Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

I don't see anything really broken

Start the file with a warning saying that any Specific Cleric should be created by the GM to suit his campaign, and that its up to the GM to allow such creation on the hand of the players and even so it must be approved by him.

SmootRK wrote:

While this supplement seeks to form a more standard way for the Game Master to build deity/religion specific clerics (priests), it is not necessarily meant to be followed in a dogmatic way. These are guidelines and suggestions to assist the Game Master in building unique clerical types. The GM should feel free to adjust particulars of this system in order to best suit his campaign and play style. As such, these guidelines are specifically not meant for players to individualize their cleric characters themselves; they simply have to go with options the GM has developed for his campaign (if at all). Deciding what options, including classes (or variants), to include in a game is solely the decision of the Game Master. "

Does that convey the ideas appropriately?
and yes, certainly you can use my wording (with or without further editing).

Perfect!

Cult for the day:

Cult of the Rampant Lion
[Murder, Trickery , Racial animosity]

For the last three centuries the remenants of the frontier province of Almarsil have been prey to the tiranny of goblinoid invaders.
The few humans that have escaped enslavement hide in the ruins of the once glorious keeps of their dead liege, waiting -and working- for the day of their liberation.
The ancestor cult once followed by the peaceful inhabitants of Almarsil has developed in a secretive sect that leads this underground movement.
Using the heraldic crest of the Almarsil family (a rampant red lion) as a symbol, the clerics train themselves -and others- as spies and assassins, sabotaging goblinoid activities and assassinating goblin kings.


Armor: up to leather
Shields: yes
Weapons: Piercing only (shorstswords, daggers, spears, javelins, bows, crossbows)

Granted Powers
1st level
Bane (goblinoids): the cleric receives +1 to hit and damage against goblinoids, this becomes +2/+2 at 3rd level, +3/+3 at 6th

3rd level
Stealthy: the cleric can Hide and Move Silently as a Thief of a level equal to his own minus 2.

6th level
Backstab: the cleric can execute Sneak attacks, if the GM uses the Thief options supplement this causes triple damage from 15th level onwards

SmootRK wrote:

While this supplement seeks to form a more standard way for the Game Master to build deity/religion specific clerics (priests), it is not necessarily meant to be followed in a dogmatic way. These are guidelines and suggestions to assist the Game Master in building unique clerical types. The GM should feel free to adjust particulars of this system in order to best suit his campaign and play style. As such, these guidelines are specifically not meant for players to individualize their cleric characters themselves; they simply have to go with options the GM has developed for his campaign (if at all). Deciding what options, including classes (or variants), to include in a game is solely the decision of the Game Master. "

Does that convey the ideas appropriately?
and yes, certainly you can use my wording (with or without further editing).

Nicely done.

Ach, I had a whole long thing typed up, and it got lost.

So here's the short version:
I'd work on the limited set: All piercing includes every missile weapon except sling, and would allow polearms (no damage cap). All slashing is swords and axes - and that's the biggest chunk of the magic weapon list. "All axes" or "all swords" or a thematic set (crescent-shaped weapons for a moon deity) would be a good example for the limited set. unless "no weapons" is taken, allow for club or dagger to be included.

All weapons: we'll need to watch balance here - it may need to run 4 points (with appropriate shifts on the point table) if it's too much. Keep in mind that with their somewhat faster progression, a cleric with all weapons is darn close to fighter-level ability and options.

Spells: is fixed here. This is another place you can move things around is to allow faster access (for Smoot's cloistered cleric), or slow/limited progression for more ability options.

Some other powers that might be worth including from the top would be a smiting type effect, and monk unarmed fighting (d4/d6/d8 damage progression, improvement allows the attacks to be treated as magic weapons (either at a set level, or a number of times per day)

Another fine piece of work, this is a great tool for GMs (like me) looking to have clerics of different faiths, each be distinct. Clerics of the human god of war should be strikingly different than the elven god of poetry.

joe

First consider that standard clerics in BFRPG already have no damage caps in melee: they can use two handed Mauls that do 1d10 and standard Maces do 1d8.

