Designing a Class: Cleric

Clerics - They Kill by Healing

OK, so the design goals for the D&D Next Cleric are up, and contain nothing really substantial. I'm a little worried by some of the aims, which point to them working only as buffers, or really focusing on healing.  On the other hand, some of the points in the article state that clerics will still be able to hit things while buffing and healing, which sounds more promising.

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm good with clerics being healers.  More than good - it's their iconic role, and they should be great at it. But alarm bells ring when the articles include lines such as "A cleric might help overcome an ogre berserker by healing the party's fighter, allowing the fighter to survive long enough to deal a deadly attack". I don't seem to be the only one for whom this is the case.

So rather than just go and whine on the comments threads, or take to EN World and express my dismay, I figured I'd take a quick stab at what I'd like a cleric to look like, given what WotC have come out and said so far about Clerics specifically, and D&D Next in general.

What we Know

So a summary of the assumptions I'm using when bashing this together, going on what's been said so far:

• Vancian casting is back, but caster classes will also have access to At Will powers (at least in certain builds)
• Divine magic will focus on healing and buffing
• There are multiple spell levels, and you can prepare spells in higher level spell slots to get more powerful effects
• The action economy is 1 main action, plus a move
• Clerics will reflect their deity
• Different builds will be available - a fighty, smitey Cleric, a buffing caster Cleric, a ranged Cleric.. options are good
• Builds will be modified by Class, Theme and Background, with Class and Theme being the choices which affect the character's mechanics and advancement
• We'll still have healing surge values in some form or another
• Similar weapons will have similar effects - for example, there wont be a major advantage or drawback to using a 1 handed hammer vs a 1 handed axe or sword by default

 

An idea

Given this, I came up with a rough outline in my mind of what I'd like to see, which would allow a player to choose to play either a 4e style cleric (who heals and buffs while hitting things), or an older fashioned one who uses full actions to cast.

For balance, we should expect that people who give up the ability to attack and focus on casting will cast more effectively, but aren't contributing to damage as regularly.

So a quick run down of what I'd like things to look like... bearing in mind that I've thought about this for all of a couple of hours on the bus trips to and from work.  It's rough, and certainly wont be perfectly balanced....

Class Features

Divine Caster - Casters can prepare 'x' number of known Divine spells per day, at the levels given.  Each spell can be cast once for each time it is prepared, but can be prepared in multiple slots.
Orisons - Clerics can prepare 'x' number of 0 level Diving spells as Orisons.  Orisons can be cast any number of times.
Channel Divinity - in addition to the above Divine spells and Orisons, a cleric knows 'x' number of Domain abilities which can be used.  Only 'y' number can be used per encounter, but each power can be used multiple times.
Spontaneous Healing - the cleric may spontaneously cast Heal Wounds in place of any prepared spell. Heal Wounds is cast at the level at which the spell was prepared.
Proficiencies - proficient with armour up to chain mail, simple melee weapons, shields and the Cleric's deity's favoured weapon

Theme Options 

Battle Cleric: Class feature - if you attack using your deity's favoured weapon, you can cast a Divine spell you have prepared as part of the attack.  When using your Deity's favoured weapon, you may use your Wisdom modifier in place of your strength or dexterity on your attack and damage rolls.
Casting Cleric: Class feature -  any Divine spell that you cast count as being 1 spell level higher than the slot in which it is prepared.

Example Divine Spells

Guidance (level 0+) - grant an ally a bonus to their next attack role, saving throw or skill check equal to the level the spell is prepared at + 1.
Virtue (level 0+) - grant an ally temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + the level at which the spell is cast
Bane (level 1+) - the enemy takes a penalty on attack rolls and skill checks equal to the level at which the spell is cast
Cure Wounds (level 1+) - An ally may spend a healing surge. They regain HP equal to their healing surge value + (your Wisdom modifier * the level at which the spell is cast)
Shield (level 1+) - An ally gains a bonus to all defences equal to the level at which the spell is cast.
Bless (level 1+) - All allies within 40 feet gain a bonus to attack rolls and skill checks equal to the level at which the spell is cast

(and so on, you get the idea by now I'm sure - I'm sure that any number of out of combat utility type spells will be around as well, but I've not included them for the purposes of this write up)

I've not gone into the Channel Divinity spell list, but the spells for this feature should reflect the domain - a cleric of Kord might give himself a bonus to his own attack and damage roll for a turn, for example.  These could be spells of their own, or from a domain spell list as in Pathfinder, either should work fine.

Summing Up

So, what would I like about this kind of class design?  Well, if it's what you wanted to do, a cleric can still hand out buffs, temp HP and healing while hitting things. If your deity favours ranged weapons, you can even be a bow wielding cleric and accomplish the same thing.  The spell list is much shorter, as there's no need for multiple spells which accomplish the same thing, but at a higher level.

Clerics who opt to stay out of combat and cast will heal and buff more efficiently - they'd be giving out a +2 bonus on their at wills as opposed to the +1 that the fighty cleric is handing out. They're healing for probably an extra 4 points per heal at level 1 (assuming ability mods stay roughly the same as they have been for the last while).  Clerics who opt to fight can be capable warriors or archers, just as long as they use their god's favourite sharp (or blunt, as the case may be) object.

However, the problems with Vancian magic in general still exist - if the heroes can stick to 1 fight a day, they'll have access to all their high level spells for every fight.  I'm not sure this is (or ever has been) a class design issue - I really think of it more as an adventure design issue.

Thoughts and opinions?  Are either of these options anything you'd like to use, or see in use at your tables?