Cleric Comparisons: Pelor vs. Moradin

[CleverNickName]

I wonder what would happen if I Photoshop the dwarven cleric of Moradin's character sheet, to replace every occurrence of the the word "Cleric" with "Paladin" instead. Would it somehow play differently, even though none of the mechanics have changed at all?

In other words, I wonder how much our preconceived notions are influencing the playtest, especially when it comes to iconic words like "cleric." I bet it is a lot.

 

[AntiStateQuixote]

I wonder what would happen if I Photoshop the dwarven cleric of Moradin's character sheet, to replace every occurrence of the the word "Cleric" with "Paladin" instead. Would it somehow play differently, even though none of the mechanics have changed at all?

In other words, I wonder how much our preconceived notions are influencing the playtest, especially when it comes to iconic words like "cleric." I bet it is a lot.

Interesting. I played both clerics in our playtest against the kobolds. I know for a fact that I played the Moradin cleric with focus on one word on the character sheet: Defender.

If the sheet said paladin I might not have thrown into the pit with spikes the kobold prisoner who couldn't speak Common or otherwise communicate with us in any useful way.

 

[Falling Icicle]

Laser clerics annoy me -- that's the wizard's territory and should be rare for clerics, though a priest of the sun could make a case.

Isn't Pelor a sun god?

 

[Wepwawet]

I LOVE the Cleric of Pelor!
It's the Cleric I've always wanted to play!

BUT them both have to stay, and many more variations. I'm glad that D&D Clerics will finally be different depending on their god!

(ok, I've heard about 2e's player options but I've never played nor seen it, so for me Clerics have always been the same chainmail crusader types)

 

[steeldragons]

I LOVE the Cleric of Pelor!
It's the Cleric I've always wanted to play!

BUT them both have to stay, and many more variations. I'm glad that D&D Clerics will finally be different depending on their god!

Cheers! Very glad to hear that 5e is opening some options for you! It is awesome to hear people being excited about 5e as opposed to complaining and lamenting "it's not this" or "it needs that"! Very cool. Enjoy.

(ok, I've heard about 2e's player options but I've never played nor seen it, so for me Clerics have always been the same chainmail crusader types)

Well, yes. I basically stopped playing before 3e hit the shelves. My game has always been a combo of 1 & 2e with a few 3 and then [very few] 4e elements added...or rather, we already had elements integrated that appeared in 4e.

Clerics in my games/world setting have pretty much always been differentiated by their deity. Different skills, "Domain" spells and added "spell-like" abilities, many of the same spells that were universal but manifested in different ways (Hold Person, for example, cast by a priest of the nature/wood god[dess] coats you in stiffening amber or honey, priest of the water goddess encases you in ice, etc...)

I very much look forward to many more people than I, and other 1 or 2e-ers, playing around with the possibilities.

Again, cheers, enjoy.
--SD

 

[Mercule]

Isn't Pelor a sun god?

Pretty much my point -- I realized there might be an excuse for the cleric in question. I left my commentary because I still wouldn't be happy seeing laser clerics as a "normal" thing.

 

[CleverNickName]

The more I playtest them, the less I like the cleric.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the two pregen characters that were included with the playtest. They are very distinctive, and they are loads of fun to play even after six (SIX!!!) playtests. The problem is, they aren't clerics.

The hammer cleric feels more like a paladin than a cleric to me: all brave and knightly, charging into battle against the forces of darkness, hammer and shield at the ready, protecting others on the battlefield...yep, that's a paladin. (I mean no disrespect here...it is a very fun paladin, and I want to play it again and again.)

The cleric of Pelor feels more like a wizard to me: very knowledgeable about plants, detecting magic at will, brewing potions in his spare time, shooting rays of burning energy from his fingertips, carrying around a quarterstaff...yep, that's a wizard. (Albeit a very weird one. And I mean no disrespect here, either...this wizard is a lot more fun to play than the *actual* wizard.)

I hope the design goals for the cleric go a little further than just blending it into other classes. "Hey guys! If we give the bard an anti-undead spell, we can call *THAT* a cleric too!"

 

[steeldragons]

Well...let's see if I can make a couple of other clerics...based off of what we know thus far...to further spread out the "flavor" of the cleric...s hse's not a wizard and she's not a paladin...

Cleric of Tyris (Orean goddess of the seas, storms and water in general)
Background: Mariner -gets astrology, navigation, shipcraft and "marine lore." all +3.
Theme: "Waverider"
Feat 1 - "Water Whip", at-will orison, generates a snapping whip of available water, does d4 damage.
Feat 2 - "Read Water", at-will divination, gives the cleric the knowledge/image of anything that has passed by the body of water being "read." (maximum extent, 1 hour per cleric level).

Cleric of Celradorn (Orean god of guardianship and battleskill)
Background: Soldier (whatever soldiers get)
Theme: Guardian - whatever Guardians get.

How 'bout those clerics?