Forgotten Kingdoms Forums

Not looking to drag up the old debate from the old forums, but I was wondering why priests don't have a similar memorisation system to wizards in place, or if one is planned for some time in the future?

Since the system came in for wizards, and the adjustment period, I'd be one of the first to say it is a great system. It does get hard at times but you actually have to plan what spells you want before hand, like the way wizards should be - vulnerable if ill prepared. I also know that it was brought in to facilitate the sorcerer class and provide some distiction between the two.

That said, after playing my clerics, I started wondering again why they don't have a similar system in place? If it were brought in, then it would leave only bards and sorcerers as spontaneous casters. Just an idle curiosity as to why clerics do not have such a system in place.

Honesty,
I never ever liked the memorization system for cleris. In my own campaign that was their advantage of casting upon the fly. The Following are my own reasons.

1. A priest is humble before their god, they do not ask for specific powers but entrust the Divine will know what they need when they need. They do not expect to know what situations shall always arise. They entrust that (insert god name here) will know what and where it is needed to help his follower from harm..

2. Mages memorize the intense spells and languages to cast those spells before casting them. When they cast them it is Burned away from their memory completely. Why they must rest for the day and memorize once more. Priest upon the other hand follow rituals within their casting, gestures for their prayers and faith is the Key of their skills not the intense mental examinations Wizards undergo.

those are a pair of the main reasons. I have others like wizard spells are typically more devistating within tabletop D&D then clerics by far. But, these are just a few things to consider over... I will post more another time when more awake.

Jeffery

Wizard spells are the results of years of study and practice, requiring continued practice and use to be used (i.e memorize). Priest spells are the devine touch of one's deity, given to better serve the deity and faith. Thats my little thoughts on the two spell groups. Personally, I never understood the point in memorizing devine spells. Recovering from and mentally preparing for (mana and meditation), yes but not memorizing. Know a few muds and a few desk-top DMs who use the memorizing system for both spell groups and some that don't. In the end, I consider it a house rule ideal and adjust accordingly. But I would leave memorizing for wizard spells, unless a few changes happen to occur around FK.

N.R.

I believe the reason the Admin gave for priests not needing to memorize is that because in 3e AD&D a priest can memorize a spell yet also cast a healing spell of the same level and use up that other spell. Example:

-Rafgar a Cleric of Tempus memorizes a level 3 spell, Bulls Strength.

-Later on Rafgar gets wounded, he can sacrifice that memorization of Bulls Strength to cast the level 3 spell Cure Serious Wounds instead.

Clerics can heal on the drop of a dime now so it doesn't really matter about memorization.

First an explaination of "memorizing" for 3e priests and wizards:

When a wizard is memorizing a spell he is not simple reading his book and memorizing words and gestures. He is actually preparing the spell to be cast and even starting the casting of that spell. The application of metamagic feats changes the way he prepares and casts the spell which is why it is done at memorization time. When the wizard finally wants to "cast" the spell he is actually only completing the final part of the spell that activates it.

For clerics, it works pretty much the same way. The cleric performs prayers and rituals ahead of time that pretty much tell their deity they will be calling on specific powers at a later point. This prep work is what allows a priest to cast a spell quickly rather than praying all day about it in the middle of battle.

Now for FK:
The most basic reason clerics do not memorize on FK is that the code was being tested on wizards with the idea that it might be added to clerics also. It may still be added, however, spontaneous casting that clerics can do by sacrificing memorized spells for cure/inflict spells is something that would take some work to allow in the case of memorization.