Guide to Exorcist Enlightenment

Guide to Exorcist Enlightenment

DISCLAIMER: This guide was written before the Priest patch and at the level cap of 50, so I will have to update this at a later date with the new skills we receive and after I've fully experimented with what works with the new SP allocation. Everything written in this guide is mostly an opinion of what I've experienced while playing Exorcists. This is also a work in progress and I will be making little changes here and there when I can. Right now the guide is pretty bare, so basically I'll work on making the guide prettier. :3

Previously posted on DFO Source. I removed it because that forum sucks and posted it here for reference

-Table of Contents-
I. Introduction
---
II. Types of Exorcist
a. Physical Exorcist
b. Hybrid Exorcist
c. Magical Exorcist
---
III. Skills
a. Physical Skills
b. Magical Skills
c. General
d. Other Jobs
---
IV. Weapons
a. Battle Axes
b. Rosaries
c. Scythes
---
V. Armor
a. Exorcist's Heavy Armor Mastery
b. Cloth Armor Mastery
c. Accessories
d. Titles
---
VI. Builds
a. Physical
b. Hybrid
c. Magical
---
VII. Strategies
a. Dungeon
b. Arena
---
VIII. Avatars
---
IX. Exorcist's Future
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I. -Introduction-

Hello, everyone and welcome to my guide to Exorcist Enlightenment. My goal of this guide is to hopefully help you out on the road to dungeon destruction. If you've never played an Exorcist then you are in for a treat. Exorcists have a unqiue style of gameplay that involve lots of brute force (physical side) and AOE zoning (magical side). In Dungeons, Exorcists are one of the few classes that can solo all the way to level 50 (Except for some quests which require parties.) without much trouble. Their powerful attacks, and magic allow for a lot of enemies and bosses to be dispatched quite easily. In the Arena they can be outright bastards when they want to, and while being on the receiving end of an Exorcist's attacks isn't fun, dishing out the pain is. I'll tell you one thing, there's nothing more satisfying than knocking some poor Slayer into the corner, laying down Suppression Amulet and a couple White Tigers and watch his HP drop as he panics from trying to escape your flurry of painful punishment. Feels good, man.

But with great power comes great responsibility. You may be a juggernaut of destruction but you're far from invincible, below is a list of the strengths and weaknesses of Exorcism.

Strengths of Exorcism

• Highest damage output of the three Priest subclasses.
  
• Exceptional at field control.
  
• You work well solo or in parties.
  
• Great Arena potential.
  
• You will be a mob machine.
  
• Plenty of super armor.
  

Weaknesses of Exorcism

• Mobility is low. You will end up tanking lots of damage in favor of dishing out damage.
  
• If you want to be a fast killer, you'll be burning through a lot of MP.
  
• You may not be a welcome opponent in the Arena. Reason being most people don't know how to deal with Exorcists and will get annoyed at you.
  
• Our equipment is the most expensive of the three Priest subclasses.
  

II. -Types of Exorcist-

There are three types of Exorcists you will find in DFO: Physical, Hybrid, and Magical.

Physical Exorcist - Your go to guy when you need to smash things in to dust. This Exorcist specializes in nothing but physical damage dealing skills and physical critical hit skills. He uses Battle Axes, and wears heavy armor for the massive defense to smash through anything that has the guts to get in his way. With skills like Crucifix Wind, Chaos Hammer, and Spinning Cross, you can pretty much guarantee whatever you were attacking will be smeared all over your weapon. However as appealing as this may sound, currently this Exorcist is the rarest of the three. Although he may sound quite powerful, for now he is outclassed by the Hybrid Exorcist.

Hybrid Exorcist - Currently the best Exorcist to roll with at this stage of DFO. He has all the strength, defense and brutality of the physical Exorcist, however he has taken a liking to the magical side of things. With skills like Suppression Amulet, Black Tortoise and White Tiger at his disposal, along with the physical skills, enemies and bosses alike are your play toys in the various dungeons you will venture through.

Magical Exorcist - Brutal melee attacks and Axes don't interest you? Does calling down the pain in a brilliant flash of lightning while you sit back and sip some of Siusha's wine sound more appealing? Then you should definitely roll a Magical Exorcist. This Exorcist may be a squishier version of his kind, but that doesn't mean he can't hold his own. Using a Rosary for it's high magical attack and cloth armor to increase his intelligence and casting speed, this Exorcist will deal some impressive damage without ever being in danger of counter attacks. Because of the high intelligence, and magic attack, your various magical skills will be much more powerful and this Exorcist is even capable of clearing some dungeon rooms and bosses faster than the other two. Definitely worth looking in to if you already have a Physical or a Hybrid.

III. -Skills-

Exorcistic Force - You acquire this upon advancing to Exorcist. It increases your attack power when attacking Undead, Demon, and Spirit type monsters with normal attacks.

Lurking Dragon - Available at level 20, this skill is the backbone of the Exorcist. It enables you to charge the last hit on your normal combos, Giant Weapon Launcher, and Crucifix Wind for a nice damage increase. Definitely pick this up.

