Help me convince my players that the Cleric is cool

[Lord Pendragon]

No, they didn't. The thing is, he didn't keep any of the money for himself. He didn't benefit personally from it, and he would pitch in his own money to help cover things if the fees started to pile up. He also didn't charge for any other spells than healing spells. The whole sacrifice money to the goddess of commerce in exchange for her favor was just part of his religeon as he played it.

Okay, I could accept that. With a good DM adding a bit of treasure to offset the party's healing money-sink, I can see it being a fun RP tool.

I retract my comments in regards to your example, good sir, though my general irritation with the idea remains.

 

[LeapingShark]

Sounds like the players aren't thrilled with playing a cleric. So instead of hyping up the cleric, I would let them play without one. As a DM, I then go back to the drawing board and work with it. Just like the players are challenged by the DM's choice of encounters and plots, it's the DM's challenge to work her plots and plans around the players choice of characters and actions.

 

[Desdichado]

I absolutely want one of them to roll a 1st level Cleric in my next campaign.

-"But I don't want to be stuck curing the others all the time"

...

What argument would you use ?

I know that if *I* was playing, I wouldn't hesitate one second to play one (especially with the complete divine out), but alas I'm DMing.

Please ?

Why can't we help your players convince you that in fact clerics are not cool?

Honestly, my expectation as a player is that I'll be able to play what I want and the DM will make sure the campaign takes into account the characters that he does have, not force us into niches for which we have no taste.

 

[LazerPointer]

One way to add one more carrot would be to let them know you'd work with them to design their own god so that they could choose any two domains. If they still don't wanna play one, they'll just be easier to kill. Eventually someone will roll up a Cleric.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

The Perils of D&D Anticlericalism: NEVER Leave Town Without a Priest

Although I suppose one might be able to pull it off, playing D&D without a cleric is tantamount to campaign suicide. Even if the PCs pay for clerical services elsewhere, the higher level costs (esp. for those pesky resurrection spells) will be quite prohibitive.

Still, I empathize with PC clerics that feel disempowered at low levels because they are busy dumping their battle spells for healing magic.

So far, the suggestions already presented for picking appropriate martial domains are excellent countermeasures to avoid this brand of clerical disenfranchisement.

Still, I would like to propose another option that many of you probably use already.

Here it is:

Encourage your players to purchase low-end curative wands (such as the cost-effective cure light wounds "downtime" stick) with party funds.

Then, the party cleric can devote more of their spell selection to bring divine wrath against your enemies instead of curing everyone's minor ailments.

Let's face it. In a world that is crawling with extraplanar evil and undead minions, leaving town without a cleric will probably get someone killed.

Besides, some campaigns actually use the Diplomacy skill (and many priests are quite handy with it).

Agreeing to bolster your cleric's healing magic with charged items is a compromise that your party can live with (literally).

 

[Saeviomagy]

Out of curiosity, did the rogue charge for disarming traps? Did the fighter charge standard bodyguard rates whenever he stepped in front of another party member to take the hits? Did the wizard charge per Magic Missile?

[/hijack]

Sorry. I just get annoyed every time I hear a story about clerics getting away with charging party members for healing.

Hmm, how about this.

When the fighter stands between the party and the monster, he's being proactive. He DOES something. He makes a difference.

When the rogue disarms a trap, he's just saved someone from a potential icky end. He's been proactive.

When the wizard blasts something, or uses a spell or whatnot, he DOES something.

Most of the time, when the cleric heals someone, he sacrifices his ability to do stuff in order to make downtime (which, in itself, is basically unlimited and has no effect on the game whatsoever) shorter. He sacrifices SOMETHING for NOTHING. He's not being proactive. People don't thank him for healing him - they complain if he doesn't. I mean sure - mid-combat healing is a big thing, and chances are the cleric will get thanked, and will feel he's contributed. But MOST of the healing the cleric will do is between battles, and has the sum effect of meaning that the party don't need to say "we rest".

To that end Trainz, I suggest:

Allow the party to obtain wands of lesser vigor, a complete divine spell which basically heals 11 hitpoints a shot, but only works between combats. Voila - wands get used for healing, cleric gets to make a difference.

Point out to them that they're spending a mere 1 gold per hitpoint healed. Point out to them that the first-level cleric's potential 9 hitpoints in a single shot is far more valuable to have mid-combat than between combat, meaning that using the wand for between-combat healing is a really good idea.

And finally - if you've got ONE person with divine vigour/cure light wounds on their list, then a cleric is not necessary.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

You Need the Priest

While the vigor wand is good idea, you will always need a cleric to turn undead and provide higher level restorative magics at a reasonable cost.

 

[Henry]

It's okay, really. Ninjas are supposedly cool, but some people just don't like ninjas.

Cowboys are cool, but some people just don't like cowboys.

Clerics are so loaded with reasons for playing one (even in 1st edition, IMO) that a person would have to be willfully blind not to see it. If someone doesn't want to play, no problem, but good GOD it's not for lack of cool abilities or an important role.

As for the cleric charging for healing, I've never seen it as a problem - but then, as a cleric I wouldn't let another person try to treat me as a dormat by suggesting I was "wasting" healing. In character, I would say, "you dare accuse ME of wasting my god's favor? I suppose having his blessings upon you while you fought was wasteful, or the reason his curse was placed upon our enemies was lost on you! I follow the god's will, not the mandate of mortals who are not as wise as He (or She)."

Fact is, due to spontaneous casting, a cleric can load up on a HOST of powerful magics, wear strong armor, and wield some pretty versatile and nasty weapons. One of my favorite classes is and has always been clerics.

To put it simply, as a cleric I can walk home out of the dungeon, and thanks to powers of healing, food and water prep, and shelter, stand a chance of getting there in one piece by myself.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Clerical Might

Agreed; I've always dug 3E priests.

 

[Nightfall]

Don't suppose you'd be interested in changing settings? I mean Scarred Lands Clerics are VERY cool.