[Jim]

Originally posted by Assassin: No, they cannot. However, a Mage can also cast a non-resistable Sunfire or Dragon Breaths.

Good point regarding the sunfire and dragons breath, but lets assume that we're dealing with intelligent enemies that are immune to fire damage (so we can rule out firestorm too). There are times when even a mage will have to resort to melee.

And, Stoneskin/PfMW for Tanking is very useful. Who needs AC, when it's virtuably impossible to damage the person? Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that

But the mages protections are temporary and dispellable/breachable. The cleric unbuffed is naturally very protected. PfMW is no good against normal weapons and stoneskins will disapear very quickly if your surrounded by enemies with high APR rates. Magical protections aren't guaranteed to protect you for long, especially against intelligent foes. AC is definately not to be ignored.

Clerics may be powerful, but not single-classed ones. At least, in my opinion.

So you don't think the ability to heal the entire party including all summons in a single spell casting isn't powerful? For the average party, in terms of buffing and healing, clerics are the only choice.