Priest Class (DSC)

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Athas is a world without true gods. Powerful sorcerer-kings often masquerade as gods and demigods but, though their powers are great and their worshipers many, they aren’t true gods. The world does, however, provide sources of priestly magical power. Such belief-inspired magic is separated into two distinct areas, each with a class suitable to its application. Note that the use of priestly magic never adversely affects the ecosystem in and of itself. The net result of the spell may affect the environment (such as summon insects or lower water), but the use of the magical energy itself doesn’t destroy the environment like defiling magic.
Clerics are priests who tend to the needs of the local people with their particular talents. They worship one of the four elemental forces: earth, air, fire, or water. They call upon magical energies from the associated planes, specializing in one element’s magical application on the Prime Material plane of Athas. Like the elements themselves, the power they draw upon isn’t benevolent or malevolent—it only cares that its natural form in the material world is preserved.
The spells available to a cleric depend upon his elemental plane of worship. To reflect this, the spheres of clerical spells have been reorganized into five spheres: the Spheres of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, and the Sphere of the Cosmos (a general sphere). Spells are received directly from the elemental sphere (even the Cosmos spells). A cleric need not restrict his activities to supporting his element on Athas, but direct opposition may cause spells to be withheld, at the DM’s option. For example, an elemental water cleric who goes out of his way to poison or otherwise damage a watering hole might suffer for such an action.
Druids, the second type of Athasian priests, associate themselves with the spirits that inhabit special geographical locations on Athas. Every oasis, rock formation, stretch of desert, and mountain has a spirit that looks over it and protects its use. A druid allies with a particular spirit, acting as that spirit’s earthly counterpart and drawing magical energy from it. For example, an oasis has its own spirit and a single druid who lives there to protect it and preside over its use by humans, demihumans, and animals.
Note: A cleric gains access to all spells within his chosen elemental sphere and to all spells in the Sphere of the Cosmos. Druids choose their spheres based upon the geographic feature with which they are associated. The new lists of priest spells by sphere is given in Chapter 4: Magic and Spells.
Other than these spell parameters, priest characters are created and used just as described in the Player’s Handbook. Restrictions to armor and weaponry vary according to class.