Physical Skills:

Giant Weapon Launcher (GWL) + Cancel - This is the skill to use when you need to juggle monsters. You get this skill as soon as you start your Exorcist, and will be one of the most useful skills in your arsenal. The higher the level of this skill, the better your juggles will be. Using Lurking Dragon to charge this will add diagonal slash on your swing that can deal extra damage and knock back enemies as well as create a small shockwave behind you when the weapon lands. Of course you need it's cancel for this to be useful at all. Luckily for you, you will get it early on.

Phoenix Hammer + Cancel - This skill is lovely. When you use this skill, you will jump high into the air, and come crashing down weapon first to squash your hapless foes, while creating a shockwave to hit surrounding enemies. You can also press left or right to guide your landing, perfect for escaping from sticky situations.The higher the level of this skill, the bigger your shockwave will be. I don't really recommend getting the cancel for it though.

Passion Chakra - The perfect skill made for physical brutality. Casting this buff grants your weapon with fire attribute, strength, hit rate, and even reduces enemy hit recovery. What else needs to be said?

Star in the Sky + Cancel - Aw yeah, now we're playing with power. This skill is undoubtedly the best mob AND single target skill in your arsenal. When used you will swing your weapon down and launch a monster high into the air. During the monster's rise and fall you are completely INVINCIBLE. Press your attack + Star key rapidly to charge the hit. The higher the charge, the more damage you will deal, on top of knocking the monsters farther away. Best part is during this time, the other monsters usually crowd around you to try and hit you. So put on your best troll face and swing as hard as you can. As for the cancel, I don't use it, but it doesn't hurt to grab it either.

Crucifix Wind - Another welcome addition to mob control. When this skill is used it throws your weapon horizontally to knock back and hold enemies while dealing quick tick damage. If you use Lurking Dragon to charge your swing, your weapon will stay in the air twice as long in addition to adding an extra swing on your throw.

Chaos Hammer + Cancel - The first skill you will receive that can cause stun status. Using this skill will cause you to violently swing your weapon overhead to pound on the enemies infront of you. Repeatedly pressing the key will grant you more hammers and a faster pounding. The last strike has a slight charge and creates a shockwave that can stun. You can also change the direction you are facing while the skill is in effect by pressing left or right. Pumping points into this skill will increase your stun rate, stun length, and widen your shockwaves. The cancel for this skill is, again, personal preference.

Spinning Cross - The last physical skill you will gain, but certainly a good addition to your repertoire of punishment. Using this skill will allow you to swing your weapon in a large circle, granting huge X, Y, and Z axis range. The faster you press the key, the faster your swings will be. Pressing the key also grants you more swings to work with. You can also press any directional key to guide you in case your victim thinks it can escape.

Magical Skills:

Holy Amulet - This skill will be one of your most used skills should you decide to go down the magical path. It has a quick cool down time, and deals decent damage. Using this skill will toss an amulet in front of you to explode and inflict damage in a small area. Though, it looks like it has lightning attribute, it doesn't cause electrocution, instead it will snare enemies and drop their movement and attack speed. Very useful when used in conjunction with Suppression Amulet. It also heals your HP and MP slightly when used to kill Undead, Demon, of Spirit monsters.

Frigid Chakra - Frigid Chakra is a very good buff to invest it. It gives your weapon water attribute, increases your intelligence, and also grants more cast speed. Nothing else matters.

Suppression Amulet - This amulet is another great debuffing skill. Casting this skill will place a huge circle on the floor that will slow, reduce jumping height, and accuracy of any monster foolish enough to walk in it.

White Tiger - This is an interesting skill. When used once it creates a small aura that increases your movement speed and jump height. Sounds lame, yeah? Well, if you cast another, the two White Tigers will begin to play catch with a sphere of energy. This sphere deals magic damage to any monster it comes in contact with. Casting a third White Tiger will then add him to the "game" and so on. Using this in conjunction with Suppression Amulet can really rip through mobs before they know what happened. Strategic placement of the Tigers is key.

God of Knowledge: Black Tortoise - This doesn't look like a tortoise at all. In fact, it's a cute little doggie hell bent on immobilizing enemies. When you bring out this pup to play it will leap on to monsters and hold them for a set period of time. During this time the monster cannot move or attack and it's defenses are greatly reduced. When the "Tortoise" has no prey it creates an aura that helps restore MP to you and your party. Definitely useful to have around.

Lightning Amulet - The last magical skill you will learn, but it's one hell of a skill. Casting this will throw an amulet on the ground much like Suppression, but instead of slowing down enemies, it calls down three bolts of lightning to deal massive magic damage in quick succession. It only lasts ten seconds, but you shouldn't need more than that to dispatch whatever is in your way. Use it with Suppression Amulet for the best results.

General Skills:

Instead of going through all of the skills in the General tab I'll just be naming the ones that would be beneficial to you as an Exorcist.

Quick Rebound - This skill useful for when you get knocked down and need to avoid something that may be headed your way. When you get knocked down, press the button immediately to get up from your fall. Hold the button to be invincible for up to three seconds. It's only 10 SP, so might as well grab it.

Backstep + Cancel - Ever been in a melee situation where you completely miss the target and stand there looking like an ass during your attack? Of course you have. We've all been there. But with backstep + cancel that will no longer be an issue. During the middle of your normal combos, you can cancel out of it to jump back a short distance. Doing so will help you kill more efficiently, as you don't have to wait for the end of your attack animations to finish. If you're going down the magical path I don't really recommend this, as you shouldn't be in too many melee situations to begin with.

