DF: What Can't a Cleric Do?

[Greg 1]

A cleric might serve a god of "anything", and so any set of powers might potentially make sense as the holy powers of a cleric.

But this raises dangers of niche violation and game breakage.

What powers would you not allow a DF cleric to have?

[Nymdok]

Well...Niche is funny in that it demands differential arguments in a way.

I wouldnt allow a cleric to do anything that violates someone elses niche :)

I WILL ALLOW a cleric

1. Do do anything related to thier god.
2. Do anythign relater to thier alignment, so long as it doesnt violate the first.
3. NOT do anyting that crosses the Niche boundary except when superceded by the prior 2 laws.

My 3 laws of cler-botics :)

There is a lot of implied stuff. No edged weapons is common frex as is normally Armor up to 11 but none of these really violate anything per se.


Nymdok

[Bruno]

If there's nobody in the party in the niche, I'm not going to sweat it much.

[Stormcrow]

I haven't read DF7, so I don't know if you're concerned about something it says there, but in general aren't a cleric's holy abilities based on theme rather than niche? A thunder god will grant lightning attacks, and so on.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

I haven't read DF7, so I don't know if you're concerned about something it says there, but in general aren't a cleric's holy abilities based on theme rather than niche? A thunder god will grant lightning attacks, and so on.

And I guess the question is: Is that the wizards niche? Or the scouts, even?

Any given cleric might be some random type of cleric, but they only get to be one type of cleric at a time. Nobody gets to be a cleric of Storms and a cleric of Thieves and a cleric of Lifting Heavy Weights And Drinking Soy Protein Shakes at the same time. So what you actually have is a zappy character, a sneaky character, and a strong character.

Between clerics and wizards, I'd be more worried about the potential of wizards to invade someone elses niche (which I'm not, typically). After all, wizards get pretty free reign over GURPS Magic, excepting healing, plant, weather, and blowing up undead.
A funky cleric is basically a wizard with a strict spell career ahead of them, except they worry about sanctity not mana. If the party can handle two wizards (most can) they'll be fine. One will be firmly locked into a theme (the cleric), the other can spend their CP wherever they like.

As far as Holy Might abilities, I don't see any reason to restrict them more (or less!) than the spell lists.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Greg 1

A cleric might serve a god of "anything", and so any set of powers might potentially make sense as the holy powers of a cleric.

But this raises dangers of niche violation and game breakage.

What powers would you not allow a DF cleric to have?

Ones outside his Patron's jurisdiction. A priest of Aphrodite should be able to make love potions, and one for Athena should be able to make magic webs and enchanted political speeches. But Athena's priest cannot make a love potion as his patron is a virgin. On the other hand he can partner up with a priest of Aphrodite to make fashionable clothing.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Greg 1

A cleric might serve a god of "anything", and so any set of powers might potentially make sense as the holy powers of a cleric.

But this raises dangers of niche violation and game breakage.

What powers would you not allow a DF cleric to have?

I'd require a cleric to have a niche, but there's no particular limits on what that niche is (though you may want a different template if it's a long ways from the default cleric uses).

[Bruno]

To continue on my theme: if my entire party wants to go out as Clerics, filling all the traditional roles as such, then I'm fine with that. One cleric of the god of thieves, one cleric of the god of healing, one cleric of the god of war, one cleric of the god of ZOTTING stuff, one cleric of the god of the hunt with his bow and hunting dog and everyone else makes fun of him... sure.

All their powers fall off in the Unholy Temple Of The Evil Dark Unholyness. On the other claw, they can do a great By Your Powers Combined mass Exorcism.

If they want to double up on roles, I don't care either. That's a problem between my players, if they see it as a problem at all - at our ages I expect them to be able to mediate it amongst themselves and I haven't been disappointed in like, 20 years on that point. Egad I'm old. But the idea of worrying about some abstract person who's not in my game getting their abstract characters toes stepped on is about as high on my list of worries as how other people feel about me using houserules.

[The Colonel]

So no clerics of the pantheon then?

[Phil Masters]

I guess one might have The Cleric Who Looks After the Temple of All the Pantheon, Because the Town Only Has Enough Worshippers to Support the One Establishment (or who would if they weren't off mangling orcs in the dungeon). But such a cleric is by definition a small-timer who isn't very committed to any of the gods, so none of the gods are going to grant them much oomph.

Maybe allow them only spells that are in any two of the gods' list at the Clerical Investment 1 level, and holy powers that are granted by every deity in the pantheon. Oh, and they need a Vow to defend the interests of every god in the pantheon. (Does this lead to clashes? Oh dear. Enjoy your nervous breakdown.)