[CLASS BUILD] Fire Priest (ranged sup-offdps)

[TWPE]

The prone effect of Pillar of Faith is checked against Fortitude. Weakened strongly lowers Fortitude and Will. You're more likely to hit (or even crit) that prone effect agaisnt weakened foes. That's one reason there.

 

Shining beacon is checked against will. So weakened helps there as well.

 

Dazed helps keep you alive. It also has the side-effect of slightly lowering reflex; helping several spells you have that target reflex (like the crushing portion of Pillar of Faith or Storm of Holy Fire).

 

Painful Interdiction is also per encounter, casts quickly, and covers a large area.

 

Edit: For solo, Weakened will also make it easier to kite your enemies.

Edited May 31, 2016 by TWPE

[Jarmo]

  Have tried with this build to meet the following challenge: 

- Solo

- Naked

- Encounter: Alpine Dragon

- Difficulty: PotD

 

Just the other day I tried this fight several times, with a full party. Got violated so bad.

So I'll just have to say I hate you and I hate your stupid video and now I'm going off to cry in my bed.

[Dr <3]

I take always gallant focus in solo, it is like have a weapon focus but better sice it affects also spell and abilities. Never leave home without. Also the druid Mark per encounter can do wonders at the beginning of the game, later when you have better things to spam you can always respect.

 

PS: i was also dubious about the interdiction and painful interdiction, never liked much that ability since i thought that the duration was too short. But after trying this build i have changed my mind. It is actually fast to cast and lower opponent def more than other things. And is per fight and not per rest. And have really a huge area. Since as a Priest you have quite a lot of freedom in chosing talents ( apart from fire DMG bonus and +10 accuracy to the aoe heal ) i think that interdiction is a solid pick

Edited May 31, 2016 by Dr <3

[MaxQuest]

Hah, soz Jarmo

 

But I still had to use few scrolls as that pesky lizard doesn't wait for your to buff yourself.

Don't know if you need any tips, but if you do, here are few general strategies:

v1. classic: let main tank solo (dedicated paladin or fighter) tank the dragon, while the rest of the party (placed far from breath) deals with adds.

v2. charm the dragon. Let him help you clear the adds. Than kill the dragon. (for example: petrify + disintegrate + envenomed + cleansing flames)

v3. confuse the adds. Let them keep him busy while you buff your self and cast the AoEs. Try to time it so that the dragon dies simultaneously with the adds.

 

I take always gallant focus in solo, it is like have a weapon focus but better sice it affects also spell and abilities. Never leave home without. Also the druid Mark per encounter can do wonders at the beginning of the game, later when you have better things to spam you can always respect.

You are right.

The reason I didn't take them is that I wasn't thinking about solo. I needed a priest for my six-man party, built in such a way that he could contribute more than just via buffs.

The idea to test him vs Alpine came latter

 

Just a question, why interdiction? Dazed and Weakened are great debuffs, but isn't it better just knocking everything prone with Pillar of Faith and then killing everyone with shining beacon (after you buffed yourself of course).

Last, instead of the weapon focus wouldn't be better to take Galant Focus since it also applies to spells.

Interdiction helps with those who are immune to prone. And to land longer cc in general. Also by debuffing their will it's easier to land Shinning Beacon.

Although the real reason is that how nicely does it complement other members in my party: barbarian with stunning weapons and bruteforce, wizard with pale shades and two ciphers spamming: detonate, charm, mental binding and amplified wave. That's like instant +20 acc to everyone. And per-encounter.

 

As for Galant's focus, sure feel free to take it. Weapon foci are more for the flavour. Personally I've taken bonus 4th spell.

Although better check first if it stacks with blessing.

Edited May 31, 2016 by MaxQuest

[TWPE]

Question: Does Scion of Flame work with the DoT spells like Shining Beacon? For some reason, I have it in my head that it does not.

[MaxQuest]

Question: Does Scion of Flame work with the DoT spells like Shining Beacon? For some reason, I have it in my head that it does not.

It doesn't.

But it works with fire sigils, storm of holy fire, searing seal, pillar of holy fire and fireballs.

Also it works with curoc's brand and fire lash.

[TWPE]

Fire sigils?

[MaxQuest]

Fire sigils?

Uhm, meant symbols (of Magran and Eothas).

[TWPE]

 

Fire sigils?

Uhm, meant symbols (of Magran and Eothas).

 

 

Ahh. I thought as much but I wasn't sure (you had me googling fire sigils lol).

 

I'm utilizing a similar build to this but I'm my priest worships Wael. This does have the benefit of giving me a damage type that fire immune enemies are often weaker to (including several dragons). So, I'm happy with the trade off (I just have to do something about their fortitude first).

[MimeTactics]

Thanks for the answers!
 

As for Galant's focus, sure feel free to take it. Weapon foci are more for the flavour. Personally I've taken bonus 4th spell.
Although better check first if it stacks with blessing.

 

It doesn't actually, but until you are able to get the first spell mastery it's a solid pick (or if you just want to ignore Blessing, since it's just +1 acc difference (sure, you will miss the damage Bonus if you decide to do that)).

