Help me convince my players that the Cleric is cool

[Trainz]

Actually, I think that would work very well in Trainz's campaign.

<looks over at Trainz ... who is snoozing>

Trainz?

<tries to wake Trainz up, and then thinks better of it>

Yes, I'm here.

My 'net has been down all day long.

I want one of my players to play a female cleric of Ehlonna. You've seen my campaign notes, so you understand why.

If they don't specifically go along with this, then I will change my plans and adjust the campaign.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Complicit as Usual

I want one of my players to play a female cleric of Ehlonna. You've seen my campaign notes, so you understand why.

I do understand. However, a female favored soul of Ehlonna could fill the role as well, and provide more options for your PCs.

 

[Trainz]

I do understand. However, a female favored soul of Ehlonna could fill the role as well, and provide more options for your PCs.

Yes, but that's not the issue. They're afraid to be "stuck" being the party medic. Favored Soul or Cleric doesn't change that.

Plus in the campaign I'm designing, turning undead is very useful for:

A- Turning undead. Pick the Quicken Turning feat from Complete Divine, plus I use the alternate turning rules in the same book. Very cool, and you can still do something else with your round. Or turn TWICE.

B- Divine feats powered by turning attempts. There's at least 2 or 3 that are "must haves" in there. But then, a high charisma is also preferable in most cases.

So... yeah.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Jungian D&D Revisited

Yes, but that's not the issue. They're afraid to be "stuck" being the party medic. Favored Soul or Cleric doesn't change that.

I hear you.

By the way, did you check out my Jungian D&D suggestion?

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You could always portray Ehlonna as one of three pagan feminine archetypes.

Take, for example, this sample trinity (using canon Greyhawk deities):

Ehlonna could be the young woman, representing the power of primal sexuality and fertility. She is the promise of life.

Berei could be the mature woman, the maker of hearth and home. She is the patron of the family and the harvest.

Wee Jas could be the crone, representing the withering of age and the frightful aspects of widowhood. She is the harbinger of death.

Considering that you run a homebrew setting, you could easily expand upon their available domains.

Better yet, you could grant female clerics the option of worshipping the trinity as a whole and drawing their domain selection from all three goddesses.

 

[Trainz]

I hear you.

By the way, did you check out my Jungian D&D suggestion?

You are giving out a bit too much in this thread. As I said, I'm being careful not to spoil it.

I like your suggestions. I won't go along with them, although you have been inspiring me to do something else IMC. Obviously, with the premise you know, Elhonna has another portfolio that isn't described in the core books. Thus, I might allow clerics of Elhonna to pick any two domains they want, given the premise.

Waddya think ?

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Very well.

 

[Trainz]

Well, it's a go: tomorrow evening, my 3 players come to roll-up their characters. One of them gleefully agreed to play the female cleric of Ehlonna.

There's a fourth on coming straight from these boards (he answered my post in the "Seeking Players" forum), which I will probably meet tuesday afternoon. We'll chat, and decide if he wants to join.

So... yeah. Thanks everyone for participating in this thread (special thanks go to the Thayan Menace), everything is proceeding as I have forseen...

 

[BSF]

You could always portray Ehlonna as one of three pagan feminine archetypes.

Take, for example, this sample trinity (using canon Greyhawk deities):

Ehlonna could be the young woman, representing the power of primal sexuality and fertility. She is the promise of life.

Berei could be the mature woman, the maker of hearth and home. She is the patron of the family and the harvest.

Wee Jas could be the crone, representing the withering of age and the frightful aspects of widowhood. She is the harbinger of death.

Considering that you run a homebrew setting, you could easily expand upon their available domains.

Better yet, you could grant female clerics the option of worshipping the trinity as a whole and drawing their domain selection from all three goddesses.

Ooh! That is one approach I hadn't thought of before. I wonder if I can work something like that into my homebrew.

Thanks!

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Well, it's a go: tomorrow evening, my 3 players come to roll-up their characters. One of them gleefully agreed to play the female cleric of Ehlonna.

Then everything worked out for the best in the end. Your players are willingly going along with the premise, and you have your female cleric of Ehlonna.

Oddly enough, as a player I would have had a far bigger problem with the "female" than the "cleric of Ehlonna." Though that was never your group's issue to begin with.

 

[Cithindril]

I seem to have come into this thread a bit late but it struck a chord. My players never decide to play a cleric and it always requires a bunch of DM gymnastics to make it work. In our present campaign I've finally resorted to developing an NPC cleric to join the party and fulfill the role. Not the ideal option but I wanted to use undead at some point and the CLW potions overflowing out of their packs was beginning to get ridiculous. Hopefully it will work out well with the tag-along.