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Cleric (Dungeons & Dragons)
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The cleric is one of the standard playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Clerics are versatile figures, both capable in combat and skilled in the use of divine magic. Clerics are powerful healers due to the large number of healing and curative magics available to them. With divinely-granted abilities over life or death, they are also able to repel or control undead creatures. Whether the cleric repels or controls undead is dependent on its alignment.
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The cleric is one of the standard playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Clerics are versatile figures, both capable in combat and skilled in the use of divine magic. Clerics are powerful healers due to the large number of healing and curative magics available to them. With divinely-granted abilities over life or death, they are also able to repel or control undead creatures. Whether the cleric repels or controls undead is dependent on its alignment. It is the only class to be in every version of Dungeons & Dragons without a name change.
Unlike the Japanese console RPG archetype of the White Mage, with which it is often confused, the Cleric is generally a robust, combat-capable character.
First Edition
In the very first edition of Dungeons and Dragons, the cleric character class was a simulation of a soldier devotee of a sacred order who received spell powers from divine sources, to be a spellcaster who was not a magician and who also had physical power between that of the magic-user and the fighter (for instance, was able to use all armor and shields).
The addition of the paladin character class created game rules for a second type of sacred soldier. The difference between the two is that clerics are drawn more from the motif of a fighting priest of Christian Europe (as their weapon selection, weapons that do not draw blood, is based on Catholic dictum regarding priests on Crusade), and paladins represent the holy knight, such as Percival or Roland. From a purely game mechanic standpoint, clerics are focused on wide and varied manifestation of divine miracles and their behavior varies as per which deity the cleric serves, whereas paladins serve only good powers and are stronger warriors with fixed miraculous blessings. The cleric, while based on Medieval European crusading priests, is obviously meant to be adapted to numerous fantasy campaign worlds (although this was only officially done in Second Edition rules, unless one views Dragon magazine articles as canon).
From the beginning, D&D players have usually considered the cleric as a healer, and as the one indispensable class for a team, although to many players also the least exciting one. Players have been known to choose a cleric character as much out of obligation to the team as for what the class can offer.
Second Edition
The 2nd edition usually required a cleric to pick a specific religion or mythos. Within the mythos/religion chosen by the character are abilities and powers, represented by the Spheres of Influence defined by the worshiped deity's dogma (e.g., Tyranny, Death, Life, Healing etc.), power (demi, lesser, intermediate or greater power) and alignment (Lawful Good, Chaotic Evil etc.).
Spells
The cleric's dogma determines what type of spell the cleric has access to, with greater access (all spells within a sphere, providing the cleric is of sufficient power [level] to cast it) for those spells closely aligned with the deity's dogma and minor access (spells of equal to or less than 3rd level) of those partially within the deity's dogma, while no access to those spells outside the deity's dogma.
The deity's power defines the upper limit of the spells able to be granted to a cleric: a demi-god can grant up to 4th level spells and a greater deity up to 7th level spells.
For example, a greater deity of Healing could grant spells of all levels in the Healing sphere, minor access to Divination spells and no access to combat spells such as Flamestrike since they are antithetical to its healing dogma.
Weapons And Armor
Reluctant to shed blood, clerics are limited to blunt, bludgeoning weapons unless allowed other weapons by their dogma/mythos. Being trained for battle as well as spiritual works, they may use any armor or shield.
Third Edition
In the 3rd Edition (and 3.5 Edition) of D&D the cleric must choose either a deity or an alignment concept to be dedicated to (the "patron"). The cleric's alignment must be within 1 step of their patron (e.g., for a Lawful Good patron the cleric can be Neutral Good, Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral). Notably, it is also stated that a cleric needn't worship a specific deity or have a religion at all, but can draw their power from a philosophy or even their personal devotion to a cause or way of life.
Divine spellcasting in D&D 3rd Edition is dependent on Wisdom, which restricts the highest spell levels available to the cleric. Other useful abilities for the Cleric include Charisma, to bolster Turn/Rebuke Undead and Diplomacy checks, and Constitution, to complement their melee abilities by way of Concentration for defensive casting, and increased Hit Points.
Domains
At the beginning of their career, clerics must choose two of the powers associated with the patron (called Domains) as the focus of their particular training, faith, and dogma. These allow them to prepare Domain Spells each day from those domains' spell lists, in addition to their more general cleric spells.
Each domain also has another set power associated with it. For example, the Strength domain allows its clerics to increase their strength for one round per day by a number equal to their cleric level, and the Healing domain makes clerics more adept at casting healing spells. There are many other domains like "animal" or "good".
