How to roleplay...

[Kaeso]

...a cleric of a god of magic? When I look at the domains there are some that raise some questions about how they should be roleplayed (like how do you roleplay a cleric of a luck god? of a lust god? of a travel god? Are they supposed to be priestly croupiers/prostitutes/travel agents?) but none of them are, IMHO, as difficult to roleplay as a cleric of a god of magic. You could say "It's easy, he's interested in magic so he worships a god of magic", which makes me retort "then why not just play a wizard that worships the god of magic?". I know there are some crunch reasons why you could pic a cleric with the magic and spell domain over a wizard, but purely from a roleplay perspective, there's no reason not to pick a wizard over a cleric with magic-related domains. What's the Playgrounds take on this?

[Zaq]

Let's say your character is less interested in magic for its own sake and more interested in how magic exists in the world as a whole. A Wizard's magic is very self-focused. He's fundamentally concerned with his own arcane might, not so much about arcane power as a whole. Your Cleric, on the other hand, is interested in how magic fits into the world. How is it being used? Can we spread its use farther? Can we make sure that it's not being abused? That sort of thing. Basically, look outward instead of inward.

EDIT: Alternatively, if it jives with your setting, you can choose to make all Clerics have pretty similar duties. Doesn't matter whether they're a god of water, a god of death, a god of luck, or a god of family, they still want someone to burn the incense and perform the basic rituals. No matter what kind of god they are, in this paradigm, they still want an altar, they still want something to be sacrificed on it (now, what is sacrificed will probably change), and they still want their scriptures to be read aloud every so often. The domains (and the divine flavor) come in the details, but you don't have to be a sacred prostitute to serve a god of lust or fertility. You're still there to tend the altar and keep the temple running. Not a paradigm that's for everyone (some folks very much prefer Clerics of different gods to be radically different . . . and I mostly fall under that category), but it's an option.

[Kaeso]

Let's say your character is less interested in magic for its own sake and more interested in how magic exists in the world as a whole. A Wizard's magic is very self-focused. He's fundamentally concerned with his own arcane might, not so much about arcane power as a whole. Your Cleric, on the other hand, is interested in how magic fits into the world. How is it being used? Can we spread its use farther? Can we make sure that it's not being abused? That sort of thing. Basically, look outward instead of inward.

That's a very interesting view and I'm not trying to bash you for it, but that implies that all wizards are focused on using magic as a tool, and none of them are interested in learning how magic fits into the multiverse. The archetype of wizards being like scholars in the real medieval world kind of contradicts this.

[Zaq]

That's a very interesting view and I'm not trying to bash you for it, but that implies that all wizards are focused on using magic as a tool, and none of them are interested in learning how magic fits into the multiverse. The archetype of wizards being like scholars in the real medieval world kind of contradicts this.

Not quite what I meant. I mean that your average wizzie isn't going to be taking steps to ensure that magic is being spread as far as it can be, or that it touches the lives of as many people as possible, or that it's used responsibly. He CAN do any of these things, but I don't imagine him being as interested in them by default. He would strive to better HIS magic, and he might strive to better the STUDY of magic as he sees it, but he's a lot less likely to strive to better MAGIC ITSELF than this theoretical servant of a god of magic.

I would liken it to a god of money or trade. Now, there's obviously going to be many interpretations of anything like this, but I would imagine that the biggest thing you could do to piss off a god of money would be to amass a hoard and just sit on it. I could easily see a wealth god taking the view that money only means anything if it's flowing around, so just stocking your vault is anathema to them. This god would be very interested in making sure that trade keeps flowing and that money keeps circulating.

Under this analogy, the wizard would be like a mafia lord who (among other things) just seeks to better his own cash pile. Sure, he's going to spend some money in the process, and he's going to try to see that those around him are good at making money, but he's not going to be doing anything for the economy as a whole. The cleric, on the other hand, would be the economic adviser to the king, trying to open new ports of trade, making sure that the market square is never empty, ensuring that the people have enough money to do what they want to do, and still making sure that the king has enough in his treasuries to keep the government flowing. The wizard isn't trying to stifle magic or anything. He's just focusing on what HE can do with it. The cleric, on the other hand, will be helping to tend to the state of magic as a whole and making sure that it keeps flowing through the world to the fullest extent possible.

[Starwulf]

Not sure if you've ever read the earliest books about Elminster in the Forgotten Realms, but what you are describing sounds a lot like what Mystra forced on him early on(he was shapechanged to a female, and he ended up serving as a Priestess in the clergy of Mystra). Because of his experience/time in there, he got to see both sides of magic: The Wizard side, and the Clerical side, and you're right, the Clerical side is meant to spread the use of magic. Very interesting read, actually, kinda makes me want to go back and re-read those books ^^

[Kaeso]

Not sure if you've ever read the earliest books about Elminster in the Forgotten Realms, but what you are describing sounds a lot like what Mystra forced on him early on(he was shapechanged to a female, and he ended up serving as a Priestess in the clergy of Mystra). Because of his experience/time in there, he got to see both sides of magic: The Wizard side, and the Clerical side, and you're right, the Clerical side is meant to spread the use of magic. Very interesting read, actually, kinda makes me want to go back and re-read those books ^^

Do you remember what book it is? I might get my hand on a copy of it or a synopsis and see what you're talking about.

