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White Mage

The LBBs, of course, gave us three classes: the fighter, the magic-user, and the cleric. The fighter and magic-user need no introduction, but the cleric has always been a bit of an oddball. I think a lot of this is a confusion of concept. Others have pointed out that the cleric is, essentially, several disparate ideas condensed into one:

1. Van Helsing, i.e. the vampire/undead hunter.
2. Vaguely Christian holy warrior
3. Healmonkey/utility

We usually think of clerics as the last two points, but it’s crazy to look back at just how good old-school clerics were at destroying the undead. With reason, too; undead are some of the scariest opponents in the first fantasy game. They don’t check morale, and some of them have really evil attacks like level drain. It makes sense to make one of your players be a nuke against those types, the same way the wizard’s fireball or cloudkill is against a horde of nasties.

So, let’s say, like me, you’re at odds with point 2. Not only does the Christian theme not really work in your setting (not to mention being slightly weird and potentially ~problematic~ in the first place). Who’s going to slay your undead and heal up the other murderhobos?

Enter some inspiration from the East, specifically from the original Final Fantasy: the White Mage. A “clothy” wizard who uses benevolent magic, rather than the amoral magic of his colleagues; he still has a lot of more fun uses in the form of spells that deal with creatures of darkness.

Oh, and he’s also pretty handy with a hammer.

Wizard School: White Mage

White Mages are beloved healers and sought-after companions. They’re easily recognisable by their voluminous white robes with red, triangle-shaped trimming.

Perk: So long as you’re dressed like a White Mage, you find it easy to convince people you’re doing good work (everyone trusts you easier). Similarly, mercenaries will be more willing to follow you (because they know you’ll take care of them). You start with the signature robes of your school.

Drawback: You cannot use, or even own, edged weapons (swords, arrows/bolts, axes, etc). The clergy don’t like white mages (for encroaching on their territory).

Cantrips

1. You can consume a MD to light your finger, the end of a staff, etc. The light is as bright as that of a normal torch or lantern. The consumed MD will return to you after a turn of not casting spells or cantrips.
2. You can heal a very minor injury (nick, dislocated joint) by licking it. This heals no more than 1HP in game terms, no matter how long you spend doing it.
3. Water that has been in your mouth is purified.

Spells

Start with Cure, and roll 1d5+1 (or 1d6, re-rolling 1) for your second starting spell.

1. Cure
   R: Touch
   Target is healed for [sum]+[dice] HP. Any debilitating conditions from recent combats are also cured.
2. Protection from Evil
   D: [dice] minutes R: varies
   Target can’t be attacked or targeted with spells by inherently evil creatures, such as demons or undead. The spell is broken if the target attacks or casts a spell. Evil creatures with HD greater than 2x[dice] can save to attempt to overcome this protection. The range depends on the [dice] and includes yourself:
   • 1-2: touch
   • 3: 10’ radius
   • 4: Small building
   • 5: Fortress
3. Protect
   D: [dice] turns R: touch
   Target gains magical armor. AC as plate + [dice], and they still get their bonus for using a shield. Treat the armor as magical for the purposes of e.g. getting attacked by something that degrades non-magical armor.
4. Silence
   D: [dice] minutes R: 20’ radius
   No sound can be emitted in the radius.
5. Turn Undead
   R: 50’ D: [dice] turns
   [sum]+[dice] HD of undead creatures flee in terror. If the [dice] spent are greater than the undead creature’s HD, they are instead destroyed and crumble to dust. If you roll this spell twice, you gain a second spell that works against demons or devils instead of undead.
6. Protection from Elements
   R: 30’ D: [dice]×2 turns
   Target gains immunity to natural elemental damage (such as fire or cold). They also gain a +2 per [dice] bonus to saves against magical sources of elemental damage (dragonfire, lightning bolts, magical frost, etc).
7. Create Water
   The mage creates a magical spring, with water enough for [dice]×6 human-sized creatures and their mounts - 25 gallons per die.
8. Create Food
   The mage creates food enough for [dice]×6 human-sized creatures.
9. Antimagic Field
   D: 1 minute R: self
   The field emanates from you in a radius of 10’. Spells cast with spell dice equal to or less than [dice] within this radius have no effect.
10. Dispel Evil
    R: 15×[dice]’ D: [dice] turns
    Evil creatures struck by this spell will be destroyed or banished, or (if they save) will flee in terror.
11. Restoration
    R: touch
    Restores [dice] lost levels (by level drain) to a character. Does not stack with subsequent castings; it must be done all at once.
12. Quest
    R: 30'
    Targeted creature must save or be sent on a quest, of the caster’s choice. They must follow this task or be cursed. The quest can only be dispelled by another caster who knows Quest, expending the same amount of MD as the original caster, to cast Dispel Quest. Casters who know Quest automatically know Dispel Quest.

Mishaps

1. MD only return to your pool on a 1-2 for 24 hours.
2. Take 1d6 damage.
3. Your healing spells have a 2-in-6 chance of harming for a turn.
4. You must watch something die before you can cast a healing spell again.
5. Panic for 1d6 rounds
6. Your hands seize up painfully. You can’t do anything requiring fine motor skills, including casting spells, for 1d6 rounds.

Doom of the White Mage

1. You go blind for three days.
2. You cannot cast spells for a week.
3. You lose your mind and become permanently unable to speak or cast spells. Kind party members might relieve you of your wizardly robes and send you off to a monastery.

You can avoid this doom by swearing an oath of non-violence on the heart of an angel or pit fiend.