A bit toooo useful

[Rel]

This issue came up in my last campaign. I decided not to allow any spells from the splatbooks until they were all available. Finally, Masters of the Wild came out about half way through the game. Then I had to decide how to introduce all those divine spells. I didn't want to just plop them in all at once.

What I did was require the divine caster to meditate on the spell in question for a period of days equal to twice the level of the spell they wanted to gain access to. At the end of that period, they could make a Spellcraft check (DC 15+spell level x2). If they failed the check, no spell.

I allowed some circumstance modifications to this Spellcraft check such as meditating in a shrine or temple devoted to their god or completing some sort of quest in the direct service of their deity.

It gave them a taste of all the studying and memorizing that Wizards have to do to scribe their spells.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I would treat them as viable spells that could be researched (or more appropriately "prayed and tithed for"), using the same mechanism as wizards researching new spells.

The non-PHB spells would remain private to the individual, and cannot be shared without writing them on scrolls and added to another divine casters "list of things he can have faith for". I assume that the PHB spells have been shared around for such a long time that they are "canon" which all can prepare.

Of course, most divine casters will be rather protective of their "own special relationship" with their god, and would rarely share their divine spells.

Cheers

 

[Storminator]

If we're talking about clerics, new divine spells are a real issue. But for paladins, I'd stop worrying.

Have you seen a paladin's spells per day list? Pretty weak. And what about those other high level paladin powers? Ummmm, are there any? The paladin needs help to be cool, and no matter how many new spells you introduce, they aren't going to cast very many.

That said, I do require meditation for new divine spells, but I also allow new divine spells to be passed around among the clergy. I treat it like a new book prayers. Once it's discovered, anyone that knows the prayer can use it. Gives individual temples a little flavor.

PS

 

[drothgery]

I defintely wouldn't worry about a 4th-level paladin spell that lets her mount fly. A paladin has to be 14th level with an 18+ wisdom, or 15th level otherwise, to cast a 4th-level paladin spell. And a 15th-level character will find a way to get her warhorse to fly if she wants it to.

 

[Dinkeldog]

I allow divine casters to acquire new spells by replacing existing spells on their spell list. Most people are happy to axe a spell they seldom use in favor of a more useful spell, and it keeps balance by maintaining the same number of spells to choose from.

I almost agree with this practice. Some classes (druids, say) have some spell levels (1st, say, or 4th) where the number of spells available is lower than the next higher level, and substantially fewer than clerics. I'm not sure what the right number of options is at every level, though, and I haven't set down to try to fix it.

 

[Voadam]

One of the characters I've had floating around in my head is a paladin who is dumber than his horse. That's right, I want to play an insanely stupid champion of good. Sorta like Dudley Do-right, only not quite so Canadian.

In my brother's campaign there is a PC paladin with a really low int and wis. The PC plays him like The Tick and is having a blast shouting out things like "Now feel the chains of Justice!" before lashing out with his spiked chain.

Sort of related, The character I play in another of my brother's campaigns has an improved familiar (5HD otter) from having used the 5th level spell from R&RI. He allows familiars to pick up levels due to their intelligence and specialness and mine has picked up a number of rogue levels. I recently became seriously multiply energy drained, but the otter made it out relatively unscathed. So now he is higher level than me!

Not quite the same as being dumber than your horse or your magic sword, but still an interesting situation.

 

[Wolvorine]

It's all about the Slitheren baby! *is kidding*

As opposed to the Hufflepuff, or the Gryffendor?

(It's not my fault, I have an 11 year old daughter! LOL)

 

[Nightfall]

As opposed to the Hufflepuff, or the Gryffendor?

(It's not my fault, I have an 11 year old daughter! LOL)

I see. No it's also about the High Gorgons, the Hags, the Sutak, the Taurons, and a HOST of others.

 

[Wolvorine]

I would treat them as viable spells that could be researched (or more appropriately "prayed and tithed for"), using the same mechanism as wizards researching new spells.

The non-PHB spells would remain private to the individual, and cannot be shared without writing them on scrolls and added to another divine casters "list of things he can have faith for". I assume that the PHB spells have been shared around for such a long time that they are "canon" which all can prepare.

Of course, most divine casters will be rather protective of their "own special relationship" with their god, and would rarely share their divine spells.

Cheers

I'm far from a full-time DM, but I always liked the "Hey, what the hell was that spell that guy just cast?!?" method. Say a high-ranking member of the cleric's church suddenly popped up with one or some of these new spells. Maybe their god just granted them one day, surprising everyone (perhaps the god decided that his church was finally ready for these spells?). After the high-ranker proclaims the glory of their god because of this/these new spells, the cleric (now aware of their existance) can try praying for them himself. I like the spellcraft check, I'd apply WIS bonuses on top of the spellcraft roll itself, just to reflect the unusual circumstance and the fact that the cleric's faith and wisdom is probably the determining factor here in whether or not the god will grant this new spell to this follower.
Divine spellcasters are interesting in this way. Arcane casters have to go out and aquire spells in one way or the other, while the divine casters are granted theirs, so there's so much leeway.