The cleric's signature ability is healing. Wizards get more magic, but they don't have such a signature. Not even magic missile, fireball, and other very popular spells rise to this.
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D&D 5E What are the Roles now?
- Thread starter Unwise
- Start date
http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20140310
"A bard can easily take on the role that a cleric fulfills in a party"
I am not sure why giving players the option to not have a cleric would be harmful. Arcane cure wounds doesn't exactly impact gameplay just because it's arcane instead of divine in such a case.
"A bard can easily take on the role that a cleric fulfills in a party"
I am not sure why giving players the option to not have a cleric would be harmful. Arcane cure wounds doesn't exactly impact gameplay just because it's arcane instead of divine in such a case.
What rule? You have yet to quote one.
Other people have quoted that Bards use arcane (and only arcane) spells. You argued about that.
I referenced a common phrase, "the exception to the rule". No rules were referenced. Do you understand what I meant now?
If I argued about whether bards use arcane (and only arcane) spells, as you say, there must have been a good reason, don't you think?
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Ah, very good! I am convinced now they did not intend for healing magic to always be divine magic.
Mike Mearls was wrong to let the bard easily take on the role that a cleric fulfills in a party.
The bard's secondary ability is healing. They get Song of Rest. For a 5 member PC party, that tends to be about 10 points of healing per short rest or 40 to 50 points of healing per day by about third level (more as PCs level more and get more hit dice, and at levels 9, 13, and 17).
The only two healing spells that Clerics get that Bards do not get from levels 1 through 5 are Prayer of Healing and Mass Healing Word.
Until 11th level when Clerics get the Heal spell, Bards heal over the lifetime of the party nearly as much as most Clerics (with the exception of Light Clerics).
And there are many other classes that heal or self heal. A Battle Master who uses Parry is effectively self healing (mitigating damage is often the same as healing and in some cases, better). A Druid who wild shapes and does not take the damage is self healing. A Druid casting heal spells is healing. A lot of classes heal. This is not the signature ability of Clerics. About 75% of the classes/subclasses can heal or self heal (or mitigate damage). Almost anyone who casts spells can self heal (Sorcerers are probably the only exception). Even a Shield spell is damage mitigation and hence, a type of healing.
Wizards (and their mimic classes sorcerers and warlocks) are typically the only PCs that can cast many spells like Fly, Haste, and Teleport. Just like Wizards can heal with Vampiric Touch, there are Druids that can fly with wild shape or Polymorph, and Paladins that can cast Misty Step, but wizards (and to a lesser extent sorcerers and warlocks) tend to be the mobility specialists. A ranged foe up on a ledge where nobody can melee reach them who ducks behind cover and the only attacks possible against them are Readied ranged attacks, the arcane mobility specialist is typically the one who can get a fellow PC (or himself) up there.
I understood the first time. Your argument was just non-supportable. It made no sense and hasn't since the 2E days. Your argument that clerics are healing specialists is just as weak. We have a group with a Paladin, a Cleric, a Fighter, a Rogue, a Ranger/Wizard, and a Bard. Every single one of them can either do damage mitigation, or heal. The Cleric contributes to healing, but does less than 15% of the overall healing / damage mitigation in the group. The fighter mitigates more damage than the cleric heals in a given day.
At least the advice for roles is still good. You still have cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard as the core four, for a well-rounded party.
Prism
Explorer
I'm convinced you are teasing us now
Have you read the rest of the thread?
