by Leafiara

Introduction

Our next topic is rescuing and raising. Taking a look once again at the chart of why players create and play clerics, rescuing and raising was far and away the top reason our respondents made their clerics!

Listed below are some defining or unique attributes of clerics. Which were primary reasons why you created a cleric, which are primary reasons why you continue to play a cleric (if you still do), and which have had less importance?

…however, there was a large dropoff between those making clerics to raise and those playing clerics to raise, which some comments will explore later in this page and elsewhere.

Like with most answers in the survey, people who love rescuing typically didn’t explain why; even cleric players who were very wordy in most of their responses didn’t elaborate on this subject. Players did rate 318 Raise Dead as clerics’ most satisfying non-combat spell, so it’s a clear favorite despite a dearth of any detailed comments to highlight.

Maybe most clerics simply consider raising satisfying in a self-evident way!

For their mana cost, spell slot, and circle, which non-combat spells do you consider especially satisfying or great designs and which do you consider especially unsatisfying or poor designs?

We do have a handful of more critical comments worth highlighting, though. These players and others like them generally touched on three points:

  1. The way the community regards raises
  2. The irrelevance of death
  3. Competition from other clerics

Let’s take a look at a sampling of these!

Community Desires and Efficiency

 Two post-cap players drew a similar comparison between clerics and rogues:

Clerics are becoming obsoleted by changes in the game in the same way the Rogue class has. My impression is that people don’t much care to wait for a rescue/raise. People don’t need or want an Intercession, Communion, or Symbol of the Proselyte, I think as a function of religion taking a backseat in modern times as a role play dynamic. Clerics feel like pure casters with severely limited options that double as a PEZ dispenser for Chrism gems for players.

-post-cap cleric

Our utility is fine in the area it’s meant to be: bringing people back to life. The problem is the same as picking. NOT using a player is the more efficient route these days. Decay, salve, use a pocket speller, and you’re good to go.. versus waiting 15 minutes to get raised. Chrisms are good, but everyone expects them so it’s just another part of raising and not a “cool little thing clerics might do for you.”

-post-cap cleric

Immaterial Deaths

Another two players expressed simply:

Salve made raises pointless for under $1.

-level 67 cleric

Death should suck and finding a cleric should be imperative. I say this as someone who mainly plays non-cleric characters. […] Clerics without a need for raises from other players might as well not exist.

-level 12 cleric

Competition and Pocket Clerics

Another two players spoke about competition from other players, whether pocket clerics or dedicated rescuers:

I made my cleric in the 90s due to the ability to resurrect which I thought was exclusive and awesome. It still is, but the need for clerics is far less now and rezzing feels far more monotonous. Back in the day, pre-lich, there was a good chance you’d decay if none of your friends came looking for you. Now there are usually rescuers searching for every person who dies and I just don’t feel like competing with them.

-post-cap cleric

With the massive increase in pocket clerics, the significance of Raise Dead is greatly diminished. The other class specific features are not meaningful as a whole (Holy Receptacle is 99% only used for Chrism, Prayer of Communion has no use, Relieve Burden seems pointless besides dispel fodder) .

-level 40 cleric

Hopes and Suggestions

Bookending Part 2 with more positive notes, three players simply wanted improvements for their raising.

I don’t want another “cleric only” defensive spell, but […] does it not make sense that at least one of our cleric spells should be castable onto that weak recently dead player when out on the icemule trail trying to get home? […] I carry a bag full of scrolls and wands and rods to help them but having the native ability to care for your rescued people is more important than anything else imo.

-level 72 cleric

Happily surprised that so far, I have nothing to dislike about my cleric. Then again, 32 levels is not really a lot. The only dissatisfaction I have is not with hunting but with money-making. People will pay for chrisms but not bother to tip on top of that.

-level 32 cleric

Roundtime reduction for 318 would be nice as well. And eliminate the roundtime for well of life. I think the days of needing to “slow down” clerics raising folks has passed

-post-cap cleric

Next Section

In Part 3 I’ll discuss one of the biggest topics from the survey: CS spells.

Leafi

Leafi reports on current events in and around Wehnimer’s Landing, where she can often be found dashing about day and night! She also hosts public Town Hall meetings in the Landing and helps with numerous TownCrier projects behind the scenes, including entirely too many proposals that create more work for Luxie. Does this lass’s troublemaking know no end?