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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FalcWP" data-source="post: 3535286" data-attributes="member: 16858">A priest is someone who people are willing to listen to in matters of religion.  Often, he is a member of the clergy of whatever religion he happens to be preaching, though not always.  What makes a priest is that folks listen to him when he talks about heaven, hell, gods, and the great beyond.What makes a good priest in D&D?  Well, Knowledge (religion) helps, and Knowledge (the planes) can be handy as well.  Almost as important are speaking skills - bluff, diplomacy, intimidate, sense motive, they're all helpful.  Perform is helpful, too, particularly Perform (oratory).  Beyond that... its all in how the person is presented.From the NPC classes:Adepts are priests.  They're the most common users of magic you're going to find, and they can heal folks.  They also tend to know about religion.  If you need a priest who can work minor miracles and brew some potions, this is your guy (as far as NPCs go).Aristocrats are priests.  The clergy in your world might be rich and powerful, or the nobility might buy their way into the clergy, or be the only ones educated enough to understand religious teachings.  They have all the social skills, they have perform, and they have the knowledge.Commoners are priests.  They're not going to preach in the big cathedrals of the capital city, but a charismatic or wise commoner who is devout could easily lead a small town religiously.Experts are priests.  They can have whatever they'd like for class skills, and they'll be good at it.  Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (religion), Perform (oratory), Heal, Profession (priest), and you're ready to go.For the PC classes:Bards are *fantastic* priests.  In addition to their skills, they can perform things like healings.  They have bardic music, which is certain to make folks enjoy going to church.  They can win over converts, through magic and through persuasion.  The alignment thing is an issue if you go strictly by the rules (which is one of a million reasons I allow bards to be lawful).  When I've wanted a priest to be more than a low-level, fairly unimportant NPC type, bard is my first stop.Clerics and druids, obviously, are divine casters and are normally seen as priests.  Clerics, in particular, I tend to see more as crusaders, though they might preach here and there.  Druids are a bit more priestly, in my opinion.Monks are priests.  They've got the skills.  They make sense as devotees of various lawful religions.Paladins can be priests, fighting the battle to save the souls of chuchgoers rather than battling evil.  But, really, battling evil is what they're good at, so your paladin-priests are more likely to be those who *can't* fight (the elderly, the maimed, etc.)Rogues are priests.  And no, they don't all have to be priests of trickster gods (though many are).  They've got all the skills to pull it off, except Knowledge (religion).Wizards are priests.  They are well-read, though not as charismatic or persuasive as many other priests.As far as making items and casting spells?  The adept for low-rung types.  Experts with a level or three of cleric or druid, clerics or druids who are 'retired' for whatever reason, bards... heck, even a wizard with a cleric assistant.  If you need a lot of things like potions of cure light wounds, these are all options.  On the other hand, its also a reason I like Eberron - there, you have a Dragonmarked House with the power to cast cure spells without investing years of training into clerical studies.  Means you don't need as many clerics in your clergy.</blockquote>

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