D&D 5E Starter Set Cleric Sheet

[UngeheuerLich]

I really like how the pregen characters don´t have the obvious backgrounds for their respective classes.

The cleric was a soldier
the fighter was a noble
and they mentioned in the video, that the wizard was an acolyte...

fighting against stereotypes.

 

[Kobold Stew]

The number bonuses players get from their abilities are small enough already, especially considering that ability rolls are the primary mechanic in the game. You only get up to a +5 bonus from your ability score (at least without magic items). That's a pretty small number compared to the impact of the d20. Even with a +5, things feel very "swingy", and failure is still extremely likely, even for easy tasks.

This is true, but is countered in play -- the DM shouldn't call for a roll every time, and can discriminate, asking for rolls from some but not from all.

I really like how the pregen characters don´t have the obvious backgrounds for their respective classes.

The cleric was a soldier
the fighter was a noble
and they mentioned in the video, that the wizard was an acolyte...

fighting against stereotypes.

Yes! And this is really the strength of the backgrounds. I'm so pleased to see them implemented in the pre-gens, finally.

 

[DDNFan]

It also includes 4e's Immediate and Opportunity actions.

So the class can do its job.

Cutesy reply, but misses the point.

The class could do its job even better if it didn't require a bonus action either, which is usually used for offense. At that point it becomes what matters most to your character, and whether you have another use for your reaction every round, like Protector style. We'll just have to see what the typical single classed fighter uses his bonus action for on most rounds.

Getting an automatic self heal when you take damage (as a reaction, if you want to), can mean using it after the first, second attack that lands, maybe a crit. It could save you before your next turn comes around, if enemies pile on, which as a fighter is not a rare occurrence.

 

[DDNFan]

I really like how the pregen characters don´t have the obvious backgrounds for their respective classes.

The cleric was a soldier
the fighter was a noble
and they mentioned in the video, that the wizard was an acolyte...

fighting against stereotypes.

It's very cool, but it doesn't make any sense that the character's bond to his family heirloom weapon isn't matched with specific training in how to use that weapon most effectively, by selecting the great weapon fighting style. Sure Defensive is simple, but a static bonus to AC is much less fun than damage rerolls and the wording on the sheet could be a little confusing to players if they upgrade their armor. It says this bonus is already included. I've seen many noobs over the years forget a +1 here and there, which was kind of the point of advantage disadvantage system and the way Bless spells work, which is awesome.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

It's very cool, but it doesn't make any sense that the character's bond to his family heirloom weapon isn't matched with specific training in how to use that weapon most effectively, by selecting the great weapon fighting style. Sure Defensive is simple, but a static bonus to AC is much less fun than damage rerolls and the wording on the sheet could be a little confusing to players if they upgrade their armor. It says this bonus is already included. I've seen many noobs over the years forget a +1 here and there, which was kind of the point of advantage disadvantage system and the way Bless spells work, which is awesome.

And I don´t know what that has to do with the thing I posted...

I don´t care which fighting style someone takes. I like those characters for non stereotypic story resons.

Soldier cleric and noble fighter instead of soldier fighter. Etc.

Did I say, I really don´t care what fighting style is chosen?

p.s.: I think defensive style is a valid choice. +1 AC is half a shield. Makes you consistently better at defending, potentially standing longer in the fight and allows you to be a bit more offensive vs weak enemies.

 

[thalmin]

I don't think the pregens in a beginner's set should be fully optimized. Think how much more gratifying it will be to the new player when they figure out how to create a character that is even better than the ones in the set.

 

[Mistwell]

It's very cool, but it doesn't make any sense that the character's bond to his family heirloom weapon isn't matched with specific training in how to use that weapon most effectively, by selecting the great weapon fighting style. Sure Defensive is simple, but a static bonus to AC is much less fun than damage rerolls and the wording on the sheet could be a little confusing to players if they upgrade their armor. It says this bonus is already included. I've seen many noobs over the years forget a +1 here and there, which was kind of the point of advantage disadvantage system and the way Bless spells work, which is awesome.

He says, "I really like this role playing fluff!"

And you respond with, "I don't understand why they made these crunch choices!"

Your comment has no relationship to his, so why did you quote him? Can you imagine the reverse, where you made a comment about crunch, and someone replied, "But you see the fluff the fluff!"

 

[DDNFan]

He says, "I really like this role playing fluff!"

And you respond with, "I don't understand why they made these crunch choices!"

Your comment has no relationship to his, so why did you quote him? Can you imagine the reverse, where you made a comment about crunch, and someone replied, "But you see the fluff the fluff!"

I don't believe that fluff is separate from crunch, sorry.

Roleplaying is crunchy to me. If I play a barbarian who loves his grandma's axe SO much, I think it's just common sense to learn how to use it the best I can. That, I consider good roleplaying. Am I allowed to have an opinion here or will I get attacked for it. My playstyle is no less valid than yours. The distinction of fluff and crunch, to my mind, is anti-roleplaying. It's anti-immersion. I don't buy it.

 

[the Jester]

It's very cool, but it doesn't make any sense that the character's bond to his family heirloom weapon isn't matched with specific training in how to use that weapon most effectively, by selecting the great weapon fighting style.

Sure it is. You keep saying this, but you're conflating a roleplaying choice with a mechanical choice. You could have a pc whose bond was with his family heirloom weapon that he isn't even proficient in. And it would make perfect sense. Maybe my dwarven wizard's bond is his family's ancestral halberd, and he loves that thing but it wouldn't even occur to him to use it in combat.

Your bond is not "this is how I work in combat", it's "this is part of what makes me tick".

A fighter might have his ancestral dagger as a bond. Or a book, even if he's illiterate. Your flaw, bond and ideal are about playing a character, not about tweaking the numbers on your character sheet. The two are related, but distinct.

 

[DDNFan]

And I don´t know what that has to do with the thing I posted...

I don´t care which fighting style someone takes. I like those characters for non stereotypic story resons.

Soldier cleric and noble fighter instead of soldier fighter. Etc.

Did I say, I really don´t care what fighting style is chosen?

p.s.: I think defensive style is a valid choice. +1 AC is half a shield. Makes you consistently better at defending, potentially standing longer in the fight and allows you to be a bit more offensive vs weak enemies.

All I'm saying is, if my character's bond is with a family heirloom weapon specifically, I would personally pick a fighting style that maxes out the use of that weapon, not my overall fighting prowess.

Picking the AC choice is actually the powergamer move, since whatever extra damage you deal with the final great weapon fighting style is probably inferior to a +1 bonus to AC. And for Protector, our fighter benefits less and less from it (although it's terrific fun), as we fight multi-attacking enemies in larger groups. A +1 bonus to AC is the powergamer move here, and I agree they probably chose it for expediency and simplicity in the basic pregen, but it's certainly not a fun option. +1 bonus is the most boring thing one can think of, and that's coming from a powergamer. Min-maxing my overall character I would definitely pick either Defensive or Protector, they seem to be the strongest mechanically speaking. What I'm actually advocating here is not the overall min-maxing choice, but a crunch choice that more closely matches the bond as stated on the sheet.