The way of scholar

[Jadkay]

Hello all.

First, sorry for my english, not my native language but I think and hope I will be understandable.

Since I hited 70 with my scholar I can't stop palying it and ofc, it's by far, my main job.

But, as lot of people (maybe?), I feel like sometimes I got some problem in dongeons. For the moment, I run roulette most of the time because I need all bonus in gils, quartz and all others to get stuff.
So here is my problem : sometimes, the tank take a hugh pack of mobs and die because I can't keep it up (even using CD). So, I need to know if I am the problem and getting wrong in the use of my skills or if the tank is simply over estimating his capacity to tank those hugh pack.

I got a DRK 70 and tbh, I don't make hugh pack so often and that for some reasons : I don't know the healer, I don't know enough the dongeon and some more reasons. But when I do, I use a CD when I packed mob and almost full life (I don't wait to be low for that) and I move in circle around the pack of mobs to avoid some hits (don't know if it is a proper way but until now it worked well).

Considering this, I would like to know if there is any some sort of guide for SCH (saw some one the forum but pretty outdated) because I play only SCH as heal, to improve my healing skill especially in those time when I need to keep the tank alive from a hugh pack (order of skills maybe ?).

At the moment, I'm ilvl 361 materia socketed in critic > det and vit on some accessories. Is it right ? I don't use dh because I'm not enough confident to have the use of the improving dps it could give me due to the fact than I don't feel than I dps that much to have the use of it. About celerity ... tbh, I don't feel casting more fast from 0,2-0,4 sec will affect my healing and that's not really my playstyle. I'm more like critic shield skill to mitigate damage than casting faster. But maybe I'm getting wrong.

Thanks in advance.

[Grimoire-M]

From what I've experienced when running SCH in dungeons, this is what I've needed to worry about, from most to least:
- Keep Excogitation on cooldown at all times outside of bosses, it'll save the tank when you need it to.
- Run with the tank and remember to Adlo them between pulls. If you see the shield break before they've gathered up the mobs then shield them again along the way. It's a good sign you'll need to focus on healing them rather than Miasma II. Staying close will also ensure your fairy is in range of them, and that you can Miasma II when able.
- Maintaining Bio/Miasma Bane DoTs and Shadowflare is important. Do this immediately while you have Excog up once the tank has settled. Sometimes I try to fit all of these in during the pull if I think I won't have time. Chain Stratagem your initial target before you DoT so you can spread the extra crit around via Bane. Focus targetting them can help too.
- Emergency Tactics and Swiftcast can be lifesavers. Do not hesitate to use either when the tank's getting low. I often Swift+Adlo -> ET+Adlo -> Adlo to save a tank if they're struggling.
- Try to avoid lustrating too much unless you're close to another aetherflow. Energy Drain is better for DPS and your MP. There are times when this is necessary but no more than two back to back.
- Use Eos's skills, Fey Union, and Rouse to supplement your own healing as necessary. They're incredibly useful early on in each pull.
- With Fey Union make sure the tank is still in range when you're using it. If they don't have the tether or its bar isn't dropping while its active then you need to cancel it and move your fairy closer. Rouse doesn't affect it anymore so don't pair them up.
- Be ready to use Largesse and Dissipation in order to get more Aetherflow stacks and improve your personal healing when your fairy resources run dry.
- Eye for An Eye is always available now so use it when there are a lot of mobs. It's best used right when the tank has gathered them all together.
- Once you feel safe, Miasma II as much as possible. Remember to pop Lucid Dreaming to help fuel this.

[Jadkay]

Thanks for your answer.

Run with the tank and remember to Adlo them between pulls. If you see the shield break before they've gathered up the mobs then shield them again along the way. It's a good sign you'll need to focus on healing them rather than Miasma II. Staying close will also ensure your fairy is in range of them, and that you can Miasma II when able.

I got a problem here. Depending of the tank job, that can be tricky here. Or maybe it's the player who don't pull well. Most of the time it's with warrior due to their initial enmity skill in cone. They seems to not be able to hit all mob and then, when I adlo during the run I got some mobs on me. In most case, the tank get back them but I nedeed to run and then can't really cast skill (except some instant one ofc and swiftcast has 1min cd) or sometimes, yes it happen, he don't even care (and I know at this moment he is a bad tank, rookie ? Maybe, it happen, but when you are level 50+ with a job, guess you got the basis of it).
This case just happened yesterday in Ala Migho. Warrior make a big pull at the begining (which I don't understand, because you don't know the healer and his capacity of healing). I adlo while he run, I have mob on me, they hit pretty hard on me (and on him too considering how his life was going down) but if I stop run to heal him, I will simply die and that finally happen. The only things that warrior asked is : "What's going on?". Srsly, I tell nothing, party wiped, we start at the begining and he did the same thing. By luck this time I had nothing on me and I could heal properly. Tbh, didn't have time to look on the first pull if he had used a cd, but from the rest of the dongeon, he never used them except for boss.

So, if there is any Warrior getting here who can give me their personnal opinion about big pull as warrior, I mean, a way to help them doing better and getting things smooth for whole party, I'm open to any tips.

[MaloraYuki]

Thanks for your answer.

