Cleric of Zarus

[rmnimoc]

I've recently started a new campaign where we picked the basics of our characters out of a hat. I ended up with a cleric of Zarus. I have since decided that as a cleric of the god of humanity and human perfection, it is my job both to help humanity reach said perfection and to help things that aren't human become human. How exactly would you permanently change someone's race and features? I'm thinking renewal domain for PAO for a temporary change and then reincarnate to make it stick. For the human perfection part, I'm thinking flesh to stone and craft(sculpting) and just sculpting them into a "perfect" form, then stone to flesh.

Got any other ideas?

[iceman10058]

polymorph or alter self

[Santra]

Research a form of reincarnation that only turns them into human. This will let you kill them to purge the weakness of the other race and then gift them with true perfection.

[rmnimoc]

polymorph or alter self

I'm not sure how either of those help, seeing as polymorph has a temporary duration (1m/l), is dispellable, doesn't truely change their race (they turn back when they die), and isn't something a cleric can cast in the first place. Alter Self has a temporary duration, it dispellable, has range:Personal, isn't a spell a cleric can cast, and doesn't truely change their race (same as polymorph, only this also doesn't change types or subtypes).



Research a form of reincarnation that only turns them into human. This will let you kill them to purge the weakness of the other race and then gift them with true perfection.

I plan to try do that. The DM has had bad experiences with spell research and creation in the past though, so it might not work.

[Santra]

I plan to try do that. The DM has had bad experiences with spell research and creation in the past though, so it might not work.
In that cause be sure to give something back to let him know you aren't trying to cheat the system. Increasing component costs, casting time, spell level or anything like that usually lets the DM know that you are doing this for flavor not for gamebreaking reasons.

Also http://dndtools.eu/spells/races-of-destiny--81/proud-arrogance--3041/ is a great flavor spell for a follower of Zarus

[Malcador]

Unfortunately, as this is a Cleric, Proud Arrogance is not on his spell list. Reincarnate isn't either, for that matter. However, I'm sure that Zarus would approve of using any means to help make more perfect humans.

We're in homebrew territory now, of course, but I could easily imagine that Zarus (and only Zarus) might grant his Clerics a spell identical to Reincarnate, except it always brings one back as human.

[Santra]

Unfortunately, as this is a Cleric, Proud Arrogance is not on his spell list. Reincarnate isn't either, for that matter. However, I'm sure that Zarus would approve of using any means to help make more perfect humans.

We're in homebrew territory now, of course, but I could easily imagine that Zarus (and only Zarus) might grant his Clerics a spell identical to Reincarnate, except it always brings one back as human.

Yeah I know but we were already talking about spell research and Proud Arrogance is just a fun spell. There are no spells (that i know of) that define what he wants short of a modified reincarnate.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

A Cleric of Zarus would be more likely to enslave nonhuman races, rather than putting any effort into making them better/human. Zarus (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20041203a&page=1) is a conqueror, not a diplomat. I'd make this character LN for the sake of the rest of the party.

Zarus is actually one of the best deities to have for a melee Cleric. I'd go Cleric 6/ Divine Oracle 4/ Contemplative 10, gaining the feat prerequisite for Divine Oracle via the Frog God's Fane in CS instead of spending a feat on it. Start with the War domain and either Strength or Law. Get the spontaneous domain casting ACF in PH2 for one of those instead of channeling inflict spells. Whichever of Strength or Law you started with is going to have its domain power traded out for Divine Restoration from Dungeonscape at 3rd level.

Your domains from Contemplative will be Law at 1st if you didn't start with it, otherwise Strength Devotion, and Destiny at 6th. Good feats would of course include Extend/Persist/DMM: Persist, along with Power Attack, Extra Turning + Craft Rod to make Night Sticks and metamagic rods, Law Devotion, Strength Devotion, Quicken Spell, etc. Get flaws such as Bravado (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258440#30) to have more feats earlier. Wear masterwork heavy armor with a Restful crystal (MIC) and a masterwork spiked gauntlet, and swing a greatsword. Put (Lesser Rod of Extended) Magic Vestment on your armor (and animated shield) and Greater Magic Weapon on your sword every day. Buff with DMM: Persistent spells like Divine Favor, Bless, Mass Lesser Vigor, Divine Power, and of course Righteous Wrath of the Faithful. Don't forget long duration buffs like Greater/Superior Resistance and Energy Immunity.

