D&D (2024) Are Bishops "Clerics" or "Priests"

[tetrasodium]

@Yaarel hit it nicely. Also far away paladin explores the question a bit but I can't recall if the anime adaptation includes any of that since it ends around book one or two iirc. Bishops are political figures of the church responsible for juggling the sometimes conflicting needs & desires of the church and the easily ruffled feathers of demanding nobles/wealthy merchants/scary adventurers. A bishop may or may not have divine powers and may not even personally live in a way that fits their church's faith if doing so allows them to better perform their job

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I've always thought it was weird that everyone in D&D who goes to church has to be a spellcaster of some sort. Just like every town guard has to be a heroic Fighter, and everyone who plays a lute must also be a bard. Do regular people even exist?

In my D&D campaign, all of the the members of the local temple--from regular attendees to the leadership offices, and all of the staff and clergy in between--are no different from the other people in town. They might have proficiency in Religion or Medicine or History, and maybe one or two of them has access to the Ritual Caster feat at best...but the religious folks in my game world aren't demon-slaying crusaders or miracle-workers by default. Even the highest-ranking church officials are just regular people, doing regular things.

No that's not how it works, most folks are lay worshippers in D&D, but in Theocracies that heavily fund religion and depend on divine casters for military strength, divine casters are much, much more common, just like in magocracies like Thay, Netheril, or Halruua Wizards are more common or in Vaasa Warlocks are more common.

 

[CleverNickName]

No that's not how it works, most folks are lay worshippers in D&D, but in Theocracies that heavily fund religion and depend on divine casters for military strength, divine casters are much, much more common, just like in magocracies like Thay, Netheril, or Halruua Wizards are more common or in Vaasa Warlocks are more common.

Well, it's how it works at my table. Other DMs might do things differently.

 

[Clint_L]

This is a detail that I do not sweat - I just give NPCs the power needed as the plot requires. In terms of the overall world...meh. Whether or not a typical priest can do some magic doesn't make a difference so I don't worry about it. I mean, realistically I suppose it would, but almost everything about a typical fantasy setting falls apart if we start worrying about realism.

Well, it's how it works at my table. Other DMs might do things differently.

Bravo!

 

[Krachek]

In all case the answer is maybe.

In the medieval period we got a pope named without being a priest.
Pope Callixtus III in 1455 was the last non-priest to be chosen as pope.
So I guess that clergy in DnD can be as much silly.

If we have a pope that never been a priest, we can have a pope unable to cast spell. Why not? He simply have a private chat with his god each day, and that is enough to make him pope In a DnD Universe.

 

[Minigiant]

So when you think of the typical holy man in a village, or religious leader in a big city (like bishop) does the narrative assume these are the clerics, or are these still just "priests".

A bishop is an administrative title. A bishop runs a district of churches or cults.

A D&D cleric is 100% not an administrative class. A cleric's powers is to go out and the work of their god, gods, faith, and/or other higher power. A cleric is in the "go out and do stuff" dept of a church or cult . It is even more so in 5e and more 5.5e.

A cleric might retire to be a bishop.

 

[Azzy]

Its a subtle thing noted in the one dnd document on clerics, but in the document it mentions how rare clerics are supposed to be. They are a unique exception in the world, a rare thing.

So when you think of the typical holy man in a village, or religious leader in a big city (like bishop) does the narrative assume these are the clerics, or are these still just "priests".

And if they are priests what is the difference? Do priests not get spells from their gods? Does that mean only clerics are generally capable of healing in the world (and so is healing actually very rare?).


This is a world building element I've often thought about, and so what do you all think?

Since I started DMing and homebrewing my own settings (back in the early days of 2e), I've always considered characters with classes to be fairly rare and special (PCs and certain NPCs). I made this choice specifically because of clerics (and specialty priests, as that was a thing)—the idea that all holy men were spell casters just seemed off to me. So, yeah, in my homebrew settings, most priests are not Clerics, and healing is fairly uncommon.

 

[Parmandur]

Bit of a worldbulding choice.

For me, Clerics aren't the local parish priest or neighborhood Rabbi, they are Saints or Prophets. Not Father Joe at St. Mary's around the corner, it's St. Joan of Arc or Moses.

I love in 5E that any Class can have an Acolyte Background, having religious function are as part of their identity, without having to be Divine spellcasters.

 

[Parmandur]

Well, it's how it works at my table. Other DMs might do things differently.

It's how it works in 5E by the book.

 

[HammerMan]

This is a detail that I do not sweat - I just give NPCs the power needed as the plot requires. In terms of the overall world...meh. Whether or not a typical priest can do some magic doesn't make a difference so I don't worry about it. !

This is great advice in general. I i it green steal player content and make minor changes to fit it into a NPC and cleric/town priest is a great example of it.

I once made a super high HD priest that had a “holy aura” that counted as mage armor at will self only and “healing hands” that was a mix of paliden lay hands and I think it’s warlock but maybe sorcerer d6 healing pool. And his “weapons” was an unarmed strike I give everyone (d3 finesse bludgeoning attack)