Tips on roleplaying a Cleric of Helm?

[Corndog]

I've been RPing for a while, so I know the basics. But, I've never really played a cleric or otherwise religious character. I tend to play warriors, rogues and mages. I did have a paladin once, but I felt more like a LG knight.

We're going to be starting a campaign in a few days that takes place in and around Waterdeep one year after the Time of Troubles. I was one of the only clerics still active in Waterdeep (since Helm was still a deity during the ToT) and am going to have a focus on seeking to regain the people's favor (since most people hate Helm for what he did to Mystra)

I know how to play a cleric, but I don't think I know how to roleplay one very well. So, I'd appreciate any advice/tips that you guys can give me. Thanks!

[Rethmar]

I'd probably just make sure to uphold the law wherever you are. Order is basically divine and holy to you, so that's what you'll be all about.

To regain favor, you'll explain it from your point of view. "He was only doing his duty." "Order is needed to preserve lives."

[Jeff the Green]

Start a plague to increase the power of the creator race that's waking up and wants to reconquer the world?

[Corndog]

yeah and I'll name myself Desther, too

[Maginomicon]

Espouse your religion every chance you get, but only consider "chances" to be times when you're saving someone's life, and only espouse it to the person you're saving.

For example, when you bop the zombie attacking a civilian with your mace, ask the civilian "Would you like to convert to Helm?"

[Corndog]

I think I'm going to preach through my actions more often than through my words. That's the impression I seem to get from reading up on Helmites. You know, stuff like never betraying my trust and always protecting the weak. I've got Helm's Unsleeping Eye visible on my armor to remind people that Helm hasn't forgotten them or their plight

[ArcturusV]

My own 2 cp would be to go around kicking everyone square in the nuts, and say "HELM, BITCHES!" as you do it. That about fits your God's Dogma around that time.

But in all seriousness. The things with Clerics is that, well, you're NOT a priest. That's one of the hard lessons to learn. As a cleric, you're not supposed to be going out there and giving sermons. Helm has actual priests for that. Nah, Clerics are a bit more in the heavy hitter prospect. Your god is giving you divine power... not to tell people "Yea, Helm is Good, worship Helm. Kick innocent people square in the nuts! So Helm Commandeth!" but to go out and put the boot in stuff yourself.

Your Paladin is probably how you want to look at playing a Cleric. There's a reason the two often get compared. You're a soldier for a cause. Given the weapons by your God to do his will upon the world.

Sure you might tell someone about Helm if they corner you and ask you about it. Maybe tell a few stories about how you went around bashing people in the face, get them all excited and what not about how cool being a Cleric of Helm is. But it's not really your goal.

That's how I'd take it.

[Starmage21]

My own 2 cp would be to go around kicking everyone square in the nuts, and say "HELM, BITCHES!" as you do it. That about fits your God's Dogma around that time.

But in all seriousness. The things with Clerics is that, well, you're NOT a priest. That's one of the hard lessons to learn. As a cleric, you're not supposed to be going out there and giving sermons. Helm has actual priests for that. Nah, Clerics are a bit more in the heavy hitter prospect. Your god is giving you divine power... not to tell people "Yea, Helm is Good, worship Helm. Kick innocent people square in the nuts! So Helm Commandeth!" but to go out and put the boot in stuff yourself.

Your Paladin is probably how you want to look at playing a Cleric. There's a reason the two often get compared. You're a soldier for a cause. Given the weapons by your God to do his will upon the world.

Sure you might tell someone about Helm if they corner you and ask you about it. Maybe tell a few stories about how you went around bashing people in the face, get them all excited and what not about how cool being a Cleric of Helm is. But it's not really your goal.

That's how I'd take it.

I like this take on it. Clerics are holy warriors: one part priest, one part kick-ass. The difference between a cleric and a paladin is that the paladin is the champion for goodness, and gains power based on his utter devotion to being good and lawful. Clerics are champions for their god. Godless clerics muck things up a little bit, but its still the same concept.

[Yora]

Well, forgotten realms does not have those godless clerics.

[Starmage21]

Well, forgotten realms does not have those godless clerics.

Indeed the paladins are not godless either. They have to contend with both their devotion to goodness and law, and religious dogma. So what you get is clerics that are holy warriors/warrior-priests and paladins that dont do any priesting, but definitely live their deity's ideal.

[Corndog]

So what would you guys say are the primary differences between a Paladin and a LG Cleric of the same deity? (bar obvious mechanics)

mine is LN, but yeah I'm curious

[ArcturusV]

What I'd say is the difference?

Both are Soldiers of God/Cause. This is a given. Your Paladin is a crusader going out to smite evil. Your cleric is channeling divine magic to smite heathens, etc.

The difference comes in generally how they accomplish this. The Paladin is, iconicly (And more true in earlier editions like 2nd, or later like 4th) a lone crusader. A powerful warrior on an eternal quest to seek out evil. Their focus is internal and externally singular. They seek to get closer to the ideals they hold dear, and they seek to put the boot in specific evils. Paladins just have that sort of laser tight focus.

