Spontaneously Casting Cleric

[Alisair Longreach]

Lately I have been tinkering with how the Cleric casts spells. I wanted to make a Cleric variant class with spontaneous spellcasting inspired by the Warmage class from Complete Arcane.

The Warmage specializes in casting Evocation combat spells, he is the ultimate KABOOM Sorcerer.

The big game balance problem with making a spontaneous casting Cleric is that the basic cleric spell list in the PHB is huge and having to choose 2 or 4 spells each level with a Divine Sorcerer variant is not really satisfactory.

So I decided to trim the basic cleric list down to max. 15 spells at each spell level that my Cleric is able to cast spontaneously. Some spells have to go.

The first group of spells I cut was the alignment-based spells. These spells are now exclusive Domain spells which means there might be two or more spells at a given spell level in the alignment Domains.

The next group to go was the negative energy spells (all Inflict Wounds, Cause affliction). These spells are available to Clerics who command/rebuke Undead.

Then I cut the Domain spells that are included in the basic cleric spells list except for those in the Healing, Protection, Strength and War Domains.

Then I cut the bothersome or lame spells. Summon Monster I - IX, Symbols, Helping Hand.

When I decided between keeping or cutting spells I had a look at the D20 Modern Acolyte class spell list and the common and uncommon spells a Cleric had avilable in second edition.

Finally I added a few spells from the Spell Compendium. The spells I choose was the Lesser, Greater and Mass version of existing PHB spells and a couple of classic second edition spells.

After finalizing the basic spells list I reworked the PHB Domains adding spells from the Spell Compendium to fill holes. The Domain feats from Complete Champion, in my campaign, also expand the Domain lists with spells from the Spell Compendium, Complete Champion/Mage/Scoundrel, Player's Handbook II and other D&D rules supplements. Certain feats also add a suite of spells that can be prepared in the Domain spell slot.

In my next post I will bring you my new basic cleric spells list.

 

[Alisair Longreach]

Basic cleric spells list:

0. Level
Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Guidance, Light, Mending, Purify Food & Drink, Read Magic, Resistance, Virtue

1. Level
Bless, +ConvictionSC, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Undead, Divine Favor, Endure Elements, Hide from Undead, Magic Weapon, Remove Fear, SanctuaryShield of Faith

2. Level
Augury, Bear’s Endurance, Bull’s Strength, Cure Moderate Wounds, Delay Poison, Eagle’s Splendor, Gentle Repose, Lesser Restoration, Make Whole, Owl’s Wisdom, Remove Paralysis, Resist Energy, Restoration, Lesser, Silence, +Spell Immunity, LesserSC, Spiritual Weapon, Status

3. Level
+Cloak of BraverySC, Continual Flame, +Conviction, MassSC, Create Food & Water, Cure Serious Wounds, Dispel Magic, Glyph of Warding, Invisibility Purge, Magic Vestment, Prayer, Protection from Energy, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Curse, Remove Disease, +Resist Energy, MassSC, Speak with Dead, Water Walk

4. Level
Cure Critical Wounds, Death Ward, Dimensional Anchor, Discern Lies, Dismissal, Divination, Divine Power, Freedom of Movement, Imbue with Spell Ability, Magic Weapon, Greater, Neutralize Poison, Planar Ally, Lesser, Restoration, +Shield of Faith, MassSC, Spell Immunity, Tongues

5. Level
Atonement, Break Enchantment, Commune, Cure Light Wounds, Mass, Flame Strike, Plane Shift, Raise Dead, Righteous Might, +Sanctuary, MassSC, Scrying, Spell Resistance, True Seeing

6. Level
Banishment, Bear’s Endurance, Mass, Blade Barrier, Bulls’ Strength, Mass, Cure Moderate Wounds, Mass, Dispel Magic, Greater, Eagle’s Splendor, Mass, Forbiddance, Glyph of Warding, Greater, Heal, Heroes’ Feast, Owl’s Wisdom, Mass, Planar Ally, Quest, Word of Recall

7. Level
Cure Serious Wounds, Mass, Ethereal Jaunt, +Plane Shift, GreaterSC, Refuge, Regenerate, Restoration, Greater, +Restoration, MassSC, Resurrection, Scrying, Greater, +Spell Resistance, MassSC

8. Level
Cure Critical Wounds, Mass, +Death Ward, MassSC, Dimensional Lock, Planar Ally, Greater, Spell Immunity, Greater

9. Level
Astral Projection, +Cloak of Bravery, GreaterSC, Etherealness, Gate, Heal, Mass, Miracle, True Resurrection

 

[Alisair Longreach]

If anyone wants it, I will post my revised Domains list. Or you could send me an email and I will send you my house rules document.

Please critique and comment upon my variant cleric class.

