First Look at the Complete Divine

Westwind

First Post
I just got a copy of the Complete Divine today and I'm skimming through it for the first time right now. Here are a few tidbits, I'll try to post more later on tonight but I might not be around.

Chaper 1: The Devoted
This chapter covers new 20-level clesses (Spirit Shaman, Shugenja, and Favored Soul). Spirit Shaman is the only new one and it looks pretty cool. Access to a set number of spells/day and some nifty anti-spirit (fey, elemental, incorporeal undead, astral forms) powers. No unarmed martial powers.

Chapter 2: Prestige Classes
I think they've all been covered elsewhere. The only one that struck me as being a possible problem is the Radiant Servant of Pelor, which looks unchanged from its Dragon version.

Chapter 3: Supplemental Rules
Feat, feats, and more feats. Two "new" types of feats: divine and wild. Divine feats let you spend a turn attempt to do something else (there are 10 of them plus True Believer), wild feats are the same except you spend a wild shape use for a physical improvement for a short period of time. In general, some of the feats look very nice (Augment Healing: +2 to healing spells/level, Spontaneous Healer: allows non-clerics to swap out spells for healing spells--this could break the Druid). There are also variant rules for faith points and feats you can use faith points (sort of like action points from UA). Epic rules are included as well at the end.

Chaper 4: Magic Items
Somewhere between artifacts and magic items there are relics. They seem pretty cool actually. They have "prices" but it's not like you'll find them for sale. You need either True Believer+ X number of HD or the sacrifice of a given level spell slot to use them. Also included are some new non-relic staves.

Chapter 5: Deities
Each core deity is described in terms of portfolio, domains, cleric training (who they take in), quests, prayers (role-playing device), temples, rites, herald, and relics. The herald is just a very brief description ("almost always a 20th level Wizard," not a stat block). Brief write-ups are also given for Beltar, Bralm, Celestian, Cyndor, Delleb, Geshtai, Incabulos, Istus, Iuz, Joramy, Lirr, Llerg, Mouqol, Osprem, Pholtus, Procan, Pyremius, Rao, Telchur, Tharizdun, Trithereon, Wastri, Xan Yae, and Zuoken. Monster deities are also here.

Chapter 6: The Divine World
Things to do in Denver (or another plane) when you're dead. This chapter details what dying entails, where you might go, and things you can do once you're there. It also talks about church organizations, sects, schisms, and cults.

Chapter 7: Domains and Spells
New domains include Celerity, Cold, Community, Competition, Creation, Domination, Dream, Force, Glory, Inquisition, Liberation, MadnessMind, Mysticism, Oracle, Pact, Pestilence, Purification, Summoner, and Weather. Some were new to me, but the majority were revisions or reprints. Also some new spells that I haven't looked over yet.

There are a few editing errors and the infamous page XX shows up, but it looks like a pretty crunchy book all-in-all. If you already have the 3.0 versions you can do most of the conversions on your own, but it's worth buying if you are running 3.5 and play divine-based characters. Maybe I missed it, but I would've liked to have seen more "everyday life and the divine" material.
 

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@Nightfall

No, it's just a table at the end of the chapter giving alignment, domains, favorite weapon and divine rank for non-human deities. Annam, Blidoolpoolp, Callarduran Smoothhands, Deep Sashelas, Diirinka, Eadro, Great Mother, Grolantor, Hiatea, Hruggek, Iallanis, Ilsensine, Kaelthiere, Laduguer, Laogzed, Maglubiyet, Memnor, Merrshaulk, Panzuriel, Sekolah, Semuanya, Shekinester, Skoraeus Stonebones, Sixin, Skerrit, Stronmaus, Surtur, Thrym, and Vaprak.

Relics are all deity-specific and I don't generally play using the Greyhawk pantheon but they are generally useful. Basically, a relic is a normal magic item (generally with many powers, but recognizable) whose cost is discounted 400 x spell slot x minimum cleric level as a rule of thumb. Armor of the Fallen Leaves (+3 wild full plate that allows you to scatter to the wind in the form of leaves mimicing gaseous form) looks nice, Bow of Wintermoon (+4 composite [whatever your strength is] frost, drowbane longbow) appeals to me just because it fits a character of mine really well, Executioner's Hood (gives a bonus to coup de grace attempts) has great uses for NPCs.

Feats that strike me as notable off the bat are Augment Healing (+2 per spell level to healing rolls), Improved Smiting (overcome alignment DR +1d6 damage), Spontaneous Healer (making Druids really good), Disciple of the Sun (spend an extra turn attempt to destroy undead ala greater turning), Divine Metamagic (spend a number of turning attempts equal to the level increase of a single set metamagic feat to apply that feat to a spell--can be chosen multiple times), Elephant's Hide (+7 natural armor for 10 minutes).

@ Trainz

The Shugenja looks like the same class from Oriental Adventures, although non-Rokugan families are included in the book. Charisma is used as the primary stat instead of linking each element to a different stat, which is a loss in my book.

