Which is why modern systems, with their built in ability to gain extra features, should keep class based features to a minimum, this allows the player to define the specific features via those mechanics.
JesterOC
Should Clerics Have Heavy Armor Proficiency? (any edition)
- Thread starter roguerouge
- Start date
Which is why modern systems, with their built in ability to gain extra features, should keep class based features to a minimum, this allows the player to define the specific features via those mechanics.
JesterOC
ExploderWizard
Hero
Heh, true enough which is why including all editions in such a poll is problematic. The value of class features slide downward if they can be purchased. Even with such options there is the issue of exchange rates. The feat was the "dollar" of the 3E economy. In 4E the power occupies that slot and the feat has become pocket change.
Theo R Cwithin
I cast "Baconstorm!"
Yes and no. To me there's no archetypal cleric, so the class's armor proficiency depends on the cleric and his relationship to the god he serves.
frankthedm
First Post
Poll options are lacking since each editions clerics varied greatly in power.
Bingo.
Even though I've enjoyed playing heavily armored clerics in every edition, I always felt that the class didn't really reflect what it purports to.
I voted "No, that's why we have Paladins" but that's not entirely accurate, either. To me, it was less about their defense and a bit more about their ability to land a blow.
The Paladin was inspired by the paladins of lore and legend- people personally chosen by a divine force to be warriors to take up arms in that force's name. As such, they should be fully armed and armored warriors with a hint of divine energy.
The heavily armored cleric, OTOH, was supposed to model the armed priests and monks of the knightly orders of the Crusades and other periods. However, those people were usually well-trained warriors first, who took Holy Orders before they entered the field. Their priestly training was, in most cases, rather...lax.
Not that there weren't true men of the cloth out there banging heads. They just generally weren't very good at it. And, but for a very few, they didn't have the heavy armor of the knights- most orders wouldn't permit such an expenditure of money- unless they got it through non-Church sources (it was theirs before they became priests, it was donated, it was captured, etc.).
IMHO, the clerical class should have had simple weapons, Medium armor at best, and a poor BAB, to use 3Ed terms, and modeling the medieval warrior priest would have remained the result of multiclassing Cleric and Fighters.
I voted "No, that's why we have Paladins" but that's not entirely accurate, either. To me, it was less about their defense and a bit more about their ability to land a blow.
The Paladin was inspired by the paladins of lore and legend- people personally chosen by a divine force to be warriors to take up arms in that force's name. As such, they should be fully armed and armored warriors with a hint of divine energy.
The heavily armored cleric, OTOH, was supposed to model the armed priests and monks of the knightly orders of the Crusades and other periods. However, those people were usually well-trained warriors first, who took Holy Orders before they entered the field. Their priestly training was, in most cases, rather...lax.
Not that there weren't true men of the cloth out there banging heads. They just generally weren't very good at it. And, but for a very few, they didn't have the heavy armor of the knights- most orders wouldn't permit such an expenditure of money- unless they got it through non-Church sources (it was theirs before they became priests, it was donated, it was captured, etc.).
IMHO, the clerical class should have had simple weapons, Medium armor at best, and a poor BAB, to use 3Ed terms, and modeling the medieval warrior priest would have remained the result of multiclassing Cleric and Fighters.
I'd rather cost, rather than class, determine what type of armour you wear. I don't care if you are a wizard, ranger or whatever. Sure it weakens the distinctions between roles, but it just bothers me that chainmail is considered to be less cumbersome than articulated plate in D&D. Plus, it gets in the way of multiclassing.
Oryan77
Adventurer
Clerics should just stay home and pray all day...they don't even need armor. If the rules would just stop giving them all of this cool stuff then maybe they'd stay at church more often. It's super annoying when my PCs need some healing and there aren't any clerics at the local church cause they're all off adventuring. 
Similar Threads
