I'm a DM for the current campaign, and thus am not currently playing a character, much less a cleric, but I want to ask the cleric community as a whole. One of my players pushed really hard to be able to play a Death Cleric. However, he says that his character worships Osmera, a goddess of the Grave domain, who rebukes the undead. There is another god in this setting that he could worship that controls the Death domain, but he refuses to acknowledge this. Does anyone have a solution?
Well, I'm not sure which setting you're talking about, but that doesn't matter too much. First, as DM, you're free to allow it if you like. You are also free to forbid it. In a lot of ways which god a character worships is fluff. The domain is what matters, from a mechanical and game balance standpoint, so as long as he doesn't try to mix and match powers from different domains, there shouldn't be a balance problem. That doesn't mean there's not a problem. In this case, he seems to want the benefits of a death cleric, but doesn't want to deal with the consequences that would cause in game -- NPCs (and possibly the rest of the party's PCs) will likely be more hesitant to deal with someone who worships an evil god being the biggest issue. So he is trying to not have to deal with the story problems that would be caused by his choice.
The bigger story issue is, if a cleric wants to worship a particular god, he can really only choose domains associated with that god (is the way I play). A god of the ocean, for example, would not really be willing (or possibly even able) to give powers associated with a forge cleric. So only a god who is associated with the death domain would really be able to give powers that go with being a death cleric. If there's only one god in your setting who has the death domain, then that's the only way they can be a cleric with that domain.
Finally, don't let the player roll over you. While its important to allow them to create characters they actually want to play, they need to work within your world. If you say you can play a death cleric, but you have to worship a particular god to do it, that's perfectly fair. Then let them choose if they still want to do it.
I suspect that he's latched onto Osmera for rebuking the undead but prefers to play mechanics of the death domain. I actually agree with the sentiment. I find that that's the death domain should've always been a playable class because I love the idea of using darkness to defeat darkness. At sixth level their spell effects and channel divinity options ignore resistance to necrotic damage. I don't see this being most useful against undead, I mean how many players find themselves with resistance to the necrotic damage?
Many gods have many aspects. A God of the grave could very reasonably have a death domain cleric. My recommendation is if they don't want this other god than play it up. Sounds like an enemy or someone who might want him to join them or both.
Help him explore how he defines himself in his existing faith but what are the limits or strictures given by his god in his use of the Death Domain. A misuse of powers could lead to problems, but there is a welcoming other group who might want his services. If he starts raising armies of undead he should find either that his powers become limited or you should give him indications that his prayers are being answered by another.
I am currently playing a gnome Arcana cleric who is highly likely having his prayers answered by another god than he thinks or maybe its who he thinks it is. Do you really ask questions when you call a Guiding Bolt on someone? Probably not.
Thank all of you for the input! Before this, he was a pretty one-dimensional character, but thanks to you, I have some ideas on how his personal story could be more than just a flat line.
I'm a DM for the current campaign, and thus am not currently playing a character, much less a cleric, but I want to ask the cleric community as a whole. One of my players pushed really hard to be able to play a Death Cleric. However, he says that his character worships Osmera, a goddess of the Grave domain, who rebukes the undead. There is another god in this setting that he could worship that controls the Death domain, but he refuses to acknowledge this. Does anyone have a solution?
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXVIII?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
Well, I'm not sure which setting you're talking about, but that doesn't matter too much. First, as DM, you're free to allow it if you like. You are also free to forbid it. In a lot of ways which god a character worships is fluff. The domain is what matters, from a mechanical and game balance standpoint, so as long as he doesn't try to mix and match powers from different domains, there shouldn't be a balance problem. That doesn't mean there's not a problem. In this case, he seems to want the benefits of a death cleric, but doesn't want to deal with the consequences that would cause in game -- NPCs (and possibly the rest of the party's PCs) will likely be more hesitant to deal with someone who worships an evil god being the biggest issue. So he is trying to not have to deal with the story problems that would be caused by his choice.
The bigger story issue is, if a cleric wants to worship a particular god, he can really only choose domains associated with that god (is the way I play). A god of the ocean, for example, would not really be willing (or possibly even able) to give powers associated with a forge cleric. So only a god who is associated with the death domain would really be able to give powers that go with being a death cleric. If there's only one god in your setting who has the death domain, then that's the only way they can be a cleric with that domain.
Finally, don't let the player roll over you. While its important to allow them to create characters they actually want to play, they need to work within your world. If you say you can play a death cleric, but you have to worship a particular god to do it, that's perfectly fair. Then let them choose if they still want to do it.
I suspect that he's latched onto Osmera for rebuking the undead but prefers to play mechanics of the death domain. I actually agree with the sentiment. I find that that's the death domain should've always been a playable class because I love the idea of using darkness to defeat darkness. At sixth level their spell effects and channel divinity options ignore resistance to necrotic damage. I don't see this being most useful against undead, I mean how many players find themselves with resistance to the necrotic damage?
Many gods have many aspects. A God of the grave could very reasonably have a death domain cleric. My recommendation is if they don't want this other god than play it up. Sounds like an enemy or someone who might want him to join them or both.
Help him explore how he defines himself in his existing faith but what are the limits or strictures given by his god in his use of the Death Domain. A misuse of powers could lead to problems, but there is a welcoming other group who might want his services. If he starts raising armies of undead he should find either that his powers become limited or you should give him indications that his prayers are being answered by another.
I am currently playing a gnome Arcana cleric who is highly likely having his prayers answered by another god than he thinks or maybe its who he thinks it is. Do you really ask questions when you call a Guiding Bolt on someone? Probably not.
Thank all of you for the input! Before this, he was a pretty one-dimensional character, but thanks to you, I have some ideas on how his personal story could be more than just a flat line.
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXVIII?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature