Is there something comparable to a priest? Meaning someone who doesn't really use melee weapons, wears robes and specializes in healing & support spells like a cleric.
The priest seems like such a staple of RPGs to me, much more so than the cleric (although I guess that's a D&D thing).
Take the Cleric's Knowledge or Light domain. They're made to attack with cantrips (see their Lv. 8 feature). If you don't melee with either of them, boost DEX instead of STR and wear robes if you want.
GladiusLegis wrote:
GladiusLegis wrote:
Making a custom "domain" which incorporates Unarmored Defence and similar things might be an even better fit if you want to go the full mile to creating that kind of supporty priest feel. Perhaps the "Peace" or "Tranquility" domain.
abs1nth wrote:
What I came up with so far:
Armor Proficiencies: None
Weapon Proficiencies: Club, Quarterstaff, Mace, Sickle, Sling
Priests get an extra cantrip:
Shielding Prayer (or something):
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V,S
Duration: 1 minute
Add your Wisdom modifier to your AC.
I really like the idea of the priest starting his combat with a prayer or the priest walking around mumbling his prayer in preparation for combat (as long as there isn't a need for stealth that is). This would also give priests a unique spin different from the monk class. The rest would be like the cleric class.
I've always felt that a true priest class...a cleric without armor nor weapon proficiencies, and with less hit points, but with buffed spellcasting capabilities is something that's always been missing from D&D....basically a priestly verson of a wizard.
Huntsman57 wrote:
Wasn't there originally the "Priest" archetype, along with Warrior. Rogue, and Wizard way back when? Clerics and Druids were both priests, and they definitely act like they're priests. Though obviously what you're looking for is a full-on caster class for healing. I guess the main reason one wouldn't exist is that the healer has to protect themselves somehow, and heavy armor definitely does the trick. Having divine armor of some kind could make sense, though. Their god protecting them in place of armor. Could either be something like Unarmored Defense like a Monk, or you could come up with some other way to make them less favorable targets even, like with Sanctuary?
You could also perhaps give them the sorts of powers Sorcerers have to empower and regain spells, since you will be focusing on them and can't really rely on melee when they're beat down?
Just some ideas rolling around.
abs1nth wrote:
In this this thread I posted a homebrew way to have an unarmored defense in a variety of themes, with one of them being divine protection. You could use that to have an unarmored but divinely-protected cleric.
Not really using weapons is easy enough to handle with the existing cantrips.
Wood Elf Cleric where you dump STR for high DEX? Seems like a legit by-the-rules way to do it now 
Heck, many other races work with this, too!
And as others mentioned Monk could be neat, but requires an awkward dip, and you don't get anything out of it other than +WIS to your AC. Though perhaps that's worth it?