This build is up to date for the March 14, 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
Blade of the Resistance
Heavy Attack Chance
Max Health
Hit Chance
Primary
Staff of the Resistance
Heavy Attack Chance
Critical Hit Chance
Hit Chance
Duskblood Mask
Magic Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Cooldown Speed
Warlord's Shroud
Max Health
Skill Damage Resistance
Debuff Duration
Plate Armor of the Resistance
Max Health
Melee Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Feathered Drakeskin Gloves
Added Attack Speed
Magic Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Trousers of the Resistance
Max Health
Magic Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Feathered Drakeskin Boots
Ranged Evasion
Magic Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Necklace of Clarity
Skill Damage Boost
Buff Duration
Bracelet of Conquest
Max Health
Skill Damage Resistance
Sophia's Ring of Strength
Ring of Precision
Max Health
Skill Damage Boost
Belt of Deftness
Skill Damage Resistance
Max Health
These are the first items you should strive for through the leveling period as they are very easy to get and upgrade or trait as needed. However, you shouldn't try to trait these items too much as you won't be spending too much time playing with this setup before you start changing pieces into the Midgame. The green accessories however are very easy to trait as you can craft many of them quickly in order to get the correct traits so you should consider traiting them until you change into purples. The same goes for the blue ring as you keep it for a long time.
Karnix's Netherblade
Heavy Attack Chance
Max Health
Hit Chance
Primary
Staff of the Umbramancer
Heavy Attack Chance
Max Health
Hit Chance
Visage of the Executioner
Magic Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Mana Regen
Blessed Templar Cloak
Collision Resistance
Max Health
Skill Damage Resistance
Plate Armor of the Resistance
Max Health
Melee Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Resolute Crusader Gauntlets
Max Health
Ranged Endurance
Melee Endurance
Trousers of the Resistance
Magic Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Max Health
Heroic Shoes of the Resistance
Max Health
Magic Endurance
Melee Endurance
Guardian Torque
Skill Damage Boost
Mana Regen
Buff Duration
Ruby Bangle
Max Health
Skill Damage Resistance
Debuff Duration
Sapphire Dimensional Band
Skill Damage Boost
Max Health
Buff Duration
Imperial Ring
Skill Damage Boost
Max Health
Buff Duration
Flamewrought Bindings
Max Health
Debuff Duration
Skill Damage Resistance
This is the gear you should transition to once you're leveled to 50 and start grinding gear. It is comprised of gear you can get either from dungeons or by completing Litographs, they are relatively easy to trait up and you will spend most of the time wearing this set before advancing into the late game so traiting these items is very important and should be your main focus.
Nirma's Sword of Echoes
Heavy Attack Chance
Critical Hit Chance
Hit Chance
Primary
Staff of the Umbramancer
Heavy Attack Chance
Max Health
Hit Chance
Shock Commander Visor
Mana Regen
Ranged Endurance
Melee Endurance
Blessed Templar Cloak
Collision Resistance
Max Health
Skill Damage Resistance
Shock Commander Plate Armor
Max Health
Melee Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Shock Commander Gauntlets
Added Attack Speed
Melee Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Phantom Wolf Breeches
Max Health
Magic Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Shock Commander Sabatons
Max Health
Ranged Endurance
Melee Endurance
Thunderstorm Necklace
Skill Damage Boost
Buff Duration
Mana Regen
Bracers of Unrelenting
Max Health
Skill Damage Resistance
Collision Resistance
Sapphire Dimensional Band
Skill Damage Boost
Max Health
Buff Duration
Etched Alabaster Band
Skill Damage Boost
Max Health
Buff Duration
Flamewrought Bindings
Max Health
Collision Resistance
Skill Damage Resistance
While runes can be applied to different types of gear, you should make sure that you invest into the gear pieces that you plan on using for a long time. However, if the build you are using uses the same items between Mid Game and End Game, you can invest into adding runes to them as early as you get the items.
This is the current endgame gear you should aim for, and while it isn't easy to acquire, it offers great power without the need of acquiring archboss gear pieces. However, items like 
Tevent's Fangs of Fury or other archboss weapons are superior but difficult to acquire for the majority of players. If you do manage to get the archboss weapons for your build, feel free to use them over the weapons shown here.
Nirma's Sword of Echoes
Heavy Attack Chance
Critical Hit Chance
Hit Chance
Primary
Staff of the Umbramancer
Heavy Attack Chance
Max Health
Hit Chance
Shock Commander Visor
Mana Regen
Ranged Endurance
Melee Endurance
Blessed Templar Cloak
Collision Resistance
Max Health
Skill Damage Resistance
Shock Commander Plate Armor
Max Health
Melee Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Shock Commander Gauntlets
Added Attack Speed
Melee Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Phantom Wolf Breeches
Max Health
Magic Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Shock Commander Sabatons
Max Health
Ranged Endurance
Melee Endurance
Thunderstorm Necklace
Skill Damage Boost
Buff Duration
Mana Regen
Bracers of Unrelenting
Max Health
Skill Damage Resistance
Collision Resistance
Sapphire Dimensional Band
Skill Damage Boost
Max Health
Buff Duration
Etched Alabaster Band
Skill Damage Boost
Max Health
Buff Duration
Flamewrought Bindings
Max Health
Collision Resistance
Skill Damage Resistance
Bulwark of Invulnerability
Heavy Attack Chance
Max Health
Hit Chance
Primary
Daigon's Charred Emberstaff
Heavy Attack Chance
Max Health
Hit Chance
Auric Vanguard's Barbute
Max Health
Melee Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Opulent Noble's Mantle
Max Mana
Debuff Duration
Skill Damage Resistance
Auric Vanguard's Full Plate
Max Health
Melee Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Auric Vanguard's Gauntlets
Hit Chance
Ranged Endurance
Melee Endurance
Auric Vanguard's Gaiters
Melee Endurance
Ranged Endurance
Max Health
Royal Praetor's Sabatons
Ranged Endurance
Melee Endurance
Max Health
Noble Birthright Brooch
Skill Damage Boost
Max Health
Buff Duration
Bangle of the Clearest Night
Max Mana
Skill Damage Resistance
Debuff Duration
Solitare of Purity
Max Health
Skill Damage Boost
Buff Duration
Honor's Promise Signet
Skill Damage Boost
Buff Duration
Max Health
Hero's Legacy Warbelt
Max Health
Debuff Duration
Skill Damage 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: 10
Hit Chance
Heavy Attack Chance
Melee Heavy Attack Chance
Ancestral Armor Solarstone
CC Chance
Stun Chance
Bind Chance
CC Chance
Abyssal Beast Talistone III
Max Health: 1750
Max Stamina
CC Resistances
Healing Received
Abyssal Beast Talistone II
Defense: 200
Endurance
Magic Endurance
Magic Heavy Attack Evasion
Greedseeker Lunarstone
CC Resistance
Collision Resistance
Weaken Resistance
CC Resistances
Ancestral Armor Talistone IV
Max Health: 1750
Endurance
Magic Heavy Attack Evasion
Melee Hit Chance
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
