Cook/Marsh Expert: Clerical Spells

The D&D Expert rulebook provided additional spells for clerics, magic-users and elves, with more details on casting restrictions and new information on reversed spells.

Casting Restrictions:

A spell caster must be able to talk and make proper hand motions in order to cast spells, and is unable to do anything else during the round the spell is cast (such as walking or fighting).*

*as mentioned in Moldvay Basic: Spells, the question arises as to whether spell casters are able to cast spells from a seated position or while on horseback.  I have ruled that they are able to do so, since the somatic component is defined as hand gestures.  (A spell caster on horseback would need to drop the reigns, but would be able to cast spells unless their mount is traveling or engaged in melee)

The Expert rulebook goes on to state that a player must inform the DM that their character is casting a spell and which spell is being cast before the initiative dice are rolled.  If the caster loses initiative and takes damage or fails a saving throw, the spell is interrupted and lost.*

*it's not clear what happens when the caster loses initiative, but doesn't take damage or fail a saving throw.  I'd likely permit a spell to be successfully cast if the attack misses AC 9 (not permitting Dexterity adjustments, unless the player states their character is dodging the blow), or with constitution-based saving throws (not a save vs. wands, for example)

Finally, the Expert rulebook states that a caster must be able to see the creature or area the spell is to be cast upon (preventing spell casters from casting spells "around the corner").

Reversed Clerical Spells:

The Expert rulebook states "Clerics can reverse a spell simply by reversing the required words and hand gestures."*  It goes on to state that lawful clerics only use the reversed form in life-or-death situations, while chaotic clerics typically use the reversed form, and will only use the normal form to benefit those of the same alignment, or those directly serving the same power.  Finally, neutral clerics have either the normal or the reversed form available, depending on "the nature of the power they serve".

*note that in AD&D 1e, clerics must pray for the reversed form of the spell, beforehand

Clerical Spells:

Second Level Clerical Spells

Eight 2nd level clerical spells are listed (the same eight 2nd level clerical spells in Holmes).  Differences from Holmes Basic are specified, below:

1. Bless* - from OD&D vol. 1/Holmes - the Expert Rulebook specifies a 20' x 20' area of effect, with a +1 bonus for both "to hit" and damage rolls

*the reverse is "Blight" instead of "Curse" from Holmes, to distinguish the reverse from "Curse", below

2. Find Traps - from OD&D vol. 1/Holmes - as with "Detect Evil" and "Detect Magic" in Moldvay Basic, the Expert version of this spell causes traps to actually glow (a dull blue light is specified)

3. Know Alignment - from Holmes - the duration is decreased from 2 turns to a single round, although the spell may be used to reveal the alignment of enchanted items (such as magic swords) or areas, in addition to creatures

4. Hold Person - from OD&D vol. 1/Holmes - as with "Charm Person" in the Moldvay Basic rulebook, expands the types of creatures affected, to include both mammalian and reptilian (ie. lizard men) humanoids, up to the size of an ogre (including bugbears)

5. Resist Fire - from Holmes - as with "Resist Cold" in Moldvay Basic, further specifies that magical fire will still inflict at least 1 point of damage per die (or hit die) rolled, although reduces duration from 6 turns to 2 turns

6. Silence, 15’ radius - from Greyhawk/Holmes - interestingly, the description states that a person within the area of effect is not prevented from hearing noises made outside the area (which is not how I've adjudicated the spell in my Holmes-based games)

7. Snake Charm - from Greyhawk/Holmes - similar to Holmes, although the duration for snakes that are attacking is reduced from 7-12 rounds to 2-5 rounds

8. Speak with Animals - from OD&D vol. 1/Holmes - specifies that both normal and giant forms of animals are affected, but not "intelligent" animal races or fantastic creatures (which presumably have their own languages)

Third Level Clerical Spells

Six 3rd level clerical spells are listed - the four 3rd level spells from OD&D vol. 1, plus two, new 3rd level clerical spells ("Growth of Animals" and "Striking") replacing the two 3rd level clerical spells from Greyhawk ("Prayer" and "Speak with Dead").

