Clerics: Why so ridiculously overpowered? (HoTU spoilers)

[dragon wench]

I have been experimenting with different classes in HoTU. Last night I created a cleric....
I've never really played a cleric, and certainly not in NWN, but it immediately strikes me that they are insanely overpowered. They get a huge array of stunningly effective spells, both buffing and offensive, not to mention their raft of available summons. They can wear full armor, carry a big honking weapon... their high wisdom means they take much less magic damage.

Granted, since you are brought up to level 15 at the start of the game, the initial dungeon isn't that bad for any character. But... even so I was astonished at how quickly I brought down the Old Blue Dragon. I cast Blade Barrier in front of him while he was still sleeping... summoned a skeleton chieftain, cast, some anti-fear buffing spells, and then stood back and whacked him with "Hammer of the Gods" spells while my skelly distracted him. When he finally ambled over to say hello to my PC, I slapped him with a "Harm" spell, and almost instantly he went off to the great dragon pastures in the sky...

It just should not be that easy. The other classes seem fairly well balanced... but clerics are seriously munchkin. Does anyone have any ideas as to why the developers went so overboard on this class?

[Fiberfar]

their high wisdom means they take much less magic damage.

They do?

Granted, since you are brought up to level 15 at the start of the game, the initial dungeon isn't that bad for any character. But... even so I was astonished at quickly I brought down the Old Blue Dragon. I cast Blade Barrier in front of him while he was still sleeping... summoned a skeleton chieftain, cast, some anti-fear buffing spells, and then stood back and whacked him with "Hammer of the Gods" spells while my skelly distracted him. When he finally ambled over to say hello to my PC, I slapped him with a "Harm" spell, and almost instantly he went off to the great dragon pastures in the sky...

It just should not be that easy. The other classes seem fairly well balanced... but clerics are seriously munchkin. Does anyone have any ideas as to why the developers went so overboard on this class?

The 3.0 edition rules NwN is based on is owerpowered as it is, and when adding NwN developers to it won't make it any better. Harm in 3.0edition and NwN has no max damage, where it in the 3,5 edition of Dungeons and Dragons has a max of 150 (or something like that). I don't think they ever planned to make NwN into a balanced game.

I would think that if the developers made spells to counter implosion, the game would be fairer for everyone, since there currently are no spells that can stop the spell. My cleric is whacking zombies, humans and certain old undead dragons with Implosion, since it 1) isn't a necromancy spell. 2) Don't have a death description.

About the classes being balanced: Fighters vs. Barbarians are not balanced. Sure the barbarian get rage and D12 where the fighter get weapon spec and D10, but when you hit the high levels, the rage ability due to your +12 item bonus in constitution and strength is pointless.

Edit: I find clerics harder to play with than a wizard in HotU, since I don't use weapons. All spell casting classes I make focus in spells only.

[Piff]

I loved playing as a cleric. Of course they seem quite overpowered (i.e. harm) but every class has some way to be overpowering. I was able to go through most of the OC with no henchman or summons with my cleric because he was able to kill people with a few spells, buff himself like crazy, and he made a rather good fighter ontop of that. Though it was alittle dissapointing when I was able to go to Balors and cast harm on them and kill them in next blow

[Siberys]

If you think clerics are overpowered in 3.0 or NWN rules, you should see the 3.5 rulesets, especially with the new options clerics have with say basic turn undead.

In 3.0, destroying undead with your turning ability was something to be marveled, there's a feat that you can take in 3.5 that does straight damage. Just a couple rolls of the turn undead, and you immediately do something like 3D6 damage to all undead in a 30 foot radius.

It completely takes the point of turn undead away; clerics have ALWAYS been overpowered, and it just gets more and more insane.

[Drunkside]

I loved playing as a cleric. Of course they seem quite overpowered (i.e. harm) but every class has some way to be overpowering. I was able to go through most of the OC with no henchman or summons with my cleric because he was able to kill people with a few spells, buff himself like crazy, and he made a rather good fighter ontop of that. Though it was alittle dissapointing when I was able to go to Balors and cast harm on them and kill them in next blow

balors?theyr so weak that i kill them easily with fighter/sorcerer/rdd without any spells(exept bulls strength and resistance)and wearing light armour...