Clerics (neutral & Evil)

[darkmage]

Hi, I'm new here ....

I got a question for the experts.

I want to create a new party and was wondering what alignment of cleric to put in. I know how the "good" cleric turns undead. What happens when the the "neutral" and "evil" cleric turn undead?

And, which type of cleric has better spells?

[Morgeruat]

I believe the neutral clerics turn undead as well (in PnP they can choose to control or turn at creation, but n ot after) IIRC evil clerics still control undead.

[NobleNick]

Darkmage,

[img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . Welcome to the IWD forum! . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] . [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img]

Although I've never owned an evil Cleric, my understanding is that they can control undead. I have owned neutral Cleric mixes and can tell you that they (at least mine) do not control the undead that they turn.

My current party has a good DC Ranger/Cleric and a neutral DC Cleric/Fighter. I picked neutral alignment to allow the C/F to use "The Giving Star;" which is available very early in the game, and I am still using all the way into TotLM expansion.

EDIT: Just saw the spells question you had. alignment has a only a minor effect on the Cleric skill set. Acck! All of the following is IIRC: Good Clerics can cast Resurrection, and Evil can not; don't know about Neutral. Evil Clerics can use "Power Word: Kill" and Good Clerics can not; again, don't know about Neutral. Only Good Clerics may cast Shield of Lathlander (sp?), and only non-evil characters can be protected by it.

If you are doing a Single Class Cleric, and are interested in his support/spell skills, I would go with Good alignment, to get ability to cast Shield of L or Neutral for the Cleric/Warrior mix if you needed it to use a specific weapon. An Evil Cleric is a novelty as far as I am concerned: Losing Shield and Resurrection in order to get a few offensive spells and the ability to control turned undead is not (in my book) a good trade.

--------------------
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without a song?
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Party On!!


[ 05-13-2005, 10:45 AM: Message edited by: NobleNick ]

[pritchke]

I believe neutral gets to cast most spells that both evil and good can cast with a few exceptions. When they turn undead they act like good clerics repelling and destroying undead. Spellwise I think neutral clerics have a slight advantage, the disadvantage is they are denied a few higher level spells that can be cast only by good or evil and I can't remember what they are off the top of my head.

[ 05-13-2005, 01:22 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

[Aerich]

With regard to the Turn Undead skill, all clerics turn undead. When a cleric reaches a certain level in relation to the undead he/she is turning, something else happens that depends on the cleric's alignment. Good and neutral clerics can destroy undead outright, and evil clerics control them (exactly as if they were summons - although it is only for a limited period of time, after which they will become enemies again, like charmed creatures). In a large party, your cleric, no matter the alignment, is much more likely to turn undead than to destroy them - the level of the cleric relative to the undead you encounter will usually not be high enough to destroy/control undead.

For spells, I'd still give the advantage to good clerics, but it depends what you intend to use the cleric's spells for. Evil clerics have more offence-oriented spells (the reversals of heal, raise dead, and resurrection come to mind), but the disadvantage to these is that they are touch attacks.

Good clerics have access to the "higher" healing spells (cure critical wounds and heal) but cannot cast their reverse; as well, good clerics have access to a few other protection spells (the shield of lathander spells - very very useful, although of a short duration). Neutral clerics have access to some of the evil-oriented offensive clerical spells (and healing spell reverses), as well as the higher healing/resurrection spells. However, they do not have access to the shield of lathander spells.

To sum up my advice, if you only are taking one cleric, take a good one. If two, have the second be neutral or evil.

[ 05-13-2005, 05:16 PM: Message edited by: Aerich ]