Cleric Spells

Summary

Cleric Spells are the divine magic available to clerics and paladins with Divine Favor in Dungeon World. The spell system divides into two categories: rote spells that are always available (Light, Sanctify, and Guidance) and leveled spells that must be prepared through an hour of quiet communion with a deity. Unlike permanent spell selections in some systems, prepared spells can be changed each time a character communes, allowing flexibility in spell selection. Vasso gains access to this spell list in Session 4 when selecting Divine Favor, marking the first time divine magic appears in the campaign.

Some cleric spells overlap with the Wizard Spells list, creating shared magical territory between the two spellcasting classes. Examples of this overlap include Light and Detect Magic, allowing both clerics and wizards to handle basic utility magic like illumination and sensing magical presence.

This represents Shawn's first experience running a Dungeon World campaign with spellcasting, as the previous campaign established that magic no longer existed.

Details

Spell Categories

The cleric spell system operates on two tiers. Rote spells—Light, Sanctify, and Guidance—remain constantly available without preparation. Leveled spells require preparation through an hour spent in quiet communion with the cleric's deity. When a character levels up their spellcasting ability, they can prepare additional spells or gain access to higher-level spells.

First-Level Spells

The first-level spells available to Vasso include:

Speak with Dead allows communication with corpses, though Vasso expresses uncertainty about this spell: "I don't know if I would actually want a speak with dead situation. Yeah, maybe not. Depends on how Vasso's commune sees death." The spell's appropriateness depends on how Vasso's Commune views death.

Detect Alignment initially causes confusion, as Vasso believes this duplicates an existing ability: "I can already do that." However, clarification reveals the spell functions differently from Vasso's innate ability to detect evil, which only identifies evil rather than determining full alignment.

Magic Weapon draws Vasso's interest as a potentially useful option.

Cause Fear appears on the available spell list.

Sanctuary creates a protected area dedicated to the deity.

Spell Preparation

The preparation system allows complete flexibility: "You get to just choose. Oh, of course. I can choose every time." Rather than locking in permanent choices at character creation or level-up, the cleric selects which spells to prepare during each communion period, adapting their prepared spells to anticipated needs.

History

Session 4

Divine magic enters the campaign for the first time when Vasso selects Divine Favor and gains access to the cleric spell list. Shawn acknowledges the novelty: "I've never actually had a spellcaster in a game of Dungeon World before."

During spell selection, Vasso reviews the available first-level options and rote spells. The discussion reveals both mechanical clarifications—such as the distinction between Detect Alignment and Vasso's existing evil-detection ability—and character considerations about which spells fit Vasso's relationship with the Earth Mother and the Commune's views on death. Vasso does not make final spell selections during the session, discovering that the preparation system allows changes at each communion rather than requiring immediate permanent choices.

Episode: "Session 11"

During Session 11, cleric spells become relevant in a discussion about what type of magical abilities Cat might gain access to. Shawn identifies cleric spells as Vasso's existing magical domain, explaining the distinction between spell lists: "Currently, Vaso has access to cleric spells, but the wizard has different spells." This establishes that while the two spellcasting traditions exist separately, they share certain fundamental magical abilities.

The discussion reveals overlap between cleric and wizard spell lists, particularly in utility magic. As Shawn clarifies: "Some of them are the same, like light. You both had access to light and, like, detect magic and stuff, I think, but wizard has slightly different ones." This partial overlap means both spellcasting classes can handle basic magical tasks like illumination and sensing magic, while maintaining distinct specialized capabilities. Shawn ultimately proposes offering wizard spells to Cat rather than duplicating Vasso's cleric spell access, ensuring the party would have access to a broader range of magical options.