Cloistered Cleric

[Chaos_Kitten]

It's a pretty simple question. If someone started out with levels of cloistered cleric (Unearthed Arcana) during character creation, and then went adventuring, would future gained levels have to be in normal cleric? Or do they continue along the cloistered cleric path? I'm curious because I've heard people come down on both sides of the issue.

 

[Sejs]

You would continue on the cloistered cleric progression. You can't toggle back and forth any more than a ranger can change their chosen fighting style class benefit part-way thru their progession.

 

[Lord_Fergus]

I would say that they would remain a cloistered cleric. This is a style of cleric - not a PrC. It is certainly possible to have the two types of clerics exist in your world. You could also say that all clerics of god X are cloistered clerics and all clerics of goddess Y are regular clerics. You could also say that a cleric has left a certain order and is now taking up the martial order or whatever to justify the cleric taking levels in cleric and cloistered cleric. I would allow the spell casting to stack for the two btw.. You would just not advance the bardic knowledge portion etc.

 

[Chaos_Kitten]

You would continue on the cloistered cleric progression. You can't toggle back and forth any more than a ranger can change their chosen fighting style class benefit part-way thru their progession.

No. I don't mean trying to multi-class back and forth. I have just heard the argument about it. If you go out in the world, then you're not longer cloistered, and can no longer take that class. Well unless, of course, you go back to spend the rest of your days at the temple.

I personally find it silly. I'm playing a cloistered cleric myself and intend to stay on that path until the end of the campaign.

 

[Sejs]

No. I don't mean trying to multi-class back and forth. I have just heard the argument about it. If you go out in the world, then you're not longer cloistered, and can no longer take that class. Well unless, of course, you go back to spend the rest of your days at the temple.

I personally find it silly. I'm playing a cloistered cleric myself and intend to stay on that path until the end of the campaign.

Right, cloistered cleric and normal cleric are the same class: cleric. The two just have a slightly different subset of abilities, in the same way that Ranger A has the Archery combat style and Ranger B has the Two Weapon Fighting combat style, but they're both still Rangers. Even if he started wielding two melee weapons all the time, Ranger A would still get archery feats at 6th and 11th once he's chosen the archery combat style at 2nd.


The cloistered cleric gets the cloistered cleric abilities for their whole progression as a cleric. Even if they go out into the world and adventure it doesn't change what ability set they get.


Does that all make sense to you?

 

[molonel]

The cloistered cleric is a means of development. You're more devoted to study (hence the higher skill points and Knowledge domain), and less apt in combat (hence the lower BAB, hit dice and weak Fort save). I'd say you continue along the same line even after you begin adventuring. You're simply a less martial cleric, and you continue your studies whenever possible. I see nothing wrong with that. I think you're getting too hung up on the word "cloistered." It's simply a word to describe a habit of life and gameplay. If the word "contemplative" fits better, then use it, although don't mix that up with the prestige class in the Complete Divine.

 

[Sejs]

If the word "contemplative" fits better, then use it, although don't mix that up with the prestige class in the Complete Divine.

Scholarly Cleric.

Studious Cleric.

Erudite Cleric.

Just a couple more suggestions to go with Molonel's off the top of my head.

 

[hong]

A cloistered cleric who goes out into the big, bad world and fights crime! would become a fighter/cloistered cleric. They've reduced their focus on their studies and increased their knowledge of beating up monsters with a stick.

 

[Li Shenron]

No. I don't mean trying to multi-class back and forth. I have just heard the argument about it. If you go out in the world, then you're not longer cloistered, and can no longer take that class. Well unless, of course, you go back to spend the rest of your days at the temple.

I personally find it silly. I'm playing a cloistered cleric myself and intend to stay on that path until the end of the campaign.

I think that a DM who lets you use UA's variants should be flexible enough to come help you and tinker the class again in the case you want to later change to a non-cloistered life. This could be done for example even by multiclassing Cleric/Cloistered Cleric but stacking the spellcasting abilities, if this solution is fine for the player and the setting. If you are worried about the mechanic, you shouldn't be since you can work it out just as you allowed the variant.

If you are worried about the campaign story, whether it's fair that a not-anymore-cloistered character continues gaining abilities from the class, it's up to you to decide if you like it or not. It's not forbidden to play a wizard and fight all the time without casting a single spell either, but obviously you could make a better choice.
If it helps, you can also think that the adventures don't necessary take up all your time. Actually, with the standard XP system, everyone who would be adventuring full-time would reach 20th level pretty soon in her life, therefore I kind of like reminding my players that they may be spending more than 90% of their lifes doing something else. So why not saying that the cleric is indeed staying cloistered most of the time?

 

[Jeff Wilder]

I play a cloistered cleric/necromancer/mystic theurge (3/3/3). If Kamjen survives to return to his clerical class, it'll still be perfectly appropriate for him to remain "cloistered." Though capable on adventures (sorta), he'll never be a fighting cleric, and I'd certainly resist any attempt to force it on him.