THE SUM OF LESSER LITURGIES: An Alternative Cleric In the Shadow of the Cleric Spell List

The D&D cleric has been with us since the game's inception, initially to handle one blood-sucking Sir Fang using the combined powers of the Holy Bible and Hammer Horror's Van Helsing. Here is a nice post from Scroll & Coins post from 2017 describing those influences in the Cleric's spell list.

Dracula, not Sir Fang

What I would like to focus on is the lesser-known "liturgies" of the Cleric's spell list. The secondary effects or alternative uses for some spells. For instance, when reviewing the cleric spell list in OSE for a wholly other post, I stumbled upon this surprising bit in cure disease:

2. Kill green slime: This monster is killed instantly

I knew about a few other instances of additional uses for spells in BX, most notably light (blind) and cure light wounds (cure ghoul paralysis), but did not remember this bit for cure disease, which had escaped my notice. Looking in the Rules Cyclopedia, for another Basic D&D comparator, I found that cure disease is phrased:

This spell will cure one disease, such as those caused by a mummy or green slime

There is also a corroborating note in the green slime monster entry in Rulese Cyclopedia noting the same vulnerability. 

This got me thinking about what an alternative cleric would look like if conceptualized using these secondary spell effects.  Here are those alternative effects listed out. Its a slim list and perhaps could use some padding with reverse spell effects, but I wanted to stay true to my query.

Level 1 Spells (at 1,500xp)

1. Cure Paralysis (cure light wounds)
2. Blind Creature (light)
3. Cancel Magical Darkness (light)
4. Touch Immunity from Constructs, Demons, or Enchanted Beings (protection from evil)

Level 2 Spells (at 6,000xp)

1. Ritual of Purification or Consecration (bless)
2. Silence Creature (silence)

Level 3-4 Spells (at 25,000xp)

1. Permanent Blindness (continual light)
2. Destroy Green Slime (cure disease)
3. Communicate with Monsterous Plant (speak with plants)

Level 5 Spells (at 50,000xp)

1. Banish Enchanted or Undead Being (dispel evil)
2. Destroy Undead (Raise Dead)

So what sorta vibes to I get from this list? Honestly, when I initially thought of this post, I was expecting to generate some sorta "dungeon hermit" who was born in the mythic underworld and can manipulate, and be resistant to, the environment therein. But upon review, especially with the first 6 spells, what the spell list signals to me is a class more like a wizard-hunter or Witcher (TM).

Cure paralysis, cancel darkness, blind creature, and silence creature all seem good options to battle opposing spellcasters. You prevent your hirelings from becoming immobile, remove the darkness that hinders you from seeing, and then you can blind the enemy spellcaster and silence them to prevent further spellcasting.

 Touch Immunity helps keep you safe from melee attacks from summoned/extra-planar creatures or constructs that are guarding the warlock and their manse. And finally, the purification or consecration spell can destroy whatever magical device, altar, idol, or gate they were using to do their foul deeds. Finishing the job right!

Toss A Coin To Your (Wizard-Hunter)

Reg: STR 09+ and one stat must be 13 (a mark of your unlucky past)
Prime: WIS
HD: As Cleric
Attack: As Cleric
Save: As Dwarf (dipped in the waters of Styx)
Armor: Any + Shields
Weapons: Any one-handed, thrown weapons (everyone knows wizards can't be hurt by normal arrows)
Spells: As Cleric, using spells as above; Detect Magic 2-in-6; Extract component from killed monster
XP: As Dwarf

You were a child who survived a terrible calamity caused by or infused with magic. Stark white hair and a thousand-yard stare made it easy for the order to find you. They bathed you in spring water mixed with 7 drops from the river Styx. They said this would protect you from the more harmful effects of magic. Then they fed you milk & honey with 13 drops from the river Lethe. They said would make you forget the pain of your loss. Then they put a sword in your hand and drilled you in liturgies of gods lost spoken by the 77 sphinxes of Bnazic. Then the order sent you into the world to hunt the same wizards that stole your childhood long ago.