With the new trailer for Stranger Things debuted, the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons have been brought further forward into the media's spotlight.
The fantasy game has a vast amount of roles to play, with many players taking on the mantle of the party's cleric. While many see this as a stereotypical medic, the different types of domains the player can choose, from death, trickster or even war can flip how the role is portrayed. Fans have taken to the internet to share their common experiences as a cleric in a range of memes.
Bring The Storm!
The backstories of clerics can vary heavily, from those who are adopted by their given church to those born into a heretic group. These backstories can heavily influence the personalities that people give their beloved fighters and some end up slightly more aggressive in combat than the stereotypical cleric usually would be.
Many clerics, with their god's domains, end up holding a good personality as the main aspects center around helping and healing. Tempests are usually clerics of Umberlee or Talos, among others, who govern storms, sea, and sky. Due to this many players choose their attack spells to mimic these, bringing the storm upon their enemies in anger but bringing the sun to innocence.
You Can't Use That!
When it comes to the alignments of Dungeons And Dragons races, players can choose between 9 different views of the world. Clerics are stereotypically along the 'good' side of the chart due to their outlook on helping and healing.
When the cleric comes across another follower of one of the gods, it is always interesting to see the outcome of their interactions. However, when those followers have chaotic evil alignments, the characters have to reflect on how they feel about every decision that happens. Oathbreaker Paladins, going against their contracts with their gods, can make these roleplay sessions all the more fun.
New Subclass? For Me? Oh, You Shouldn't Have.
With new guide books coming out every few months, these usually include a heap of new spells and subclasses. The unearthed arcana is an overview title for all new information books rather than campaign guides, these are usually the ones with new mechanics.
Clerics usually do not get new spells, instead the newer classes, like artificers, are assigned new spells that do interesting things. However, Clerics is one of the classes with the most subgenres of them, from Tempest to Light or Peace and 12 others. Many cleric players complain about their limited spell lists, but the subgenres bring new abilities to the table.
Heal Me!
As considered the party medic, sometimes it cant be daunting to only ever use spells on healing other to keep them up. As well, many other players forget that they can get healing potions or other magical items to keep themselves up, utilizing the other abilities that the cleric has.
Many players want to play the role but not help others, using their abilities to fight alongside their group in an offensive way. While the cleric class is incredibly strong, they can only be strong when their party is up, but they are also responsible for their party staying healthy enough to continue.
Directional Healing
When the players are low on health, their go-to is to hope that the cleric of the party heals them. However, this doesn't always work out when the players decide that on their next turn, to run to the other side of the map.
With only limited movement speed, especially for clerics that are usually in heavy armor, when the players run as far as possible from them, it is down to the cleric to chase them and keep them up. However, this would mean that the cleric's whole turn is dedicated to the one reckless player and will also take them away from the rest of the party that may need them.
More Than A Healer
The cleric's main stereotypical role is the party's medic, healing the players whenever their character's health gets low. The class's spell list is packed with a ton of spells of all sorts of abilities, yet they are always seen as only a healer.
The cleric's spell list consists of many necromantic and diminishing ability spells that can hinder the foes greatly. From summoning shields and weapons to cursing the enemies, clerics are very useful for defeating the enemy, but will always be solely seen as the healer to any of those who don't know their capabilities.
A Great Disguise
With such a stereotypical good alignment, it can always be funny when the cleric interacts with the rogues; whether they are trying to go against their sneaky ways or are in the midst of their dastardly plans to rob a bank.
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Grave Clerics are known for governing over those who refuse to stay in their graves, against change in some aspects or going against that of which should be. When the rogue says that they'll go in disguise, however, everyone knows that doesn't always end well. While the guards may be suspicious, they may see through it.
Worship The Water
As stated previously, Clerics have a ton of subclasses that span across a huge range of areas, from tempests controlling the storms to nature controlling plants and life. However, there are many subclasses that aren't available yet.
Players have been requesting an ocean-themed subclass for a long time, especially with the many different ocean-themed gods, such as Triton, and the ocean-themed races, such as sea-elves and Water Genasi. Players still hope for one to be added in the future with the different books, especially after the release of the official campaign, Storm King's Thunder.
Say The Line!
Along with healing spells, one of the clerics' spells most commonly used in the game is to cast Guidance on another player. This grants the other player a d4 they can add to the number rolled to one ability check of their choice.
As it is so commonly used, in the party it can become a meme of its own, as well as it usually means that they can increase someone else's abilities. This can increase their strength checks or intelligence, giving the players an advantage. It is even more common due to it being a cantrip with unlimited uses.
Everyone Get's Temp HP!
In the many spells that the cleric has access to, including Aid and Hero's Feast, give the player extra hit points that they can expend without going into their already limited pool.
As many can be a radial effect or specific, it is normal for the cleric to go around the party and give the players more health points than they are used to. As with some spells, the effect can affect up to 7 people, and the average party size is 4, it can feel like a choice between NPCs of who gets them.
