You'll for sure want to get 7 rejuv for both cures and at least 45 enhance for the final self buffs. Staff can be 44 or 39, rest parry.
Friars will have difficulty finding a spot in groups. They work for small man and solo, but don't excel in one particular area which keeps them from being competitive in an 8 man situation. If you are looking to be readily included in 8v8 groups I would advise rolling a different class.
The stronger they make buff potions (hopefully they are very very weak) the weaker Friars become as soloers and in small man groups. The class was initially created and designed around the idea that not everyone would have buffs and that having buffs would make up for the Friar's other deficiencies, but Mythic saw $$$ in allowing bots to persist and later released potions with SI to allow players without bots to "compete" with botters. Of course they failed or refused to acknowledge that certain classes that relied on self buffs in each realm, like the Friar, were getting shafted big time by both bots and potions. Despite the causal nature of potions' existence Phoenix's community really wants to have them on this server and it will continue to negatively affect classes like the Friar in small man and solo gameplay going forward.
In short, roll one if you really like the class. You'll be able to kill some people and have fun (personally I think they are one of the cooler classes in the game), but don't expect to get grouped often or willingly.
I had started with a Minstrel, as the opportunity to do stealth groups and 8-mans is nice. There just seems to be waaaay too many minstrels at this point.
I'll probably push through the beta as a Friar and see how things go. I enjoy the play style, but you're right about them being less effective on this freeshard.
By choice of class, just choose the one you find most interesting for your personally. But in terms of RvR volubility just keep in mind, in Albion it is very difficult to build a (good) group. You will need at least Cleric-Cleric-Mins-Sorc. Which is absolutely must have. Perhaps Paladin for Endu and endu run? Theurgist is one of the must haves for Alb - good caster with lot of utilities. That makes 6 rooms of 8 for group.
Now. Anyone has to peel. Best choice for that will be an arms. And anyone at least has to make damage.
You will take another strong melee with det.
Debuff caster would be nice as well. Also nearsight and disease are strong things. But you still have just last spot in the group to this moment.
So. Friar is very nice class, but most of cases has no place in the group in Albion. That's the problem!
I wouldn't reject a class based on its 8-man desirability unless you intend that to be your primary focus.
As a friar, you will still be invited by your guild, alliance, PUGs, and for any form of zerg warfare or keep assault/defense. Hybrid classes are able to acquire determination on this server, and when staff is raised to 39 or 44, its damage is significant. You are capable of joining the assist train, interrupting the back line, or hanging back and peeling while tossing in heals.
My experience is that groups very frequently lack a second cleric, in which case your base buffs are invaluable. Regardless, your damage output and contribution with heals are always appreciated. Some other classes are utterly useless when rooted, unlike a healing friar, and you can invest in purge.
My own spec was 44 staff/45 enhance/7 rejuv/18 parry, but that's greedy and heavily melee-focused, sacrificing healing ability and resist utility. A balanced spec is 39 staff/46 enhancement/25 rejuv/8 parry - this grants the red heat resist buff and quite decent healing, while only sacrificing the 8 sec stun - it is the third style in a side chain and won't hit reliably.
If you want all of the buff goodies, including red cold and matter resists, drop rejuv to 18 and raise enhance to 49. As another small perk, your base buffs will be more effective than a cleric's due to high enhance raising a buff past its stated cap. If you're unsatisfied with low parry, my personal opinion is that red heat resist at 46 is the major group resist, and the other two are of lesser value - you may raise parry or rejuv by sacrificing them.
Absolute minimum for rejuv is 7 (cure poison/disease). Minimum staff is 29 (excellent anytime style) if you want semi-respectable damage. I am not a fan of anything below 39, but 35 is acceptable if you are supremely patient for RR5 and subsequent +4 to staff skill, a composite of 50 being the goal (35+4, +11 from equipment). Below 29 staff is extremely utility and healing focused, which works, but I would rather have another cleric at that point, since your melee option will be relegated to peeling only via the 18 positional side hinder, and your staff will hit like a wet noodle.
Realm points should be invested as follows: Tireless I Long Wind I Aug Qui II --Dodger III Aug Dex II --Mastery of Pain II --Mastery of Parry II Purge
Achievable by RR4L8 for 38 points.
After Tireless and Long Wind, Dodger is mandatory for high evasion. Purge if you are seriously frustrated by CC and RvR is your priority. Depending on how much determination costs here, you may have to sacrifice MoParry, MoPain, and Dodger III for Dodger II.
A little tip, place +rejuv on hammer and shield for your final spec. Swap when your job is to heal. Templating is far easier that way, and friars are quite cheap in any case. You are also a soloing god in PvE or duels, and can function as a surprisingly effective evasion tank. Yellows and oranges may be chained nonstop, and low purples can be farmed once your realm abilities and templating are finished. In general PvE, you will not truly come into your own until the early to mid 30s, so don't give up early. In RvR, have fun and wipe the floor when enemy stealthers mistake you for a caster, which is common in DF and other stealther haunts.
Makes sense I guess. Love the friar, always wished it was more viable in the classic/SI setting. Buffbots on live made them pretty underwhelming, and they just can't keep up with alternatives on the freeshards. Oh well, still fun to mess around with
