Cleric change ideas (3.5)

[Tempest Fennac]

I was thinking of creating a homebrew world with 5 dieties who each have Clerics with some unique features, but I'm not sure how balanced my ideas are. Would taking Turning, Spontaneous Casting and Heavy Armour Proficiency while granting a Druid Animal Companion or sentinet Construct be balanced? Also, would taking away Turning and Spotaneous casting in exchange for the Incarnate* Paladin variant's Elmental Burst be fair? )The Incarnate is able to make a ranged touch attack (max range of 60’) that does 1d4 + Charisma modifier damage of both of his/her
Elemental Affinity energies (i.e., a total of 2d4 + (2 x Charisma modifier damage)). Incarnates with ‘Fire & Water’ affinity do Fire & Cold damage, while
‘Air & Earth’ affinity do Electricity & Acid damage. Usable Charisma bonus times per day.) I was thinking of boosting that so that an extra 2d4 HPs of damage are added every 2 or 3 levels.

* See page 77 of http://crystalkeep.com/d20/rules/DnD...asses-Base.pdf for more information on this variant.

[arguskos]

1. Turning+Heavy Armor+Spon. Casting is already powerful. ADDING Animal Companion/Construct Companion to that is.... wrong. Now, trading the former set for the latter, that seems more balanced.

2. I think that elemental burst thing seems a fair trade for turning/spon. casting.

Does this answer your question?

[Tempest Fennac]

Yes thanks. What would you take from a Cleric to add a companion?

[arguskos]

Like I said, just trade the Spon. Casting and Heavy Armor for the Companion. Maybe limit them to Light/No Armor. That's just my guess though, wait for a real rules guru to come along and give you a better estimate.

[GoatToucher]

If you plan on taking away spontaneous healing, turning, and heavy armor, why not work from the Druid as a base instead of a Cleric? The companion is already there, and sacrifice some of the level abilities for the Elemental googaw you are looking at.

[Tempest Fennac]

I wanted to keep the basic Cleric spell list intact. (I was thinking about giving different Clerics different spontaneous casting, though.)

[Keld Denar]

Instead of a natural companion (unless its a nature deity), maybe a celestial/fiendish companion similar to a Blackguard's friend. Give good clerics something like a Lantern Archon or one of the lesser Eladrin while giving evil clerics an Imp or Quasit, upgrading to a Sucubus or similar as the cleric gains power.

Might be a bit hard to stat out progression though, given the power of certain outsiders. Might be easier to slap the Celestial or Fiendish templates on something and call it a game...

[Tempest Fennac]

I wanted to keep the Clerics of the Good and Evil diety (the other Clerics will be less unique if they all get a companion).