== Giving Clerics "Magical Protection" Spells ==
	by Tim Shoemaker

The current safe journey spells are a poor subsitute for the previous
protection that clerics had.  The cleric is now essentially useless in
combat as they have no granted weapon, no blockable cored zero level weapon,
and the current safe journey spell only lasts a short time and the opposing
group can follow or block exits.

As such, I have some suggestion to make the cleric as it was intended and
still remain a defensive character.  The cleric is vastly out of balance
when compared with a mage of equal level.

Example:
18 pt. Mage - 18 pt. Zero weapons points, no will.  6 levels of cleric and
initiation and read magic.  2 pts misc disadds.

This player when faced with a horde of crunchies can do the following:
18 stun bolts or
9 lightning bolts
36 stun touchs
18 drop items
18 trips
12 fling item
12 lame
12 shrink
12 thunderclap
9 barkskins
9 rootfoots
7 heat items
7 mass thunderclap
6 invisibility
6 mass shrink
6 shatter limb
6 stoneskin
or 5 wraithform (may have been bumped up a level)

Cleric - Zero weapons points, no will.  6 levels of cleric and initiation
and read magic.  2 pts misc disadds.

This person when faced with the same hoard of chunchies can:

Cast safe retreat and run for X mins... with the hoard in pursuit.
12 bless weapons (if undead)
12 wounding grasps
    (like this could be used in combat with no blocking weapon and no 
    "safe" casting time.  It would actually be more effective trying to 
    hit someone with a wimbly dagger as if thats effective.)
9 holy bolts (if undead)
9 poisoned grasps (same as above)
9 safe circles
7 curses
    (which do aversion or weaken which are weak.  Note that Dawn's 
    proposal would make this an effective spell again.  At this point, it 
    does not necessarily remove the opponent from combat)
6 nightmares
6 safe journeys
Run, because everything else is basically healing or tow related.

Obviously the mage has more options available and at a cheaper spell point
cost.  While I must state that the mage should be better in combat to
balance the characters, the cleric is basically useless until 6th level for
anything except a walking hospital.  The healing powers of the cleric does
not benefit the player themselves with the elimination of the concious
bleeding time.  They can not heal themselves unless it is only a limb wound
now.  They have no preventative combat spells (barkskin, stoneskin).  They
have no weapons or basic defensive combat weapon ability.  There is no cored
zero point weapons to use currently either.  All they can do it get hit...
This makes playing that type of character more stressful and unenjoyable
because they can't even avoid combat now.

The problem is that with the reformation of the circles of protection, the
cleric has no means to stay out of the fight or stay safe until the
situation is resolved.  Previously the non combat clerics would drop a
circle and stay safe out of the battle until it was over.  This did not
cause a problem with spell holds or etc.  This was replaced by a limited
time limit on a "safe" journey which may not even get them out of trouble.

I propose the inclusion of the Barkskin and Stoneskin for the cleric spell
lists.  We can rename them if appropriate to be more priestly.  This would
give the clerics some defensive protection in combat and help maintain the
character's survivability.  This would help balance out the two characters
as the mage would have more offensive capability and the cleric would have
the after combat healing abilities.  Since the mages have the previous
cleric ability to wear armor now, this is a logical follow through to
maintain balance between the two magics.