The Cleric is the Dark And Darker support class, but that doesn't mean they are useless in combat. This is a class that can deal some serious damage with their spells and blunt weapons, especially against the Undead.

RELATED: Dark And Darker: Class Guide

You'll want to take a Cleric into most games that you run with your friends, even if it's just you and one other player. Heals are so important in this hardcore game and having a Cleric by your side can make a huge difference. Here's a breakdown of the class with some gameplay tips, and an overall idea of how to build the class.

We updated this guide on February 7, 2023, for the February playtest of the game. We've included some new tips about the Goblin Cave solo queue mode, and whether the Cleric is a viable option for solo runs.

Cleric Class Overview

The Cleric is one of the best classes in Dark And Darker, and to tackle the most difficult content in the game, it's pretty much a must pick. It's a healer, damage-dealer, and can provide buffs for your entire party.

• Pros
  • Provide heals and buffs
  • Not as weak as you'd think, as you can wield plate armor and carry blunt weaponry

• Cons
  • Frequently the first target in fights
  • Works best in team comps, not as great solo

Here's a closer look at the Cleric perks and abilities.

Cleric Perks and Abilities

Perks
Advanced Healer	Improves your heal by 5 HP points
Blunt Weapon Mastery	Improves your physical damage when you use a blunt weapon by 5%
Brewmaster	Your character will not have the negative side effects when drinking alcohol
Kindness	When you heal others, you get 15% of that health back to your own character
Perseverance	This perk reduces all incoming damage from every type by 3 points
Protection From Evil	Any negative debuffs you get are reduced in potency and duration by 20%
Requiem	When you revive an ally, you will grant them 25% health rather than the tiny sliver they normally get, and when you use the Altar of Sacrifice, you don't have to pay with our own health
Undead Slaying	You get an extra 20% physical damage boost against Undead Monsters
Abilities
Holy Purification	This is an AoE ability that deals 100 magic damage to all Undead monsters in a 7.5m radius
Judgement	Targeted spell that deals damage and reduces movement speed - you need to be within 4.5m of an enemy and hovering your crosshair over them (deals 30 magic damage and reduces their movement speed by 20% for five seconds)
Smite	Activate this ability, and you'll deal +10 magic damage to every enemy for the next ten seconds
Spell Memory 1/Spell Memory 2	You will need to take at least one of these to access your Cleric spells - late-game clerics might consider taking both to have more spells accessible to them

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Like any other class in Dark and Darker, you are able to take four perks in total at max level. Perks are unlocked in this order: level 0, level 5, level 10, and level 15.

Starter Cleric Perks And Abilities

At level 0, you are able to take just one perk. We recommend you take Advanced Healer as this is a simple perk that improves your healing ability.

In terms of abilities, we would take Spell Memory to get access to your spells and Judgement as this is great for clearing mobs/targeted damage against enemies.

Is Solo Cleric Viable?

In the February 2023 playtest, the new solo Goblin Cave mode was added to the game. This allows players to solo queue and only come agaisnt other solo players. It provides lots of XP, which is why you might want to run it as the Cleric.

If you are heading into a solo run as a Cleric, make sure to bring a Mace and a decent Buckler. You can also buy Ale from the Tavernkeep in the marketplace and take the Brewmaster perk to buff your damage/strength significantly. There's no reason why the Cleric can't be a viable solo class.

Cleric Spells

The Cleric also has access to a range of powerful spells. If you're unsure of how the spell system works in Dark And Darker, make sure to read our guide. Here's a look at the spells available to you.

• Tier 1: One Cost Spells
  • Protection - This shield spell will block 20 physical damage for 20 seconds, can be applied to yourself or an ally
  • Bless - A targeted spell that grants +3 Strength, Agility, and Will, for 30 seconds. This will cast on yourself if you're alone.

• Tier 2: Two Cost Spells
  • Divine Strike - Targeted spell that increases the targets overall weapon damage by +10 for 20 seconds
  • Cleanse - This targeted spell will remove debuffs and other ailments from the target

• Tier 3: Three Cost Spells
  • Bind - This stops the target in their tracks for 0.75s

• Tier 4: Four Cost Spells
  • Lesser Heal - This is your key healing spell that regens 15 health for the target, this will target yourself if you have no ally nearby.