Ancient Memory - Strictly for Magic Exorcists. Using this skill will give you an Intelligence boost for 20 seconds. At max level that's 150 Intelligence for 20 seconds. Doesn't sound too useful, but it's nice to have around when entering a difficult dungeon room or boss.

Physical and Magic Critical Hit - These skills are either an all or nothing kind of thing. If you don't have the SP to max them, then don't bother putting points in to them. All they do is increase your critical hit rate by 10%. Useful for extra damage.

Physical and Magic Rear Attack - Same as above, but with less priority as these skills only kick in when you do Back Attacks. With that said, Magic Exorcists are more likely to cause Back Attacks, and actually have the SP for it.

Other Jobs:

Same as the General skills, I will only be listing ones worth putting points in to.

Crusader Tab:
Strike - Max this if you're going to be a Physical or Hybrid Exorcist. It grants you attack power and increases your hit rate by 5%. Incredibly useful for dungeons on higher difficulties.

Wisdom Blessing - This one is for Magic Exorcists. It increases your intelligence and magic attack power along with spirit and vitality. No increase in hit rate though, which is kind of a shame.

Cure - Free status removal? You betcha. One point of this makes sure you never have to clog your inventory with different types of status curing potions.

Monk Tab:
Smasher - Great skill for utility purposes. I personally call it my "Oh pomegranate!" button. One point in this is all you need to break the super armor off those smug little monsters and throw them across the room. Great as an escape as well since you are invincible during the animation.

Lucky Straight Punch - I'm not much of a fan of this skill, but it's worth a mention anyway. Using this will lunge your Exorcist fist first into a mob, dealing multiple hits and knocking them away on the final hit. You can be easily canceled out of this, as it gives you no super armor.

Second Upper - Like above, only one point does all. Second Upper is good for extending your juggles. It fits in quite well with Giant Weapon Launcher enabling you to juggle a monster infinitely, granted you don't miss of course.

Avenger Tab:
Furious Grab - Oh, the Avenger. The fourth Priest job that never came to be. What would he have been like? Even though he may not exist, you can still call forth his demonic hand to deal some decent damage and immobilization. I recommend maxing this if you're a magic Exorcist as it will be a nice addition to your rather small arsenal of magic attack skills. If you're physical or hybrid, one point is fine if you so desire.

IV. -Weapons-

 Note:

There are different colors of weapons you will come across. White, Blue, Purple, Pink, and Legacy. (Green) White are the bottom of the rung when it comes to weapon quality. Blue is what you should use until you can find a Purple or acquire one from a quest. Purple is probably the easiest of the "rare" weapons to obtain and also include bonuses that Whites and Blues don't have. Pink and Legacy are the rarest in the game, and as such are the most expensive. For the sake of simplicity I'll only be listing Purple weapons and above.

Okay, now you know what Exorcists are about and what they can do. Now it's time to discuss what weapons they use. There are five different weapons an Exorcist can equip, but only three of those will be of any real use to him. The reason for this is different weapons give different bonuses. For example: The level 45 Battle Axe "Earthquaker" gives a skill bonus of +1 to Chaos Hammer. Whereas Totems usually give bonuses to Monks, Crosses to Crusaders etc. The Scythe is more of a neutral weapon that doesn't cater to any specific subclass of the Priest. So with that in mind I'll only be noting the weapons that work best for the specific type of Exorcist you want to play as.

Battle Axes - A Physical Exorcist's best friend, and comrad in battle. Although it is slow to use, it has the highest accuracy and attack power out of all the Priest's weapons. What this means to you is that you will be putting out some impressive numbers as you rampage through the dungeons. Star in the Sky never looked more beautiful.

 -Battle Axes-

Bone Splitter
Level 10
Smasher Skill Lvl +1
Attack with a 2% chance of inflicting an additional 200 damage.


Mega Hawk
Level 15
Physical Critical Hit +2%
Strike Skill Lvl +2


Imperial Executioner's Axe
Level 20
Physical Critical Hit +3%
Phoenix Hammer Skill Lvl +2


Wild Fire
Level 25
Inflict Fire Damage
Star in the Sky Skill Lvl +1
Attack with a 2% chance of casting Fire Explosion


Giga Hawk
Level 30
Physical Critical Hit +3%
Passion Chakra Skill Lvl +1
3% Attack Speed


Sacred Punishment
Level 35
Strike Skill Lvl +1
Star in the Sky Skill Lvl +1
Normally attack with a 2% chance of casting Flash Glove
(Not Implemented Yet.)


Old Parr
Level 35
Cast Speed +3%
Attack Speed +3%


Legacy: Battle Axe of Kalize
Level 35
Hit Rate +3%
Attack with a 2% chance of Bleeding an enemy.
1% Attack Speed


Moon Forger
Level 40
All Elemental Resistances +6 - 12
Crucifix Wind Skill Lvl +1
Create an aura within 300px that restores the MP for your party by 18 per minute.
+1% Attack Speed


Battle Master
Level 40
HP Max +140 - 150
Evasion Rate +2%
Hit Rate +4%
Create an aura within 300px that increases the Physical Attack Strength for your Party by 44


Gora's Teaching: Oppression
Level 40
Physical Critical Hit +3%
Sacred Counter Skill Lvl +2
Chaos Hammer Skill Lvl +2
Inflict 15% more damage on counter attacks.


