Clerics live by other rules
Giving and taking away can be okay
by E. Gary Gygax
 

Dragon magazine	-	Classes	-	Dragon #92
-	-	-	-	-

It is written that all clerics have available
to them all of the spells listed, and druids
likewise have the same benefit with respect
to theirs. Are these words graven on stone?
Yes and no.

The rules state that the entire array is at
the beck and call of the cleric/druid player
character in order to make it abundantly
clear to all that these character types do not
need to have spell books which contain the
?known? spells. Clerics and druids are
granted their spells from pursuit of their
calling and by the deity (or its servants) to
whom they adhere. With fundamentals
taken care of, we can now get down to the
"no" part of the "yes and no" answer to
the query "Are the rules graven on stone?"

The experienced Dungeon Master will
certainly freely admit that he or she takes
any and all liberties with the rules which are
useful in making the campaign more interesting,
challenging, exciting, imaginative,
thought-provoking, or simply more coherent
with respect to its overall scheme. Those
Learned Readers familiar with my Greyhawk
campaign will have noted that most of
the clerics of the deities of that "world"
(Oerth, of course!) gain various special
spells or abilities from their calling. In fact,
certain powers, spells, and abilities were
purposely omitted from the rules manuscript
because my campaign is still alive,
and the "secrets" of the most cryptic sects
are not ?general? knowledge. With that
example in mind, consider this:

If material can be added to the repertoire
of the cleric (and, by default, its druidic
sub-class), then why should it be forbidden
to remove things from it? Within reason,
there is no such prohibition ? but permission
is not explicitly granted, for to allow
carte blanche to the inexperienced or careless
is giving license to put the campaign
into the proverbial toilet and pull the
plunger. If there is clear justification which
can be logically explained, then there is, in
fact, every reason to disallow spells, materials,
or other powers to clerics. This denial
can be permanent or temporary, depending
on the reason it exists. A few examples:

-- A deity of the sun dislikes spells that
cause darkness.

-- A deity of cold dislikes spells that are
related to flame and heat.

-- A druidic cult that shuns insects.

-- An order of clerics that requires new
members to prove their merit before being
further initiated into the mysteries of that
faith.

The list could go on. The point is clear
There are many ways to justify withholding
of spells and/or powers. There are similar
reasons to eventually grant them, or new
ones. The important points to remember
are these: 1) Do it for a reason. 2) Retain
balance. 3) Make it logical. 4) Be reasonable.
5) Explain it to campaign participants,
revealing information according to the
schedule you have established ? not necessarily
when they demand it, i.e., don't let
participants throw the Book in your face!
Follow through this explication:

A secluded sect of the followers of the
deity Ehlonna of the Forests erred grievously
at some time in the past. Its clerical
and druidic members misled the people,
caused them to do evil things, and used fire
to harm life and the beloved woodlands as
well. Most of the wrongdoers were slain,
but some survived and were repentant.
Mercifully, Ehlonna forgave them, but each
and every one of these formerly unfaithful,
as well as those who came after them, would
be prohibited from ever again using spells
(or magic items) that cause destructive fire
or things associated with it.

Furthermore, clerics are permitted only
staves as weapons; druids are allowed only
staves and slings, and no druid is allowed to
use his shapechange ability to assume the
form of a carnivorous beast.

There is now a small Shrine of Ehlonna,
as well as a Sacred Grove nearby. Here the
descendants of the transgressors reside,
shepherding the neighboring farmers and
woodsfolk, human and demi-human alike.
However, all those trained here are not
permitted the following spells: cause (any
sort of) wounds, curse, protection from
good (any), putrefy food & drink, cause
blindness, cause disease, bestow curse,
poison, dispel good, flame strike, slay living,
harm, wither, energy drain, destruction,
fire trap, produce flame, produce fire,
wall of fire, conjure fire elemental, fire
seeds, chariot of Sustarre, finger of death,
and fire storm. As was mentioned before,
weapons are limited, and druid members of
the group cannot take the form of any carnivore.
These prohibitions seriously weaken
both orders of followers, and no deity would
so jeopardize its followers without some
counterbalance.

After faithfully serving and reaching 2nd
level, clerics are granted their choice of
"knowing" any permitted druid spell of 1st
level, and vice versa. This continues
through 4th level. At 5th level each gains a
druid/cleric spell of 2nd level, and this
continues through 7th level. At 8th level the
granting of 3rd-level spells commences; at
11th level, 4th-level spells; and at 14th level,
5th-level spells commence and continue
through 16th level. Clerics of 9th level are
able to assume animal form (a noncarnivorous
mammal only) once per day,
just as if they were a druid. Druids of
above-average wisdom are allowed bonus
spells, just as if they were a cleric, i.e., 14
wisdom allows one bonus 1st level spell, 15
wisdom a second 1st level spell, etc.

Beyond this, Ehlonna has created a special
order for clerics who have been totally
true to their alignment in general and to her
in particular. At 3rd level, such clerics are
specially granted the longsword as a usable
weapon, and at 5th level they are granted
the longbow. Any deviation from alignment
or service causes these weapons to be permanently
revoked. The animal form permitted
to such special clerics includes
creatures of greater mass than normally
possible for a druid, including (but not
limited to) buffalo, stag, and Irish deer.

A similar special order of druids also
exists. These druids must remain neutral in
alignment, but must always discourage that
which promotes bane and encourage that
which promotes weal. Faithful 3rd-level
druids of this order are granted permission
to wear elfin chainmail (bestowed by Ehlonna
?s agents in ceremonial proceedings) and
to wield both hand axes and battle axes. At
5th level the use of both light and heavy
crossbows is bestowed. The weight limit of
creature form assumed is also far greater
than that for normal druids, it being 200
pounds per level of experience. Thus, one
of these special druids of 10th level could
become a creature of up to one ton in
weight. Furthermore, although carnivorous
form cannot be assumed, omnivorous form
-- a wild boar, for example -- is allowed.

Taking this a step further, assume that the
campaign will promote participants to begin
play in this area, and the DM will encourage
clerics and druids. Building upon the
"history" of transgression and redemption,
the DM will have a special set of circumstances
and a mission for all those who
serve. If, after long and arduous struggle,
her faithful triumph, Ehlonna might well
remove the strictures (and their offsetting
benefits) upon the clerics and druids. The
sin forgiven, the enemy defeated and the
need for special orders gone, all returns to
the natural way of things (as per the PH,
DMG, etc.).

Now when you hear someone, DM or
player, mentioning something about ?unknown
? cleric spells or similar difficulties,
don?t panic. It could well be a cleverly
planned campaign where difference and the
unexpected are desirable ? and who can
fault that?! Perhaps you might wish to try it
in your own campaign, too. A cautionary
word is necessary, however, for there is a
problem with such variations. Unless the
full and complete details of the differences
are known to other DMs, they might well
not wish to have clerics or druids of such
nature participating in their games. This is
their right, and skepticism on their part is
justified. Players of these clerics and druids
must be forewarned that such characters
might be ?one-campaign-only? adventurers
who are not welcome elsewhere.

DECEMBER 1984