Re: Create ~ Helm spells 3rdEd conversion - 1st hack

In <URL:news:local.spelljam> on Tue 04 Apr, Peter Aronson wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dreamer" <dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk>
> To: <SPELLJAMMER-L@??????.???????.com>
> Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 3:19 PM
> Subject: [SPELLJAMMER] Create ~ Helm spells 3rdEd conversion - 1st hack
> 
> > 3rdEd:
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------
> > Create Minor Helm
> > Transmutation
> > Level: Sor/Wiz 6, Wildspace 5
> > Components: V, S, F
> > Casting Time: 1 minute/level of caster
> > Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
> > Target: A chair or seat
> > Duration: 1 week/level
> > Saving Throw: None
> > Spell Resistance: No
> 
> If we're just trying to make a minimal conversion, do we get into trouble
> making what was a general 5th level Clerical spell domain only?

I don't know, as I still don't really fully understand the cleric
domain bit for 3rdEd.

Adding new clerical spells has always been a bit problematic in
DnD. Clerics have shorter lists of allowed spells than wizards,
and I'm not sure about how new spells can be added to the list.

With arcane spells you do the research, which 'convinces the
universe' (the DM) that your new spell works, after which nothing
stops you memorising it from your spell book in the morning, and
giving or selling copies of the spell spec to who you like.

Or you find a dusty book of someone's research, and add
interesting new spells to your list.

A cleric typically has not only to convince the universe but also
their god, as it is that god (or the god's servant) who is
supplying the spell, or at least the energy to make it work. This
is slightly complicated by the business of the cleric powering
the 1st and 2nd level spells off their own magic, so you might
have a bit more leeway there.

What stops there being a spell list war between the gods, with
them encouraging their worshippers to add new applications for
priestly power, maybe crowding out other gods?

Can you get appropriate-looking spells from priests of other gods
and add them to spells your god lets you cast? If you enter a new
sphere where priests of your god have previously had nothing to
do with SJ, how do you persuade your god to supply/power these
spells they've never dealt with here before?


Under 2ndEd the spell list was large, effectively the sum of the
cleric and druid spell list under AD&D 2ndEd. Being a cleric with
a restricted list by domain was optional, and the default seemed
to be all priests of all gods had the same spell lists.

Druids were put forward as an example of priests of specific
mythos, where they got powers to balance having a far shorter
spell list, but the mechanics of doing that sort of design job,
detailing the trade-off of powers for spells, were not in the
basic AD&D rules, and I didn't see them elsewhere.

Most DMs that I saw just used the cleric part of the list,
without the druid spells, for all clerics of all religions. Some
wrote (and are still writing) custom spell lists for particular
religions. I don't know if the SJ rules were intended for priests
of specific mythos (I don't think they were).

If the DM wanted SJ cleric spells added to the lists, they just
said it happened. I'm not sure what the gods did if SJ entered a
crystal sphere, and hence new spells.

So, I'm not at all sure about how you add spells to the 3rdEd
cleric spell lists, and I would appreciate guidance.

Help!

(Please! [grin] )


> Peter

-- 
Dreamer
dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk
http://www.romsys.demon.co.uk/