Spontaneous casting
Clerics have one exception to the rule that most spellcasters must prepare specific spells, that is defined by each cleric's alignment. Good-aligned clerics can transform a prepared (non-domain) spell into a healing spell of the same level (for example, a Chaotic Good cleric can transform Protection from Evil, a first level protective spell, into Cure Light Wounds, a first level healing one). Evil aligned clerics can perform a similar feat but convert prepared spells into Inflict spells that cause similar damage. Neutral clerics must choose one type of spell conversion or the other at first level, which is subsequently permanent.
This choice also affects a cleric's ability to turn or rebuke (control) undead.
- A cleric who spontaneously casts healing spells channels positive energy, and therefore turns (or destroys) undead.
- A cleric who spontaneously casts inflict spells channels negative energy, and so rebukes (or commands) undead.
Spontaneous casting encourages clerics to function the way adventures often require them to, as steady sources of healing (or damage), but allows them to prepare a full variety of spells in case not all that direct power is needed.
Weapons
Clerics are no longer restricted to blunt weapons. They are proficient with all simple weapons and may be proficient with other weapons depending upon chosen domains or feats; often clerics will wield their deity's signature weapon as a tangible symbol of their faith and dedication. Clerics may use any armor or shield (except the tower shield, which only fighters normally use).
Party role
Clerics are a primary caster class with a strong selection of useful spells, but their healing and buffing powers are the most valued in a typical party. With a strong selection of arms and armour, and respectable attack bonus, Clerics can also make capable front-line tanks. This role is often necessitated by healing allies in the fray, as most of their spells have limited (touch) range. In many ways, the Cleric closely rivals the Bard in sheer versatility. Because many players find themselves spending more time helping others rather than acting themselves, they receive a bad rap as being the least favorable class to play - rather than arguably the best.
Good clerics can also act as a softer voice of conscience for the party like their Monk or Paladin brethren, and like Paladins or Bards they can possess the occupationally useful stat of charisma to speak for the party in situations calling for tact or diplomacy.
Evil clerics rarely feature in adventuring parties, but their ability to raise and command undead can eventually allow them to command legions of disposable cannon fodder.
Additionally, all Clerics can bring to the party advantages of economic and political connections, ties to sheer divine power/intervention, an innate power of some sort over undead opponents, and possibly an associate capable of reviving dead comrades (should the Cleric him/herself be so incapable at her current level).
Clerics can easily become the most powerful fighter in the group as of 3rd edition, due to the fact that they can select a large number of spells that enhance their AC (Protection from Evil or Shield of Faith plus Magic vestment), their Base Attack bonus (Divine power, righteous might, magic weapon, bless, Bull's strength, divine favor) and their damage bonus (same spells as BAB, but not bless) and also these spells give other benefits (e.g. righteous might gives +4 on AC, +4 constitution and +8 Strength, damage reduction and makes you large (if you were medium to start with) which gives you reach and increases your weapon's damage, divine power gies you 1 temporary hitpoint per lvl).
The divine power spell gives them an attack bonus equal to a fighter's, and their various buffing spells and the fact that they can qualify for almost any feat a fighter can makes fighters average much weaker than a cleric in the group, provided the cleric has a few rounds of preparation time before a combat and the combat will last only a few rounds (as the most powerful cleric combat spells have a duration of only 1 round per level). In general, a fighter is better at protracted combats or combats that start right away at round 1 (such as when ambushed), a cleric is better at combat which allow for preparation time and where the combat lasts only a few rounds and the enemy has no means to prematurely end all his buffing spells (such as with a dispel magic). Although such circumstances can be rare, under them a cleric is a formidable combatant due to the large range of magical enhancement available.
4th Edition
The cleric's power source remains divine, and they fill the role of Leader. Their powers (called prayers) focus on healing, protection and support, however, like most 4th edition classes, they gain the standard number of attack powers based on their level, and like all 4th edition classes, their attack powers generally include damage dealing capabilities. Like Wizards, Clerics gain Ritual Caster as a bonus feat.
The Player's Handbook presents two Cleric builds, Battle Cleric, which focuses on offense, melee combat and Strength-based prayers, and Devoted Cleric, focusing on support, ranged combat and Wisdom-based prayers, many of the cleric's Strength and Wisdom based prayers have secondary effects related to Charisma.
Like paladins, clerics possess "Channel Divinity" and can use it for multiple functions, including Turn Undead and deity-specific powers.
The Player's Handbook includes four Cleric paragon paths: Angelic Avenger, Divine Oracle, Radiant Servant and Warpriest.
See also
- List of deities in Dungeons & Dragons
External links
- has all the SRD Classes, along with the .
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