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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(Psi)SeveredHead" data-source="post: 6041527" data-attributes="member: 1165">We already have problems with paladin codes, which (among other things) give DMs the ability to take away their powers right away. One way to lose these powers is to associate with dishonorable people, eg the other PCs, so the paladin player feels pressured to convert the other PCs (eg preach), which the other PCs don't like. That sort of stuff is RP, not rules, and it's not a good idea to introduce this kind of conflict to many gaming groups.Since healing is currently required (there's not enough non-magic healing options) this means every party gets saddled with someone with an obstructive code of conduct. (It doesn't have to be lawful good; a cleric of a chaotic neutral deity might be worse!)Clerics just need different kinds of spells. The cleric has Lance of Faith (or Radiant Lance) in D&DN. Alas, it's just a beam of light that attacks Ref and does high damage at-will. It's not much different from Magic Missile (it just does higher damage and can miss). Boring.The 4e power has a micro-buff. Nearly everything the 4e cleric does has a micro-buff. Even Spiritual Weapon (the target grants combat advantage to the cleric's allies; so they get an indirect buff, and rogues really like it when you use this prayer). This is all because the cleric is a leader (apart from the healing) and so was structured this way.Compared to previous editions, the cleric has fewer self-buffs, fewer control powers and as few powers that just do damage (eg Flame Strike).Prior versions of D&D just gave clerics nearly everything. This was made worse with spheres; while it's great for flavor that clerics could pick and choose spheres, it meant any two clerics might have nothing in common, to the point where they shouldn't even be members of the same class, and leaving the DM less ability to prepare adventures to suit them.On a note more related to the OP (eg distinguishing cleric types), I'm fully in favor of something like domains or Channel Divinity to distinguish clerics who worship different deities. A lawful good cleric might take the Sacrifice domain, for instance, quite a bit different from a cleric who takes domains like Slaughter or Tyranny.For ease of play if for no other reason, I'm leery of trying to introduce too much flexibility to the cleric class. I don't think the same class can or should represent a priest of Pelor or deathpriest of Wee Jas or Orcus. These more "specialty priests" should be their own class, and not try to occupy the "leader" role.</blockquote>

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