New Essential Cleric Support in Oct Dragon

[Saracenus]

Here it comes in Dragon issue 392:

Clerics: Earth Domain
By Mike Mearls
There is great power in stone and tree, earth and root. Clerics who draw upon the earth domain learn to brandish that power in service to their deities.

In Service,

 

[Camelot]

Now the true dwarf clerics will emerge. Though Durkon would not be happy about the "tree and root" parts.

 

[AngryMojo]

Now the true dwarf clerics will emerge. Though Durkon would not be happy about the "tree and root" parts.

Perhaps he'll nail some theses to the door of the church, then.

 

[tsadkiel]

Now the true dwarf clerics will emerge. Though Durkon would not be happy about the "tree and root" parts.

Durkon is explicitly a Storm priest. Worships Thor, uses weather related spells all the time.

 

[Walking Dad]

Hope they include also non-essential material. There is an earth domain in Divine Power, too.

 

[mearls]

New domains are a lot of fun to design. If anything, we'll have to make sure we don't do too many.

While the domains support the warpriest with class features and new options for the paragon path included in Heroes of the Fallen Lands, they also include 2 at-wills and an encounter power at each slot that any cleric can select. So, that's 9 new powers for any cleric.

 

[Larrin]

Will they have a "Create Mud" utility to mirror the storm clerics "Create Water"? Making urination jokes has runs its course, we need new material.

 

[drothgery]

Hope they include also non-essential material. There is an earth domain in Divine Power, too.

Most of the powers, at least, should be swappable with standard cleric powers.

 

[pweent]

New domains are a lot of fun to design. If anything, we'll have to make sure we don't do too many.

Very glad to hear it. The one place I strongly felt 4e was a regression from 3e was in the move from general Cleric domains to deity-specific feats. I was glad to see Domains make their return to 4e, and look forward to getting enough Essentials domains to nicely flesh out the Eberron deities again!

 

[Almacov]

New domains are a lot of fun to design. If anything, we'll have to make sure we don't do too many.

While the domains support the warpriest with class features and new options for the paragon path included in Heroes of the Fallen Lands, they also include 2 at-wills and an encounter power at each slot that any cleric can select. So, that's 9 new powers for any cleric.

Even still, I have to admit that I'll be sorely disappointed, even frustrated, if most if not all of the domains in Divine Power don't get warpriest treatment.
That's not needless symmetry - it ties in directly with story.
Especially given that the iconic warpriests in that book's artwork don't even worship gods that are mechanically supported by the currently available warpriest domains.
The Erathis and Raven Queen worshippers depicted deserve some lovin'.

I understand the difficulties that balancing dozens of new powers presents, and that an increased array of options makes it easier to slip into power creep; but this being what is basically the cleric class in the essentials line, and having domain selection as a defining element for them...

A framework has been laid down, and right now only the facade of the house of gods has walls. There's a lot to fill out before it'll feel like home to people who want to play an essentials cleric who doesn't worship Kord, Pelor, or Moradin.

Don't get me wrong, I love the uniqueness this new framework gives worshippers of specific gods, (Great work there! Mage schools rock too!) but I'm uncomfortable if domains are only going to be trickled out in dragon articles once every few months, never seeing print, and some perhaps not coming at all.

(-P.S. If you're interested in reviving legacy names for future products, might I suggest a player-oriented Faiths and Pantheons alongside a DM-oriented Deities and Demigods? Boxed set? Just a thought. )