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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tectuktitlay" data-source="post: 6861802" data-attributes="member: 82812">Why an intuitive sense? These are worlds where the gods can literally be communed with, and speak through their divine conduits. So why does it need to be intuitive? And pemerton's previous point is actually quite important, and is just glossed over. Why would a warrior-priest be innately better at handling animals, surviving in the wilderness, or even understanding medicine? Understand medicine, you might ask? Yes, absolutely. When you have the ability to actually cure wounds, diseases, and poisons with divine power, what need would you have to understand anatomy or the like to the same degree as, say, a wizard? Now a wizard I can see being more aligned with a physician, studying, memorizing the internal structures of various beings, learning how different herbs and chemicals affect each part. Would some clerics also study medicine? Sure, of course, especially those in orders who are told to heal. And many of the non-cleric priests and nuns would be more likely to study medicine, to supplement the clerics, and to aid them between each round of magical healing the divinely touched provide to the needy. Now, as far as insight goes, I'm not so sure that skill should fall within the purview of wisdom to begin with. Rare is the charismatic person, skilled at diplomacy or deception or even intimidation, going to be poor at insight into human behavior. On the contrary, part of charisma is being able to play to an audience by reading their mood, their likely thoughts, getting a feel for their reactions. I posit that insight is actually an aspect of charisma, and not one of wisdom. Yet, in D&D, a character with high wisdom can often read a person better than the most expert liar, most adept diplomat, or most charismatic leader. That...makes very little sense, and goes against what makes people good liars, good diplomats, and good leaders to begin with. What makes them charismatic, in no small part. That innate ability to read others and adjust accordingly. Perhaps there can be an argument for their needing to be perceptive of their surroundings. Perhaps. To read the signs and portents. But...once they've seen these signs and portents real gods actually manifest in the material world, what does wisdom have to do with it? Wouldn't intelligence, a deep study and memorization of all of the signs and portents holy men and women throughout history have seen and been accurate communication of the will of the gods be at least as important? Yes, perhaps wisdom allows them to interpret the signs most accurately. But that's only a single one of the skills wisdom provides. On the other hand, isn't it true that many a warrior-priest should probably be pretty good at handling negotiations? And reading audiences? At storytelling, giving anecdotes and providing parables others can understand readily? Or at least give a rousing speech to inspire? And even when not actively doing any of these things, they have the raw presence aspect of charisma, these warrior-priests. When such a person walks into a room, even if they never say a word, most everyone knows they are there, the warrior-priest exuding presence, drawing attention to themselves whether they wish it or no. Doesn't the skillset associated with charisma in general align more naturally with a warrior-priest? Except perhaps deception (and then, some gods would guide their followers to revel in that, as well). In all seriousness, why would a warrior-priest be considerably better at handling animals, or surviving in the wild, or understanding anatomy?</blockquote>

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