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A player wishes to take 5 levels as a positive cleric (Spontaneous Cure) and 5 levels as a negative cleric (Spontaneous Inflict). In both cases the player wants to trade turn/rebuke for paladin auras. Aura of Courage using the Unearthed Arcana variant. The second trade would be for Aura of Resolve from the paladin of freedom, also from Unearthed Arcana.

The character would be Neutral Good and worship a 2 headed god that (in campaign) spends it's time debating the dueling merits of Law and Chaos.

Are there any game breaking exploits, balance issues, obscure rules, ...ect we need to be aware of, before allowing or banning this? If it matters the next levels are planned to be chameleon or rogue. I think the player wants to use precision damage on weapon-like spells as the center of the build.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Would all the cleric levels stack for one big caster level and one big pile of spells? \$\endgroup\$ Nov 23, 2015 at 6:32
  • \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan Chameleon, having its own caster progression, would have its own caster level... correct? \$\endgroup\$
    – Ruut
    Nov 23, 2015 at 6:40
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Ruut Yes, but I ignored that last sentence in favor of the question. :-) (I also figured there were already so many house rules in this question that I couldn't be sure it was the chameleon as we know it.) \$\endgroup\$ Nov 23, 2015 at 6:48
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    \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan I was sort of scared to answer this question, to be frank - I am curious to know what is going on at that gaming table. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ruut
    Nov 23, 2015 at 6:57
  • \$\begingroup\$ He intends to have the cleric levels to be separate (not stack). Yes chameleon would have it's own caster level, just as it is officially written. I'll point out the alignment restriction, so he'll be true neutral. \$\endgroup\$
    – Citarian
    Nov 23, 2015 at 8:09

1 Answer 1

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It's not possible to spontaneously Inflict as a Cleric having Good alignment. You would need:

  1. Alignment Change
  2. Possible Deity Change

Technically, your DM could allow it, since the SRD states:

Multiclassing between variants of the same class is a tricky subject. In cases where a single class offers a variety of paths (such as the totem barbarian or the monk fighting styles), the easiest solution is simply to bar multiclassing between different versions of the same class (just as a character can't multiclass between different versions of specialist wizards). For variants that are wholly separate from the character class—such as the bardic sage or the urban ranger—multiclassing, even into multiple variants of the same class, is probably okay. Identical class features should stack if gained from multiple versions of the same class (except for spellcasting, which is always separate).

There are only three Paladin Variants in Unearthed Arcana:

  1. Paladin of Freedom
  2. Paladin of Slaughter
  3. Paladin of Tyranny

Personal advice would be:

This concept sounds extremely weak, not allowed RAW, over-reaching, not fun, and would be dependent upon every other character in the party to achieve anything for it, especially in combat.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ If he was advised to do 17 levels one cleric, 3 levels other cleric (or similar) would that work? Or is it just another way of losing spell progression like a mystic theurge? \$\endgroup\$
    – Citarian
    Nov 23, 2015 at 8:05
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Citarian It is really up to the DM. I can't provide an adequate response to that outside of opinion. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ruut
    Nov 23, 2015 at 8:32
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    \$\begingroup\$ There is another rule which suggests it is possible to multiclass cleric classes of multiple faiths, though it’s unclear if it’s possible to do so while retaining cleric powers from each. As discussed in this answer, Player’s Handbook II’s section on Divine Conversion states that “What if a cleric of Hextor finds new meaning and purpose in serving Heironeous after a dramatic conversion experience? Such a character need not become a multiclass ex-cleric of Hextor/cleric of Heironeous.” “Need not” suggests that it is actually possible to do so. \$\endgroup\$
    – KRyan
    Nov 23, 2015 at 12:42
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Ahriman If you use the option presented by Divine Conversion? Yes. But the text poses that as an alternative to just multiclassing (and in the case of an ex-cleric of Hextor, having several wasted levels). \$\endgroup\$
    – KRyan
    Nov 23, 2015 at 12:57
  • \$\begingroup\$ As an "ex-cleric" you lose all powers bestowed by your former god, don't you? \$\endgroup\$
    – Adeptus
    Nov 24, 2015 at 1:20

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