Hello, I'm MrConrad and I'm a Divine Addict...

[MrConradTheDuck]

To be more specific, I'm addicted to Clerics (Warpriests and Oracles are common)Everytime I try and play something else I look at the benefits of the the Cleric and just want it more. It can fight in melee, it has 9th level spells, I like the flavor and Divine Protection is legal at my tables (And generous point buys are common) I just... I want to play something else but the Divines are just soooo good it's hard... what should I do? How do you people break a character habit if at all?

[Hazrond]

I don't usually break a habit in this case, but bend it, what do you think of Inquisitors? ;)

[MrConradTheDuck]

Hazrond wrote:

I don't usually break a habit in this case, but bend it, what do you think of Inquisitors? ;)

Not a fan TBH. IDK, it's never struck me and that cool. Mechanically it's sound and flavor wise it's fine but IDK, it's always felt lacking to me.

[SanKeshun]

I usually break habits by telling my players "You cannot play a _____ anymore. Play something else." In your case, you seem to be into the endurance factor (since a cleric can hold their own just about anywhere due to their healing and combat abilities). I suggest you explore the following:

• A wizard. Conjurers can use summoned creatures to absorb damage, and have a very diverse and useful spell list.
  
• An alchemist. You can heal yourself and are capable in combat, but with a more combat-oriented set of abilities, instead of spells.
  
• Or go cold turkey and play a fighter. Surprisingly good class. My sister would recommend barbarian instead

[Seranov]

When you compare everything to the second strongest class in the game, yeah, other things won't look as good.

I generally just build things I think would be fun to play, and don't worry about much else as long as they can contribute meaningfully (generally means PoW initiating or 6th+ spellcasting/manifesting) and let other people play the full spellcasters.

Try and think up concepts that you might enjoy playing, and then build them. Eventually you'll run into something that really grabs you.

[Lord Gadigan]

Have you considered running a Synthesist? Good casting (not 9 levels, but still good) plus good melee.

[EvilTwinSkippy]

...or if you'd rather stay a divine casting class, how about a Shaman?

The Shaman is basically just a divine caster with a few Witch hexes. Much like the Cleric, they also get 9 levels of spells (with a really oddball spell selection), are decent in melee (especially with the Shapeshifting Hex), and can pretty much get a new Su ability at every level. Lots of variety. Fun class.

[MrConradTheDuck]

SanKeshun wrote:

I usually break habits by telling my players "You cannot play a _____ anymore. Play something else." In your case, you seem to be into the endurance factor (since a cleric can hold their own just about anywhere due to their healing and combat abilities). I suggest you explore the following:

• A wizard. Conjurers can use summoned creatures to absorb damage, and have a very diverse and useful spell list.
  
• An alchemist. You can heal yourself and are capable in combat, but with a more combat-oriented set of abilities, instead of spells.
  
• Or go cold turkey and play a fighter. Surprisingly good class. My sister would recommend barbarian instead

I've played a conjurer Cleric once, but it just bogged the game down and I eventually stopped summoning unless it was crucial.

Alchemists seem alright but I can't play low Will chars, I try but deep down I have a dominatephobia.

Fighters used to be my favorite class but then I played a cleric and got addicted. Besides, playing a cleric or warpriest is like playing a Fighter but it can also do things that aren't fighting :(. I've been thinking druid alot (Hunter was also on the list til' I realized how bad it was) but I just can't get into droo boy cause I don't know it as well I guess. Would you suggest a Droo?

[MrConradTheDuck]

EvilTwinSkippy wrote:

...or if you'd rather stay a divine casting class, how about a Shaman?

The Shaman is basically just a divine caster with a few Witch hexes. Much like the Cleric, they also get 9 levels of spells (with a really oddball spell selection), are decent in melee (especially with the Shapeshifting Hex), and can pretty much get a new Su ability at every level. Lots of variety. Fun class.

I wanted to try Shaman but it just seemed so boring. I looked it through and it just didn't spark anything for me sadly. That said, it is one I put on my list of things to play in case I like it after trying it since I didn't think I'd like clerics when I first played them.

[Cavall]

I would suggest a bard because that's what I'm addicted to. Because bards.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

Try a druid out.

Still divine but like the cleric they can do everything as well.

[EvilTwinSkippy]

MrConradTheDuck wrote:

EvilTwinSkippy wrote:

...or if you'd rather stay a divine casting class, how about a Shaman?

The Shaman is basically just a divine caster with a few Witch hexes. Much like the Cleric, they also get 9 levels of spells (with a really oddball spell selection), are decent in melee (especially with the Shapeshifting Hex), and can pretty much get a new Su ability at every level. Lots of variety. Fun class.

