Hands up who wants to play the healing battery?

[Merkuri]

For some reason I always liked playing healers/clerics. I don't mind playing a supporting role, and usually enjoy it. The one experience I had with a support character I didn't like was the 3e bard. I'm sure bards would be better in other situations, but we were playing a very combat-heavy diplomacy-light campaign and I had very few options in battle that were tactically valid so I kept doing the same thing over and over again.

But I always liked clerics, buffing and healing other characters and making sure they dished out the most damage they could and survived as long as they could.

I also liked the religious aspect, though I didn't usually play it up a lot in combat. I'm not a religious person in real life, but religions fascinate me, fantasy or real-world, so I like the excuse to learn about and play a character involved with a particular religion.

I do get tired of playing the same type of character over and over again, but I often find myself playing the healbot and I really don't mind.

 

[Kzach]

I know that clerics in 3e were very powerful but what I was trying to get at is that they weren't really the 'healer'. If anything they just boosted themselves and made themselves even more powerful. Concentrating on nothing but healing wasn't really an option.

But in 4e I've actually found that it can be really fun to focus on healing and leader/controller powers with the cleric. I love that with one healing surge I can heal up a 1st-level character from close to 0 to full. I love that I can provide bonuses to everyone's ability to hit, or everyone's ability to take damage, or everyone's defences, or give people saving throws or bonuses to saving throws, or give them heaps of temporary hit points, or affect all the enemies.

In general, it's fun to be a healer cleric rather than an in-your-face uber-munchkin godling. Playing the leader role as defined by giving everyone support and weakening enemies is a blast. I've never experienced that in any other game. Even just at 1st-level I have so much healing power that I make the party practically invincible!

 

[Asmor]

Let's face it, in previous editions, and heck, in a lot of other systems and games that are derived from D&D like WoW for instance, nobody ever wants to play the healing battery.

Err... In the case of MMOs at least, I really, really enjoy playing a healer. It's a lot of fun, as long as you're actually needed (i.e. the party isn't running through something they can easily take or there are more healers than necessary).

The only problem I have with healers is that generally they're a PITA to level up solo and it's infeasible to always be grouped.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I never minded the supporter/leader role, but I always found the Bard a little to mechanically weak even in that area in 3E, and I really never grew to like the Cleric.

I thought it was the mechanics, but I didn't enjoy the 4E (Core) Cleric much, either. But it's not the religion angle alone, because I like Avenger and Cleric.

It's also not the healing, because my Dragonborn Warlord seriously rocks. Clerics might be even better at healing, but Inspiring Warlords are seriously great, too.

Maybe I should try the Pacifist Cleric variant sometime... But I'd probably rather play a Bard or even Warlord again...

 

[Gog]

On of my favorite PC's in 3.x was a cleric. I don't do "battle" cleric well. I enjoyed playing the buffing, healing, keep everybody alive, guy. He was a martial cleric but that was just back up because sometime there is no need to heal/buff RIGHT now or the main fighter type is busy etc.

I do not like playing a cleric/priest type in EQ/WOW etc.

 

[Abraxas]

I know that clerics in 3e were very powerful but what I was trying to get at is that they weren't really the 'healer'. If anything they just boosted themselves and made themselves even more powerful. Concentrating on nothing but healing wasn't really an option.

Your experience does not mirror mine in any way. I wonder if its a regional thing. In the games I have been involved with, the cleric focuses on 2 things - buffing everyone and healing everyone - and in my current game healing everyone is top of the list for our cleric. I have yet to play with someone who plays a cleric to out fight the fighter.

I have liked playing the cleric in all previous editions - but have no interest in playing one in 4E - in fact, unless someone else says they want to play the cleric I will.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

I like how 4E made the Cleric so he could heal the party and still do other things. I'm playing a Warlord (our party's only "dedicated" healer), and you almost feel like a puppet-master guiding the party around the place.

In 3E, the Cleric was very much heal OR self-buffing. It was always tricky combining the two. Making certain healing spells swift actions would help but then this would most probably make the Cleric more Uber than he already is.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Leatherhead]

For a moment I thought this was about heal-bots, or characters who do nothing but heal.

 

[Rechan]

I am fairly eager to play a cleric, myself. Before, with earlier editions, I foudn them lacking. Now, I'm eager to play a Wisdom focused cleric. Even the pacifist healer/Healer's Mercy powers are intriguing (although giving up nuking undead? I'm not sure).

I even have a really fun concept for a cleric I want to give a spin, the next opportunity I get.

 

[Turtlejay]

Finding a healer is a massive problem in WoW for group PvE. Videogames should try to be more 4e-y.

I loled. Very nice.

I actually really liked my healing focused Cleric in 3.5 Eberron. When 4e came out there was a lot of stuff said about how it was no fun to spend all your actions healing in 3.5, so new clerics could heal *and* do other things. . .and I don't agree. I had no problem healing, I liked rushing around in battle to cast touch healing spells (something I miss), and If everyone was feeling good, I would cast some preventative healing in the form of buffs. I liked that role.

I did not even consider playing a 4e cleric (well, seriously consider anyways) until I started hearing about this new cleric build in 4e. I like the return of a pacifist cleric, someone focused on the party, and I just might roll one up one day to give it a whirl.

Jay