 

[Nifft]

There have been some previous attempts:
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=187976
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=191933
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=190902
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=191354
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=152493
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=180420

Concrete suggestions:

1/ Don't comma-separate lists which contain items like "blah, mass". Spell it out as "mass blah" or break the list up differently (e.g. [ list] [* ] [/list ] ), or the lists are too annoying to read.

2/ Explain WTF you mean by "+" or "SC". (E.g. "GreaterSC" must mean something.)

3/ Pay attention to class features disguised as spells. I go into this in some detail in the first link up there.

4/ Don't be afraid of situational spells like helping hand. It's not a spell anyone prepares anyway -- it might see some use if someone got it for free.

5/ The Warmage gets a mechanic for adding some spells to his spell-list to customize each character. What's your mechanic?

Cheers, -- N

 

[Asmor]

Just want to make sure you know about the favored soul.

favored soul : cleric :: sorcerer : wizard

(except of course that the sorcerer loses bonus feats from the wizard, while the favored soul gains some sweet new abilities)

Not saying you shouldn't try to make a spontaneous cleric, just wanted to ensure you knew about this.

 

[the Jester]

I did something similar with my low-magic campaign... very similar to what you did, it looks like.

Your list looks pretty good to me. When I did this, I decided what I wanted the cleric's role to be in the campaign and I pared the list down based on molding them for that role.

 

[Alisair Longreach]

Thanks for your answer Nifft.

When I made my previous post I copy/pasted and edited my cleric spells list from my house rules document. + indicates an added non Player's Handbook spell and SC indicates that this spell came from the Spell Compendium.

And you are right, Nifft that the Helping Hand spell might be useful to a spontaneous casting cleric.

As for adding spells to the basic cleric list, the Cleric has to burn a feat on taking the Extra Spell feat from Complete Arcane. It's hardcore, I know but any Cleric spell from any D&D rulebook might be added.

I balanced to spontaneous casting by reducing the basic cleric spells list and you also have to consider that I haven't made any changes to the Cleric spell progression table. Compared to the Divine Sorcerer/Favored Soul/Warmage my cleric can cast fewer spells per day but have a larger spell selection with very few direct damage spells.

Maybe I ought to add Sound Burst back in.

 

[GreatLemur]

I've done it a dozen times already, but I feel I would be remiss if I didn't point out the Spontaneous Divine Casters variant from Unearthed Arcana. I'm not entirely sure the variant is balanced, when measured against the Sorcerer, but it's an idea worth considering.

 

[Alisair Longreach]

Thanks for that link GreatLemur. One the reasons I created my Cleric variant was to make the class more versatile but also simpler to play without changing the mechanics of the class.

Playing the Cleric can be a daunting experience for inexperienced players. First they look at the Cleric class table and it doesn't look so bad. A handful of class skills, Turn Undead, Spontaneous Casting, choose a Deity, choose two Domains. Then they get a look at the Cleric Spells list and their eyes start to glaze over. 20 to 30 spells at each spell level, 22 Domains. Then the Spell Compendium hits the table and the panic sets in.

Spell preparation can be a drag, so many choices, so many decisions, so much time wasted.

The experienced players usually just prepare the tried and true Cleric spells and ignore everything else. The Domains are usually chosen because of the granted power and the Domain spells are usually ignored because most of them appears on the Cleric Spells list anyway.


My cleric variant is more fun to play I think because there is less preparation time involved and the useful Cleric spells are always ready to be cast and the Domain spell selection are more interesting because there are a couple more to choose from with no duplicates from the basic cleric spells list.

I have also houseruled that some specific feats also grants the Cleric access to suite of spells that may prepared in the Domain spell slot. True Believer from Complete Divine grants access to Deity/spiritually themed spells from the Spell Compendium, Complete Champion and Player's Handbook II. Arctic Priest to cold/winter themed spells from Frostburn and the Spell Compendium. Priest of the Waste to Sandstorm spells. Thrall to Demon to demonic themed spells from Fiendish Codex I and the Spell Compendium. Likewise with the Devil-Touched feat in Fiendish Codex II. Finally there are the Domain feats in Complete Champion which also grants access to appropriate spells from the Spell Compendium, Complete Champion and Player's Handbook II.

 

[Nifft]

Maybe I ought to add Sound Burst back in.

IMHO direct damage / disabling spells should always be a tough choice. They're the sexy crunchy bits that players see first.

Have you looked at my three spontaneous casting clerics? They get up to four "voluntary" spells (that they pick from the general Cleric spell list) and ~4/level freebies, plus their Domain spell(s).

It's a similar list to the one you've written.

The one issue I have with your Cleric is that it's just as feature-free as the Core Cleric. Your variant loses nothing by taking a Prestige class. My solution was to give bonus spells known (which were mostly the "hidden class feature" list) as a class feature, so you don't get free higher-level spells unless you take actual Cleric levels. There are surely other solutions; but you do need to be aware of the problem.

Cheers, -- N