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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ECMO3" data-source="post: 8910983" data-attributes="member: 7030563">Because I am building and playing my character.  This is player agency.It is not up to the party what I play or how I play (with the exception of session 0 exclusions and such).Why play a combat cleric instead of a Paladin?  Becuase I don't want to fight by attacking with weapons.  I want to use control spells and cantrips for that, or maybe I don't want to use weapons at all.  I played a Dwarf Order Cleric with a 2-level Wizard dip and an 8 strength and 8 dex in plate.  She was a tankish control caster, completed all of Call of Netherdeep without using a weapon a single time.  Another cleric I played was a V Human tempest cleric who picked up booming blade, shocking grasp and Hex from Magic initiate.   I wanted to be doing the holy warrior thing with thunder and lightning, not by banging with a sword.I am playing a Paladin right now, but that character is more of a controler than a martial.  She maxed Charisma at 8th level and almost never uses divine smite.  She throws around frightened a lot either through cause fear (from Shadow Touched), Wrathful Smite or the Fear spell (from Conquest Paladin).  She also uses command and hold person a lot.  She does attack (usually from 10 feet away with a lance or whip), but that is not her main thing, her main thing is control.  Both of the Clerics above were more front-line type tanky characters than she is, and to be honest with Lay on Hands she is more of a healer than they were.There is nothing wrong with that.Because it is ME playing that and that is how I want to play that character.To be honest when I want to play a character who is going to melee tank every single fight, I will usually play a Wizard.  Bladesinger subclass, Blade cantrips, Protection from Evil and Good, Haste, Blur and use my high level slots for contingency and upcast false life.  I will use very few offensive spells, when I do that.  If you think we need a Wizard to throw around control spells or fireballs then you can play one.That is how I like to melee, why should I be foreced into a Fighter, Barbarian or Paladin box to play a melee tank who wades into the thick of melee when the Wizard mechanics are more fun to me when playing that type of character?Player agency, that is why.I should be allowed to play a character like I want to play a character and I should not be forced into a role because of my class.  My character should not have a specific job just because of what is written on the top of my character sheet.I also disagree with the idea that every class is everything.  It is very hard to make a good melee sorcerer (I know I have tried to figure out how to do it and I can't) and it is also hard to make an effective dex-based Barbarian or a Barbarian that casts spells (even if you get them through race and feats, it is difficult to be effective using them).</blockquote>

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