Glory or Healing Domain choice for Radiant Servant of Lathander

[Dalg]

Hi guys was just wanting to get some feedback on a choice I'm about to make. I'll give you some background.
We're playing a game basically made up by our DM that's very loosely based on Forgotten Realms.

Rules are based purely The Players Handbook but in exceptional circumastances we have managed to incorporated a few other things from the other books as long as we have been able to give him a written story to explain their discovery or use. As a consequence I managed to get myself the Radiant Servant (of Lathander).
I'm now at the level where I have to chose my third domain. I have Strenght and Sun at the moment and he'll let me choose between between Glory and Healing. Before you ask, Healing would have to be listed in my Domain dailies for it to be subject to Maximize Healing.

I quite like the look of Glory myself to be honest it seems to have some interesting spells. We don't have a healer in the group but I find that I don't heal much anyway until after the fight, I tend to buff the party a bit and play using a mixture of melee combat and spells. I heal only if someone's about to drop dead.
If I don't go for the Healing is it worth staying in the Radiant Servant class or is it better to pull out? Suppose the difference would be the d8 hit as opposed to d6?

As an aside would Time be much better than Glory?

Thanks for any feedback you'd like to leave.
Dalg

[Inevitability]

Glory all the way.

Literally every spell on the healing list is also on the default cleric list (and over half can be even spontaneously cast), and its granted power is honestly pretty bad.

On the other hand, Glory has only two spells that appear on the cleric's own list, some of them unique to the domain, and its granted power is not bad at all if you're facing lots of undead. If Healing is your only alternative, pick Glory and don't look back.

Even if you aren't turning stuff often, Glory is still better: the granted power can be swapped out for something like Spontaneous Restoration.

EDIT: Also, compliments on your good healing strategy. Typically, in-combat heals contribute less than a melee attack or offensive spell (including buffs) would. Healing is indeed something for after the battle (try to get a wand of CLW so you don't have to burn spell slots!).

[Dalg]

EDIT: Also, compliments on your good healing strategy. Typically, in-combat heals contribute less than a melee attack or offensive spell (including buffs) would. Healing is indeed something for after the battle (try to get a wand of CLW so you don't have to burn spell slots!).

Thanks Dire, funnily he doesn't play with many spell props, never seen a Wand of CLW in our game! Our Mage has been playing with him for about 20 years and has just about got used to it!

[GilesTheCleric]

Time is a great domain, better than Glory (and far better than Healing). Haste, FoM, Permanency, Contingency, and Foresight are all great spells, as is free improved initiative.

Are you sure those are the only domains you have access to? Lanthander's selection is Good, Nobility, Protection, Renewal, Strength, and Sun (FaP 222, 37, FRCS 234). If you're getting to pick Time instead of any from those, though, I'd still take Time.

Do you have any book restrictions for other PrCs? Even if not, you might not have met the reqs for other PrCs, so it's likely that it's most efficient to stay in it for now while working to qualify for something else.

[Dalg]

Thanks Giles, we have all book restrictions unfortunately. From what we can gather Time is a central theme to his storyline. Thas why I bought it up. If I can come up with a reasonably convincing storyline for my char that can introduce me to the Time domain in some way the I'm sure he'll let me get it. He encourages us to construct our characters and write our story, that way it enriches our gaming experience and gives him ideas which he can incorporate through our journey.

Having just done some reading I've learned that Lathander is an aspect of Amaunator (who has Time). Going to have to see how I might be able to work them together.

[Inevitability]

Having just done some reading I've learned that Lathander is an aspect of Amaunator (who has Time). Going to have to see how I might be able to work them together.

While correct (as confirmed by both 4e and 5e as well as a fair amount of 3.5 material), note that this view is heretical in-game, at least in the official FR.

Not that it stopped a heretical priest of Lathandamanunator from rising to mid-epic levels and converting thousands of people to his views, but still.

[GilesTheCleric]

we have all book restrictions unfortunately

Having just done some reading I've learned that Lathander is an aspect of Amaunator (who has Time). Going to have to see how I might be able to work them together.

Does that mean core-only?

If you want to worship Amaunator, you'll need to take the Heretic of the Faith feat (PoF 46), or convert (via a quest and Atonement; FRCS 233). Otherwise, you'll lose your divine connection and become an ex-cleric (FRCS 236, FaP 5).

[Jeff the Green]

Does that mean core-only?

If you want to worship Amaunator, you'll need to take the Heretic of the Faith feat (PoF 46), or convert (via a quest and Atonement; FRCS 233). Otherwise, you'll lose your divine connection and become an ex-cleric (FRCS 236, FaP 5).

More than that. You'll need Servant of the Fallen (LEoF), since Amaunator is dead and cannot grant spells without that feat. Heretic of the Faith will do it, since you can take a domain to represent your heresy, but you're also one of the False, which is generally pretty unpleasant.

[GilesTheCleric]

Good point. Alternatively, there's rules in FR for worshipping a false deity without taking the feat, and instead having your spells granted by sone other entity (powerful demon/ archon/ other deity). The feat is probably the best option, though, you're right.

[Inevitability]

More than that. You'll need Servant of the Fallen (LEoF), since Amaunator is dead and cannot grant spells without that feat. Heretic of the Faith will do it, since you can take a domain to represent your heresy, but you're also one of the False, which is generally pretty unpleasant.

While this is true for most dead gods, worshipping Amaunator-Who-Is-Lathander (as per the more popular heresies surrounding him) still gives you cleric spells, as the source of your divine power is still the living Lathander.

[Khedrac]

Going back to the original question... Glory or Healing as the bonus domain?

Well, it depends. There are two ways of reading the Radiant Servant's ability to automatically empower/maximise spells of the Healing domin.
The first is that if the spell is one of the spells of the domain it is affected regardless of whether you are casting from your domain slot or not.
The second is that this only applies to spells memorised as domain spells.

In the first case, the answer is simple - take Glory.
In the second case, you are giving up using that part of the radiant servant abilities, which is quite a large sacrifice, and you need to think about how you play the character and if it is worth it.

So, I would first ask the DM which ruling he is using about the ability.

[Inevitability]

So, I would first ask the DM which ruling he is using about the ability.

Fairly sure that's already happened.


Before you ask, Healing would have to be listed in my Domain dailies for it to be subject to Maximize Healing.

[Khedrac]

Fairly sure that's already happened.

Oops, good point.

As good as Radiant Servant is, I don't think it's worth it wihout half of its abilities - e.g. Sacred Exorcist is a better choice for exploding undead.