DPS Priest

[Priestess]

I've recently been playing as a Priest and I'm getting the impression that you're not really a reliable damage dealer, despite the amazing healing capabilities. Does anyone know a stat build for a good dps Priest, if that's even possible? I'm new to the whole stat thing so I wouldn't know where to start on that. 

 

 

[Climhazzard]

My priests are always dead last in damage dealt for the team, lol.  Not sure if there's any way to be a damage dealer.

[petrivanzyl]

My priests are much more tanky than DPS

[Concordance]

The problem with making a DPS priest is threefold: 1) Low base accuracy for the class 2) Shortage of direct damage abilities 3) Low health and endurance. You can build a Damage-oriented priest and have a lot of fun with it, but keep in mind a DPS priest will still fall short of a rogue, barbarian, monk or DPS fighter in damage output.

 

If you really want a combat priest, Priests of Skaen can take a talent that gives an accuracy bonus to Slilettos and Clubs, and a baby version of Sneak Attack. Combined with Weapon Focus: Ruffian, you will get +16 in passive accuracy. This brings the Priest's accuracy to par with High Accuracy classes. Where a fighter would have 36 accuracy with a stiletto at the cost of one talent, you have the same at the cost of two.

 

In combat, use Inspiring Radiance for the +5 accuracy, followed by Painful Interdiction and/or Seals to apply debuffs that trigger Sneak Attack. Your damage output will not be amazing, but you'll be able to contribute to damage and crowd control (via Seals) in easier encounters and hang back while buffing/debuffing in the harder ones.

Edited April 27, 2015 by Concordance

[Jojobobo]

If you were going DPS, I would have a look at the Priest talents and pick a deity who's weapon accuracy bonuses you like. +10 accuracy on a weapon is a pretty big deal, if you were to take than and a corresponding Weapon Focus you'd be just as accurate with a couple of weapons as a fighter (not that you'd necessarily need to take both the Weapon Focus and the deity talent).

[Nadrac]

You are probably better off choosing magran, just like durance and use the amazing Arquebus. Can do something like this.

 

Mig 18
Con 8
Dex 18
Per 3
Int 18+
Res 10

 

Magran

Interdiction

Inspired Flame
Inspiring Radiance

Wf: Soldier

Gunner

Marksman

 

With potd in mind i wouldn't recommend priest melee dps.

[mazeltov]

I would play up the Burn damage angle and go Priest of Magran:

 

2 Scion of Flame

4 Brilliant Radiance

6 Inspired Flame

8 Ghost Hunter

 

Holy Radiance (talented for Burn damage), Magran's L. Burst of S. Flame, Divine Mark, Searing Seal, Shining Beacon, Pillar of Holy Fire, Cleansing Flame. High Mig/Int works with the other damaging Priest spells, too, like Iconic Projection and Pillar of Prone.

[knownastherat]

I started Skaen with Stiletto and Ruffian few times but .. the burning one could be interesting. The thing I have with Priest and Druid, unlike Wizard, is their casting speed.

[Exyll]

I give mine a pike to deal 2nd row dmg in between spells, works for me

[gkathellar]

Priests get some great damage spells later on, but their early levels are painfully devoid of such, yeah.

[Gromnir]

Priests get some great damage spells later on, but their early levels are painfully devoid of such, yeah.

is less true than most folks suggest.  no 1st level serious damage spells, but divine mark hits hard for serious burn damage.  make sure a wizard casts will draining miasma and/or other will debuffs, and then watch as  your level 3-4 priests with non-impressive might scores crit for +80 damage and the -25 accuracy debuff.  similarly, the priest o' wael with a quarterstaff will do reliable weapon damage throughout the game, or you could focus on rods.  in either case, whether you use rod or quarterstaff as your primary weapon, the other will still give you decent accuracy, so you got a reach weapon, a ranged weapon and you cover crush/pierce/slash.  the reach weapon is a serious boon for a squishy priest. and once you get access to level 3 spells... well, is no excuse at that point for failure to do serious offensive damage.  

 

our priests always max mechanics and take scion o' flame.  scion does not current buff searing seal (a bug according to obsidian), but it does buff the priest's other burn spells, which is considerable in number and devastating in power.  the trap accuracy math is far more forgiving than is priest accuracy Plus you get the additional mechanics accuracy boost.  a mid level priest routine getting +100 accuracy on seal spells? seems overpowered to us, but am admitting that such has not stopped us from using seal spells.

 

use 2 priests.  if you got 1 priest in a party, the priest is gonna spend all his efforts buffing, debuffing healing and cleansing-- you won't notice just how much damage the priest is capable o' doing.  our aforementioned priest o' wael, with a 10 might, were doing damage a smidge below grieving mother... could starve on the difference.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Ormag]

My main was a moon godlike priestess in my first playthrough, and she had the most total damage, the highest single target damage etc. 
She crit often, and had pretty good overall dps, especially late game with the unique staff you can find in noonfrost. (radiance being op before the first patch helped as well)

Just max out your might (which helps with healing as well), and you will deal really do damage with your pillar-spells. You can buff yourself to crit often and improve your accuracy as well. 

More importantly, abuse your priest talents which add a bonus of +10 accuracy to specific weapons depending on your god choice, +10 accuracy is great and no other class provides such a bonus via talents/abilities.

[Concordance]

More importantly, abuse your priest talents which add a bonus of +10 accuracy to specific weapons depending on your god choice, +10 accuracy is great and no other class provides such a bonus via talents/abilities.

 

Priest starts with 10 less accuracy compared to Fighters/Monks/Rogues/Rangers. This talent merely brings the priest's base accuracy up to that of other frontliners, for two weapons only, each covered by a different Weapon Focus. It's pretty good for a caster who wants to melee, but abysmal compared to an actual melee damager.

[Gromnir]

 

More importantly, abuse your priest talents which add a bonus of +10 accuracy to specific weapons depending on your god choice, +10 accuracy is great and no other class provides such a bonus via talents/abilities.

 

Priest starts with 10 less accuracy compared to Fighters/Monks/Rogues/Rangers. This talent merely brings the priest's base accuracy up to that of other frontliners, for two weapons only, each covered by a different Weapon Focus. It's pretty good for a caster who wants to melee, but abysmal compared to an actual melee damager.

 

am not sure how you get that the talent benefit is comparative abysmal when the deity weapon focus talent results in you having the same accuracy as the high accuracy characters.  is only 2 weapons?  *shrug* is only 'bout 10% o' the game that we feel compelled to switch from our prefered ranged and melee weapon for any character in our party.  2 weapon at high accuracy for cost of one talent? is not a terrible burden and surely ain't reducing to level o' abysmal.  would it be splendiferous if we could get both weapons covered by a single weapon focus talent?  actually, no.  priests is already a very strong class.  make the priest class not only have the highest possible spell accuracy with at least a handful o' spells, but also make 'em better at melee combat would be criminal negligent on the part o' the developers. heck, the three obvious priest attributes we would focus 'pon, if we genuine were concerned about attributes, would be intelligence, might and dexterity, in that order.  so is not as if the typical priest is gimping self if he decides to focus a bit more 'pon doing melee weapon damage.

 

still strikes us as mind blowing that we were the lone priest honk during the beta.  

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Ormag]

 

More importantly, abuse your priest talents which add a bonus of +10 accuracy to specific weapons depending on your god choice, +10 accuracy is great and no other class provides such a bonus via talents/abilities.

 

Priest starts with 10 less accuracy compared to Fighters/Monks/Rogues/Rangers. This talent merely brings the priest's base accuracy up to that of other frontliners, for two weapons only, each covered by a different Weapon Focus. It's pretty good for a caster who wants to melee, but abysmal compared to an actual melee damager.

 

fighters dont have spells, so the total damage is still superior. 

 

[taek]

The priest accuracy issue becomes a non-factor once they get their damage spells. The accuracy on priest nukes are far higher than anything on my other nukers.  The seals in particular seem to operate as traps and it's not uncommon for every target to be crit.

 

The priest also have access to the best Might buffs, which is what a spell user wants.

- Holy Power (+3 MGT)

- Aggrandizing Radiance (+2 to all stats per encounter)

- Champions Boon (+10 MGT)

 

Combine that with priest nukes and you'll be doing plenty of damage, but a nuking priest is a late developing class.