This build is up to date for the September 23, 2025 patch.
Overview
This Disciple Staff and Sword build combination for PVE is perfect for newer players that want an alternative from Sword + Greatsword while remaining a good choice for tanking in dungeons or any other PVE content in Throne and Liberty. This build has the potential to also deal good damage and play at range. This build brings a lot of damage potential even outside dungeons, allowing you to clear open world mobs and contracts much easier even though its considered an off-meta choice by most players.
Attributes
PRIMARY

Strength
+

Dexterity
SECONDARY

Wisdom
+

Perception
With the unique stats and attributes system in Throne and Liberty, it can be difficult to determine exactly where to invest your attribute points at each stage of the game. This is because gear pieces provide attributes just like leveling up does, meaning everyone will have a different number of attribute points depending on what gear they are wearing at the time.
Given this variation, it's best to reset your attributes regularly to adjust to the new gear you acquire. Aim to reach the achievement effects, which provide extra benefits at milestones like 30, 50, and 70 points.
With this build, your primary attribute focus should be strength and dexterity, as they provide high max HP and boost your defensive stats, improving your resistance to ranged, magic, and melee attacks, along with enhancing health regeneration. Your secondary focus should be on wisdom and perception, which increase your cooldown speed and damage output.
Skills
Depending on which Dungeon/Dimensional Trial you might run, consider using
Rare Roaring Steak,
Rare Thrilling Papillote, and even
Rare Scorpion Tail Fritters to make it easier and also deal a lot more damage.
For Staff offensive skills, you have 
Frost Smokescreen for high AOE DPS while 
Judgment Lightning is a fantastic skill to deal high damage while also spreading to multiple nearby enemies in a similar way to 
Chain Lightning, making the build more than capable of dealing with multiple enemies at the same time.
The Staff also provides some defensive skills that shouldn't be ignored like 
High Focus greatly increasing your evasion while 
Salvation Chain is the perfect panic button to use if you see your HP slipping or need an extra cooldown to use in a pinch.
The 
Counter Barrier Sword & Shield ability is your most essential defensive tool, making it a priority to upgrade first. It allows you to effectively counter both ranged and magical attacks, significantly boosting your survivability. In addition, 
Shield Strike is invaluable for maintaining aggro on the enemies you pull, and it works seamlessly with 
Provoking Roar when you need to control multiple mobs at once, ensuring they stay focused on you.

Shield Throw is your bread and butter to help with keeping AOE mob aggro as it can be used two times and hits multiple enemies based on how you position it.
Regarding passives, this build incorporates great sword defensive passives which makes it much easier you to stay alive. The primary aim is to enhance this passive defense with passives such as 
Aegis Shield which increases your defenses based on your shield block chance and is the reason why you should always aim to acquire swords with high shield block chance. 
Skillful Evasion and 
Impenetrable increases your defense based on the amount of mobs stacked around you.
The Staff comes into play with some defensive skills too while also helping you sustain mana as 
Mana Amp and 
Asceticism coupled with 
Resilient Mind makes it very difficult for you to run out of mana while using this build. The main damage improvement comes from 
Forbidden Sanctuary and 
Flame Condensation though!
Equipment
Tier 3 (Work in progress)
Bulwark of Invulnerability
Heavy Attack Chance
Max Health
Hit Chance
Resonance Effect: Cooldown Speed
Primary
Daigon's Charred Emberstaff
Heavy Attack Chance
Max Health
Hit Chance
Resonance Effect: Cooldown Speed
Auric Vanguard's Barbute
Max Health
Melee Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Cloak of Victorious Destiny
Max Health
Weaken Resistance
Skill Damage Resistance
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Auric Vanguard's Full Plate
Max Health
Melee Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Auric Vanguard's Gauntlets
Hit Chance
Ranged Endurance
Melee Endurance
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Auric Vanguard's Gaiters
Melee Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Max Health
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Royal Praetor's Sabatons
Ranged Endurance
Melee Endurance
Max Health
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Earrings of Forlorn Elegance
Front Heavy Attack Chance
Side Heavy Attack Chance
Front Hit Chance
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Noble Birthright Brooch
Skill Damage Boost
Max Health
Buff Duration
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Bangle of the Clearest Night
Max Mana
Skill Damage Resistance
Debuff Duration
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Solitare of Purity
Max Health
Skill Damage Boost
Buff Duration
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Honor's Promise Signet
Skill Damage Boost
Buff Duration
Max Health
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Hero's Legacy Warbelt
Max Health
Debuff Duration
Skill Damage Resistance
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Info
Equipment is being updated, if tier 3 items are in the tier 3 tab, it means the equipment on this build was updated.
Calanthia's Aegis of Dominance
Hit Chance
Collision Chance
Max Health
Primary
Talus's Incandescent Staff
Hit Chance
Heavy Attack Chance
Max Health
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Steel Juggernaut Great Helm
Max Health
Melee Endurance
Cooldown Speed
Resonance Effect: Magic Endurance
Calanthia's Confession
Max Health
Skill Damage Resistance
Collision Resistance
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Steel Juggernaut Platemail
Max Health
Buff Duration
Melee Endurance
Resonance Effect: Magic Endurance
Righteous Gauntlets of the Resistance
Max Health
Hit Chance
Melee Endurance
Resonance Effect: Magic Endurance
Auric Vanguard's Gaiters
Max Health
Ranged Endurance
Melee Endurance
Resonance Effect: Magic Endurance
Auric Vanguards Plate Boots
Max Health
Melee Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Resonance Effect: Magic Endurance
Earrings of Umbral Petals
Max Health
Side Hit Chance
Front Hit Chance
Resonance Effect: Collision Chance
Necklace of Exceptional Greed
Collision Chance
Max Health
Buff Duration
Resonance Effect: Collision Chance
Shackled Twilight
Max Health
Skill Damage Resistance
Collision Resistance
Coil of Corruption
Collision Chance
Max Health
Heavy Attack Damage Resistance
Resonance Effect: Collision Chance
Ring of Falling Dusk
Collision Chance
Max Health
Buff Duration
Resonance Effect: Collision Chance
Belt of Echoing Chants
Max Health
Skill Damage Resistance
Collision Resistance
Resonance Effect: Collision Resistance
Weapon Masteries
Sword

