D&D 5E How Would You Build a Life Cleric

[Tony Vargas]

By most optimised I mean a specific build.
I'm also thinking heavy armor is a trap.

Sounds like it's all 'bout the optimization, then, which is fine.

The Life Cleric strikes me as a clear call-back to the classic Cleric of the TSR era and the fad years. Of course it'll be sub-optimal, and likely boring. But it'll feel like an authentic Cleric you might've been forced to play when you were the last one to roll up a character, c1983.

 

[GlassJaw]

Wearing heavy armor as a Life cleric isn't for the ability to fight in melee, it's the ability to survive/tank in melee while healing and buffing your allies.

That you can swing your weapon contribute some damage once in a while is just icing on the cake (and gets better with Divine Strike).

 

[Warpiglet]

Sounds like it's all 'bout the optimization, then, which is fine.

The Life Cleric strikes me as a clear call-back to the classic Cleric of the TSR era and the fad years. Of course it'll be sub-optimal, and likely boring. But it'll feel like an authentic Cleric you might've been forced to play when you were the last one to roll up a character, c1983.

Wow. Cleric good or evil was always my top choice. I got into combat (how can you not? We rarely could contol all choke points).

The bigger issue was the character itself. In AD&D 1e there just weren't that many mechanical knobs to pull for anyone. I found and find crusading clergy to be fun to roleplay generally and from the relative front.

Boldly turning undead, healing in combat flamestriking, blade barrier-ing: good stuff. But moving Story and motivating the party was always good.

I always wore plate then and certainly would now. But not to be a mere heal bot. Not even if I play a life domain cleric!

 

[cbwjm]

Playing through Baldur's Gate 1&2 and I'm remembering just how powerful a cleric could be back then. They had a lot of combat buffs for themselves as well as others and, so long as you were all of good alignment, they have holy smite which decimates hordes of evil creatures while leaving your party unscathed. Multiple holy smites saved me from a horde of vampires and mummies.

Edit: I just thought i'd look up the holy smite spell in 2e and I can't find it. I'm wondering if they brought it in from 3e. I'm assuming it was in the game originally and isn't just an enhanced edition addition.