Clerics are... more social. That's really the difference in how they play out. Paladins aren't fit to be "Leaders" really (Just look at those lack of skill points, and half of them go into Ride just so they can use a class feature). Clerics however, are. Cleric powers are about the good of the group mostly. Even Evil clerics are designed to be Leaders by nature. It's why they're so good at Necromancy. But even Good aligned Clerics are still natural leaders. They're the kings of the Team Buffs. A cleric doesn't laser focus on taking down Evil so much as building a group that functions well enough to take down evil.

So the difference, again to me, would be in methodology.

Say there is the town of Reddragonsville being attacked by a Green Dragon:

The Paladin sees the devastation and death. Says, "Okay, time to end this" and goes out on a Dragon Hunt by himself, half cocked perhaps. He won't stupidly throw his life away, unless he IS stupid... Int isn't directly needed for Paladins so it's a possibility... but he KNOWS he is good. This dragon is evil, and he has to put a stop to it immediately.

Now say there is a town of Reddragonsville being attacked by Zombie Hordes:

The Cleric doesn't say, "Okay, undead, I'mma run out there!"... but he thinks it through. Undead have weaknesses he can exploit, but his own abilities to take out vampires and hordes alone aren't the best. His first concern, if he has the option, is to arm everyone else with the weapons they need to deal with it. He goes and blesses a ton of water for any peasants in the town with a good arm to chuck. He casts Magic Weapon on the militia men before they go into battle, throws out a few blesses... then wades into the fray to fight with his team, turning undead and bashing them in the face.

This isn't ALWAYS the case... but it seems to be. Paladin powers are geared at making the Paladin effective at fighting single targets. Paladin spells tend to be Touch or Self range, their spells power up their attacks, their warhorse is meant to give them Chargelot damage spikes that help take out singular, powerful enemies.

The Cleric gets all the things that are better if he has other people to cast it on. So he looks for other people. Sure, he could Magic Weapon himself... but it's better if he Magics up a Fighter's weapon. He could use a Bless on himself... but it's better if he has a gang of people by his side to get the effect as well, etc.

So the mechanics shape the behaviors which highlights the differences. They still have a lot in common. Divine power, causes, being more militant and outgoing about their faith than the common layman would be.

[Arcanist]

As a Cleric of Helm,YOU ARE THE LAW!

You're duty is to uphold the Law, because deep down in your heart, you know that the Law is the only thing that matters. To defy the Law is the defy everything that you stand for and as the Law, you will not be defied. You will be upheld, respected and by some worshiped. But ultimately... The only thing that deserves worship is THE LAW!

[CyberThread]

DON'T LISTEN TO THEM!


Helm's stick was not following LAWS, he was not the judge or the cop , he was the guard, the loyal guardian, the silent watchmen.


He did not make laws, heck most the time he did not enforce them. His sole purpose was to protect what was valued.



God of guardians, protection and protectors.


They were a neutral party if someone called out for help, and a impartial mediator, if asked for, they did not rule over others, or judge others.

[Andezzar]

Helm's stick was not following LAWS, he was not the judge or the cop , he was the guard, the loyal guardian, the silent watchmen.

"The Watcher, the Vigilant One, kind to children." - Neeshka, Neverwinter Nights 2

[Corndog]

haha

thanks for all the responses
we're going to start playing tomorrow afternoon

[CyberThread]

careful how you rp it...he may be watching.. oh and have your DM be aware of the maztician backlash that was going on during that time, it may flavor your rp if it grows to frequent.

[Corndog]

What's maztician backlash?

[hamishspence]

A force of soldiers from Amn invade Maztica. The leader's chief advisor is a Helmite cleric. The human sacrifices carried out by the Mazticans really angered him, and as a result- Mazticans prisoners who wouldn't convert to Helm were killed.

When word of this got out, the popularity of the clergy of Helm took a big hit.

Another Helmite cleric behaves even worse, in the Druidhome trilogy of books set in the Moonshae Islands.

[Corndog]

I see
I guess people are going to dislike my character more than I initially thought, which is cool... because it definitely makes things more interesting

[Tanzan Aura]

hehehe i'm making a monk worshipping helm.
I think of them like shields. no words, just endure the pain for those who cant.

[Gunslingerdoug]

As a Fellow Chosen of Helm, I say to you. Protect and be ever vigilant. My character started Lawful Neutral, and was in the Light domain. However i went through a dramatic choice in character in which i chose Law and Goodness, over Law with no conscience. Tending to include the Life domain as well. I stood in front of an explosive filled building for 16 hours, with unending watch in hopes to save just one life from the explosion. We do not waver, and we are the shield to those who cannot defend themselves. If we accept a task, we will complete that task, even if it means standing ground against Mystra and destroying the weave.

[Templarkommando]

During my tenure of playing the Baldur's Gate series, I believe that the only thing that clerics of Helm are allowed to say is "Helm sees all!"