Staff

You should be aiming to reach and unlock masteries (the corner nodes) as soon as possible as they usually make the largest impact in the build. While minor nodes shouldn't be forgotten, make sure to unlock masteries as fast as possible before spreading out and spending into less important nodes.
Artifacts
Greedseeker Talistone I
Damage: 9
Hit Chance
Melee Hit Chance
Melee Heavy Attack Chance
Ancestral Armor Solarstone
Weaken Chance
Collision Chance
CC Chance
Ancestral Armor Talistone III
Max Health: 1600
Stamina Regen
Collision Resistance
CC Resistance
Greedseeker Talistone II
Defense: 160
Magic Heavy Attack Evasion
Heavy Attack Evasion
Endurance
Greedseeker Lunarstone
Weaken Resistance
Collision Resistance
CC Resistances
Greedseeker Talistone IV
Max Health: 1600
Heavy Attack Evasion
Endurance
Magic Heavy Attack Evasion
Rotations
Boss Aggro + DPS Rotation ↴
- Start by buffing yourself and your party with

Stalwart Bastion before continuing with 
A Shot at Victory to boost your 
Shield Strike damage.
- Follow up with your Staff rotation:

Chain Lightning, 
Judgment Lightning two times and 
Frost Smokescreen two times as well until your 
Chain Lightning cooldown is up and you can use it again. Use 
Provoking Roar in the end to finish off the rotation and make sure you maintain aggro.
- This rotation is intended for use in open world dungeons or when AOE grinding mobs. Begin by pulling the mobs close, rounding them up before using

Provoking Roar to force aggro onto yourself and continuing with 
Frost Smokescreen to deal AOE burn damage, coupling up with 
Chain Lightning before using 
Frost Smokescreen and transitioning to 
Judgment Lightning before finishing up the mobs with 
Shield Throw.

Counter Barrier: Use this skill when you expect heavy damage, but it can also be used during the beginning of a boss fight.

High Focus: Use this in the same manner as 
Counter Barrier as it increases your evasion and makes it so you can evade mob hits.

Immortal Pride: This ability is a powerful buff for both you and your party, temporarily boosting max HP and offering survivability during difficult boss fights. It’s especially useful for enduring mechanics that could otherwise wipe the group. Make sure to activate it when you notice a party member's health dropping dangerously low or preemptively before large AoE attacks that deal high damage, ensuring your team has the extra durability needed to survive.
Other Disciple Builds
PvPModerateRangedDPS
PvPModerateRangedDPS