Pure blaster (light-based) divine build suggestion wanted...Cleric, FvS, or Druid?
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Underflow
Well-known member
To expand on what Droid is saying:
Druid Light only has Sunbeam and Sunburst, and while it possesses decent MCL increase (+5), it has significant issues dealing damage.
EG: Sunbeam + Sunburst + SLA Sunburst at best.
FVS Light has a smoother levelling curve but somehow less viable options overall, but Angel of Vengeance is sadly underperforming, lacking many of the options Cleric does. Their only good pure Light spell is Divine Wrath, with Divine Punishment as a secondary. Searing Light SLA is not enough to fill the gap. The archon is underperforming.
Sun Cleric is by far the best, with a Searing Light SLA at level 3 instead of level 20, only one less CL/MCL than FVS, with all of the options FVS gets plus Sunbeam, Sunburst, Sun Bolt, as well as a Sunbeam and Sunburst SLA.
With alignment though, you get two more options. Sadly, they don't really work well with Mantles.
Wild Mage Sorcerer deals decent alignment damage, has limited access to Light spells, but scales the same spellpower. They have a pretty good capstone though. Hammer/Strike/Channel Entropy is pretty solid, and does far more damage than Clerics do, but with less coverage.
Channel Entropy's D6+18/cl knocks Divine Wrath's d6+9/cl out of the water, especially since Channel Entropy is a SLA, has a 12 sec CD instead of Wrath's 20 second CD, and isn't delayed. It's an Acid Well SLA with a Will Save... the only reason it's not meta is because of A: Wild Mage Jank and B: Elemental Casters seriously have that much more support.
Dark Bargainer Warlock technically deals "high" alignment damage, with the mixture of Utterdark Blast, potentially the Light Imbue and Powers Pact letting you do 100% Alignment/Light damage. I'd value it as more powerful than Druid Light at the very minimum, although it's far less versatile and tends to fall off. I'm not sure how it compares to FVS: I'd rank it higher but that's just because I've not seen a caster FVS for quite some time.
For Race though, there's really not a good choice. Between Human for extra feats, or a +stat race for extra DC, Light doesn't really benefit from any race in particular. Sure, you could say Morninglord is probably ideal, but that tree is so hideously expensive and jank that it's not worth it.
I personally like Drow for Darkfire, which actually does quite a bit of damage (though even without MCL a d8 spell isn't that powerful at endgame). Faerie Fire SLA for breaking boxes easily.
Druid Light only has Sunbeam and Sunburst, and while it possesses decent MCL increase (+5), it has significant issues dealing damage.
EG: Sunbeam + Sunburst + SLA Sunburst at best.
FVS Light has a smoother levelling curve but somehow less viable options overall, but Angel of Vengeance is sadly underperforming, lacking many of the options Cleric does. Their only good pure Light spell is Divine Wrath, with Divine Punishment as a secondary. Searing Light SLA is not enough to fill the gap. The archon is underperforming.
Sun Cleric is by far the best, with a Searing Light SLA at level 3 instead of level 20, only one less CL/MCL than FVS, with all of the options FVS gets plus Sunbeam, Sunburst, Sun Bolt, as well as a Sunbeam and Sunburst SLA.
With alignment though, you get two more options. Sadly, they don't really work well with Mantles.
Wild Mage Sorcerer deals decent alignment damage, has limited access to Light spells, but scales the same spellpower. They have a pretty good capstone though. Hammer/Strike/Channel Entropy is pretty solid, and does far more damage than Clerics do, but with less coverage.
Channel Entropy's D6+18/cl knocks Divine Wrath's d6+9/cl out of the water, especially since Channel Entropy is a SLA, has a 12 sec CD instead of Wrath's 20 second CD, and isn't delayed. It's an Acid Well SLA with a Will Save... the only reason it's not meta is because of A: Wild Mage Jank and B: Elemental Casters seriously have that much more support.
Dark Bargainer Warlock technically deals "high" alignment damage, with the mixture of Utterdark Blast, potentially the Light Imbue and Powers Pact letting you do 100% Alignment/Light damage. I'd value it as more powerful than Druid Light at the very minimum, although it's far less versatile and tends to fall off. I'm not sure how it compares to FVS: I'd rank it higher but that's just because I've not seen a caster FVS for quite some time.
For Race though, there's really not a good choice. Between Human for extra feats, or a +stat race for extra DC, Light doesn't really benefit from any race in particular. Sure, you could say Morninglord is probably ideal, but that tree is so hideously expensive and jank that it's not worth it.
