Tips on playing CJR/WHM as a pseudo-DPS?

so here I am, leveling my conjurer to get the maximum class cross potential for my main PLD, leveled him from 15 to 25 in 2 days, and so far, I like it.

However, I find the class to be passive in nature. Just stay in the back and heal just isnt my thing, even though thats what healers do, basically.

I, however am taking a more active approach, switching from Cleric Stance in and out when to attacks enemies, gauging my allies's HP and healing them and managing aggro rates and overall just contributing two-fold to the team.

Course, its imperfect. Just one ill-timed heal or one too many Stone IIs and the tank crumbles. I also cant do this all the time when facing a boss with a huge attack date and damage.

Anyone got any tips for a CJR that wants to play part DPS?

At low level, any kind of DPS has great potential of taking aggro away from the tank. I suggest you stick with Aero instead of Stone. Or simply stop the DPS once you see you are gaining aggro.

nce you reach higher level, aggro will not be an issue for tanks (in terms of healer doing DPS).

A skill healer is knowing what situation to do what. Not doing something and have patience are also part of your skill as a healer.

Pretty much what Asmadine said. On mobs that die fast and don't hit hard use Regen Stoneskin and Stone II. On mobs that hit hard and live longer your DoTs provide the greatest damage per GCD while still letting you heal.

Aero2: 210 total potency (50 upfront, 40/tic for 4 tics)
Aero: 200 total potency (50 upfront, 25/tic for 6 tics, instant cast)
Stone2: 170 potency
Fluid Aura: 150 potency, off-GCD

All fights should ideally be started with Aero2 > Aero > weave in Fluid Aura before next GCD > Stone 2 spam.
Reapply Aero/2 as they reach 3 or less seconds remaining, unless the enemy will likely die in less than 18/12 seconds. Do not shoot for Fluid Aura if it's going to take longer to walk over to an enemy than it will to cast Stone2, it's not worth running over and using it. Also don't use it if the knockback is going to burden everyone else (although if it's extremely close to a wall or does not get knocked back, you should still use it).

There is a small window at the end of a spell's cast bar where you can move and still have it fire. This is key to "inching over" to an enemy to use Fluid Aura without impacting your spell rate. Experiment with it.

WHM DPS is extremely simple because, aside from Holy for AoE, this is all you have. After you get Stone2, Stone1 should never be used for damage again. Only for the very rare occasions you actually want to apply the Heavy effect.

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Originally Posted by SeraviEdalborez

Also don't use it if the knockback is going to burden everyone else (although if it's extremely close to a wall or does not get knocked back, you should still use it).

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This is the most important thing to remember when using Fluid Aura, and it bears excluding and pointing out for emphasis. As you're likely well aware, being a healer, it is not your own singular accomplishments that are important, but the accomplishments of the group, of which you're a vital member. As such, using Fluid Aura on a target currently being attacked, while it increases your own damage, reduces the damage of any melee and the tank, and as such is ill-advised.

However, if you've learned beforehand that a monster is immune to knockback (Most, but not all, bosses are), feel free to use it then. Also, if there is an add that's not currently being attacked and is unslept (Maybe is unable to be slept, like Tonberries in WP) you can use Fluid Aura to knock it back and buy the tank 8 seconds of not being hit by it. That way you're dealing damage AND contributing to the defense.

I use fluid aura on mobs attacking me or a dps. Boss fights for damage as they are typically immune to the knockback

Fluid aura is a great way to piss off a tank/dps. Use it wisely
Even on mobs that are coming after you. At least in my experience, low-level tanking, it goes like this:
Start pull --> overzealous healer starts cure spam on first tap --> mob strips before flash/overpower --> I run after mob to hit it with enmity --> fluid aura pushes it out of range again --> "why can't you keep agro?" --> RAGE.

Yeah...too funny...the Fluid Aura push back I only use when enemy is against a wall unless I am solo.
As healer I just DoT and Stone II when it is safe to do so....I learned this quick when i was trying to be a bad ass and then noticed I let the Tank die...damn it...LOL.
So you can DPS just be smart and don't go too crazy. Make sure you have regen on be using <tt> so that you don't have to switch targeting to heal which will save you so much time.

