
Dr. Johnny Fever |
As I read through the APG, and the section on the oracle in particular, one observation jumps out at me: many of the oracle mysteries are more tied to druid-style concepts more so than cleric concepts. Flame, Stone, Waves, Wind, Heavens (could go either way), Nature and Life.
Hence, I'm thinking about instituting a new rule: an oracle, at first level, decides whether they will draw their spells from the cleric or druid spell list. Once made, this decision cannot be changed.
Caveats: If the oracle decides to draw their spells from the druid spell list then they cannot choose to automatically add all 'inflict' spells to their list; they must choose the 'cure' spells (of which there are fewer on the druid spell list than the cleric).
Thoughts?

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Seems a little arbitrary to me. Granted, some of the mysteries do have a druidic feel to them, but there are plenty of gods associated with each of those. Besides, oracles don't have that druid feel to them, despite the fact that a large portion of their mysteries have druidic themes. Honestly, I'd be more inclined to give them access to the witch spell list than the druid, but that's just me.
But all in all, there really isn't so much of a power difference between the cleric and druid spell lists, so this doesn't seem like it would break the class.

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My thoughts. It is a dumb idea. They already have a perfectly fine spell list that has been play tested and worked through by the folks at Paizo and there is no reason to simply throw the class in with another class that has its own unique spell list just because you played with them more often.
Doing this would be like throwing out the summoner or witch spell list and giving them the wiz/sorc one because "there is already an arcane spell list, why do we need more than one."

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"why do we need more than one."
A question I've asked myself many times... :)
@OP: It shouldn't unbalance the game and it has an interesting flavor. I'd probably allow it. Then again, I've never liked that certain casters can't access certain kinds of spells. Or that different sources of casting are identical for all purposes except for their spell list (which is completely arbitrary and forced theming). But that's just my thoughts. I still (for the moment) run RAW with respect to that.

sunshadow21 |

I actually had a similar thought. Giving the nature based mysteries the druid list gives them more elemental and nature spells and less focus on the positive/negative energy that the cleric spell list has. I would also probably have them automatically learn the summon nature's ally spells instead of inflict/cure spells. The idea that an elemental based oracle is going to be supported by beings that care about postive/negative energy just never fit in my mind.

tejón RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16 |

In fact, this was repeatedly suggested during the playtest. I even went so far as to suggest that it wouldn't hurt to give them full access to both lists, since they still have limited spells known. I wouldn't suggest it for the final version, though. The free cure/inflict wasn't there yet, nor obviously was the human favored class benefit.
Adding that free cure/inflict helped the class tremendously, but I think it throws a wrench in the idea of letting them use the druid spell list. Because of the human favored class benefit, giving them both lists is definitely too strong, and a druid-list-only spontaneous caster should have summon nature's ally as their freebie. But that seems entirely off-flavor for the oracle. (If you disagree with this statement, of course, go for it!)

Dr. Johnny Fever |
Hmm...granting all Summon Nature Ally spells instead of the Cure spells makes sense. I had thought about it but I was worried that it blurred the line between the druid and the oracle TOO much. But then, no one seemed too concerned that the oracle was too close to the cleric when it was cure/inflict spells being granted so...
yessir I believe I'll tweak it so that, should the oracle, at first level, choose the druid spell list instead of the cleric spell list to draw their spells from, they will then gain the appropriate SNA spell at every new spell level.
DJF

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Hmm...granting all Summon Nature Ally spells instead of the Cure spells makes sense. I had thought about it but I was worried that it blurred the line between the druid and the oracle TOO much. But then, no one seemed too concerned that the oracle was too close to the cleric when it was cure/inflict spells being granted so...
yessir I believe I'll tweak it so that, should the oracle, at first level, choose the druid spell list instead of the cleric spell list to draw their spells from, they will then gain the appropriate SNA spell at every new spell level.
DJF
I don't know, the Druid spell list is heavier on offensive spells than the Cleric list... and the rest of the Oracle's abilities are balanced against the Cleric's heavy mix of cures, buffs, and a few enchantments. Being able to spam Produce Flame, Shillelagh, Flame Blade, Heat Metal, and/or Flaming Sphere at relatively low character level definitely changes that dynamic. Might unbalance the class if you don't nerf some of the Oracle's other abilities, such as their revelations.

Dr. Johnny Fever |
I don't know, the Druid spell list is heavier on offensive spells than the Cleric list...
I agree if we're talking about a positive energy oracle. However a negative energy based oracle is much more about offense than healing, and that option was available long before I thought about this house rule. Throw Sound Burst, Hold Person, Spiritual Weapon and several other nice offensive spells on top of the Inflict spells and I would offer up that the cleric's spell list can be as offensive (low level at least) as the druid's. Most of them just aren't elemental damage based which, really are probably easier to defend against than non-elemental based damage.
<shrug> I guess I don't really feel that an oracle drawing their spells from the druid's spell list is significantly more offensively advantaged than one drawing their spells from the cleric's list, especially if the oracle has all the inflict spells.
As far as the revelations go, most of the elemental mysteries have as many utility revelations as they do offensive revelations; it really comes down to what choices the oracle makes in their revelation selection whether they'll have increased offensive power or utility.
In summary, I guess my point would be that regardless of whether an oracle draws their spells from the druid spell list or the cleric spell list, if they decide they want a more offensive-based oracle they can do it...at the expense of utility and healing focused spells and revelations.

gamer-printer |

Me, I prefer the Oracle to either the Druid or Cleric anyway. Both of the latter could be removed from my setting, relying on oracle as the exclusive divine caster, as far as I'm concerned. So having such choices in spell selection makes lots of sense to me. As DM I would never deny a player wanting to run a cleric or druid, but if they ask me which should they choose, I'll respond, "play an oracle..."
GP
PS: in my 'intended to be published next year' Iron Age Celtic setting, this is how I determined divine casters to be. Clerics are from the 'roman' culture to the south. Druids are removed from the setting and all of celtic divine casters are oracles.