Should Clerics Have Access to all Cleric Spells?

[Olaf the Stout]

One of the things that I disliked about 3.xE Clerics is that all Clerics had access to all Clerical spells. I personally would like to see a system similar to specialist Wizards, where Cleric spells are divided into various domains. Clerics of various religions would then have a couple of domains that they would get domain powers and domain spells from. They would also have a couple of domains that they did not have any access to. What those domains were would depend on what god they worshipped.

Personally I think that this would make religion choice a bit more interesting. It would also meant that a Cleric of the god of Good and Healing wouldn’t have the same spells prepared as a Cleric of Evil, Death and Magic.

What does everyone else think?

Olaf the Stout

 

[Wormwood]

What does everyone else think?

I agree, for whatever that's worth.

 

[zoroaster100]

I think the cleric should have similiar restriction in spell choice as arcane casters. Either both should have full choice of all spells, or both should have to choose a limited list of spells each level.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Amen.

It was always too much that (if the DM allowed it) every new supplement dramatically expanded a PC cleric's spell choices, which not doing the same for the wizard without cost & research.

 

[Kabol]

As long as all the Needed spells and utility was available to all clerics. Heals, cures, restores.. etc. then I think a more domain centric approach to casting would be interesting.

The big difference between a cleric and a Wizard though are. By and far, a clerics spells are for everyone else. where as the wizard's spells are, for him.

Now, I know they fall in different roles, the cleric is a defender, opposed to the wizard as a controller/striker. But, by and far a wizard of any specialty can fill his role - if you take away a role filling spell/ability of the cleric, just so he doesn't "get it all", it would hurt the team, more then the cleric.

 

[the Jester]

Rules-wise, 2nd edition excelled in only one area imho: specialty priests.

I totally think that the 4e cleric should be a step in that direction. The 3e cleric is a mere nod in that direction.

 

[KarinsDad]

I think Clerics should get two sets of spells to choose from:

Generic Pool
Specific Pool

The generic pool should include Cure Light Wounds, Bless, etc. Bread and butter spells that every Cleric would probably need. I do not think any Cleric should be denied these.

The specific pool should include spells from given domains. Not just a given Deity, but domains that the clerics of multiple deities can pick from. For example, certain Necromancy spells that Clerics of death deities and war deities might be able to select.

JMO.

 

[Nifft]

Depending on how the Cure effects are structured (more like cure light wounds or more like Devoted Spirit maneuvers?), I'd make sure that all Clerics have some way to restore hit points and some way to remove adverse conditions.

If they do their thing through spells, than what KarinsDad said above sounds good to me.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Olaf the Stout]

I'd also have no issue with there being some spells that all Clerics can cast. Basically this would be a domain that all Clerics had access to, no matter who their god was.

Specialty Priests in 2E is very much what I'm thinking of in regards to my suggestion. I want to get away from every Cleric being able to cast the same spells.

Another idea might be that you cast spells from your god's domain(s) at +1 CL (although, from memory, some domains already grant this ability in 3.xE).

Kabol, while it is true that a lot of the Cleric's spells are used to buff other people, I think in 3.xE, the arcane casters got access to a lot more buff spells. In my campaign, the Wizard has buffed other party members with things like Bull's Strength and Cat's Grace on a number of occasions.

Olaf the Stout

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Rules-wise, 2nd edition excelled in <snip> specialty priests.

Agreed. And I think most of the full-caster Divine classes- Druids, Favored Souls, etc.- could easily fit under a regime similar to that of 2Ed.