Diety favored weapon - is cleric automatically proficient?

[MerakSpielman]

This should be a quick question. If a diety's favored weapon is an exotic weapon, are his clerics automatically proficient with it?

 

[Lasher Dragon]

No, the cleric is not

 

[Darkness]

No, and why should they? They aren't even proficient with it if it's a martial weapon. (Unless they have the War domain.)

 

[taliesin15]

hand and eye of pirate cat:
No, and why should they? They aren't even proficient with it if it's a martial weapon. (Unless they have the War domain.)

I don't think that's quite right...War Domain just means you get the Smite Power...plus why would the PHB (and other sources) list the favored weapons of every deity if its only War Domain, when in fact, only a handful of the "official" AD&D deities have anything to do with War...what about say Wee Jaz or some of the Healing-oriented deities?

back to the original question--I would say the Cleric doesn't "automatically" get it, but can get it, whether Exotic, Martial or Simple

 

[MerakSpielman]

It just seems odd that while clerics are attending cleric school, they are taught to use tons of other weapons, but not the one their deity would prefer them to use.

 

[diaglo]

hand and eye of pirate cat:
No, and why should they? They aren't even proficient with it if it's a martial weapon. (Unless they have the War domain.)

I don't think that's quite right...War Domain just means you get the Smite Power...plus why would the PHB (and other sources) list the favored weapons of every deity if its only War Domain, when in fact, only a handful of the "official" AD&D deities have anything to do with War...what about say Wee Jaz or some of the Healing-oriented deities?

back to the original question--I would say the Cleric doesn't "automatically" get it, but can get it, whether Exotic, Martial or Simple

Darkness is correct.

War domain give martial prof in the deity's weapon... and Weapon focus in that weapon...as the Domain power

edit: clerics without War domain must spend a feat if it is a martial weapon just like any other class that doesn't have martial weapon use...

 

[diaglo]

It just seems odd that while clerics are attending cleric school, they are taught to use tons of other weapons, but not the one their deity would prefer them to use.

spend the feat.

the Paladin is the guy to use it for martial weapons.

 

[AuraSeer]

I don't think that's quite right...War Domain just means you get the Smite Power

That's not correct. Check again.

The War domain gives you Martial proficiency and Weapon Focus with the deity's favored weapon. Smiting comes from the Destruction domain.

...plus why would the PHB (and other sources) list the favored weapons of every deity if its only War Domain, when in fact, only a handful of the "official" AD&D deities have anything to do with War...what about say Wee Jaz or some of the Healing-oriented deities?

The spiritual weapon spell summons a copy of the deity's favored weapon. Any cleric can cast that spell, so they all need to know what weapon gets summoned.

 

[kenobi65]

It just seems odd that while clerics are attending cleric school, they are taught to use tons of other weapons, but not the one their deity would prefer them to use.

You're right, it does seem a bit odd...but it's still the RAW.

Though, I don't know that I'd classify the list of simple weapons as "tons":
- 2 flavors of dagger
- 2 flavors of mace (three if you count a morningstar as a "mace with pointy bits")
- 3 flavors of spear (four if you include javelin)
- 2 flavors of stick (club and staff)
- 2 flavors of crossbow
- and 4 others (spiked gauntlet, sickle, dart, sling).

Your stock cleric is proficient in the same weapons as your stock sorcerer.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Actually, everybody's proficient with Simple weapons, right? Even commoners? So I guess they don't teach you squat about weapons in Cleric School. Proficieny in these weapons is just part of growing up in a D&D world.

"Son, it's about time you learned how to fight with a spiked gauntlet..."