/macroicon "Aero II"
/ac "Aero II" <tt>
/ac "Aero II" <t>

1. Please use Fluid Aura responsibly. You helping could turn into you prolonging a kill, and would have been better off standing around and healing. Or even pushing an enemy into un-engaged enemy territory

2. If youre looking to dps and heal (both efficiently) you definitely need to use macros for all your Attacks, using the placeholder <tt> (target's target) so you are able to target your tank (or any ally) for healing purposes, and be able to attack without manually changing targets (Great for PS3 users).

The only real good use I found for it was pushing a mob away from boss area during WP SPs like the tonberry before fighting goobue and the skele before pudding. Other than that, just don't use it while in a party.
You won't be able to appreciate how annoying that skill is unless you start tanking and then having a whm constantly using it on mobs u are attacking, or even when the whm gets hate, u provoke+shield lob only for them to use FA and grab hate again.

There are lots of creative ways you can play, i would first consider that the game is a team game first. So its good to have good communication. That said, from experience a lot of fights can be solo'd heal with some phases in the fight where 2 heals are almost mandatory. I.e if stunned by dreadknight in t5, split healing etc. So as a whm who uses cleric stance a lot my tips:

- have cleric stance hotkey in a very viable location so you can easily navigate (my case binded to me mouse key.)
- utilise sprint a lot.
- Make more use of stoneskin, since it doesnt matter if you cast it in cleric stance (also believe it doesnt raise threat like heals, not 100% sure)
- carry x-ethers incase your mana short
- Know when to cleric and not to, i.e in t5 if twintania uses her death sentence you usually got a 30 second window where she wont do that much damage, ofc you have to watch for other mechanics, however if a dreadnight is there you can help with that. Or if a tank hasnt got any cooldowns to mitigate a spell at a point in the fight then your better of healing, and mitigating damage.
- have divine seal regen up on tank/s and even medica 2 hot, or some form of damage mitigation like virus/eye/stoneskin. even that 7 seconds space time you can apply some dots, like for intense healing fights like t4.
- divine seal + mega potion mind regen.
- apply dots a lot.
- benediction if needed (remember the delay on it)
- whm spells have a lot of utility: from instant burst and slow to dots to aoe, stuns and damage.
- look out helpful macros/hotkeys: Heard target of target is a good one for heals and even throwing dps without having to click the mob or ally.
- practice
- have fun.

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Originally Posted by ArkAurelius

so here I am, leveling my conjurer to get the maximum class cross potential for my main PLD, leveled him from 15 to 25 in 2 days, and so far, I like it.

However, I find the class to be passive in nature. Just stay in the back and heal just isnt my thing, even though thats what healers do, basically.

I, however am taking a more active approach, switching from Cleric Stance in and out when to attacks enemies, gauging my allies's HP and healing them and managing aggro rates and overall just contributing two-fold to the team.

Course, its imperfect. Just one ill-timed heal or one too many Stone IIs and the tank crumbles. I also cant do this all the time when facing a boss with a huge attack date and damage.

Anyone got any tips for a CJR that wants to play part DPS?

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Ok, so since your looking for Cross Classes, the highest level you're going for is 34 or so for StoneSkin. So all this talk about holy and aero II is off the table. In fact the entire White Mage job is off the table for the most part.

Also, most of the "Green" gear for DOM doesn't really care if you are MND stacking or Int Stacking, because it gives both. So the effectiveness of Cleric Stance is not nearly as pronounced as it would be with a huge mnd stat. (Don't get me wrong, its there, and it's substantive, but if it's risky, going without it isn't THAT big a deal.)

So my advise would be this....

Assume you're going to be targeting the tank with Cure I every cooldown.
If for some reason you don't need to cure the tank (he's at full or near health) hit 1 of the following 2 macros instead.
/ac Stone II <tt>
/ac Stone II <t>
or
/ac Aero I <tt>
/ac Aero I <t>

This is the basic way of handling yourself, simple priority system.

Once you get the timing down (every tank is different, so you need to learn to get the new timing down for each new tank), you can start leading with a Cleric Stance before you hit the Stone II or Aero I.

That is really the most basic for pure CNJ. Now we get to Cross Class.

Generally speaking, I'd go with Swift Cast, Blizz2, Raging Strikes, and Internal Release in that order. How many you have is up to you. Swift cast is the highest on that list but is frankly amazing.

As for White Mage, it really only comes into it's own at 35, which is 1 level more than you are going to bother leveling. So no need to limit your Cross Class options.

Hope that helps ya out!