Shattered Kingdoms

Max strength has been made extremely easy now due to a shop. Years ago Sadal (Aeoni) built a similar shop in Nerina but it was removed. This new shop is even better than before. There are tribunal NPCs that resize, there are scrolls that resize, there is even a store-bought pet that resize. There are store-bought pets with supernatural and/or stone hides that will take blows for you adequately until at least Chancel.

Unless you are playing a complete loner, and you're not with the priestess as you mentioned in the other thread, you really need to ask about these concerns of yours in the game. We can help you there easily. As a side note, the cloth priests are suppsoed to be a challenge, it is 'balanced' somewhat by their specific religious spells as well as an extra spell that is only available to them.

While leveling a priest can seem difficult, it really is just different. I've leveled four priests, one cloth, two heavy armor and one light armor. All of these but one were before easy to purchase pole-maces were implemented. The last one didn't get an investment until almost mentor.

What I always do is train someplace with opposite aura NPCs, but a little lower level than I would on other characters. I avoid groups until I get flamestrike. I stand next to my bashing pet and have it start combat with a bash. I wear a one handed mace or straight dagger (depending on what I find), along with a shield. I mod my strength and con to max (my dex as high as I can as well). I try to keep my opponent bashed with my pet, just so it can't bash me. I usually have a wimpy set for about 30 or 40. And I grind and grind and grind. It may take much longer than other classes, but its doable. (If you're still having trouble, having your pet on kill can help).

I don't mind so much because once you hit mentor, priest leveling becomes some of the easiest leveling in the game. Plus, they're an incredibly powerful and fun class. Plus they have religion spells now (even though non of my priests has had one yet).

All that being said, I'm not against seeing an unlimited light weight pole-mace in the game. If I can get my hand on one, I use it to level. But once I'm high enough level, I never touch one (seeing as I'm almost always in third row, and if not I'm usually dead). I'm sure a lot of priests use them just as leveling tools.

Hm... having played a cloth priest, I think spell spamming was my friend, though it doesn't always work out. Uhm, MV + Armor and prot, then I just used a flail I think.

Sorry, I already hoarded those away when I went soloing those NPCs.

Find someone with summon and you can get a pole-mace any time.