Legacy: Battle Axe of Meivan
Level 40
Hit Rate +3%
Attack with a 2% chance of Confusing an enemy.
1% Attack Speed


Earthquaker
Level 45
Chaos Hammer Skill Lvl +1
Attack with a 2% chance of casting a shockwave to stun enemies


Passion Shatter
Level 45
Chopping Hammer Skill Lvl +2
Twister of Judgment Skill Lvl +1

Rosaries - The weapon of choice for Magic Exorcists. Boasting the highest magical attack rating out of all the weapons available to you, on top of a 5% cast speed bonus, nothing else comes close when you need to bring down the lightning. It's biggest downside is that the size of the weapon pales in comparison to Battle Axes and Scythes, so you should keep melee attacks to a minimum.

 -Rosaries-

Heron
Level 5
Cure Skill Lvl +1


Deva's Gate
Level 15
Second Uppercut Skill Lvl +2


Resonant Mind
Level 20
Painful Rapture Skill Lvl +1
Phoenix Hammer Skill Lvl +1


Spotless Mind
Level 25
Holy Amulet Skill Lvl +1


Protection Beads
Level 30
Holy Amulet Skill Lvl +2
Respond to enemy attacks with a 2% chance of casting a Physical Defense bonus aura


Justice Beads
Level 35
Frigid Chakra Skill Lvl +2


Vermilion Bird
Level 35
+18 MP per Min
All Elemental Resistances +10
Inflict Fire Damage
Hit Rate +2%


Exorcist Beads
Level 40
Frigid Chakra Skill Lvl +1
White Tiger Skill Lvl +1


Gora's Teaching: Concentration
Level 40
Physical Critial Hit +3%
Sacred Counter Skill Lvl +2
Frigid Chakra Skill Lvl +2
Attack with a 2% chance of Blessing yourself.


Legacy: Rosary of Lauvi
Level 40
Hit Rate +1%
Attack with a 2% chance of Stone Cursing an enemy.
1% Attack Speed


Healing Beads
Level 45
Heaven's Melody Skill Lvl +1
Heaven's Harmony Skill Lvl +1
Fast Heal Skill Lvl +1

Shadow Eye Beads
Level 45
God of Knowledge: Black Tortoise Skill Lvl +2

Scythes - My personal favorite weapon in the game. It's the fastest weapon a Priest can use, however it has average attack and magical attack. The "Weapon of all Trades" doesn't cater to any specific type of Priest, which makes it good to use in the Arena, and becomes a good back up in case your weapon breaks while inside a dungeon. It attacks quickly, but that comes at a small price at a -1% in hit rate. Doesn't seem like much but it can make a difference in dungeons on King's Road.

 -Scythes-

Dire Torment
Level 20
Attack with a 2% chance of Bleeding an enemy.
Attack a Bleeding enemy with a 50% chance of increasing your Strength by 20 for 30 seconds.


Soul Fist
Level 30
Spritual Sacrifice Skill Lvl +2
Attack with a 1% chance of summoning 1 Stalker.


Daiquiri
Level 35
The only noteable thing about this scythe is the Attack Speed rating of "Very Fast" making it the fastest scythe you can own.


Black Lotus Scythe
Level 40


Mortal Gazer
Level 40
Attack with a 2% chance of inflicting an additional 600 damage.

V. -Armor-

 Note:

Like weapons, armors come in different colors: White, Blue, Purple, Green (Sets) and Legacy. The green sets of armor are the most unique, but can be a real pain to complete. Single pieces give small bonuses, but when you complete a whole set you gain extra bonuses on top of the previous ones, usually in the form of HP, defense, skill increases etc. For this reason I'll only be mentioning sets that are useful to Exorcists.

There are five different kinds of armors in this game, but only two of them are useful to Exorcists: Heavy and Cloth armor.

Exorcist's Heavy Armor Mastery - Acquired when you advance to Exorcist. Unlike the regular heavy armor mastery, this upgraded version gives you strength when wearing heavy armor on top of counter balancing penalties on your MP recovery, attack and casting speeds. The more heavy armor you wear, the bigger the effect is. Perfect for Physical and Hybrid Exorcists.

[spoiler=Dawn's Seven Star Set]

Level 35 - 40

Total amount of stats gained from the complete set:

Physical Defense +7,000 - 7,100 (Does not include Exorcist's Heavy Armor Mastery)
Strength +45 - 55 Strength (Does not include Exorcist's Heavy Armor Mastery)
Vitality +35 - 45
HP Max +150 - 160
Attack Speed +1%
Physical Critical Hit +2%
Movement Speed +5%
Fire Resistance +10 - 15
Jump Strength +30
Max Inventory Weight +3kg
Crucifix Wind Skill Lvl +1
Passion Chakra Skill Lvl +1
Chaos Hammer Skill Lvl +1[/spoiler]

Cloth Armor Mastery - Available from Level 1. This skill increases your cast speed, intelligence, MP recovery, and max MP when wearing cloth armor. The more cloth you wear, the bigger the effect is. Perfect for Magic Exorcists.

