Clerical Spells & Level Variant Table

[peterlind]

I always wondered why clerics get access to both 3rd and 4th levels spells at 6th level (Bishop). What was the design intent here?

Anyways, I have quickly worked on a variant spells & level table which embraces this concept (i.e. 2 spell levels
gained together) and which treats the cleric as a full spellcaster (i.e. access to 6th level spells). Here is the link:

www.dropbox.com/s/0wnjuhl7abx8378/Clerical%20Spells%20%26%20Level%20Variant%20Table.pdf?dl=0

What do you think of the concept? How would you improve on this table? Thanks for your comments.

[gemini476]

As for the original intent, I have to imagine that it's linked to how you seemingly can only prepare a 3rd-level spell in a 3rd-level slot (as opposed to modern D&D, where a 4th-level slot can fit any lower-level spell). Because of this, getting two spell levels at once is more akin to just getting two different sets of abilities at once.
Notice also how the third-level Cleric spells are somewhat unimpressive (they're mostly situational, and Continual Light is a level after the Magic-User's), while the fourth-level ones have Cure Serious Wounds, Protection/Evil 10'r, Turn Sticks To Snakes...

It's also possible that the intent was for them to get all their spell level before becoming Patriarchs at 8th level (and two spells per level at 8th, for that matter!), which when combined with the lack of a spell at first level necessarily leads to that quick "three spell levels in two levels" crunch.
This is perhaps born out by Beyond This Point Be Dragons, as this version lacks the double spell levels. Instead the Cleric simply gets one spell level per level from 6th to 8th, with the Patriarch getting two fifth-level spells immediately (skipping over having just one!)

It seems like this might have mostly been an Arnesonian thing, as Gygax clearly wasn't satisfied with it. The AD&D Cleric is remarkably different, for all its similarities; not only is name level now 9th with the High Priest (presumably to equalize name-level level gain, so they have +225k/level rather than +100k/level), but they also now have a spell at 1st level and consistently get one spell level per two character levels (except for a three-level delay in 7th-level spells.)


As for your table, unfortunately I don't really have much to comment on. I suppose it's worth pointing out that you delay Raise Dead until 10th level, and that it at low levels it accumulates spells a lot faster than the original (compare your 4/4/2/2 Patriarch with OD&D's 2/2/2/2, note however 20th level 8/8/7/7/6/6 vs. OD&D's 8/8/8/8/8/5/2) which changes a lot since, well, you now have twice the Cure Light Wounds.
I'm also personally not that fond of 6th-level spells, but that's a personal opinion.