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| This guy is really stretching the definition of the word "bludgeoning". |
The Cleric is the third member of the holy trinity, created back when Arneson’s gaming group realized that having Van Helsing in the party would be a smart idea. For some interesting first-hand accounts of the Cleric’s origins, see Havard’s Blackmoor Blog. The class is described in OD&D as being a mix of the Fighting Man and Magic User, gaining “some of the advantages from both.” It is, in its own way, the first multi-class. This remained the Cleric’s ethos right through to 2e; in the 21st century, the class would slowly tip toward spellcasting as its dominant function.
2e’s Cleric is another subtype which explains its own parent mega-class. It’s portrayed as the ‘standard’ version, which is accompanied by rules to twist and mold that basic version into a more detailed “Priest of a Specific Mythoi”, of which the Druid is provided as the prime example. (Discussion of those mythoi rules, and the Druid, are for later.) Suffice to say, the 2e Cleric class is the template from which all other 2e Clerics are to be built.
I have a few adjustments I would like to bring to the Cleric, as hinted in prior entries. In this post, I’ll take a critical look at the spellcasting features, attempting to mold them into something that makes sense for a divine proxy. I’ll also seek to bring the Turn Undead ability into a roll-under mechanic. Along the way, I’ll look at some holdover rules from an earlier age.
Let’s dig in.
1. Weapon Restriction
It’s only bludgeoning weapons for the Cleric, as it had always been; 2e would be the last time that D&D would place this restriction on the Cleric. I’ll not pretend to know the true reason for this edict, as the explanations range from Gygax attempting an emulation of pseudo-history to a purposeful mechanical tool for restricting magic sword use. If you want an insight into the history portion, Jon Kaneko-James has you covered (with other interesting tidbits).
I’m not married to this world-building restriction, though it does make the class unique. Yet, I think it needs to stay in the class description, if only because the later mythos kits will build off of it.
2. Spellcasting
Though they have fighting prowess and access to Turn Undead, the Cleric parallels the Wizard in being almost entirely defined by its magical ability. Also like the Wizard, their magic is Vancian, requiring the Cleric to memorize spells and forget those spells after casting. The only significant difference between the two systems is that the Cleric’s analogue to a spellbook is the entire Cleric spell list, though they’re restricted to specific ‘spheres’ within that list.
2.1. Vancian Clerics
Vancian casting doesn’t give the feel of a divine subject beseeching their god for assistance. The explanation within the rules suggests that the Cleric is praying for these spells, so that their deity may grant them the power to cast their borrowed magic at a later time. That’s all well and good, but then why do Clerics forget the spells after casting? They have to run the numbers at the altar if they want to use a spell more than once? “I pray to you, oh Marduk, Slayer of Tiamat, for three uses of Cure Light Wounds, two uses of Spirtual Hammer, four uses of… hang on, I have a list here.” I like that the Cleric needs to make choices concerning which spells to prepare, but the cast and forget nature of Vancian casting doesn’t thematically work.
It also makes the Cleric just a bit less distinct as a class when we’re wholesale copying the Wizard’s method of magic use. The Cleric has its own distinct spell list (though I’m in favor of making it more distinct), and isn’t restricted to a subset spell list which requires them to hunt down their own spells, but beyond that it’s just a duplication of existing rules. The Cleric should use magic differently from the Wizard.
2.1.1. Spell Slots
5e already solved this problem with the spell slot system (which, of course, they pulled from much older sources), though they use it for all spellcasters, which isn’t what I’m looking for. Instead, I’ll steal it and use it solely for the Cleric.
Clerics will still have access to only specific spheres, and they’ll still need to pray for their magic. Rather than memorizing, they’ll pray for a set of spells (pulled from the full Cleric spell list) which they can use as many times as they have available slots, which will just mirror the current Cleric spell progression. If they want to switch up the chosen subset, they’ll need spend time in prayer, as they’ll need to do in order to regain their slots.
Side note: I had originally considered just opening the entire spell list to the Cleric at all times. If the Cleric wanted to use a particular spell, they’d simply have access to it and could cast as many as they had available slots. This one I playtested during my campaign, which I shouldn’t really have needed to do. The completely predictable result was decision paralysis, as the Cleric’s player hunted through the PHB to find just the right tool for any particular moment. They need a shorter list.
The only question is: how many spells can they pray for? The number should improve over time, but should also utilize the Cleric’s Wisdom score. As of now, I’m thinking that number should equal half the Wisdom score plus half the Cleric’s level. It’s not the most elegant way to get to a number, but it ensures progression and has a nice side effect of increasing the Cleric’s spell cache between gaining new spell levels.
2.2. Spell Level Restrictions
Clerics with a Wisdom score of 16 and under don’t get access to 6th and 7th-level spells, which are reserved for those with Wisdom scores of 17 and 18, respectively. Considering that none of this applies until 11th-level, I don’t get this restriction. Why are we punishing high level characters for a dice roll that happened a year and a half ago?
