Cleric's Code of Conduct

[Starglim]

The subject has come up a couple of times recently of a cleric's code of conduct. That's the set of rules that a cleric must follow to keep his powers:

Ex-Clerics
A cleric who grossly violates the code of conduct required by his god loses all spells and class features, except for armor and shield proficiencies and proficiency with simple weapons. He cannot thereafter gain levels as a cleric of that god until he atones (see the atonement spell description).

It's certainly possible to run this by general agreement and DM fiat, but a bit of further guidance might be in order for some campaigns. The following is derived from the paladin's code of conduct and could encompass the paladin's code as a particularly strict variant.

Lawful deities usually impose a Rule or set of commandments for their clerics and worshippers. Chaotic religions sometimes promote their codes of conduct in the form of one or many stories. Religions neutral to Law and Chaos often give an example of conduct, such as the church's founder or a type of animal.

Regardless of the code's in-game form, the game mechanical restrictions are as follows.

"Should" indicates that a cleric not following that part of the code is in breach of the code of conduct, but might not lose his class abilities immediately unless the action is especially flagrant, repeated or unrepentant. "Gross violation" indicates that such an action is grounds for immediate loss of clerical powers.

• Cleric's Alignment: The cleric should maintain an alignment within one step of his deity's.
  For a deity who is neutral on at least one axis of alignment, a cleric whose alignment is opposed to his deity's is in gross violation, for example, a cleric of a neutral good deity who becomes evil.
  For a deity who has no neutral component of alignment, a cleric is in gross violation of the code if his alignment is opposed to the deity's on one axis and neutral or worse on the other. For example, a cleric of a chaotic evil deity who becomes neutral good commits a gross violation, but a cleric of a chaotic evil deity who becomes lawful evil is merely in transgression of the code but could remain a cleric of that god.
• Alignment Actions: At first level the cleric must select one component of the deity's alignment that is not neutral and matches the cleric's alignment. The cleric should not commit acts opposed to this alignment. For example, a lawful neutral cleric of a lawful good deity should not commit a chaotic act. This required alignment never changes unless the cleric swears allegiance to a different deity or receives an atonement spell specifically for the purpose of changing his required alignment.
• Falsehood: The cleric should not deny his deity. A cleric who desecrates a holy symbol or image of his deity commits a gross violation.
• Anathema: The cleric's player must agree with the DM on a grouping of NPCs that are henceforth anathema to the cleric. The grouping should be broad, such as an alignment, major race, creature type or profession. The cleric should not accept such an NPC as an ally, hireling, cohort or follower and may have other specific restrictions, such as not being allowed to eat with or swear an oath to such a person.
• Special vows and dispensations: A cleric may swear a special vow as a member of an order within his religion dedicated to a particular purpose. The cleric's actions should uphold the stated purpose of the religious order. If the cleric refuses or disobeys an instruction from his superiors in the order he commits a gross violation. In return, the cleric usually gains a dispensation permitting him to ignore any one rule of the code as listed above: such an action is not a breach of the code for the cleric.

 

[Starglim]

True Neutral deities

It's probably simplest and also most fitting for a true neutral deity not to have any restrictions on the cleric's alignment or alignment actions, but not to allow any special vows or dispensations.

Strict observance

A religion may specify a set of lifestyle restrictions upon the clerics of a deity or of a religious order, such as diet (the cleric should not eat a certain food, or should not eat in certain places or at certain times), dress (the cleric should, or should not, wear certain clothing or carry certain items) or prayers that the cleric should perform each day, week, month or year.

If the cleric's code includes three lifestyle restrictions as breaches of the code, the DM may allow an added special ability, such as an extra granted power, without the other benefits of a domain, or a specific bonus feat.

Pantheon worship or monotheism

The degree to which each religion is exclusive varies in every campaign. By default, a cleric should not give worship to another deity. A DM might specify for his campaign that a cleric is permitted to worship and lead ceremonies to a group of deities, or instead that a cleric should protest at any worship of another deity, or of deities of a different pantheon, in his presence or by his allies, hirelings, cohort or followers.

 

[Arkhandus]

Hrm. I dunno about these. Really, a cleric just needs to obey the dogma of his/her patron deity (or the general/main dogmas of the pantheon, for those who gain their power that way; Deities & Demigods has some notes on pantheon-worship and domains), and respect their deity's teachings and interactions (i.e. no Heirronean clerics allowed to be nice or indifferent to followers of Hextor; smite them or stay away from them!). Of course, remaining true to the alignments accepted by his or her deity also matters, but that doesn't mean, for instance, that a Heirronean cleric can't do some minor misdeed or accept the lesser of two evils; he or she may be expected to seek repentence later for it, but likely wouldn't lose their powers (oh noes!! That guy I pulled out of the burning building is a Hextorite! Please don't be mad great Heirroneous!)

 

[Starglim]

Well, yeah, that would be a cleric's alignment restriction (within one step of LG), an alignment actions restriction (follow either the lawfulness or goodness of Heironeous) and an anathema (Hextorites - a bit narrow, but a major religion might be OK as anathema). It only looks more complicated because I had to cover many possible deities. The wiggle room of "should obey" is important here as you mentioned.

Following the dogma of a deity is fine, if the designer or DM has written some, but the RAW don't require a dogma in a deity's writeup - only an alignment, domains and favoured weapon. This is just meant as a utility where the campaign-builder doesn't have time or inclination to write myth-cycles for every minor deity.