Domain Spells

[Lothoir]

In tabletop DnD a cleric gets bonus spells at each spell level from each of their domains, as well as a bonus spell slot at each spell level that can only be filled with one of those domain spells. In NWN2 however, clerics just get a bonus spell slot at each spell level but it can be filled with any spell. The tradeoff is that domains only seem to give two or three spells rather than nine.

While it would be nice to have all of the domain spells added into the game I realize that is not going to happen. There are however a large number of spells already in the game that, for whatever reason, have not been added to the list of domain bonus spells.

How difficult would it be to simply add already existing spells to the list of domain bonus spells?

I've come up with a list of spells and domains by first making a table of all the domains and then filling in the spells granted per level as NWN2 does them. I then went through the SRD and added in the spells per level, excepting the spells that are either not in the game or redundant (Aid is a second level good spell, but also a second level cleric spell)

To me, domains are an extremely important part of clerics as they represent the aspect of their god that the cleric identifies with the most, and really allows clerics on the server to have a bit of variety rather than have everyone cast the same spells. The spells with red are the ones that would be added to the current domain lists, sometimes overriding what are currently there in which case I've marked that.

3: Call Lightning
6: Chain Lightning
9: Elemental Swarm

1: Calm Animal
2: Hold Animal (Cat's Grace)
3: Dominate Animal
4: Summon Nature's Ally IV (True Seeing)
7: Polymorph Self
8: Summon Nature's Ally VIII
9: Shapechange

1: Color Spray
5: Confusion

2: Creeping Cold
3: Hypothermia
5: Cone of Cold
8: Polar Ray
9: Polar Ray

2: Blindness/Deafness
5: Shadow Conjuration
7: Power Word, Blind
8: Power Word, Blind
9: Power Word, Kill

4: Phantasmal Killer
9: Wail of the Banshee

3: Rage
6: Acid Fog

1: Sleep
4: Phantasmal Killer
7: Hiss of Sleep

4: Stoneskin
5: Energy Immunity
9: Elemental Swarm

5: Evard's Black Tentacles
9: Weird

1: Burning Hands
3: Wall of Fire (Fireball)
5: Wall of Fire
7: Fire Storm
8: Incendiary Cloud
9: Elemental Swarm

1: Magic Circle against Alignment
5: Lesser Planar Binding

2: Cure Serious
5: Heal

1: Identify
2: Knock
3: Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
4: True Seeing
5: Legend Lore

1: Lionheart
5: Hold Monster
7: Mass Hold Person

3: Freedom of Movement
8: Greater Spell Mantle

1: Mage Armor
2: Identify (Melf's Acid Arrow)
3: Assay Resistance
5: Greater Dispel Magic
6: Spell Mantle
8: Protection from Spells (Blackstaff)
9: Mordenkain's Disjunction

1: Entangle
2: Barkskin
3: Poison
4: Mass Camouflage
5: Vine Mine

4: Lesser Globe of Invulnerability
5: Energy Immunity
8: Mind Blank

1: Enlarge Person (Bull's Strength)
3: Divine Power
6: Stoneskin
7: Bigby's Grasping Hand
8: Bigby's Clenched Fist
9: Bigby's Crushing Hand

2: Searing Light
7: Sunbeam

1: True Strike
3: Haste
7: Premonition

1: Longstrider
3: Dimension Door (Freedom of Movement)
5: Haste

1: Disguise Self (Grease)
2: Invisibility
4: Confusion

2: Animate Dead
7: Create Greater Undead

4: Flame Strike
7: Power Word, Blind
8: Power Word, Stun
9: Power Word, Kill

3: Poison
5: Ice Storm
6: Cone of cold
7: Acid Fog
8: Horrid Wilting
9: Elemental Swarm

As I said before, I have no idea how difficult or easy this might be, but I think it would add a lot of flavor and variety to the game.

One last thing I'd like to suggest however: All of the domains give special abilities (feats or powers). All of the domains except Knowledge and Magic, however. In PnP the Magic domain gives the ability to use spell completion items as a wizard and Knowledge gives all Knowledge skills as class skills.

Could the Magic domain perhaps give a flat bonus to UMD that would allow the cleric to use scrolls and wands, and Knowledge give a bonus to all knowledge skills? If not that, then maybe Magic could give the Scribe Scroll feat, and Knowledge could give another appropriate feat?

[Cornuto]

IMO clerics really don't need any more help in NWN2. But that's just my thought on the matter.

[Thief Of Navarre]

I see what your getting at, Icewind Dale had them and it worked very well but then again a lot of powerful domain spells are regular spells in NWN2!

