Cleric with no spells

[punkorange]

Me and a few of my players were toying around with a drow campaign starting with 5th level characters (not counting LA). My question is this: One of the players needs to be a priestess of lolth, but she has gone silent, therefore the fifth level cleric has no spells. How would you balance this with the rest of the group?

 

[Jdvn1]

... Can't take Silent Spell? Have you looked at the non-spellcasting healer class mentioned on Home Rules?

Here:
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=120620

 

[Gnome]

I assume you mean the god has gone quiet?

It's hard to imagine how to balance a cleric without the spells. I suppose you could make her a fighter, and just say she is/was a priestess of Lolth, but doesn't get spells anymore.

Other than that, maybe she gets spells from another source, such as her own ideals, or just sheer force of faith? Or some other divine source is granting her spells, without the character's knowledge?

 

[MetalBard]

You could always just have that cleric cast spells as normal and then start to realize that they are the ONLY person devoted to Lloth who can cast spells. After that you can decide an in-game reason for that and it can also drive the campaign forward. Also, makes for plenty of difficulties with all the matron mothers and such... plenty more enemies.

 

[punkorange]

well as it is, the matron mothers have sent her and some males to another drow undercity that has had an uprising due to lolth's silence. She is to restore "order" to that city and in doing so make her house the ruling house.
The point is they will be in the underdark away from lolth's priests for a time.
Her spells could come back only to find when they get where they are going that lolth is still silent and her spells are coming from somewhere else

 

[Li Shenron]

City of the Spider Queen, I suppose

I think it makes very sense to play that campaign with a priestess of Lolth as PC, but without her spells she won't be worth her level anymore.

In my opinion you should let her have either more class levels (such as start at level 7 or even 8), in which case she would be able to take slightly on the fighter's role. Or maybe let her have better stats. Or even better, loads of clerical wands for free!!!

If you give her +2 levels, I'm not even sure it's that good for her. But of course you have to be sure that when she gets the spells back, the adventure is near-over, or it would then be unfair for the others.

 

[Liquidsabre]

A Priestess of Lolth without access to her daily spells would be properly equipped with magic items to supplement her lack of spellcasting power. So instead of daily casting she has a couple wands and several scrolls, very precious items the remaining priestesses use to maintain the illusion of the status quo in all cities loyal to Lotlh.

Either that or have the cleric actually worship Vhaeraun and be an implanted spy in among the worshipers of Lolth. Being away from the city will allow her to get away with daily spellcasting where those true worshipers of Lolth have none and would instantly suspect her. Lowly males shouldn't be able to tell the difference of course lol.

 

[Aaron2]

My question is this: One of the players needs to be a priestess of lolth, but she has gone silent, therefore the fifth level cleric has no spells. How would you balance this with the rest of the group?

A couple things ...

Can she still Turn Undead? If so you might want to give her access to the various feats that let you use your turning attempts to do different things.

Also, you might want to let her use her spell levels just to spontaneiously cast the Cure spells.

Finally, the BoVD has a few classes based on demons where you get special abilities instead of spell casting. You can whip up a class for here that gives her various powers in place of spells.


Aaron

 

[punkorange]

Idea is from city of the spider queen, yeah, but I don't know that I am going to go straight from it, just roll with the idea.


I think what I will do is give her daily spells back a few weeks out of menzoberranzan. She will think things are fine and dandy untill they get to the other city and realize lolth is still silent. I figure I'll have a while to come up with what is granting her spells and why. Maybe it is the belor who was summoned and killed his sommoner who is rising a demon army to spread chaos on the surface?

anyway, just a few things to throw in there.