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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WizarDru" data-source="post: 1145614" data-attributes="member: 151">Howdy, mate. Up to our old tricks again, are we? <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />  Simply put, it's not that simple.  Variety IS a factor, but only one of many.  Clerics spells are generally 'softer', for one thing.  They rarely involve directly engaging an enemy or enjoying the combat spotlight, such as it is.  Against any foe except the undead (and sometimes outsiders), the cleric is relegated to more of a support role.  They are Enablers, as opposed to Enacters.  In other words, the cleric acts as the back-office of a party, providing infrastructure support to the team.  He buffs, he protects, he heals...what he rarely does is engage the enemy.  The wizard or sorceror is more direclty involved, metaphorically, throwing damage spells and powerful enchantments into the fray.  This dichotomy increases as the levels do, and the cleric can easily feel marginalized due to it.  And as I've mentioned, that's a powerful ability that is terribly unsexy...and can often be taken for granted.  Every heal given is another chance at direct involvement sacrificed.   Fighter: "Help, the Ogre nearly killed me!"Cleric: "Righto.  I didn't really want to cast Blade Barrier or Lesser Planar Ally today, anyhow.  Sigh." The cleric quite puissant...in his own way.  However, this generally lacks flavor in the context of the immediate battle, and is one reason that WotC spiced them up...because in the context of actual play, they don't come off as powerful as they look on paper.  Define "better".  They can be campaign specific, but spells like Bless, Death Ward, Prayer, Recitation, Healing Circle, Protection from Evil and a host of others, while VERY utilitarian, are NOT very exciting or personally empowering.  Compare, say Rope Trick versus Zone of Truth.  One is a very utilitarian spell with many applications, while the other is a very utilitarian spell with limited but important applications.  Which one is better?  In the right circumstances, "Gentle Repose" and "Delay Poison" are useful spells...but it's not nearly as varied in effects or uses as Prestidigitation or Unseen Servant.  Again, we return to Enabler versus Enacter.  The cleric supports, the wiz/sor interacts.  Well, if my answers above didn't make it clear, I'll summarize, here.  WotC did the right thing.  Without the gimmes of Domain Powers and spells, better BAB and other factors, the cleric would be far more unattractive and no less necessary.  In garden-variety D&D, msot folks want to be able to directly involve themselves in the meat-and-potatoes of a battle, trap or other conflict.  Clerics are the least prepared or enabled to do so.  While a bard can Charm and a wizard can trick with illusions, the cleric cannot.   His single best ability is to defend himself and others...and that's a very passive ability in a game that emphasizes 'face time' and active interaction.  It should also be pointed out that, while not as potentially stringent as a Paladin, a cleric does have potential restrictions on him that a wizard does not have.  By it's very definition, the cleric cannot simply change his alignment radically or disassociate himself from his church without potentially losing his abilities...other classes don't share this restriction, except for the Paladin, who shares the restriction in a stronger sense.</blockquote>

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