• Tier 5: Five Cost Spells
  • Holy Light - A targeted heal and damage dealing spell - if targeting an ally this heals for 30hp, if aimed at an Undead, it deals 100 damage

• Tier 8: Eight Cost Spells
  • Resurrection - This spell will revive an ally from death as long as their Soul Heart is present

Starter Spell Set For Cleric

As a level 0 Cleric, you will access to 12 Knowledge points. That means you need to select spells that add up to 12 points overall. It might look something like this.

This is a decent set-up for a level 0 Cleric with only 12 Knowledge. Alternatively, you could opt for the Resurrection spell at 8 cost and the Lesser Heal spell at 4 cost. You should also place more spells on your Spell Priority bar as you may gain access to more Knowledge on your run due to the gear you pick up.

Don't completely overlook the Bless spell. Providing big buffs to your team before a fight (especially a frontliner like a Barbarian or a Fighter) can be the make or break of a showdown. If you're running with two reliable teammates, definitely consider leaning more into the buff side of things with Protection & Bless.

RELATED: Best Solo Classes In Dark And Darker

Starter Cleric Build

In summary, here's what your first, level 0 Cleric build might look like in the game.

Max Level Cleric Build

At level 15, you can have access to four perks in total and access to more spells depending on your Knowledge level.

Best Perks For The Cleric

Here's a list of the perks you should consider for your four-slot Cleric.

• Advanced Healer - Improves base heal by 5
• Kindness - Heal yourself by 15% of healing dealt to others
• Protection From Evil - Debuff cleanse, reduces duration by 20%
• Perseverance - Reduces all damage types incoming by 3

This perk set-up is designed around a support Cleric in a party. If you want to deal more damage, or you're running solo Cleric, you might want to pick up Undead Slaying for that extra damage boost to undead and Blunt Weapon Mastery to improve your mace damage.

Best Gear To Look Out For As The Cleric

There is a load of different gear available in Dark And Darker, and what you pick up really depends on your playstyle. However, here are some general tips about the best gear for the Cleric.

• Knowledge gear - Anything with Knowledge is generally considered pretty useful as it expands the pool of spells you can cast during a run. Extracting with some high Knowledge gear successfully can set you up well for a High-Roller or Red run in the future.
• Stats are really important, so gear that has + to every attribute is good to look out for. This also means that you should just pick up the gear that has the bet stat for your character, whether its heavy armor, light armor, or a different weapon.
• We really prefer the Spell Book for Cleric as it casts spells much faster and isn't as cumbersome as the Staff. Speed is essential for dodging enemies, but in PvE and PvP, so aim for lighter armor if you can.
• You can pick up a small Buckler shield and a Mace alongside your Spellbook to help with clearing out mobs and to offer you a little bit of protection if an enemy player rushes you.

Gameplay Tips For The Cleric

Here are some general tips to improve your play as a Cleric.

• Even though you are a support character, don't underestimate how much damage you can do. Your buffs against Undead work well with your damage buffs from blunt weapons (specifically Maces, Flanged Mace, etc). Get involved and help your team out.
• Resurrection is a great ability that is sometimes overlooked - grabbing your teammates right from the floor or outside the ring instead of hunting for a revive altar can be game-changing.
• The aim of your game, especially if you're playing in a party, is to sit back, provide heals and buffs, and only get involved in PvP hand-to-hand combat when necessary. You will find yourself as the main target for enemy teams, so make sure to pay attention to your positioning.
• Focus buffs on your frontline team members, like Fighters and Barbarians.
• Voice communication is really important for the Cleric, especially if you can let your team know that you have just provided buffs & how many more heals you have available to you.
• Experiment with different weapons, armor, and builds before settling. Dark And Darker has a lot of variables. For example, a Brewmaster Cleric that is constantly drunk can do loads of damage.

NEXT: Dark And Darker: Extraction Guide