Friggen Laser Beams

[Alkiera]

I think it's lame that all clerics use "radiant" energy, and this is especially odd following their decision to very specifically allow evil paladins. So paladins can be evil, but clerics can't...?

I would guess that evil paladins use Radiant energy too.

As to the 'what about evil clerics???' thing... looking through the cleric spell list from 3.5 (in SRD), there are barely a handful of spells with the 'necromancy' tag. The various Create Undead spells, Inflict X Wounds/Harm, Slay Living, Symbol of Pain/Death, and Energy Drain. Compared to the body of cleric spells, they're a relatively tiny number. Most of them are just reversals of other cleric spells. Cure/Inflict, destroy/create undead, Heal/Harm, Energy Drain/Restoration, etc.

I think it boils down a change in the way the gods work now, as opposed to the 3.5 setting. All gods use angels as messengers, all gods use Radiant energy from the Astral Sea to empower their followers. The powers might look different, and some clerics might tend to certain powers over others, but they've pretty much agreed on a standard list of powers to grant so one god doesn't get all uppity and try to take over the material plane with overpowered clerics.

If you want clerics of the Death god to all have evil powers... perhaps clerics of the Death god tend to multiclass into Necromancer, or something. (I've seen it done in fantasy stories, works well, even if the god of death isn't particularly evil)

 

[Voadam]

Pretty sure the only thing we've seen that use Necrotic damage are undead and (I think?) demons. Maybe shadow demons.

So I'm willing to bet that the only source of Necrotic damage is the Shadowfell.

I haven't kept up with everything 4e, undead are connected to the shadowfell?

Demons are from the elemental storm or whatever it is called right?

 

[Rechan]

I haven't kept up with everything 4e, undead are connected to the shadowfell?

Demons are from the elemental storm or whatever it is called right?

Yes, yes.

Looking up the Monsters and More PDF, Shadow Demons do necrotic damage with their shadow attacks.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

I would guess that evil paladins use Radiant energy too.

As to the 'what about evil clerics???' thing... looking through the cleric spell list from 3.5 (in SRD), there are barely a handful of spells with the 'necromancy' tag. The various Create Undead spells, Inflict X Wounds/Harm, Slay Living, Symbol of Pain/Death, and Energy Drain. Compared to the body of cleric spells, they're a relatively tiny number. Most of them are just reversals of other cleric spells. Cure/Inflict, destroy/create undead, Heal/Harm, Energy Drain/Restoration, etc.

I think it boils down a change in the way the gods work now, as opposed to the 3.5 setting. All gods use angels as messengers, all gods use Radiant energy from the Astral Sea to empower their followers. The powers might look different, and some clerics might tend to certain powers over others, but they've pretty much agreed on a standard list of powers to grant so one god doesn't get all uppity and try to take over the material plane with overpowered clerics.

If you want clerics of the Death god to all have evil powers... perhaps clerics of the Death god tend to multiclass into Necromancer, or something. (I've seen it done in fantasy stories, works well, even if the god of death isn't particularly evil)

Yech, I just think it really ruins the diversity of the game. Yes, there was a problem with some choices being overpowered compared to others in 3.x, but at least there WERE choices, such as domains for your gods.

As for "Radiant energy," how could you NOT mistake it for good? If they wanted it to be neutral, I'd think they'd use a more...neutral name.

 

[DandD]

I haven't kept up with everything 4e, undead are connected to the shadowfell?

Demons are from the elemental storm or whatever it is called right?

The Elemental Chaos. Particularily, the Abyss inmidst the Elemental Chaos. Demons are now corrupted elemental beings of doom and destruction.

 

[FireLance]

Yech, I just think it really ruins the diversity of the game. Yes, there was a problem with some choices being overpowered compared to others in 3.x, but at least there WERE choices, such as domains for your gods.

The way that 4e classes are structured, it seems fairly easy to come up with different sets of powers to capture the flavor of domains. They could even work along the lines of 4e multiclassing: a cleric can take a "Domain feat" to gain access to a granted power, and then one or more feats to replace one encounter, utility and daily power with domain powers.

 

[Kordeth]

Yech, I just think it really ruins the diversity of the game. Yes, there was a problem with some choices being overpowered compared to others in 3.x, but at least there WERE choices, such as domains for your gods.

Err--in 4E you have anywhere from 3-6 choices of powers at practically every level, and we've already seen the existence of deity-specific feats that give new uses of the channel divinity power. Seems like plenty of choice to me.

As for "Radiant energy," how could you NOT mistake it for good? If they wanted it to be neutral, I'd think they'd use a more...neutral name.

I'm not going to be the jerk that quotes the dictionary definition of the word "radiant," but I think you're overestimating the word's connotation of "goodness." I for one am glad there's one energy type that appears to be universal for divinely-inflicted smiting. I never understood why an invocation of the pure divine might of Bane was somehow less holy than the light of Amaunator just because Bane happens to be of evil alignment. Surely gods are all divine and holy by their very nature--unholy/profane damage should be reserved for the antithesis of the gods, whether that's primordials, demons, or the monstrosities of the Far Realm.

 

[TwinBahamut]

As for "Radiant energy," how could you NOT mistake it for good? If they wanted it to be neutral, I'd think they'd use a more...neutral name.

Honestly, I don't think this is a problem at all. Maybe it is just the fact that I have played too many videogames, but I have no problem with thinking that "light/radiance" and "darkness/death" are just two more elemental properties that are no different than fire or cold. Countless videogames use that approach.

In fact, my favorite mental image of a "radiance" attack comes from the main light element attack spell from Wild ARMS 3, Spectre, which was used by more than one horrifically evil giant monster.

 

[hong]

As for "Radiant energy," how could you NOT mistake it for good? If they wanted it to be neutral, I'd think they'd use a more...neutral name.

Radiation is good?

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

I could see how one might associate radiant with good... in the context of DnD. 4e is changing some of those assumptions we've had about Good and Evil within the context of the game.

Actually, I like that good and evil clerics draw from the same source of power. It raises some interesting theological questions that both good and evil religions need to address.