This Le games product is a solidly useful PDF. It offers one feat and 5 new Core classes. I love good core classes and this product delivers.
Appearance: Unorthodox Clerics comes in a 1.44 megabyte zip file, just the size of an old floppy disk if you have one around. In addition to the main 25 page PDF, the product includes an .rtf version for easy content extraction and an onscreen version. The full cover Tom Miskey cover on the onscreen version is stunning although it doesn't exactly fit the book in my eye. I think the lady looks a little like a Shukenja and not like any of the five classes in the book. Still this is a minor quibble and I do like the piece. Gorgeous without being cheesecake.
Now I do have a fairly serious problem in the printable version. The Chosen class (more on this later) has a screwed up progression chart. Not a good thing
Beyond that gaffe the PDF is cleanly laid out, easy to read, and well bookmarked.
Content: This PDF has 5core classes, The Chosen, The Cultist, The Elementalist, The Inquisitor the Priest, and a bonus feat
The feat is at the end of the book and essentially allow a new category (such as Vermin or Aberrations) to be turned in addition to undead. It a little strong but it does fit the flavor of many games -- even the turn Vermin has a folkloric feel
Now for the classes
The Chosen substitutes some spell casting capability, a delayed second domain (at 8th level) and the use of other weapons for a few combat abilities The class gains a Fighters BAB with the chosen weapon, hyper specialization in the deities chosen weapon (both regular and greater focus and specialization over time) and an automatic bless weapon. Its not a bad trade off, if a little strong and might be a great class for someone who wants Paladin like combat abilities and 9th level spells without breaking game balance. All in all a fair class
The next class the Cultist is a my favorite and a truly excellent class, equally suitable for Cuthulu guys or demon worshippers depending on the campaign. They have expanded skills, Sneak Attack, a neat dagger as holy symbol trick and a few cult like abilities. In exchange they drop turning, reduce spell progression (like several classes here they have a wonky custom chart) and lose a HD size. I like this class -- a lot, alone it is worth the $2, easy
The Elementalist is Dark Sunnish element priest that serves all the elements. They gain an extra domain spell of each level per day, some minor elemental gifted abilities and access to all 4 elemental domains. In exchange they have a wizards BAB and no turning undead. The class is a shade tougher than a specialty mage but it should be balanced enough for use , if only because the cleric elemental spells aren't as strong as the sorcerer and wizard ones. I do have a minor grump about the elemental gifts though, they are a bit dull and a bit limited and could use some sprucing up and rebalancing
The Inquisitor is an unusual variant and if you can get past the obvious Mel Brooks references a neat variant of the cleric Instead of turning the class gains a paladin like detect, some well though out torture abilities (shudder) that can force a person to answer questions truthfully with intimidate rolls, skill focus on intimidate and the very powerful ability to admonish blasphemers. This ability can force a can act as metamagic feats and at higher levels make a target auto fail a save or auto penetrate SR-- As I said – very potent These extra goodies are paid for with a d4 (!!) hit die and a wizards BAB and weapons proficiencies It does require some careful handling by the DM though. This class is basically Evil With its torture theme and high possibility of PC vaporizing with certain spells and the admonish (especially the destruction domain) I advise -- handle with care.
The last class -- the Priest is basically a spell specialist cleric. The class loses the good fortitude save and drops to a d6 hit die, a wizards BAB and wizards weapons In exchange for the class gains domain spontaneity with all the domains, 3 bonus meta magic feats an extra domain spell per each level of spell, at 10th level a third domain, and an aura that does 1/2 the damage an undead inflicts back to it -- Ouch!
These are fair trade offs though and I think many spell happy players would be tempted by this class.
Even with the printable version gaffe, I like this product. It well priced at $2 and is a good addition to many types of campaigns.
Help support RPGnet by purchasing this item through DriveThruRPG.

