Why Play A Cleric?

[nerdronomicon]

I like to devote some thought to the characters I play. I don't necessarily spend a long time coming up with elaborate histories. But I like to have an idea of who I'm playing, what their motivations are, and why they live as an “adventurer”. I also like to try new things. I have the opportunity to start playing in a new campaign soon. I realized I've never played a cleric.


So I started thinking about possible motivations for clerics, why and how someone might go about gaining divine power, and why they would become an adventurer if they did. I mean, here you are minding your own business, you get a call from god and you answer, and god tells you to strap on the armor, grab a mace, and go start cracking heads and taking treasure. Why? Why wouldn't the god tell the budding young cleric to start taking care of worshipers, building churches, collecting converts, that sort of thing?


I suppose there's a historical basis for the class, knights errant, wandering warriors dedicated to the service of their god (and don't tell me that's paladins, it's clerics too). But that's not interesting to me. And I'd like to play something a little less clichéd than that.


I started thinking about other ideas for clerics. Most of what I've come up with, most of the ideas I like anyway, don't really fit the class abilities. I can't think of a good reason for a cleric of a non-martial god to be wandering around in chain mail cracking skulls. But if I go with that, ditch the armor and shun the combat abilities, I'm basically a high HP wizard with no decent attack spells.


Now don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to violent characters. I just got done playing (or I'm just getting done, the games not quite over yet) a pirate who pretty much killed everything in sight, I'm also currently playing a barbarian who, while kind at heart, does a fair amount of people killing and stuff taking.


What I need to think of is an interesting concept for a cleric, that uses all the class abilities, that's not the typical armored heal-bot or another version of the holy warrior trope. I don't want to be lawful and I don't want to be evil. I don't know if we're playing 3.5 or 4e yet so I don't need build suggestions, I just need to think of a character concept.


I suppose I could say I'm a wandering priest, traveling around doing my god's work, and justify the armor and combat skills by saying it's a dangerous world, you gotta be ready. Seems a little typical.


If I want to justify the armor and weapons, I could say the character got his start as a warrior before being called by his deity. That's the tack I like best. Some warrior, normal guy, minding his business, kicking ass for fun and profit. Has a religious experience. Finds god. Goes and does his thing. I don't know. I'm still thinking about it. I have a feeling I may fall back on my idea for a mage. I have a good idea for a mage.


Anyway, if you play clerics a lot, or if you just have any suggestions for how I can go about this, let me know. Thanks!

 

[quaga]

In my current campaign, our cleric worships The Raven Queen (aka the god of death), and is neutral, much like her. He sees adventuring (especially the slaughtering) as a good way to further his god's goals. It may seem that healing is contradictory to this, but he feels that if his god grants him the power to do so, then it must not be the recipient's time yet.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Play a cleric in order to advance your god's agenda.

If your god is the god of, say, magic, then your goals would be to uncover new sources of magic, or recover lost old sources.

Unfortunately, the world is a dangerous place, so you need to be armed and armored to confront those who would thwart you doing your god's work. Yes, this is a cliche, but it's a cliche because it works.

Don't overthink things. Simple character motivations works just as well as complex ones.

 

[Filcher]

I'd say because there is unrepentant, unredeemable Evil in the world. It's not enough to nurture the flock --- you have to defend them. And rather than wait for bad guys to get bad enough to come to you, you take the fight to them.

 

[FalcWP]

Perhaps your cleric, while devoted to his god, isn't as much of a fan of the god's church. This could be for any number of reasons - difference of opinion on church dogma, corrupt priests, or a feeling that just worshiping the god doesn't do enough. Or, maybe serving as a priest requires a particular vow in that church - poverty, celibacy, whatever - that your cleric is opposed to... but he still wants to serve the deity.

 

[EroGaki]

I'm playing a cleric in a Pathfinder game. He's a worshiper of Desna, the goddess of travel, dreams, luck and the stars. Desna encourages her priests to travel the world, hence he travels. Traveling is dangerous, and conflict is bound to happen.

 

[AtomicPope]

In 4e there's nothing to stop you from being an atheist (or anti-theist depending on want you're going for). Both of these concepts were impossible in previous editions because of prayer for spells and cleric domains. Now, there's nothing to stop a player from creating unique, even bizarre backgrounds. For example:

Philosopher's Stone - your character could be a scholar that studies alchemy and conjurations of spirits.

Heretic - the gods demand fealty, obedience. I won't serve the gods.

Divine Thief - you steal the power of the gods. You do not pray for spells, only fools pray for spells. Why beg for something you can get for free?


With previous editions of D&D you're bound to follow your deity otherwise it's atonement time. If you're playing 3e then just play your wizard, because in that edition it's all been done before.

 

[Pbartender]

Anyway, if you play clerics a lot, or if you just have any suggestions for how I can go about this, let me know. Thanks!

An idea my wife once had -- and she has never been one who was fond of playing clerics or paladin -- for a cleric or paladin, stemmed from the idea that most "good" religions consider killing a sin. However, evil exists in the world and must be fought against. It would be her cleric's (or paladin's) job go out into the world and take it upon herself to kill (evil people and creatures), in order to save other still innocent souls from the necessity of committing such a terrible sin in thier own defense.

She got idea after I'd read to her the following passage from The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane, by Robert E. Howard...

[bq]He stood up, wrapping his cloak more closely about him. "The Lord hath led my feet into many strange places," he said somberly. "Some were fair and many were foul; sometimes I seemed to wander without purpose or guidance but always when I sought deep I found fit reason therefor. And harkee, lad, forbye the fires of Hell there is no hotter fire than the blue flame of vengeance which burneth a man's heart night and day with out rest until he quench it in blood.

"It hath been my duty in times past to ease various evil men of their lives -- well, the Lord is my staff and my guide and methinks he hath delivered mine enemy into mine hands."[/bq]

The idea being, Solomon Kane doesn't go looking for evil. Whether he likes it or not, his God has seen fit to give him the skills and tools to fight Evil and then deigns to cross Kane's path with Evil. Thus, Kane's drive for vengeance against evil comes as naturally and implacably as a cat's hunting instinct when faced with a feeing mouse.


Of course, none of that's exactly "non-martial"... Hrm.



Also consider the Brother Cadfael novels... A lengthy series of mystery books revolving one particular monk. He took his vows, only after having lvied a full life and having fought in the crusades.

Make your cleric a middle-aged fellow, who's a old army veteran. He's tried his best to settle down and live the quiet life of a village priest, but trouble and adventure keep finding him anyway despite his best efforts.

 

[Ahglock]

My basic idea is your god asks of you what you are best suited for. Your god has plenty of worshipers who can give a sermon and keep the flock healthy. But the god has only a small amount of worshipers whose natural talents and psychology not only let them face evil and stand up to it without running away screaming into the night, but kick evils ass. Those guys and gals are adventuring clerics.

 

[nerdronomicon]

Make your cleric a middle-aged fellow, who's a old army veteran. He's tried his best to settle down and live the quiet life of a village priest, but trouble and adventure keep finding him anyway despite his best efforts.

Interesting. That's similar to the idea I had for a mage. An older bookish guy who dabbled in magic and kept his nose clean, but "adventure keeps finding him" so he hits the road. That sort of thing.

I like the idea of playing older characters lately. I used to just go with the recommended starting age for pc's based on their race, until I realized I didn't like being a teenager when i was one, and I don't feel like pretending to be one now.