PCs using their abilities - a favor to the party?

[Numion]

Absolutely. In fact I don't like hearing stuff like "you're a Rogue, you're supposed to be good at lockpicking". Everyone has the right to make a non-standard character, if you just say it at character creation time, that you are not a healing-heavy cleric, that's totally fine for me. The party will just plan tactics with that in mind.

Anyone can make a non-standard character, but it should be within certain limits. A character concept unsuitable for adventuring would usually be out. It's a mix of social convention between players and in-game reasoning. The players will have their characters accept you in the group even if your choice of character wasn't optimal (i.e. they could find a better NPC), but there are limits to even this. Who would go adventuring with a completely useless twit (Tolkiens works aside )?

But I thought that the OP was concerned by something different... a player pretending to devoid some party members of his help because "they don't deserve it" or "they don't ask politely".

Yeah, I might've had some reading comprehension issues there

 

[Kahuna Burger]

But I thought that the OP was concerned by something different... a player pretending to devoid some party members of his help because "they don't deserve it" or "they don't ask politely".

That was my issue, (and thank you for addressing it) but I have come to accept that any question about clerics and whether they heal someone will touch a "healbot" nerve.

 

[prosfilaes]

Incidentally, I think a well-played non-cleric who dislikes the party cleric and/or his religion should try to refuse healing.

Why? If I get caught in a drive-by, and a cleric of Olidammara walks up and starts healing people, I'm not going to refuse healing. We can discuss theology later, when I'm not bleeding all over the pavement.

If I were a D&D character, the dangers might be less immediate, but D&D characters are in much more constant danger. If a character dislikes a cleric or his religion enough to refuse healing, perhaps he should find another group to travel with. He certainly will have problems otherwise; if the character has no healing, he will be spending a lot of money on healing potions or wands, and a lot of gold that he helped earn will be going to the cleric that he so dislikes and doesn't help him.

 

[Eric Tolle]

Unfortunately, the Cleric's (for all their potential power) gut function is to enable other party members to do what they are designed to do.

Extremely necessary and useful...but it really is the only class that requires a player to put other player's fun ahead of theirs (aside from maybe the bard).

Maybe I'm just too old school, but I just find it really bizarre that people regard helping other players out as "not fun".

I blame White Wolf, frankly.

 

[Numion]

Maybe I'm just too old school, but I just find it really bizarre that people regard helping other players out as "not fun".

I blame White Wolf, frankly.

In 1E (before WW) we had to always force one unlucky player to play the healer. I think he was always the same player I wonder he even kept coming to the gaming nights, because he didn't seem to enjoy it.

 

[Phlebas]

I still think a lot of this is all down to a question of degree - like most 'roleplaying versus gaming' issues.

My take on this is that there's a huge difference between threatening to withdraw healing to make a point, and actually refusing to heal when required. Most PC clerics i've come across know this unwritten rule.

If i play a cleric who refuses to heal someone who needs it, or demands cash up front, the party will most likely kick me out - if the DM doesnt let them its a false situation.

If i play a cleric who will request party members to attend Maidensday Services to give thanks for the healing they've received, then thats up to the party to decide if its worth the trouble. most would probably cope with 2 hours of sermon to keep the healer happy. If the party ridicule the cleric for his beliefs then they shouldn't be suprised if the cleric dissapears and a new character joins up instead.

If i play a cleric who demands that party members say please before healing, or thank you afterwards, then thats a quirk that no-one should get upset about (they have a choice and politeness costs nothing)

I don't see why healing should be singled out either - i think its just more common/obvious with clerics trying IC activities that aren't directly related to the success of the group.

 

[Elf Witch]

Maybe I'm just too old school, but I just find it really bizarre that people regard helping other players out as "not fun".

I blame White Wolf, frankly.

In my game the cleric is the party's frontline fighter so he tends to use his spells on buffing and offensive. After the combat if he has spells left he will use them to heal. He also carries a wand of healing which helps.

It is not that he does not want to help the party but in the middle of combat he can't take time out to heal. The party knows this and they do two things they all try and carry healing potions to take if they get too hurt in combat or the party bard stops singing and trying to trip people with his whip to use his healing wand.

I think the issue most people have when playing a cleric is that the party expects the cleric to do nothing but heal. Not to use their spells to make themselves better fighters or use them to help in battle but to just stand on the sidelines rushing in to heal when needed. Or worse they expected the cleric to get into melee but be able to disengage to heal them if they look like they might go down.

If all you want to do in combat is heal and being a support character is fun for you then playing like that can be fun I just don't think most people play DnD to stand around on the sidelines during combat.

I have not played a cleric in 3E but I have had similar issues when I choose to play an archer and had some other players upset that my fighter was not wearing heavy armor and not getting in the frontlines to soak damage.

You should be allowed to play your character concept without the reat of the players assuming that just because you are playing a certain class that you should play it the way they think it should be played.