Please rate Divine Resistance

[Archer]

I didn't realize there was some other kind of cleric besides combat focused or magic focused. I object to item creation as a feat and skill focus feats (of which there are about 300) are weak. Every other feat is a combat or magic feat one way or another except for the odd social feats they came up with, that modify a character's reputation points.

 

[Li Shenron]

I didn't realize there was some other kind of cleric besides combat focused or magic focused.

Before playing D&D I basically would have thought of "Clerics" like Christian/Islamic/Hebrew/etc. priests, who are focused on knowledge, teaching, caring for the poors...

Of course D&D Clerics are combat effective, and they cast spells. But I just didn't like very much that they could only be that. I mean, it's fine to have a warpriest, or a cleric who studies magic (MetaM. and Item creation), but I felt that both cases are quite straying away from being a typical religion member - which an adventuring Cleric is probably not, anyway - and I wished to have Feats other than the ones improving combat or metamagicking spells (a practice I find appropriate more for arcane spellcasters than divine).

You have some chances with PHB feats: Leadership, Skill Focus (Religion, Diplomacy) to make a proselitizer, for example.

At least, DotF Divine feats gave us chances to concentrate a Cleric's talent on channeling positive/negative energy, which makes him more unique, although the practical effect of those feat are not necessarily something very unique .

I wished there were feats to furthermore improve a Cleric's healing abilities also, beyond just metamagicking healing spells (which by the way is a very ineffective tactic ), or a non-good Cleric use of curses, or to get use of religious ceremonies and rituals, or to pursue a redeemer-converter's career.

Of course, there are ways other than feats: there are Prestige Classes! But I'd also like my Cleric to have something more attractive to choose as his next feat other than a useful but anonymous Great Fortitude, or useful but possibly out-of-character Empower Spell or Power Attack.

I think the WotC 5 classbooks have sensibly improved feat selections for other classes as well.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I want to vote 0

If this feat had no prerequisites, I could conceivably give it a 2 or 3. It could be of value to a low level cleric in a peculiar mass combat scenario.

As it stands this is a laughably stupid feat. A level 6+ cleric has better things to do with his time during a brawl.

5 points of elemental resistance is not very difficult to acquire. You could always acquire a Wands of Endure Elements and do a better job of warding your army (once you get higher in level).

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I think feats are done. All the possible ideas have been played out. New feats will either have to be overpowered or underpowered to cover new ground. Old underpowered feats can be tweaked to be more powerful but the underlying concept is the same. Any feat rated lower than a 5 is realistically never going to see use.

Nah.

There is a lot of room for developing interesting, themed feat chains. Done well, they would make most PrCs obselete.

The Divine feats, alas, will go down in history as a perfect example how not to build a feat-chain -- mothers will scare naughty young game designers with stories of Divine Resistance for generations to come.