Despite the subject, I do not really want to know who is the most powerful priest of the Realms. I would like to know who are the most powerful, regardless of hierarchy between them.
I can not remember a priest above the level 30. The wizards are the only ones with more than 30 levels in relation to any of the other classes. Warrior (fighters?), rogues and priests ... I even know a few with that range of 20 to 30 levels, but not beyond the 30th level. Or would I be wrong?
For example, in Arcane Age, Netheril: Empire of Magic, there priests tables for up to level 40. But there really was a character of those classes that has exceeded 30 levels?
Why only mages go beyond level 30, or even 40 levels? Perhaps the answer is the longevity necessary to achieve such levels whose warriors and thieves do not benefit. But why not the cleric?
Moreover, it is notorious that are humans that exceed the 30th level with much ease. Since the First and Second Edition of D&D that we know that the other races have much difficulty to reach such high levels. Even with these limitations disappeared in the last two editions, although we realize that this remained a characteristic "biological/mental/spiritual" of humans in relation to other races.
Personally, I remember only these characters (not wizards), who even do not go beyond the 30th level:
-Abordabe, Central Narfell, LN, Tempus Human male, 30th level fighter.
-Shinthala Deepcrest, Grand Cabal of the Emerald Enclave, N, Silvanus, Humam famele, 30th druid.
You'll probably get better answers, but I'll take a stab at it. The Erevis Cale books and the Shadowbane books are among my favorites in the FR setting. Both show the dilemma in following gods. You're granted all these awesome powers, but now you're playing in a much bigger pond. Wizards can have the luxury of being reclusive and researching new spells at their leisure. Clerics don't have that luxury. The more powerful they become, the more dangerous missions their gods send them on. The priests in these books are battling death slaadi, shadow dragons, demon lords, and epic level mortals.
Also, being a cleric automatically brings you enemies. The Shadowbane series does an excellent job in showing that. Clerics of rival gods, as well as heretics within your own faith, are always trying to take you out. I think your chances of surviving long enough to reach 30th or 40th level are much better as a wizard.
Additionally, most of the super high level wizards are liches. Gods typically frown on their servants becoming liches. To see what a cleric who had centuries to develop their powers would look like, simply consider Mystra's Chosen.
Matron Yvonnel Baenre was 25th level. That's the highest priest I've seen that I can recall off the top of my head. I seem to remember reading somewhere that priests tend to get elevated to serve their deity personally at super high levels, or in the case of evil gods, just destroyed if not elevated.
Hmmm Fzoul Chembryl....Matron Mother Yvonnel Baenre..... I don't think chosen count as they arn't really priests as much as demi gods by then, otherwise I elect Azuth himself as a priest of mystara , being that his power is sourced from her , as according to elimister enraged.
Hmm...Tchazzar count as a priest of tiamat? I would want to say any dragon priest for anyone of the gods could be it.
Elminster did have 3 level of cleric ..so is " priestly"
0 Many arrows is an exarch
This is honestly rather hard, as if a cleric gets so powerful they become a chosen anyawys, and/or most of the powerful ones in faerun tend to be wizards rather then priest.
As the old saying goes
Those that caste spells can, those that can't pray.
So many of the gods were willy nilly brought down to exarch status for 4e it is hard to even keep track of what being an exarch actually means. It was a very shoddy explanation. One of many shoddy explanations.
A wizard is Never late Frodo Baggins. Nor is he Early. A wizard arrives precisely when he means to...
exarch is everything between lesser deity and chosen.
Exarchs are divine beings of extraordinary power.
Exarchs are often called demigods (but note that exarchs are not gods (as in Demigods) of demipower status, despite the name) or heroes, and many are ascended mortal servants of greater gods, brought up from the world to serve as agents of their divine masters. Many, but not all, attract worshipers of their own, and they have some ability to grant spells, but are more often simply conduits from the mortal world to the attention of the higher gods.[1]
The divine hierarchy of a deity has exarchs at the top, just under the deity, and other divine servitors under them(known as proxies in older editions)[2]
A Chosen is not the same as an exarch, though it is possible for a Chosen to ascend to the rank of exarch.[2]
For example, the druids of Gulthandor pay homage to the Lion God, but in reality the character's divine spells are being granted by Nobanion's patron, Silvanus. Unlike true deities, exarchs are not bound to live in Astral Dominions with their patrons. Like Nobanion, many choose to live on the Material Plane, more directly engaged in the lives of their mortal followers.
