Friggen Laser Beams

[JetstreamGW]

Searing light and zaps have never felt like they went with cleric themes to me.

Wizards and warlocks? Ranged zaps seem like a good archetype fit for them.

Clerics should be healing, buffing for melee, divining, and doing some miracles IMO.

What is the explicit 4e role of clerics? Do ranged zaps fit that?

The light of my god was drawn from the heavens to smite my foe and help my ally!


It's a miracle!

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

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.

Have you seen the light? Have _you_ seen the light? [/blues brothers]

 

[baberg]

Argameth the Cleric of Pelor holds high his deity's holy symbol and with booming voice shouts, "Pelor grant me your favor! Strike down this heathen who stands against me!" The holy symbol glows a radiant white illuminating the room as a ray of divine fury bursts from it, burning the skin of the Kobold Skirmisher.

Rethgar the Fighter turns to Argameth and says, "Whenever I ask Pelor for a little luck on my gambling he spits in my face, but for you he smites on command. Yeah, that's fair. Totally fair." Annoyed, Rethgar cleaves the remaining Kobolds.

 

[PeterWeller]

I'm going to describe it as my cleric throwing sticks, and those sticks turning into snakes.

 

[2eBladeSinger]

Ok so the thing I dislike most about 4th ed so far is a simple one. 3 of the 8 classes can just shot friggen laser beams from themselves at will. While I can handle it for the warlock and wizard, the cleric just seems silly.

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

Laser beams out of an arse would be silly, if that were the power description. Fortunately it's not; instead a cleric uses radiant energy which might take the form of sunlight, dark mist, blue-greenish waves, purple haze or pies.

I think I understand your point – that clerics look just like warlocks or wizards; their ‘laser’ is just a different color. To that I would answer: we’ve only seen one character, one build. There may be options that allow for a broader interpretation of cleric. Just as every fighter need not carry an axe and shield, perhaps not all clerics will be blasty. However, IMO – if a cleric is going to attack his enemy at a distance, it’s a little more flavorful to have him call down the wrath of his deity than to whip out a heavy crossbow.

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.

Again, I think this is just one of the builds for a cleric. I don’t think all community religious leaders have to be clerics. They don’t even have to be classed per se. Also, a cleric doesn’t have to be a religious leader. A cleric is a very special individual chosen by his deity for a purpose; his prayers and powers are tools that his deity allows him to use for this purpose.

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

Absolutely not true. While most clerics have usually been able to handle themselves in combat, there were builds available that made the cleric as versatile as any class in the game.

 

[Vempyre]

Absolutely not true. While most clerics have usually been able to handle themselves in combat, there were builds available that made the cleric as versatile as any class in the game.

But the default cleric from PHBs were the combat clerics. The other ones were options to play as some other type of cleric (in either 2E or 3E) for variety, but the default one was still the "combat" one with decent melee skills and heavy armor.

 

[2eBladeSinger]

But the default cleric from PHBs were the combat clerics. The other ones were options to play as some other type of cleric (in either 2E or 3E) for variety, but the default one was still the "combat" one with decent melee skills and heavy armor.

Just as the default fighter was a man in armour and shield with a sword, but there certainly was never a stipulation that one had to play them that way. I hope and think it's going to be the same way in 4e.

 

[pawsplay]

In KotSF, there is a pregen cleric of Bahamut, with the Lance of Faith we already know from Erais, plus the following:

Sacred Flame: Cleric Attack 1
At-Will ✦ Divine, Radiant
Standard Action; Ranged 5
Target: One creature
Attack: +3 vs Reflex
Hit: 1d6+3 radiant damage, and one ally you can see chooses either to gain temporary hit points equal to your Cha mod + one-half your level or make a saving throw.

Thanks to Thalmin for the info (see the KotSF topic).

Look, Ma! Unlimited healing. Assuming a Cleric with a Cha of 14, by 5th level this becomes a profitable enterprise.

 

[spuppett]

You're not supposed to come up with appropriate special effects, but if the ones supplied don't suit you, change 'em. Wizards can't be expected to cater to everyone, at some point they have to make a decision, right or wrong especially with something as rules agnostics as the way a blast of energy or magic looks.

 

[Kordeth]

Look, Ma! Unlimited healing. Assuming a Cleric with a Cha of 14, by 5th level this becomes a profitable enterprise.

Temporary hit points are, well, temporary, and they don't stack.