[Santra]

A Cleric of Zarus would be more likely to enslave nonhuman races, rather than putting any effort into making them better/human.

Not necessarily as some disciples of Zarus instead try to be a paragon of humanity to show other races how inferior they really are instead of trying to subjugate them (its just a reason for a cleric of Zarus to be in a mixed race party but it works). The enslavement part would be more something that the church would endorse yet probably not take a heavy handed part in.

[rmnimoc]

Unfortunately, as this is a Cleric, Proud Arrogance is not on his spell list. Reincarnate isn't either, for that matter. However, I'm sure that Zarus would approve of using any means to help make more perfect humans.

We're in homebrew territory now, of course, but I could easily imagine that Zarus (and only Zarus) might grant his Clerics a spell identical to Reincarnate, except it always brings one back as human.

I'm getting reincarnate through the Renewal Domain*.
*The DM hates the domain restriction by deity think, so he's letting me pull some shenanigans to get that domain even though Zarus doesn't have it.


A Cleric of Zarus would be more likely to enslave nonhuman races, rather than putting any effort into making them better/human. Zarus (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20041203a&page=1) is a conqueror, not a diplomat. I'd make this character LN for the sake of the rest of the party.

Zarus is actually one of the best deities to have for a melee Cleric. I'd go Cleric 6/ Divine Oracle 4/ Contemplative 10, gaining the feat prerequisite for Divine Oracle via the Frog God's Fane in CS instead of spending a feat on it. Start with the War domain and either Strength or Law. Get the spontaneous domain casting ACF in PH2 for one of those instead of channeling inflict spells. Whichever of Strength or Law you started with is going to have its domain power traded out for Divine Restoration from Dungeonscape at 3rd level.

Your domains from Contemplative will be Law at 1st if you didn't start with it, otherwise Strength Devotion, and Destiny at 6th. Good feats would of course include Extend/Persist/DMM: Persist, along with Power Attack, Extra Turning + Craft Rod to make Night Sticks and metamagic rods, Law Devotion, Strength Devotion, Quicken Spell, etc. Get flaws such as Bravado (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258440#30) to have more feats earlier. Wear masterwork heavy armor with a Restful crystal (MIC) and a masterwork spiked gauntlet, and swing a greatsword. Put (Lesser Rod of Extended) Magic Vestment on your armor (and animated shield) and Greater Magic Weapon on your sword every day. Buff with DMM: Persistent spells like Divine Favor, Bless, Mass Lesser Vigor, Divine Power, and of course Righteous Wrath of the Faithful. Don't forget long duration buffs like Greater/Superior Resistance and Energy Immunity.

Typically that would be the case, but it makes perfect sense in-character.

Your build idea is interesting, but I'll most likely be going with Cloistered Cleric, for mechanical backup of my backstory.


Stuff Yeah, cool as proud arrogance is, I'll be the only human in the party*.

*Up until the point I "accidentally" let the other members die and reincarnate them, likely "accidentally" reincarnating them in a place that deals damage to all non-humans (I just need to find such a place...). "Sorry about that, I totally forgot that would be lethal for you. I always underestimate the skill you non-humans have at dying from such little things. Must be great to be (insert race here). "

[Sith_Happens]

For anyone that you actually convince to be human rather than let die in a convenient accident, Savage Species details two different rituals to instantaneously change a willing target's race.

[rmnimoc]

For anyone that you actually convince to be human rather than let die in a convenient accident, Savage Species details two different rituals to instantaneously change a willing target's race.

I'll just convince them that the process of dying, being reincarnated, and dying again is an alternate atonement for having not been human in the first place.

I'll look into those rituals, but doesn't one require wish or something?

[Zweisteine]

Polymorph any object is the most effective method to go about this, especially for anything that is already a medium-sized animal with average intelligence.

If you can convince your DM to let you get the trickery domain, you can get the spell. With the flavor you use, you might be able to get your DM to substitute it into the Destiny domain instead, but with human as the only possible target form (might bump it down a spell level or two with that limitation, though).

There are probably other ways to grab that spell as well.\


Savage species has a bunch of useful information for species-changing as well.

[captain fubar]

savage species has some rituals to semi-permanently change ones race.