Must have Cleric Domains

[Meatboy]

Simplifying and giving many options are somewhat mutually exclusive. The current domain rules are somewhat complex. You can create tons of various with the combination of domains (and feats and such). Also, each domains are not equally powerful. Thus, I do not recommend to use the existing D&D 3.5e domains as they are.


Well, If I were you, I will only use either Domain granted powers or Domain spells. And in either way, I will re-arrange, simplify, and try to make each domains equally powerful.

If I choose the former, I will make each Domain powers as simple as possible. Say, a +1 bonus to something and such.

If I choose the latter. I will likely to make 2-4 or so of domains which I like, make domain spell lists, and simply make those spells available only to a cleric of certain domain. A cleric should have only 1 domain. And If I were you I will get rid of domain spell slot rule for make it simple.

Also, making Wizard and Cleric as spontaneous casters like Sorcerer will be good for simplifying the rules. It will also make the game faster.

My idea at the moment is for a clerics to have close to 20 spells in general then gain 4-5 more spells from their domain (clerics only get one domain). The domain bonuses are pretty sparse too like the War domain allows the cleric to make a smite attack in place of one of their turn undead attempts and gives proficiency with the deities favorite weapon.
I am tweaking the spells to all be somewhat on the same level. What with their being only 1 power level for all spells that I have. And yeah I their is no domain spell slot the cleric just gains access to their domain spells.

No real need to make either cleric or wizard spontaneous really they both have relatively few spell slots. A basic cleric only has 2 while the mage has 3, though their are class abilities to increase this these slots do not increase with level. You have to buy them with your class ability.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

My idea at the moment is for a clerics to have close to 20 spells in general then gain 4-5 more spells from their domain (clerics only get one domain). The domain bonuses are pretty sparse too like the War domain allows the cleric to make a smite attack in place of one of their turn undead attempts and gives proficiency with the deities favorite weapon.
I am tweaking the spells to all be somewhat on the same level. What with their being only 1 power level for all spells that I have. And yeah I their is no domain spell slot the cleric just gains access to their domain spells.

No real need to make either cleric or wizard spontaneous really they both have relatively few spell slots. A basic cleric only has 2 while the mage has 3, though their are class abilities to increase this these slots do not increase with level. You have to buy them with your class ability.

See, you are doing some very specific customizing, using ideas that I'd not have guessed or understood when you started this post. I really don't know how to advise you. Could you define the system you are using? If you said "I'm doing Microlight" or "I'm doing E6" I'd have a framework because I already understand the system. Since you're saying "I'm making my own custom X Y Z minus F and J plus Q"... I do not know how to suggest Domains.

 

[Meatboy]

See, you are doing some very specific customizing, using ideas that I'd not have guessed or understood when you started this post. I really don't know how to advise you. Could you define the system you are using? If you said "I'm doing Microlight" or "I'm doing E6" I'd have a framework because I already understand the system. Since you're saying "I'm making my own custom X Y Z minus F and J plus Q"... I do not know how to suggest Domains.

Fair question. Sorry for the lack of context. I'm just messing around with ideas at the moment but I was just looking for what people might consider to be the must have domains. As it is in the SRD alone there are 22 domains. I would like to get that number down to about 10. I should probably just rephrase the question and ask what are your 10 favorite domains.

As for the system itself its a d20 homebrew system built from the SRD. It is meant to be used for one shot games because I usually only get together with my friends a few times a year and its not enough time to use a more complex system. Characters start quite powerful out the gate with me aiming at about 5 level in terms of power. After that the pcs rarely get more powerful they just get more options from their class. If the go up in levels at all.
There are other things too like only having 3 levels of magic items and making modular monsters in the vein of 4e. I'll post more about the system as a whole as I get more stuff pieced together.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Fair question. Sorry for the lack of context. I'm just messing around with ideas at the moment but I was just looking for what people might consider to be the must have domains. As it is in the SRD alone there are 22 domains. I would like to get that number down to about 10. I should probably just rephrase the question and ask what are your 10 favorite domains.

This I can help with!!!

