Defenders of the Faith
Defenders of the Faith (DoF) second in a line of supplements for the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (3e) game focussing on the game's character class archetypes, Defenders of the Faith deals with the more religious (yet non-nature oriented) classes, Clerics and Paladins. The first book in this series was Sword & Fist (S&F) which dealt with Fighters and Monks.
Sword and Fist has a few problems that made it less than popular with some segments the D&D crowd. Most of these stemmed from editing and playtesting issues coupled with a dogged refusal by some WotC staffers to admit they were wrong (do I need to relate the Halfling Outrider flub to anyone out there?) Wizards of the Coast has promised they will do better this time.
To me, the most important thing this book needs is a dose of style. Cleric is easily the most underplayed character types in D&D games. If done right, DoF should provide players with ideas that ignite their imagination and make them a more attractive choice. But that's a tall order. Can DoF fill the bill?
Defenders of Faith: A First Look
Defenders of Faith is a 96 page booklet with a black-and-white interior. The interior art is well done and is frequent enough to keep the book interesting, but does not consume too much room. The art is by Dennis Cramer and Wayne Reynolds, though for some reason Reynlolds isn't credited. (He wasn't credited in S&F, either.)
The interior uses the same margin-art that has become standard for 3e adventures and suppluments. The margins and whitespace are tolerably small, and the infrequent sidebars are shifted into the margin as much as possible, which helps conserve space in the book.
Defenders of Faith: Contents
The DoF has an introductory section, 4 chapters (Clerics and Paladins, Churches and Organizations, Prestige Classes, and Divine Magic), and an Appendix giving a brief run-down on monstrous deities.
As with Sword and Fist, the introductory section spells out what should have been obvious but yet was sorely missing in AD&D 2nd edition supplements: that the material herein is to be considered optional and only used at the DM's pleasure.
The appendix contains a few notes on the deities of nonhuman creatures and the domains granted to their clerics. The section is brief (4 pages) but contains the basic information for use by interested DMs.
The chapters of the book each deserve a closer look.
Chapter 1: Clerics and Paladins
At the outset, chapter 1 outlines how to play a cleric or paladin effectively. By this I mean in a tactical, strategic, and logistical capacity, though role-playing is touched on lightly. The advice is primarily geared towards how to best use their abilities as well as character building and advancement choices. Most of this advice will be lost on veteran players, though those players who have not had a chance to play one of these classes will find some of the advice useful. Some of it was stuff that even veteran players might not of thought of. For example, had you considered if you are a paladin and there is a cleric in the party, if turning undead becomes a task, it might be better that you assist the cleric's turning attempt than attempt to turn on your own?
After this initial material whose value may be questionable to some players, the chapter begins to get into variant rules that a DM may consider to add a fresh angle to the game. In my opinion, this is some of the best material in the book, and the sort of thing I was looking for when I set out to find some "style" in the book.
First in the line up of these variations is a little treatise on variant mounts for paladins. Under the variant rules provided, a paladin who has lost her mount (and waits the requisite period of time) or forestalls the calling of a mount until higher levels may be able to call a more powerful mount. This could be a celestial warhorse at 6th level, up to the likes of a dire lion or a griffon at 8th level.
As if that weren't good enough, the book goes on to conjecture about how you might use the rules to gain a dragon mount. Some tables are provided that add the youngest of dragons to the list of special cohorts in the DMG. If the paladin is willing to spend a leadership feat – and the DM is willing to allow it – the possibility exists that a paladin may team up with a relatively young dragon to smite evil. Of course, only the mightiest paladins need apply.
The next section discusses the channeling ability that clerics and paladins have. This ability is typically used to turn or rebuke undead, but some alternative uses for this ability are suggested, such as opening specially warded sites or sealing portals to another plane. Finally, if the character is willing to spend a feat, they can gain the ability to use their turn power in yet other ways.
The chapter highlights many new feats. The bulk of these are the divine feats alluded to above. For example, the divine might feat allows the character to use their turning ability to temporarily add their charisma bonus to all of their damage rolls, and the divine resistance feat lets them use their turning ability to provide fire, cold, and electricity resistance to all allies within a 60 foot radius.
In addition to divine feats are some general feats like improved shield bash, some metamagic feats like sacred spell (makes energy spells partly "sacred" in nature, bypassing a creatures energy resistance), and some special feats (only available to clerics and paladins) like extra smiting and heighten turning.
The chapter also contains some new magic items that the author thinks are especially appropriate for clerics and paladins, but very few of them are exclusive in nature. The big highlight here is a variety of new armor enchantments, including a return of an old favorite of first and second edition veterans, ethereal armor. A few weapons and wondrous items are also provided.
In addition to this, the chapter discussion such topics of how to handle divine intervention, clerics converting to follow a new deity, and mundane items for priestly characters.
