Have You Played Clerics?
- Thread starter Merlion
- Start date
evildm
Explorer
They're my favorite class! Being that I DM mostly, I haven't played a ton of them, but I've played a bunch. Including a memorable (if a bit crazy) fanatical crusader in a pre-cataclysm Dragonlance game once.
In 3e I love them even more, I find that they're so much more versatile and useful than they used to be in previous editions. I think the reason people don't see them as being an attractive class is that by being a support character you end up playing second fiddle to more prominent characters, which isn't really the case anymore. I could be wrong, but that's my experience anyway. Could also be that the idea that first springs to mind when people mention clerics are the do-gooder holier-than-thou stereotypes, which obviously would turn many away from wanting to play a cleric.
Personally, I think they're as varied as the player's imagination can warrant, much like any other class.
Just my two cents.
In 3e I love them even more, I find that they're so much more versatile and useful than they used to be in previous editions. I think the reason people don't see them as being an attractive class is that by being a support character you end up playing second fiddle to more prominent characters, which isn't really the case anymore. I could be wrong, but that's my experience anyway. Could also be that the idea that first springs to mind when people mention clerics are the do-gooder holier-than-thou stereotypes, which obviously would turn many away from wanting to play a cleric.
Personally, I think they're as varied as the player's imagination can warrant, much like any other class.
Just my two cents.
Dr. Strangemonkey
First Post
I have to say that I prefer Druids, that may surprise you Merlion, but I do love to play clerics.
I think clerics have a much more flexible spell list than anyone else, odd as that may sound, I'm just really greedy for skill points.
Used to play rogues and bards a lot for precisely that reason. But once I got my first tasts of the possibilities of divine magic I decided never to be without it.
Druid is a nice compromise. Plus I love the potential Druid's have for information gathering.
I think clerics have a much more flexible spell list than anyone else, odd as that may sound, I'm just really greedy for skill points.
Used to play rogues and bards a lot for precisely that reason. But once I got my first tasts of the possibilities of divine magic I decided never to be without it.
Druid is a nice compromise. Plus I love the potential Druid's have for information gathering.
WayneLigon
Adventurer
I play 'em, and love it. I liked them before, but I really like them now in 3E.
megamania
Hero
I have played several clerics in 3e. I liked 'em all.
Kari Morningdew 1/2 elf ranger/cleric of Travel 1/6 lost in the planes
Jostan human cleric of Lathander 2 lv slaughtered by priests of Talona
Jargan Grimstone dwarf cleric of Pelor 9 levels and going. Been to hell (literally) and back.
Kay-la not sure if this should count- Drow cleric 2/ Sorc 6
She hid her cleric powewrs for personal reasons from rest of party for as long as possible. Chaotic Nuetral
Kari Morningdew 1/2 elf ranger/cleric of Travel 1/6 lost in the planes
Jostan human cleric of Lathander 2 lv slaughtered by priests of Talona
Jargan Grimstone dwarf cleric of Pelor 9 levels and going. Been to hell (literally) and back.
Kay-la not sure if this should count- Drow cleric 2/ Sorc 6
She hid her cleric powewrs for personal reasons from rest of party for as long as possible. Chaotic Nuetral
JoeGKushner
Adventurer
One of my earlier games was one in which I played a cleric of St. Cuthrbert, a holy warrior named Siege. Forgot most of his stuff but went through the Gates of the City thing from Dragon #100 and wound up with the Mace of St. Cuthrbert so he was a bad man!
Cloudgatherer
First Post
While I've been DM most of the time, perhaps one of my favorite clerics was a friendly NPC by the name of Milo. His PrC was Divine Agent (MotP), but he was curious and had a tendency to "borrow" items for examination (oddly, he'd put them back when he was done). One of my players still thinks he's the coolest character I've come up with....heh
So while I "played" Milo as an NPC, I've yet to play any clerics as a PC.
So while I "played" Milo as an NPC, I've yet to play any clerics as a PC.
Chacal
First Post
I play a Cleric in 3e, but I still miss the 2nd ed Priests (the balanced and underpowered ones, not the ones with a bonus class or SR).
I find the 3e incarnation of cleric too much oriented towards the warrior-priest archetype. You can still play a pacifist priest, but unless you change the class, you'll end in a strictly inferior cleric.
Chacal
I find the 3e incarnation of cleric too much oriented towards the warrior-priest archetype. You can still play a pacifist priest, but unless you change the class, you'll end in a strictly inferior cleric.
Chacal
Buttercup
Princess of Florin
I usually DM rather than play, but I have had the chance to play 2 clerics in 3e. One multiclassed with sorcerer, and the other one I'm playing right now in alsih2o's online game.
I'm really not sure why no one ever wants to play a cleric, because they kick major butt in 3e. They really benefit from one or two levels of another class thrown in, depending on your character concept, but they're also just fine as a straight class. Tough enough to mix it up in melee without dying, able to heal, and if you choose the right domains, able to cast some good offensive magics from early on.
Take my cleric of the sun god, with the domains of Sun & Fire. At first level she was able to incinerate a trapdoor spider, bull rush an enemy and knock him back far enough to keep him from killing the mage, and use a sling well enough to knock an enemy unconcious. She has yet to take enough damage to be in serious danger. And she's a pyromaniac, which is always good.
I'm quite happy with her.
Clerics rock!
I'm really not sure why no one ever wants to play a cleric, because they kick major butt in 3e. They really benefit from one or two levels of another class thrown in, depending on your character concept, but they're also just fine as a straight class. Tough enough to mix it up in melee without dying, able to heal, and if you choose the right domains, able to cast some good offensive magics from early on.
Take my cleric of the sun god, with the domains of Sun & Fire. At first level she was able to incinerate a trapdoor spider, bull rush an enemy and knock him back far enough to keep him from killing the mage, and use a sling well enough to knock an enemy unconcious. She has yet to take enough damage to be in serious danger. And she's a pyromaniac, which is always good.
I'm quite happy with her.Clerics rock!
Similar Threads
