I like Clerics. I always have. They have spell capacity and they can mix it up in hand to hand combat better than any other non-Fighters.

In ad&d, they normally formed the second string melee group, but had the unfortunate distinction of also being the party first aid kit. You chose a few spells to round out your selection, but it was mainly healing. The strange thing being that even if you worshipped a God of disease, you got healing spells. All clerics had the same selection of spells.

The DM of my early ad&d group tried to mix things up a bit in the spellcasting stakes. I had a cleric of Thor who gained Spiritual Hammer as a 1st level spell and also had early access to summon lightning. However, he wasn't concerned with things like purifying food and water or producing food. That was for homebodies! Even so, the difference between clerics of differing religions was homebrewed and not very pronounced.

Then, with the advent of ad&d 2nd edition, we had clerical spheres introduced. These were areas or portfolios that Gods held and determined the spells they could grant to their followers. So far, so good. Spheres included Plant, Protection, Weather, Elemental (earthm air, water, fire), war and a good few more. Each sphere had a list of spells that could be prayed for and most Gods granted minor or major access to 4 or 5. Minor spheres meant you could pray for spells of 3rd level or lower and major granted unlimited level spells of that sphere (7th level spells in 2nd edition).

So, finally, some distinction was made between worshippers of different Gods. Clerics could still mix it up and now got customised spell lists. There were a few problems with spheres, however. 1) you had to wade through all the sphere spell lists that you had access to to decide what to pray for. 2) you had to remember which spheres gave you access to 3rd level spells only and those that were unlimited. 3) whilst spheres was certainly a step in the right direction, healing (along with necromancy) was now a sphere, limiting access to healing magics. Lots of Gods gave access and a fair few didn't. Good thing that clerics weren't automatically the party first aid kit, but a bad thing that this then fell to the tender mercies of the lesser healing of the Druid.

So spheres were largely a good thing and a stepping stone to the 3rd edition introduction of Domains. These are pretty similar to spheres (you have protection, healing, elemental and loads of others), but the genius came in stripping Domains' effects to a single prescribed spell per spell level that your Domain automatically granted you. This instead of a list of spells that you can choose from. So the healing Domain may grant you Cure Light Wounds as a bonus 1st level spells, then when you can cast 2nd level spells, you are granted a bonus Cure Moderate Wounds spell. These bonus spells interact nicely with the way bonus spells for Wisdom now works. Instead of ending up with multiple bonus spells of the early levels through strange wisdom bonuses of the earlier editions, now, you get one more bonus spell through domains and unless you're Godlike, one additional spell through Wisdom. This equals the spell allocation of early editions but hard-wires in the God specific purview into your spell selection without the hassle of going through tonnes of lists of spells.

Domains have a couple features that mark them out from the rest of d&ds ruleset and these can be a boon or a curse, depending on which side of the fence you sit on. 1) Domains give clerics almost unlimited replay value. The spells available through domains tap into wizard/sorcerer spells as well as druid spells. So your Gods purview give you access to spells he wouldn't otherwise have in some cases. This serves to make your cleric different from others and mean that no two clerics you play need be the same ever again. No more slightly handy fighter/first aid machine. Now he can be both those things as well as any number of others. 2)What's more, Domains give clerics a special ability associated with it (cribbed from speciality priests in 2nd ed). These further set your cleric apart and can be bloody useful. So really, your cleric gets access to some class specific spells, he gets special abilities based on his two domains as well as all the things he got before.

As i said, i've always liked clerics and think that the domain feature of 3.0/3.5 is brilliant. However, no other class gets special abilities based on a 'by-product' of following the class. Fighters don't have styles, or fighting 'schools' that give them certain abilities. They must buy feats like everyone else. Rogues or Bards don't get social abilities other than their class abilities or skills etc etc. Clerics have had a feature added to what was a pretty potent class anyhow. I think that as things stand, no other class has the replay value of the cleric in d&d.

