A cleric is a type of fantasy character class. A cleric is a type of priest or mystic with secondary ability as a warrior. Clerics are particular foes of the undead. The cleric was inspired in part by the Knights Templar, a historical lay order of Christian knights.
Clerics in Dungeons & Dragons[]
In original Dungeons & Dragons, clerics were limited to blunt weapons. They could turn undead, and starting at 2nd level, could cast spells, particularly of a healing or protective nature. They were limited to 7th level spells, whereas magic-users couls cast 9th level spells. Starting with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, clerics could cast spells starting at 1st level. In Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition, clerics were defined as primarily a spellcasting class, able to cast 9th level spells, but retained the ability to wear strong armor and to tun undead.
In Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition, clerics and druids were defined as a type of priest. The DM could design other types of specialty priests for their campaigns. Similarly, in Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition, each cleric received two domains, representing the focus of their deity, as well as proficiency in a favored weapon of their deity.