[BedlamX]

While they don't need help due to being a seriously overpowered class in a low to mid magic world, some of these would be really good for RP purposes. I made a cleric of Kossuth just for fun. He could spout off all day about the power of the flame and it's cleansing fire...but he had zero fire spells until level 5 (think that's when he got fireball). Since Darkfire was removed from cleric spells, Kossuth priests just don't have any fire. I remade the guy as a wizard/cleric just to get some fire spells so he could walk the talk.

I know this is just one instance, but I'm sure there are others.

One question: Is it possible to have certain spells be non-usable based on Domain? Like, for instance, Kossuthians would never use cold- or water-based spells, so no Drown (sorry...only one I can think of off the top of my head as I don't play clerics very often). Even if it is possible, sounds like a lot of work, though.

[Saulus]

IMO clerics really don't need any more help in NWN2. But that's just my thought on the matter.

Pretty much.

[Thief Of Navarre]

While they don't need help due to being a seriously overpowered class in a low to mid magic world, some of these would be really good for RP purposes. I made a cleric of Kossuth just for fun. He could spout off all day about the power of the flame and it's cleansing fire...but he had zero fire spells until level 5 (think that's when he got fireball). Since Darkfire was removed from cleric spells, Kossuth priests just don't have any fire. I remade the guy as a wizard/cleric just to get some fire spells so he could walk the talk.

I know this is just one instance, but I'm sure there are others.

One question: Is it possible to have certain spells be non-usable based on Domain? Like, for instance, Kossuthians would never use cold- or water-based spells, so no Drown (sorry...only one I can think of off the top of my head as I don't play clerics very often). Even if it is possible, sounds like a lot of work, though.

Your right, its a lot of work. Im sure the team will come to a compromise though! >:}

[AsuraKing]

Dont get me wrong I would love to be able to cast stoneskin with Cruven, but i do think that clerics really are strong enough as is and dont really need more benefits.

[Lothoir]

Clerics are powerful yes, but they have to be built and played the proper way to be most powerful. This causes players to all create the same clerics that say different things, but in the end act the same way because to do otherwise would cause them to lose a fight with an opposing cleric.

Adding spells already in the game to the bonus domain spells would open up entirely new ways of playing clerics and enrich the roleplay in Sundren as a whole.

Imagine that instead of two clerics spamming Word of Faith and Storm of vengeance the cleric of Akadi or Shaundakul decides to teleport away with Dimension Door and then summon a roaring Wind Elemental with elemental swarm. The cleric of Kossuth then responds with his own Fire Elemental and as the two primal creatures clash he rains fire upon the entire battleground. Or a cleric witht he strength domain beseeching his god to smite his enemy and a giant disembodied hand then begins to pound the cleric's foe! That's the way battles should be, memorable. Right now they're more tedious than anything else, because both sides have the same spells, and some of those spells are better than others.

[AsuraKing]

Clerics are powerful yes, but they have to be built and played the proper way to be most powerful. This causes players to all create the same clerics that say different things, but in the end act the same way because to do otherwise would cause them to lose a fight with an opposing cleric.

Adding spells already in the game to the bonus domain spells would open up entirely new ways of playing clerics and enrich the roleplay in Sundren as a whole.

Imagine that instead of two clerics spamming Word of Faith and Storm of vengeance the cleric of Akadi or Shaundakul decides to teleport away with Dimension Door and then summon a roaring Wind Elemental with elemental swarm. The cleric of Kossuth then responds with his own Fire Elemental and as the two primal creatures clash he rains fire upon the entire battleground. Or a cleric witht he strength domain beseeching his god to smite his enemy and a giant disembodied hand then begins to pound the cleric's foe! That's the way battles should be, memorable. Right now they're more tedious than anything else, because both sides have the same spells, and some of those spells are better than others.

Alright, now that you put it that way, you've got me on your side on this, interesting battles would definitely make things appear much better for instance if Cruven had to fight say a cleric of Akadi and needed to break though some summoned elemental to reach the actual cleric it would be a lot more interesting.

[Quoth The Raven]

That's not what's going to happen, you know.

The cleric of Akadi will dimension door only to get Word of Faith right on his teeth.

Just sayin.

[Machiavelli]

IMO clerics really don't need any more help in NWN2. But that's just my thought on the matter.

What he said.

[GodBeastX]

I'll implement this if we only allow clerics to rest for spell recovery at the time of day they're supposed to pray for their spells I think that would balance them quite nicely.

[Lothoir]

Would you be able to block spell recovery from resting though, or have to block resting completely? If the former I would wholeheartedly support this, since I think adding flavor to the game is usually a good thing.

[Lanemeyer]

I think the clerics should be leaved alone, you people wants more power? Become a politician, a cop, or something like that...

Kids these days...

[Nil]

a cop,

If someone becomes a cop to have more power, then they're extremely delusional.