D&D 5E Playing non-healer clerics

[Warpiglet-7]

I rarely do a healer cleric, the best defense is a good offense after all. My clerics tend to have strength as their primary ability, slap on the heaviest armor possible and wade into combat.

I'll use healing word to get someone up in combat, but I'd rather use my spell slots for other things. One aspect of 4E that I did like was that it let me do a decent amount of healing and attacks in the same round, but I still have fun with it in 5E.

Str cleric for the win! My arcana cleric took heavily armored. At level 4, I took fey touched and misty step right up to the spellcaster if possible!

 

[Tonguez]

I like my Druid/Barbarian for good combat durability and then non-combat utility including Goodberries and healing word

 

[iserith]

If you're relying on any of my clerics to save you, you're already dead.

 

[Mistwell]

I built my cleric to wear heavy armor and be a tank, while dishing out damage from spirit guardians and spiritual weapon. But even with that, I will heal when needed. Can't let someone go down if I have a healing word. And if a short rest won't get them mostly back to full using their own hit dice I will kick in with spell or two during that break from battle. But none of that is more than the bard will do, or the Paladin or Druid.

 

[Jagga Spikes]

I played Milo, halfling cleric of Cyrrollalee (Light domain). I healed only in dire need. Fireballs were just so much sweeter

 

[Amrûnril]

I find that clerics still have a role in play and one is healing. It is the same as a rogue that does not open locks or a fighter that does not melee. Some of the problems are avoided in a session 0 where you tell the players my cleric does not heal, so maybe someone else can also play a cleric. I view it as a bit selfish. Not like a rogue who steals from the party or playing an evil PC, but similar.

Ranged Fighters and Rogues who focus their proficiencies on social skills (for instance) are entirely valid character concepts. And a party with no dedicated healer, lockpicker or front line fighter can succeed at most challenges, so long as they plan according to the skills they do have. If a player does feel it's important for one of these roles to be filled, though, the onus is on that player to fill it. Playing an unorthodox character isn't selfish. Demanding that another player conform to the character concept you think they should be playing rather than the one they actually want to play is.

 

[Clint_L]

In the recent Critical Role one-off adventure where the Mighty Nein reunited to defeat the titan Uk'Otoa, Laura Bailey's cleric Jester Lavore showed what she called "character growth" by finally casting a healing spell at a clutch moment, after around 140 games.

In my experience, there are Life domain clerics who can usefully focus on healing, and then there are all other clerics who are probably better off just using healing word as needed, and having a revivify on hand.

 

[TwoSix]

I have seen a lot of posts that talk about Clerics being healers and I have played at a few tables (not many) where players expected Clerics to be healers.

Personally, my PCs are never really healers per se. I will pick up healing word and aid for bringing back downed party members during combat in a pinch, and I will keep revify on hand as long as the party pitches in for the diamond. But I am not going to top you up between combats because that is generally not the character I like to play and I am generally not spending my spell slots on your healing. That is what your gold is for - to spend on potions for this.

It is totally cool if that is the cleric you want to play, but I really don't like the trope/stereotype that seems to exist saying that is the only way to play a Cleric or that you are not a team player if you don't play a Cleric as a healer. I am just wondering how common or uncommon it is, how Clerics are played at your tables and what other players expect.

Most clerics I’ve seen in play do healing word/revivify, and only spot healing beyond that. Dedicated slots for healing should really go to healing spirit or aura of vitality anyway.

The only thing I would caveat is that depending on the game, the other players supporting themselves with healing potions may not be an option. So in the case of heavily injured PC where a short rest/long rest isn’t feasible, some off healing may be necessary.

 

[TwoSix]

I built my cleric to wear heavy armor and be a tank, while dishing out damage from spirit guardians and spiritual weapon. But even with that, I will heal when needed. Can't let someone go down if I have a healing word. And if a short rest won't get them mostly back to full using their own hit dice I will kick in with spell or two during that break from battle. But none of that is more than the bard will do, or the Paladin or Druid.

Yea, exactly. Any character that has access to healing word should take it unless there’s a strongly compelling in-character reason not to, it’s just too useful to have and not use.

 

[cbwjm]

Gone are the days where you need to spend half your spell slots on heals, especially with short rest healing, but you should still consider having some for emergencies to keep people in the running.