Clerics are the kickers of the MMO world.

I played both football growing up and Dungeons and Dragons but the similarities between the two rarely cross paths, except for the teamwork references and some obscure metaphors. But I have realized through game play that Clerics and kickers have many striking similarities. They both live in fame or infamy depending on the day.

For starters, like a football kicker, clerics are loners, yet always needed. Few people want to be the healer in a group and even fewer want to kick field goals. In DDO a world exists that is 3D, fun spell effects, and lots of numbers flowing over monster's heads when you plow through them with an Epic Sword of Shadows. In football, you have eleven men working in unison, high flying passes and spectacular catches. Neither clerics nor kickers get to enjoy any of this. A cleric's vision is mostly limited to the health bars of his party and a kicker's vision is restricted to the yellow uprights.

Games in both worlds are won and lost in a moment because of a heal that took too long or a kick that veered right at 54 yards. And with those moments, fame or infamy is passed. Everybody needs a good cleric though, so I have one. Just like every team needs a consistent kicker. So the question is, are you willing to do either?