I wanted to try Shaman but it just seemed so boring. I looked it through and it just didn't spark anything for me sadly. That said, it is one I put on my list of things to play in case I like it after trying it since I didn't think I'd like clerics when I first played them.

You can pretty much put your own stamp on it. I'm currently playing a Speaker for the Past Shaman who presents herself as a Varisian Fortuneteller.

[Leonhart Steelmane]

why don't you try looking at interesting prestige classes or maybe try on an archetype?

[Cap. Darling]

Why is it a problem? You May be the only player ever that find the cleric's class features interesting. So i suggest you just stay with it until you grow bored with it. There is nothing wrong with liking a class.

[calicokat]

Making a druid seems like a reasonable step. You get a lot of things you like about the cleric but a flavor switch up.

Or, like Cap. Darling said, don't switch at all.

Back when I played World of Warcraft, I loved the hunter class.

I made the mistake of leveling several other classes up to whichever current max level because I felt like I should try new things only to discover how bored I got raiding with each of them.

Be tanking a raid boss looking at the clock like "Why am I even here?"

If the passion for playing a cleric is there there's no real reason not to keep building better and/or different clerics.

I had 8 different hunters just because I could.

Point is, I was happy.

[Cavall]

Honestly, break out of the shell completely. Don't go divine don't go arcane (except maybe a hyrbid) and just try it out. See what it's like to play the tank and why it's vital to keep that caster alive, or sneak around and stab some backs as a rogue.

You can love divine. Fond out why others love them too.

[MrConradTheDuck]

Cap. Darling wrote:

Why is it a problem? You May be the only player ever that find the cleric's class features interesting. So i suggest you just stay with it until you grow bored with it. There is nothing wrong with liking a class.

That made me lol waaaaaaay too hard.

[Helcack]

I was addicted to Cleric's in 3.5(druids too) so I know what you're feeling. You already took the first step(oracle's and warpriests) so now if you want to make that jump into expanding what you play, I actually suggest moving slowly by going into Magus, from there trying something like brawler.

[lemeres]

MrConradTheDuck wrote:

SanKeshun wrote:

I usually break habits by telling my players "You cannot play a _____ anymore. Play something else." In your case, you seem to be into the endurance factor (since a cleric can hold their own just about anywhere due to their healing and combat abilities). I suggest you explore the following:

• A wizard. Conjurers can use summoned creatures to absorb damage, and have a very diverse and useful spell list.
  
• An alchemist. You can heal yourself and are capable in combat, but with a more combat-oriented set of abilities, instead of spells.
  
• Or go cold turkey and play a fighter. Surprisingly good class. My sister would recommend barbarian instead

I've played a conjurer Cleric once, but it just bogged the game down and I eventually stopped summoning unless it was crucial.

Alchemists seem alright but I can't play low Will chars, I try but deep down I have a dominatephobia.

Fighters used to be my favorite class but then I played a cleric and got addicted. Besides, playing a cleric or warpriest is like playing a Fighter but it can also do things that aren't fighting :(. I've been thinking druid alot (Hunter was also on the list til' I realized how bad it was) but I just can't get into droo boy cause I don't know it as well I guess. Would you suggest a Droo?

It is not too hard to make a low will save class character end up with a will save that makes your caster clerics jealous early on.

Half elf is fantastic for this- they can trade out skill focus for +2 to all will saves, and they also get a +2 vs enchantments spells and effects(aka- 'you are forced to kill your party' spells). Some will go on about dwarves' hardy/steel soul combo, but that is only for spells- one vampire with a supernatural dominate and you are opening the door and disposing of the garlic for it. Half orc (particularly with fate's favored) is nice too, but that is better for patching all saves- half elf is better for a focus on will saves (which tend to be more dangerous).

After that, you just use regular basics to build up your will save- 12 wis/8 cha, +1 will trait, iron will feat...after that, you might grab improved iron will for a 1/day reroll (and maybe even that half elf racial feat for a reroll vs enchantments).

Yeah, you can end up with an extra +8 vs dominate, and you can actually have that at level 1 without too much pain. Eventually, the cleric ends up with a better will save. Eventually. But this can still beat out an uninvested wizard. So you are no weak link man.

So why not enjoy a nice alchemist? Their bombs have FANTASTIC debuff abilities with a great scaling DC. Not overly useful early on (low level enemies have surprisingly good touch AC)...but when you start seeing dragons with 8 touch AC...man....make that scaly bugger wish it was never hatched.