The cleric is a hybrid class in Dungeons and Dragons, capable of casting magic and capable in melee. The cleric serves a support role much of the time, with spells that heal and enhance.
Original D&D[]
Clerics contribute to a party with support magic and melee staying power. They are noted as having several of the advantages of fighting-men and magic-users. The cleric class in this edition also contains the so-called "anti-cleric," who casts the reverse form of several of the spells, and who has different level titles.
Prime Requisite[]
Wisdom is the prime requisite for clerics. They can use Strength on a 3-to-1 basis, and Intelligence on a 2-to-1 basis.
Class Basics[]
|
Level |
Title |
Hit Dice | To Hit AC 2 | Spells per Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acolyte / Evil Acolyte | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| 2 | Adept / Evil Adept | 2 | 17 | 1 |
| 3 | Village Priest / Shaman | 3 | 17 | 2 |
| 4 | Vicar / Evil Priest | 4 | 17 | 2/1 |
| 5 | Curate / Evil Curate | 4+1 | 15 | 2/2 |
| 6 | Bishop / Evil Bishop | 5 | 15 | 2/2/1/1 |
| 7 | Lama / Evil Lama | 6 | 15 | 2/2/2/1/1 |
| 8 | Patriarch / Evil High Priest | 7 | 15 | 2/2/2/2/2 |
Magic Item Use[]
Clerics can use magic armor and non-edged magic weapons.
Alignment[]
Clerics of 7th level and above are either "Law" or "Chaos" (also known as anti-clerics).
Stronghold[]
When a cleric reaches 8th level (Patriarch), they may opt to build a stronghold. They receive help from "above," allowing them to construct a castle for half the usual cost. Their stronghold attracts fanatically loyal followers who serve at no cost (1d6 x 10 heavy cavalry, 1d6 x 10 horsed crossbowmen, and 3d6 x 10 heavy foot). Clerics with strongholds of their own can invest in their strongholds to increase their income. They receive base tithes equal to 20 GP per inhabitant per year.
Note that if the cleric changes alignment, the former faithful abandon the stronghold.
Magical Research[]
Clerics can conduct magical research to develop a new spell of a level they can cast. Doing so takes the following investment, with the percentages indicating a percent chance of success when spending that amount of GP:
| Level | 20% | 40% | 60% | 80% | 100% | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2,000 GP | 4,000 GP | 6,000 GP | 8,000 GP | 10,000 GP | 1 Week |
| 2 | 4,000 GP | 8,000 GP | 12,000 GP | 16,000 GP | 20,000 GP | 2 Weeks |
| 3 | 8,000 GP | 16,000 GP | 24,000 GP | 32,000 GP | 40,000 GP | 3 Weeks |
| 4 | 16,000 GP | 32,000 GP | 48,000 GP | 64,000 GP | 80,000 GP | 4 Weeks |
| 5 | 32,000 GP | 64,000 GP | 96,000 GP | 128,000 GP | 160,000 GP | 5 Weeks |
Turn Undead[]
Clerics (and not anti-clerics) have a powerful effect on the undead. They can choose to roll 2d6, and if this number is greater than a target number (7, 9, or 11, depending on the level of the cleric and the strength of the target), they can turn away the undead creature. Especially weak creatures are automatically turned, and even weaker creatures are destroyed outright, the magic animating them being dispelled by the cleric.
| Undead | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 | Level 7 | Level 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Skeleton (1/2 HD) |
7 | Turned | Turned | Destroyed | Destroyed | Destroyed | Destroyed | Destroyed |
| Zombie (1 HD) | 9 | 7 | Turned | Turned | Destroyed | Destroyed | Destroyed | Destroyed |
| Ghoul (2 HD) | 11 | 9 | 7 | Turned | Turned | Destroyed | Destroyed | Destroyed |
| Wight (3 HD) | -- | 11 | 9 | 7 | Turned | Turned | Destroyed | Destroyed |
| Wraith (4 HD) | -- | -- | 11 | 9 | 7 | Turned | Turned | Destroyed |
| Mummy (5+1 HD) | -- | -- | -- | 11 | 9 | 7 | Turned | Turned |
| Spectre (6 HD) | -- | -- | -- | -- | 11 | 9 | 7 | Turned |
| Vampire (7-9 HD) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 11 | 9 | 7 |
Spell List[]
Spells that are reversed by anti-clerics are noted with a *.