I personally like Drow for Darkfire, which actually does quite a bit of damage (though even without MCL a d8 spell isn't that powerful at endgame). Faerie Fire SLA for breaking boxes easily.
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Visengarde
Well-known member
I'm currently trying a Dark Bargainer Warlock. I'm managing to get around 870 Light spell power (using the ddo builder) but it seems the real issue is there aren't any decent epic destinies that support "Light" based characters. EA is the only one and it's very "meh" imo. Due to the lack of viable light damage sources, and light spell power sources, you're forced to build for >1 spell power, and for the warlock, you're looking at 3 at least.. Light, Force, and for the Bargainer, Negative(void), with nothing that allows you to strip immunities.
If anyone has any thoughts on what destinies might work well, I'd like to see them
If anyone has any thoughts on what destinies might work well, I'd like to see them
droid327
Hardcore casual soloist
I'm currently trying a Dark Bargainer Warlock. I'm managing to get around 870 Light spell power (using the ddo builder) but it seems the real issue is there aren't any decent epic destinies that support "Light" based characters. EA is the only one and it's very "meh" imo. Due to the lack of viable light damage sources, and light spell power sources, you're forced to build for >1 spell power, and for the warlock, you're looking at 3 at least.. Light, Force, and for the Bargainer, Negative(void), with nothing that allows you to strip immunities.
If anyone has any thoughts on what destinies might work well, I'd like to see them
Since you're already building for Neg, you could just go Shadow Draconic, and have Light to cover the Neg Immunes. Should be a little less of a handicap once Death Ward is only 50% Neg Absorb rather than Neg Immune next patch, too.
Or you could go Fire+Light in Primal. Heart boosts Light power, though it doesnt actually offer any L&A abilities, but Fire+Light is an easier combo to gear for, and it synergizes better with EA too, though Reborn is probably wasted on a
You shouldnt need Force if you're not going T5 Draconic for GRuin, though. Its not worth it just for your Tentacles, and that's the only Force you're doing since you're in Utterdark.
Thau of Blackmoore
Well-known member
Fire Cleric or Light Cleric
FVS was nuked from Orbit by the Development team
FVS was nuked from Orbit by the Development team
Bjond
Well-known member
EA is fantastic for Fire-pact Enlightened Spirit aura. I have hopes that it will be similarly nice for Evil-pact aura.
EA Mantle's Wrath will trigger and tick on fire pact aura. Not tested evil. Of the others, only fire-pact triggers (AotS + Fiend). This adds a 54d6 fire+light aura ticking @ 2.5s. That's a lot of nice dice. Hopefully it will tick for DB, too.
The T5 Fire+Light fireball is still very strong even after the nerf, but I usually take Chain Cure, because it expands the utility of Warlock with a really fantastic heal.
I'd still avoid using negative as a primary damage type. DW was never an issue I noticed on my PM, which means the change won't be noticed by neg-casters. The big ones are undead and constructs, which feels like half the game. It's not half a quest, too. It's ALL of one quest and none of another.
Also, Warlock doesn't have much in the way of Negative damage spells. It's not like PM where you're flinging it around via SLAs, rays, and dots as 90% of your damage. Most of your damage will be blasts (alignment).
I'm working a bit on a DB build. Poison is fantastic, since Nullification boosts it and there's an immunity strip for more than undead. But, that means including Alchemist or another poison-stripping class. I'm building a tanklock, so EA Mantle Wrath + DB Vortex Breath is the ED plan and Acid seems best for Breath. There's a lot of nice item-support for corrosion.
TL;DR = Wear Align+Acid, swap Null for L/DA.
Would you take light/alignment?
I have a wild mage/chaos domain cleric (6/14 respectively) that is so much fun. He casts both classes at lvl 20 thanks to the T-4 wild mage enhancement, has double chaos hammer SLAs, Prismatic Spray and Greater Color Spray SLAs that both add Chaos damage, and heals very well. I took EA ED and use the healing bolt. Between that, all the chaos damage, and the light SLA I keep the wraithful flame/light barrier around me almost constantly. Mana pool lasts a.very long time.
Let me know if you want any specifics, good luck regardless.
I have a wild mage/chaos domain cleric (6/14 respectively) that is so much fun. He casts both classes at lvl 20 thanks to the T-4 wild mage enhancement, has double chaos hammer SLAs, Prismatic Spray and Greater Color Spray SLAs that both add Chaos damage, and heals very well. I took EA ED and use the healing bolt. Between that, all the chaos damage, and the light SLA I keep the wraithful flame/light barrier around me almost constantly. Mana pool lasts a.very long time.
