Jim Bambra, co-writer of The Enemy Within for WFRP (a campaign I loved running), explores clerics in AD&D. But is his advice worth sharing with cleric players?
What’s it about?
Jim argues that parties need clerics—something I agree with—and notes that no one wants to play them. While this hasn’t been my experience with veteran players, new players might not see the value right away.
He advocates being a protagonist for their religion. I’d like to see my players do this more often. Jim also reminds us of the historical tie between religion and society, mentioning festivals, births, and deaths.
While Jim acknowledges clerics' inspiration from medieval religious orders like templars, I think their Hammer Horror vampire-hunter origins are equally relevant. He rejects the ‘meek cleric’ stereotype, reminding us that they are warriors—at level 1, they’re as effective in combat as fighters, with maces dealing the same damage as longswords.
I appreciate his suggestion that playing a high wisdom character means following the advice in the PHB (p. 107) on successful adventures.
He highlights the importance of divinations like augury, find traps, and detect evil. However, his advice on vetting party alignment is less relevant in games that don't delve into PvP. Finally, he suggests clerics recruit henchmen from their church's acolytes, offering notes that largely follow standard henchman acquisition rules.
Any new insights?
- The value of divinations is worth revisiting.
- Religion's historical tie to society is a helpful reminder for worldbuilding, especially for those like me who aren’t personally religious.
Should I share this with my players?
The article presents clerics as proactive champions of their faith and warriors for their cause, rejecting the role of support characters. It’s worth sharing with players, though it doesn’t make the “best of” list.
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