To splash or not to splash, that is the question

[shardelay]

On a wis based casting/ploder cleric:

38clr 1 mnk 1 pal
or
40 clr.

Help me to decide.

Splashing gives me huge amounts of AC and saves, as well as a nice little disc dump at 40 to help with disc checks in abo/ely.

No splash drops my ac by 30-40, lowers my saves by about 8 (reflex is down to about 50 as the lowest one). However, it gains 2 SP, an effective 1 DC with a pure battletide, a bit longer GR and a few other minor spell effect benefits.

I'm really torn... Both seem to be perfectly viable builds, one a bit more defensive and the other a bit more offensive. What do you all think? What do you prefer?

Shard

[Retribution]

I'd definitely lean towards the splash. As you mentioned, the pure build is a lot more lacking defensively, and imo being able to tank and stay alive on your own in tough spawns brings a lot more benefit to your party than the slight speed boost that 2 sp and a (questionable) +1 to DC gives. That's just my opinion though, others are free to think otherwise

Ret.

[nataani]

Personally I view SP as too valuable. 68 SP on a pure leaves you already at a 60/40 chance of landing on the lowish sp mobs (74sr), which are not targets for nb. Thats already a bit iffy, now add in a double splash and reduce that further? Honestly if you have LSF Div your gate lasts a long while, back it up with some decent resists and its really not an issue. The only times I have a problem is when I get kd'd, but even with the ac your flatfoot anyway, so your still in the same boat.

I gritted my teeth and took a ranger splash on mine for the extra feat, I have no saves whatsoever with all available feats going to wisdom and spell foci. My plan is to use the Abo torch for 1 extra sp and double gate, with a CL ego item. That will give me 69SP + ED, 1 DC off max, max battletide, LSF Necro, LSF Evo, ESF Ench, ESF Trans and LSF Div. Currently I use an asmo torch and +1 DC item simply because I dont have the abo torch or CL item yet.

[drunkenboaster]

My ploder is pure, I love it. AC is for tanks.

[MurphysLawAgain]

My ploder is a double splash. He can implode things that he must kill (machines, gusts, fumes) perfectly well. Since I tend to play him as a more defensive party support caster the extra AC, Saves & Evasion helps him stand up front and help.

[FunkySwerve]

Nov 14, 2009 19:51:24 GMT drunkenboaster said:

My ploder is pure, I love it. AC is for tanks.

I second this. I've had a ploder cleric build on ice for over a year now named Friar Humpty - because he's an eggshell.

Funky

[kingcamaro]

another thing to consider is heartbane... you need to be evil to use the spell, but have to be good for the pally saves.

i would go pure btw, insta killing amnizus and cornies is very nice, and as mentioned, SP is always good

[Deleted]

I find playing the splash cleric insanely relaxing.

Self restored, 133 AC, LSF Div gate and Asmo rod means that I don't even have to think about defense most of the time.

As other have mentioed the biggest problem is spell penetration and not being able to do much to amnizu and cornies because I don't have necro focus.

The nice defense means that I can go dual tia ring in some cases and make up for SP with pure spammage (47 implodes or so with a conservative level 9 set-up).

However, I don't think playing a pure cleric would be too much of a challenge defensively. The LSF div gate lasts a long time and the extra offensive options are fun

[phalthallus]

I just now found this old post. Sorry for digging it up again, but I just thought I'd add my 2 cents, Shard.

Something else you gain by going pure is +2 DC to Greater Ruin, which can really help.

I've 3x'd my pure Cleric, and love it. I'm in line with KC, DB, and Funky on this one. I have been playing mine for quite some time, and rarely have problems defensively. You just play smart, keep Gate up, and you're fine. In one Phleg run, where I got my armor slagged and just ended up going without, and using a fire torch from Min, I was still 2nd or 3rd in least amount of damage taken, because of Gate, and being careful in positioning myself during the battle. With an Asmo shield, I still hit like 120 or 121 AC. On non-slagging layers I'd probably use a Pyro Flow for the immunes instead. I have been using the Asmo torch, but since the Crit Immunity was changed, I think I'll go to the Pyro Flow.

For a class that has little in the way of lowering SR, the +2 helps a lot. 12 more seconds of Greater Restore helps a lot too, especially when you're restoring 4 or more people on a run. Energy Drain can drain more levels per cast as well. I have never really wished I had the splash(es), though some players swear by it.

[gandoron]

I personally have a 38/1/1 cleric, but pure has some benefits, particularly if you are going evil and leveraging heartbane. A splash cleric just lets me play more aggressively and be in the front where prayer and plodes are needed in the first few rounds of battle. It also allows me to use the abo torch and not lose a massive amount of AC. LSFx2 gate is just amazing. This also gives me +1SP, so only -1 SP behind a pure.

I have to ED to get full BT which is the only really annoying part of each rest.

Shorter duration GR is a bit frustrating too, but again worth it for the overall robustness.

-G