Building faiths and pantheons is what the first two chapters are all about. What do you find wrong with them? Rules for clerics were beyond the scope of the book. WotC and 3rd parties publish lots of books on clerics and relatively few on faiths. Tailoring spell lists for specific deities smacks, to me, of the typical "you're a cleric therefore you have more role-playing restrictions because you worship a deity." Let players decide how their characters should best worship their deities." That's the kind of advice I don't need. Once a book goes into vestments, I fall asleep. /QUOTE]
Well, when I run or participate in a campaign setting, I don't want it to feel like Joe's generic game down the street where the GH or our own world deities are simply grabbed from the PHB (or DDG) and every deity's cleric wears heavy or medium armor, has the same base spell list with the only real differences (other than the personality being roleplayed) is pretty much the clerics domains, holy symbol and perhaps favored weapon.
If I am playing in a Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms realms campaign, I want as much "fluff" about that campaign world as possible so that I have a feel for the setting as the designers imagined it. Similarly, when it comes to using real world deities in a setting, I prefer they be saved for products like Arabian Adventures, 2e Celts or 2e Vikings (either that or the DM actually spend time researching those cultures and creating cultures analagous to the culture from which real world deities are drawn from including tailoring classes to capture the feel). If a DM doesn't feel they need the fluff, because they cand add it themselves, I, as a player, would prefer the DM spend that energy and create their own homebrew setting (complete with unique deities, etc. for the players, because I would find such a campaign very rewarding to play within.
As for tailored spell lists, I could take your "Tailoring spell lists for specific deities smacks, to me, of the typical 'you're a cleric therefore you have more role-playing restrictions because you worship a deity.' " and say that your preference smacks of I am a player I must have as much as power as possible.
In my view, tailored lists have several benefits. First, it ensures that only spells that capture the feel of the setting are included. Second, it reinforces the DND cleric's dedication to promoting a single deity.
Why, would anyone want to dedicate themselves to promoting a specific deity, if any deity can grant any cleric spell regardless of the deitiy's appropriate portfolio. More importantly, why under a system where clerics dedicate themselves to promoting a single deity, would any deity grant mid to high level spells from thier portfolio to someone promoting another deity let alone one directly opposed to their own portfolio. For the sake of simplicity, I'll except the 2e arguement that deities could care less about what priest requests low level spells. However, it makes sense for a deity to withhold mid to high level spells from any cleric except as a reward to those individuals dedicated to promoting the deity and their ideals-- tailored spell lists ensures that each deity is respected for what they can offer (or inflict upon) mortals and their power be truly reflected by the benefits they grant upon those active on their behalf.
