Gradius Cleric Guide

Perhaps dwarves aren't everyone's favorite race, but that doesn't stop Gradius clerics from being a good class.


PROS AND CONS:

1) Gradius clerics get a pet, which is always a plus. However, this also means that when they don't have a pet, they are rather weak.

2) Gradius clerics get a smother attack, which does an amount of damage up to 4x level. You gain this attack at level 10. This attack is cool because it does a decent amount of damage, and can be done anytime during battle. However, it can only be used every 2 minutes. There is also a good chance that smother will fail or be resisted. It happens a lot, even when I fight low level monsters. If a monster resists-earth, you will fail your smother most of the time, and when you do succeed, it will be for nominal damage.

3) Gradius clerics have pretty weak vigging, especially compared to other clerics. Even at level 23, I can only count on a vig for about 20-25, and a mend for about 30-35. Of course, this is balanced out by Gradius's attack power.

4) Gradius clerics, like other grey aura classes, are usable against all sorts of monsters. What do I mean? Unlike an Enoch cleric, who will be very powerful against evil creatures but less so against good ones, a Gradius cleric will be equally powerful against creatures of all auras.

5) Gradius clerics have an aura to maintain, which gets very frustrating at times. They can be either grey aura or light blue aura (since all the dwarven monsters in the game are blue). The roleplay reason behind is because while Gradius is a neutral god, he is generally well-intentioned and good of heart (except towards the vile races). The aura makes things very difficult, as it is impossible to camp in a spot for long at all, unless the mobs are grey. There are very few grey mobs in the game.

6) When Gradius clerics are off-aura, they become very weak. Their healing abilities are heavily penalized. The smother ability is lost when not grey or light blue. The conjure ability is lost when blood red or royal blue.

7) Gradius clerics can wear heavy armor. This is something less vital, since there's plenty of good light armor out there. I personally just wear whatever I can get my hands on. Since no cleric can dodge (except Kamira), AC is not as important as armor absorption.

8) Gradius clerics are easy to roleplay. Read HELP DWARVES

9) While Gradius clerics are pretty powerful at high levels, if aligned properly, they are rather difficult to work up at a low level.


TITLES:

Male

Levels 1-3: Mason
Levels 4-6: Miner
Levels 7-9: Earth Sapper
Levels 10-12: Metallurgist
Levels 13-15: Mithril Priest
Levels 16-18: Stone(d) Patriarch
Levels 19-21: Earth Master
Levels 22-24: Hammer of Gradius
Levels 25-27: Anvil of Gradius
Levels 28-30: Chosen of Gradius


Female

Levels 1-3: Mason
Levels 4-6: ?
Levels 7-9: ?
Levels 10-12: ?
Levels 13-15: ?
Levels 16-18: ?
Levels 19-21: Earth Mistress?
Levels 22-24: ?
Levels 25-27: ?
Levels 28-30: ?


STATS:

Gradius cleric stats depend on how you want to do it. They can be done like any other cleric, but there are a few main options, which I've approximated:

1) High INT and PIE, rest into STR
2) High CON and PIE, rest into INT
3) High PIE, Medium CON, and variations between STR and INT

My own stats:

Starting: 15 3 11 9 18
After dwarven: 16 2 13 8 17
Level 23: 19 7 17 14 21

My stats are kinda pointless at higher levels (though I do get 23 piety and 8 dex, though for the AC change, 7 dex is the same as 8 dex.)
This is because my character was aimed for around level 22.

If I had to redo it:

Starting: 13 3 10 12 18
Dwarven: 14 3 12 11 17
Level 25: 17 7 17 17 22

I'd still have the same strength bonus, but I'd get the next int bonus, which would help MP ticking and stunning abilities. For casting, high realms are good enough to do high damage. Also, starting with 12 con is fine, because clerics get con at a relatively early level, and you only lose out on 2 HP. Now whether or not those 2 HP will save you one day is up to you to decide.

The Gradius cleric stat cycle is the same for all clerics:

STR
DEX
CON
PIE
INT
PIE
INT
DEX
CON
INT

Suggested stats - Aiming for Level 22:

Always max out your piety. Gradius cleric vigging is bad enough, combined with a dwarven piety penalty.
Dexterity can be minimized (unless you are aiming for the AC bonus that comes with 7 dex. You can achieve 7 dex with 3 starting dex at level 23, or you can start with 4 dex and get it by level 19.)

