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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 2950003" data-attributes="member: 35788">Is this a type-o or am I misreading it?  Because at best the hill giant can do 26 points per attack (non-crit assumed I realize).  So even if they hit with both attacks and roll brilliantly on their damage roll 71-56 is still not dead in a round.  Again, I realize that this assumes no crits.Yet, a buffed cleric at level 7 who is rock solid for fighting could easily spend a round healing the guy and that is viable and I wound never criticize a cleric for doing that.  But there are other options.  The cleric could flank the hill giant  addin +2 to the attack roles of the fighter and cleric.  That means that the fighter's itteratives (assuming +7/+2) just became a +9/+4.  [Not counting STR and magic weapon, of course]  That's not too shabby.  Now they've got 3 attacks against the hill giant (2 from the fighter and one from the cleric) and if the cleric is buffed and built for fighting (decent STR) they may well have as good or better chance of hitting that hill giant.  Sure, they might not be able to make the hill giant's +16/+11 melee (although it's certainly possible) But I bet their AC is better than 20!  Furthermore, since we are talking about an encounter that is appropriate for the CR of the players, there likely isn't another enemy and there are still two other players who have yet to even be considered.  Given a hill giant's saves, I'd bet the party arcanist (assuming there is one) can do anything they want to the giant so that's a likely successful round for the arcanist.  And if the other player is a spellcaster that's a likely success ... if it is an archer as long as they have Precise shot it's a likely success against an AC 20 (although not as likely as the arcanist) ... and if it another melee expert that's another one to add to the party against the giant.  Additionally, there is no guaranteeing that the giant will even strike at the fighter next round, he might swing at the cleric.  And if the cleric takes the blow for the fighter, that's even better than a cure spell!I'm not asserting one better than another.  There is nothing wrong with healing.  I am saying that there are many ways to play the game.  I love D&D because while I have my ideas that I think work best - other people see solutions differently.  SOmetimes I am right, often other people's ideas work as well or better than my own.  A cleric can be very useful as another combatant (especially a high AC melee monkey!) and in many cases take and avoid blows in a round whose results are actually better than healing the fighter.</blockquote>

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