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View Full Version : Cleric rework (PF Core, PEACH)



Tzi
2012-01-05, 05:33 PM
Okay, by no means am I attempting a grand "fix," of an entire class. But instead trying to fit the Cleric class more into my setting and my idea of a cleric.

For me and my setting it has never made much sense that the Cleric is so similar to a Paladin or an Inquisitor, An armored bad-ass going about with expert martial training, because in my view that is what the Inquisitors and Paladins are for.

This rework is an attempt to make clerics more specialized and more like a priest, so effectively cloistered clerics. I borrow a lot from Unearthed Arcana to do this.

Cleric (Changes):

Hit Die: d6

Clerics now have all the Knowledge skills in addition to current skills.

Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Clerics are proficient with simple weapons and with light armor. They are not proficient with shields.

Lore (Ex): Thanks to long hours of study required to be a cleric, cleric's have a wide range of knowledge. This ability is identical to the bard’s bardic knowledge class feature, using the Cleric's use their class level in place of the bard level.

Domains: Clerics gain the two domains of their God, plus whatever domain is affiliated with their church/temple or religious organization. Clerics not associated with such institutions gain the domain knowledge as a third domain instead.

Divine Spellcasting:
The major changing being, Clerics are now spontaneous spellcasters with a pre-set spells known limit.

Spells Known:
{table=head]Level:|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th
1st | 4 | 2
2nd | 5 | 2
3rd | 5 | 3 | 0
4th | 6 | 3 | 1
5th | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0
6th | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1
7th | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0
8th | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1
9th | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0
10th | 9 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1
11th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0
12th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1
13th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0
14th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1
15th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0
16th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1
17th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0
18th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1
19th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2
20th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3
[/table]

Clerics, gain their domain spells on top of their spells known, so a first level cleric has his/her 3 domain spells as well as whatever spells he/she chooses to add to their spells known list and their domain spells do not fill up space on the "spells known," list.

Clerics can exchange spells known via incantations and rituals invoking their Gods, meditations on religious scripture or sacrifices given. Or whatever the DM views is a sufficient cost for switching out spells known.

Any change not mentioned here goes unchanged about the class.

So, mostly I am looking for is if this is still a playable cleric, not over/underpowered and sufficiently makes it different enough from Paladins and Inquisitors by making them less martial oriented. So? Comments? Concerns? Criticism?

Roderick_BR
2012-01-06, 06:00 AM
Ok. As you said, you got the cloistered variant (smaller hit dice, only light armor, lore ability), and turned it into a spontaneous caster (like a favored soul), but leaving domains (with domain spells being automatically spells known) and turn undead.
Honestly, I think it's an interesting variant. Give up some martial ability for greater in-combat versatility.
Some people'll complain about limited spells known, but I think it works. Maybe increase a bit the spells slots (starting with 3 first level slots at 1st level as a sorcerer, for example) and a way to avoid metamagic slowdown (or not, it can work as is), to let him be more magic-ish, and let him get more spells known.
If you want him to be more a caster, let him cast spells all day long, meaning that he can be effective all the time slinging curses and blessings while his allies hit stuff.
Also, you could remove any self-only super buff spell. Those are what breaks clerics.

On a second note, you may want to give paladins a little boost to make up for the group's weaker cleric, or make the favored soul available for someone that wants a more martial divine caster, somewhere between cleric and paladin.