Reactive heal
27 - Placate - Upgrade to distract
28 - Healing Touch - Group instant heal
28 - Intercession - Buff that can heal and increase AC when hit
29 - Amelioration - Upgrade to Combat Healing
29 - Protective faith - Group power and arcane buff
30 - Blessing - Blessed the target
30 - Pious Redoubt - HP and offence buff
30 - Symbol of Ryltan - HP buff + AC buff when hit
31 - Reproving Smite - Divine DD
32 - Beams of Faith - AoE Divine DD
32 - Restoration - Instant heal + noxious cure
32 - Mark of Princes - Debuff that can cause regen and AC buff on attacker
33 - Bravery - Sta, AC and mental group buff
34 - Redemptive fate - Heals group when enemy dies
35 - Detect evil
35 - Sign of debility - AoE str debuff
35 - Involuntary healer - can cure trauma and heal when hit
37 - Watery abeyance - Water breathing + increase of swimming skill
38 - Reproach - AC and arcane debuff
38 - Warring faith - Divine DD
39 - Divine Strike - Mental DD + damage if Undead
39 - Prostrate - Stun
40 - Summon Holy Symbol - Summon a holy symbol
40 - Praetorate - Str and Wis buff
40 - Greater Intercession - Instant heal + can increase AC when hit
41 - Harmony - Hate reducer + heal
41 - Salvation - Prevents death + heal + power regen
42 - crucial Intercession - Group reactive heal
43 - Word of Restoration - Group heal
42 - Resolve - Hate reducers and no damage for 3 attacks
43 - Greater Amelioration - Instant heal and offence buff
43 - Shielding Faith - Power and arcane group buff
44 - Sacred redoubt - HP + offence buff
44 - Symbol of Pinzarn - Group HP buffs + can increase AC when hit
45 - Holy Acolyte - Summons an acolyte
45 - Holy aura - covers the templar in a holy aura
45 - Condemning Smite - Divine DD
45 - Vigilant Benediction - AC buff
46 - Rays of Faith - AoE Divine DD
46 - Mark of Kings - Debuff that can cause regen and AC buff on attacker
46 - Greater Restoration - Instant heal that can cure minor Noxious effects
47 - Glory of Combat - Buff that gives a change to heal the party on each successful attack
47 - Valour - Sta, mental and AC group buff
48 - Atoning Fate - Heals group when target dies
49 - Involuntary Curate - Can cure trauma and heal when target is hit
49 - Sign of Infirmity - AoE str debuff
50 - Focused Benefaction - Reactive heal

I'd have to agree with you on this topic. My main was a Cleric in EQ and in my opinion they have taken the most desirable aspects of being a cleric (see above) and sort of "vanilla'd" them out over the other priest classes. I was technically upgraded out of playing EQ so when EQOA came out I played that as a cleric for a while but that was even worse than EQ2 is as far as SOE trying to even up the healer classes. I ended up going with a Bard after 24 levels as a cleric because it disgusted me the way they tooled with the class like that (gotta add that bards are hella fun to play though). I now have a level 12 Cleric and I'm gonna stick with it for a while and hope that the class has more upside at the higher levels. But if it turns out that they're just basically the same in most aspects as druids or shamen then I'm losin the frock, grabbing my guitar and dancing back to the drawing board!

Well I know this seems to be a big blow to EQ1 Clerics but I am in strong favor of evening the 3 priest classes out. I loved EQ but one of the worst things I hated was waiting around for a healer. As you progressed (and Im talking about at the time not after you are super geared then go back to an old zone) Clerics were the ONLY class that had the ability to keep you up. Sure druids and shamen could heal but just could not keep up the way they needed to. So basically you could have your tank and haev your slower and then 3 DPS classes all waiting around for a cleric to put LFG up and when their was an available cleric you had to act fast cause there was 20 other groups waiting on 1.

So to take some of that "Godlyness" away and make them less mandatory to countinue your exping was a great idea.

-Anestacia Mindmelter - Legions of Valhalla - Morrel Thule Level 70 Enchanter
www.magelo.com/eq_view_pr...num=774551
-Anestacia - Council of Discord - Najena - Level 19 Enchanter
eq2players.station.sony.c...=105907102

Edited, Tue Nov 23 02:21:32 2004 by Anestacia

Keep in mind, Anestacia, that in EQ 1 while clerics might have been high in demand, they also sufferred greatly with now speed enhancement, no utility spells at all (EB, invis, etc), and basicly nill solo ability. Druids could solo anytime they felt like it, port, and had every utility spell in the book (I should know, I played one), and Shamans had another strong role as slower plus speed and utility spells. Yes clerics were the master healers, that was their reard for suffering in every other area besides buffs.

