Clerics and Weapons

[Greenfield]

I was looking at clerics in a bit more depth and detail than I have in a while and discovered something odd.

The PHB says that clerics make it a point of pride to use their deity's favored weapon. Only those with the War domain, however, are listed as gaining proficiency in that weapon.

Am I reading that right, or did I miss something?

 

[Boneguard]

A Cleric will strive to use his deity's favorite weapon.

If it's a simple weapon then no problem, he is already proficient in it. if it's a martial or exotic weapon, he'll have to spend one of his feat point to gain proficiency in it (if he wishes to be proficient in it).

A Cleric with War Domain, doesn't have to worry, he automoatically gain the proficiency for free, he doesn't have to spend a feat point to gain it.

 

[Celebrim]

I think they normally make an effort to make deities without the war domain usually have simple weapons as favored weapons. There are I'm sure exceptions (Loviatar comes to mind), but normally if you aren't a war deity then you have simple weapons as favored weapons.

But yes, if you wish to be proficient in your deities favored weapon (and what cleric wouldn't) and you don't take the war domain, then often you'd have to sacrifice something to become proficient. So you are reading it right.

 

[Dandu]

There is, of course, nothing wrong with having a pacifist cleric who only carries around a weapon for ceremonial purposes.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I always thought clerics should gain proficiency with their deity's favored weapon as a matter of course.

 

[Maxperson]

I just gave them proficiency in that weapon. It never bothered me to just say their temple trained them.

 

[Greenfield]

Hrrmmm... It is, in effect, a one-feat penalty on clerics.

The cleric I'm running has been an acolyte to the resident cleric at a noble house. He's found that his best survival tactic in that environment is to be nobody anyone of importance ever notices or cares about. His name is Amnet, which means "Forgotten" or "Forgettable". He tries to live down to it.

All of the courtiers wear, as a matter of course, a rapier at court. It symbolizes their martial status as defenders of the realm, if only in name. It also ensures that, should trouble break out, the palace guards are better armed than any insurgents. (Fancy court garb kind of precludes much in the way of actual armor, too. )

My cleric follows Olidammara, who is one of the patrons of this wine producing region, and his favored weapon is a rapier. For the character to train in and/or carry such a weapon would help him blend in. If he were a richly dressed courtier. Which he isn't.

So I think he'll own and carry such a weapon when out adventuring, as a tribute to his god, but will wear it more or less as a distraction, a ruse. He won't actually know how to use it very well.

And we'll see how it goes.

 

[Boneguard]

Hrrmmm... It is, in effect, a one-feat penalty on clerics.

If you want to be proficient, yes.

If (as you are describe below) you simply want to carry one for the appearance and "image" and not bothering to learn how to use it, then not really as you can use that feat for something else.

My cleric follows Olidammara, who is one of the patrons of this wine producing region, and his favored weapon is a rapier. For the character to train in and/or carry such a weapon would help him blend in. If he were a richly dressed courtier. Which he isn't.

So I think he'll own and carry such a weapon when out adventuring, as a tribute to his god, but will wear it more or less as a distraction, a ruse. He won't actually know how to use it very well.

And we'll see how it goes.

 

[Herobizkit]

For the record, Pathfinder saw this oversight and included the deity's favored weapon in their Cleric weapon proficiencies.

It'd be a dirt simple house rule to implement.

 

[Celebrim]

For the record, Pathfinder saw this oversight and included the deity's favored weapon in their Cleric weapon proficiencies.

It'd be a dirt simple house rule to implement.

Sure. But one of pathfinder's flaws IMO is its tendency to 'fix' everything by turning it up to 11.

It's hard to argue that the 3.5 cleric is underpowered.