Clerics- No spell until Level 2?

[Blood axe]

JIT == just in time

Ahhh! Got it.

[petespahn]

I like the idea of spell slots for clerics and MU but this kind of house rule really starts changing the feel of the game away from old school. I wouldn't use them in my current LL campaign, but i wouldn't be against them in future ones.

[greyarea]

My suggestion was for clerics only, not MU as well. That said, I tend to agree about certain types of rules pulling away from the old skool feel.

[Dyson Logos]

I've always been a fan of the "no spells at level 1" rule. It cements the role of clerics as holy warriors, not priests. In my basic games I had priests as 2-3 HD NPCs who could cast spells as a level 4 or 6 cleric. 1HD priests were just normal men.

[Black Wyvern]

I like the idea of spell slots for clerics and MU but this kind of house rule really starts changing the feel of the game away from old school. I wouldn't use them in my current LL campaign, but i wouldn't be against them in future ones.

There were rules for spell points in the 2e book Players Options: Spells and Magic. Actually a lot of different ideas to move your spell casters away from Vancian casting. So it is kind of old school, though many consider the Player's Option series to be the beginning of "New School" as the focus goes to the player building a character.

I personally don't like the idea. Clerics are powerful enough. Magic-Users get their time to shine. Let the fighter shine while he can. Over the course of a long campaign fighters become less important as the other characters gain experience and abilities. Early on the fighter kicks in the door, fights the bloody battle because no one else can. Eventually he is just fighting to buy the wizard time to cast. There is no reason to hasten the fighter's obsolescence.

As far as no spell at first level, I strongly agree with Dyson. Give the player a chance to find his place before he becomes the party healer.

[by_the_sword]

I say, if a player wants to play a cleric, then let them play a cleric and not some half assed version of the fighter.

The cemetaries (and the floors of labyrinths) are littered with the bones of adventurers who couldn't hack it. Why penalize cleric players further (and by extension, the rest of their parties) by denyinh them the one thing that they do better than any other class? That's assuming of course that they choose a healing spell.

[Eldrad]

The one spell at first level is not a big deal or a game breaker. With the high death rate it's okay to give a little extra.

[aspiringlich]

So the cleric wouldn't prepare spells but just "get" spell slots available at the beginning of the day with their morning vespers.

fyi: That should be morning lauds. Vespers is evening prayer.

[greyarea]

So the cleric wouldn't prepare spells but just "get" spell slots available at the beginning of the day with their morning vespers.

fyi: That should be morning lauds. Vespers is evening prayer.

Yep, you're right. My bad and good catch.