Here is the transcript taken from a thread from 2001`s forum. please comment. I modifed the version presented then.. I will work on it later... a more balanced version is somewhere else..
Following is a set of modifications to the cleric class that
makes their abilities more closely tied to the domains they
choose. The goal is not to weaken the cleric, despite a
noticeable decrease in power for the base abilities of the
class. These sacrifices are supposed to be compensated for
with the new powers given by domain. The general idea behind
these changes is that the base class is weaker than the
standard cleric, but the domains grant many more abilities,
which make the cleric's abilities more closely tuned to the
chosen deity. I'm hoping to keep the overall power level the
same once domain abilities are factored in.
Some of the main things I was trying to address were:
1. Clerics having good combat ability by default
2. Clerics having power over undead by default
3. Clerics spontaneously healing/inflicting by default
This system removes these things and replaces them with more
domain specific (and thus more deity specific) abilities.
Help in improving this concept would be appreciated. Also, if
anyone else has already done something like this let me know
where your work is. I think with a bit of work and tuning a
much more flexible and much better cleric will emerge. In the
same way that fighters can be dramatically customized with
feats and rogues with skills, with these modifications clerics
can now assume a much wider range of archetypes through
domains.
-----------
This class is identical to the standard cleric with the
following changes:
Hit Die: d6
Base Attack Bonus: As Wizard
Fort Save: Poor
Reflex Save: Poor
Will Save: Good
Charisma is the main stat
Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge
(arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis),
Scry (Int, exclusive skill), and Spellcraft (Int).
Armor and Weapon Proficiency: Clerics are not proficient with
any type of armor, nor with shields; proficient with all
simple weapons
Spells: A priest (or the god directly) spontaneously cast spells.
They still have an extra slot for the domain spell but 3 less spells
per spell level than listed (+1, magic domain)
Casting: Clerics do not spontaneously cast
cure/inflict spells. These spells are now evil/good spells.
Neutral gods clerics still can choose which one they want.
To compensate neutral gods power (inaffected by ennemies),
they can't cast any chaotic/lawful/good/evil spells if the god
don't have the same sub-aligment except cure/inflict spells
Turn or Rebuke Undead: Clerics do not receive this ability by
default. Various domains grant the ability to turn or rebuke
selected types of creatures.
New Domain Powers
Domain Skills: The cleric gains these skills as class skills
Additional Granted Powers: The cleric gets these abilities in
addition to the granted powers presented in the Player's
Handbook. The granted powers in the Player's Handbook still
apply.
Air Domain
Domain Skills: Alchemy, Jump
Additional Granted Powers: Electricity Resistance 3 * level,
good Reflex save progression
Animal Domain
Domain Skills: Knowledge (nature), Animal Empathy, Handle
Animal, Ride, Wilderness Lore
Additional Granted Powers: +2 skill points per level which
must be used for Animal domain skills, Detect animals at will as
per the spell Detect Plants and Animals except that only animals
can be detected
Chaos Domain
Domain Skills: Diplomacy
Additional Granted Powers: Turn lawful outsiders, protection from law at will, Detect Lawful at will (remove +1 level)
Death Domain
Domain Skills: Intimidate
Additional Granted Powers: Rebuke undead, lay on hands inflict damage as paladin (opposite), spontaneous inflict damage.
Destruction Domain
Domain Skills: None
Additional Granted Powers: BaB as a rogue, free improved sunder feat (x2 damage, needs sunder not to provoke AoO ), extra smite at level 4
Earth Domain
Domain Skills: Alchemy, Climb
Additional Granted Powers: Acid Resistance 3 * level, good
Fort save progression
Evil Domain
Domain Skills: Diplomacy
Additional Granted Powers: Turn good outsiders, protection vs good at will, Detect Good at will (remove +1 level)
Fire Domain
Domain Skills: Alchemy, Tumble
Additional Granted Powers: Fire Resistance 3 * level, good
Fort save progression
Good Domain
Domain Skills: Diplomacy
Additional Granted Powers: Turn evil outsiders, protection vs evil at will, Detect Evil at will (remove +1 level)
Healing Domain
Domain Skills: Heal
Additional Granted Powers: Turn undead, lay on hands as paladin, spontaneous healing.
