Newbie templar questions

So... I'm sort of in the same boat as yourself. Take my experiences and play as you like with them.

I used to NPC a long time ago, so my first character at my home chapter came into the game at level 6. I'm playing an earth adept, so similar in terms of skill costs. For the core of your templar abilities, I have 1-handed edged, style master (you would start with just shield or two weapons), and a 4/4/2/1 column, so not a ton of stuff. I have a lot of build tied up in craftsman and production skills, so you can ignore that stuff and focus on the important things at first. I fight shield and short sword, primarily, but I'm swinging base damage, so not great. No back attacks or waylay yet. I'm technically an adept, but I have maxed out armor for my class and everyone looks at me like I'm a templar because I'm not wearing black leather armor with a hood, I guess.

What have I learned?

Shield in the off hand is *really* effective at blocking. I've found myself taking fewer hits with the shield than when I used to play a spear + shortsword rogue at a different chapter ages ago. If you're worried about the shield being a target for spell packets, consider using what I use... a center grip shield or "punch" shield. It's very mobile, and it's not even max surface area, so you can dodge very well with it. A shield is also helpful because you can tape a healing arts questions cheat sheet to the back of it! (I don't have a lot of experience playing a healer!) I suppose you could also put spell incants on them for fast reference. I knew a player ages ago that went as far as taping a scroll to the back of his, and even had a packet tied to a string on it for touch casting. And there are lots of players who have potion racks and things on the backs of their shields, so... the shield eventually becomes a very tactically impressive thing, when you add in-game assets to them--more versatile than you might initially think.

The downside to the shield, I've discovered, is that I want to focus on being a healer, but because I'm carrying a shield, group leaders tend to order me to the front line as a warrior. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, since I do block pretty well, and I'm right there to touch cast the injured or disabled. Since I'm swinging base damage, I tend to focus on defending a flank of the line. It's more important sometimes to look like a threat and not lose ground, and keep the guy with the polearm next to you swinging and not worried about blocking so much. I let them do the damage, and keep the group healthy. There are more experienced healers behind us when stuff goes really bad.

However, I'm also playing an elf, and longbow + shortsword is a very viable combination. I will probably pick it up at some point. It gives you a reasonable ranged offense (something most earth casters don't have), and gives you a better view of the overall group from the back row to know who needs healing. If you are the only healer in your party, it's probably preferable, since you are less likely to go down and leave the group without a healer, and because you will be able to see who needs assistance without some goon in your face worrying you with a claw swinging a disabling carrier attack. The only downside is that it's another packet type to keep separated and organized somewhere on your person. The logistics of carrying things is a *whole* different discussion!

Your choice of an edged weapon is important for cutting injured party members out of entangling effects. Good stuff.

The endow spell is important for being able to quickly pick up injured party members and move them to safety.

I went my entire first event not really being able to use the bind, pin, shatter, and disarm spells I had memorized. Stuff that was threatening enough to want to use spells against was generally immune to binding, and had claws. This will depend on the types of plots your chapter is running, but until you know what you are up against, I actually recommend taking just healing and buffs to your first event, because those will always be useful. You can then make an informed decision for the followup event.

I actually like your Human Templar build, for the most part, but knowing how to read magic your first event might not make a huge impact at first, since you might not own any scrolls and might not have much money at first to purchase any. It's probably more important to focus on getting an offhand blocking implement... and if you start with the skill your first event, hey! Free starting item tag!

I think you'll have a great time playing an earth templar, for what it's worth. You will figure out your play style after your first event. Group dynamics make a *big* difference, and it all depends on who you are adventuring with... and how those folks like to organize themselves. Build decisions are a lot easier once you know your party role.

Hope this helps! And let us know how it goes!
 
Sorry the level 1 spells was a typo I posted 5 points towards level 1 spells so I mean 5 lvl 1 and 4 lvl 2 and 1 lvl 3.

I'll be starting out in south michigan chapter.

Thank you for the input!
 
So... I'm sort of in the same boat as yourself. Take my experiences and play as you like with them.

