The standard gear for a cleric would be:
- chainmail (40gp)
- mace (any other weapon would do but a mace is more standard) (5gp)
- adventurer's kit (15gp)
- holy symbol (10gp)
- ritual book (50gp)
Together this would amount to 120 GP.
Is the cleric meant to start with suboptimal gear or am I doing something wrong here?
For the Wizard, if you neglected to purchase one, you couldn't really play your character, so presumably the game wouldn't even let you do that. Similar reasoning for the Cleric that it is just free.
The language in the classes also implies you just "have" the book and don't have to buy it extra. It doesn't imply that you "have" armor and weapons though (I think).
The majority opinion (at least on these boards) is that both Clerics and Wizards get their Ritual/Spellbook for free.
I know that most say the wizard gets his spellbook, because his class feature basically says "You now have a spellbook." I don't think the same holds for the cleric's rituals, however; I'd say you'd either have to get a cheaper kind of armor or hold off on the ritual book until a bit later.
I know that most say the wizard gets his spellbook, because his class feature basically says "You now have a spellbook." I don't think the same holds for the cleric's rituals, however; I'd say you'd either have to get a cheaper kind of armor or hold off on the ritual book until a bit later.
You don't see a very similar statement?
You possess a ritual book
So now the only question is ... how are you going to spend that extra 30gp?! :D
Risiduum, of course!
You don't see a very similar statement?
Really? Hmm...I must have missed that. Is the ability called "Ritual book"? If not, I probably just glossed over it as "Cleric gets Ritual casting for free." Thanks for the correction.
* Dagger (1 gp)
* Crossbow (25 gp)
* Chainmail (40 gp)
* Holy symbol (10 gp)
* Standard adventurer's kit (15 gp)
This leaves us with 4 gp.
The holy symbol in itself does absolutely nothing.
PHB. 62
"Implement
Clerics make use of holy symbols to help channel and
direct their divine powers. A cleric wearing or holding
a magic holy symbol can add its enhancement
bonus to the attack rolls and the damage rolls of cleric
powers, as well as cleric paragon path powers, that
have the implement keyword. Without a holy symbol,
a cleric can still use these powers, but he or she doesn’t
gain the bonus provided by the magic implement."
He doesn't need it to cast his implement based spells, it would boost his spells BUT it is just a holy symbol, (its not magical, has no +1,+2 ect.) so it in fact Doesn't boost to his attack and at first level is pretty much a waste of gp.
The Cheapest Holy Symbol that actually gives any enhancement is a +1
and at lvl 1 with just 100 gp it's out of your price range at a mere 360gp.
(PHB. 237)
Secondly you're not obligated to give your players ONLY 100gp to start with they could just HAVE the gear, makes sense since they have been training in their specific classes for a certain part of their life up to this point where they reach level 1(which means you're not a pessant or commoner anymore and are magically or phisically stronger than NPCs)
Slight Mistakes
The holy symbol in itself does absolutely nothing.
This is true; however, I've found that most clerics want a holy symbol of some sort regardless for the RP aspect. Heck, one cleric in my 3e campaign prepared only spells that didn't need a divine focus and then made a big deal about buying three or four holy symbols and hiding them everywhere on his person, just so any captors would think that he needed them and that they could render him less powerful by taking them all.
Two, I don't mind wearing leather armor, or going with a less then optimal equipment for the first adventure. After the first adventure you will get the gold and equipment to get you what you need sort of.
It's a matter of taste though.
Secondly you're not obligated to give your players ONLY 100gp to start with they could just HAVE the gear, makes sense since they have been training in their specific classes for a certain part of their life up to this point where they reach level 1(which means you're not a pessant or commoner anymore and are magically or phisically stronger than NPCs)
That's what the 100gp represents; the things they have accumulated over their level 1 lives. Second paragraph in the Equipment chapter.
Also I really think it would be strange to have characters pay for some items they have and not for others. It's just not right in my opinion.
I play solo, but I had all my characters buy their "flavor" items and spellbooks. One because I like to start a game by having to make hard choices.;)
Two, I don't mind wearing leather armor, or going with a less then optimal equipment for the first adventure. After the first adventure you will get the gold and equipment to get you what you need sort of.
It's a matter of taste though.
Then you really should be charging the wizard 200 gold for their ritual/spellbook and the cleric 150 gold for their ritual book. Don't forget that a wizard starts knowing 3 rituals and a cleric 2 rituals. 1st level rituals cost 50 gold each to buy so ...
Or you can simply let them start with the ritual book and spell book. Because if you don't I as a player would buy the book later then go.... "oh wow look at these rituals that magically appeared in it." The ritual book/spell book is how they "know" their starting rituals. So if they don't start with the book they don't actually know any rituals to start with. Yet the rules clearly state that they stat with X number of rituals known.
Backpack
Bedroll
Belt Pouch
and Waterskin
For a total of 4.1gp...saves like 10.9gp in the process...
Someone else is bound to have flint and steel, and err, food, well, begging at the local temple is not beneath her.
