Friggen Laser Beams

[cdrcjsn]

... You're suggesting that trying to use the cleric class as a good match to portray a cleric may be a failure of imagination on the part of a player, rather than the people who designed the cleric class.... Certainly a novel approach.

No. Just the notion that all community religious leaders of a god have to be Clerics.

Clerics in this edition seem to have been aligned to an armored, fighting divine caster wielding radiant energy.

It doesn't make sense for that archetype to be serving:
1) God of Darkness
2) God of Peace/Tranquility
3) God of Monks
4) God of Pies

The community priest role of a religion is no longer tied to just Clerics so there is no need to pigeonhole the class as one serving a community or try to fit a role that doesn't fit the class (like the cult leader of a god of Necromancy).

The God of Battle could very well have a high priest that is a Warlord for instance rather than a cleric and fulfill all needed roles of a religious leader in a community by taking a single feat (ritual caster).

 

[Vempyre]

Clerics in this edition seem to have been aligned to an armored, fighting divine caster wielding radiant energy.

That describes the cleric from most (if not all?) editions not just this one

 

[N0Man]

I think naming the divine power's energy type "radiant" was a misnomer, considering most ppl think of radiant as "good". From what we have seen radiant in 4E means astral/divine, and can also be from evil gods. Thus, the misnomer.

Radiant and Necrotic damage are basically rebranded (and redesigned) Positive and Negative energy.

 

[nute]

"I, Mombo, cleric of Dim the God of Darkness, will destroy you... With my friggen laser beams shotting out my Arse."

Simple, the "laser" (meaning a ranged attack defined as radiant energy) is a beam of darkness. It glows black.

Mechanically, it is no different than an at-will power like:

Pokey Things Flying Fast: Cleric Attack 1
"A pointed wooden stick flies from your weapon to pierce your opponent."
At-Will - Martial - Weapon
Standard Action - Ranged
Target: One enemy or ally
Attack: Dex vs AC
Hit: 1[W] damage


The differences are that the Lance of Faith power doesn't require a weapon and comes from an Divine power source. Yes, a crossbow can be disarmed. But Lance of Faith can't be used silently, for example. Pretty sure it can't be used for a Sneak Attack (I may be mistaken)

So yes, a cleric has an at-will power that lets him engage a target at range. How that is defined can be up to the player and DM, it might not even be called the same thing. "Arse-Lance of Dimness" might work for clerics of Dim.

It's not a bug, it's a feature. And a good one.

 

[Andor]

I'm tempted now to make a cleric named William Wallace. Every combat he can bend over and scream "C'mon lightning!"

 

[Jack99]

><

I think you should have posted this over here, at least if you were looking for a lot of people who agree with you.

Cheers

 

[mrtomsmith]

Clerics in this edition seem to have been aligned to an armored, fighting divine caster wielding radiant energy.

It doesn't make sense for that archetype to be serving:
...
4) God of Pies

I don't think you understand the true role of the God of Pies. Pies are delicious, and the forces of evil often seek to steal this deliciousness. A good defense is the first rule of pie baking.

Hostess' Fruit Pie
Cleric - Attack 9
You throw a delicious pastry treat to distract your foe.
Encounter
Standard Action
Ranged
Target: 1 creature
Attack: DEX vs. Will
Hit: Select a square within (5+STR bonus) of caster. Target enemy must perform no actions other than moving toward the chosen square. Once they reach the square, they must spend a Minor to pick up and eat the pie you threw there. Save cancels.

 

[Mirtek]

Clerics in this edition seem to have been aligned to an armored, fighting divine caster
[...]
The God of Battle could very well have a high priest that is a Warlord for instance rather than a cleric and fulfill all needed roles of a religious leader in a community by taking a single feat (ritual caster).

Since we know that one of the cleric paragon paths is Warpriest who get's melee powers, I have good hope that a cleric will have a wide enough selection of powers that you can fill all your power slots without having to select any ranged attacks.

Want a pure melee cleric for the god of battle? No problem, just select only melee at-wills/encounters/dailys and go Warpriest at 11th level.

Didn't even one of the designers say that his fighter took a cleric multiclass feat to qualify for a cleric paragon path? So it seems that the cleric has more than enough melee punch to please any lord of war deity

 

[Rechan]

You know, I don't really see the cleric powers as Laser Beams.

I picture them more like floodlights. A bright brilliance that pretty much SHINES like a beacon and is just aimed like a spot light at the target.

As for a Cleric of Darkness, the "lasers" as they are would be power that comes from the shadows in the room. Or a ribbon of pure blackness, that eats all light, lashing at the target, as the lights in the room dim for a moment or two.

 

[DylanCB]

Sorry, a cleric of a Sun God has to shoot lasers, its a must. I'm sure there are other at-will powers to choose. A cleric of Bahamut using sacred flame makes sense as well. If your the cleric of darkness, there are probably non beam attacks to choose.

If the problem is clerics having ranged attacks, thats sorta odd, I mean, if they get into the fight and smite they really would be Paladins. If they are going to stay back to heal the party, using ranged magic makes sense.