As may be discernible from my prior posts, I don’t like using the Ability Scores as gates to normal features in the game – aside from class choice, at least. An Ability Score should give you good stuff when it’s good, and should make life harder when it’s bad, but it definitely shouldn’t keep you from using a core feature just because it isn’t super good.
So, this is out.
2.3. Orisons
I’ve given some consideration to implementing Cleric cantrips, which per AD&D parlance would be called Orisons. These micro-spells reach back to 1e and the constant experimentation found in Dragon Magazine (Issue #108, specifically). 2e finally re-introduced them in Player’s Option: Spells & Magic.
There are some very flavorful spells on offer here, such as Benediction and Canticle, which beautifully lean into the Cleric’s theme. However, I think this may be an unnecessary complication to the ruleset. The Wizard’s access to Cantrips is meant to mitigate a barrier which prevents them from acting like their class: their restrictive Vancian casting. Without that restriction, the Cleric doesn’t need the boost. I would just be giving the class an extra feature because the Wizard has it, and that’s not a good enough reason.
Apart from all of this, I just can’t stand the name. Orison. I keep wanting to pronounce it like horizon, which it is not.
2.4. Spheres
I admire the sphere system. It’s an extremely clever way to cordon off certain spells to certain types of Clerics, which comes into play when we eventually get to the Mythos Clerics and the Druid. It even has a built-in subsystem of major and minor access, meaning either full access or access up to 3rd-level spells, respectively. This allows greater variety in the spheres available, as any subclass can be restricted as their deity’s theme may warrant, without the need to completely lock them out of the sphere.
In 2e, the standard Cleric has access to all spheres with the exception of plant, animal, and weather, and with only minor access to the elemental sphere. This constitutes one of the major advantages of the standard Cleric: they gain access to three-quarters of the spheres, whereas any Mythos Cleric is going to be severely restricted in comparison.
This works and will remain in the hacked version. There may be some alterations in the future to the spheres themselves, which may require giving the Cleric’s list a second look, but that’s another day’s work.
2.5. Prayers
I’ve stated in prior entries that I’m in favor renaming ‘Cleric spells’ to “Cleric prayers’. So far in this entry, I’ve stuck with the term ‘spells’ for consistency and familiarity, but that ends here.
I’ve never liked that Clerics ‘cast spells’. It’s incongruous to a class based on a mix of medieval warrior-bishops and B-movie vampire hunters. If you want to theme a class that uses divine powers in service to their faith, you muddy that concept by referring to their abilities as magical spells, as though they were sorcerers or witches.
Part of this is absolutely my feral 4e upbringing, as that edition referred to divine powers as ‘Prayers’. It made sense to me then and it still does. As such, I’m using ‘Prayers’ as the name for the Cleric’s magic. There will be some adjustment of language that I’ll need to work around, especially terms like ‘cast’, but I’ll come to those as they arrive. We can also see if and at which point I abandon this strange hill I’ve chosen.
3. Turn Undead
This is the signature Cleric ability, the one which the class was ostensibly built on. It has never been the same ruleset in any of the editions: from OD&D where Gary just throws the table at you without explanation, to 3e where they turned it into a two-part formula which still needed a table, to 5e where it’s just a pseudo-spell that the undead targets need to save against.
2e’s Turn Undead rules are a somewhat faithful reproduction of AD&D’s original ruleset, but with a minor nerf starting at 4th-level, actual levels for the undead to be affected, and some clarity on usage. Of particular note here is the declaration of how many times the Cleric can use the power: once per encounter. It’s an Encounter Power! We could give the Cleric some At-Will, Daily, and Utility Prayers, and we’d have ourselves a game of 4e. Kidding, but it is notable that this is only one of two class features that measure use by encounter, the other being the Bard’s spell-countering song.
The PHB is completely mum on how long the turning lasts. Based on how you read the text, and depending on if you had read the 1e PHB or were subscribed to Dragon Magazine, the duration could be interpreted as anywhere from 24 hours to however long you continue to hold up the symbol.
3.1. Hacking Turning Undead
For the hack, I needed a roll-under score. I could have simply converted the numbers and dropped in the table, but I also wanted to rid us of this table; whenever possible, I’d prefer that players not have to look at a table during play, and to not require the DM to do so on their behalf. This meant deriving a single number from the data set to represent a Turn Undead score, and then providing simple rules for using it.
The version I arrived at can be found in the Final Cleric below, but there’s a few notes on how I got there:
2e had the right idea by attempting to organize the table by Hit Dice, but never finished the job, leaving the undead types in place. I removed the types and did the math by assuming a straight 1 to 13 progression in Hit Dice (or, as I’ll refer to it, level). This allows me to get to a score for affecting undead of the same level as the Cleric: 11. From there, we can just go 3 values up or down to determine different affected levels, with minor caveats.
The ‘special or unique’ undead category seems perfunctory. If it’s above 12th level, I’d say that’s already special enough, and so I condensed this into a 13th level. It makes a few undead more resistant than they previously were, which I consider a benefit.
The additional 2d6 dice used to determine the number of affected undead is too many dice. That includes the 2d4 bonus dice granted when hitting undead seven levels below the Cleric. To excise these, I chose to boost the feature by having it affect any undead that can see the Cleric.