Chapter 2: Churches and Organizations
This chapter is somewhat more targeted towards the DM. It outlines the structure of a typical church, and provides examples for what churches of deities of each of the nine alignments. In addition to the general descriptions, some specific examples churches are given including a keyed map with NPC write-ups, ready for the DM to use.
In addition to the outlines of what churches of the nine alignments would be like, the chapter lists a variety of organizations. As you might expect in a book that discusses paladins, a number of these organizations are orders of knighthood. As with the Sword and Fist book, some of the organizations are linked to prestige classes detailed later in the book.
The chapter concludes with a section that discusses what types of activities someone running a temple would have to expect. This would be a nice discussion for the DM in the case that a player character ever reaches that position.
Chapter 3: Prestige Classes
This chapter is probably what most players will flip too immediately. What would a splatbook be without tons of new options for player characters?
One thing that is central to this chapter is the introduction of prestige domains. While I will hold off on my discussion on what they are until my discussion of Chapter 4, where they are actually presented, for now I will say this: prestige domains are simply domains that are made available to divine spellcasters who take certain prestige classes.
Perhaps the best way to outline this chapter is to walk through and discuss each of the new prestige classes presented in the books:
· Church Inquisitor: The church inquisitor is a member of a lawful good church who is trained to find and root out corruption. They receive the prestige domain inquisition, and other abilities that let them resist and ferret out ruses. This class seems like it is geared toward a very large church organization in which this sort of threat is a persistent problem, and is perhaps best reserved for a campaign that eschews the typical pantheistic D&D approach to religion and has a monotheistic central religion. In addition, one would wonder why other alignments (especially lawful evil) wouldn't have these kinds of characters in their employ.
· Consecrated Harrier: The consecrated harrier is an agent of the church who is sort of a bounty hunter who seeks enemies of the church. They receive their own spell list and advancement chart, and have abilities that boost their efforts to track down their quarry. A fairly good prestige class, and one that could easily start from classes other than paladin or cleric.
· Contemplative: The contemplative is a character who has a great deal of knowledge of their religion, in addition to having had a brush with their deity or one of their direct servants. The contemplative receives two prestige domains and a variety of other abilities signifying their nearness to their deities. However, the contemplative receives fewer combat abilities than clerics do. This is one of the more interesting options for player characters in the book.
· Divine Oracle: The divine oracle is also a less combative sort like the contemplative. The divine oracle is a master of divination, and receives access to the divination prestige domain. In addition to this, as they advance they receive a number of abilities that reflect their ability to glimpse into the future, such as uncanny dodge.
· Holy Liberator: The holy liberator is a holy warrior like a paladin, but is chaotic instead of lawful. A holy liberator directs their efforts against oppressive regimes such as tyrannical dictatorships, slaveholders, and corrupt governments. This prestige class may fit a campaign rife with such organizations already in which the player characters are rebels against such organizations. The liberators abilities are similar to a paladin's, but are more focused on resisting compulsions and helping others to do the same.
· Hospitaler: The knights hospitaler are an order of knighthood sword to protect people traveling on religious pilgrimages. Their abilities are considerable, including considerable combat abilities, full spellcasting advancement, healing abilities and fighter feats. In theory this is offset by their code of conduct, which limits these types of activities, though as many well-heeled game designers and DMs have learned, role-playing disadvantages often make poor compensation for mechanical advantages. This is a concept strong class that may not prove to be a balanced addition to a campaign.
· Hunter of the Dead: If you are a regular reader of Dragon magazine, chances are you have seen this class before. The hunter of the dead has some considerable abilities at confronting undead. The entry requirements are steep: the hunter must have suffered permanent ability score or level loss at the hands of the undead.
· Knight of the Chalice: The knights of the chalice are an order of knighthood devoted to slaying demons. They receive considerable bonuses in combat against demons and receive the ability to censure demons; this is similar to the ability other priestly classes have to turn undead. Knights of the chalice have their own spell list and spell advancement table. This is a strong class that will appeal to players in campaigns that confront these sorts of creatures.
· Knight of the Middle Circle: These are knights that belong to the Stargazers, an organization described in chapter 2 that is acting to fulfill the purpose of an ancient prophecy. They receive some odd abilities and use their own spell list. Many DMs may find the concept difficult to incorporate this prestige class into a game unless they do it whole cloth, but may find this a good class to model other orders of knighthood after.
· Master of Shrouds: The master of shrouds is the only exclusively evil class in the book. The master of shrouds is continues to advance in spellcasting ability as a member of their prior class, as well as gaining the ability to call incorporeal undead. This might be an interesting opponent for a PC party, but it is one of the most mechanically confusing/inconsistent of the prestige classes. It mentions that the master of shrouds can summon ghosts and vampires, but does not mention how this is done or how many. Further, the master of shrouds has its own spell list despite advancing as a member of their prior class. It is possible they simply gain access to these spells, but it is never spelled out that way.
