Why play a wizard/cleric?

[woodelf]

[let's hope this is the best forum to stick this in.]

Ok, i have a question for y'all: why play a wizard/cleric. This isn't a question about balance--i understand the tradeoff between tons of spells and high-level spells. And i understand wanting to have fireballs and healing (or, more generally, to have access to both spell lists). My question is, if that wasn't the case, would people still want to play a cleric/wizard? That is, if you could get access to the whole spell list, but you were either a wizard or a cleric, would that scratch the itch? [assume it's balanced somehow] How much of it is the flavor issue? Do lots of people specifically want to be able to cast divine spells at one point, and arcane the next, or is it just the fact that some spell effects require one or the other? Would it be a real problem if a wizard who took levels of cleric ended up with both spell lists, but one casting progression, and simply had to choose whether all her spells were considered divine or arcane from that point onward? [again, assume that balance is fixed, or not an issue--i'm wondering about the concept.]


So far, the only problem i see with it is one of verisimilitude: it'd be sort of weird if a 10th level wizard joined the clergy (took a level of cleric) and suddenly all of the spells she already knew abided by the strictures of divine casting (no armor penalty, need a holy symbol, etc.).

 

[MasterLich]

Well, I would play a wiz/clr because then i can take necromancer prestige class (assuming that msytic theurgist (whatever) is out) on rout to lichdom. Would make the perfect archvillian. Need to cast slay living do we?? Cast it through Spectral Hand. Well, that and you can make items now that need a divine component, ie: Wand of Cure light wounds.

I believe the spell failure still applies cause the wiz spells are still arcane and dont convert over to divine (would be nice though). I tried playing one, but came across the problem that I was severely underpowered fer my lvl, that and i was going into a group with paladins in it....

There are very interesting was to play a wiz/clr but you must be able to deal with being underpowered compared to other charac in yer groups. Well, you will have an insane amout of 1st lvl spells.

 

[ForceUser]

I could see a cleric of Mystra, Wee Jas, or Boccob taking wizard levels.

 

[Storm Raven]

Well, I would play a wiz/clr because then i can take necromancer prestige class (assuming that msytic theurgist (whatever) is out) on rout to lichdom. Would make the perfect archvillian. Need to cast slay living do we?? Cast it through Spectral Hand.

You are going to have a hard time casting slay living through a spectral hand, since the spectral hand can only be used to deliver spells that are 3rd level or lower.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Gods of Magic.

Mystic philosophies.

Unifying cross-class philosophies (Golem construction, necromancy, master of Demons/Devils/Slaadi/Formians/Celestials)

 

[Emerald]

In a new game that is starting soon, I am playing a Cleric/Wizard on her way to True Necromancer PrC. Plus in the game we are playing arcane magic is illegal (it is an underdark campaign, and arcane magic is what made the surface world uninhabitable and drove us all down here) so being a cleric is the perfect cover for magical effects. I figure most towns people will not be able to recognize the difference between an arcane spell and a divine one, so if I get caught casting an arcane spell, I can just whip out my holy symbol and say "oh you must be mistaken I only cast a divine spell, I do not know anything about arcane magic"

 

[woodelf]

I could see a cleric of Mystra, Wee Jas, or Boccob taking wizard levels.

OK. But is that a superior mechanical solution to, say, a feat (or 7--considering balance here) that let you have access to some or all of the wizard list, but you still cast them like divine spells? Would you feel cheated if it was possible to get access to "wizard" and "cleric" magic, but not to cast spells with both [divine] and [arcane] as descriptors?

 

[ForceUser]

OK. But is that a superior mechanical solution to, say, a feat (or 7--considering balance here) that let you have access to some or all of the wizard list, but you still cast them like divine spells? Would you feel cheated if it was possible to get access to "wizard" and "cleric" magic, but not to cast spells with both [divine] and [arcane] as descriptors?

Who cares about game mechanics? I thought we were talking about flavor.

 

[Sejs]

Mystic Theurge

True Necromancer

A couple cleric levels as a wizard opens up neat things like the use of cure wands, raise dead scrolls, restoration, death knell, and silence.

A couple wizard levels as a cleric opens up neat things like Shield, Invisibility, Mirror Image, True Strike, Illusions, and Rope Trick

 

[woodelf]

Who cares about game mechanics? I thought we were talking about flavor.

We are. that's why i'm trying to figure out what flavor it is that is being provided by the mechanics--Is it

1) the casting of spells that are normally thought of as "wizard spells", or
2) the ability to cast spells that are considered arcane as well as spells that are considered divine, or
3) the ability to be really good at divine magic and not very good at arcane (or vice versa), or
4) something else