Would you allow a DF Cleric to buy a Perk to gain a spell not on his list?

[Kazander]

1. For a related spell? For example, Body of Stone for an Earth Cleric.

2. For an unrelated spell? Teleport for an Earth Cleric.

I'm pretty sure it isn't just a crock for (1), but I'm not sure it really falls into the feel and spirit of DF. Nothing in PU2 seems to really fit this exactly, but there are similar perks like Shortcut to Power for wizards.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Is the God served by the Cleric in question allied to a God that provides its Clerics with the new spell? If not, then no, I wouldn't allow it.

[Last Pawn]

Originally Posted by Kazander

1. For a related spell? For example, Body of Stone for an Earth Cleric.

In the above case of a related or similar spell I'd have no problem allowing the Cleric a perk to know it. The Earth God has favoured you with this one spell that is unusual, but within character for the god; doesn't sound unreasonable. Provided the cleric is paying points as usual for the spell of course.

2. For an unrelated spell? Teleport for an Earth Cleric.

In this case however, I'd call it a no go, at least as far as it being a perk. Now, if the player was willing to pay a full blown Unusual Background, and the cleric's god had an allied god who would grant such a spell then I'd consider it. It doesn't seem impossible for the allied god to be willing, at the request of the cleric's patron god, to lend the cleric a little power.

For asked case number 3: For a spell that was in opposition of the deity's realm. Heck no. Not even with an unusual background.

[Kelly Pedersen]

I'd allow the perk to give another "in-theme" spell, as per the Body of Earth example for an earth god. For normally-unrelated spells, I'd permit a perk to learn a limited version of the spell that fit within the deity's theme. With the Teleport example, I'd probably say that both the starting point and the destination had to be on unworked stone or earth, to make it a "pass through earth" spell. If suitable limitations aren't possible to bring a spell within theme, it wouldn't be available.

[Bruno]

For straight DF, where asking big questions about the world-level consequences is a sign your thinking about it too much, I don't see a problem with extending the spell list on a perk-by-perk basis. Apparently people don't think to ask for that spell much, or something.

Teleport I wouldn't allow under any circumstances, as it's on the forbidden list for DF, but that's unrelated to the perk issue. But substitute something else irrelevant to the theme and otherwise acceptable for DF (um, randomly choosing here, Ecstasy) I'd have to say not very likely.

The whole point of Power Investiture is that it replaces the thematic link of colleges and the standard prerequisite system with a thematic link based on the deities interests and replaces spell chains of prerequisites with organisational prerequisites (PI is what's used in DF, but Clerical rank and various other things are mentioned in Fantasy and Thaumatology IIRC).

[PK]

I'd certainly allow a related spell for a perk. Heck, if it seemed very well-related, I might even go ahead and add it to the list.

An unrelated spell . . . maybe. Depends on the spell and the cleric. It'd still have to at least be plausible. (And note that Teleport was a bad example - Teleport is not allowed to DF PCs under any circumstances.)

[Kromm]

I'd never let a cleric have a spell that's actively opposed to his god's sphere, like a Fire spell for a Water priest. I'd also forbid one that's so central to being a non-cleric caster of some sort that it would invade a niche. For instance, part of the fun of being a wizard is having access to all these goofy Meta-Spells for messing with other spells. I don't think I'd usurp that – not even for clerics of the Goddess of Magic.

I'd let a cleric have a spell somewhat unrelated to his god's sphere for the added price of a perk if his god would plausibly grant it in the name of a special cause. Still no Fire spells for Water priests . . . but a Water priest might get an Air spell if he went on a crusade aboard a sailboat. Since it costs an extra point, I'd simply add this to the standard list.

I'd let a cleric have a spell that isn't on the standard list at no premium if it fit his god's sphere. I'd probably strike some other spell off the list to balance it, but the cleric wouldn't need a perk. And I'd still draw the line at niche invasion. There isn't much point to having, say, necromancers if all the funky undead-raising spells are free for the asking to any Death priest.

[Oni5115]

Originally Posted by Bruno

...
Teleport I wouldn't allow under any circumstances, as it's on the forbidden list for DF ...

Is there a compiled list of forbidden spells somewhere? I'm working on a cleric myself so I'd like to know what spells I should not even consider.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Oni5115

Is there a compiled list of forbidden spells somewhere? I'm working on a cleric myself so I'd like to know what spells I should not even consider.

DF 1 has some changes to GURPS Magic, it can be found IIRC in the section on Wizard spells.

[Oni5115]

Thanks, I had missed that since I hadn't planned on being a wizard.