To balance that massive buff, I opted for the duration interpretation in which the turning lasts as long as you work for it. Sure, you can keep back the horde with that great roll, but you better not put down the holy symbol, and you better keep chanting.
To remove the per encounter construction, which as noted is almost never used, I set the pace at 10 minute increments, which is close enough.
Finally, I removed any distinction between bound and free-willed undead. This makes bound undead much more dangerous, as they too can now lurk just out of sight until the Cleric lets their guard down, and will also break the turning if brought too close.
4. Believers and Strongholds
Like the Fighter, the Cleric eventually gets a small army (20–200 0-level soldiers). They can attract these followers at 8th level, assuming they’ve built ‘a place of worship’. They can build an even cooler base at 9th level, and at half cost!
Once more, we’re in the realm of domain play; this all goes into a potential Domain chapter.
5. Religion
As with the Wizard, the Cleric has an associated Skill which it would be odd for them not to have, and which they should therefore be given automatically: Religion.
6. Final Cleric
Cleric
Ability Requirements: Wisdom 9
Alignment: Generally goodClerics are warriors of faith. They can use magic by praying to their deity, from whom they are also granted divine powers. Though some weapons are forbidden to Clerics, they are formidable combatants and defenders.
Skill of the Faithful: Gains the Religion Skill, even if not using the optional Ability Skills rules.
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Has no restriction on armor or shields, but can only use bludgeoning weapons. Drawing blood with slashing or piercing weapons is forbidden.
Prayers: Can pray for magic from a deity or divine power. During morning supplication, the Cleric chooses a number of prayers to add to their prayer list, equal to half their Wisdom score plus half their level, rounded down. These prayers may be chosen from any allowed divine sphere. The Cleric has a number of prayer slots as shown on the Cleric Prayers table. Each slot can be used to invoke any prayer from the Cleric’s prayer list, after which that slot is expended until the Cleric performs morning supplication. See Magic: Prayers.
Holy Symbol: Has a holy symbol of a chosen deity. This holy symbol is required for supplication, prayers, and granted powers.
Allowed Spheres: Has major access to prayers from the following divine spheres: All, Astral, Charm, Combat, Creation, Divination, Guardian, Healing, Necromantic, Protection, Summoning, and Sun. Has minor access to prayers from the Elemental divine sphere. See Magic: Divine Spheres
Granted Power: At 1st level, gains the power to Turn Undead.
Turn Undead
When a Cleric holds their holy symbol aloft and calls upon their deity, they can cause any undead which can see the Cleric to flee or be destroyed.
Clerics have a Turn Undead score of 11, which can be tested to turn undead creatures at or below the Cleric’s level.
On a success, every difference of 3 between the result and the Turn Undead score affects undead one level higher than the Cleric. Undead four levels higher than the Cleric can always be turned on a roll of 1.
On a failure, every difference of 3 between the result and the Turn Undead score still affects undead one level lower than the Cleric. Undead three levels lower than the Cleric are always turned. Undead five levels lower are instantly destroyed.
When using Turn Undead, Clerics above 12th level are treated as 12th-level, and undead above 12th level are treated as 13th-level.
Turned undead flee until they can no longer see the Cleric. The effect lasts for as many rounds as the Cleric maintains the turning, during which time they cannot take any other actions. If a turned undead is forced to come closer than 10 feet to the Cleric, the turning is broken. After the power has been used, it cannot be used against the same undead for 10 minutes.
As with the Wizard, the Cleric Prayers table would be appended to the entry.
7. Conclusion
Converting the Cleric to a non-Vancian system is a fairly large change, but one that I think is worthwhile to differentiate it from the Wizard. It makes the Cleric a bit more versatile, allowing the class to keep a variety of prayers at the ready, rather than having to limit themselves to essential ones. As a bonus, it’s also a familiar style of magic to those coming from 5e, which makes understanding the class a bit easier for migrating play groups.
Aside from this and the renaming of spells to prayers, much of the Cleric is left intact. They’re still restricted to bludgeoning weapons, they use the same magic progression table, they have access to the same spheres (though again, I suspect the spheres themselves may see some change), and even the Turn Undead feature uses the same level progression and probabilities.
Admittedly, Turn Undead has also gone through some major changes here. This includes the explicit requirement to maintain the turning, the extension of affected undead to any that can see the Cleric, the use of levels rather than HD or undead type, the removal of any difference between bound and free-willed undead, and of course, the conversion of the power from a table to a formula. This last change is exactly what I’m looking for in the hack, since it utilizes an idea I’ve suggested elsewhere: the amount of difference between the roll and the score should matter. I have lingering concerns that the explanation as written may lead to misinterpretation; it might require an example of play.
The class description itself has been primed for modification. By altering Skill of the Faithful, Weapon and Armor Restrictions, Allowed Spheres, and Granted Powers, we’ll be able to create any type of Cleric we want. Next week, we’ll look at the Priest of a Specific Mythoi, or as I’ll call them, Mythos Cleric Kits.
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