I have a question: What are better Clerics or Driuds? I have always used druids because they have the ability to cast "Insect Plauge". It really stuffs up all spell casters and none of the spell protections seem to work on it.

BTW is it okay to post techinal queries on this forum about SOA?

Shouldnt be any problems with posting technical queries about SoA in the SoA forum, if you are unsure just go read the FAQ :)

Ahh the cleric druid debate, an age old source of quarrel with no good answer.
As you say insect plague is one mighty spell and the upgrades of that spell is even better but I must say that thats about the only advantage druids have over clerics. Clerics have alot more spells and are much more versatile. If you want the best of both world play a dual-classed cleric ranger ;)

Another annoying thing about druids is their restrictions on armor, and the fact that they (in SoA) can't advance beyond level 14 (I think it was lev 14?).

Insect plague is submitted to magic resistance check. If your opponent has significant magic resistance, Insect Plague will fail. That also goes for Creeping Doom.

That's why you're supposed to cast lower resistance first :p

The clerics have the important raise dead and resurrection spells, plus a large amount of area effect spells that do good damage and usually don't affect your own party. At higher levels they're great for taking down those pesky undead. Druids get the insect swarms (go ahead and try casting spells) and several neat summonings *coughelementalscough*. Nature's beauty isn't too bad, either.

My personal favourite? Clerics, because there are just too many undead critters in the game.

Go for a Cleric/Ranger... They get up to level 40/34 is it? in ToB. In SoA it goes 21/18 i think.

They get all the normal Cleric Spells, but unlike normal rangers, gain ALL druid spells.

Go with a Stalker for some magic spells too. NOt just Holy/clerical.

I like druids more, but that's just me. Let's list pros and cons of druids and clerics.

<u>Druids</u>
PROS
-Shapeshift (most people don't find this too useful.)
-Insect Plague, Creeping Doom, Summon Elementals, Nature's Beauty, etc.

CONS
-Restrictive armor, shields, weapons
-Alignment restriction


<u>Clerics</u>
PROS
-Wear any armor
-Wider shield and weapon profiencies.
-Holy Smite/Unholy Blight, Draw Upon Holy Might, Champion's Strength, Sunray, False Dawn, etc.
-Turn/Control Undead
-Cast Resurrection and Raise Dead. (Jaheira can cast Harper's Call.)

CONS
-Not that much allowance for weapon proficiencies. (wider than a druid's)

Upon these observations, most people would probably deem a cleric better than a druid, because of Turn Undead, better cleric spells (although druid spells are still quite useful), and better in combat (although shapeshifts aren't that bad either). Still, the druid can be good as, or even better than the cleric if handled properly. Starters may want to use a cleric; using a druid is a tad more difficult, IMHO.

[This message has been edited by C'Jakob (edited April 23, 2002).]

Can priests cast that irons skins spell? I don't think they can but I'm not sure. That'd be a definate edge, since it's just like stoneskin.

No, only druids and rangers can. That's the point of a cleric/ranger, you get both spell lists, including iron skins.

yeah, but the cleric/ranger thing is really an exploit. You shouldn't have druid spells other than what you can cast as a ranger, but the game system apparently can't/won't make that distinction.

Aloha
Vormaerin

Thanks guy's, I didnt know that about the cleric/ranger.

Nor did I a while ago...it's my favo now. If it could only use that spell trigger.....