Help me convince my players that the Cleric is cool

[Lord Pendragon]

Actually, you do not need them even then if you have a character with a clerical wand and a sufficient Use Magic Device skill.

Or a paladin with the same wand, or even scrolls.

 

[Umbra]

Depends on your campaign world of course but the cleric is a member of a large, often powerful organisation. If the party is just dungeon crawling, this is probably irrelevant. However, in less hack'n'slash games, having powerful contacts, having access to knowledge or even having commoners being very helpful to anyone in the church changes the usefulness of the cleric.

Can't get in to see Sir Claren? Your cleric speaks with the local 'bishop' and arranges a meeting.

 

[Saeviomagy]

A wand of restoration is extremely expensive, coming in at 26,000 gp, mainly because you're spending 5000 on the components for the spell.

Scrolls ARE a better choice, but you're looking at a DC 29 to decipher the scroll, then a DC 27 to use the thing. It's still really a case of "you're likely to be in trouble without a cleric".

As to heal checks... Eh. My point is, between your own saves, a healing check, other magic which eliminates disease, and other spells which eliminate ability damage, you're not likely to be too badly off.

Oh, and I say "only the cleric has restoration", because by the time the paladin gets it, it's past the scope of the average campaign.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Depends on your campaign world of course but the cleric is a member of a large, often powerful organisation. If the party is just dungeon crawling, this is probably irrelevant. However, in less hack'n'slash games, having powerful contacts, having access to knowledge or even having commoners being very helpful to anyone in the church changes the usefulness of the cleric.

This is an aspect almost entirely devorced from the class of a specific character. Rogues have a network of thieves, bards a network of performers, mages a guild and druids have circles. And all of them have the potential to be a high-ranking member of a church of something or other. That's entirely up to your DM.

It's also entirely possible to have your character declared a heretic and excommunicated.

You can't really bring it in as a pro or con of cleric ship because it's entirely in the realm of DM fiat.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Free Your Mind

Saeviomagy:

I wholeheartedly admit that clerics are one of my favorite classes, and I can easily champion their importance.

However, there are many options within D&D to run a campaign without them.

Yes, it is difficult, but you seem like a fairly intelligent bloke who could handle the challenge.

Come on, you can thwart any conspiracy if you put your mind to it.

 

[ForceUser]

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 ?

Let them play what they want. In my experience, after enough characters have died due to lack of healing, someone will make a cleric, no coercion necessary.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Oh, and I say "only the cleric has restoration", because by the time the paladin gets it, it's past the scope of the average campaign.

I was actually pointing out the viability of a paladin with a scroll or wand of Restoration, which allows a paladin to take advantage of his spell list in spite of the ridiculously late arrival of the actual spell.

 

[Darklone]

No players that want to play clerics usually means you have no powergamermunchkins or bad powergamermunchkins in your group. Both is nice, so why bother ?

Whether you need a cleric in your group or not is a question of your campaign and gamestyle. If the group does not want a cleric, why bother? Adjust a little bit.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Cries of Munchkinism = Roleplayer Self-Hatred

No players that want to play clerics usually means you have no powergamermunchkins or bad powergamermunchkins in your group. Both is nice, so why bother ?

The funny thing about jargon is that it can serve as a barrier to meaningful communication.

Take the gaming term munchkin for example.

In the eyes of a DM who functions on "storytelling" capacity, this term is specifically used to badmouth players that have the gall to challenge their undisputed mastery of the game.

I myself am a proud munchkin, drama queen, and rules lawyer.

So are you, my friend ... please do not project your insecurity onto others, or they will take your power away.

We accept you; do the right thing and accept us.

 

[Darklone]

Always and forever. Yet it has nothing to do with insecurity, I simply couldn't resist to bash the cleric class here