D&D (2024) The Cleric should be retired

[James Gasik]

Of course a divine-spell caster without armour class could be possible, but most of players aren't enoughly interested. 3rd Ed had got the archivist and the healer. Players aren't going to reject armors if these can be wore with divine magic.

Other point is a seriou risk, any players wouldn't wellcome their piaous and patriotic cleric with the emblem "Making Avalon Great Again" to be replaced with the Bohemian bard. Couldn't you guess the potential controversy?

Don't forget the Cloistered Cleric from Unearthed Arcana!

 

[Vikingkingq]

I mean (looks around) I sure don't see laser priests anywhere at the moment.

Light Domain is certainly a thing in 5e, complete with Flaming Sphere, Scorching Ray, and Fireball.

Likewise, in 2024 edition, it's one of the 4 PHB subclasses. If anything, it got a bit more Laser-y, since it replaced Flaming Sphere with Moonbeam and got an anti-invisibility feature.

Also, it's probably worth getting Magic Initiate at 1st level so you can pick up Starry Wisp, which is a superior ranged cantrip compared to Sacred Flame.

 

[James Gasik]

Light Domain is certainly a thing in 5e, complete with Flaming Sphere, Scorching Ray, and Fireball.

Likewise, in 2024 edition, it's one of the 4 PHB subclasses. If anything, it got a bit more Laser-y, since it replaced Flaming Sphere with Moonbeam and got an anti-invisibility feature.

Also, it's probably worth getting Magic Initiate at 1st level so you can pick up Starry Wisp, which is a superior ranged cantrip compared to Sacred Flame.

If you ask the Cleric in my D&D group, a thrown rock is a superior ranged cantrip compared to Sacred Flame.

I'll concede that my definition of a "laser cleric" is bound in 4e, where you could effectively heal and deal damage at range; obviously one of these things can be true in 4e (once you have something better to work with than Sacred Flame, that is).

 

[Vikingkingq]

If you ask the Cleric in my D&D group, a thrown rock is a superior ranged cantrip compared to Sacred Flame.

I'll concede that my definition of a "laser cleric" is bound in 4e, where you could effectively heal and deal damage at range; obviously one of these things can be true in 4e (once you have something better to work with than Sacred Flame, that is).

In regards to ranged healing, Healing Word and Mass Healing Word did just get twice as good in the base spell and in upcasting. And there's the new Power Word Fortify and Conjure Celestial too.

 

[CreamCloud0]

To be fair, D&D was the inspiration for Final Fantasy in the first place. I mean, the first game uses Vancian-esque spell slots! Now why White Mages can't wear armor is anyone's guess- it might be a cultural thing, but I'm not expert, despite years of watching anime, lol.

It might just of been them leaning more into the ‘mage’ and priest sides of the character concept but your guess is as good as mine.

 

[Minigiant]

To be fair, D&D was the inspiration for Final Fantasy in the first place. I mean, the first game uses Vancian-esque spell slots! Now why White Mages can't wear armor is anyone's guess- it might be a cultural thing, but I'm not expert, despite years of watching anime, lol.

It is likely because early RPGs were gear based.
Fighters and Thieves were just built around having best gear. And that Best Gear being better than Spells or Spell+DecentGear
So a full spell caster even with good gear was too strong even with weaker stats. FF1 Red Mages were very strong. Just too expensive to full at full strength.

Remember the original D&D 1e cleric had weak spells. The hammers and heavy armor was t supplement this. CODzilla happened because WOTC gave priests actually good spells atop their moderate gear.

There is a universe where the Cleric sticks with their bad spells, morphs into something like today's Paladin, and the newer class is the cloth wearing Invoker/Oracle/Priest.

 

[Remathilis]

To be fair, D&D was the inspiration for Final Fantasy in the first place. I mean, the first game uses Vancian-esque spell slots! Now why White Mages can't wear armor is anyone's guess- it might be a cultural thing, but I'm not expert, despite years of watching anime, lol.

My guess was it was attempting to make healers squishy thus making protecting them an important part of combat. FF1 in particular didn't have and special abilities beyond spells, so in an attempt to make them balanced, they made them weak in combat to make up for their magic.

(It's worth noting the FF1 is notoriously badly balanced, with the Red Mage being rather OP for much of the game and the Thief utterly useless.)

 

[M.L. Martin]

(It's worth noting the FF1 is notoriously badly balanced, with the Red Mage being rather OP for much of the game and the Thief utterly useless.)

The thief is utterly useless in the original in part because of coding errors that negated its whole escape/Luck schtick, although if you can make it through to the class change, the Ninja is respectable for its weapon access and Level 4 Black Magic (FAST is a gamechanger).

Although other coding errors mean that half of the White Mage's spells are totally useless as well ...

 

[Remathilis]

The thief is utterly useless in the original in part because of coding errors that negated its whole escape/Luck schtick, although if you can make it through to the class change, the Ninja is respectable for its weapon access and Level 4 Black Magic (FAST is a gamechanger).

Although other coding errors mean that half of the White Mage's spells are totally useless as well ...

Correct. FF1 is a notoriously buggy game (most of the FFs through the NES/SNES era are as well). Ah, the days when there was no OTA updates...

 

[Starfox]

My demihumans are all physically grown around age 20 but are considered adults later than humans. They can be compared to different human age archetypes.

Elves are eternal late teens. From the angst to the enthusiasm, the slim build, the flowering talent, the physical attractiveness and mercurial (chaotic) natures of teens.

Dwarves are eternal 50-year-olds. With a parental attitude towards the other races, a gruff "I know better" attitude, and consummate skill in whatever they specialize in.

Gnomes are eternal 10-year-olds on the inside. They have the endless energy and curiosity of precocious children.

And halflings... are just variant gnomes in my world.

Orcs don't really fit this pattern, as they are the archetype of the hostile "other", that which is seen from the outside and appears alien. No Orc PCs in my games.