Knowledge Domain
Domain Skills: All Knowledge skills, Decipher Script, Gather
Information
Additional Granted Powers: arcane divination spells as divine spells
Law Domain
Domain Skills: Diplomacy
Additional Granted Powers: Turn chaotic outsiders, protection from chaos at will, Detect chaos at will (remove +1 level)
Luck Domain
Domain Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy
Additional Granted Powers: A priest applies her charisma bonus to all saves, charisma bonus times a day
Plant Domain
Domain Skills: Knowledge (nature), Wilderness Lore, Alchemy
Additional Granted Powers: Woodland Stride as per the Druid
ability, Detect Plants at will as per the spell Detect Plants
and Animals except that only plants can be detected
Protection Domain
Domain Skills: Heal
Additional Granted Powers: Armor Proficiency (light, medium,
and heavy), Shield Proficiency, d8 hit points, good Fort save
progression
Strength Domain
Domain Skills: Climb, Jump, Swim
Additional Granted Powers: BaB as a rogue, extra feat of strenght at 1,4 +4 levels
Sun Domain
Domain Skills: Intuit Direction, Spot, Search
Additional Granted Powers: Turn Undead, Low Light Vision and darkvision ( if the cleric already has these , she receives a +20 bonus to the range of both vision)
Travel Domain
Domain Skills: Climb, Swim, Wilderness Lore, Ride, Handle Animal
Additional Granted Powers: free Tracking feat, +2 skill points per level which must be used for Travel domain skills, free
Run feat
Trickery Domain
Domain Skills: Bluff, Disguise, Hide, Forgery, Sense Motive Additional Granted Powers: charm and suggestion-like spells (enchantment) arcane spells as divine
War Domain
Domain Skills: Ride
Additional Granted Powers: BaB as a rogue, all armor and shields proficiencies. d8 hit dices
Water Domain
Domain Skills: Alchemy, Swim
Additional Granted Powers: Cold Resistance 3 * level, good Reflex save progression
Magic Domain
Domain Skills: Use Magic Device
Additional Granted Powers: Detect Magic at will as per the orison of the same name, gain one additional spell slot per spell level
Following is a set of modifications to the cleric class that
makes their abilities more closely tied to the domains they
choose. The goal is not to weaken the cleric, despite a
noticeable decrease in power for the base abilities of the
class. These sacrifices are supposed to be compensated for
with the new powers given by domain. The general idea behind
these changes is that the base class is weaker than the
standard cleric, but the domains grant many more abilities,
which make the cleric's abilities more closely tuned to the
chosen deity. I'm hoping to keep the overall power level the
same once domain abilities are factored in.
Some of the main things I was trying to address were:
1. Clerics having good combat ability by default
2. Clerics having power over undead by default
3. Clerics spontaneously healing/inflicting by default
This system removes these things and replaces them with more
domain specific (and thus more deity specific) abilities.
Help in improving this concept would be appreciated. Also, if
anyone else has already done something like this let me know
where your work is. I think with a bit of work and tuning a
much more flexible and much better cleric will emerge. In the
same way that fighters can be dramatically customized with
feats and rogues with skills, with these modifications clerics
can now assume a much wider range of archetypes through
domains.
-----------
This class is identical to the standard cleric with the
following changes:
Hit Die: d6
Base Attack Bonus: As Wizard
Fort Save: Poor
Reflex Save: Poor
Will Save: Good
Charisma is the main stat
Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge
(arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis),
Scry (Int, exclusive skill), and Spellcraft (Int).
Armor and Weapon Proficiency: Clerics are not proficient with
any type of armor, nor with shields; proficient with all
simple weapons
Spells: A priest (or the god directly) spontaneously cast spells.
They still have an extra slot for the domain spell but 3 less spells
per spell level than listed (+1, magic domain)
Casting: Clerics do not spontaneously cast
cure/inflict spells. These spells are now evil/good spells.
Neutral gods clerics still can choose which one they want.
To compensate neutral gods power (inaffected by ennemies),
they can't cast any chaotic/lawful/good/evil spells if the god
don't have the same sub-aligment except cure/inflict spells
Turn or Rebuke Undead: Clerics do not receive this ability by
default. Various domains grant the ability to turn or rebuke
selected types of creatures.
