Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
In a game, maybe. Why not?
D&D General I'm a Fighter, not a Lover: Why the 1e Fighter was so Awesome
- Thread starter Snarf Zagyg
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Zardnaar
Legend
They exist just like the rare cleric player.
It was hard to get people to play clerics pre 3.0. Espicially once specialty priests came into the game.
Baron Opal II
Legend
Yes it was. Which always surprised me a bit.
I never expected clerics to be a heal-bot, more of a defensive spellcaster. Where the wizard addressed situations with spells, the cleric repaired problems and allowed for foresight. Augury, remove curse, slow poison, create water, &c. I remember an increasing pressure for clerics to be just healers and ignore all the other utility the provided. Strange.
I never expected clerics to be a heal-bot, more of a defensive spellcaster. Where the wizard addressed situations with spells, the cleric repaired problems and allowed for foresight. Augury, remove curse, slow poison, create water, &c. I remember an increasing pressure for clerics to be just healers and ignore all the other utility the provided. Strange.
Sacrosanct
Legend
This is awkward. Raises hand....
(Well, technically Combat lifesaver (combat medic lite), but was a UH-60 crewchief on plenty of medivac missions with combat medics). There are plenty of people who want to do that job, because you're helping your friends and buddies, possibly saving their lives.
Re: clerics, I've heard how people don't want to play them, but I haven't seen it in play in 45 years myself. It's actually a really good class, mechanically.
Zardnaar
Legend
Clerics been a great class since 3E.
. Can be boring even if 5E. There's a handful of spells you tend to use over and over *healing word, spirit guardians/weapon.
Some players also demand healing combined with being reckless with their HP. Mate played a cleric in 3E and one player a Barbarian expected him to be a personal healing bot.
Even 5E clerics can be boring even if power level is great. Big difference between a well played one and an average one as well.
Sacrosanct
Legend
clerics were great in 1e. Especially with a decent wisdom and the bonus spell slots you got from that. And not just healbot. Spells like silence and hold person were very powerful spells in 1e.
Am I incorrect in reading that some folks mean players would refuse to play characters who risk themselves to save others?
In the real world, I’d call risking your life to save others heroism. Like the unofficial Coast Guard motto: “You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back.” And the ethos of firefighters and combat medics.
I thought simulating heroism and adventure were the point of D&D?
Anyhow, I’ve never seen a shortage of players wanting to play clerics.
In current recent campaigns, I saw:
- An engineer who played a cleric as a party supporter and coach. In the family with his kids playing D&D for the first time. Protective dad projected in game.
- An actual real-life surgeon playing a cleric. Art initiates life.
- A tax accountant playing a cleric. No clue why yet.
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James Gasik
We don't talk about Pun-Pun
I'm saying that putting yourself in extreme danger to save others without any protection is something people would maybe not be inclined to play in a fantasy game. Micah said he wanted touch only healing, I pointed out the problems that brings with it in D&D combat, he disagreed that it was needed, as real-life medics don't have these benefits.Am I incorrect in reading that some folks mean players would refuse to play characters who risk themselves to save others?
In the real world, I’d call risking your life to save others heroism. Like the unofficial Coast Guard motto: “You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back.” And the ethos of firefighters and combat medics.
I thought simulating heroism and adventure were the point of D&D?
Anyhow, I’ve never seen a shortage of players wanting to play clerics.
In current recent campaigns, I saw:
- An engineer who played a cleric as a party supporter and coach. In the family with his kids playing D&D for the first time. Protective dad projected in game.
- An actual real-life surgeon playing a cleric. Art initiates life.
- A tax accountant playing a cleric. No clue why yet.
Especially in 1e where having to touch a guy to heal him means your spell is very likely to be disrupted in addition to you becoming a primary target.
And there's not even a token version of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law in D&D land to prevent healers from being targeted!*
*To whatever degree these things protect real-life field medics, if at all.
Sacrosanct
Legend
No protection? They can wear the best armor in the game. I'd posit a single cleric wrecked havoc on PCs across the decades and countries---Lareth the Beautiful
He's responsible for at least 1 TPK in games that've I've run over the years. They are pretty good at being up front.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Or, just make on-the-fly in-combat healing not a thing; or something done only at very great risk to both the caster and the recipient. As in:
--- healing effects - spells, herbs, surge, etc. - take a full round to cast/apply/use (exception: potions, which work as normal)
--- any interruption or damage taken during this time causes whatever healing would have been received to become damage instead
--- if the healing is being done by someone not the recipient that damage is split evenly between recipient and healing source
That one change alone might serve to make 5e considerably more dangerous to the characters. Characters - and players - would have to be more cognizant that hit points are a finite resource in any one combat, and adjust accordingly. Healing then becomes something done between combats, and healing Clerics become free to do other things during combat.
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