I started with a Priest, and almost switched early on due to him being very one dimensional. I still kept playing, and he grew on me. His abillities are crap, his level up bonuses are crap, but his spells are a different story, even if they look a bit crap on the first look, there are some real gems hidden amongst the lousy ones. So, I decided to rank them for everyone sticking with him for some power, and hopfully finding some uses that I overlooked.
1st level:
Armour of Faith [2/10]
Very good duration, but +4 damage reduction becomes negligible later in game.
Barbs of Condemnation [6/10]
Mainstay in priests repertoire as one of his few direct target offensive spells. Great range, but effects loose importance later in game.
Blessing [6/10]
Nothing spectacular, but that extra +5 accuracy can often mean hit or graze.
Divine Terror [7/10]
-15 accuracy vs. Will, good duration, and good effect compensate somewhat small area of effect.
Halt [?]
Holy Meditation [6/10]
Good duration, and decent buff on will saves, makes it useful for whole game.
Prayer against Fear [2/10]
Fairly useless because priest has more universal solutions to same problem.
Restore Minor Endurance [3/10]
Early healing spell that losses usefulness early on, only to get a tinny bit of it back when it becomes per encounter with lvl.9.
Withdraw [10/10]
Single most useful first level spell in the game. Even it's intended role is a lifesaver for whole game, it will save target from dying, and it'll make them immediately useful when they get out of it because enemies will already be engaged elsewhere. That last characteristic makes it also a superb tactical spell. Throw it on squishy character early in battle and enemy will forget him when he gets back, throw it on rogue and he'll get free backstabbing opportunities, or just time it on decoy that runs into a pack of enemies a second before you obliterate the area with fireballs. Possibilities are endless.
2nd level:
Suppress Affliction [2?/10]
Whenever I try to use it, the thing I try to 'suppress' does not count as an affliction.
Restore Light Endurance [4/10]
Better healer.
Consecrated Ground [7/10]
Healing effect is good, but this spell really needs good Intelligence for it to last longer and gain wider range. Being centred on caster, makes it also a bit situational. Great for 2nd row priests.
Divine Mark [8/10]
2nd direct target spell. It attacks will, and has long lasting deflection penalty, so it stays useful. What I'd give for it to have better range...
Repulsing Seal [7/10]
I misused seals as traps early on, only when I started using them as fire and forget aoe spells, they became godly. Just jug them over your tank when he's got plenty of enemies around him, and watch them burn, or in this case, watch them fall on their asses.
Prayer against Infirmity [3/10]
It has it's uses, then again, they aren't many.
Instill Doubt [?]
Iconic Projection [?]
I really don't know where to put this one. It's healing/damaging spell with huge ray-aoe that does not report damage in battlelog. It actually offers a bit more healing than lvl.2 healing spell, but it's not instant.
Holy Power [6/10]
Aura centred on caster with very small aoe, but it lasts for base 30 sec, giving +3 might and small resolve bonus. That might bonus makes it very useful even if it affects priest alone.
3rd level
Pillar of Faith [7/10]
Crush damage and prone in one spell with 10/15 accuracy bonuses. Still, a bit awkward targeting makes Warding Seal a more flexible choice.
Watchful Presence [6/10]
Fire and forget healer. I used it a lot when I first got it. As game progressed it became a tinny bit underpowered.
Warding Seal [8/10]
Another of those lovely seals. Good electrical damage, no accuracy bonus against reflex, but being foe only aoe means you get twice as many enemies even in it's somewhat small circle.
Restore Moderate Stamina [6/10]
A good and reliable healer.
Prayer against Restraint [?]
In its self it has little use, but in combo with Wizards and Druids restricting spells?
Despondent blows [6/10]
With good duration, this accuracy and criticals reducing spell has it's uses.
Dire Blessings [8/10]
One of the best Priests boosting spells, effective for whole game, and natural combat started for harder battles. Good duration, sufficient area, and with companions focused on criticals, it gets even better. Everyone gains from it's 20% on critical hits.
Circle of Protection [4/10]
+15 on defences, and huge area sounds good, then you see it's low duration.
4th level
Triumph of the Crusaders [6/10]
200 endurance per kill for base 60sec. Sounds really good, but endurance can also be regenerated in other ways, and with it's low aoe it becomes a bit hard to target it mid battle when it's effects would be most needed. It's also a bit unpredictable. You never know when your Druid will take a kill from a fighter that would need that 200 endurance boost.
Prayer against Bewilderment [3/10]
It's in no way worse that other status reducing/preventing spells, but taking precious 4. lvl slot???
Baring Death's Door [1/10]
Utterly useless. It does nothing that Withdraw can do better. Maybe there's a tinny bit of use for it in Ironman mode, but that's it.
Devotions for the Faithful [9?/10]
A very interesting spell. I'm not quite decided on rating, but it appears to be high.
First it has -10(!) Might and -20 ranged/mele accuracy penalty on enemies vs will at naked role. Slight accuracy bonus would alone make it a golden spell. Then it has +4 Might, +20 ranged/mele accuracy boon on allies as well. Might bonus does NOT stack with Holy Power (eliminating it's usefulness?), but it appears to work with Blessing (+5 accuracy) and Dire Blessings (20% on criticals). That should make for some quite powerful ranged and mele damage output, while that +4 on might still helps casters.
Restore Major Stamina [6/10]
Healer.
Searing Seal [6/10]
Big area seal. Damage is not at all good for 4th level spell, still, it's nearly certain to blind someone in it's large area of effect, even with it rolling without bonus. There are times for it instead of Beacon.
Shining Beacon [10/10]
Huge damage dealer, big aoe, foe only, 15 accuracy bonus against will. Oh, and -10 on all defences. That's rivaling every Druid and Mage aoe spell, with added flexibility of it being foe only. This one turns Priest into an offensive behemoth.
I'll do the last two if there's any interest.
Edited by dododad, 07 April 2015 - 02:55 PM.