| 1st-Level | 2nd-Level | 3rd-Level | 4th-Level | 5th-Level | 6th-level1 | 7th-level1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cure Light Wounds* | Find Traps | Remove Curse | Neutralize Poison | Dispel Evil* | Animate Objects1 | Earthquake1 |
| Purify Food & Water* |
Hold Person |
Cure Disease* | Cure Serious Wounds* | Raise Dead | Find the Path1 | Summon Aerial Servant1 |
| Detect Magic | Bless* | Locate Object | Protection from Evil, 10' Radius* | Commune | Blade Barrier1 | Wind Walk1 |
| Detect Evil* | Speak with Animals | Continual Light* | Turn Sticks to Snakes | Quest | Word of Recall1 | Holy Word1 |
| Protection from Evil* | Silence, 15' Radius1 | Prayer1 | Speak with Plants | Insect Plague | Speak with Monsters1 | Astral Spell1 |
| Light* | Snake Charm1 | Speak with Dead1 | Create Water | Create Food | Conjure Animals1 | Symbol1 |
| Part Water1 | ||||||
| Control Weather1 | ||||||
| Raise Dead Fully*1 | ||||||
| Restoration*1 |
1: Introduced in Supplement 1: Greyhawk
AD&D[]
Clerics in AD&D served similarly to their OD&D counterparts as "gish" characters who could wield weapons and cast magic.
Ability Scores[]
A cleric requires a Wisdom of at least 9 (or at least 13 if the character is a multi-classed half-elf cleric). If the cleric has a Wisdom of 15 or more, they gain a 10% experience point bonus. A cleric also gains bonus spells for a high Wisdom. Clerics benefit from a high Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity as well.
Class Basics[]
|
Level |
Title |
Hit Dice (d8) | To Hit AC 0 | Saves | Spells per Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acolyte | 1 | 20 | 10/13/14/16/15 | 1 |
| 2 | Adept | 2 | 20 | 10/13/14/16/15 | 2 |
| 3 | Priest | 3 | 20 | 10/13/14/16/15 | 2/1 |
| 4 | Curate | 4 | 18 | 9/12/13/15/14 | 3/2 |
| 5 | <blank> | 5 | 18 | 9/12/13/15/14 | 3/3/1 |
| 6 | Canon | 6 | 18 | 9/12/13/15/14 | 3/3/2 |
| 7 | Lama | 7 | 16 | 7/10/11/13/12 | 3/3/2/1 |
| 8 | Patriarch/Matriarch | 8 | 16 | 7/10/11/13/12 | 3/3/3/2 |
| 9 | High Priest | 9 | 16 | 7/10/11/13/12 | 4/4/3/2/1 |
Equipment[]
A cleric uses a holy symbol to power their spells. They cannot use edged or pointed weapons, unless they follow Athena. They can use a large array of other weaponry, including the club, the flail, the hammer, the mace, and the staff. They are also entitled to the use of any armor or shield.
Clerics can use most potions, cleric scrolls, protection scrolls,
Alignment[]
A cleric can be of any alignment except True Neutral, depending on the deity they worship. Evil clerics are allowed the use of poison, but neutral and good clerics are not.
Turn Undead[]
Good clerics can turn away undead by rolling higher than the indicated number on a d20. They turn 1d12 undead creatures at any one time (or 1d6+6 at higher levels). At higher levels, they can turn fiends, and then they turn 1d2 of them. Turned undead move directly away from the cleric for 3d4 rounds at full speed.