Access to all piercing weapons would grant no damage caps at all, but implies that the cleric would have to use no shield just to deal 1d8 or 1d10 damage in melee (all 1h piercing weapons deal at best 1d6 damage).

Access to slashing weapons would grant access to the biggest chunk of magic weapons, true, but a small one of non enchanted ones (5 out of 19) and only one missile weapon: the hand axe (maximum range 30').

Access to all weapons:
Unless the cleric is sacrificing access to plate or to shields he would get NO granted powers to get this.
So in someways it is like it already costed 4 points.

A cleric is a cleric is a cleric.
As I already said I WILL NOT touch the spell progression table, AB, Hit Dice, Saves, nor the XP table.
BTW adding new variants for HD or spell progression makes it easier for the system to break.
Not that an enterprising GM couldn't do what he wants at his table ;P.

I was thinking about the smiting effect myself, not so sure about the unarmed combat thing.

EDITED

CULT OF THE DAY:

Church of Celestial Harmony
The church of celestial harmony believes that a spark of divine goodness resides in the heart of every living creature.
Priests of Celestial Harmony refuse violence (as well as lust, greed and envy) and work hard to bring this goodness out lead by the belief that when all living creatures have willingly refused Evil a new world will begin.


[Peace, justice, Good]

Weapons: none
Armor: none
Shields: none

Granted Powers
1st level: Turn Undead (improved) - Tu as one level higher

3rd: Shield of Faith - protection from evil once per day at 3rd level, twice at 6th and thrice at 9th.
Allies behind the cleric and within 10' of him or her that are not attacking or casting spells receive a +1 bonus to AC.

6th level: Freedom (improved) - Always save vs Hold, paralysis and Slow at +4

9th: Unshackable mind (improved) - Always save vs Charm, confusion and mental dominance at +4

I'm attaching version 0.2.

artikid wrote:joe

First consider that standard clerics in BFRPG already have no damage caps in melee: they can use two handed Mauls that do 1d10 and standard Maces do 1d8.

Access to all piercing weapons would grant no damage caps at all, but implies that the cleric would have to use no shield just to deal 1d8 or 1d10 damage in melee (all 1h piercing weapons deal at best 1d6 damage).

Access to slashing weapons would grant access to the biggest chunk of magic weapons, true, but a small one of non enchanted ones (5 out of 19) and only one missile weapon: the hand axe (maximum range 30').

I'd say 5-8: Polearms may be slashing, shortswords can split time, and some folks count the scimitar separate. But yes, the lack of good missile options is a serious limiter here, but they make for a formidable melee cleric.

artikid wrote:Access to all weapons:
Unless the cleric is sacrificing access to plate or to shields he would get NO granted powers to get this.
So in someways it is like it already costed 4 points.

A cleric is a cleric is a cleric.
As I already said I WILL NOT touch the spell progression table, AB, Hit Dice, Saves, nor the XP table.
BTW adding new variants for HD or spell progression makes it easier for the system to break.
Not that an enterprising GM couldn't do what he wants at his table ;P.

I was thinking about the smiting effect myself, not so sure about the unarmed combat thing.

EDITED

Fair enough. I guess I tend to look for things clerics can buy up; In practice, they have to sell down to access other options. I appreciate the desire to not muck about with too many factors. It's possible to simulate accelerated magic - or at least first level casting aspect - with one of the spell-like abilities. By design, you'd have to lose 1st level Turning to pull it off. Hmmm.

Quick question on trading abilities for improvements: It looks like "earned" improvements (those from having a low point total) come into play immediately with the power. When you are trading in abilities to gain improvements, are these factored in right away, or should another acquisition level be used? (Example: You have two powers. You decide to develop one power (say quickstep). Do they get the improved version at level 1, or should it go 1: quickstep, 3: improved quickstep?) The designing GM could play it whichever way they like, I was just curious what your thought was on this.

You get the improved power right away.