Custom Class: Priest

[AbeTheGnome]

I started to wonder why all clerics had access to the same spell list, when it doesn't make sense for certain gods to grant access to spells that are either completey unrelated to, or contrary to, their portfolio. I came up with this idea:

The new class, called "Priest" would give the same Hit Dice, BAB, and Saves as the Cleric class. Turn Undead becomes the domain power for the Good domain, Rebuke Undead for the Evil domain. The only spells that would be available to Priests are domain spells granted by their gods. They would be spontaneous casters (I use a spell point system, anyway). Each time a Cleric would gain access to a new spell level, a Priest would gain access to all domain spells of that level.

Greater gods would grant 4 domains: 4 powers, and 4 spells per level. Intermediate gods would grant 3 domains: 3 and 3. Lesser gods would grant 2: 2 and 2. Demigods would grant 1: 1 and 1. The only part of this scheme I haven't worked out yet is "Where do orisons fit in?"

Now, I know people will say, "But this decreases the versatility of the Cleric class, thereby making it underpowered." I agree with the first part of the statement, but not the second. I think the Cleric (and the Druid) are overpowered as-is. I mean, look at the wizard, another full-caster class: they get lower Hit Die, poor BAB, and one good save. A little less versatility may bring them down to the level of the other classes.

I'm also thinking about making Druids into specialized priests, making Wild Shape into a domain power of the Animal domain, and elemental shape a Domain power of the elemental domains. I haven't got that conversion quite worked out yet; it's a bit trickier.

 

[GreatLemur]

Have you seen the Spontaneous Divine Casters variant rule from Unearthed Arcana? It's nearly identical to your suggestion, with they exceptions that it doesn't affect Turn Undead, and it allows additional known spells, Sorcerer-style.

I do think limiting them to just two domains' worth of spells known is pretty harsh, but I agree with your line of thinking completely. Part of me wants to make the class even more modular by disconnecting domain powers from domains and letting them be chosen separately, and/or giving them access to another domain or two at higher levels (and maybe limiting them to one domain at first level?). I also think it might be appropriate to take away some of the Cleric's martial focus--that's another thing that ain't appropriate to all religions, and the Paladin already has the holy warrior archetype covered--but now I'm probably getting in over my head.

 

[AbeTheGnome]

I do think limiting them to just two domains' worth of spells known is pretty harsh, but I agree with your line of thinking completely.

They can get up to four domains, with subsequent spells and powers.

 

[el-remmen]

This may or may not help you but I have custom priest classes in my setting.

You can read about it here: http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Priest+Characters


And a set of examples: http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Priests+of+Ra's+Pantheon

 

[AbeTheGnome]

This may or may not help you but I have custom priest classes in my setting.

I really wanted to do something like this. The problems that I ran into with custom spell lists is that my players and I both use so many spells from outside the PHB. It would be such a pain to assign every divine spell from every book we use to custom spell lists for priests. I suppose I could do it on a case-by-case basis.

Another thing I forgot to mention: instead of the generic "pray at this time of day" requirement for Clerics in the PHB, most of the gods in my campaign also require a sacrifice of some kind (which entails a successful Knowledge (Religion) check), which may be anything from fresh fruit, expensive incense, or a virgin elf-maid.

 

[smootrk]

The ideas for a Domain Focused Priest is good, and I like it better than the standard Cleric. However, I do think there needs to be a Universal List of spells that all priests get. It need not be long, but ought to be there to allow those priests of demi-gods (or equivalent if you use demons/devils/celestials/etc) to have some flexibility.

I think that for priests of this type, some guidlines on armor/weapons or other special abilities should be based upon the individual diety as well.

 

[Sravoff]

I like this idea alot, though, making lesser gods grant less spells seems to make that a completely unattractive option. No one would ever play a priest unless they were priests of a greater god. Unless you have someway to balance this, I would give all the priests 4 domains.

 

[AbeTheGnome]

I like this idea alot, though, making lesser gods grant less spells seems to make that a completely unattractive option. No one would ever play a priest unless they were priests of a greater god. Unless you have someway to balance this, I would give all the priests 4 domains.

I designed it this way on purpose, of course. The fewer worshippers a god has, the less powerful it is. The less powerful it is, the fewer powers it can grant, and the less popular it is. It makes a lot of sense to me, balance aside. If someone wanted to play a priest of a lesser god, it would most likely be for fluffy RP reasons, which is great. Although some lesser gods may grant access to awesome domains that no greater god does. In general, I see a lot of people playing paladins of lesser gods instead of priests.

 

[Celebrim]

I like this idea alot, though, making lesser gods grant less spells seems to make that a completely unattractive option. No one would ever play a priest unless they were priests of a greater god. Unless you have someway to balance this, I would give all the priests 4 domains.

Balance more available domains against fewer spells per day.

So for each step below Greater God, you get a bonus spell of each level you can cast.

In game justification, although lesser gods are less powerful, they have fewer worshipers with which they are more intimately concerned with thier day to day affairs. Greater Gods have more demands on thier time, and are concerned with higher matters than a mortals mundane existance.

 

[Sravoff]

Abe: Alright. Sounds good, if thats the way your campaign would run. I used to players that wouldn't like this at all, but if it works for you, more power to yah!

Celebrim: Thats seems to almost fix it, though, now they cast as many spells as their higher god cousins, they just don't have as many spell known.

If the lesser get better domain powers, that could fix this, so, looks good.

You could make a small list of universal orisons, ones that all priests can cast. It doesn't matter what god you worship, these are the basic principals behind worship in general. These are learned before you even gain your first level, and are really nothing more than medecine woman charms and wards.