I'm new to the whole D&D scene. Our group put together a fairly balanced party, with me playing a War Cleric (we needed a “tank”).
My problem is that I can't figure out how to roleplay such a character! There seem to be paradoxical elements to being a War Cleric:
- As a Cleric I would have thought that piety and an overwhelming urge to do right would define my character's behaviour.
- A Cleric who worships a War God would probably not be the typical do-gooder of my first thought.
Additionally, pious and driven to do the right thing seems too close to how a Paladin should be played, so maybe that's not right for a Cleric anyway.
I understand that the game is what I make of it but I could use some help resolving my somewhat paradoxical understanding of what a War Cleric should do in most situations we encounter, especially as I'm the “tank”.
Best Answer
The onus of the Cleric class is to serve and represent their deity. Like all flavor/background things, this can be filtered through whatever other lenses you want (alignment, background, your vision).
If the deity values piety and an overwhelming urge to do right, then the cleric should consider doing likewise.
On the other hand, if the deity values honor and swift action, the cleric should probably consider himself to be called upon to do the same.
Here are two example war gods, each a bit different:
Athena values strategy and tactics. She favors wisdom and defending people who need her protection.
Ares values prowess on the battlefield. He favors strength and defeating those who oppose him.
Given the conundrum of whether to stay back and protect the village or root out the bandits who are harassing it, the cleric of Athena would be more about protecting the village. The cleric of Ares would be more about hunting the bandits down.
In broad stereotypes, I'd expect a half-orc war cleric to be a bit of a Klingon. Naturally, you can go wherever you want with the concept.
Your observation that war clerics are similar to paladins is spot-on. Both are heavily armored front-line fighters who serve a higher calling.
The distinction is that a paladin serves his oath above all else, while a cleric serves his god.