Cleric/Paladin town question

[MThurston]

I know most of us do not handle these two classes correctly. So I would like to ask questions.

Are they mugged at the city gates for healing?

Are they looked as super doctos? People with broken limbs asking for healing?

How much is charged for such services?

Anyone else already deal with this and what are you doing?

[JackPhoenix]

Does anyone recognize they have divine magic on sight? A cleric or a paladin, at first glance, does not look any different than anyone else wearing armor and carrying a weapon. Maybe they are carrying holy symbols, but those propably aren't uncommon either.

They are (well, clerics are) servants of the gods. Most people wouln't ask a servant of a death god or a war god or whatever to heal them, would they?

And how much they ask for their services.... *if* they offer their services at all... is up to the individual cleric and faith. Cleric of a god of healing may help for free, within reason... their powers aren't limitless, after all. Other clerics may ask for gold, goods, services, or simply a show of devotion... why waste your divinely granted power on unbelievers?

It's even more individual with paladins, as their powers have no connection to gods... paladin does whatever he wants, but their primary purpose isn't healing, it's combat.

[MThurston]

Does anyone recognize they have divine magic on sight? A cleric or a paladin, at first glance, does not look any different than anyone else wearing armor and carrying a weapon. Maybe they are carrying holy symbols, but those propably aren't uncommon either.

They are (well, clerics are) servants of the gods. Most people wouln't ask a servant of a death god or a war god or whatever to heal them, would they?

And how much they ask for their services.... *if* they offer their services at all... is up to the individual cleric and faith. Cleric of a god of healing may help for free, within reason... their powers aren't limitless, after all. Other clerics may ask for gold, goods, services, or simply a show of devotion... why waste your divinely granted power on unbelievers?

It's even more individual with paladins, as their powers have no connection to gods... paladin does whatever he wants, but their primary purpose isn't healing, it's combat.

They look different than others. Very different.

So you don't do anything. Got it.

[KorvinStarmast]

I know most of us do not handle these two classes correctly.
Speak for yourslf. :smallbiggrin:


Are they mugged at the city gates for healing? Not in any game that I have played or DM'd. That may have to do with the fact that the clerics are usually also in the company of from 3 to 5 other PCs, some of whom are heavily armed and armored, and / or barbarians with great big axes. :smallbiggrin:

Let's say that my nephew's cleric walks into town. With her are the following:
A dwarf in chain mail with a war hammer and a shield. (Fighter, Champion)
A barbarian who is about 6'6" tall, who carries a Great Axe (as easily as you or I might carry a tennis racket).
A paladin in chain mail with a shield and a long sword.

If anyone tries to mug the cleric, they'll get their butts kicked in about no time at all. Not to mention that sometimes, the Monk or the Bard show up, and sometimes the Dragon Born sorcerer, gold, is in the cleric's company. If a crowd tries to mug the cleric, one breath will disperse the crowd, right? :smallbiggrin:


Are they looked as super doctos?
No.

People with broken limbs asking for healing? Yes. My life cleric frequently offers healing during down time.

How much is charged for such services? Depends on the customer. For the widows and orphans? Usually no charge, or maybe ask for a favor.

For the wealthy? Prices per PHB, negotiable if favors are available. Role playing.

Anyone else already deal with this and what are you doing? I also sometimes quick heal enemies who went down ... particularly if the murder hobo in our group killed someone out of hand.
I don't want our party run out of town on a rail.

[Silly Name]

They look different than others. Very different.

That's a big assumption. Not every cleric is going to wear their priestly garments 24/h, especially adventurers just entering town after a long journey. Likewise, paladins don't all wear flashy armour signalling their status: go look at the artwork for the 3.5 Paladin in the PHB, the only divine symbol she has is a small tattoo of Heironeous' holy symbol on her inner forearm, for the rest she is simply an armed woman with armor.

If someone in my games is a cleric, they might get commoners begging them to heal a relative, or the local temple of their deity asking them to partecipate in some festivity or ritual. But the average person is going to be in awe and respect of someone channelling the very power of the gods, raising arms against them unless in self-defence is illegal in most cities as to avoid drawing divine ire on the community.

