I’m a human Life Cleric and now level 2 and at the moment I feel a bit of a hindrance to my party. I really need some outside guidance on what spells I should be preparing knowing I’m going to battle and knowing we are just exploring. Can anyone help with what should be to hand? I have Bless and Cure Wounds as always prepared but what should sit with them to keep me well balanced? I’ve only played as Rouge and Ranger so this is my first big steps into magic and feel a little overwhelmed!
If no one has died, I'm sure you're not a hinderance.
For a level 2 life cleric, I'd prep healing word in addition to cure wounds. and keep healing word throughout, you'll probably get more mileage out of a bonus action heal. Remember that the way the math works in this edition, you won't out-heal enemy damage. It's often a reasonable choice to wait for an ally to drop, then use healing word to get them back up. For example, if the fighter has 1hp left, and enemies are doing 10 damage. You healing the fighter for 6 will effectively be a wasted spell slot/action, since the fighter is going down next time they're hit either way. So your job is more to stop people dying than it is to stop them dropping.
Also, hopefully, you have guidance as one of your cantrips, and you are spamming that out of combat. If you don't, look at it next time you get a new cantrip. Detect magic is useful for a ritual spell, if no one else has it; it's all but necessary for one person to have, but all but useless for a second person to have it. Some people swear by guiding bolt if you really want to do some damage, personally, I have awful luck with that spell, but that's just me.
As a life cleric, you've got heavy armor, and probably the str score to use it. So, you're probably pretty decent in melee right now, don't be afraid to mix it up and whack things with your mace, or whatever you use. Just realize as your wis goes up, and you get more spell slots, you'll find spell attacks are going to be better options.
Level 3 will give you spiritual weapon, and hold person, they'll start giving you some offensive punch.
Then at level 5, you'll get spirit guardians, at which point, you'll be doing very reliable passive damage while also dishing out the heals. Just watch the concentration. And revivify, which will really stop your allies dying. I'd suggest putting aside any 300 gp diamonds you find starting now, with an eye toward using them at level 5. Or buying some if you come across them. Tell the party it's so you can keep them alive, and they'll usually be willing to chip in for the cost. If you use spell component rules, look at warcaster for a level 4 feat, as it will help you with casting spells with your hands full.
Thanks for taking the time to reply i appreciate that. I have Healing word prepped but didn't think to use iyt that way, thanks that makes total sense. Guidance i don't have so ill look at prepping that so as a cantrip i can use that EVERY time someone makes an ability check?
Guidance i don't have so ill look at prepping that so as a cantrip i can use that EVERY time someone makes an ability check?
It has a casting time of an action, a range of touch, it uses concentration and lasts for a minute. But, generally, out of combat, you can get a lot of use from it. And bounded accuracy means that even at level 20, the extra 1-4 on a check will come in handy. Yes, you use it on pretty much every ability check, though concentration means only one ally at a time. Still, it ends up being one of the most powerful cantrips in the game, if not one of the most powerful spells, if only because of how much use you get from it.
Healing word is great, since its got good range and you still get your action. So you can still melee or cantrip attack an enemy, and use your bonus action healing word to stop someone from dying from 30 feet away.
I am playing life cleric in my current campaign. Played ranger before.
I like command spell at level 2. Command a creature to stop in its tracks and grovel prone giving rest of party advantage. Guiding bolt for attack, and on a hit next attack against enemy has advantage. Shield of faith - boost a front line friend AC, while you stay back and shoot sacred flame cantrip.
You need an attack cantrip like Toll the dead. Guiding bolt can be your level one attack spell. Oh, Guidance is a great cantrip. lev 3, spiritual weapon is good.
Bless is one of my favorite cleric spells. When I play cleric, I use it very often. I keep Healing Word prepared to get people up when they go down. I don't use Cure Wounds much, since it eats my action...until I get spirit guardians/spiritual weapon. Trying to stay ahead of damage is inefficient, so I don't try outside certain circumstances. Think about it, a bandit hits your teammate with a rapier for 1d8+3. You move up and cast cure wounds for 1d8+3 damage healed. you're right back where you're started and when the bandit hits your friend on next round, he's going to be down the same thing he was last time. I tend to let my teammates drop, then pick them up.
So for me, the same combat would look like, bandit hits my buddy for 1d8+3. I cast bless and get a buff out on the party. bandit hits my buddy for 1d8+3 and knocks him out. I use a bonus action to cast healing word for 1d4+3 hit points back to him, so he can get back up and fight. Then, with my action I cast Toll the Dead on the bandit and hit him for 1d8 or 1d12 damage, depending on how he's been hurt. I can rarely keep ahead of the damage curve, so I don't try. I play safety to pick people up, then use my turn to deal damage when I can. That damage is more useful towards ending the counter, than keeping someone specific on their feet.
There are exceptions; a caster concentrating on something useful, I will try to keep up. A barbarian raging (only taking half damage) is worth keeping active because I CAN get ahead on that damage curve.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I’m a human Life Cleric and now level 2 and at the moment I feel a bit of a hindrance to my party. I really need some outside guidance on what spells I should be preparing knowing I’m going to battle and knowing we are just exploring. Can anyone help with what should be to hand? I have Bless and Cure Wounds as always prepared but what should sit with them to keep me well balanced? I’ve only played as Rouge and Ranger so this is my first big steps into magic and feel a little overwhelmed!