[graeylin]

You can role play your cleric however you want, with pretty much whatever motivations you want. Perhaps this cleric is seeking to spread the power of magic to as many people as possible, get it into the hands of everyone (if every person could do magic, what a wonderful world). Or trying to get those who DO magic to do more with it (hey, you have a handful of unused spell slots every day, why not cast a dozen continual flame spells so we can light the town and reduce crime? WHy not do goodberries every day, so we can feed the poor? Got a cure light wounds left? come to the clinic, and heal a broken bone on this farmer).

Alternately, just do whatever you want. there seems to be no reason that clerics really have to believe or follow the tenets of their gods (there are plenty of examples of this in life and gaming).

[Doktor Per]

That really depends on the God of Magic.

If we're talking about good ol' Boccob, all he asks from you is to be neutral. You could err on one side or another on the Moral scales, but whatever. So you have an element of balance in there to guide you. Being a cleric, you are someone who's surrendered him/herself to a cause greater than yourself. He's also a god of foresight. Think of arcane magic like drugs and alcohol, and you're the Netherlands. It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt, and you're all about that prevention.

Mages gone haywire? Need to put them into rehab. Stock up on anti magic stuff and bring a big stick to beat them down. Arm yourself to the teeth with arcane wands, because you know how to party use magic responsibly.


Graeylin also has a very good take on it, going from the complete opposite assumptions. We really need more info on your deity to give you ideas.

[Telonius]

A few ideas:

- You love magic, but know you're not intelligent enough to actually practice it yourself.

- You want to increase the number of magic-users in your kingdom and/or prevent the peasants from taking up pitchforks and torches whenever they hear of a spellcaster. Divine backing is a good way to do this.

- You want to provide a moral backing to wizardry, and codify the ethical and acceptable use of magic.

- You're a loredrake dragonwrought kobold who wants to be a Mystic Theurge but doesn't want to be an Arcane Hierophant :smallwink:

[Maho-Tsukai]

Is your god of magic evil? If so, then I highly recomend the following build:

Necropolitian Cloistered Cleric 5/Tainted Sorc 1/Some magic-themed PrC X.

Your first level feat? Acdemic Priest. Now your cleric is an int-based caster for everything but...DCs. I know, that sucks. No offensive casting for you, right? Actually, no...because Tainted Sorc lets you use Taint as your casting stat. Necropolitian gives you free Taint and makes you totally immune to it's effects while still letting you obtain more taint(odd, but the way things are worded Undead can still increase their taint, but they are just effected by it.) Under this build your a non-martial, Int-based cleric with plenty of stray knowldage who can still cast offensively and cast offensively better then a strait cleric ever could hope(your immune to taint and taint has no upward limit, so you have potentinally infinent DCs.).

As for RP your high int and evil, and worship an evil god of magic(Vecna?). Your deity will influence your RP but since your high int you can play the scholarly, "wizardly" type with intimate knowldage of the workings of both the arcane and divine. I'd sugjest also giving him an active intrest in magical secrects and learning other forms of magic. A good moddle for his character could be Orochimaru from Naruto, but with added peity towards his deity or philosphy.

As for the PrCs, while I don't know much about it, Geometer(or whatever that class is called) could fit here as it allows you to gain some arcane casting along with your divine and I see this guy most definetly persuing some form of arcane magic in addition to his divine power.

[Maho-Tsukai]

Edit: Computer Fluke, please deleat.

[Kaeso]

That really depends on the God of Magic.

If we're talking about good ol' Boccob, all he asks from you is to be neutral. You could err on one side or another on the Moral scales, but whatever. So you have an element of balance in there to guide you. Being a cleric, you are someone who's surrendered him/herself to a cause greater than yourself. He's also a god of foresight. Think of arcane magic like drugs and alcohol, and you're the Netherlands. It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt, and you're all about that prevention.

Mages gone haywire? Need to put them into rehab. Stock up on anti magic stuff and bring a big stick to beat them down. Arm yourself to the teeth with arcane wands, because you know how to party use magic responsibly.


Graeylin also has a very good take on it, going from the complete opposite assumptions. We really need more info on your deity to give you ideas.

*points at his location* I should be offended, but reading that made me smile :smallamused:

[Saintheart]

Also share some territory with a knowledge god. There's a lost spellbook out there meant to have belonged to the first user of magic ever? Magic cleric's duty is to find it and bring it back to common knowledge.

[holywhippet]

Do you remember what book it is? I might get my hand on a copy of it or a synopsis and see what you're talking about.

Wikipedia to the rescue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elminster

The Making of A Mage would be the book in question, I read it quite a few years ago.

[Tvtyrant]

For Vecna I would seek out magical secrets, even those that you cannot use. "The Hand and Eye demand your mysteries Shadowcaster. The Eye must see all, and the Hand must grasp it." Then I would take the scrolls and magic items that I and my party cannot use back to the church to be researched by those living there (with Cleric magical items in return).