1. Continual Light* - from OD&D vol. 1 - as with OD&D, the clerical version of this spell is equivalent to full daylight.  It's furthermore stated that creatures with penalties when fighting in bright light (goblins, undead, etc.) will suffer these penalties with a clerical "Continual Light" (among undead, vampires suffer a penalty when fighting in bright light, resulting in a -4 penalty "to hit")

*the reverse is "Continual Darkness"

Saren the Cleric casting "Cure Disease" on her unlucky companion, Indel the Elf, from a D&D comic book advertisement (see D&D comics history, posted at Kuronon's blog (May 19, 2010, updated August 22, 2021).  Illustration by Jeff Dee.

2. Cure Disease* - from OD&D vol. 1 - will kill green slime (as per the monster description).  Will also cure afflictions such as lycanthropy and mummy rot, which led to this question in "Polyhedron" magazine:

Q. In the Cure Disease spell (Expert rulebook), it says that it will cure lycanthropy. Therefore, nobody should ever become a were-creature as long as there’s a 6th level Cleric around! So what's the big deal?

A. It’s an error. The spell will only cure lycanthropy if cast by a cleric of 11th level or greater.

From Polyhedron #11 (April, 1983)

(In AD&D 1e, "Cure Disease" must be cast by a cleric of 12th level or greater in order to cure lycanthropy.)

*the reverse "Cause Disease" specifies a hideous wasting disease, resulting in a -2 on all "to hit" rolls, doubling the length of time for natural healing, preventing any magical healing, and culminating in death within 2-24 days

3. Growth of Animals (new) - based on the 5th level magic-user spell "Growth of Animals" from OD&D vol. 1, (also appearing as the 5th level druid spell "Animal Growth" in Eldritch Wizardry) but only affecting a single animal.  Useful in conjunction with the 2nd level clerical spell "Speak with Animals"

4. Locate Object - from OD&D vol. 1 - similar to the 2nd level magic-user/elf spell, but with a different range (120' rather than 60' + 10'/level of the caster) and greater duration (6 turns instead of 2 turns as in Holmes and for magic-users and elves)

5. Remove Curse* - from OD&D vol. 1 - identical to the 4th level magic-user/elf spell.  Specifically states will free a character from a cursed magical item.

*the reverse is "Curse".  Some examples are provided (-4 "to hit", -2 on saves, reducing prime requisite by half) with no limit to the number of times a character may be cursed, provided each curse affects the character in a different way!  A proviso is that a DM may turn a curse that is too powerful back upon the caster.

6. Striking (new) - developed by Steve Marsh

I came up with the striking spell for clerics to cast on staves to fill out the numbers for the spell charts.

Steve Marsh, posted on Dragonsfoot (April 11, 2005)

Fourth Level Clerical Spells

Six 4th level clerical spells are listed - the six 4th level spells from OD&D vol. 1.  Differences from OD&D are specified, below:

1. Create Water - from OD&D vol. 1 - specifies volume (about 50 gallons) and that an enchanted spring from the ground or a wall is actually created

2. Cure Serious Wounds* - from OD&D vol. 1

*the reverse is "Cause Serious Wounds"

3. Neutralize Poison - from OD&D vol. 1 - slightly more powerful than the OD&D version, in that a poisoned character may actually be revived if cast within 10 rounds

4. Protection/Evil, 10' radius - from OD&D vol. 1 - no longer reversible, although "evil" is defined as attacks by monsters of an alignment other than the caster's

5. Speak with Plants - from OD&D vol. 1

6. Sticks to Snakes - from OD&D vol. 1 - statistics for the snakes are given (AC 6, HD 1, MV 90' (30'), #AT 1, D 1-4, Save F1, ML 7, AL N)

Fifth Level Clerical Spells

Six 5th level clerical spells are listed - the six 5th level spells from OD&D vol. 1.  Differences from OD&D are specified, below:

1. Commune - from OD&D vol. 1 - only yes/no answers to questions are provided

2. Create Food - from OD&D vol. 1

3. Dispel Evil - from OD&D vol. 1 (was reversible) - will banish or destroy any enchanted or undead monster within range, should it fail its saving throw.  Will flee affected area if successful.  May be cast at a single creature for a penalty of -2 on its saving throw.  Also frees creatures within range of cursed items.

4. Insect Plague - from OD&D vol. 1 - a 60' diameter swarm is specified, with a movement of 20'/round

5. Quest* - from OD&D vol. 1 (newly reversible)

*the reverse is "Remove Quest"

6. Raise Dead* - from OD&D vol. 1 - includes halflings (not included in OD&D).  Specifies that a raised character has 1 hp.  May also be used to slay undead, if their save is failed.

*the reverse is "Finger of Death"