Religion of the Cleric: 6th level Spells

Continuing my discussion of how Clerical magic can help us understand his religious beliefs. With these spells the evidence that the Deity worshiped by the Clerics is the creator of the universe and or multiverse really begins to mount up. This spell list is spread across the Expert and the Companion sets.

The OD&D Cleric
Analysis of Level 1 Spells
Analysis of Level 2 Spells
Analysis of Level 3 Spells
Analysis of Level 4 Spells
Analysis of Level 5 Spells
Analysis of Level 7 Spells
Conclusions

From the Expert Rulebook:

Animate Objects
The cleric may use this spell to cause any non-living, non-magical objects to move and attack. Magical objects are not affected. Any one object up to 4,000 cn weight may be animated (roughly the size of two men), or smaller objects whose total weight does not exceed 4,000 cn. The DM must decide on the movement rate, number of attacks, damage, and other combat details of the objects animated. As a guideline, a man-sized statue might have a 3’’ movement rate, attack once per round for 2-16 points of damage, and have an Armor Class of 1. A chair might only be AC 6, but move at 180’ per round on its four legs, attacking twice per round for 1-4 points per attack. All objects have the same chances to hit as the cleric animating them.

At first this spell seems to be something that would fit the repertoire of a Magic-User better than that of a priest. It seems to be a random magical effect like wizards in fairy-tales might cause. However, given that it is included with the clerical spell list, maybe we can come up with a theological argument for its presence.
     It occurs to me that one argument made by LDS theologians might apply here. Some scholars in the LDS church claim that the reason Jesus was able to perform certain miracles is because he was also creator of the world; that some miracles were unique to Christ and that one of his apostles couldn't have done it if they had enough faith.  The argument goes like this: because Jesus created (or organized) the world, the particles/atoms that went into the world have a special relationship with him; essentially the atoms and molecules of earth obeyed Christ during his lifetime because he organized them into the earth at the beginning of time. Of course it is much more complex than that, but that's the gist of it, and no I don't personally subscribe to that line of thought. Certain miracles such as turning water into wine or calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee are explained away in this manner.
     So, how does that apply to this spell? I can see a similar argument being made; if the Deity worshiped by the cleric created the universe, then the Deity can also command not just living things, but also inanimate things, and that power can in turn be granted to the Deity's followers. Another thought is that if this Deity has command over life he is literally giving the cleric the power to breath life into something that was dead (or inanimate). Either way, I think this spell shows that the Deity has power over more than just living things; he can also command objects to do his will.

Find the Path
When this spell is cast, the cleric must name a specific place, though it need not have been visited before. For the duration of the spell, the cleric will know the direction to that place. In addition, any special knowledge needed to get to the place will also be gained; for example, locations of secret doors become known, passwords, and so forth. This spell is often used to find a fast escape route.

This is an interesting spell, somewhat different than most of the other clerical spells. It is reminiscent of the wizard's eye or clairaudience or other scrying spells. I guess the theological argument is fairly simple. The Deity knows everything (he is omniscient) and so it is simple matter to show a follower where a specific location is and how to get there.

Speak with Monsters
This spell gives the caster the power to ask questions of any and all living and undead creatures within 30’. Even unintelligent monsters will understand and respond to the cleric. Those spoken to will not attack the cleric while engaged in conversation, but may defend themselves if attacked. Only one question per round may be asked, and the spell lasts 1 round per level of the caster.
     The reverse of this spell, babble, has a 60‘ range, and a duration of 1 turn per level of the caster. The victim may make a Saving Throw vs. Spells to avoid the effect, but with a - 2 penalty to the roll. If the Saving Throw is failed, the victim cannot be understood by any other creature for the duration of the spell. Even hand motions, written notes, and all other forms of communication will seem garbled. This does not interfere with the victim’s spell casting (if any), but does prevent the use of many magic items by turning the command words to mere babbling.