 Earth Brand Set

Level 35 - 40

Total amount of stats gained from the complete set:

Physical Defense +1,650 - 1,750 (Does not include Cloth Armor Mastery)
Intelligence +60 - 70 (Does not include Cloth Armor Mastery)
Spirit +50 - 60
HP Max +157
MP Max +149
Magical Critical Hit +2%
Movement Speed +5%
+27 MP per Min
Hit Recovery +50
Fire Resistance +5 - 10
Water Resistance +5 - 10
Max Inventory Weight +3kg
Suppression Amulet Skill Lvl +1
Frigid Chakra Skill Lvl +1
Lightning Amulet Skill Lvl +1

 MP regen Gear

Shoulder Warmer
Level 16
+30 MP per Min
Comments: Rather inexpensive and has a nice rate of MP regeneration.

Accessories - Accessories are useful in protecting against those certain enemies who decide to shoot projectiles at you in the form of magic. This is where you can beef up your magic defense along with some other note worthy stats like: MP recovery, HP/MP increase, casting and attack speed. They come in three different types: Bracelets, Necklaces, and Rings. There are a lot to choose from, but I'm only listing ones that are actually useful to you as an Exorcist.

 Bracelets

Coming Soon

 Necklaces

Belmyre Star
Level 40
MP Max +80 - 100
+24 MP per Min
Light Resistance +15 - 20
Comments: That 24 MP per minute is perfect for Magic Exorcists to help recover lost MP quickly.


Mani Aruso's Artifact
Level 40
Casting Speed +10%
Light Resistance +10
Shadow Resistance +12
Comments: Best necklace available for you if you're looking for cast speed.


Terra Cotta ID
Level 45
Increases your Magic Attack Strength by 100 for 30 seconds by spending 1 Clear Cube fragment per minute
Obtained from the quest "Iris likes to read!" in Verderia
Comments: Got a ton of cubes? Then treat your Magic Exorcist to a nice power surge every 60 seconds.

 Rings

Lapore Meta
Level 30
HP Max +130 - 140
MP Max +50 - 60
Attack Speed +3%
Slow Down Tolerance +12
Comments: Best ring in the game in terms of attack speed.


Royal Ring
Level 40
HP Max +180 - 200
Casting Speed +8%
Comments: Best ring you can get if you're looking for cast speed.

Titles - Unlike regular armor, these special pieces of equipment give you a colorful graphic above your name along with some decent stats. Most are obtained from quests, with a few exceptions that come from the Cash Shop. Chances are if you just started your Exorcist you won't be able to get the Christmas Title, which is the best title to choose from, so I'll name a couple that are good substitutes.

 Titles

Sacred Guardian
Physical Defense +120-130
Magic Defense +120-130
Spirit +6-12
HP Max +100
Attack Speed +2%
Evasion Rate +1%

The 2% attack speed is great for Physical and Hybrid Exorcists. However this title can only be claimed from a somewhat painful quest chain that is heavy on White Cubes and your wallet. The quest chain begins at level 34 with Kiri.


Sky Tower Climber
HP Max +70-80
MP Max +70-80
+15 MP per Min
Attack Speed +1%
Casting Speed +1%
Light Resistance +6-12

Good for all three kinds of Exorcist. If you're of the magical variety, you'll probably be using this one much longer than your other counterparts for the MP regen and cast speed. This title can be obtained after you finish all of the Epic Quests in the Sky Tower region.

VI. -Builds-

Planning out your build is an important aspect of DFO. Too much SP spent in a useless skill can hinder your performance. Fortunately there's a site called aradsociety.com that makes this a lot easier. So I'm going to list a suggested build for each type of Exorcist. I use the word 'suggested' strongly, as it is after all, an opinion. None of the builds I am listing are 100% perfect. You can do whatever you please. However, you could end up regretting straying too far from my builds.

The Physical Exorcist [Click]
[spoiler=]As you can see it's very lenient SP wise. On the suggested build I even have 41 SP leftover. Star in the Sky and Chaos Hammer cancels are personal preference. Phoenix Hammer's cancel isn't really recommended but again, it's up to you.

Crusader Tree:
Maxed Strike - For the 64 weapon attack and 5% hit rate.

Level 1 Cure - Self-explanatory. You can grab Level 2 if you want with that extra SP

Monk Tree:
Level 1 Smasher - A quick grab out of sticky situations and to break super armor.

Maxed Lucky Straight Punch - Powerful multi-hit mob damage and knock back. Can be used to set up other skills, or as a quick damage dealer when your other skills are on cool down. You get no super armor from it, so be careful when using it.

Level 1 Second Upper - To extend combos and juggles.

Exorcist Tree:
Maxed GWL + Cancel - No discussion here. You'll need the launch height and luxury of being able to use it in the middle of normal combos to help with juggles.

Maxed Phoenix Hammer - 384px shockwave? You bet your ass that's going to to be useful in dungeons. It'll also catch a lot of people off guard in the arena. Most people don't think to jump when you use this skill.

Maxed Passion Chakra - You'll want the strength and extra hit rate.

Lurking Dragon - Being able to charge GWL and Crucifix Wind is an absolute necessity. In the arena you can use a charged GWL to super armor through attacks and counter instantly. Be careful though, as you can be grabbed out of it.

Maxed Star in the Sky - Homerun!