X 3 X X 18

I prefer medium-con clerics. Dwarves have +2 CON, so:

X 3 10 X 18

You'll get 13 con for the extra HP at level 4. Now here's the tricky part. You have 25 stat points left between STR and INT. Remember that dwarves are +1 STR and -1 INT. By level 22, a cleric gains 3 STR (all they'll ever get), and 6 INT (more at level 26 and 28).

INT Option:

Starting: 7 3 10 18 18
Dwarven: 8 2 12 17 17
Level 22: 11 6 16 23 21

I have trouble working out the bonuses on that though. You can get 25 int later on, but the STR is kind of in a middle position.

STR Option:

Starting: 17 3 10 8 18
Dwarven: 18 2 12 7 17
Level 22: 21 6 16 13 21

Unfortunately, that leaves you one short of the next int bonus, which you won't get until level 26.

Hybrid Option 1:

Starting: 10 3 10 15 18
Dwarven: 11 2 12 14 17
Level 22: 14 6 16 20 21

Well, what do you know....one short on the int bonus again.

Hybrid Option 2:

Starting: 13 3 10 12 18
Dwarven: 14 3 12 11 17
Level 22: 17 6 16 17 21

This is my favorite choice - STR and INT bonuses, decent HP, and a nice 21 piety base to vig from.

If you're aiming for a lower level, such as level 16, just use the stat cycle to see how many of each stat you get by level 16, and work backwards with the same process above.


TRAINING LOCATIONS:

At low levels, you train in the stone temple of Highport, found on Frizzet Street (easternmost street).

At higher levels, you train the Gradius temple of Ironguard Keep. To get there, go out the east gate of HP, head eastwards until you reach the gates of Gnomebarrow. Then go trail, and continue east, until you see the SE exit. Go SE, and then east until you see until you see the south exit. Go S, SE, and you'll be at the Ironguard Keep gates. GO GATE, GO TUNNEL, GO HOLD, S, S, GO DOOR, GO TUNNEL, DOWN, DOWN. The training locations are all around here.


KILLING LOCATIONS:

A bit tricky, since Gradius's neutral aura is so precious. I've divided up killing locations by type:

TYPE 1: All grey mobs.
TYPE 2: Area with a mix of blue and red mobs that balance out.
TYPE 3: Area with blue or red mobs, but with mobs of the opposite alignment nearby.
TYPE 4: Area that just screws up your aura.

TYPE 1 is obviously preferred. TYPE 2 is usually only found in newbie/lowbie areas. TYPE 3 is probably what you will end up doing. TYPE 4 is what good perm runs/item runs usually are, and make you very sad.

Levels 1-3: Gutter rats (TYPE 1) and Highport Market (TYPE 2)
Levels 4-6: Highport Market (TYPE 2) and Southbeach crabs (TYPE 2)
Levels 7-9: Woodinville (TYPE 3)
Levels 10-12: Crabmen (TYPE 2)
Levels 13-15: Highport Docks + DK Temple or Dwarven Bars + Purist Temple
Levels 16-18: Seagull and Mug + White Shark (TYPE 3)
Levels 19-21: Ice Trolls (TYPE 1), Screaming Skulls (TYPE 1)
Levels 22+: You should be able to work it yourself now =)

How to get to these locations:

http://forums.rohonline.net/topic/96/ - will give you some basic info

- Woodinville is out the SW gate of HP. Continue down the path until the crossroads. Read the sign if you'd like, then continue due south.

- Crabmen are in the beach of Bergen Cove. Go out the SW gate of HP. At the crossroads, head southwest until you see a northwest exit. Go there, and continue in, heading all the way north. Then: SW, SW, N, GO BEACH, N, W, GO SURF, GO DEEP, GO ROCKS, GO SECLUDED. You're now at crabmen. If you want to go to their cave - NE, NW, PREP, GO CAVE.

- Highport Docks are at the northwestern end of HP. DK Temple is at the southern end.

- Dwarven bars and purist temple are in Durgas Falls. Go out the SW gate of HP. At the crossroads, continue southeast. The karaoke bar and purist temple are both on 2nd street. There's other bars too. The bars will turn you red, and the purist temple will turn you blue.

- Seagull and Mug and White Shark are in the Breakwater Point. You can take the Ironclad there.

- Ice Trolls are pretty far away, in the Kesh Glaciers. If you're level 19 though, I'm sure you can figure it out.

- Screaming skulls might be killable at lower levels - I've never tried. They're in the HP Graveyard, continue north until the split in the path, then northeast and north. GO PATH at the room that mentions - something about killing.


Good luck on your journeys!

P.S. I do need some help completing this guide, primarily with the Gradius cleric titles (I've forgotten most of them), and with more possible killing locations. Thanks!