Heh.
Fox
Hey there people, I've been meaning to ask about this ever since I made a cleric PC.
The standard gear for a cleric would be:
- chainmail (40gp)
- mace (any other weapon would do but a mace is more standard) (5gp)
- adventurer's kit (15gp)
- holy symbol (10gp)
- ritual book (50gp)
Together this would amount to 120 GP.
Is the cleric meant to start with suboptimal gear or am I doing something wrong here?
The way it SHOULD read.
- chainmail (40gp)
- mace (any other weapon would do but a mace is more standard) (5gp)
- adventurer's kit (15gp)
Together this would amount to 60 GP. Spend the other 40 GP anyway you want.
He doesn't need it to cast his implement based spells, it would boost his spells BUT it is just a holy symbol, (its not magical, has no +1,+2 ect.) so it in fact Doesn't boost to his attack and at first level is pretty much a waste of gp.
The Cheapest Holy Symbol that actually gives any enhancement is a +1
and at lvl 1 with just 100 gp it's out of your price range at a mere 360gp.
(PHB. 237)
A Cleric without a holy symbol?
Even if it doesn't do anything, I would think it was part of his vestments, part of his worship, because you know that is how Clerics get to be Clerics, they worship their deity.
Imagine, if you will, a devote catholic priest who never owned a rosery? I think it would be absurd to start without a Holy Symbol, and certainly not simply for meta-gaming reasons to get a pitance of extra gold.
A Cleric without a holy symbol?
Even if it doesn't do anything, I would think it was part of his vestments, part of his worship, because you know that is how Clerics get to be Clerics, they worship their deity.
Imagine, if you will, a devote catholic priest who never owned a rosery? I think it would be absurd to start without a Holy Symbol, and certainly not simply for meta-gaming reasons to get a pitance of extra gold.
Well, if we are talking real life then a devote catholic priest's basic rosary costs 10% of what he has?
Using real life to point out what an imaginary religion might do doesn't really make sense. Some might hold the god and the priest more important than the trappings. Some priests may be of an unpopular god. Some might be from a merchant god were wasting money (IE buying a holy symbol when it's not needed) is a sin. Some might be from a god of mystery and doesn't want everyone to know what his god is.
There are as many times when a priest may NOT want to have a holy symbol. That's all on the roleplaying side. It's up to each character and normal holy symbols shouldn't be in the 'basic cleric' equipment list.
This is true; however, I've found that most clerics want a holy symbol of some sort regardless for the RP aspect. Heck, one cleric in my 3e campaign prepared only spells that didn't need a divine focus and then made a big deal about buying three or four holy symbols and hiding them everywhere on his person, just so any captors would think that he needed them and that they could render him less powerful by taking them all.
Awesome.
Well, if we are talking real life then a devote catholic priest's basic rosary costs 10% of what he has?
Using real life to point out what an imaginary religion might do doesn't really make sense. Some might hold the god and the priest more important than the trappings. Some priests may be of an unpopular god. Some might be from a merchant god were wasting money (IE buying a holy symbol when it's not needed) is a sin. Some might be from a god of mystery and doesn't want everyone to know what his god is.
There are as many times when a priest may NOT want to have a holy symbol. That's all on the roleplaying side. It's up to each character and normal holy symbols shouldn't be in the 'basic cleric' equipment list.
At level 1 it is easy for anything to cost 10% of what you have. Considering that in real life most people have a whole house full of belongings, closets full of clothings, etc which is unlike an adventurer in a fantasy game who is lucky to start off with a single set of clothes on his back and the most rudementary amount of equipment that he can carry on his person.
Starting equipment lists are not based upon the sum of the GP value or that equipment, that is why wizards don't have to buy their begining spellbook (which would be expensive), placing a price tag on starting gear and complaining about the Cleric's holy symbol costing a whopping 10gp is ignoring the free ritual book. Which makes the symbol worth less then 5% of what he has.
At level 1 it is easy for anything to cost 10% of what you have. Considering that in real life most people have a whole house full of belongings, closets full of clothings, etc which is unlike an adventurer in a fantasy game who is lucky to start off with a single set of clothes on his back and the most rudementary amount of equipment that he can carry on his person.
Yep, that's why comparing 4e clerics to real life priests is a bad idea.
Starting equipment lists are not based upon the sum of the GP value or that equipment, that is why wizards don't have to buy their begining spellbook (which would be expensive), placing a price tag on starting gear and complaining about the Cleric's holy symbol costing a whopping 10gp is ignoring the free ritual book. Which makes the symbol worth less then 5% of what he has.
Less than 5%?
That only works out if you add the cost of their book and rituals to the starting wealth. An interesting way to look at it but 2.5% of total wealth is still greater than the amount a starting cleric NEEDS to spend on a holy symbol, 0%.In our game, implements are in the same category as costume jewelry. They look pretty but are just for show (except for the wizard). If someone wants to wear/carry around bling, that's up to them. It's purely there for vanity sake.