Level 5 Crucifix Wind - The reason I leave this at level 5 is because the damage dealt doesn't scale too well as you pump SP in to it. It's mainly used as mob control and as a long range deterrent in the arena. But if you want it higher, feel free to pull points out of Physical Rear Attack.

Maxed Chaos Hammer - Grants super armor and at the current maxed level of 8 you get a 41.1% chance of stunning your enemies. Nothing else needs to be said.

Maxed Spinning Cross - Your most brutal attack. Grants super armor and deals heavy damage in a huge range. Great for clearing mobs and punishing trapped victims in the arena.

Avenger Tree:
Level 1 Furious Grab - Works great as a mid-range poke and combo extender. After a GWL you can use this to keep the monster or arena opponent airborne long enough to use your GWL again. It uses the fixed damage system though, so maxing it won't do much for you. Best at level 1 for utility.

Example: XXX > GWL > Second Upper > Furious Grab > GWL

General Tree:
Quick Rebound - Invaluable in the arena. This enables you to get up immediately from a knock down and evade certain attacks from your opponent. For instance, if you're facing another Exorcist and he uses Smasher to throw you on the ground, it's a clear set up for him to get you with Star in the Sky. However if you hold this skill as soon as you hit the ground the grab will pass right through you. Also useful for dodging grenades, Steyr's explosion, and a Brawler's Mount if you're fast enough.

Backstep + Cancel - Whiff a combo? No problem. Just use this to cancel it and prevent yourself from eating a potential counter attack. You have plenty of SP to work with, no reason not to get these.

Level 1 Leap - Let's face it. You're a huge bulky mass of muscle. You're not going to jump very high. You also don't have the luxury of setting down a White Tiger to assist you. One point in this is enough to help you escape from being trapped by an opponent in the arena.

Maxed Physical Critial Hit - Increases your critical hit rate by 10%? That's better than it sounds like. Definitely max this.
[/spoiler]

The Hybrid Exorcist [Click]
[spoiler=]This is where you'll begin to understand why the pure Physical Exorcist is outclassed by the Hybrid. Hybrid's get all of the same attacks as Physicals, but they also get some magic to help corral and trap monsters and opponents in the arena. Just think of them as Physical Exorcist 2.0.

Crusader Tree:
Maxed Strike - For the 64 weapon attack and 5% hit rate.

Level 1 Cure - Self-explanatory.

Monk Tree:
Level 1 Smasher - A quick grab out of sticky situations and to break super armor.

Level 1 Second Upper - To extend combos and juggles.

Exorcist Tree:
Maxed GWL + Cancel - No discussion here. You'll need the launch height and luxury of being able to use it in the middle of normal combos to help with juggles.

Level 5 Phoenix Hammer - Unlike the Physical Exorcist, Hybrid doesn't max this skill. Instead you can leave it at level 5 for Chaos Hammer. While this makes Phoenix Hammer less useful, the magic you gain in it's place is much more valuable.

Level 10 Holy Amulet - You don't have much Intelligence, or Magic attack so this skill won't do much damage. However we need it at level 10 to unlock Lightning Amulet. Doesn't mean this skill is useless to you. You can use it as a long range poke and snare enemies.

Maxed Passion Chakra - You'll want the strength and extra hit rate.

Lurking Dragon - Being able to charge GWL and Crucifix Wind is an absolute necessity. In the arena you can use a charged GWL to super armor through attacks and counter instantly. Be careful though, as you can be grabbed out of it.

Maxed Suppression Amulet - This is why Hybrids are feared in the arena. Not because of your baseball skills, or your super armor, but this. At level 9 it decreases enemy movement by 55%, enemies jump height and hit rate by 23%. What this means is that if you knock anyone in a corner and throw this on the floor, they're going to have a VERY hard time escaping. It's also very useful in dungeons to slow monster movement, obviously.

Maxed Star in the Sky - Homerun!

Level 5 Crucifix Wind - The reason I leave this at level 5 is because the damage dealt doesn't scale too well as you pump SP in to it. It's mainly used as mob control and as a long range deterrent in the arena. Besides, the SP is better spent elsewhere.

Level 3 White Tiger - You do terrible magic damage so level 3 is enough for this to unlock Black Tortoise. This skill is great for adding on damage to bosses and mobs in dungeons and for field control in the arena. You can also use it in place for Leap if you just cast one on the floor. Use it with Suppression Amulet for the best results.

Maxed Chaos Hammer - Grants super armor and at the current maxed level of 8 you get a 41.1% chance of stunning your enemies. Nothing else needs to be said.

Level 5 God of Knowledge: Black Tortoise - This is where I dumped the leftover points. The extra 3 seconds of holding time is nice, but if you feel like you want points in another skill, feel free to drop this back to level 1. This is another one of your trump cards. Black Tortoise leaps on to and immobilizes enemies from moving and attacking for the duration listed. Especially dangerous in the arena if you call him out after a Homerun into a corner, giving you plenty of time to set up traps or lead into a Crucifix Wind > Chaos Hammer/Spinning Cross.

Maxed Spinning Cross - Your most brutal attack. Grants super armor and deals heavy damage in a huge range. Great for clearing mobs and punishing trapped victims in the arena.

