| Appendixes |
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| Appendix 1: Priest Classes |
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Default Class Characteristics · Racial Class Limitations and Level Restrictions · Kit Usage · Spheres of Access · Religion-Specific Spells and Spheres · Sphere Corrections · Paladins and Rangers |
| Priest Classes |
| Cleric · Crusader · Druid · Monk · Mystic · Shaman |
| Appendix 2: Spell Index |
This appendix lays out the basic classes of the priest group in use in the FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign setting other than the many specifically defined specialty priests detailed in the entries for each of the deities discussed in the bulk of this book. The Player's Handbook (PHB) describes two types of priests: clerics and specialty priests. While clerics are intended to serve as a generic model for an adventuring priest character, specialty priests reflect the aims and powers of the different deities of the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting. The druid is presented in the Player's Handbook as an example of a specialty priest, representing any power that stands for nature—or even Nature itself. This appendix describes six types of priests. Three of them—the crusader, monk, and shaman—are introduced in PLAYER'S OPTION: Spells & Magic. They are repeated here for those who do not own that product, since they have been officially adopted into the ranks of the FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign setting's priest group. In addition, another type of "generic" priest is introduced here: the mystic.
Clerics: Clerics are militant priests who serve as knights-templar, defenders of the faith, and guardians of a faith's holy places. More than any other kind of priest, clerics tend to become part of the many adventuring bands that roam the face of Faerun. They have very good fighting skills, a wide array of spells to choose from, and the ability to turn undead creatures.
Crusaders: Crusaders are closely related to clerics, but while clerics can be described as defenders of the faith, crusaders are weapons against the enemies of the temple they serve. They are true soldier-priests, skilled in physical combat and armed with spells appropriate for the battlefield. The crusaders detailed in this appendix and referred to throughout Faiths & Avatars are not the crusader class presented in Warriors and Priests of the Realms. The crusader class of Warriors and Priests of the Realms is henceforth known as the holy crusader, not the crusader class.
Druids: Druids are priests of nature. They are the protectors of the forests and wild places and stewards over all living things placed in their charge. Druids are weaker in physical combat than clerics or crusaders, but their spheres of access include a number of powerful offensive and defensive elemental spells. In addition, they enjoy several unique granted powers.
Monks: Monks are cloistered priests and adepts who seek enlightenment through the rigorous training of mind, body, and spirit. Monks are extremely skilled in unarmed combat and have access to several unusual spheres of spells.
Mystics: Mystics are individualistic, itinerant priests. They believe that to serve their deities they need to experience the world, learn about its hidden nature, and learn how their own inner selves relate to outward things. They have very arresting personalities and can project their inner strength to influence others through a number of charming powers. Mystics are relatively weak in a toe-to-toe battle, but have diverse resources to call upon in spell magic, magical items created through mastery of herbalism and candle magic, healing, and charm-type powers. Because of their personal, free-form approach toward enlightenment they are often hermits, midwives, and adventurers.
Shamans: Shamans are priests of barbaric or savage cultures. They serve as guides and protectors for their tribes. Shamans have fair combat ability and spell access, but they also command the spirits of animals, ancestors, and nature. The shaman is a good choice for any priest player character who comes from a barbaric or nomadic culture.
Default Class Characteristics[]
Unless an exception is mentioned in the description of these classes, the following qualities apply as baseline abilities to the classes discussed here:
- Priests use a d8 for hit points.
- All priest classes progress in experience points as on the Expanded Priest Experience Levels table that follows on the next page.
- Priests gain spells as on Table 24: Priest Spell Progression in the PHB. For priests of levels over 20, consult the Extended Priest Spell Progression table in the Powers of the Realms chapter.
- Priests progress in THAC0s as priests on Table 53: Calculated THAC0s in the PHB. For priests of levels over 20, consult the Extended Calculated THAC0s table in the Powers of the Realms chapter.
- Priests gain bonus spells if their Wisdom is 13 or higher, based on Table 5: Wisdom in the PHB.
- Priest classes make saving throws as priests on Table 60: Character Saving Throws in the PHB.
- Priests gain weapon and nonweapon proficiency slots as priests on Table 34: Proficiency Slots in the PHB.
- Priests purchase nonweapon proficiencies from the general and priest groups at no extra cost.
- Priests may begin creating scrolls at 7th level, brewing a few potions (mainly those of the healing type) at 9th level, and fabricating magical items at 11th level according to the Researching Magical Items section of the Treasure and Magical Items chapter of the DUNGEON MASTER Guide.
| Level | Cleric | Druid | Specialty (d8) |
Hit Dice (d8) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | 1,500 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2 |
| 3 | 3,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 3 |
| 4 | 6,000 | 7,500 | 7,500 | 4 |
| 5 | 13,000 | 12,500 | 12,500 | 5 |
| 6 | 27,500 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 6 |
| 7 | 55,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 7 |
| 8 | 110,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 8 |
| 9 | 225,000 | 90,000 | 90,000 | 9 |
| 10 | 450,000 | 125,000 | 125,000 | 9+2 |
| 11 | 675,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 | 9+4 |
| 12 | 900,000 | 300,000 | 300,000 | 9+6 |
| 13 | 1,125,000 | 750,000 | 750,000 | 9+8 |
| 14 | 1,350,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 9+10 |
| 15 | 1,575,000 | 3,000,000 | 3,000,000 | 9+12 |
| 16 | 1,800,000 | 3,500,000 | 3,500,000 | 9+14 |
| 17 | 2,025,000 | 500,000* | 4,000,000 | 9+16 |
| 18 | 2,250,000 | 1,000,000 | 4,500,000 | 9+18 |
| 19 | 2,475,000 | 1,500,000 | 5,000,000 | 9+20 |
| 20 | 2,700,000 | 2,000,000 | 5,500,000 | 9+22 |
- * See the rules for hierophant druids in the Player's Handbook.
