Feedback on Homebrew Cleric spell - "Let the Gods decide"

[Monster Manuel]

So, the Cleric prepares their spells by beseeching their all-knowing, all-powerful patron to empower them with the magic they'll need for the day. This is cool. A new-er player, as I was explaining how this was meant to work, said "I don't know what spells I'll need. I'll let my goddess decide!" And my reaction was, No, you can't do that...but. It's kind of a cool idea. I gave some thought to how to make this work, and this is what I've got so far. Please pick this apart and critique:

"Let The Gods Decide"

Cleric, level 1.
Casting time: one action
Range: Self
Components: V,S,M (the cleric's holy symbol)
Duration: instantaneous (or, maybe 1 day? "Special"? See below)
School: Enchantment
Concentration: No (?)

The gods know what your future has in store for you, and can give you the tools you need when you most need them. As an action, you put the spell slot used to cast this spell back in the the hands of your god. At any point until you prepare spells again, you may use an action to ask the god for a blessing. The DM chooses which 1st level spell on the Cleric list that the diety wishes for you to cast at that time, and that spell takes effect. Any material components the spell generally uses must be available, and if the spell has a longer casting time than one action, it takes that long to take effect. While this spell is active, it cannot be cast again.

At higher levels: If cast at a higher level, the spell can produce a spell effect of that level or lower. For instance, "Let The Gods Decide" cast at 3rd level, could produce the effects of a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level spell.

So, pros: I don't think it breaks anything too badly. It's flavorful, and does what it says on the tin; I don't know what spell to ask my god for, so I'll let them decide. You're getting some extra versatility out of the class, since you can essentially reserve a spell slot for something you need in the moment.

I opted not to make it concentration-based, since it's meant to be cast at the beginning of the day and just sit there until it's used. I would never cast this if it ate up my concentration for the rest of the day.

I think it should have a listed duration other than instantaneous, because I think it should be dispellable. Open to suggestions on that.

Cons: it's too DM-dependent. Lots of players will be put off by letting the DM decide what spell they cast. The DM could make a crappy choice. Also, it may be TOO much versatility. Divine caster get access to their whole spell list, but have to pick and choose each time they prepare. That's the trade-off. This gives them access, potentially, to any spell on their list whenever they need it. Not letting them choose which one they get is the balancing factor, but I'm not sure it's enough.

It takes an action to cast, and then another action to activate, so it can't be spammed in combat. The rider that you can only have one instance going at a time is to prevent you from using all your slots to cast this at the beginning of the day, and going nuts with spell selection. But out of combat, when action economy isn't as important? Is it too much?

What do you think?

[CantigThimble]

I don't like the idea of adding a spell you can cast multiple times per day that basically comes down to "How much does the DM like me?" Divine intervention is probably enough of that type of mechanic already.

Here's my suggestion:
Miraculous Casting (1st level cleric spell)
Choose one spell you have prepared today and remove it from your list. Add any 1st level spell from your spell list to your list of prepared spells. If you cast this using a slot using a 2nd level or higher slot you may instead add a spell of up the the level of the slot used to your list of prepared spells.

This accomplishes roughly the same goal (getting access spell you need in a pinch) but is predictable, comes at a cost and doesn't force the DM to decide how much he likes you every time you cast it.

Alternatively:
Let the Gods Decide (1st level cleric spell)
Randomly choose a 1st level cleric spell that is not on your list of prepared spells. You may immediately cast (or start casting) that spell. If you do, it is resolved as if it was cast using a 2nd level spell slot. If this spell is cast using a 2nd or higher level slot randomly choose a spell of the same level as that slot. The spell is resolved as if it was cast using a slot one level higher than it's level.

[Nifft]

As a DM, I want the PCs to win, but I strongly prefer that they win fairly -- by their own efforts, rather than by my DM fiat or intervention.

This spell seems like a poor fit for my preferences.

[Kyrinthic]

In general I don't like the mechanic, the whole point of the class is to be your gods will in the world, particularly chosen from people with a preference towards wisdom, the god is relying on you to make the right spell choices, not come asking them to pick every spell you use in a day.

I also think mechanically, that picking ones spell in the morning should be a meaningful choice, this spell steps around it and feels way to cheap for it.

Being able to just 'oh hey, GM I cast let the gods decide cause we need water breathing' or the like puts the pressure on the GM to basically either let this be a 'cast whatever I want as an action' or the GM is a **** kind of spell, or become a 'lets see if the GM will give us extra information by casting a prep spell he knows we will need'. Either of these is an effect that should have a cost.