Level 1 Lightning Amulet - It looks like Suppression Amulet, but instead of slowing down monsters, it calls down bolts of lightning to deal magic damage. Since you have terrible magic attack, it is mostly used as utility in dungeons, and to help field control in the arena.

Avenger Tree:
Level 1 Furious Grab - Works great as a mid-range poke and combo extender. After a GWL you can use this to keep the monster or arena opponent airborne long enough to use your GWL again. It uses the fixed damage system though, so maxing it won't do much for you. Best at level 1 for utility.

Example: XXX > GWL > Second Upper > Furious Grab > GWL

General Tree:
Quick Rebound - Invaluable in the arena. This enables you to get up immediately from a knock down and evade certain attacks from your opponent. For instance, if you're facing another Exorcist and he uses Smasher to throw you on the ground, it's a clear set up for him to get you with Star in the Sky. However if you hold this skill as soon as you hit the ground the grab will pass right through you. Also useful for dodging grenades, Steyr's explosion, and a Brawler's Mount if you're fast enough.

Backstep + Cancel - Whiff a combo? No problem. Just use this to cancel it and prevent yourself from eating a potential counter attack. Can be subbed out for other skills if you feel like it.
[/spoiler]

The Magical Exorcist [Click]
[spoiler=]Magical Exorcists are probably the most overlooked. They have a rough beginning, with your only real magic attack being Holy Amulet until level 30, however once they get going they become a force to be reckoned with.

Crusader Tree:
Level 1 Cure - Self-explanatory.

Maxed Wisdom Blessing - Since Strike won't help you much, you'll want to invest in Wisdom Blessing to make up for it.

Monk Tree:
Level 1 Smasher - A quick grab out of sticky situations and to break super armor.

Level 1 Second Upper - To extend combos and juggles for style points.

Exorcist Tree:
Level 5 GWL + Cancel - I capped GWL at level 5 since you are not primarily a melee class. GWL is just a means to knock away monsters or opponents to get them off your back for a bit.

Maxed Holy Amulet - You don't have many magic attacks, so you'll want to max this. Works as a long range poke and deals some impressive magic damage as well as snaring and slowing monsters as a bonus.

Lurking Dragon - Being able to charge GWL and Crucifix Wind is an absolute necessity. In the arena you can use a charged GWL to super armor through attacks and counter instantly. Be careful though, as you can be grabbed out of it.

Maxed Suppression Amulet - This is what helps Magic Exorcists shine At level 9 it decreases enemy movement by 55%, enemies jump height and hit rate by 23%. What this means is that if you knock anyone in a corner and throw this on the floor, they're going to have a VERY hard time escaping. It's also very useful in dungeons to slow monster movement, allowing you to set up White Tigers and Lightning Amulet to rip through mobs like a hot knfie through butter.

Level 1 Star in the Sky - Utility purposes this time around. It's excellent for giving yourself breathing room in both dungeons and the arena.

Level 1 Crucifix Wind - Since you don't need Spinning Cross, we're keeping this at level 1 for utility purposes as mob control.

Level 3 White Tiger - Although you do great magic damage, SP is better spent elsewhere and level 3 is enough for this to unlock Black Tortoise. This skill is great for adding on damage to bosses and mobs in dungeons and for field control in the arena. You can also use it in place for Leap if you just cast one on the floor. Use it with Suppression Amulet for the best results.

Maxed God of Knowledge: Black Tortoise - This is another one of your trump cards. Black Tortoise leaps on to and immobilizes enemies from moving and attacking for the duration listed. Especially dangerous in the arena if you call him out after a Homerun into a corner, giving you plenty of time to set up White Tigers, Suppression and Lightning Amulets.

Maxed Lightning Amulet - It looks like Suppression Amulet, but instead of slowing down monsters, it calls down bolts of lightning to deal massive magic damage. Use this on top of Suppression Amulet to turn mobs into fried mounds of ash.

Avenger Tree:
Maxed Furious Grab - A mid-range poke that does some good damage due to your high Intelligence. The immobilization rate is also a bonus.

General Tree:
Quick Rebound - Invaluable in the arena. This enables you to get up immediately from a knock down and evade certain attacks from your opponent. For instance, if you're facing another Exorcist and he uses Smasher to throw you on the ground, it's a clear set up for him to get you with Star in the Sky. However if you hold this skill as soon as you hit the ground the grab will pass right through you. Also useful for dodging grenades, Steyr's explosion, and a Brawler's Mount if you're fast enough.

Maxed Ancient Memory - Grants you 150 Intelligence for 20 seconds. Good for that extra 'oomph' during a tough boss or dungeon room.

Maxed Magic Critical Hit - At higher levels you'll be dealing damage almost constantly. This will be a perfect addition to your already amazing damage output.

Maxed Magic Rear Attack - You are the bringer of AOE related death. AOE attacks trigger lots of back attacks. Any questions?
[/spoiler]

VII. -Strategies-

Okay, you know what Exorcists can do, you know what weapons to smite monsters with, and you know how to gear yourself up. It's time to put all of that to good use by heading into the main meat of Dungeon Fighter Online: Dungeons. (No shit.) Dungeons (or better known as instances in most MMOs) are areas in the game where you fight monsters, complete quests, and gain items and gold. You can go in alone, or with up to four friends to really wreck some boss's fecal matter. Dungeons come in four difficulties: Normal, Expert, Masters, or Kings Road. Normal being the easiest, and Kings being the hardest. As dungeon difficulty goes up, so do monster AI, attack, HP and evasion.

