On speciality priests ?

[zoroaster100]

I'd like to see a few specialty priests in Player's Handbook 2 or later, but I don't want to see them as "alternate forms of the cleric class". Instead, each needs to be done as a completely separate class, balanced on its own merits to fill a particular role.

A specialty priest of a battle god is probably just a paladin, so probably no need for a separate one. But a specialty priest of a god of thieves or trickery might be a divine striker. A specialty priest of the god of magic/peace/scholarly pursuits might be a divine controller, similar to a wizard but with different powers and spells that accomplish similar things. Such priests might have as much healing power as a paladin, but no more. If they fill a different role, they should not have their other powers tacked on to the standard cleric powers as a divine leader.

That is where second edition went wrong. They tried to create specialty priests that could fill another class role, but still left them with most standard cleric powers so the specialty priests were overlapping two roles and invading another class's time in the spotlight.

 

[Nikosandros]

Yes, that's what I was thinking of. A few completely stand alone classes instead of dozens of add-ons for the cleric class.

 

[Deverash]

In 3.x, Clerics ended up looking the same because they all drew from the same spell list. Except for the Initiate feats, every cleric had the same spell list as every other cleric.

If the powers your cleric chooses when they level up is more-or-less fixed, then you can build a specialty priest type class for every cleric, just by keeping the powers you choose to fit within a theme appropriate to your god.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Yes, that's what I was thinking of. A few completely stand alone classes instead of dozens of add-ons for the cleric class.

But it won't just be a few. As soon as you do it for some gods, they'll pop up like weeds all over the place.

I don't think the niche specialty priests fill is big enough to warrant more separate classes. 3E became bloated enough without 'em, and I'm sure 4E will eventually go down the same path too.

If you want to make a specialty priest, just role-play him that way. Or pick spells/powers that reflect your character. We don't need entirely new classes.

 

[Nikosandros]

I don't really buy the role play it that way argument... it could really be applied to paladins and rangers as well.

I guess that another option, instead of adding classes, it to eventually publish a sufficient diversity of powers that make i possible to customize the cleric class.

 

[theredrobedwizard]

Personally, I see the new multiclassing approach to be the best way to do specialty priests.

Want a more militant Cleric? Take the Fighter Training feat. Want a Cleric of the god of Magic? Take the Wizard training feat. Want a Cleric with a slightly darker bent? Warlock Training.

Now, I admit this isn't the most appealing suggestion, but it's good based on that specialized priests will have to spend feats to do so.

Also, I've got a good feeling that the three Cleric trees will be Combat, Healing, and Protection.

-TRRW

 

[Nikosandros]

I also have high hopes for the new multi classing rules... we'll have to see if they will be able to fulfill all the promises.

 

[Sir Brennen]

After reading the Races & Classes book, which is full of promises for sure, but I didn't see anything in the Cleric Entry about the difference between clerics of different gods.

Here's the only thing I could find in R&C which appears relevant:

Each deity gives a cleric some specific benefits, such as a favored weapon or defense bonus.

Also, there's mention that each individual cleric can emphasize their specific method of combating enemies or the type of buffs they provide (offensive or defensive.)

But I think you need a base class which is pretty similar at its core regardless of the deity worshiped, primarily for game reasons. The class needs to be balanced against all others both in and out of combat, and also achieve the 4E goal of making sure no one feels "stuck" playing the cleric for the party. They have to be suitable to be adventurers as well as religious figures. This is much harder to do if abilities between different religious orders are too varied.

One house rule possibility might be for the game master to require certain relevant feats to be taken for a particular clerical order. Probably not more than one or two, or perhaps one during the heroic levels, one at paragon and another at epic levels.

 

[StarFyre]

i sent email to my players the other day

2 days ago infact...I am houseruling this in 3.5 and going forward into 4E as well.

Any players who choose a god, will get certain benefits if they are faithful to them. Similar to how in real world, people, not just priests, believe their religious gods look down on them, and in some cases, they believe they get powers due to it (mother theresa, pope, etc).

FOr Asmodeus for example, I was thinking of using the prestige class 'something of asmodeus'..forgot name, but i think it's in book of vile darknesss....those powers modified a bit.

What I am going over now is, what to grant people who are stronger willed and don't need to have some sort of otherworldly belief to get them through the day, to balance it out.

I have some ideas around that.

Players seem happy, and it will give a different flavour instead of just the cleric caring about the cosmology of the world if the other players wnat to have something different.

I want 4E to have unique spells, and powers for each god, but I knowthey won't due to the time to do that for each god.

Sanjay

 

[Lackhand]

I want 4E to have unique spells, and powers for each god, but I knowthey won't due to the time to do that for each god.
Sanjay

They won't, but you could. One at a time, small steps: One power per player's priesthood, and one power per villain introduced... And post them to EN World as you do them...


And clearly atheists in a world with actual blatantly meddling deities should get SR versus divine powers, not to mention a bonus on disbelieving illusions. And probably an Int penalty