Limits on Domain Spells?

[Jeff Wilder]

My 13th level cleric with the Earth domain has earthquake as a seventh-level domain spell. (Woohoo!)

Can he prepare that spell in other seventh-level slots?

The SRD says, "If a domain spell is not on the cleric spell list, a cleric can prepare it only in his domain spell slot." I can't find anything else directly relevant, and this is ambiguous.

On the one hand, earthquake is on the cleric spell list. On the other hand, it's on the cleric spell list as an eighth-level spell.

Did I miss something in the SRD? If not, which way would you resolve the ambiguity?

 

[irdeggman]

Well let's see:

It is a Cleric 8 and an Earth 7.

He can prepare his domains spells in his domain slots (he can't prepare his clerical spells in his domain slots).

He can prepare his clerical spells in his cleric spell slots.

Earthquake is an 8th level spell on the cleric list so it takes up an 8th level slot.

It is a 7th level spell on his domain list so it takes up a 7th level domain slot.

Following the rules of spell lists - ask yourself how would you handle it if it was a bard/sorcerer. Hideous Laughter is a bard 1, sorcerer 2 spell. Can he use a 1st level sourcerer slot to cast the spell? (Let's assume he knows the spell on both lists, even though that is clearly not a smart thing to do).

The answer is no he can not, they are treated as 2 separate spell lists.

I think for spell slots, domain spells are treated the same way.

 

[akbearfoot]

I agree with irdeggman

 

[Jhaelen]

I agree with irdeggman

ditto!

 

[Alzrius]

I agree with the consensus; the cleric can prepare earthquake as a 7th-level spell only in his domain spell slot. He can prepare it in any (non-domain) 8th-level spell slots he may also have, which at this point is none.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

Okay, irdeggman argued the "no" side of things well. I do tend to agree with that argument.

But does anybody have any rules support for it? (Or FAQ support?)

It seems like a fairly basic thing to have left ambiguous. (Though, again, I was quoting the SRD. The PHB occasionally does have clarifying language that isn't in the SRD.)

 

[Kask]

Okay, irdeggman argued the "no" side of things well. I do tend to agree with that argument.

But does anybody have any rules support for it? (Or FAQ support?)

It seems like a fairly basic thing to have left ambiguous. (Though, again, I was quoting the SRD. The PHB occasionally does have clarifying language that isn't in the SRD.)

It is clear in the PHB section on the Cleric class. You should get it. The SRD doesn't really cut it.

 

[irdeggman]

Al right let's look at the SRD text then

Like other spellcasters, a cleric can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Cleric. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score. A cleric also gets one domain spell of each spell level he can cast, starting at 1st level. When a cleric prepares a spell in a domain spell slot, it must come from one of his two domains (see Deities, Domains, and Domain Spells, below).

Clerics meditate or pray for their spells. Each cleric must choose a time at which he must spend 1 hour each day in quiet contemplation or supplication to regain his daily allotment of spells. Time spent resting has no effect on whether a cleric can prepare spells. A cleric may prepare and cast any spell on the cleric spell list, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation

Now it clearly says that only domain spells can be prepared in domain slots.

But under the non-domain information it also states that he can prepare any spell on the cleric list.

Note that these are different lists.

All domains have their own list.

The text

If a domain spell is not on the cleric spell list, a cleric can prepare it only in his domain spell slot,

When placed into context states that he can prepare domain spells using other slots if that spell appears on that list (as in he can prepare any spell on the cleric spell list in the appropriate spell slot).

 

[Jeff Wilder]

When placed into context states that he can prepare domain spells using other slots if that spell appears on that list (as in he can prepare any spell on the cleric spell list in the appropriate spell slot).

You keep restating the argument. I've understood that argument from the beginning; it was implied in my OP.

The ambiguity you keep trying to make disappear by assertion is that earthquake is on the cleric spell list, and being on the cleric's spell list is the only thing that the rules say is required to be able to prepare the spell.

Again, I agree with your conclusion. But your conclusion is a choice made to resolve an ambiguity ... it's not an elimination of the ambiguity itself.

So I'm wondering if I've missed rules that eliminate the ambiguity. An earlier poster suggested I'd find such in the PHB, and maybe so. I still haven't checked.

 

[green slime]

1) there is a clear majority consensus.
2) In this case, only by seeking an ambiguity do you find one.
3) If the rules where to even attempt to rule out the slightest ambiguity, we'd have to pay a whole lot more for our books.
4) If in doubt, apply common sense.
5) Compare to how this issue has been resolved in "Official" RPG Computer games.

It isn't really an issue at all.