But in general I don't think it's very fun to have players get pestered by NPCs in need of mundane task. If the player is seeking an hospital or orphanage to aid, or has told me they'd like for their character to be someone who spends time preaching and aiding others. It's the same reason I don't have NPCs go around demanding this or that song from the party bard, it's not some particularly interesting roleplay moment to badger players with.

[MThurston]

Many people ask me if I am prior Military the first time talking to me. Must be the way I walk and hold myself.

But I see that its not a thing people role-play. Which is what I thought.

Seems there is no interest in discussing how it would really effect the world they play in.

[JNAProductions]

What’s the difference in look between a Life Cleric and a pious Fighter?

Moreover, the use of the word “mugged” is probably not what you’re looking for.

[MThurston]

What’s the difference in look between a Life Cleric and a pious Fighter?

Moreover, the use of the word “mugged” is probably not what you’re looking for.

It is.

I would think that when a group of adventurers arrive people would be asking questions. Once they find out that a healer type is there, people would seek them out.

The leper, the father looking to cure his sick daughter.

[Aussiehams]

I see your point, but look at it this way. IRL People know rich people could pay for their medicine, new car, food etc.
Most people don't approach them and ask for help, even if they really need it.

I personally don't see how you could tell the difference between a cleric or a pious fighter by looking at them, so I guess it comes down to aesthetic, and especially which Gods and religions we are talking about.

[JackPhoenix]

They look different than others. Very different.

So you don't do anything. Got it.

I do. I have the world react realistically. People don't magically know someone's a cleric if there isn't clear indication (and holy symbol isn't one... in my current group, the character who bears a holy symbol is a rogue, the one with actual healing magic wouldn't move a finger to help some random commoners even if they somehow figured out she can heal, and the one who would be willing to help is a fighter with Healer feat, who looks like random retired soldier.... which he is. In another group, 3 out of 6 characters have holy symbol, and only one of them is a cleric), they don't bother heavily armed strangers on sight, they don't expect servants of gods to deal with problems not falling into their deity's portfolio, and there's no universal price table everyone follows.

People go to priests if they need spiritual help, or have a problem that falls under that god's jurisdiction. If they get sick, they will go to a healer, who may be a priest serving a god of healing, a studied doctor, village midwife or that weird hermit living in the woods, who may or may not be a witch. And neither of them necessarily knows any magic at all.

[HappyDaze]

I know most of us do not handle these two classes correctly. So I would like to ask questions.

Are they mugged at the city gates for healing?

Are they looked as super doctos? People with broken limbs asking for healing?

How much is charged for such services?

Anyone else already deal with this and what are you doing?

Why would people in town need healing so badly? Anyone that needs healing can just take a Long Rest and be fine. Sure, hazardous jobs (like adventuring) might make the need for healing between Long Rests a thing, but those jobs shouldn't be all that common.

[Expired]

Why would people in town need healing so badly? Anyone that needs healing can just take a Long Rest and be fine. Sure, hazardous jobs (like adventuring) might make the need for healing between Long Rests a thing, but those jobs shouldn't be all that common.
It would probably be for more persistent injuries/illnesses that are not abated with a long rest such as anything cured by Greater Restoration, and to a lesser extent, Lesser Restoration, Cure Poison and Disease, etc.

[HappyDaze]

It would probably be for more persistent injuries/illnesses that are not abated with a long rest such as anything cured by Greater Restoration, and to a lesser extent, Lesser Restoration, Cure Poison and Disease, etc.

Such things are far less common in D&D than in real life.

[Keravath]

1) Adventurers may be obviously adventurers or at least travelers but their classes and capabilities are unknown. It isn't immediately obvious they are a cleric or paladin.

2) How many chaotic evil cleric's or paladin's would you need to accost before deciding that it was unsafe to approach any of them. Mob tries to mob a chaotic evil cleric who then giggles while flaying the upstart alive as the crowd tries to disappear into the side streets. Personally, I wouldn't be approaching any cleric in those circumstances.

3) If the world has paladins and clerics, it also has temples. Temples are buildings, set in villages, towns, cities that contain lots of clerics/acolytes and even paladins. It would be much safer for the general populace to journey to a temple that at least partly supports itself by offering services than to approach random possible cleric adventurer on the street.