Is this something that should be addressed in future? Features (other than feats) that allow you to essentially build 20, 30 or more different styles of each character class? Fighter schools, Political disciplines, Rogue ruses, Societies? Each religious organisation if effectively a society in its own right with special skills to reflect this (Domains), could other classes have something similar hard-wired into them? If so, any ideas?

Domains are part of why I love Clerics.  Because it gives the class an extra element of customizability and flavor.  The extra spell and the couple nifty powers are pretty minor, but it gives you the opportunity to really build some kind of belief system for the character.  

Clerics are awesome.

The only thing I don't like about some of the domains are those that have a boring special power, such as "cast domain spells at level +1"

There are some things I like about the spheres approach but the domain approach is much simpler to track because all clerics have most of the spells.

Quote from: One Horse TownAs i said, i've always liked clerics and think that the domain feature of 3.0/3.5 is brilliant. However, no other class gets special abilities based on a 'by-product' of following the class. Fighters don't have styles, or fighting 'schools' that give them certain abilities. They must buy feats like everyone else. Rogues or Bards don't get social abilities other than their class abilities or skills etc etc. Clerics have had a feature added to what was a pretty potent class anyhow. I think that as things stand, no other class has the replay value of the cleric in d&d.

it's funny how, even with that extra/additional power, clerics are generally the last choice of players, some board people notwithstanding.  with any group i've played in, it comes down to "somebody's got to play the cleric.  after all, we'll need healing."  it's a class with charisma or image issues.

Quote from: beeberit's funny how, even with that extra/additional power, clerics are generally the last choice of players, some board people notwithstanding.  with any group i've played in, it comes down to "somebody's got to play the cleric.  after all, we'll need healing."  it's a class with charisma or image issues.

I think that's a fair point. However, in 3.5 it's not as much of an issue anymore. Bards, Druids, Rangers and Paladins all have access to healing magic (EDIT: And of course, you can buy or make your own CLW or CMW wands. That virtually removes the onus from the cleric altogether). Sure, it's not as all-encompassing as the clerics, but if you have one of those classes in the party capable of casting healing magic, then the responsibility lightens and the clerical Domains can then be the driving force behind your character. This can result in some cool characters. I had a Cleric of Ishtishia (God of Elemental Water) in Forgotten Realms who hailed from the Moonshea Isles who was basically a pirate. We had a Ranger in the party who had a healing spell or two, bought healing potions and my cleric was free to have watery/piratey/buffy spells. Half the time, no one knew he was a cleric!

I would like to see something more along those kinds of customisable options for other classes though (bar feats).

Quote from: One Horse TownI would like to see something more along those kinds of customisable options for other classes though (bar feats).

it'll probably make its way into 4e, whenever that is.

Quote from: beeberit's funny how, even with that extra/additional power, clerics are generally the last choice of players, some board people notwithstanding.  with any group i've played in, it comes down to "somebody's got to play the cleric.  after all, we'll need healing."  it's a class with charisma or image issues.

I think playing someone who's dependent on his god is a big part of that. Mechanically, it really doesn't matter, especially compared to the Paladin, but somehow this bothers a rather large amount of players.

The fact that the religons of most settings are a fortnight past sucky might play a role, too.

And I find the cleric domains not to be enough. AD&D 2's specialty priests where more customized towards the gods they worshiped. "All those spells + x" doesn't do it for me as well.

I usually make up my own gods or cults.  My last cleric belonged to an entirely self-invented cult of death worshippers.

Quote from: beeberit'll probably make its way into 4e, whenever that is.

Yea, Saga Star Wars and D20 Modern have talent trees - it's conceivable that the concept worked into the various D&D classes.

Quote from: J ArcaneI usually make up my own gods or cults.  My last cleric belonged to an entirely self-invented cult of death worshippers.

Yep. I've had a vampire cleric NPC who drew power from his bloodline. He had the Family & Undeath Domains. Luck & Knowledge was another interesting one. That was played like an eastern mystic.