 

... Since as a Priest you have quite a lot of freedom in chosing talents ( apart from fire DMG bonus and +10 accuracy to the aoe heal ) i think that interdiction is a solid pick

 

 

I also think that Aggrandizing Radiance is a must for every Priest, that +2 stat and move Bonus stacks with everything in the game.
 ​Once you get Minor Avatar that is +10 to every Status, or +12 might and perc. for Champions boon.
​The only Problem is that it's more of a mid-late game Talent, since you really need that healing in the early game. (At least for a solo play)
 

[Loren Tyr]

In terms of debuffing Fortitude, a good alternative is to use a Poisoned Dart Trap. This also inflicts Weakened, but unlike most effects that do so it attacks Deflection rather than Fortitude itself. It also has (at present anyway, I doubt it's intentional) a vastly higher accuracy than it is supposed to. The trap's description says -15, which means it should be -30 (don't ask), but it actually has +11, so a +41 point swing. 
 

[MaxQuest]

I'm utilizing a similar build to this but I'm my priest worships Wael. This does have the benefit of giving me a damage type that fire immune enemies are often weaker to (including several dragons). So, I'm happy with the trade off (I just have to do something about their fortitude first).

An alternative choice could be going for Scaen. His symbol deals pierce damage against deflection. And no dragon is immune to this damage type. Also it hobbles.

 

Btw, there is also a Scroll of Insect Swarm. It deals damage totally comparable to that of Shinning Beacon, but it's piercing. And because it is a dot it benefits from x2 tick rate from Cleansing Flames.

The only downside is that it targets Fort instead of Will, and has lower radius, although 31 INT helps alleviate that.

 

Another scroll I've found useful is Tanglefoot. Huge radius, huge duration. Everyone who is hit by 3s tick is hobbled for 4s (base) or 8s (30 int) period. And because hobbled also reduces movement speed by 3, slow creatures like Adra Dragon are basically rooted in place for 40s.

 

P.S. A random thought about a rogue (with deathblows and deep wounds) who can assist the priest when it comes to scrolls of insect swarm... and also benefit from CF's x2 tick rate.

Edited June 1, 2016 by MaxQuest

[TWPE]

Another scroll I've found useful is Tanglefoot. Huge radius, huge duration. Everyone who is hit by 3s tick is hobbled for 4s (base) or 8s (30 int) period. And because hobbled also reduces movement speed by 3, slow creatures like Adra Dragon are basically rooted in place for 40s.

 

 

There was a point in my first playthough where EVERY member of my party had this scroll (I love lore). I'd even use it to setup my rogue who'd just run through with hobbled immunity picking off  everything with sabres.

[TWPE]

BTW, does Spark the Soul of the Righteous benefit from Heart of the Storm? From the caster? From the person who was buffed?

[MaxQuest]

^ It does benefit from the Might of the buffed target. 

It also gives focus to cipher.

I am 99% sure that it will benefit from Heart of the Storm from the characters who are buffed.

[TWPE]

Hmm. Might be worth grabbing Heart of the Storm on party members that have a free talent then. It's hard to measure that spell, but it seems to melt things on PotD.

[MaxQuest]

^ I don't quite remember how close an enemy should be to get zapped. And what defense is used against it.

 

But yeah, the spark definitely has it's uses against big numbers of low-DR enemies. 

It deals damage somewhat comparable to half of Sacred Immolation, but you can cast it on 6 party-members, so that's like 3 SI (if the party has the means to lower enemies DR). 

[Boeroer]

Expose Vulnerabilities for the win.

Awesome spell that - most underappreciated.

 

Spark the souls is great when you have a lot of melee guys, Expose Vulnerabilities and a Stormcaller ranger. Hell, even Dancing Bolts is great then.

[TWPE]

Also, "And Hel-Hyraf Crashed upon the Shield" has helped me here.

[Caeyrii]

Just how strong is Storm of Holy Fire with this build and what's stopping me to just cast one then Withdraw myself?

[Dr <3]

 

Just how strong is Storm of Holy Fire with this build and what's stopping me to just cast one then Withdraw myself?

Your morality. The mobs trained all the Life for stop you, is not correct to wipe them all without a fair fight

[Boeroer]

Good tactic by the way. But if you're solo the encounter will stop once you wuthdraw and the Storm of Holy Fire is wasted. With summons or in a party it will work perfectly well though. 

[Caeyrii]

Aww, then again, you're permanently in combat when you do dragons.

[Lampros]

For the Priest, I followed this build - especially after finding that Priests can do burst damage as well. The thing I deviated was that I didn't min-max as heavily as mandated by this build. Mainly, I was too afraid to bring Resolve down to 3

[MaxQuest]

^ Aside from maxed MIG and INT, min-maxing is indeed not that necessary.

 

I usually use this priest with:

- Kana's arquebuss between levels 2-6

- and Gyrd Háewanes Sténes once I get access to rank 3-4 spells

 

His weakest damage contribution (relative to the rest of the party) is between levels 5-7. But once you start using Shining Beacons once in awhile he starts to catchup with Barbarian in terms of total damage done.