From the stats post, from Osprey:
Birthright got it half right: they made wizards rare (except among elves). They should have made spellcasting clerics equally rare. As part of the world's historical and current settings, this would make blatant magic fairly unusual if not rare. The priest with faith healing really IS a wondrous discovery, much like stumbling on a wizard in the wilderness. Magicians and bards, village wise-women, mystic hermits - these would be the more typical magic-users - magics that are subtle, invisible, tricks. A little herbalism and alchemy can explain (and disguise) an awful lot. There aren't many of these spells (even bard/magician/adept) beyond 0 and 1st level in D&D, unfortunately.
Actually, it should be said that clerics should be made equally rare. IMC, there's about 2 or 3 spellcasting clerics for every true wizard. Many people initially bemoan this, but, when it comes right down to it, if you have a cleric or magical healer everywhere, your life span goes way up... for everybody. Which means MUCH larger populations. Why?

Think about it. Cure disease, cure blindness, neutralize poison, cure light wounds.

There are never plagues. Few die of natural poisoning (eg the snake biting your kid while out getting firewood, the black widow spider nipping you while sweeping your porch), and practically NO one dies of accident/injury. Why? Because, as long as they are initially stabilized, the cleric runs out, and heals 'em. One healing spell is all it takes... it's not like the 1st level commoner has that many hp for a cure light wounds spell to heal.

Clerics are better than paramedics, poison control, and the CDC rolled into one.

And let's not even get into the ugly issue of raising. Yes, we have the mechanic that a blooded character does not get their bloodline back.

Fine. That still doesn't mean it won't happen.

But how do you rationalize the rarity of clerics? After all, it's a calling, not an inborn talent like a sorceror, or a skill that is hard to find and learn, like a wizard.

Simple. These are YOUNG gods we are talking about, none of them much older than 1500 years old. Perhaps the Old Gods, they were able to support more clerics with their power, but these ones have NO other worlds other than Cerilia, most likely. Whereas your "average" D&D god is usually multi-planar.

Even if they have spread to other worlds, it would be comparitively minor so far. I mean, sure they got to inherit some temples on Cerilia, but even that took some time before everyone stopped believing in the old gods.


It should be noted that clerics are a PC (or villain) class. Just as is fighter. However, fighter has a more "common", slightly weaker sub-class: the warrior. Clerics more common class, I would argue, would be a non-spellcasting priest. Part of the clergy, but not one of the chosen few of the gods...

Yeah, this is partly a rant about low magic again... a topic we have seen time and again on this forum. At least I didn't put it in the post on vitals like I almost did. However, I really do think that Osprey touched on something there when it was said that clerics have to be rare. If you don't make 'em rare, then you are only halfway there.