So, no, I don't think it likely that possible adventurers with healing abilities would be immediately mobbed unless ... they were known, there were no temples available within a week of travel and there was a desperate need for some sort of healing. Even then, the approach would likely be cautious since a commoner can be killed with one swipe of the adventurer's weapon and there are a lot of adventurers out there who are not nice people despite whatever your players decide to play.

[Segev]

It sounds to me like the OP more means “mobbed by people begging for miracles” than “mugged and held at knifepoint with the demand of ‘your spell slots or your hp.’”

I imagine the whole party is mobbed if recognizes adventurers and the town has a problem that they need such people for.

[KorvinStarmast]

1. Many people ask me if I am prior Military the first time talking to me. Must be the way I walk and hold myself.
2. But I see that its not a thing people role-play. Which is what I thought.
3. Seems there is no interest in discussing how it would really effect the world they play in.
1. What does that have to do with your question, this topic? :smallconfused:
2. "What" is a thing people do not role play? :smallconfused:
3. Uh, you are getting responses to your post. Discussing is happening. :smallconfused:

I would think that when a group of adventurers arrive people would be asking questions. Once they find out that a healer type is there, people would seek them out.

The leper, the father looking to cure his sick daughter. You might want to read my answer again. When you asked about "being mugged" the connotation is that people were ganging up on them, which is what getting mugged means.

Are they mugged at the city gates for healing?
Do you mean mobbed, like the passages in the New Testament where Jesus is being followed by crowds begging him to heal them?

[follacchioso]

This is a very good question.

Most clerics and paladins are clearly recognizable, as they proudly show their holy symbols and garments. This may especially be true of characters with Good/Legal alignments, although some Evil cleric/paladins may also be easy to recognize. Other divinities such as Tymora may prefer to stay more under the radar, though.

There is actually material for a lot of RP interactions here. A cleric / paladin arriving in a new village may certainly look for people to help out, while spreading the word of their God. Personally I think that Paladins, having high Charisma, should quickly become people of fame everywhere they go, and this is a good way to obtain a positive reputation.

There are other factors to take into account, though. There are other clerics and divinities out there, and you should expect that every town should already have allegiance to a specific faith. Asking for help to a new comer from another religion may be seen as something suspicious, and some folks may be wary of doing it, even if they are in need. In larger cities, there are likely to be other temples and churches, already providing such services.

[Democratus]

If it's a city with gates, then it is already big enough to have plenty of clerics. Otherwise, they wouldn't even know what clerics look like or that they mean healing.

So it's not likely there's any need for the very rare situations where someone has a medical situation that isn't cured by a long rest but hasn't already killed them.

[Sam113097]

This opens up another question: are commoners constantly mobbing the local temples/priests for magical healing? I might understand a “mob” forming when a healer arrives in a tiny village with no magically-gifted clerics, but in most cases, people in towns and cities will already have their own healers, and wouldn’t necessarily be waiting at the gates for a paladin/cleric to show up.

Additionally, there is the issue of clerics of different gods and domains. If a commoner needs healing, is he or she likely to desperately approach an Arcana or Trickery Cleric? Would mobbing an Oath Of Vengeance Paladin really be the best way to get yourself cured?

Still, it is true that Paladins/Clerics are often recognizable. When the party I DM for arrives at a new settlement, I usually have the local religious faction greet/contact them.

[Samayu]

How recognizable are adventurers, and what is their reputation? Are adventurers generally murderhobos? Do commoners feel comfortable walking up to the equivalent of a biker gang to ask for their help?

How often do such adventurers come wandering through a town of a given size?

How recognizable are clerics and paladins, with regard to their ability to use magic? I would assume there are a lot of muggle clergy around. And soldiers or knights with a certain bearing and set of standards.

If adventurers have access to such easy healing, maybe the towns have it too, so adventurers wouldn't be set upon, except as a plot device.

I don't really have answers for these questions. It's up to you, since it's your world. The attitudes can certainly be different in different towns, so feel free to play through all the different scenarios each time they go to a new town.