This spell speak to both the omniscience of the deity, in that they can understand the languages and thoughts of all living things, and the Deity's connection to the natural world. The Deity is not just a the god of the humans, but also has a connection to every living thing. The Deity knows not just all languages, but the thoughts of every creature because this allows the understanding of even those creatures without a language. The reverse of this spell shows an even more interesting power of the Deity. He not only possesses understanding of a creature's thoughts, but may also change how it thinks. Language is irrevocably tied to how we process information; when our language changes, so do our thought processes. I can see why only an evil cleric would want to cast this spell; it gives the caster the ability to change the essence of who a person is. Even though it is temporary, the reverse spell has a powerful effect.

Word of Recall
Similar to a magic-user’s teleport spell, this spell carries the cleric and all equipment carried (but no other creatures) to the cleric’s home. The cleric must have a permanent home (such as a castle), and a meditation room within that home; this room is the destination when the spell is cast. During the round in which this spell is cast, the cleric automatically gains initiative unless surprised.

This is an interesting spell. It is similar to teleport in many ways, but the purpose behind its presence and use are vastly different. It speaks to me of a need for safety. Given that this is a 6th level spell, even the most valiant defenders of the faith sometimes retreat from danger or evil. Or another way of looking at it could be this is a way for a cleric to return to a holy site and defend it whenever danger approaches. The fact that the Deity can teleport his clerics to a specific holy site at a moment's notice demonstrates the power that the Deity has. The Deity is in possession of the same kind of power and abilities as any wizard, but he limits the use of these powers by his followers by providing specific circumstances and reasons for which they can be used.

From the Players Companion:

Aerial Servant
An aerial servant is a very intelligent humanoid being from the Ethereal Plane. With this spell, the cleric summons one of these beings, which appears immediately. The cleric must then describe one creature or item to the servant, or else it will depart. The approximate location of the target must also be named. When it hears this description and location, the servant leaves, trying to find the item or creature and bring it to the cleric. The servant will take as much time as needed, up to the limit of the duration.
     The aerial servant has 18 Strength, and can carry up to 5,000 cn. It can become ethereal at will, and thus can travel to most places easily. However, it cannot pass a protection from evil spell effect. If it cannot perform its duty within the duration of the spell, the servant becomes insane and returns to attack the caster.

This is interesting because at first it seems like the aerial servant might be a direct servant of the Deity worshiped by the cleric, but then it goes insane and attacks the caster if it can't complete the task? That doesn't sound like a willing servant; it sounds like maybe this creature was geased or quested or some similar effect. Maybe when this spell is cast the Deity of the cleric binds this creature from the Ethereal plane to do a task for the cleric, but when the task proves impossible the compulsion to complete the task is so strong that the aerial servant doesn't know what to do; the only way to free itself from its servitude is to destroy the taskmaster. If there is no longer a cleric to complete a task for, then the aerial servant no longer has to complete an impossible task.
     Aside form that, this spells demonstrates that the Deity has power not just over the Prime Material Plane, but also in the Ethereal plane, and most likely all the planes of existence. A creature from the Ethereal plane is just as easily controlled as a creature from the Prime plane. All living creatures are subservient to this Deity, and as representatives of the Deity, Clerics are given a portion of this power to command others.

Barrier
This spell creates a magical barrier in an area up to 30’ in diameter and 30’ high. The barrier is a wall of whirling and dancing hammers, obviously dangerous. Any creature passing through the barrier takes 7-70 points of damage from the whirling hammers (no Saving Throw). This spell is often used to block an entrance or passage.
     The reverse of this spell (remove barrier) will destroy any one barrier created by a cleric. It can also be used to destroy a magicuser’s wall of ice, wall of fire, or wall of stone spell effect. It will not affect a wall of iron.

What's remarkable about this spell is not the barrier itself, but the ability to create something out of nothing. Or maybe the hammers are transported from some other place? I doubt it. This Deity has the power of creation; it can create any object desired without the requirement of base materials. Granted a wizard can create a wall of stone or iron or other materials too, but a wizard is limited, whereas this spell only hints at the power of the Deity. This is the extant of the power that the Deity allows his followers to use, the Deity's actual power is most likely immeasurably greater. I think we can definitively say that the Deity the cleric worships has the power of creation and therefore most likely created the universe(the prime material plane) and possibly the other planes of existence as well.

