Evil Clerics - Can they cast Cure Spells?

[DeathOfRats]

This has just blown my mind. One of the guys I play with has informed me that he could be evil and I countered saying that he has been using a wand of CLW without fail since level 1.

He countered by saying that CLW is not a good spell and therefore he can cast it.

Has it ever been the case that evil clerics can't cast cures because I seem to recall that they couldn't at one point, or maybe thats just my live action rpg I played once!

I know that they can't spontanaously cast it, but I guess it looks like they can prepare it as normal.

Cheers!

 

[Sejs]

Evil clerics can prepare and cast cure spells, the same as any cleric can. Similarly, a good cleric can prepare and cast inflict spells with no problem.

 

[Camarath]

I have played in groups that House Ruled that evil clerics could not use positive energy spells and good clerics could not use negative energy spells. I don't think that was ever the case in core 3e.

 

[Nightfall]

Evil clerics can prepare and cast cure spells, just like good clerics can prepare and cast inflict spells. Otherwise, evil clerics couldn't heal the living and that would just suck for war gods in general.

 

[EPRock]

Only rule apply to spontaneous casting

Good Clerics can spontaneously cast cure spells, by trading in a spell of equal level. Evil Clerics can spontaneously cast inflict spells, by similar means

This means that a good cleric has to prepare inflict spells during the spell preparation, and evil clerics have to prepare cure spells.

Cure spells do not have [good] or [evil] descriptors in them so they are not restricted to clerics of a certain alignment.

 

[Scion]

This is slightly off topic while being on topic

SRD:

NEGATIVE ENERGY PLANE
To an observer, there’s little to see on the Negative Energy Plane. It is a dark, empty place, an eternal pit where a traveler can fall until the plane itself steals away all light and life. The Negative Energy Plane is the most hostile of the Inner Planes, and the most uncaring and intolerant of life. Only creatures immune to its life-draining energies can survive there.
The Negative Energy Plane has the following traits.
• Subjective directional gravity.
• Major negative-dominant. Some areas within the plane have only the minor negative-dominant trait, and these islands tend to be inhabited.
• Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use negative energy are maximized (as if the Maximize Spell metamagic feat had been used on them, but the spells don’t require higher-level slots). Spells and spell-like abilities that are already maximized are unaffected by this benefit. Class abilities that use negative energy, such as rebuking and controlling undead, gain a +10 bonus on the roll to determine Hit Dice affected.
• Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use positive energy, including cure spells, are impeded. Characters on this plane take a –10 penalty on Fortitude saving throws made to remove negative levels bestowed by an energy drain attack.
Random Encounters: Because the Negative Energy Plane is virtually devoid of creatures, random encounters on the plane are exceedingly rare.

POSITIVE ENERGY PLANE
The Positive Energy Plane has no surface and is akin to the Elemental Plane of Air with its wide-open nature. However, every bit of this plane glows brightly with innate power. This power is dangerous to mortal forms, which are not made to handle it. Despite the beneficial effects of the plane, it is one of the most hostile of the Inner Planes. An unprotected character on this plane swells with power as positive energy is force-fed into her. Then, her mortal frame unable to contain that power, she immolates as if she were a small planet caught at the edge of a supernova. Visits to the Positive Energy Plane are brief, and even then travelers must be heavily protected.
The Positive Energy Plane has the following traits.
• Subjective directional gravity.
• Major positive-dominant. Some regions of the plane have the minor positive-dominant trait instead, and those islands tend to be inhabited.
• Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use positive energy, including cure spells, are maximized (as if the Maximize Spell metamagic feat had been used on them, but the spells don’t require higher-level slots). Spells and spell-like abilities that are already maximized are unaffected by this benefit. Class abilities that use positive energy, such as turning and destroying undead, gain a +10 bonus on the roll to determine Hit Dice affected. (Undead are almost impossible to find on this plane, however.)
• Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use negative energy (including inflict spells) are impeded.
Random Encounters: Because the Positive Energy Plane is virtually devoid of creatures, random encounters on the plane are exceedingly rare.


neither positive nor negative energy are aligned. They are not good or evil.

Cure and inflict spells use positive and negative energy, but they are also not aligned.

Hence, having the evil overlord heal his troops is not a good act

 

[jgsugden]

Nothing in the game mechanics of the cleric class, the cure spells or the inflict spells prevents an evil cleric from preparing a healing spell. OTOH, his dark and evil deity might take exception to him using it to heal a paladin. Although healing is not inherently good, it can still be used for good purposes, so an evil deity is not completely free in the use of the spell. If he heals the wrong person, he may need to atone for acting too good.

 

[Darklone]

I don't think any evil deity would object to the way healing was used in Destans storyhour...

 

[Voadam]

Has it ever been the case that evil clerics can't cast cures because I seem to recall that they couldn't at one point, or maybe thats just my live action rpg I played once!.

Cheers!

I believe they could not cast cures in Basic D&D, only the reversed forms of reversible spells (cause light wounds was the reverse of cure light wounds).

 

[Spatula]

I believe they could not cast cures in Basic D&D, only the reversed forms of reversible spells (cause light wounds was the reverse of cure light wounds).

There are no evil (or good) clerics in basic D&D.