Since you don't become an Exorcist until level 18 I am skipping the Elvenguard and Grand Flores dungeons in this guide. They're pretty simple and straight forward enough that you don't need me to hold your hand anyway.

Sky Tower - This region is where your real journey as an Exorcist will begin. This area begins at level 16 and ends when you hit level 27. The dungeons aren't too bad, with the exception of a couple which I'll mention later. A small tip I'd like to mention though: When you reach level 16 you should hopefully have just finished all of your Grand Flores quests. When that happens, go to Siusha's Tavern and get the Elven Drake Champagne quest and NOTHING ELSE. Spend your next two levels farming up a nice collection of Drake Champagne while leveling rather quickly at Dragonoid Nest. It seems unconventional, but trust me, you'll be thanking me later. (Might even find a couple Scholar Armguards.) Starting Dragonoid Nest at 18 instead of 16 will make grinding to level 27 easier when you finish all of Sky Tower's quests.

 Dragonoid Nest

The easiest dungeon of Sky Tower. The enemies here are pretty basic, but the boss is slightly tricky. Beware of the various Dragon statues littered around this dungeon. They're capable of spewing fire, ice, or light elements at you if you get too close. Destroy them from the sides to prevent taking damage.
Rooms: 12
Enemies: Serimalion, Louis Serimalion, Minius, Mirkius
Boss: Lakius

How to Exorcise

Boss: Lakius - This dragon looks like a Minius, but he has a few nasty tricks up his sleeve. Lakius can call down a cage to trap and immobilize you, attack with a small sphere of electricity surrounding his body, split into two, and he can charge his cattle prod to give you the shock of your life. (Literally. It hurts. A lot.) Luckily he's pretty easy to defeat once you learn his patterns. Whenever Lakius is knocked down he'll immediately get up with a sphere of electricity, so try not to stand around him after a knock down. If you get trapped in the cage, just use normal attacks to escape quickly. Once his HP reaches about 30% he'll split into two, the fight gets a little tricky here, but the Lakius clone tends not to shock you when he gets up, so feel free to be as aggressive as possible, or you can ignore it and take out Lakius. The charged cattle prod attack is pretty nasty though. It has a long charge up time so you shouldn't get hit by it. Ever. In essence Lakius is just a slightly more difficult Minius.

Physical/Hybrid:Use normal combos and GWL + Second Upper to keep him in the air as long as possible. Stand back when he lands, and repeat.

Magic: This battle will be easier for you since you can just stand back and spam Holy Amulet/Furious Grab at Lakius.

-Reserved-

~Reserved~

Last one. Should be good, I think.

Can you use normal spoilers please? It makes reading easier than hover spoilers. Otherwise it's a fantastic guide.

Just finished changing those. DFOS had a different tag for spoilers.

Yessssssssss. Lovely. Is it viable to go mainly physical with a minor in magic? I plan to only get God of Knowledge for the holding and massive physical debuff. The reason being is that I'm loving Phoenix Hammer. This is primarily for PvE since I won't have the zoning I'll probably need for PvP. This is probably what I'm aiming for.

Yeah, you can dip into magic enough just to get Black Tortoise. My current build is set like that because I didn't know any better and I do fine. Waiting for Priest patch reset so I can fix everything.

Great read. Made me get on my exo to dish out some punishment myself. Then Castellan shot me for 2/3rds of my health.

My plan was to go hybrid up to black tortoise but I totally forgot about surpression amulet. Phoenix hammer is at 7 already so.. I'll probably max that and leave amulet at 5.

Yaaaaaaaaaaay the guide is away from the trolling of DFOSource.

Yaaaaaaaaaaay the guide is away from the trolling of DFOSource.

Trolling? You give them too much credit. I think you mean "idiocy."

Trolling? You give them too much credit. I think you mean "idiocy."

Guess I don't lurk there enough then. I saw some of the poster's more mundane/ridiculous posts as them getting a laugh or too, like Nimbo.

DFO Source is to DFO as Sleepywood is to Maplestory.

Someone needs to make a Southperry version of a forum for DFO. *Cough*

Great read. Made me get on my exo to dish out some punishment myself. Then Castellan shot me for 2/3rds of my health.

My plan was to go hybrid up to black tortoise but I totally forgot about surpression amulet. Phoenix hammer is at 7 already so.. I'll probably max that and leave amulet at 5.

Suppression Amulet would be much more useful to you. At max level it slows enemies down by 55%. Phoenix Hammer is more of a skill you use when you need to abort a mob and it does that just fine at level 5. (Level needed for Chaos Hammer)

Sweet. This thread makes me feel like getting on my Pure Physical Exorcist. Haven't played it in months. Great read.

There are some decent people there (Ridureyu for one), at least the administration isn't corrupt.

DFO Source is to DFO as Sleepywood is to Maplestory.

More like Basil, lol.

I looked over my build again and realized I can still max all attacks except Crucifix Wind, max Suppression Amulet, and get all the magic up to 1 Black Dog by 50. Don't know why I really want max Phoenix Hammer. There's something really satisfying about jumping on and impaling things with a scythe.