I'm trying to make the healing domain more accessible in Forgotten Realms, but I'm struggling with mechanical balance. How does this look?
Initiate of Nature
Type: Initiate
Source: Home brew
You have been initiated into the greatest healing secrets of your church.
Prerequisite: Cleric or druid level 5th, Heal 4 ranks, Knowledge Religion 4 ranks, reasonable patron deity.
Benefit: You get the Healing domain as an additional domain.
|
Is your goal to add it as a third option, or just to make it more widely available as a Domain choice, despite the relatively small number of gods that normally grant it?
If simply the latter, I'd consider it a fair cop to allow it as an Alternate Class Feature or a Trait.
Hospitaler - Your church has organized a hospital to tend to the injured and deal with times of disease. As a student in this place, your dedication to the healing arts allows you to substitute the Healing Domain for any one of your dieties Domains. Due to this special focus, you generally carry a special status within the church, and may find yourself barred from promotion to the highest ranks.
You could also go one step further and use the Cloistered Cleric from Unearthed Arcana, but substituting Healing for Knowledge, to make an even more dedicated 'Holy Doctor.' Tweak the granted skills (less knowledge, decipher script, add Survival) and extra spells (add stuff like goodberry, clone and / or vigor, instead of all the knowledge stuff), and it's nearly good to use out of the box.
Adding a third Domain to a full-strength Cleric might be a little much for some tastes, although your requirements (spend a Feat, 4th level, max ranks in two skills) might make it more palatable for them.
Is your goal to add it as a third option, or just to make it more widely available as a Domain choice, despite the relatively small number of gods that normally grant it?
If simply the latter, I'd consider it a fair cop to allow it as an Alternate Class Feature or a Trait.
Hospitaler - Your church has organized a hospital to tend to the injured and deal with times of disease. As a student in this place, your dedication to the healing arts allows you to substitute the Healing Domain for any one of your dieties Domains. Due to this special focus, you generally carry a special status within the church, and may find yourself barred from promotion to the highest ranks.
You could also go one step further and use the Cloistered Cleric from Unearthed Arcana, but substituting Healing for Knowledge, to make an even more dedicated 'Holy Doctor.' Tweak the granted skills (less knowledge, decipher script, add Survival) and extra spells (add stuff like goodberry, clone and / or vigor, instead of all the knowledge stuff), and it's nearly good to use out of the box.
Adding a third Domain to a full-strength Cleric might be a little much for some tastes, although your requirements (spend a Feat, 4th level, max ranks in two skills) might make it more palatable for them.
I'd like to make it more widely available in FR in both the ways that you mention in order to maximize options.
I like your trait idea very much.
I would like to have a feat option to add it as an additional domain for some cases too.
As for the variant class idea, it definitely has appeal. We make significant use of Cloistered Cleric in our game now. Ironically we are trying to update a 6th level cloistered cleric from beta, and now that the healing domain doesn't stink I'm trying to find a way to accommodate her. A feat or trait seems like the best method.
|
Not to sound snarky here or the like, but why are you attempting to go through so much mechanical trouble here?
Your the DM. You have every ability and right to simply add the healing domain into a god's portfolio. You are in control of your campaign even if it's a pre-published setting like the forgotten realms.
Not to sound snarky here or the like, but why are you attempting to go through so much mechanical trouble here?
Your the DM. You have every ability and right to simply add the healing domain into a god's portfolio. You are in control of your campaign even if it's a pre-published setting like the forgotten realms.
True, but I'm trying to maintain a sense of balance as well. This game is kind of a subset of an adult game with rotating DMs where we try to minimize house rules and stay rather close to cannon, so consistency between rule sets helps to avoid confusion. I'm also trying to maintain a sense of fairness and not engage in favoritism.
As for the variant class idea, it definitely has appeal. We make significant use of Cloistered Cleric in our game now. Ironically we are trying to update a 6th level cloistered cleric from beta, and now that the healing domain doesn't stink I'm trying to find a way to accommodate her. A feat or trait seems like the best method.
Try a variation of the Priest from Tome of Secrets.
1/2 BAB, three domains, 2 domain spells for each level of spells, only light armor and no shields.
Not overpowered due to the three domains because he takes a hit in other locations.
As for the variant class idea, it definitely has appeal. We make significant use of Cloistered Cleric in our game now. Ironically we are trying to update a 6th level cloistered cleric from beta, and now that the healing domain doesn't stink I'm trying to find a way to accommodate her. A feat or trait seems like the best method.Try a variation of the Priest from Tome of Secrets.
1/2 BAB, three domains, 2 domain spells for each level of spells, only light armor and no shields.
Not overpowered due to the three domains because he takes a hit in other locations.
That sounds pretty cool, however I don't have ToS yet. How many skill points do priests get per level?
That sounds pretty cool, however I don't have ToS yet. How many skill points do priests get per level?
6 + INT
Due to their training, they have all knowledge skills as well and the Knowledge domain.
You may want to change the skills to 4 + INT if you are going to make the extra domain Healing.
That sounds pretty cool, however I don't have ToS yet. How many skill points do priests get per level?6 + INT
Due to their training, they have all knowledge skills as well and the Knowledge domain.
You may want to change the skills to 4 + INT if you are going to make the extra domain Healing.
Adjust the skill points to 4+INT, remove the knowledge skills as class skills and grant a class bonus on Heal checks equal to 1/2 priest level.
I would just like to add that any trait/feat to gain the healing domain should have domain access as a requirement. That way you don't have druids with animal companions gaining what would essentially be double class features (remember, the clerics aren't getting an extra slot).
I would just like to add that any trait/feat to gain the healing domain should have domain access as a requirement. That way you don't have druids with animal companions gaining what would essentially be double class features (remember, the clerics aren't getting an extra slot).
Good point