Edited, Tue Nov 23 06:30:03 2004 by Shaladarra

IMHO, Clerics in EQ2 are just great. Templar or Inquisitor are clearly impressive, they can deal dmg and may be a 3rd Tank if needed.

It is a very positive aspect Clerics aren't the "best" healers or simply the "only" healers. Shams and Druids are very efficient too but don't have the same tanking abilities.

All is matter of play style now, not only a matter of choice. This is so far the best feature in the game if you ask me.

I must agree with Gonde, EQ2 is not EQ. I think if you want EQ traits to be included with EQ2 you need to go back to EQ, or adapt. This game was intended to be different from EQ.

Personally I like how the priest classes are similar, of course I, myself as a tank, would prefer anything over a cleric in eq2 because they aren't impressive at this point of time in the game. Im sure they will get better over time after another expansion is released and what not. Also, adding to the fact of them being similar. Who liked waiting around for a cleric to come and rez/buff or join the group? That was horrible. Clerics now still have the better hp buffs than the druid and shaman classes, but they were not supposed to be the the only worth while priests in this game.



Edited, Tue Nov 23 11:05:05 2004 by Cehl

This was mentioned a couple of times.

I think if youre going to compare it to EQ you need to keep in mind all the classes are different. Each one lost something that was special to them, but gained in other areas. For the priests it was healing. Clerics mayhave lost the edge but now they can solo and tank if needed. Druids lost being able to port and track but they can heal on par with the clerics and rez. Im not sure with shamans becuase I never played one, but Im sure they lost something from EQ and gained something new in EQ2.

You can not judge the classes by EQ. I have noticed thay are completely different. If you go in thinking they will be similiar without doing your homeowrk on the classes prior, you will always be dissapointed

Me too . They look so cool

I play a templar and love the class. I think that they made any priest class capable of being main healer in a group was a great thing. Also they changed the group dynamic so that the healer is no longer: stand, heal, sit; rinse and repeat. During a fight all classes are generally quite busy with not only fighting but coordinating HO's. You're sure not in EQ anymore Dorothy. =) I hope the devs keep up the good work!

As a 19 Druid I can solo 2 groups of green mobs. I believe it was 10 total. The first few seconds of the battle are the deciding factor in who will win. Either they kill me right then or they die. I just need to survive the initial onslaught of Power attacks and I am good. The mobs are very easy to kill and don't pose a threat after that. What I love is when their Power bar reaches 0. I am then guaranteed a win.

1) target mob and press ~ (initiate attack)
2) cast DoT
3) cast Nettleshield (as the mobs run at me)
4) cast Regrowth on the mob (sometimes I will get interrupted so I try to cast this even if I don't need it)
5) Bloom as necessary
6) refresh Regrowth
7) repeat steps 3-6

Once Power is no longer an issue (mobs can no longer smack me for 80+) then it gets even easier. At that point I just refresh Nettleshield and Regrowth. Yes it takes a long time but it works great for quests. A high damage 2-handed weapon is recommended to speed up the process. Or you can use a shield and scimitar to speed up weapon training. Parry is at max for my level.

I used to play a cleric in EQ1. I started back in the day when level 50 was a HIGH level, and was level 40 before going beyond 50 was even possible.

Back in those days I used to solo my cleric all the time, and except when doing the planes, I would DD, Root, or short-term tank nearly as much as I healed in groups. I also soloed about a third of the time as well, so for me being a cleric was never that restrictive.... because I didn't let it be.

I played up to level 51 this way, and got almost a full set of the infamous Purple Planes Armor..... And then they wiped all the gear off everyone on test. That's when I quit EQ for about 2 years (came back with my wife and we did dual Beastlords to level 62).

I have already remade my Cleric (Mathilda the Halfling on Butcherblock). I think she will be the same one as the original and will somehow have come back 500 years later (maybe traveled through time after personally screaming at the overgod Berad Makwaid for ******** her over). She will be real damn pissed off still about the gear, plus about her power being taken, and all her friends being long dead..... So she will betray Qeynos and go over to the "dark side". Should be pretty cool character.... Now I just have to write up the Bio for all this.

Oh, and about the porting, I heard mention that the magic art was lost at this time.... That kinda leaves them open to bring it back... Mabe like an unlocking of the froggies thing, who knows. I am sure it will change quite a bit over the next several years.