I used to NPC a long time ago, so my first character at my home chapter came into the game at level 6. I'm playing an earth adept, so similar in terms of skill costs. For the core of your templar abilities, I have 1-handed edged, style master (you would start with just shield or two weapons), and a 4/4/2/1 column, so not a ton of stuff. I have a lot of build tied up in craftsman and production skills, so you can ignore that stuff and focus on the important things at first. I fight shield and short sword, primarily, but I'm swinging base damage, so not great. No back attacks or waylay yet. I'm technically an adept, but I have maxed out armor for my class and everyone looks at me like I'm a templar because I'm not wearing black leather armor with a hood, I guess.

What have I learned?

Shield in the off hand is *really* effective at blocking. I've found myself taking fewer hits with the shield than when I used to play a spear + shortsword rogue at a different chapter ages ago. If you're worried about the shield being a target for spell packets, consider using what I use... a center grip shield or "punch" shield. It's very mobile, and it's not even max surface area, so you can dodge very well with it. A shield is also helpful because you can tape a healing arts questions cheat sheet to the back of it! (I don't have a lot of experience playing a healer!) I suppose you could also put spell incants on them for fast reference. I knew a player ages ago that went as far as taping a scroll to the back of his, and even had a packet tied to a string on it for touch casting. And there are lots of players who have potion racks and things on the backs of their shields, so... the shield eventually becomes a very tactically impressive thing, when you add in-game assets to them--more versatile than you might initially think.

The downside to the shield, I've discovered, is that I want to focus on being a healer, but because I'm carrying a shield, group leaders tend to order me to the front line as a warrior. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, since I do block pretty well, and I'm right there to touch cast the injured or disabled. Since I'm swinging base damage, I tend to focus on defending a flank of the line. It's more important sometimes to look like a threat and not lose ground, and keep the guy with the polearm next to you swinging and not worried about blocking so much. I let them do the damage, and keep the group healthy. There are more experienced healers behind us when stuff goes really bad.

However, I'm also playing an elf, and longbow + shortsword is a very viable combination. I will probably pick it up at some point. It gives you a reasonable ranged offense (something most earth casters don't have), and gives you a better view of the overall group from the back row to know who needs healing. If you are the only healer in your party, it's probably preferable, since you are less likely to go down and leave the group without a healer, and because you will be able to see who needs assistance without some goon in your face worrying you with a claw swinging a disabling carrier attack. The only downside is that it's another packet type to keep separated and organized somewhere on your person. The logistics of carrying things is a *whole* different discussion!

Your choice of an edged weapon is important for cutting injured party members out of entangling effects. Good stuff.

The endow spell is important for being able to quickly pick up injured party members and move them to safety.

I went my entire first event not really being able to use the bind, pin, shatter, and disarm spells I had memorized. Stuff that was threatening enough to want to use spells against was generally immune to binding, and had claws. This will depend on the types of plots your chapter is running, but until you know what you are up against, I actually recommend taking just healing and buffs to your first event, because those will always be useful. You can then make an informed decision for the followup event.

I actually like your Human Templar build, for the most part, but knowing how to read magic your first event might not make a huge impact at first, since you might not own any scrolls and might not have much money at first to purchase any. It's probably more important to focus on getting an offhand blocking implement... and if you start with the skill your first event, hey! Free starting item tag!

I think you'll have a great time playing an earth templar, for what it's worth. You will figure out your play style after your first event. Group dynamics make a *big* difference, and it all depends on who you are adventuring with... and how those folks like to organize themselves. Build decisions are a lot easier once you know your party role.

Hope this helps! And let us know how it goes!

Thank you! That was alot of good info and advice! I'll buy you a LARP brew if I get the chance haha

As for the shield choice I was thinking of not using one so I can have more spells to null damage since it will be hard for me to get dodge or parry I was gonna rack up on spells. I guess spells were suppose to be my shield lol but I like the idea of using the shield as a way to hold packets and a incantation cheat sheet lol
 
I play a 15th level Templar now. I started as a fighter as the extra body, cheaper weapons, and cheaper Profs enhance survivability. I went to 4 profs no perday skills then started buying magic. I play an elf so I use long bow as my primary and short sword as my back up. I do have some ineffective build but as others have stated before, it is for flavor. Templar is harder to play at lower levels as with any of the hybrid classes so I suggest playing a pure class and sliding over. But YMMV. Ultimately, having fun is your goal. make something you can have fun with.
 
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