My favorite from Players Handbook-
Animal
Knowledge
Magic
Plant
Protection
Strength (For the melee cleric)
Travel
Trickery
War (For the melee cleric)

From other sources:
Artifice (Eberron Campaign Setting) for the Crafting Cleric
Celerity (Complete Divine) for the +10 landspeed
Charm (Players Guide to Faerun) for the socially manipulative Cleric
Domination (Complete Divine) for the socially manipulative Cleric
Passion (Eberron Campaign Setting) for the Rage ability
Spell (Players Guide to Faerun) for Anyspell

 

[the Jester]

What domains are necessary for an effective pc, or what domains are necessary for a believable religion?

Honestly, it might be easiest to just drop domains entirely and fold whatever spells you want available to the cleric into a main list.

 

[Visigani]

Or.. Do the opposite. Allow players several domains but that is their entire spell liat. No bonus domain apells.

 

[Jacob Marley]

You could, quite easily, combine the four alignment domains together and make one domain as follows:

[Alignment] Domain

Granted Power: You cast [alignment] spells at +1 caster level.

[Alignment] Domain Spells
1 Protection from [opposed alignment]
2 Open
3 Magic Circle against [opposed alignment]
4 Alignment Spell 1 (see below)
5 Dispel [oposed alignment]
6 Open
7 Alignment Spell 2 (see below)
8 Alignment Aura (see below)
9 Summon Monster IX

Alignment Spell 1 - You could combine Chaos Hammer, Unholy Blight, Holy Smite, and Order's Wrath into one spell as the spells are quite similar in what they do.

Alignment Spell 2 - You could also combine Word of Chaos, Blasphemy, Holy Word, Dictum into one spell for the same reasons as above.

Alignment Aura - Finally, you can do the same as above with Cloak of Chaos, Unholy Aura, Holy Aura, and Shield of Law.

This set up would maintain a large portion of the options available by having four sperate alignment domains but convert it into one, single domain. You would also eliminate nine different spells which, really, do much of the same thing.

You could do the same with the elemental domains (at least as far as the granted powers go), but it would require a bit more works combining the spell lists. Possible, but a little more difficult.

 

[Herobizkit]

For myself, if ever I play a 3.x (non-Pathfinder) Cleric, it's a sure bet it will be a Cloistered Cleric. That Knowledge domain is fantastic.

But really, every Cleric invariably takes Travel and Trickery as domains... Travel for the bonus spells, Trickery for adding Rogue skills to your class.

 

[Meatboy]

What domains are necessary for an effective pc, or what domains are necessary for a believable religion?

Honestly, it might be easiest to just drop domains entirely and fold whatever spells you want available to the cleric into a main list.

Probably but I have this wild idea of being able to make a cleric into a paladin or druid simply by choosing the right domain. Its far more work than is needed but I think in the end it will be worth it.

Or.. Do the opposite. Allow players several domains but that is their entire spell liat. No bonus domain apells.

That is not a bad idea with no "main" spells I can just focus on what the domains give. For my homebrew game thing here domains already don't give bonus spells they just expand the main spell list for clerics.

 

[Meatboy]

You could, quite easily, combine the four alignment domains together and make one domain as follows:

[Alignment] Domain

Granted Power: You cast [alignment] spells at +1 caster level.

[Alignment] Domain Spells
1 Protection from [opposed alignment]
2 Open
3 Magic Circle against [opposed alignment]
4 Alignment Spell 1 (see below)
5 Dispel [oposed alignment]
6 Open
7 Alignment Spell 2 (see below)
8 Alignment Aura (see below)
9 Summon Monster IX

Alignment Spell 1 - You could combine Chaos Hammer, Unholy Blight, Holy Smite, and Order's Wrath into one spell as the spells are quite similar in what they do.

Alignment Spell 2 - You could also combine Word of Chaos, Blasphemy, Holy Word, Dictum into one spell for the same reasons as above.

Alignment Aura - Finally, you can do the same as above with Cloak of Chaos, Unholy Aura, Holy Aura, and Shield of Law.

This set up would maintain a large portion of the options available by having four sperate alignment domains but convert it into one, single domain. You would also eliminate nine different spells which, really, do much of the same thing.

You could do the same with the elemental domains (at least as far as the granted powers go), but it would require a bit more works combining the spell lists. Possible, but a little more difficult.

I was thinking of doing something similar to this but just making the alignment spells part of the clerics main list but combining them in almost exactly the same way.