Favored Soul looks like the same class from the Miniatures Handbook (which I don't own, so I might miss something here). All good saves, mid-level BAB. Charisma is used to cast the spell (i.e. spells known), Wisdom sets the spell's DC. It also gains energy resistance over time (new types at levels 5,10,15), wings (level 17) and DR (10/silver or cold iron, depending on alignment) at level 20.

The Spirit Shaman uses the Druid spell list, has good Fort and Will saves and a mid-level BAB. His spells known/spells per day tables look slightly weaker than the Sorcerer (one 1st level spell known at 1st character level, can be cast twice per day). He can switch out spells known every day after an hour of quiet meditation. They also have a spirit guide, which is NOT a separate entity. It exists only in the Shaman's head. It grants the Alertness feat and can do some nifty things at higher levels. For example, at 10th level the spirit guide can maintain concentration on a spell for you, so you're free to cast other spells. At 5th level the spirit guide gives you an ability similar to slippery mind. Characteristics of different totems are given, but there is no mechanical difference.

@Erian

No point of reference since I don't own Mini-Handbook, but it looks pretty powerful.

The Evangelist is a 5-level prestige class that doesn't get spell progression but does get some pretty cool powers. At 5th level they can convert the unfaithful, which boils down to a Will save or convert for concentration+3 rounds. You can't use it on creatures with an alignment subtype but, and here's the catch, the Paladin/Blackguard/Cleric needs to atone even after the duration ends.

The domains are "normal" domains, though many are toned down from 3.0.
 
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Darn no Orcus. :p

Okay well moving along, expand more on Relics, and highlight some of your favorite Divine Feats. Also perhaps a list of the spells in the Domains and Spell listing...
 

Westwind said:
I just got a copy of the Complete Divine today and I'm skimming through it for the first time right now. Here are a few tidbits, I'll try to post more later on tonight but I might not be around.

Thanks! :D

Westwind said:
Chaper 1: The Devoted
This chapter covers new 20-level clesses (Spirit Shaman, Shugenja, and Favored Soul). Spirit Shaman is the only new one and it looks pretty cool. Access to a set number of spells/day and some nifty anti-spirit (fey, elemental, incorporeal undead, astral forms) powers. No unarmed martial powers.

Any change in the Favored Soul from what was printed in the Miniatures Handbook (hoping so...)?

Westwind said:
Chapter 2: Prestige Classes
I think they've all been covered elsewhere. The only one that struck me as being a possible problem is the Radiant Servant of Pelor, which looks unchanged from its Dragon version.

What does the Evangelist look like? I'm curious as it shares a name with a 20 level Core class from Dragon, but didn't really seem like a class that could be turned into a PrC.

Westwind said:
Chapter 7: Domains and Spells
New domains include Celerity, Cold, Community, Competition, Creation, Domination, Dream, Force, Glory, Inquisition, Liberation, MadnessMind, Mysticism, Oracle, Pact, Pestilence, Purification, Summoner, and Weather. Some were new to me, but the majority were revisions or reprints. Also some new spells that I haven't looked over yet.

Are these Prestige domains, or "normal" domains (available to clerics at 1st level)? Most I recognize as previously being Prestige domains.

Westwind said:
There are a few editing errors and the infamous page XX shows up, but it looks like a pretty crunchy book all-in-all. If you already have the 3.0 versions you can do most of the conversions on your own, but it's worth buying if you are running 3.5 and play divine-based characters. Maybe I missed it, but I would've liked to have seen more "everyday life and the divine" material.

Eeh, I'll buy it just 'cause I buy everything from WotC, the good, the bad, and the ugly... :lol:
 
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Are the rules in CD for relics at all similar to the horrid design of relics in BoED, or are they something worthwhile?
 

Whoa...this really sounds like a power-up for divine casting. I'll have to delve through this one with a fist sized grain of salt.
 

Westwind said:
No, it's just a table at the end of the chapter giving alignment, domains, favorite weapon and divine rank for non-human deities. Annam, Blidoolpoolp, Callarduran Smoothhands, Deep Sashelas, Diirinka, Eadro, Great Mother, Grolantor, Hiatea, Hruggek, Iallanis, Ilsensine, Kaelthiere, Laduguer, Laogzed, Maglubiyet, Memnor, Merrshaulk, Panzuriel, Sekolah, Semuanya, Shekinester, Skoraeus Stonebones, Sixin, Skerrit, Stronmaus, Surtur, Thrym, and Vaprak.

Sounds a lot like the chapter in Defenders of the Faith about monster deities. Yay...
 

If you have time, could you give a hint of how they changed the following:

Shugenja
Sacred Fist
Hospitaler
Pious Templar

(I know WotC gave a bit of sneak peak of the new Pious Templar but the bit about what abilities came in on which levels was left out.)

Tzarevitch
 

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