New Clerical Spells

 

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Here are a collection of spells for use by clerics. 

1st level spells

Lesser Requiem 

Level: 1
Range: 20ft
Duration: Permanent

This spell blesses a dead body, so that it cannot be animated as a skeleton or zombie. This does not affect existing undead creatures, and those slain by undead creatures and doomed to rise as one of them are not affected by Lesser Requiem either (for example this spell will not prevent someone slain by a spectre from rising as a spectre, but see Greater Requiem for a solution to this problem). This spell is usually used by Lawful clerics, often as part of funeral ceremonies. Necromancers and chaotic clerics despise this spell and those that use it, depriving them of valuable resources for creating undead minions. 

Vigour

Level: 1
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 turn

This spell grants a temporary boost to the target’s hit points - 2hp + 1hp/level of the casting cleric. The cleric can cast this on himself or any willing creature. The temporary hit points are lost first instead of the creature’s normal hit points if it sustains damage. Any remaining temporary hit points disappear at the end of the spell’s duration.  Note that this does not count as healing, and if this spell is cast on someone who is already damaged, then at the end of the spell they will return to their damaged level of hit points. 

2nd level spells

Detect Deceased

Level: 2
Range: 60’
Duration: 1 turn

This spell enables the caster to detect the presence of dead bodies of halfling-size or larger within 60ft of the caster. This does not detect undead creatures. The main use of this is by chaotic spell casters looking to reanimate bodies as skeletons and zombies. However, it has also been used after disasters such as floods and earthquakes to retrieve bodies for burial. 

Watchdog

Level: 2
Range: 0 (60’ detection radius)
Duration: 4 hours + 1 hour/level of caster

This spell conjures a magical entity that appears to be a ghostly dog for the duration of the spell. This watchdog will stand guard at the position of casting and will bark loudly if a creature approaches within 60’. The watchdog cannot enter combat or attack anyone - its main purpose is to alert the cleric and their allies. When the spell is cast, the watchdog will make a note of who the cleric’s allies are - it will disregard these and not bark at them. The watchdog has good hearing and sense of smell, and invisible, camouflaged or hidden creatures approaching will require the watchdog to make a roll equal to the cleric’s own save vs spells. If the save is successful the watchdog has sensed the invisible or hidden creature and starts barking. Otherwise the intruder is undetected. The minimum size of creature that alerts the watchdog is up to DM’s discretion but generally anything equal to or larger than a giant centipede or giant rat is enough.  The watchdog cannot discern intentions, so it will bark at friendly and neutral creatures as well as hostile ones. 

3rd Level Spells

Greater Requiem

Level: 3
Range: 20ft
Duration: Permanent

This spell prevents a dead body from becoming any sort of undead. Unlike its lesser variant Requiem this spell will prevent those slain by wights, wraiths, spectres and vampires from becoming the same sort of undead as their slayers if cast before the new undead is spawned. Those slain by other types of undead are up to the DM’s discretion. As per Requiem, this spell also prevents animation as zombies or skeletons. 

5th level Spells

Circle of Regeneration/Circle of Decay

Level: 5
Range: Caster only
Duration: 1 turn + 1 round per level of cleric

When Circle of Regeneration is cast an aura appears, centred on the casting cleric and reaching out 30’ radius, which is visible as pale green luminescence with clear borders. Any friends and allies of the cleric within this circle are healed 1hp per round for as long as they stay within the circle. Hence a 10th level cleric casting this spell can heal anyone staying within the area up to 20hp (10 rounds/turn + 1 round/level = 20 rounds) . 

Circle of Decay is the chaotic reverse of this spell, and generates a sickly purple-mauve aura, again 30’ radius centred on the cleric. All creatures apart from the cleric suffer 1hp/round while they are in the circle. Circle of Decay is based on death magic, and any creature immune to death magic such as undead and constructs are immune to this spell. 

A quick overview of clerical spells on this blog and their sources

Spells in Bold are generally used by chaotic clerics, and are often the reverse of normal clerical spells. Their use by Lawful clerics is frowned on and Neutral clerics should use them sparingly or else risk being corrupted by Chaos. Also note that spells marked as found in the Rules Cyclopedia can also be found in the various Mentzer-edited BECMI series of rules (6th level spells in Companion Rules, and 7th level spells in Masters Rules). There are other spells in various B/X and BECM sources such as gazetteers, adventures and the like. but I don't assume that readers will have these materials so including them in games is up to the group and its DM.  

1st level spells

• Blood Loan (blog post)
• Cause Fear (Expert rulebook)
• Cause Light Wounds (Expert rulebook)
• Cure Light Wounds (Basic rulebook)
• Darkness (Expert rulebook)
• Detect Evil (Basic rulebook)
• Detect Magic (Basic rulebook)
• Lesser Requiem (this blog post)
• Light (Basic rulebook)
• Protection from Evil (Basic rulebook)
• Purify Food and Water (Basic rulebook)
• Rage (blog post)
• Remove Fear (Basic rulebook)
• Resist Cold (Basic rulebook)
• Vigour (this blog post)

2nd level spells

• Aura of Shadows (blog post)
• Bless (Expert rulebook)
• Blight (Expert rulebook)
• Detect Chaos (blog post)
• Detect Deceased (this blog post)
• Find Traps (Expert rulebook)
• Know Alignment (Expert rulebook)
• Hold Person (Expert rulebook)
• Resist Fire (Expert rulebook)
• Silence 15’ radius (Expert rulebook)
• Snake Charm (Expert rulebook)
• Speak with Animals (Expert rulebook)
• Watchdog (this blog post)

3rd level spells

• Cause Disease (Expert rulebook)
• Champion of Chaos (blog post)
• Continual Darkness (Expert rulebook)
• Continual Light (Expert rulebook)
• Cure Blindness (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Cure Disease (Expert rulebook)
• Curse (Expert rulebook)
• Greater Requiem (this blog post)
• Growth of Animal (Expert rulebook)
• Locate Object (Expert rulebook)
• Paranoia (blog post)
• Remove Curse (Expert rulebook)
• Speak with Dead (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Striking (Expert rulebook)
• Transfusion (blog post)

4th level spells

• Animate Dead (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Cause Serious Wounds (Expert rulebook)
• Create Water (Expert rulebook)
• Cure Insanity (blog post)
• Cure Serious Wounds (Expert rulebook)
• Dispel Magic (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Neutralise Poison (Expert rulebook)
• Poison (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Protection from Evil 10’ radius (Expert rulebook)
• Speak with Plants (Expert rulebook)
• Sticks to Snakes (Expert rulebook)

5th level spells

• Cause Critical Wounds (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Circle of Decay (this blog post)
• Circle of Regeneration (this blog post)
• Commune (Expert rulebook)
• Create Food (Expert rulebook)
• Cure Critical Wounds (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Dispel Evil (Expert rulebook)
• Finger of Death (Expert rulebook)
• Insect Plague (Expert rulebook)
• Quest (Expert rulebook)
• Remove Quest (Expert rulebook)
• Raise Dead (Expert rulebook)
• Truesight (Rules Cyclopedia)

6th level spells

• Aerial Servant (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Animate Objects (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Babble  (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Barrier (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Create Normal Animals (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Cureall (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Find the Path (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Remove Barrier  (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Speak with Monsters (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Word of Recall (Rules Cyclopedia)

7th level spells

• Earthquake (Rules Cyclopedia)
• HolyWord (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Life Drain (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Obliterate (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Raise Dead Fully (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Restore (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Survival (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Travel (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Wish (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Wizardry (Rules Cyclopedia)

Art by Magnus Noren, source