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How do you handle your clerics?
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<blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 3266213" data-attributes="member: 172"><p>First, I think it's an error to assume that, as a default, clerics or faith should strongly resemble modern Christian churches (which many of these assumptions seem to be based on.) Yes, there is some modern inspiration to the cleric, but the polytheistic baseline is fundamentally different.</p><p></p><p>I find the cleric to be maddeningly inflexible. It's basically a <em>WARPRIEST</em> (I chortle when I see supposed warpriest variant classes.) It doesn't model the different character that priests of different deities should have. I would prefer a one-size-fits all priest class, but there's not one out there I know of, and I haven't had the wherewithal to design one myself. So what I do in the interim is allow different faiths to use different divine caster classes to represent their clergy:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">cleric</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">druid</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">priest (from AEG good, similar to <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloisteredCleric" target="_blank">cloistered cleric</a>)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">priest (from Hamunaptra)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">healer (minis handbook)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Shaman (green ronin shaman handbook)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Avatar (Green Ronin Avatar Handbook)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Yogi (Complete Guide to Rakshasa/Years Best d20)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Favored Soul (minis handbook/complete divine)</li> </ul><p></p><p>Second, I don't assume that typical preaching clergy are represented by PC classes. Single classed clerics (and similar PC classes) don't necessarily make up the bulk of NPC clergy. Many multiclass with the likes of expert, aristocrat, or even commoner. PCs are heroes with the pinnacle of divine power, and are instruments of divine will.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>No. The "heretic" division is usually defined by the good/evil division or a different faith/pantheon entirely. Again, as in many real world pantheistic or polytheistic belief systems, deities often don't represent a singular distinct "faith". Most followers of the same pantheon share many of the same founding philosophies. Most non-divine casters DON'T select a single patron deity to the exclusion of all others. All deities are worthy of respect and offerings, even the evil ones (if only to appease their wrath, not advance their cause). Even some priests, while careful never to accord another deity more respect than their patron, show respect to deities that aren't rivals to their own.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Psion, post: 3266213, member: 172"] First, I think it's an error to assume that, as a default, clerics or faith should strongly resemble modern Christian churches (which many of these assumptions seem to be based on.) Yes, there is some modern inspiration to the cleric, but the polytheistic baseline is fundamentally different. I find the cleric to be maddeningly inflexible. It's basically a [i]WARPRIEST[/i] (I chortle when I see supposed warpriest variant classes.) It doesn't model the different character that priests of different deities should have. I would prefer a one-size-fits all priest class, but there's not one out there I know of, and I haven't had the wherewithal to design one myself. So what I do in the interim is allow different faiths to use different divine caster classes to represent their clergy: [list] [*]cleric [*]druid [*]priest (from AEG good, similar to [url=http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloisteredCleric]cloistered cleric[/url]) [*]priest (from Hamunaptra) [*]healer (minis handbook) [*]Shaman (green ronin shaman handbook) [*]Avatar (Green Ronin Avatar Handbook) [*]Yogi (Complete Guide to Rakshasa/Years Best d20) [*]Favored Soul (minis handbook/complete divine) [/list] Second, I don't assume that typical preaching clergy are represented by PC classes. Single classed clerics (and similar PC classes) don't necessarily make up the bulk of NPC clergy. Many multiclass with the likes of expert, aristocrat, or even commoner. PCs are heroes with the pinnacle of divine power, and are instruments of divine will. No. The "heretic" division is usually defined by the good/evil division or a different faith/pantheon entirely. Again, as in many real world pantheistic or polytheistic belief systems, deities often don't represent a singular distinct "faith". Most followers of the same pantheon share many of the same founding philosophies. Most non-divine casters DON'T select a single patron deity to the exclusion of all others. All deities are worthy of respect and offerings, even the evil ones (if only to appease their wrath, not advance their cause). Even some priests, while careful never to accord another deity more respect than their patron, show respect to deities that aren't rivals to their own. [/QUOTE]
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