Who needs the cleric class?

[Starglim]

Interesting. It looks as if at least 8 people think the cleric is too strong, but don't do anything about it.

I don't know that it's too strong in an absolute sense, but I believe the cleric is too combative to represent any known religious order (and we've been dancing around the fact since at least AD&D 1e) and its advantages over the wizard cannot be justified. I doubt very much this will change in 4e.

 

[Sound of Azure]

In a basic game, I'm happy with the cleric as is. I games I run, I only allow the cleric as it stands as militant priests. Other priests must be Cloistered Clerics, other custom priest classes that I create, or one of the other Divine casters (Favoured Soul, Shugenja, etc).

It's kinda like 2nd Ed specialty priests all over again in my games. But less wonky.

 

[WhatGravitas]

My preference is for a non-combat cleric. If a players wishes to play a combat medic, he or she can take some levels in fighter.

Or make it a PrC, that slows it's spellcasting to 1/2 (i.e. a Cleric 10/"Warcleric" 10 would have 3/4 BAB, and 15 levels of spellcasting).

*goes-off-to-tweaking*

 

[MarkB]

My beef with the Cleric is not the class's relative strength, but the utterly boring class progression. At 1st level, you get spellcasting, Turn Undead, domains and positive/negative energy channeling, which is great, and then... that's it. Nothing but new spells and a standard BAB/save progression for the next 20 levels.

I'd like to see their class features shaken up a bit, maybe drop their base power level a bit through reduced spellcasting or hit die to compensate, and give them some form of class feature progression throughout their levels. Re-do Domain powers so that they build as Clerics increase in level. Maybe even remove some iconic Cleric spells (like Hallow, Atonement, perhaps even Raise Dead and Miracle) from the spell list and implement them as class features instead.

 

[wolfpunk]

Gotta agree with MarkB, which should give you an idea of how I feel about the sorcerer base class, which has even less features.

 

[Brennin Magalus]

Holy warrior... duh. That's the paladins role, the cleric should be a little bit more the pure spellcaster and preacher. Social/knowledge skills go.

I will second that.

 

[megamania]

In 2e they were bandaids. In 3e they are bandaids that can fight back when required. With the exception of healing, they are 2nd rate in everything else.

 

[megamania]

My beef with the Cleric is not the class's relative strength, but the utterly boring class progression. At 1st level, you get spellcasting, Turn Undead, domains and positive/negative energy channeling, which is great, and then... that's it. Nothing but new spells and a standard BAB/save progression for the next 20 levels.

But that is what balances it. I think it is fine.

 

[Slife]

Clerics are only balanced when half their spells are being used to heal the party.

Two clerics >>One cleric and one fighter>>>two fighters

 

[Mechnomancer]

Everytime i have played a cleric, i have had to blow all my spells buffing and healing the party. And theat means running into combat to stand over the body of a fallen companion until i can heal him. I would like to see the cleric have a higher HD and lighter armor for mobility. plus spells to support this. Til then, i think the class is fine. Besides, there is no one way to play the class.