Clerics: Clerics gain an additional level for every 225,000 experience points above 2,700,000. They gain an additional 2 hit points for every level after 20. They gain additional spells as shown on the Extended Priest Progression Table in the Powers of the Realms chapter.
Druids: Druids gain an additional level for every 500,000 experience points above 2,000,000 after level 20. They gain an additional 2 hit points for every level after 20. They gain additional spells as shown on the Extended Priest Progression Table.
Specialty Priests: Specialty priests gain an additional level for every 500,000 experience points above 5,500,000. They gain an additional 2 hit points for every level after 20. They gain additional spells as shown on the Extended Priest Progression Table.
Racial Class Limitations and Level Restrictions[]
In general, the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting allows a few more races to belong to certain classes than the core rules for the AD&D game would permit. Character race and class combinations normally not allowed in the AD&D game rules (or PLAYER'S OPTION: Spells & Magic, from which some of these classes are drawn) are marked in this chapter and the table below with a dagger symbol (†). Dungeon Masters are free to exclude these races from the given classes.
In the deity entries in Faiths & Avatars, some nonhuman races are allowed to be clergy members of these primarily human faiths. Unless a race is one of the normal player character races from the PHB, clergy members of that race are assumed to be nonplayer characters unless the DM allows player characters of that race in his or her campaign.
It is suggested that DMs pursue the optional Slow Advancement rule in Racial Level Restrictions section of the DMG to allow demihumans unlimited level advancement in the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting. Specifically, it is recommended that demihumans be allowed to rise normally to their racial "maximum" level and then be required to earn triple normal experience points to advance beyond that point. Racial level limitations for the priest classes dealt with in this appendix are:
| Human | Dwarf | Elf | Gnome | Half-elf | Halfling | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleric | U | 10 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 8 |
| Crusader | U | 13 | 12 | — | 12† | — |
| Druid | U | — | 12† | — | 9 | — |
| Monk | U | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mystic | U | — | 12 | — | 14 | 13 |
| Shaman | U | — | — | — | — | — |
Kit Usage[]
Unless specially noted in the text presented in this book, in no case may a kit be used with the specialty priest classes presented in Faiths & Avatars. Many kits for different types of clerics and priests are presented in Warriors and Priests of the Realms. These kits are applicable to the cleric class only. They are not intended to be fitted to any of the other priest classes. These kits are optional, although they were constructed for use in the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting, as are other priest kits found elsewhere in FORGOTTEN REALMS products. Other kits presented in the Complete line of books (The Complete Priest's Handbook, The Complete Druid's Handbook, etc.) should be used only with the consent of the Dungeon Master after she or he has considered what effects allowing the kit in question into his or her campaign will have.
Spheres of Access[]
The standard spheres from the Player's Handbook are the spheres of all, animal, astral, charm, combat, creation, divination, elemental, guardian, healing, necromantic, plant, protection, summoning, sun, and weather. In addition, the Tome of Magic adds the spheres of chaos, law, numbers, thought, time, travelers, war, and wards, and breaks the elemental sphere into the lesser spheres of elemental air, earth, fire, and water. Consult the appendix listing all the spheres at the back of the Tome of Magic for a complete listing of priest spells by sphere.
Religion-Specific Spells and Spheres[]
Many churches have been given specific spells by their deities that only priests of their religion are allowed to cast. Priests of a particular religion can always cast these religion-specific spells, even if the spells do not fall within their normally allowed spheres of access.
Sphere Corrections[]
Note the following corrections to the designations of spells to certain spheres: Summon insects (3rd-level, animal sphere) also belongs to the summoning sphere. Reflecting pool (4th-level, divination sphere) also belongs to the elemental sphere and the lesser elemental water sphere. Commune with nature (5th-level, divination sphere) also belongs to the elemental sphere and all the lesser elemental spheres. Elemental forbiddance (5th-level, elemental sphere) also belongs to all the lesser elemental spheres. Conjure fire elemental (6th-level, elemental and elemental fire spheres) also belongs to the summoning sphere. Mind tracker (7th-level, divination sphere) also belongs to the thought sphere, and the spell "mind killer" in the Tome of Magic is a misprint for this spell.
Paladins and Rangers[]
Though paladins and rangers are not priests, they receive their spells from divine powers. At the appropriate experience level, paladins can draw spells from the spheres of combat, divination, healing, law, and protection. At the appropriate experience level, rangers can draw spells from the animal, plant, and travelers spheres. At least one Faerunian deity, Mielikki, has one type of specialty priest that is defined as a ranger. The base class for this type of "specialty priest" is the ranger class, and only the specific notations in that entry change the normal parameters of that class as defined in the Player's Hand' book. It is not recommended that when a specialty priest is defined in this fashion that the DM allow a kit to be used in addition to the basic class (unless specifically mentioned in the specialty priest description).
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