My best tip is I tend to put off healing as much as I can during the pull. The moment they grab aggro lustrate, aldo, excog. If the tank is using CD right can normally throw up dps then. Fairy helps a little too obviously. If you can’t put off lustrate tho use lurtrate if you pull just keep yourself up and the tank until he grabs everything or use lucid to drop aggro so he can grab easier.

[Jadkay]

My best tip is I tend to put off healing as much as I can during the pull. The moment they grab aggro lustrate, aldo, excog. If the tank is using CD right can normally throw up dps then. Fairy helps a little too obviously. If you can’t put off lustrate tho use lurtrate if you pull just keep yourself up and the tank until he grabs everything or use lucid to drop aggro so he can grab easier.

Some tank seems to tank far better than others. Sometimes in same dongeon, I have some difficulties to keep up the tank alive and other times I can DPS. I know, there can be a hugh difference btw people as tank main job or not, hours of play and so experience in tanking. That's why I would to improve myself to compensate that lack of experience from certain tank.
Lustrate is a really good skill espacially when he critic, it give a good breath. Thinking of that, when I will play DRK, will take a look at SCH buff to know if he has stack of aetherflow for that skill before hugh pulling

[MaloraYuki]

Some tank seems to tank far better than others. Sometimes in same dongeon, I have some difficulties to keep up the tank alive and other times I can DPS. I know, there can be a hugh difference btw people as tank main job or not, hours of play and so experience in tanking. That's why I would to improve myself to compensate that lack of experience from certain tank.
Lustrate is a really good skill espacially when he critic, it give a good breath. Thinking of that, when I will play DRK, will take a look at SCH buff to know if he has stack of aetherflow for that skill before hugh pulling

Even the squishiest of tanks I have never had an issue with their pulls in any of the max level dungeons as long as I rotate between aldo, lustrate, excog. Once in a great while I might need to throw a physick or two in between my stacks, I only use dissipation if it’s absolutely needed otherwise take advantage of eos to help you on those pulls. Fey illumination can be helpful, and throw a regen up if it’s whisper or aetherpact throw it up. Watch the tanks CDs and take advantage of them, if you spam heal burst through all your stacks without thinking about it people are going to die, if you prolong and extend your skills as long as you can people will live, remember your tank does not need to be topped off at all times. Sch is all about management pet and stack management and it needs to work together, same with when to take the damage and when to shield it. And if you are having problems keeping up talk to your party, ask the tank to slow down a bit, don’t be accusatory or anything just say you’re still learning and having problems. There is no shame in that everyone starts somewhere.

As a drk tho your best bet is going to be learn how to properly rotate CDs and how to take advantage of some self-healing on pulls. If everyone is proficient at their job there should never be an issue, if a sch is managing properly you should never have to wait on them. But honestly your best bet is get comfortable with your classes learn what each skill does very in depth and learn other people’s skills that effect you. Tank CDs super helpful to know what they do, obviously there is a large difference between watching a drk use living dead or blackest night.

Oh I almost forgot! If your tank is taking too much damage that dpsing is going to kill them, then FOCUS heal! I know some people say you need to dps at all times but as the healer, as the player, you know what you are capable off. Sure throwing in extra dps can be great if it’s possible and it can help speed up the run along with prevent damage from the thing being alive longer. But don’t dps and push dps at the expense of wiping the party.

[Jaybiz650]

One thing I recommend doing is putting your fairy on Obey and keeping her skills on a hot bar in addition to pet skills place and heel. Having the fairy on Obey ensures you have the skills ready when needed. When the tank begins pull have place ready and when the tank finishes their pull try to position fairy in a way where they are in range of the tank to heal and it helps keep you out of harms way.

[Gemina]

Even though healers use their oGCD heals and regens as their primary means of HP restoration, if a tank's HP drops from full to zero before a 2.5 gcd can be used to save him they are taking on more than the group is capable of handling.

Healers are going to make mistakes such as hard casting a cure when an ogcd is available, tunnel visioning, having to heal themselves from avoidable damage, get one-shotted, etc. A tank should be able to sustain themselves somewhat to compensate for healer derps. When their HP drops like an anvil, there is no room for error from the healer and it puts a lot of pressure on them.

In short, I don't really have a guide for you but rather advise that you place more faith in your experience and your ability to play SCH. You have a healer and a tank @70 so you have firsthand experience on what both roles appreciate and gripe about the other. This gives you a huge advantage over other healers who don't play any other role. Don't be afraid to call out your tank if they are pulling recklessly. They are not getting too far without you anyway.

[SpiritualOcean]

I play as WAR and SCH. For large pulls, as a SCH, I make sure the tank has excogitation and Adloquium up first. Once they’ve collected all the enemies, I use Sacred Soil to cut the incoming damage pretty substantially. Once Sacred Soil wears off, the enemy group is a bit smaller, so I follow that with Shadowflare. I’ll also have EOS using Rouse and Whispering Dawn. Then heal as needed with Lustrate or Physick if needed. If the damage is very high, I’ll use one of the cool downs that increases healing, but that typically not necessary.

[NobleWinter]

Shadow flare is a slightly weaker Sacred Soil in terms of damage reduction. Don't forget to use it on huge mobs. It has a slow effect on enemies which means attacks on your tank take longer. Scholar has the worst sustained healing potential so using every trick in your giant arsenal to reduce damage can make all the difference.