<div></div>As someone who groups with a templar regularly, I find myself given regular updates on the state of the class.  Listening to her gripes about a lack of soloing power moved me to visit the templar boards, and here I found a chorus of similar sentiments.  This got me to thinking... (the meat of this post came from a post of mine on the combat board)Prior to the revamp, Illusionists were pretty much in the same boat.  Soloing was long, slow, boring, and difficult.  What was given to us to compensate?  An average pet, that took up 3 concentration slots.  The pet has proven to be a great boon when soloing, but, 95% of the time, it's not worth it to use it in a group setting.I believe a great step would be to apply a similar fix to templars -- give them something that helps soloing a lot, but is undesirable in a group setting.Now, of course, a pet is probably not the best solution.  How about an offensive buff?  Similar to an animal form, or a fighter's offensive stance.Here's one example:<hr><b>Righteousness </b>(level 20)Target: SelfConcentration: 3Duration: Until cancelled- Increase mitigation of caster vs. all physical damage by 200- On a successful hostile spell this spell has a 33% chance to cast Righteous Wrath on target of spell.    - Inflicts 90-130 damage on target<hr>This adds a boost to templar DPS when soloing, and provides them with some protection so they can use more power on DPS.  In a group, these benefits are largely wasted -- templars should be healing, and not taking damage -- plus the 3 concentration slot requirement requires a steep sacrifice in buffage.The same philosophy is behind this proposal that was behind the illusionist fix that worked so well: an ability built for solo play.<div></div>

<P></P> <P>Thats actually been suggested a few times and their is still debate over DPS (which is very amusing to me).   If it doesn't tip the balance I could see its usefulness but would it make us less vunerable if we draw aggro in a group?  </P>

<P></P> <P><SPAN><FONT color=#66ff66>I am probably just a nut that loved the clerics in Lineage 2 but I would really like to see our Involuntary Curate, Shielding Faith, Watery Abeyance and Sign of Infirmity traded out for parry and 3 melee attacks scaled to our level doing reasonable damage. </FONT></SPAN></P> <P><SPAN><FONT color=#66ff66>Would be nice to kill something with our hammer.</FONT></SPAN></P> <P><FONT color=#66ff66></FONT></P>

Bah! Whats the idea Zifwick? Dreggin back up <a href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=11&message.id=4506" target=_blank>my old ideas?</a> heh But seriously, Templars need something like this.  But so do some of the other priests. <p></p>

<span><blockquote><hr>Fizwick wrote:<div></div> The same philosophy is behind this proposal that was behind the illusionist fix that worked so well: an ability built for solo play.<div></div><hr></blockquote>Or - you could have the Coercer fix - a buff that transferred to your opponents about 20 seconds into the fight. <i>*smiles*</i></span><p></p>

<P></P> <P>I think if you were to push for cleric soloing buffage, you'd have to give some kind of beneficial solo ability to all priests (yes, including the oh so amazing and jealousy invoking fury). The abilities could be obtained in the teen levels and be progressive, like the instant heals.</P> <P>A cleric hammer that does damage, generates hate to the cleric (not itself), and lasts until the mob is dead (cannot be recast until you have cancelle dit or it has expired). </P> <P>A druid tree or something of that nature that sprouts from the ground doing a consistant ae taunt (will attract un-engaged mobs) has only moderate hp and does no damage (but can be healed and buffed by the druid).</P> <P>A shaman wolf pet that both taunts (single target only) and does damage, but both to a partially lesser extent as the other 2 "pets".</P> <P>All these spells would require 3-5 concentration</P> <P>That would be pretty fun.</P>

All the non cleric priests already have a buff that could be tuned to be useful, the shapechange buffs. All priests can have workable DPS by: 1) Replace one of the lines of cleric utility with a shapechange buff. Probably Amending Fate or Sign of Weakness line. Templar: Angelform Inquisitor: Archangelform 2) Make all the shapechanges take 3 concentration, and actually be useful in a solo context. Then whenever priest DPS is out of balance with other archetypes, or within the archetype, the devs know precisely where to go to make adjustments. <p></p>

<p></p>Good ideas bear repeating! <span>:smileyhappy:</span>No class should be forced to group.  Soloing should at least be similarly viable across class lines, if not archetype lines.  I really think that a solo-friendly self-buff line is the way to go to solve this particular problem.(overall cleric utility also deserves attention...but that's a tale for a different thread)<p></p>