Evil clerics can instead attempt to influence undead, causing them to be neutral (and ignore the cleric's party) or even friendly (following the cleric's party on their adventure) as a reaction roll dictates. When a creature would be automatically turned, the evil cleric insted automatically influences them, and when a creature would be destroyed, the evil cleric instead automatically makes them friendly. At high levels, an evil cleric can also turn a single Paladin of the level indicated.
| Undead | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9-13 | 14+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Skeleton |
10 | 7 | 4 | Turned | Turned | Destroyed | Destroyed | Destroy 1d6+6 | Destroy 1d6+6 | Destroy 1d6+6 |
| Zombie | 13 | 10 | 7 | Turned | Turned | Destroyed | Destroyed | Destroyed | Destroy 1d6+6 | Destroy 1d6+6 |
| Ghoul | 16 | 13 | 10 | 4 | Turned | Turned | Destroyed | Destroyed | Destroyed | Destroy 1d6+6 |
| Shadow | 19 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 4 | Turned | Turned | Destroyed | Destroyed | Destroy 1d6+6 |
| Wight | 20 | 19 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 4 | Turned | Turned | Destroyed | Destroyed |
| Ghast | -- | 20 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 4 | Turned | Turned | Destroyed |
| Wraith | -- | -- | 20 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 4 | Turned | Destroyed |
| Mummy or a Paladin (1-2) | -- | -- | -- | 20 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 4 | Turned |
| Spectre or a Paladin (3-4) | -- | -- | -- | -- | 20 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 7 | Turned |
| Vampire or a Paladin (5-6) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 20 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 4 |
| Ghost or a Paladin (7-8) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 20 | 16 | 13 | 7 |
| Lich or a Paladin (9-10) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 19 | 16 | 10 |
| Fiend (1d2) or a Paladin (11+) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 20 | 19 | 13 |
Stronghold[]
At 8th level, a cleric can establish a place of worship (not less than 2,000 square feet in area) with some sort of altar or shrine, and attract 2d10*10 followers that serve with fanatic loyalty unless the cleric changes deities or alignment. The cleric also gains several 0 level military members:
- 2d4 heavy cavalry (plate mail, shield, lance, broad sword, and mace)
- 3d4 medium cavalry (chain mail, shield, lance, flail, short sword)
- 1d6*5 light cavalry (studded leather, shield, light crossbow, pick)
- 1d4*5 heavy infantry for melee (splint mail, battle axe, long sword)
- 1d6*5 heavy infantry pikers (chain mail, pole arm, hand axe)
- 1d6*5 heavy infantry crossbowyers (ring mail, heavy crossbow, short sword)
- 1d6*10 light infantry (padded armor, shield, spear, club)
At 9th level, the cleric can enhance their shrine, or build a new stronghold (which must include a shrine) in the form of a large temple, cathedral, castle, monastery, abbey, or church, The structure must occupy at least 2,500 square feet. The construction costs of this are halved, due to the help of the faithful. If the area around the stronghold is monster-free and inhabited by people, the cleric earns 9 silver pieces per head from trade, taxation, and tithes.
Spell List[]
Spells that can be reversed are noted with a *.
| 1st-Level | 2nd-Level | 3rd-Level | 4th-Level | 5th-Level | 6th-Level | 7th-Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bless* | Augury | Animate Dead | Cure Serious Wounds* | Atonement | Aerial Servant | Astral Spell |
| Command | Continual Light* | Detect Lie* | Commune | Animate Object | Control Weather | |
| Create Water* | Detect Charm* | Create Food & Water | Divination | Cure Critical Wounds* | Blade Barrier | Earthquake |
| Cure Light Wounds* | Find Traps | Cure Blindness* | Exorcise | Dispel Evil* | Conjure Animals | Gate |
| Detect Evil* | Hold Person | Cure Disease* | Lower Water* | Flame Strike | Find the Path* | Holy (Unholy) Word |
| Detect Magic | Know Alignment* | Dispel Magic | Neutralize Poison* | Insect Plague | Heal* | Regenerate* |
| Light* | Resist Fire | Feign Death | Protection from Evil, 10' Radius* | Plane Shift | Part Water | Restoration* |
| Protection from Evil* | Silence, 15' Radius | Glyph of Warding | Speak with Plants | Quest | Speak with Monsters | Resurrection* |
| Purify Food & Drink* | Slow Poison | Locate Object* | Sticks to Snakes* | Raise Dead* | Stone Tell | Symbol |
| Remove Fear* | Snake Charm | Prayer | Tongues* | True Seeing* | Word of Recall | Wind Walk |
| Resist Cold | Speak with Animals | Remove Curse* | ||||
| Sanctuary | Spiritual Hammer | Speak with Dead |