Actually they changed that and Nobion I believe became a Primial Spirit.
Not it matters as I'm sure he'll be restored to being s God with the rest of the dead and demoted in 5e.
If you wish to know who is the most powerful priests, it'd be the gods themselves if you look at thier stats many have levels in divine spell casting plus other classes and other divine abilities.
Well there is Prismal from page 11 of The Ecyclopedia Magicka Vol. 1 who was a Cleric/Wizard 35/35 from Kara-Tur. But I don't consider him to be canon.
I have a dream that one day, all game worlds will exist as one.
Salvarad from the Cult of the Dragon was listed in the Saerloon section of the Forgotten Realms Adventures as being "one of the most powerful forces of evil in the Dragonreach today", with spells granted by Shar and Cyric (oddly he posed as a priest of Talos in the Spellfire book). His level was "(now)20". If he survived up to the spellplague he'd likely be in the mid 20s but I don't know his fate. He was very pragmatic in Spellfire and less inclined to be suicidally going after Shandril than the other Order of the Purple or whatever the leaders of the Cult called themselves.
Some of the Matron Mothers from Menzo or other drow cities as well would be low 20s or mid 20s? Not sure who the highest priest in Evereska or Evermeet would be?
List of Some of the Most Powerful Clerics in the Realms
Iyraclea葉he High Priestess of Auril. Ed said she痴 powerful enough to challenge Larloch. Status: deceased.
Rivalen Tanthul葉he Nightseer, priest of Shar. He, Cale, and Riven share a sliver of Mask痴 divinity, which they stole from Kesson Rel. Technically, he痴 not just a cleric; he痴 a theurge. Status: alive.
Erevis Cale佑hosen of Mask. Status: possibly alive.
Riven佑hosen of Mask, assassin who loves dogs. Status: alive.
Iphegor Nath葉he High Flamelord of the church of Kossuth. The zulkirs treated him their near equal. Status: deceased.
Cera幼andidate for the post of High Priestess of Amaunator in Chessenta. The amount of divine power she usually channels far exceeds those of some high priests. Status: alive.
Hezass Nymar葉harchion of Lapendrar of Thay and Eternal Flame of the temple of Kossuth in Escalant. Status: deceased.
Pavel Shemov葉he cleric of Lathander who destroyed Sammaster痴 phylactery. Status: deceased.
Variance Amatick預 shade cleric of Shar out of the Fane of Shar in Thultanthar. Status: alive.
Indith Shalla預 priestess of Shar in the city of Elversult and the leader of a sect of the Cult of the Dragon.
Esvele Greycastle預 human cleric of Shar and shadow adept. Status: deceased.
quote:Originally posted by silverwolfer Exarchs are often called demigods (but note that exarchs are not gods (as in Demigods) of demipower status, despite the name)
Actually most demigods, and quite a few lesser and intermediate gods as well, have been grouped as exarchs in 4e
quote:The Citadel of Mists is home to the enigmatic Mistmaster (CN hm C19有eira/Ill26), a powerful, long-lived illusionist and lapsed priest of the Lady of the Mists, who may have once been the highest-ranking priest of the entire faith based in Milvarune.
I'd like to throw the deceased Gedrin Shadowbane in there. From books and short stories, we know that he drove the Night Masks (led by Manshoon and his cabal of vampires) from Westgate. He also killed a shadow dragon, and even at 90 years old, could kill multiple assailants.
I'd like to throw the deceased Gedrin Shadowbane in there. From books and short stories, we know that he drove the Night Masks (led by Manshoon and his cabal of vampires) from Westgate. He also killed a shadow dragon, and even at 90 years old, could kill multiple assailants.
AFAIK, Gedrin Shadowbane was a paladin, not a priest. In that series, I'd be inclined to say your name sake is the highest-level priest.
Also, there must have been a few of the at least 35 baneliches who were in the mid, perhaps even upper 20s.
I'd like to throw the deceased Gedrin Shadowbane in there. From books and short stories, we know that he drove the Night Masks (led by Manshoon and his cabal of vampires) from Westgate. He also killed a shadow dragon, and even at 90 years old, could kill multiple assailants.
