FAVORED SOUL: This doesn't seem right...

I was looking at the Favored Soul today and took note of its Class Skills.

Strangely, Knowledge (religion) is NOT one of its class skills.

HUH!?

Does this make any sense? The Complete Divine Errata doesn't say anything so I know it's correct in the minds of the designers, but what's the reasoning behind doing this to a class that's, well, wholly divine in nature and progression?

Anyone have a clue, because I'm stumped. :\

The author was on drugs???

Favored Souls also can cast many (spontaneous) spells per day, have Knowledge Arcane (???), get all 3 good saves, have the second best BAB, decent hit points, and get some fair energy resistance and damage reduction.

All in all, Favored Souls are pretty potent.

The rationale behind no Knowledge Religion is that they do not formally study religion. But, they formally study Knowledge: Arcane. WT?

Yup. It's strange. (shrug)

Razz said:

...what's the reasoning behind doing this to a class that's, well, wholly divine in nature and progression?

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Exactly that. They are wholly divine. They don't work to become divine, it just happens.

A cleric with knowledge: religion knows details about all religions. He knows this because (as I see it) in his intensive studies to become closer to his god, he learns about how others have done so in other times and places, and even with other gods.

A favored soul has no need to do this. He doesn't study to become closer to his god, it just happens. No study is implied or needed, so the skill is not on the class list.

Now, as to why Knowledge:arcana is on the class list, I don't know.

--
gnfnrf

The Favored Soul description is the only source that claims clerics need intensive study. That's the other weird thing about the class, besides the lack of knowledge religion.

Do Sorcerers require intense arcane study?


....why do they get Knowledge (arcana)?

KarinsDad said:

Favored Souls also can cast many (spontaneous) spells per day, have Knowledge Arcane (???), get all 3 good saves, have the second best BAB, decent hit points, and get some fair energy resistance and damage reduction.

All in all, Favored Souls are pretty potent.

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Of course Clerics with their Domain Spells are only 1 spell per level behind, get nifty powers from their Domain, Turn Undead and access to Divine Feats, 2 good saves, have the second best BAB, decent hit points, and get to know some of the best spells in the game, and knows all of the spells on its list.

All in all, Clerics are pretty potent.

The PHB II alt class feature that sacrifices the Weapon Focus and Specialization for adding 3 times spell level in Temporary Hit points makes them more potent. One of the characters in my campaign has a Hound Archon Favored Soul Cohort.

Despite only having access to 4th level spells in a 16/17th level game, the Cohort is pretty darn effective. Close Wounds with Augment Healing and Temporary Hit points is a nice Immediate Action. Likewise a Delay Death spell with the 'healing' punch of Temp HPs is quite nice.

I think a player playing a Favoured Soul Healbot would find it dull. A Cleric can at least take Augury, or other flavorful spells on a daily basis.

I have to admit though, I would be tempted to play a Favored Soul with PHB II alt class feature and then take the Knight of the Raven PrC from Ravenloft. The energy resistances are nice...but not enough I think to warrant not taking a PrC.... not sexy enough I guess.

Nail said:

Do Sorcerers require intense arcane study?
....why do they get Knowledge (arcana)?

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...so that sorcerers can identify constructs, dragons, and magical beasts?

I can think of two reasons Favored Souls don't get Knowledge (religion):
1) That skill is really handy for identifying undead. FS lack the special relationship to undead that clerics have.
2) FS are so blindly enamoured of their deities that they are not encouraged to study up on other deities and religions. They are religiously isolated.

I'm still convinced that Kn(Arcana) instead of Kn(Religion) is just a typo.

It makes Favored Souls have a hard time qualifying for many traditional cleric PrCs, such as Contemplative.