Domain Issues: Detect Magic? Obscuring Mist?

[Kaisoku]

I've recently been looking at creating a new Cleric character, and noticed these two oddities.

1. Obscuring Mist shows up no less than 4 times as the 2nd level ability. Nevermind the fact that no other spell repeats itself, it's also on at least three Domains that have roleplaying potential to be chosen together (Air, Water, Weather... Darkness being the 4th one).

I can see the reason why this was likely done: 3.5e's 1st level Domain spell was Obscuring Mist for all four.
However, since we are taking the opportunity to alter the game, it would be nice to prevent overlapping spells, and maybe give Druids more options if they choose to take a Domain over their Companion.

Here's my suggestions for replacement spells:

Air: Featherfall.
Not much else, other than Obscuring Mist, at 1st level that are thematically Air related. While some might say it's too powerful, I'd say not any more than True Strike. And by the time you have enough Feather Falls to save your entire group once per day, Pit Traps shouldn't be a problem.

Darkness: Obscuring Mist.
This is the only Core spell at 1st level that can fit a "prevent seeing" theme. If a 1st level version of Darkness is created out of the fix for the Darkness/Light spells issue, then I'd put it here instead of Obscuring Mist.
See my recent suggestion in the Darkness - What's the point thread.

Water: Bless/Curse Water -or- Grease.
This could be neat. Make your own Holy Hand Grenades. Since it costs 25gp to make one though, having a number of free castings per day might end up being useless (don't have the money, useless spell).
Grease would be a more useable option, and still be quite thematic.

Weather: Enduring Elements.
Yeah, so it lasts for 24 hours already, so by 8th level you'd cover a standard 4 person party. But what about mounts, or hirelings, or cohorts, or animal companions, etc. It's kind of nice for a high level Cleric of Weather to basically allow his whole caravan to ignore the effects of the elements.
Then again... Obscuring Mist would fit better here, and could be put back if Darkness gets it's own 1st level Darkness equivalent.

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2. The Magic Domain's 2nd level ability is Detect Magic at will. This would have been a nice addition... back when orisions and cantrips weren't already At Will castings.

This means that the 2nd level ability of the Magic domain, is one extra slot for your orisions. This is supposed to be comparitive to an extra 1 to 10 1st level spells per day? This doesn't sound right.

This doesn't even conform to the original 3.5e 1st level domain spell, Magic Aura. I can see why the change (not entirely useful, having a bunch of castings of Magic Aura... except perhaps the most paranoid of characters), however there are better options available:

Unseen Servant
This is a nice utility, universal, "I'm magic" spell. Nothing says magic like a bunch of invisible forces doing all your manual labour for you.

Magic Missile
This is so quintessentially "magic", it even has it in the name! If others can have True Strike and Burning Hands, then the Magic Domain isn't going to be overpowered having Magic Missile.
Besides, a 20th level Cleric has better things to do with his actions than cast Magic Missile for 10 rounds straight, so it's hardly an issue of being overpowered.

Cantrip Suite (Detect Magic, Read Magic, Ghost Sound, and Prestidigitation)
This would actually be quite neat. It would go a long way to making the cleric seem focused on "magic", maybe even let him pass as a wizard apprentice or some such (at least as a convincing disguise).
The only issue I could see is that it might make the Cleric seem like a better "mage" than a wizard... it's double the cantrips memorized.
Then again.. they have a GOD in their corner, giving it to them. =P
Balance-wise, it's an extra 4 different cantrips instead of up to 10 extra 1st level castings a single spell per day. I'd say it's possibly still underpowered, but that might be more a "utility vs damage" issue, and one I could live with.

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Any thoughts?

[Remco Sommeling]

Air: could also be replaced by shocking grasp or possibly jump

water: Grease is nice, provided it will create a slippery layer of ice instead, bless water is something to avoid since it has an expensive component.

magic: I like unseen servant more than the others, it feels more magical than a simple offensive spell, even if that spell is magic missile, also I feel like magic should not be linked to a combat spell if there are other good options. though it does have some overlap with the 1st level ability. I think silent image would be a good one too.

[Beckett]

I'm really not sure I like the PF Domains all that much. At first, they "looked" awesome, but in all honesty, many are kind of weak or just don't allow the Cleric to even attempt what they once could do. Even the 1st level at wills are kind of. . . universal.

I'd say Shocking grasp for air.
Maybe Blindness for Darkness. Its a little higher, but it only effects a single target?
Magic, maybe allows you to pick two Cantrips and add cast them as orisons, while later spelllike abilities are from the Wizard spell list at a level lower than normal.

[Set]

Some good ideas up there.

For the Magic Domain thing, using either unseen servant or the 'Cantrip suite' (minus ghost sound, which doesn't seem as relevant as detect magic, read magic and prestidigitation) would be the best choices, in my opinion.

[Kaisoku]

Maybe switch out Ghost Sound for Arcane Mark... I was just thinking of the applications of Prestidigitation with Ghost Sound could create some "wizard's tricks".
I'd still want to keep it at 4 cantrips because you are losing out on quite a few 1st level slots.

[Set]

Kaisoku wrote:

Maybe switch out Ghost Sound for Arcane Mark... I was just thinking of the applications of Prestidigitation with Ghost Sound could create some "wizard's tricks".

I'd still want to keep it at 4 cantrips because you are losing out on quite a few 1st level slots.

That works. Arcane Mark is more traditionally 'wizardy' than Ghost Sound, which feels more illusion/trickster ish.

[Tholas]

I like the ideas in this thread, especially the cantrip suite for the magic domain.

If we're at it I would like a change to the 2nd and 12th level powers of the Repose domain.
Gentle Repose was ok for the 3.5 domains as you don't had to learn it into your domain slot. Now it's just a lame and unneeded power.
Destroy Undead sounds kind of neat but has a very small window of real usefulness. Why should any higher level cleric use it if he can just keep blasting all undead(regardless of their HD) with positive energy?

A while back I made a Wiki table to have all domain powers at a glance and maybe glean how they where balanced. I kind of lost interest after there where no updates and clarifications regarding domains, maybe it can be of some use for others.

[Kaisoku]

That's a nice table! Easy to compare all the domains this way... easier to see which domains I might want out of a particular deity choice.