Even just the fact that you turned a spellcast into an action that couldnt be countered is an actually pretty strong effect, and its basically free.

I think the process needs to start with a question. What are you trying to accomplish with this spell exactly?

Are you trying to make the cleric feel more versitile than a wizard or the like? Then the suggestion that CantigThimble suggested could work. The cost of an equal level spell slot to change out a prepared spell feels like a good cost.

Are you trying to give players a hail mary so the GM can fix their problems when they dont know how, effectively a lower level version of divine intervention? Then perhaps give that ability earlier, but with lower level effects at lower character levels.

Are you trying to do something else that I am not seeing? Maybe we can help with that.

[Mith]

I am reminded of BECMI era Clerics that could cast off their entire spell list according to the spell slots they had.

Not sure what the proper way to balance and give this style of play to the player.

[JackPhoenix]

It also doesn't make sense from fluff perspective. D&D gods aren't all-knowing, and have better things to do to than to watch each of their cleric all the time to solve problems for them. That's why they have clerics in the first place: so they don't need to do everything themselves.

[DarkKnightJin]

...And here I was, thinking it was some high level AoE nuke spell.
"I say, let the gods sort 'em out."

[Lord Haart]

There's also the (admittedly, minor) matter of "you spend an action, and spell X takes effect" having several subtle advantages over "you cast spell X". Like, you don't have to oblige the verbal or somatic components, you possibly (i'm away from books, so can't check the exact wording of the feat) aren't subject to Mage Slayer feat, Counterspell can't intercept you, etc.

But in general, were i the DM of a player in this position, i'd swap Cleric with a less choicy class while still using Cleric fluff (e. g., a divine-subclass-sorcerer only has to pick a spell in the heat of moment, while the selection of total spells he knows can boil down to "bless, command, healing word, killitwithfire" and be done by DM; a divine-subclass-warlock has even fewer spells to choose from, and stronger at-will options that aren't ever a bad idea to use; and a sufficiently martial/worldly/enlightened cleric can be replaced by a fighter/rogue/monk respectively with Magic Initiate, later branching into true spellcasting when the player gets more comfortable with it).

[Monster Manuel]

I don't like the idea of adding a spell you can cast multiple times per day that basically comes down to "How much does the DM like me?"

This is my biggest concern with the spell as well. It's what the player was after, though. That gamble of "I put myself in the hands of the gods". I guess the intent, mechanically, is to have a wild magic -like flavor for a divine caster. Maybe that's the way to handle this, the spell makes you roll on a table of "random" effects, like the wild magic sorcerer. Not deliant on the DM to adjudicate, and sometimes the results won't make sense, but the gods are inscrutable, so what can you do?

That's the intent of the spell...when the caster wants to ask their god "what should I do". Maybe the answer is more in the divination school, rather than the approach given here.

I'm not sure about divine intervention, since it's not meant to be level-dependent in what it could achieve. I don't want this to be a 1% chance for a first level character to cast Wish; it should still be within the bounds of what they could otherwise do.

Good feedback everyone, thanks.

[Brawnspear]

Lots of good suggestions here. I have a different take on it.
Lets assume the spell chosen is an optimal one. I'd say it should take the VSM to beseech Deity and count as a spell cast that round for all purposes like other spell availability and mage slayer etc.

My big change is make it a level 2 spell slot and the granted spell is one slot lower. Power is the price you pay for versatility, maybe include the spells that are on the deitys list of other domains as well. So if you are a life cleric of a god of light and life maybe you'll score a 3rd level fireball with your 4th level beseechment!

[MrStabby]

I don't really like the mechanic, but if I were to do it I would base it on wish.

A divination spell that has an effect of a spell you could prepare of a level lower. Give it some drawbacks:

Suggestions:

1) Until end of duration you can cast the spell without expending a spell slot. Takes concentration

2) 10 min cast time - you can pick a level to be flexible and whilst you don't pick the spell beforehand you do pick that level so more limited

Alternatively make it a low level spell that lets you swap out a spell - maybe a level 2 spell as a bonus action. Still 1 turn delay and no non-cantrip spell cast that round.

[Monster Manuel]

Hey, all.

So, for what it's worth, an update on this. I gave up on the spell idea and went with the simple solution:

"I ask my goddess to pick what spells I have"

"OK. You've prepared Bless, Cure Wounds, Command, Guiding Bolt and Shield of Faith. You also get a clear feeling that you should choose for yourself tomorrow"

Problem solved. No over-complicated homebrew required.

Thanks again for the good ideas.