Clerics

[Drawmack]

I see the cleric as the healer, he can fight because he's got to be able to run into the front line in order to heal the downed fighter or barbarian. As far as the barbarian giving you his rage, has he ever used it to aid you? I view RPGs as co-operative. My party knows one sure way to die is to work against each other and get an every mand for himself attitude.

 

[kigmatzomat]

My cleric doesn't use his slots to heal. ... OK, I do cast heals - for myself. Mostly I use buffs (on myself) before combat and act like a fighter.

At low levels, sure, I can see using buff spells. There isn't much difference between a cleric and fighter until about 4th level. But not healing the others? Good grief, how short sighted. If for no other reason that I, as a non-cleric in the party, would insist that all CLW wands are purchased pre-split. Your daily spells are not worth the gp loss from a purely fiscal mindset.

(I play a nice archer-cleric)
Is that selfish? Does the barbarian give me his rage?

No, I don't think you are a "nice" archer-cleric. And technically, yes, yes he does. Every time he rages he runs the risk of dying on his feet.

In the game I run, the characters mantra is "SAVE THE CLERIC!" because he can (and will) save them, even if they die. But if the cleric falls they are SOL. There's no way anyone but the cleric can get them back on their feet in case any other threats show up.

At higher levels the cleric won't be able to take the opponents 1-on-1 the way the warrior-types can; his BAB drops behind and his lack of feats and combat tricks becomes too evident. The power of a cleric becomes his spells; his armor just means he doesn't have to flee the battlefield. Searing light, flame strike, and the other direct damage are the most often recognized sources of power, but there's no better source of indirect damage than using a Heal, or Cure to put a fighter back in the fray. Most fighters can dish out as much damage as a level-equivalent searing light in a round; more with good specials like cleave. The more friendly combatants reduces the amount of damage each takes; cleric inclusive.

So don't be surprised if your cleric gets fragged or froze out when another character gets sick of it and brings in their own cleric.

 

[Gideon]

I'm with Thanee here. I am currently playing a cleric and at least in my exp. at low levels you will use spells to heal because everyone can die so easily and you don't have that many spells. The buffs/utility spells will eventually be the parties best friend.

 

[Numion]

IMO Cleric != Cure automat

If I had wanted to play healer, I would've created such. Instead, I wanted to play a holy warrior, who uses the blessings of his god to aid him in battle. To provoke discussion I said that I don't heal others, except with the wand they've bought. That isn't entirely true; If I have a cure to spare, I'll use it, since there's no point in wasting GPs.

But the point was: the spells and abilities of my archer-cleric are his abilities, which I use as I see fit. Just like with any other character class. That usually means that I buff myself (and of others, if it's vital), and fight. It's usually more useful to cause 3d8+30 points of damage to the enemy than casting a CLW on one of our own.

And of course I don't pay for the CLW wands, because I'll never use them. Simple as that.

And yeah, archer-cleric is more than viable at all levels. I've seen. Casting your own GMWs when arrows and bows stack, with quickened divine favors and divine powers is pretty good. (= on par with straight fighter plus you have full clerical casting ability. )