AFAIK, Gedrin Shadowbane was a paladin, not a priest. In that series, I'd be inclined to say your name sake is the highest-level priest.
Also, there must have been a few of the at least 35 baneliches who were in the mid, perhaps even upper 20s.
Hmm, good point. Although, I feel that paladins should be included in this discussion. The main theme of the Shadowbane series is Kalen's struggle with his faith. Without a strong adherence to the tenets of their god, the favor of their god, and/or the continued existence of their god, paladins are much less formidable. They are trained in combat, but also depend heavily on their clerical powers.
Lilten probably is the highest level priest in the series, but he's not "pure" to that class either. He's definitely got some bard levels, and maybe a few in sorcerer (I'm just guessing). I just think the line between paladin and cleric is difficult to distinguish. Even guys like Erevis Cale and Drasek Riven, who were very capable thieves, assassins, and warriors, get the bulk of their power from the clerical abilities. So I would still consider them "priests", despite their obvious multiclassing. Just a thought.
quote:Originally posted by Lilianviaten Hmm, good point. Although, I feel that paladins should be included in this discussion. The main theme of the Shadowbane series is Kalen's struggle with his faith. Without a strong adherence to the tenets of their god, the favor of their god, and/or the continued existence of their god, paladins are much less formidable. They are trained in combat, but also depend heavily on their clerical powers.
Paladins are holy warriors - fighting is their primary occupation/task, not casting spells. And the OP specifically asked for priests (in fact, for the most powerful priests), not for all characters who happen to be able to cast some divine spells.
quote:Lilten probably is the highest level priest in the series, but he's not "pure" to that class either. He's definitely got some bard levels, and maybe a few in sorcerer (I'm just guessing).
Oh, I'm sure Lilten has bard levels - in fact, I wouldn't be surprised to learn he's got more bard than cleric levels.
quote:I just think the line between paladin and cleric is difficult to distinguish.
I don't see the difficulty. Paladins are primarily front-line warriors who have divine powers and some divine spells, whereas priests are primarily spellcasters (healers especially) capable of fighting in melee if need be.
quote:Even guys like Erevis Cale and Drasek Riven, who were very capable thieves, assassins, and warriors, get the bulk of their power from the clerical abilities. So I would still consider them "priests", despite their obvious multiclassing. Just a thought.
I always got the feeling that Erevis was primarily a priest, while Drasek is a fighter/assassin who uses spells to enhance his fighting abilities. But even so, I wouldn't put Erevis among the most powerful priests of the Realms, except maybe after he'd absorbed part the divine power stolen by Kesson Rel.
All posted priests really powerful, but I think any of them with more than 30 levels, as I had pointed. Arcane Age, Netheril: Empire of Magic has that table statistics for priests up to 40 + levels if a DM wanted to create a NPC these levels or avatars, why not really found a canon NPCs in these levels.
All posted priests really powerful, but I think any of them with more than 30 levels, as I had pointed. Arcane Age, Netheril: Empire of Magic has that table statistics for priests up to 40 + levels if a DM wanted to create a NPC these levels or avatars, why not really found a canon NPCs in these levels.
Well, considering the mistmaster is considered a dual-classed lvl 19 cleric / 26 illusionist in 2nd edition, he could be CONVERTED as a mystic theurge along with say some "unknown" other theurging prestige class that maybe gives 6 spellcasting levels in divine casting and 10 in arcane. So, 3 lvls wiz/ 3 lvls cleric / 10 lvls mystic theurge / 10 lvls unknown "theurge" / 3 lvls some other arcane casting prestige class or wizard puts it at a lvl 29 character. I'd assume this "unknown" theurge class focuses on illusions or enchantments somehow to make up for the loss of spellcasting levels.
mistmaster sounds like it would rather fall under a gesalt build , rather then that formula , also consider that the top levels for 2e and 1e were drastically different from 3e.
Good way to compare power is that sliding scale, 2e was around 25 or so for epic? 3e was 20+ , 3e gods avatars are stated to be around level 30 to 40.
Most powerful forgotten realms priests...
Posted - 05 Jul 2013 : 04:13:54