If all else fails, cast bless on your martial allies. They will love you for it. Even if you're not directly dealing a lot of damage, the increased chance to hit you'll be granting to your companions will be well received.
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I’m a human Life Cleric and now level 2 and at the moment I feel a bit of a hindrance to my party. I really need some outside guidance on what spells I should be preparing knowing I’m going to battle and knowing we are just exploring. Can anyone help with what should be to hand? I have Bless and Cure Wounds as always prepared but what should sit with them to keep me well balanced? I’ve only played as Rouge and Ranger so this is my first big steps into magic and feel a little overwhelmed!
If no one has died, I'm sure you're not a hinderance.
For a level 2 life cleric, I'd prep healing word in addition to cure wounds. and keep healing word throughout, you'll probably get more mileage out of a bonus action heal. Remember that the way the math works in this edition, you won't out-heal enemy damage. It's often a reasonable choice to wait for an ally to drop, then use healing word to get them back up. For example, if the fighter has 1hp left, and enemies are doing 10 damage. You healing the fighter for 6 will effectively be a wasted spell slot/action, since the fighter is going down next time they're hit either way. So your job is more to stop people dying than it is to stop them dropping.
Also, hopefully, you have guidance as one of your cantrips, and you are spamming that out of combat. If you don't, look at it next time you get a new cantrip. Detect magic is useful for a ritual spell, if no one else has it; it's all but necessary for one person to have, but all but useless for a second person to have it. Some people swear by guiding bolt if you really want to do some damage, personally, I have awful luck with that spell, but that's just me.
As a life cleric, you've got heavy armor, and probably the str score to use it. So, you're probably pretty decent in melee right now, don't be afraid to mix it up and whack things with your mace, or whatever you use. Just realize as your wis goes up, and you get more spell slots, you'll find spell attacks are going to be better options.
Level 3 will give you spiritual weapon, and hold person, they'll start giving you some offensive punch.
Then at level 5, you'll get spirit guardians, at which point, you'll be doing very reliable passive damage while also dishing out the heals. Just watch the concentration. And revivify, which will really stop your allies dying. I'd suggest putting aside any 300 gp diamonds you find starting now, with an eye toward using them at level 5. Or buying some if you come across them. Tell the party it's so you can keep them alive, and they'll usually be willing to chip in for the cost. If you use spell component rules, look at warcaster for a level 4 feat, as it will help you with casting spells with your hands full.
Thanks for taking the time to reply i appreciate that. I have Healing word prepped but didn't think to use iyt that way, thanks that makes total sense. Guidance i don't have so ill look at prepping that so as a cantrip i can use that EVERY time someone makes an ability check?
It has a casting time of an action, a range of touch, it uses concentration and lasts for a minute. But, generally, out of combat, you can get a lot of use from it. And bounded accuracy means that even at level 20, the extra 1-4 on a check will come in handy. Yes, you use it on pretty much every ability check, though concentration means only one ally at a time. Still, it ends up being one of the most powerful cantrips in the game, if not one of the most powerful spells, if only because of how much use you get from it.
Healing word is great, since its got good range and you still get your action. So you can still melee or cantrip attack an enemy, and use your bonus action healing word to stop someone from dying from 30 feet away.
I am playing life cleric in my current campaign. Played ranger before.
I like command spell at level 2. Command a creature to stop in its tracks and grovel prone giving rest of party advantage. Guiding bolt for attack, and on a hit next attack against enemy has advantage. Shield of faith - boost a front line friend AC, while you stay back and shoot sacred flame cantrip.
You need an attack cantrip like Toll the dead. Guiding bolt can be your level one attack spell. Oh, Guidance is a great cantrip. lev 3, spiritual weapon is good.
Food, Scifi/fantasy, anime, DND 5E and OSR geek.
Bless is one of my favorite cleric spells. When I play cleric, I use it very often. I keep Healing Word prepared to get people up when they go down. I don't use Cure Wounds much, since it eats my action...until I get spirit guardians/spiritual weapon. Trying to stay ahead of damage is inefficient, so I don't try outside certain circumstances. Think about it, a bandit hits your teammate with a rapier for 1d8+3. You move up and cast cure wounds for 1d8+3 damage healed. you're right back where you're started and when the bandit hits your friend on next round, he's going to be down the same thing he was last time. I tend to let my teammates drop, then pick them up.
So for me, the same combat would look like, bandit hits my buddy for 1d8+3. I cast bless and get a buff out on the party. bandit hits my buddy for 1d8+3 and knocks him out. I use a bonus action to cast healing word for 1d4+3 hit points back to him, so he can get back up and fight. Then, with my action I cast Toll the Dead on the bandit and hit him for 1d8 or 1d12 damage, depending on how he's been hurt. I can rarely keep ahead of the damage curve, so I don't try. I play safety to pick people up, then use my turn to deal damage when I can. That damage is more useful towards ending the counter, than keeping someone specific on their feet.
There are exceptions; a caster concentrating on something useful, I will try to keep up. A barbarian raging (only taking half damage) is worth keeping active because I CAN get ahead on that damage curve.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
if you can spare reaction, time channel divinity with the ready action, do that well on emergencies and it's gonna be awesome, for 1st level non-concentration at range with bonus action it's the healing word spell as mentioned
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If all else fails, cast bless on your martial allies. They will love you for it. Even if you're not directly dealing a lot of damage, the increased chance to hit you'll be granting to your companions will be well received.