· Sacred Exorcist: The sacred exorcist is a specialist in dealing with evil spirits – either outsiders or undead. The sacred exorcist receives access to the exorcism prestige domain. A sacred exorcist continues to advance in spellcasting as their prior class, and also receives bonuses in combating evil spirits. This class is somewhat similar to the knight of the chalice, but is much more general in scope and less combat oriented. This is a very strong choice for player characters dealing with undead and evil outsiders, but is not as overpowering as the hospitaler is.
· Sacred Fist: The sacred fist is almost a monk rewritten as a cleric prestige class. A sacred fist has their own spell list and spell advancement chart, but receive many of the abilities of monks. This may be a good option for those who used the AD&D 2nd edition monk from the Faiths & Avatars or Spells & Magic books. However, some DMs may find that some of the options available to sacred fists outstrip monks by too much.
· Templar: The templar is a warrior-priest type dedicated to the protection of temples. Templars do not have to start out as divine spellcasters, but do need a significant religions skill to qualify. The templar is a fairly strong prestige class, with warrior-type attack bonus, their own spell list, a few fighter feats, the ability to smite, and barbarian like damage reduction. The class is strong, but fits the image of a temple guardian well.
· Warpriest: As you might suspect, warpriests are a prestige class for combat oriented religions. A warpriest has warrior type combat advancement, but slower spell advancement that a cleric. They also receive a combat related ability at every level. If you played crusaders or vindicators in 2nd edition, this is the prestige class you have been waiting for. This class will strike a strong thematic chord in many campaigns, and will doubtlessly make many appearances in the hands of the DM as warlike priests in humanoid tribes or warlike nations.
There are some good prestige classes available here, but somehow I had hoped for more. It seems like there is a lot of duplication of effort and variations on the same theme. I would have liked more prestige classes aimed at creating a sort of "specialty priesthood" for less combat oriented domains. We see lots of ways for priest of gods of war, justice, and chivalry to go. What does this leave for all those clerics of deities of luck, trickery, and chaos?
Chapter 4: Divine Magic
You know what is in this chapter, don't you? Yep, that's right: new divine magic spells (including some for rangers and druids), and new domains.
As mentioned before, the new domains presented here are prestige domains. Prestige domains resemble normal domains, but by the letter of the law in the book, they aren't available to clerics as a starting choice; you can only get them by selecting a prestige class that grants a prestige domain.
The book does not spell out the reasoning behind this, but I will venture that the reasons for this are twofold. First, it might complicate the existing list of deities (official or your own) by requiring the addition of all of the domains to a deity that might potentially provide access to one of the listed domains. Second, some of the domains do fit the role of a specialist within a church rather than something that is part of a particular deity's portfolio.
However, none of the domains strike me as being that much more powerful than existing domains. Some appear so at first glance, granting plus 2 caster level bonuses where the PHB domains of this sort only grant a plus 1. However, an explanatory sidebar explains that the reason for this is that the scope of the spells addressed in these domains (such as creation) is less combat-oriented, so it was considered balance. Most of prestige domains should be suitable for use as basic domains if you have a deity that would use them as such in your campaign, such as a deity of exorcism, creation, or madness.
For the edification of the curious, the prestige domains are: beastmaster, celerity, community, creation, divination, domination, exorcism, glory, inquisition, madness, mind, mysticism, pestilence, and summoning.
Among the more interesting new spells are aspect of the deity and greater aspect of the deity (which gives the character the benefits of a template temporarily), burial blessing (prevents slain creatures from rising as undead), and chain of eyes (sort of a roving clairvoyance spell that lets you see through a creature's eyes, but can be shifted to the eyes of any creatures the current creature comes into contact with).
Summary and Conclusions
My first pass through the book didn't excite me too much. The only things that made me sit up and say "wow, that's cool" were the channeling variant rules and feats. Further inspection shows that this book has a lot to offer, but it may address more practical needs than elicit wild-eyed emotion from the players. A GM who wants to run a detailed campaign involving religions should find this book of great use, but this book is not quite the boon in fleshing out the abilities and dogma of a priesthood that 2nd edition supplements like The Complete Priest's Handbook or Faiths & Avatars were.
Other than the lack of stylish "gosh-wow tidbits" I was hoping for, the book's main weakness is similar to that of the 3e PHB with respect to religious characters: the insistence on use of the Greyhawk deities as a basis for generic material. I already had trouble with players who quickly rooted their perceptions of religion on the default figures in the book, and I had difficulty shaking them. Their continued use in DoF will prove a nuisance. I feel that the audience would have been better served by referring to deities in terms of portfolios and more general concepts.
Still, Defenders of the Faith does have a lot to offer, though perhaps more for DMs than players this time around than was the case with Sword & Fist.
-Alan D. Kohler
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