pawsplay
Hero
Sometimes, the viewpoint is stated that in a D&D world, miracles are commonplace, magical healing is readily available to the wealthy or pious, and magical armaments form an important part of the baronial arsenal.
But is that really what the game suggests? Setting aside Forgotten Realms, official Greyhawk writeups, etc....
What is a priest? Who could serve as a pirest? Obviously, a cleric or druid could serve as a priest, providing both spiritual knowledge and miracles. So could an adept, who serves this role in primitive socities. Couldn't a sorcerer serve in this capacity, though? Or how about a lowly Expert, with high ranks in Knowledge (religion)?
The cleric class is an adventurer. Clad in armor, wielding a mace, and well versed in divine magics, the cleric is a spiritual warrior. They may or may not represent a deity. In Forgotten Realms, they must always have a deity. In Rules Cyclopedia D&D, their deity or faith, if any, was not considered important, only their alignment. D&D 3.5 kind of splits the difference; deity is optional.
In short, not all priests are clerics, and not all clerics are priests. The cleric is a specific kind of adventurer. The warrior is an analog to the fighter or barbarian, and the expert to the rogue, sagely wizard, or bard. What is analogous to the cleric? The adept serves this role in primitive societies, but doesn't make much sense in a civilized area... I have a hard time picturing adepts working in the cathedrals.
So where is the cleric without adventuring traits... no armor proficiency, modest combat abilities, skills suited to a mundane occupation, and the talents of a priest? I submit that the typical priest is not a cleric or even a spellcaster, but a simple Expert. While some people talk about clerical spells as divine miracles, I submit that they are the result of magical training, and that miracles do not spring forth when a cleric bids them. That is, priests depend largely on miracles, that is, direct intervention of the deity or their servants, for magical effects. Holy places might have miraculous effects; for instance, a group of priests might maintain a shrine renowned for its power to cure disease. The high priest of a religion may be empowered with divine might (perhaps as a Proxy, if you're using divine ranks).
If their priestly rites are magically effectatious, the Incantations rules from Unearthed Arcane might be handy, allowing experts with good skills to work very specific spell-like effects using elaborate prayer and preparation.
Some individuals might be blessed with clerical spells... these should be considered as exceptional among priests as fighters are among warriors. Such a person would be famous for their talents. Miracle workers might be clerics, or some kind of clerical variant. In the case of someone who works within the church in a noncombatant capacity, something like the cloistered cleric (UA), archivist, or some kind of custom variant would make sense. Or perhaps special prestige classes or feats might be designed for miracle workers within the chuch. I'd imagine they'd have a similar position to medieval faith healers and mystics, and the churches at which they worked would become objects of pilgrimages by the hopeful.
Who, indeed, makes most of those potions of cure light wounds? Surely not grim, armored clerics wielding maces, busy cleansing cursed tombs or nests of gnoll demon worshippers. But surely not simple experts, either.
D&D really lacks support for defining those characters who work divine magic but don't adventure, simply working at religious institutions casting helpful spells.
But is that really what the game suggests? Setting aside Forgotten Realms, official Greyhawk writeups, etc....
What is a priest? Who could serve as a pirest? Obviously, a cleric or druid could serve as a priest, providing both spiritual knowledge and miracles. So could an adept, who serves this role in primitive socities. Couldn't a sorcerer serve in this capacity, though? Or how about a lowly Expert, with high ranks in Knowledge (religion)?
The cleric class is an adventurer. Clad in armor, wielding a mace, and well versed in divine magics, the cleric is a spiritual warrior. They may or may not represent a deity. In Forgotten Realms, they must always have a deity. In Rules Cyclopedia D&D, their deity or faith, if any, was not considered important, only their alignment. D&D 3.5 kind of splits the difference; deity is optional.
In short, not all priests are clerics, and not all clerics are priests. The cleric is a specific kind of adventurer. The warrior is an analog to the fighter or barbarian, and the expert to the rogue, sagely wizard, or bard. What is analogous to the cleric? The adept serves this role in primitive societies, but doesn't make much sense in a civilized area... I have a hard time picturing adepts working in the cathedrals.
So where is the cleric without adventuring traits... no armor proficiency, modest combat abilities, skills suited to a mundane occupation, and the talents of a priest? I submit that the typical priest is not a cleric or even a spellcaster, but a simple Expert. While some people talk about clerical spells as divine miracles, I submit that they are the result of magical training, and that miracles do not spring forth when a cleric bids them. That is, priests depend largely on miracles, that is, direct intervention of the deity or their servants, for magical effects. Holy places might have miraculous effects; for instance, a group of priests might maintain a shrine renowned for its power to cure disease. The high priest of a religion may be empowered with divine might (perhaps as a Proxy, if you're using divine ranks).
If their priestly rites are magically effectatious, the Incantations rules from Unearthed Arcane might be handy, allowing experts with good skills to work very specific spell-like effects using elaborate prayer and preparation.
Some individuals might be blessed with clerical spells... these should be considered as exceptional among priests as fighters are among warriors. Such a person would be famous for their talents. Miracle workers might be clerics, or some kind of clerical variant. In the case of someone who works within the church in a noncombatant capacity, something like the cloistered cleric (UA), archivist, or some kind of custom variant would make sense. Or perhaps special prestige classes or feats might be designed for miracle workers within the chuch. I'd imagine they'd have a similar position to medieval faith healers and mystics, and the churches at which they worked would become objects of pilgrimages by the hopeful.
Who, indeed, makes most of those potions of cure light wounds? Surely not grim, armored clerics wielding maces, busy cleansing cursed tombs or nests of gnoll demon worshippers. But surely not simple experts, either.
D&D really lacks support for defining those characters who work divine magic but don't adventure, simply working at religious institutions casting helpful spells.