Let me know if you want any specifics, good luck regardless.
droid327
Hardcore casual soloist
Wish they'd give Channel Entropy and an analogous Channel Syntropy for Lawful damage to cleric/fvs L9 so they could have decent epic casting
I've played many laser clerics and fvs, its one of my favorite classes.
Leveling is easier with a cleric with more SLAs and you can start as an iconic, its useless but starting at 15 is fast.
The fvs is a bit slower to start with less SLAs and a less spell selection but you do end up with more power in the end.
The one thing that made me prefer FVS is that in the endgame it does more dmg and is a far better healer.
A fully pimped close wounds SLA with 1sec cooldown keeps everyone topped up easily at no spellpoint cost. You have plenty of big heals too, especially if you are aasimar.
The cleric can probably end up with higher heal numbers but the casting speed is terrible and those heals are gonna drain your mana eventually in a raid.
Last note. Get enlarge metamagic if you do end up healing in a raid. Otherwise people are never in range.
Leveling is easier with a cleric with more SLAs and you can start as an iconic, its useless but starting at 15 is fast.
The fvs is a bit slower to start with less SLAs and a less spell selection but you do end up with more power in the end.
The one thing that made me prefer FVS is that in the endgame it does more dmg and is a far better healer.
A fully pimped close wounds SLA with 1sec cooldown keeps everyone topped up easily at no spellpoint cost. You have plenty of big heals too, especially if you are aasimar.
The cleric can probably end up with higher heal numbers but the casting speed is terrible and those heals are gonna drain your mana eventually in a raid.
Last note. Get enlarge metamagic if you do end up healing in a raid. Otherwise people are never in range.
Indeed Droid, as it is there's just the one flavor fully instantiated.
PaleFox
Well-known member
With the current setup of items in game you don't have to choose between light and alignment.
Just go Sun Domain Cleric - Divine Disciple
Only downside is that Searing Light from the feat SLA shares the cooldown with the enhancement SLA.
Upside is that you can put those action points somewhere else.
Pick Holy Smite and then Holy Power.
You should be able to get your crit chance in the 70% range.
And for the people suggesting stuff of other classes, please be aware that negative and/or shadow is not the same as evil.
Evil is affected by Radiance and Radiance Lore where as negative and shadow are not.
EDIT:
And for the OP, there isn't a whole lot in Epic Destinies that has a hard focus on alignment spells. It seems to be tightly knotted with fire.
For this you could switch to Fire domain and take Morninglord (sun elf) as race, though this does mean you need to spend more action points to get access to some of the same SLAs. And it is a lot slower, harder to slot all effects needed for items.
Just go Sun Domain Cleric - Divine Disciple
Only downside is that Searing Light from the feat SLA shares the cooldown with the enhancement SLA.
Upside is that you can put those action points somewhere else.
Pick Holy Smite and then Holy Power.
You should be able to get your crit chance in the 70% range.
And for the people suggesting stuff of other classes, please be aware that negative and/or shadow is not the same as evil.
Evil is affected by Radiance and Radiance Lore where as negative and shadow are not.
EDIT:
And for the OP, there isn't a whole lot in Epic Destinies that has a hard focus on alignment spells. It seems to be tightly knotted with fire.
For this you could switch to Fire domain and take Morninglord (sun elf) as race, though this does mean you need to spend more action points to get access to some of the same SLAs. And it is a lot slower, harder to slot all effects needed for items.
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Arkat
Founder & Super Hero
Coffey
Well-known member
Its an enhancement in tier 5 Divine Disciple that allows full damage to all enemies when casting Holy Smite regardless of their alignment.
Last time I checked the wiki, it said that was broken, and I did confirm it was last time I played cleric. Has that changed?
Marshal_Lannes
Well-known member
Just a note on Dark Bargainer - if you are using Vampire Blast, you cannot use Utterdark Blast, so you will be doing force/alignment damage. Not necessarily a bad thing since force has synergy in Shiradi and Gruin, along with Arcane Tempest.
Coffey
Well-known member
I dont know if it was fixed or not. Wiki still says its bugged though.
I've tested this one extensively. It's still bugged. It allows the spells to do their base damage to everything, but not their double. It's barely worth anything for Holy Smite since so few targets are good.
Coffey
Well-known member
Ok thanks. I was going by what i could see. Its been a while since ive played Cleric.
The blinding effect is worth using the SLA though.
How long has this been bugged? Because i had noticed it seemed a bit weak in spell rotation.
Edit: Im not understanding why i am seeing double damage good and neutral monsters after i enabled Holy Power in the enhancements? Is that not what it is supposed to do?
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