D&D 5E Why ever play a cleric?

[Charlaquin]

I’m pretty sure the OP has long since moved on, but since we’re discussing this now anyway...

Clerics are one of the best classes in the game. They are absolute buff machines, which allows you to break bounded accuracy. They also have access to some amazing damage dealing spells. Healing isn’t even the primary reason to play a cleric this edition, since there are several other classes that can do it quite well, and there’s usually something better a cleric could be doing with their turn. That said, the healing is a nice cherry on top of the cleric sunday, and if you really love healing, life and grave clerics can do it incredibly well.

 

[nevin]

When you put it that way, I can see why someone would go light domain cleric, since you're a medium armor wearing blaster that can heal. Cool.

But for the tempest/war domain clerics, why try to improve your melee capabilities with a class that only gets one attack anyway? Like, if you wanted to have heavy armor, martial weapons, and divine magic, paladin does it better. If you want to have heavy armor, martial weapons, and use lightning, eldritch knight can get 4 attacks and cast lightning bolt, storm sphere, ice storm, etc. so I'm just wondering why anyone would choose any of those domains and build a melee cleric? Just to be able to heal on top of lukewarm melee capabilities?

If you only focus on combat skills few would play a cleric. If you focus on story and RP clerics are the intermediaries between normal mortals and gods that actually grant visible power to worshippers. Look how powerful churches are in real life and imagine the power and influence a cleric who had provable divine power would have. That's why I play clerics. People fear wizards they idolize good clerics who are trying to get them into heaven, and who can, heal them cure those diseases and turn under to dust by invoking the power of their gods. Roleplaying opportunity is literally limitless.

 

[ART!]

I ran a cleric for the first time in decades during the 4E years. I had always avoided running spell-casters, because I didn't like the complexity. But my 4E DM pointed out that casters in 4E weren't much more complicated than non-casters, which I found kind of liberating. I played a cleric and loved it.

In the past year or two of 5E, I've played a few clerics, and am playing one now. Cleric especially works for the character I had in mind this time around: I wanted a character who was more about helping people than hurting people. I actually looked at a lot of classes and subclasses, to make sure there wasn't a better way to go about it, but kept coming back to cleric.

I like being able to heal others, in lots of different ways: one person only, touch only, ranged, multiple people, ending conditions, etc. I like all the buffing options, too.

 

[nevin]

When you put it that way, I can see why someone would go light domain cleric, since you're a medium armor wearing blaster that can heal. Cool.

But for the tempest/war domain clerics, why try to improve your melee capabilities with a class that only gets one attack anyway? Like, if you wanted to have heavy armor, martial weapons, and divine magic, paladin does it better. If you want to have heavy armor, martial weapons, and use lightning, eldritch knight can get 4 attacks and cast lightning bolt, storm sphere, ice storm, etc. so I'm just wondering why anyone would choose any of those domains and build a melee cleric? Just to be able to heal on top of lukewarm melee capabilities?

If you only focus on combat skills few would play a cleric. If you focus on story and RP clerics are the intermediaries between normal mortals and gods that actually grant visible power to worshippers. Look how powerful churches are in real life and imagine the power and influence a cleric who had provable divine power would have. That's why I play clerics. People fear wizards they idolize good clerics who are trying to get them into heaven, and who can, heal them cure those diseases and turn under to dust by invoking the power of their gods. Roleplaying opportunity is literally limitless.

 

[Weiley31]

Because somebody has to be the Padre/Mother Superior.

 

[tommybahama]

That's why I play clerics. People fear wizards they idolize good clerics who are trying to get them into heaven, and who can, heal them cure those diseases and turn under to dust by invoking the power of their gods. Roleplaying opportunity is literally limitless.

I understand what you are saying, but I have never had a DM roleplay a zero level NPC as being in either awe or fear of a mid to high level character. They all seem to disdain the characters whether they are awesome or terrible.

 

[Ace]

Because clerics are fun to play. Sure they may not excel in every area but there is plenty for them to do both as support and as a solo.