How to award clerical powers (and deal with mechanics)?

[Pinjata]

So, for a past few sessions I had a player in my group (they are lvl 3) that wanted to ascend to clerichood. In my games, being a cleric/paladin is a bit more difficult then just picking the class and bam.

Anyway ... for past few sessions he was playing really LG and I'm thinking this would ping on some good god's radars as "hmmm, this guy has potential". So I wanted to give him an option of switching a few or all levels into cleric if he likes.

Now, as (un)expected, things have become convoluted. Party has found a cleric of a diety from another realm and mentioned player suddenly wants to follow this faith ... even if he knows very little of it (faith in question follows LN god of Sun). Secondly, player mentioned he'd not like cleric levels so much, since his current class is bard and his relevants stats do not fit together well for both classes. He COULD however switch one or more levels if i'd approve a feat that'd give him 1 point in Wisdom, which would his current character make eglible for taking cleric classes. I have given him an option of completelly restatting his character.
Thirdly, he is looking at becoming a warlock, for which I am completelly unprepared for in current module.

Anyway, here's my problem: It seems the guy will stick to his current class, BUT is very LG and is sacrificing stuff (money, time, in-party initiatives) to follow this. And I'd like to reward him. Somehow. Without messing up the system.

Got any ideas, playground? Perhaps I'd drop him an item of good good he might use? Or ...? Something?


thanks

[Thrudd]

You're already making big changes to the system, why stop now? Give him access to a new cleric spell that bards don't normally get, maybe, a gift from the good god, if you think he needs something. Or give him some extra "being good" experience points, if that's a thing you are rewarding in the game. Experience points are the most significant reward for a player.

Or just let him multiclass to cleric on his next level if he wants to. That's basically what you're talking about anyway. If he doesn't want to, then what are you worried about?

[MrFahrenheit]

Give him the equivalent of an acolyte background. As an rp award, it's very fitting: A priest but not a cleric.

[Night Eternal]

you can make him an acolyte of the god. granting him extra cleric spells or bonuses but since he is not a full cleric it limited or toned down.

[Pinjata]

Give him the equivalent of an acolyte background. As an rp award, it's very fitting: A priest but not a cleric.

I was thinking of giving him powers of an acolyte. It's not all that badass and it keeps his class intact.

[vincegetorix]

If he really want to keep his bard levels, you can check the Divine Bard or the Master of Mask (with the Angel, Priest and Monk mask) archetype from the blog Middle Finger of Vecna, they are really cool without being overpowered. He would be a divine chanter, much like the 4ed paragon path Blessed Psalmist. Those guys have an incredible list of archetypes.

Also, the Compendium of Angels that you can find easily on google is a really impressive work on divine powers in a DnD 5e game and has some nice options for the Bard, Sorcerer or the Warlock. Your player may like the Angelic Patron for the warlock, the College of Preaching for the bard or the Angelic Origin for Sorcerer (CHA caster).

[kaoskonfety]

Off the top of my head you can point them at and/or wave the stat restrictions for...

"Downtime" Training in the Religion Skill
Feat: Ritual caster : Cleric
Feat: Magic initiate: Cleric (for say Bless, spare the dying and whatever the cleric prestdigitation is)
Acolyte background
Add Bless or some similar clearly cleric trick to their spell list
The divine intervention feature with say a flat chance in the 1-5% range


EDIT - they can also get the cleric spells themselves in class with the magical secrets feature, fairly soon if they went lore.

[tieren]

give him a special necklace of prayer beads he can attune to as a bard.

[Giant2005]

I don't get it... He is willing to take the Cleric levels legitimately but he needs to take a feat to gain +1 Wis in order to do so (and is perfectly willing to do it). So what is the problem with just doing things by the book?
He can get great value out of Resilient: Wis, or Observant.

[MrFahrenheit]

Sounds like he more wants to have some priestliness from an rp standpoint, and wouldn't want to mc cleric if that's avoidable (OP let me know if this understanding is wrong).

[kaoskonfety]

Sounds like he more wants to have some priestliness from an rp standpoint, and wouldn't want to mc cleric if that's avoidable (OP let me know if this understanding is wrong).

Some Favoured Soul sorcerer perhaps? More in line stat wise anyway...

[Pinjata]

I don't get it... He is willing to take the Cleric levels legitimately but he needs to take a feat to gain +1 Wis in order to do so (and is perfectly willing to do it). So what is the problem with just doing things by the book?
He can get great value out of Resilient: Wis, or Observant.

This is probably best solution.


Sounds like he more wants to have some priestliness from an rp standpoint, and wouldn't want to mc cleric if that's avoidable (OP let me know if this understanding is wrong).
Correct.

[Slipperychicken]

He can grab magic initiate at level 4 if he really wants to.

You could also kinda fudge the rules by letting him pick a feat or ASI for +1 wisdom, then let that qualify him for Cleric at 4th level.

[kaoskonfety]

He can grab magic initiate at level 4 if he really wants to.

You could also kinda fudge the rules by letting him pick a feat or ASI for +1 wisdom, then let that qualify him for Cleric at 4th level.

Allow magic initiate for level 4 for "being initiated" - at level 5 give the option to switch Magic initiate out for Resilient Wisdom and start leveling in Cleric? Any reasons this is not fair and cool?

[Slipperychicken]

Allow magic initiate for level 4 for "being initiated" - at level 5 give the option to switch Magic initiate out for Resilient Wisdom and start leveling in Cleric? Any reasons this is not fair and cool?

Sounds cool to me. It allows for a relatively gradual shift from bard to cleric.

[Xalyz]

What about having him become a Paladin instead? He can still have the Devotion aspect, just not the Clerical aspect.

[DontEatRawHagis]

This is probably best solution.


Correct.

Give him access to the equivalent Cleric Domain spell list. Its fast, easy, sounds cool, and not as broken as giving him a new ability. Keep the Spellcasting Attack and DC through Charisma if you want, but use Wisdom if your other players complain.

Spell access is less intrusive. The only downside would be if someone complains about him getting cleric spells, which sounds like your group likes the idea so that shouldn't be aproblem.