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Picking a Good cleric kit - Lathander or Tyr?

This shouldn't be as hard as it is, but here I am. I'll try to keep it short.

Boon of Lathander is strong enough to justify picking the Priest of Lathander kit. The bonus attack per round is a huge buff for pure classed clerics and it combos well with other spell buffs and weapons. Outside of combat, it has the benefit of its own stronghold.

The Priest of Tyr has the advantage of being a shiny new kit with shiny new abilities. Exaltation removes all the negative mind effects like Confusion and Domination. Anyone with experience knows how devastating those effects can be in a party based game, and having free, clean removal (unlike Dispel Magic) is a great tool. Divine Favor's 2 round duration makes its use in combat very limited - landing Harm spells and not much else.

Outside of combat, Priests of Tyr don't get their own stronghold - they piggyback on Lathander's or Helm's depending on alignment. This bothers me more than it should, but it's better than the Shaman's lack of stronghold.

So it comes down to Lathander's combat bonuses against Tyr's utility.
JuliusBorisovgorgonzola

Comments

  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    There's not much to disagree with here. A fine summation of the differences between the two kits.

    Bear in mind that Acclamation/Exaltation does not remove all negative mind effects, as it won't cure stun or hold effects (though you still have Remove Paralysis and Free Action for that). It is quite unique, however, in that it can cure charm, confusion, and sleep. Also bear in in mind that it cannot be cast on self, which means a Priest of Tyr cannot make him or herself immune to charm, confusion, and sleep using Acclamation--he or she would have to use Chaotic Commands.

    If you dual-class each kit to a mage, Boon of Lathander and Divine Favor can shift the power balance back and forth between them. Boon of Lathander is excellent for high-damage, low-APR attacks like the ogre form, Iron Golem form, or Black Blade of Disaster, while Divine Favor works better for high-APR attacks like Melf's Minute Meteors, Energy Blades, spider form, and Mind Flayer form.

    Both Divine Favor and Boon of Lathander are stackable. The Wand of Lightning trick can also duplicate their effects by six.
    JuliusBorisovgorgonzola
  • GodGod Member Posts: 1,150

    Lathander make problem. Trust me, Tyr better :smirk:
  • Abi_DalzimAbi_Dalzim Member Posts: 1,428
    I don't play pure clerics as much as I should, but I've always felt like it's a matter of anticipation over reaction - you've got long-lasting situational buffs that protect against status, and it's better to make use of Chaotic Commands and the like before battle rather than wait until in battle to try and remove conditions. Keeping that in mind, I'd opt for Lathander.

    That said, Helm is also a serious consideration - Seeking Sword along with Righteous Magic is a hell of a combo, turning your cleric into a powerful fighter for a while.
    BelgarathMTHJuliusBorisovgorgonzola
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    edited October 2016
    Yes, I agree with @Abi_Dalzim that Helm should be under consideration with the others. Seeking Sword is very good, and innate True Sight means you have less need for Keldorn, or spending spell slots on it.
    JuliusBorisov
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,714
    @Arishal I think it goes down to the following: whether you want your cleric to be more of a support character or an actively involved on the front line.

    I'm currently using a Priest of Tyr in a no-reload playthrough and I have to admit she has saved other characters at least 4 times already (the party is in the Candlekeep catacombs right now). Yes, Chaotic commands is a must spell, but if you're playing from the start in BG1, you don't get this spell until much later. Even in BG2, this spell can be dispelled, and your only chance to save a character may involve the Priest of Tyr. Confusion, Sleep-esque and Charm spells are used very often by enemies in both games.

    But if your cleric is going to fight on the front line, Boon of Lathander and Divine Favor may be better picks.
    Godgorgonzolasemiticgoddess
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    Boon of Lathander is really good also ranged, as sling gets STR damage bonus, but has low APR.
    The Cleric has ways to have high STR, having 3 APR hasted and 4 improved hasted he can do serious damage also ranged, even if, at high level, see him better with FoA and an other good weapon dealing 6 mlee APR with 25 STR.
    That is why find Lathander better than Helm for an offensive cleric, Seeking Sword is very good, but there are weapons just as good or better early in SoA, and is not easy to increase cleric's APR if he is not also mage, probably only the cloak of sewers. And if is possible to use the Seeking sword in the troll form, i never tested it, it would be really strong in SoA.
    Tyr is for the defensive, utility oriented, one.
    JuliusBorisov
  • ArishalArishal Member Posts: 13
    @Abi_Dalzim @BelgarathMTH

    The only reason I don't want to make a Priest of Helm is because you always work for Helm when you're not playing a Cleric. I want to see the Unseeing Eye + temple quests from a different perspective this time.
    gorgonzolaAbi_DalzimJuliusBorisov
  • Abi_DalzimAbi_Dalzim Member Posts: 1,428
    I feel like only Talos is different enough to make their Stronghold stuff interesting.
    GodJuliusBorisov
  • JumboWheat01JumboWheat01 Member Posts: 1,028
    Well that's what happens when you have a Chaotic god, much less an Evil one. I almost feel sorry for my Chaotic Neutral cleric I made of him getting to that point one day. It just doesn't seem a fit for a Neutral character.
    ThacoBellgorgonzola
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