HYPERBOREA / Cleric Spells Starting and Onward

**Posted by Revengeancer** 12/26/2019 8:22 pm

In the 2e tome, I’m having trouble understanding the Cleric spell gain process. The table shows one Level 1 spell to begin and at each level advancement, but the paragraph below for Sorcery describes three Level 1s and three more at each gain. I had a few ideas but many others like the Warlock match up in their sections. How does cleric Sorcery work and spell advancement work? Thanks from a neophyte DM

Last edited by Revengeancer (12/26/2019 8:30 pm)

**Posted by DMPrata** 12/26/2019 8:35 pm

There are two different lists at work here. Clerics begin play with knowledge of three level 1 spells. Of these, they can cast but one spell per day.* Upon attaining 2nd level, a cleric adds three more level 1 spells to his list of known spells, for a total of six known spells. He now can cast two spells per day.*

*Plus a possible bonus spell for high WIS.

**Posted by Revengeancer** 12/26/2019 9:05 pm

DMPrata wrote:
There are two different lists at work here. Clerics begin play with knowledge of three level 1 spells. Of these, they can cast but one spell per day.* Upon attaining 2nd level, a cleric adds three more level 1 spells to his list of known spells, for a total of six known spells. He now can cast two spells per day.*

*Plus a possible bonus spell for high WIS.

Oh, so the area on the table is the Spells Cast Per Day. That helps a lot. So by that rationale, they start learning level four spells at level 7? And does that mean they can just keep learning level 4 spells at each level gain after that, if they wanted, with no limitation?

**Posted by rhialto** 12/27/2019 7:32 am

Revengeancer wrote:
DMPrata wrote:
There are two different lists at work here. Clerics begin play with knowledge of three level 1 spells. Of these, they can cast but one spell per day.* Upon attaining 2nd level, a cleric adds three more level 1 spells to his list of known spells, for a total of six known spells. He now can cast two spells per day.*

*Plus a possible bonus spell for high WIS.

Oh, so the area on the table is the Spells Cast Per Day. That helps a lot. So by that rationale, they start learning level four spells at level 7? And does that mean they can just keep learning level 4 spells at each level gain after that, if they wanted, with no limitation?

Not with "no limitation", no: they're still limited to three automatically learned upon level gain. I think this is clear, based on your earlier posts, but just wanted to be sure. Note that casters can try and learn any number of spells in game play, theoretically, but those aren't automatically learned: time, resources and a "Chance to Learn New Spell" roll must be successful.

**Posted by DMPrata** 12/27/2019 7:25 pm

Revengeancer wrote:
Oh, so the area on the table is the Spells Cast Per Day. That helps a lot. So by that rationale, they start learning level four spells at level 7? And does that mean they can just keep learning level 4 spells at each level gain after that, if they wanted, with no limitation?

The cleric’s three “free” spells at each level gain can be of any level(s) he can cast. A 7th-level cleric could opt to learn three level 4 spells, or perhaps two level 4 and one level 3 if there’s a spell he really wants at that level.