Which Priests Receive Quest Spells

Only true and faithful servants of a Power who have successfully used powerful magic are eligible for quest spells. This limits quest spells to priests; although a paladin may be true and faithful, his experience is not sufficient to command the magical energies of potent quest magic.

Level limitations are important. It is very rare for a priest of lower than 12th level to be granted quest magic. Priests of 9th level and lower cannot use quest magic; the strain of holding and shaping such magic is too great.

A priest must possess Wisdom of 17 or better in order to cast quest spells. It is quite possible that a priest could be granted a quest spell but not possess the wisdom to cast 7th-level clerical spells; Powers sometimes work in mysterious ways.

Under normal conditions, quest spells are granted to high-level priests rather than their junior counterparts (when such an option exists, such as in a large temple). If the hierarchy of a temple has been destroyed, then the best of the junior echelons may be granted quest spells.

Some cases may not offer as many options as to the recipient of a quest spell. If the nearest priest to the site of a mission is of a lower level than priests at a faraway temple, the chances are good that this priest will be granted a quest spell rather than awaiting the arrival of a faraway superior. Similarly, if the senior priests of a temple are too old to travel or are needed to maintain order at the temple, a priest of a lower level may be granted the quest spell.

In some situations, a Power will recognize an extremely devoted follower by granting him a quest spell, passing up older, more experienced colleagues. Age and experience do not indicate devotion or worthiness. Prodigies exist in all walks of life; clerics are no exception.

Faithfulness and piety of the priest are important but are difficult to judge. The priest must be unswerving in his alignment and have an exemplary record of service to the Power. It is reasonable to ignore an offense committed due to magical influence even if atonement was required (or voluntarily undergone) as a result.

Obviously, these criteria depend on DM judgment. The DM must remember that priests are mortals--and mortals have weaknesses. While a priest who has not been zealous in defense of the faith is a noncandidate for quest spells, a priest who is pure of heart but who has made a few errors might still be considered for quest magic. However, such a priest may be asked to undertake a preliminary quest to prove his worthiness to the Power. This is especially likely if there is no time pressure for the greater quest or if the priest has asked the Power for quest magic rather than the Power commanding the priest.

A preliminary quest is not a trivial affair; it should present a stiff challenge. In a campaign, it will be especially appropriate if such a quest doubles as a test of the priest's mettle and as an opportunity to acquire a new resource (magical items, henchmen, followers, NPC co-operation, etc.) which might assist the greater quest to come.

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