Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Edena_of_Neith" data-source="post: 2767583" data-attributes="member: 2020">Hey there,  MerricB.  Yeah, Arilyn and Danilo are favorite characters of mine, too.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  Thanks for the feedback!  Now, I played a cleric for 20 years, and have strong opinions on the matter.  Rather than vent them, I'll let my reaction to what the 3.5 cleric is like speak for me.  (grins)  It says:  Good clerics heal, protect, and avenge.  I love it!  I am vindicated!  (In a certain long ago film, Taraak the Defender said:  When life is taken for naught, the Pact is, to Avenge.  And now avenging a good act, straight from the horse's mouth!)  Clerics are the healing, spellcasting warriors they should have been from the start.  They receive proficiency in all Simple Weapons, but 1 level in Fighter gives them all Martial Weapons also.  They can wear Light, Medium, and Heavy Armor.    Clerics have the 2nd best BAB.  They have 3 attacks per round at 20th level (in 2E, they never got more than 1 attack per round at ANY level.)  Clerics have more powerful healing spells in 3.5 (Cure Light Wounds, Cure Moderate Wounds, Cure Serious Wounds, Cure Critical Wounds all heal more damage than in 1E or 2E.)  Clerics can change any memorized spell into a healing spell.  Clerics now gain spells up to 9th level (I saw a Quest spell or two, from the 2E Tome of Magic, in their spell list ...)  Clerics now get an extra Domain spell at each level (choose one from one Domain source.)  Clerics get Granted Powers for their Domain, which can be used as a Spell-Like Ability.  Clerics need not worship a Diety.  They can worship Good or Evil, Law or Chaos.  (Good is IT.  Clear and simple.  Understand?!  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  )  Clerics have more offensive spells than they had in 2E (and you can add the 2E spells from the Tome of Magic if you want, too!)  Clerics have more spells in general than in 2E.  It says:  A cleric is a party's best friend.  LOL.  Because back in 1E and 2E, the cleric was the Useless Person whom you Dragged Forward Occasionally to Turn Undead, and Heal the Wounded Fighters.  Not any more.  I noticed in skimming the Combat Rules that if you are dying (- 1 to - 9 hit points) even 1 point of magical healing would stabilize you and completely prevent any chance of your dying.  A cleric gets 3 0 level spells at 1st level.  That's three party members saved.  A party's best friend, indeed!!    Clerics can now wield any kind of weapon they want.  In 1E, they were forbidden to shed blood but could use blunt weapons (which didn't make sense, since a 5 pound mace connecting with your head typically sheds blood, unless you are an undead.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />  )  Now my cleric of Odin can wield sword, spear, bow (YES, no more stupid slings), mace, or anything he pleases.  And if he has the War Domain, he gets proficiency in that deity's favored weapon.  Did I mention that I think that they have improved the cleric?  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  Turning Undead, ah yes.  For some reason, every DM assumed turned undead would never come back.  (If I was a wraith, and some snotty goody-goody human cleric turned me, I'D come back.  PAYBACK TIME.)  Of course, destroyed undead have nothing to say in this matter ...  I see that neutral clerics can now command undead.  Not a comfortable matter for the party paladin, but useful (Wraith, attack that monster!  Ghoul, fetch that item!  Ghast, smell up the entire palace!  Zombie, open that chest!)  Back in 1E and 2E, it was quite rare that DMs allowed neutral clerics to command the undead.  Ah, but good clerics can't use Evil Spells?  And evil clerics can't use Good spells?  GOOD.  Because they SHOULDN'T BE.  (Moral relativism aside!)  Evil clerics can't download their spells into cure spells?  They must take cause wound spells?  GOOD.  THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE.  Evil is EVIL, not expedient.  If the evil cleric has a problem with that, then he shouldn't have followed the Vile Ways, should he?  Did I mention I think they've improved the cleric in 3.5E over 2E?  Why, yes I did ... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  (Bring forward the 2E spells from the 2E Tome of Magic, and heavens help you if you run into an enemy cleric.)</blockquote>

Verification