tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886547051691715141.post6014148980995434888..comments2024-03-28T00:53:49.609-07:00Comments on PLANET ALGOL: Hiero's Journey, Dune and Further Musings Regarding ClericsBlairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884401206802336531noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886547051691715141.post-71108130705383648772010-11-04T03:47:43.393-07:002010-11-04T03:47:43.393-07:00I like your point regarding clerics abilities bein...I like your point regarding clerics abilities being granted them through intense training and study within the confines of a cult's own rituals rather than being a gift from his/her god. I have, in my DnD campaign, put my PCs on a path similar to this. Each devotional cult has its own rules and culture and the PCs have to play by the rules of their cult in order to have the oppurtunities required to train and study their way up to the next level. Using divine magic is less a matter of studying and memorizing arcane formulas (like a mage), it is more a metter of using your own mental strength and and training to unlock the natural powers that lie dormant within the universe.Christian Kolbehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03808999032249180746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886547051691715141.post-33201652701319952972010-10-01T15:33:21.127-07:002010-10-01T15:33:21.127-07:00For D&D clerics, I decided that I didn't l...For D&D clerics, I decided that I didn't like them, so I chose a slightly different tack:<br />1. Strictly enforce the Spells Known numbers on INT table II of the AD&D Player's Handbook.<br />2. Replace that silly 'ALL' in the entry for 19 INT.<br />3. Consolidate all the spells available in Kellri's awesome OS Spell Reference. I took out duplicates and spell level is the first level it was available for any class)<br />4. Create several magical 'Traditions' including 'Magic-User,' 'Elven,' 'Druidic' and 'Illusionist.'<br />5. Each Tradition rates each spell as Common (consists of 75% of spells available on a random scroll from that tradition), Uncommon (24%) and Rare (1%).<br />5. Require each magic using character to select a Tradition, this let's that character choose from that Tradition's list of Common spells whenever they get new spells for going up a level.<br />6. Spells that are Common for your tradition give you a 15% bonus on your Learn Spell roll. Uncommon give you a 10% bonus. Rare spells for your tradition give you no bonus.<br /><br /><br />This has several interesting effects:<br />In Kellri's OSSR, there are, for instance 105 non-duplicated 1st level spells! When you can ONLY know 18 of them with an 18 INT you have some very interesting choices: Specialize or Generalize, but you can't ever know them all. Every time your player encounters a scroll he's now given interesting choices: Do I learn this spell and reduce my available spell knowledge slots or keep it on the scroll. If it's Common to my Tradition, it's easier to learn, but if it's rare to my Tradition, it might be worth taking the risk of destroying it to copy it into my spellbook. <br /><br />Secondly, it really enhances the flavor of the various 'types' of magic one expects. The Druidic tradition has lots of plant and animal spells in their Common list, and a bunch of healing and divination in the Uncommon list. When I want to make a Druidic NPC, I just pick a bunch of spells from the Common list, fewer spells from the Uncommon list and none or one from the Rare list. Elves get some of the nature spells and some of the Illusionist spells in their Common and Uncommon lists. If I wanted to create a Priest of some sort, I just create a new Common, Uncommon and Rare list for them.<br /><br />Lastly, because I already know what's Common, Uncommon and Rare, whenever I roll up a random scroll of that type, I can just roll on the appropriate Tradition list!<br /><br />Random table friendly, Resource management enabling and it gets rid of the Cleric class once and for all, what's not to love?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05896515629513305242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886547051691715141.post-47325260476579139622010-09-24T21:57:34.941-07:002010-09-24T21:57:34.941-07:00I'm a huge fan of Hiero's Journey, and I&#...I'm a huge fan of Hiero's Journey, and I've never actually though tof him as a D&D style cleric, if only because the existence of God seems to be an open question in the novel, and it doesn't seem like that's where Hiero's power comes from. However, your take on it is really cool, and I'm going to have to rethink it now.Aoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00145284080419502886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886547051691715141.post-22435120500155391212010-09-24T19:11:09.501-07:002010-09-24T19:11:09.501-07:00My thoughts on turn undead lately have been to de-...My thoughts on turn undead lately have been to de-emphasize the divine connection. Clerics represent Zeal, in what isn't directly relevant. Undeath represents total annihilation and the death of all ambition. That's why zombies are the opposite of lamas.Jeff Rientshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.com