The Priest
A character class for 3.5e D&D or Pathfinder
The Priest is a more peaceful, intellectual cleric. He doesn't clank around in plate mail swinging a mace, but gives quiet support to his flock. Evil priests exist too, of course.
Adventures: Priests sometimes adventure, but most are more gainfully employed as village vicars or in city temples giving religious instruction and assistance to their flocks.
Characteristics: Whilst weak fighters, priests are powerful divine spellcasters and skilled in many arts.
Alignment: Priests can be of any alignment, but they can be no more than one step away from their deity.
Religion: Obviously...
Background: Various
Races: All, though few half-orcs take the priestly path, preferring the more martial Cleric.
Other classes: All
Game Rule Information
Priests have the following game statistics:
Abilities: Wisdom is the Priest's primary requirement, a fundamental part of his spellcasting. A good Charisma gives him influence over his flock and those that would harm them.
Alignment: Any, within one step of his deity.
Hit Dice: d6
Combat: Base Attack Bonus as a wizard (+L/2, rounded down).
Saving Throws: Will is good (+2+L/2, down), Fortitude and Reflex bad (L/3, down).
Class Skills
The Priest's class skills are: Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (all), Perform, Profession and Spellcraft.
Domains and Class Skills: A priest's domains may entitle him to additional class skills as though he were a cleric.
Skill points: 4+Int modifier
Class Features
Armour and Weapon Proficiency: A Priest is proficient with all simple weapons, and his god's favoured weapon (if any). He is not proficient in armour, but has no other restrictions from using it.
Domains: A priest chooses two of his deity's domains as his own, gaining the special abilities as a cleric, and the spells for both. He may gain extra domains at higher levels, though this is a two-stage process.
Spells: A priest gains divine spells as though he were a cleric, but he gets extra spells for both of his domains. If he takes an extra domain twice, he gains an extra domain spell, not merely two per level. So a 1st level priest with domains Animal and Plant will get 1 normal 1st level spell, plus his Wisdom bonus spell, plus
Calm Animals and
Entangle. If he takes Good as his special ability at 2nd level, he can cast 2 bonus spells per day, chosen from
Calm Animals,
Entangle and
Protection from Evil. If he takes Good again at 5th level, he can cast all three.
At 1st level and every 3 levels thereafter, the priest also gains one extra orison.
Spontaneous Casting: Like a cleric, a priest can substitute an Cure or Inflict Wounds spell for a normal spell of any level. Alternatively, he can substitute any appropriate domain spell of the same level.
Turn/Rebuke Undead: A priest can turn or rebuke undead as a cleric of the same level. He may take the Extra Turning feat.
In Pathfinder, substitute Channel Energy as an evil cleric of the same level.
Multiclassing with Cleric: If a priest multiclasses between Cleric and priest, he gains and casts spells as the sum of the two levels. His deity and Domains are the same for both classes, so he gains the benefit of two domains once each. He considers only Priest levels when determining spell levels for which he gets two or more domain spells. He turns/rebukes undead as the sum of the two levels.
Bonus Languages: A priest can learn Abyssal, Infernal or Celestial.
Special Abilities
At 2nd level, and every 3 levels thereafter, a priest gains an extra ability from this list:
Extra Domain: The priest gains an extra domain of his deity. He may take the same domain twice, gaining the domain spell and power twice, if appropriate. The first time he selects that domain, he gains the domain ability and can choose to take its domain spells in place of any of his other domains (max 1 spell per spell level). The second time, he gains the additional spellcasting as well; all spells in that domain are now in their own allocation.
Lay On Hands: As the paladin ability. Prerequisite: Good.
Mercy (Pathfinder): As the paladin ability. Prerequisite: Good, 5th level or higher.
Cure Disease: Once per day, as the paladin ability. The priest also gains Divine Health as the paladin as a side-effect. Prerequisite: Lay on Hands.
Divine Grace: Add Cha bonus to saving throws, as the paladin ability
Detect Alignment: As the paladin ability
Detect Evil, but detecting one specific alignment trait diametrically opposed to the priest. A Neutral priest may not take this ability.
Feat: One of Extra Turning, any Metamagic, Iron Will, Skill Focus in any class skill, Spell Focus, Spell Penetration
Companion: I need to hash out the details. Sort of a combined familiar / fiendish servant / animal companion, but weaker unless a lot of slots spent on it. Consult your DM.
