D&D 5E The Cleric

[Alzrius]

But if a DM has a homebrew where there's a god of sun and magic, he has a means of building that faith for the cleric.

That's only going to happen, though, if there's a stroke of coincidence, or if the GM is (at least partially) building the world to suit the desires of his players. While that can be an aspect of world-building, it's not something a lot of GMs I know do. Even if they did, that pre-packaging of a player's concepts into the game world tends to be good only as long as the initial PCs are still around; when they die or are retired, new characters are brought in, and the world can't be so easily built to suit them.

For example, I was once running a campaign, and the guy playing a barbarian started making up things about his native tribe; their region, their history, their religion, etc., and I really felt like he was infringing on my milieu.

As the GM, I have a motto: nobody touches my milieu.

 

[Klaus]

For example, I was once running a campaign, and the guy playing a barbarian started making up things about his native tribe; their region, their history, their religion, etc., and I really felt like he was infringing on my milieu.

As the GM, I have a motto: nobody touches my milieu.

See, to me that's a player being really invested in the campaign world, and I find that awesome!

 

[Bluenose]

For example, I was once running a campaign, and the guy playing a barbarian started making up things about his native tribe; their region, their history, their religion, etc., and I really felt like he was infringing on my milieu.

As the GM, I have a motto: nobody touches my milieu.

Had you made anything up about his tribe? If not, his desire to add some details seems perfectly reasonable to me. It's something I've actually encouraged in my homebrew world, and I think it's better for that.

I probably would have decided to veto the idea that all members of the Grey Bear tribe were given enchanted mithril barding for their pet dire bears when they came of age. If that had been proposed.

 

[Madmage]

Didn't vote in the poll because the terminology used was incorrect for what I think the author was aiming for. "Faith", as suggested by another poster, I think is more accurate.

That said, the current glimpse of the cleric should be considered just that, a glimpse. Many of the examples of adaptations to the officially supported worlds provided within the document are in fact quite erroneous (for Forgotten Realms anyways).

I actually like the version of the cleric provided so far based on the potential of the class. As a Forgotten Realms DM, one thing that irked me in 3rd edition was that the clerics of various deities were too similar in playstyle and mechanic when compared to the fantastic take on specialty priests in Faths & Avatars, Powers and Pantheons, and Demihuman Deities of the Realms. By coupling weapon and armor proficiency to the choice of god (or faith), it invokes a different image and style which can only be a good thing. Cleric of a war god should ride into battle in full plate and the biggest weapon he can find. While a god of peace and prosperity might not want to promote that image.

At the very least, I hope the DMG or an initial supplement book provide guidelines on establishing our own templates/domains/whatever the final name is to help build a pantheon or tweak it as we see fit. As some have stated, there are gods that have a wide array of portfolios and mortals can favour one or more interpretations of their god and thus take on different aspects. A god of war could have savage primitive followers who launch themselves into battle ferociously in pursuit of glory while in more civilized lands, his followers adhere to a more disciplined rank and file strategy.

 

[Alzrius]

Had you made anything up about his tribe? If not, his desire to add some details seems perfectly reasonable to me. It's something I've actually encouraged in my homebrew world, and I think it's better for that.

It was a pre-published campaign world (Paizo's Golarion), and when he asked about barbarian tribes in the area of the world the game was set, I mentioned several from the various settings books that had been published at that point. I also mentioned that we could work with what was there, and try and integrate that into his character's background.

He did give the existing material a cursory review (mostly based on some brief outlines that I told him), and decided that none of them fit the idea he already had in mind (e.g. a matriarchal tribe of ancestor-worshipping barbarians with a strong affinity for bears). I asked that he modify his character concept to fit the world, rather than trying to change the world to fit his character, but he wouldn't be deterred on that one.

 

[Bluenose]

Well I can safely say I'd consider that out of order. It's one thing to have a concept, it's another to have a concept that doesn't fit and still insist on playing it. Not that I can't see several ways to make the concept fit better, but it requires some give on his part as well as take.

 

[Grimmjow]

i was under the impression that they didn't call them deity and more but aspects. Doesn't that open your door back up?

 

[triqui]

But if a DM has a homebrew where there's a god of sun and magic, he has a means of building that faith for the cleric.

But that does not belong to the PLAYER handbook.