New Domain Powers
Domain Skills: The cleric gains these skills as class skills
Additional Granted Powers: The cleric gets these abilities in
addition to the granted powers presented in the Player's
Handbook. The granted powers in the Player's Handbook still
apply.
Air Domain
Domain Skills: Alchemy, Jump
Additional Granted Powers: Electricity Resistance 3 * level,
good Reflex save progression
Animal Domain
Domain Skills: Knowledge (nature), Animal Empathy, Handle
Animal, Ride, Wilderness Lore
Additional Granted Powers: +2 skill points per level which
must be used for Animal domain skills, Detect animals at will as
per the spell Detect Plants and Animals except that only animals
can be detected
Chaos Domain
Domain Skills: Diplomacy
Additional Granted Powers: Turn lawful outsiders, protection from law at will, Detect Lawful at will (remove +1 level)
Death Domain
Domain Skills: Intimidate
Additional Granted Powers: Rebuke undead, lay on hands inflict damage as paladin (opposite), spontaneous inflict damage.
Destruction Domain
Domain Skills: None
Additional Granted Powers: BaB as a rogue, free improved sunder feat (x2 damage, needs sunder not to provoke AoO ), extra smite at level 4
Earth Domain
Domain Skills: Alchemy, Climb
Additional Granted Powers: Acid Resistance 3 * level, good
Fort save progression
Evil Domain
Domain Skills: Diplomacy
Additional Granted Powers: Turn good outsiders, protection vs good at will, Detect Good at will (remove +1 level)
Fire Domain
Domain Skills: Alchemy, Tumble
Additional Granted Powers: Fire Resistance 3 * level, good
Fort save progression
Good Domain
Domain Skills: Diplomacy
Additional Granted Powers: Turn evil outsiders, protection vs evil at will, Detect Evil at will (remove +1 level)
Healing Domain
Domain Skills: Heal
Additional Granted Powers: Turn undead, lay on hands as paladin, spontaneous healing.
Knowledge Domain
Domain Skills: All Knowledge skills, Decipher Script, Gather
Information
Additional Granted Powers: arcane divination spells as divine spells
Law Domain
Domain Skills: Diplomacy
Additional Granted Powers: Turn chaotic outsiders, protection from chaos at will, Detect chaos at will (remove +1 level)
Luck Domain
Domain Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy
Additional Granted Powers: A priest applies her charisma bonus to all saves, charisma bonus times a day
Plant Domain
Domain Skills: Knowledge (nature), Wilderness Lore, Alchemy
Additional Granted Powers: Woodland Stride as per the Druid
ability, Detect Plants at will as per the spell Detect Plants
and Animals except that only plants can be detected
Protection Domain
Domain Skills: Heal
Additional Granted Powers: Armor Proficiency (light, medium,
and heavy), Shield Proficiency, d8 hit points, good Fort save
progression
Strength Domain
Domain Skills: Climb, Jump, Swim
Additional Granted Powers: BaB as a rogue, extra feat of strenght at 1,4 +4 levels
Sun Domain
Domain Skills: Intuit Direction, Spot, Search
Additional Granted Powers: Turn Undead, Low Light Vision and darkvision ( if the cleric already has these , she receives a +20 bonus to the range of both vision)
Travel Domain
Domain Skills: Climb, Swim, Wilderness Lore, Ride, Handle Animal
Additional Granted Powers: free Tracking feat, +2 skill points per level which must be used for Travel domain skills, free
Run feat
Trickery Domain
Domain Skills: Bluff, Disguise, Hide, Forgery, Sense Motive Additional Granted Powers: charm and suggestion-like spells (enchantment) arcane spells as divine
War Domain
Domain Skills: Ride
Additional Granted Powers: BaB as a rogue, all armor and shields proficiencies. d8 hit dices
Water Domain
Domain Skills: Alchemy, Swim
Additional Granted Powers: Cold Resistance 3 * level, good Reflex save progression
Magic Domain
Domain Skills: Use Magic Device
Additional Granted Powers: Detect Magic at will as per the orison of the same name, gain one additional spell slot per spell level
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