Re-defining clerics in a campaign... Thoughts?

[Plane Sailing]

I'm toying with the following idea for my next campaign: Wizards remain as they are, sorcerers disappear, and clerics get rethunk.

Clerics get divided into two groups - priests and prophets.

Priests - basically treated like the StarWars d20 Noble - get influence, contact, good at persuading people. No magic though. These are administrative and warrior priests.

Prophets - basically use the Sorcerer rules, but with the Cleric spell list. They use Sorcerer HD, Saves, BAB. They get to turn undead. These are the people who have a "hotline" to their god, but they only tend to have faith for a limited number of "prayers". One 9th level prophet might be notable for being able to raise the dead, another 9th level prophet might have the entirely different characteristic of calling down a flame strike or breaking enchantments. Prophets of certain gods would naturally gravitate towards certain portfolios.

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I find this idea attractive because it draws a clear differentiation between the way arcane and divine magic is used (preparation vis a vis spontaneous prayer/invocation). it also draws a nice distinction between the religous heirarchy and the somewhat "loose cannon" prophets.

I wonder if anyone else has tried doing anything like this?

 

[poilbrun]

Just a quick thought reading your post (but not having tried anything like this) : why would the casting clerics accept to be under the rule of the non-casting clerics? I can see the loyal churches accepting things like this, but why would others accept that someone who isn't linked with the god (or at least, can't prove that he is) would say what is good for the church or not?

 

[BluWolf]

I see what you are going after and I like your approach. Of course it all comes down to how the divine works in your campaign world.

The only short coming I see is this could potentially really limit the number of player's willing to play cleric's. If they are expected to play the party healer (a stereotype I hate but is pretty essential combat heavy campaigns) then would essentially become weaker versions of the older cleric. ie onec your heal spells are gone you are just as vulnerable as the lonely mage.

I did something a little different in my campaign world. I changed the cleric class to a Priest, heavily resticted his spell list, reduced his weapon and armor feats but gave him more skill points and class skills. I also changed ALL divine casters to spontaneous casters.
Most Domains are now the province of pretige classes that are sects within the overall church. Most REALLy cool domains (read massively offensive spells) are relegated to evil denominations.

Most Priests remain priests their whole lives. So at higher levels that start gaining bonus feats.

Of course, my campaign world is essentially monothiestic so this fits the model.

 

[Infinite Monkey]

Buy Oriental Adventures and take a look at the Shugenja. Its just what you're looking for.