Question About Cleric Domains

[Gale]

I have a quick question about Cleric domains. Is a cleric always forced to choose domains from the list corresponding to their deity or is there a way to gain access to different ones? I’m mostly asking because I’ve always been bothered by the fact that clerics who choose not to worship any particular deity are free to choose whatever domains they please. I feel like it punishes players for role-playing, especially if their chosen deity doesn’t have the best selection of domains.

[PseudoPanda]

Heretic of the Faith from Power of Faerun (pg. 46) allows you to switch out one of your restricted domains to any of your choosing (also allows for some alignment flexibility and some interesting roleplaying aspects).

Personally, my campaigns (the ones I run and play in) always allow for clerics to choose one domain outside of their Deity's selection so long as it doesn't conflict with the deity's dogma. This is used to show how that cleric interprets and adds their own taste to their belief (and makes a good RP deity with crappy domains more doable).

[geekintheground]

as far as i know, if you follow a god, you have to pick from their domains. but the domains they have usually represent them pretty well, and if you want other domains that fit that god you can always talk to the DM.


swordsage'd

[nedz]

It's setting/DM dependant.

Personally I allow any reasonable domain choice which fits with the Deity's portfolio, but I don't allow Clerics of a concept.

[Ashtagon]

RAW, that's teh case; clerics are pubnished mechanically for choosing a stronger RP character design (by having a deity chosen).

I've never quite got what prevents a character from being a cleric of no particular deity, but telling the world he lives in that he worships $deity, even though he draws no power from that deity.