The Total Templar

Ten Ton Hammer Guide to the Templar

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Chapter 1 - Credits & The Basics

Chapter 2 - Quests

Chapter 3 - NPC Locations

href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=370&meid=56">Chapter
4
- Spell Upgrades: Finding and Comparing Them

Chapter 5 - Weapons (Under Construction)

Chapter 6 - Armor

href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=26&meid=56">Chapter
7 - Spells

Chapter 8 - Methods and Techniques

Chapter 9 - 1H+Shld vs. 1H+Symbol vs. 2H Debate (Under Const.)

Chapter 10 - Where To Hunt

9.0 - 1-hand + Shield vs. 1-hand + Symbol vs. 2-hand debate

You might wonder why a discussion of weapons is even relevant for a templar, certainly a grouped templar. There are different ways to play, certainly, and some assert that a melee'ing healer does more harm than good. I personally like to be in the middle of a fight (behind the mob, of course) if for no other reason than it helps me maintain focus. I argue that every bit of damage that we can bring to the fight counts for something, though melee in a group is very far from our primary role. If nothing else, we're like a small DoT spell. One word of warning if you choose to fight like I do: be careful of your enemies' AoE spells and any reprisal damage buffs they have. Tanks can handle these, but we cannot. It's wasteful to be healing yourself, and much better to just back off.

One-hand blunt (1HB) versus Two-hand blunt (2hb) Weapons

The conventional everquest wisdom is that players wishing to avoid drawing hate (that's us, templars!) should use 2HB as fewer hits per second meant less hate accumulated overall. EQ2 *seems* to use a different equation for calculating hate, and in my experience I've seldom had a problem with becoming an involuntary tank. Healers' special heals (reactive, ward, HoT) seem to have solved the age-old problem of drawing copious amounts of hate with spam heals. Imprudent mages who use two many DD (direct damage) spells too early in the battle peel mobs off the MT like crazy though!

Ultimately, the decision to use 1HB or 2HB will depend solely on the equipment available to you. Unlike scout and fighters, we don't have a variety of weapon-classes available to us, so our crushing skills apply to any weapon we can equip, one-handed or two. And in the early twenties, 1HB certainly makes sense since upon becoming a templar we're given a one-handed mace (see chapter 2 for details). But who's to say you might not get a wicked 2HB great hammer with great plus- wisdom stats as a drop! It's more likely, however, that you can build better stats (including AC) with 1HB.

1-handed weapons: Symbol vs. Shield

Two factors to consider here: stats and play-style. The ideal is a fast, high damage 1HB with a high AC buckler with great +wisdom +anything-else stats. The primary ingredients should be wisdom and power. The more of these, the longer your power stretches, the better the heals, and the less power you consume per heal. Anything other stats are gravy. If you're primarily playing as a backseat healer and NEVER want to take a swing, then you MIGHT consider carrying two symbols to build up the highest power possible.

Shields are nice, however, because they provide AC, but the kind of shields we can carry (e.g. bucklers) don't provide a monumental amount of defense. Still, every bit helps, and odds are you can find a shield that provides as much wisdom/power production (pp)/ health production (hp) as easily as you can find a symbol with the same stats. (Here's a hint: +wis shields are far more common at lower levels in Freeport, you might want to check the black market listings at the fence in Qeynos Harbor (the cavern in the Harbor canal near its source)).