Create Normal Animals
The cleric is able to create normal animals from thin air with this spell. The animals will appear at a point chosen (within 30’), but may thereafter be sent (by command) up to 240’ away, if desired. The animals created will understand and obey the cleric at all times. They will fight if so commanded, and will perform other actions (carrying, watching, etc.) to the best of their abilities. They are normal animals, and may attack others unless their instructions are carefully worded.
     The cleric may choose the number of animals created, but not the exact type; the DM should decide that (or randomly determine). One large (elephant, hippopotamus, etc.), 3 medium-sized (bear, great cat, etc.), or 6 small (wolf, rock baboon, etc.) animals can be created. “Giant” animals cannot be created. The animals disappear when slain or when the spell duration ends.

This really reinforces the ideas I've already discussed in this post. The Deity can not only create matter from nothing, but can also instantaneously breathe life into that matter. These animals aren't transported or summoned, they are specifically "[created] from thin air" and alive upon the instant of creation. These are flesh and blood animals; they are physically there and can die just like any normal animals. The short duration of their existence is more an evidence of the careful doling out of favors by the Deity than they show a limitation of the Deity's power. The Deity itself could probably allow these creatures to not disappear after a specific time period and the animals could live out normal lives, yet the Deity limits the amount of power that can be used by his followers.

Cureall
This spell is the most powerful of the healing spells. When used to cure wounds, it cures nearly all damage, leaving the recipient with only 1-6 points of damage. It will remove a curse, neutralize a poison, cure paralysis, cure a disease, cure blindness, or even remove a feeblemind effect. However, it will cure one thing only; if the recipient is suffering from two or more afflictions (such as wounds and a curse), the cleric must name the one to be cured. If cast on the recipient of a raise dead spell, the cureall eliminates the need for 2 weeks of bed rest; the recipient can immediately function normally.

The Deity's power over life and death is demonstrated by this spell. The followers of the Deity are given the power to cure nay ailment no matter how severe. The Deity clearly has power over the body's physical healing processes.

The Stars Like Dust

So, I just finished reading The Stars Like Dust, the first of Isaac Asimov's galactic empire novels. I've already read all the foundation and robot books, and just got my hands on the empire novels recently. in general I like Asimov's work, sure there are lots of criticisms that can be aimed at it, and justifiably so, but I like his stories because they are great science fiction. They don't just take place in the future and with advanced technology as part of the setting, Asimov uses the premise of a science fiction setting to explore some aspect of the human psyche.

As for The Stars Like Dust, it feels a little lackluster and overly convoluted to me. There are all these plots within plots that the characters are only able to navigate because they are characters in a book, and the character don't really act like people; yeah this problem exists in some of Asimov's other works, but it really stands out here. And then the ending just seems so ridiculous to me. The constitution of the USA is going to be this revolutionary document that will disrupt all the governments of the interstellar kingdoms, yeah right!

I get that Asmiov's galaxy is thousands of years in earth's future, and yeah I guess the US could be completely forgotten. But to have the entire idea of democratic or republican government forgotten, or not in use, or not to evolve naturally again is just ridiculous. And then there's the constitution, it's not really that revolutionary of a document, at least not enough to reform society all on its own. It's not like the US government is the best that's ever existed or could exist. If anyone thinks it is, they should look at the state of the US right now, where one man has so much power that he can openly violate that document that is supposed to be so special, and the people that are supposed to hold him in check are too cowardly to do anything about it. Or if that subject hits too close home, the constitution, this perfect and sacrosanct document, gave one man the power to forcibly remove an entire people from their homeland. And where was the constitution when the leader of this 'great' country invaded a neighboring one just to gain more territory? But that was okay because that was somehow part of this country's destiny. I could go on; my point is that the US constitution and our government is not as perfect as everyone is told it is. Persons will abuse power whenever given the opportunity.

So it is kind of ridiculous that the US constitution is supposed to be some kind of revolutionary document in this far flung future. At what point in history has any people discovered the political organization of a long dead state and had their entire society disrupted by that discovery? It just doesn't happen, sure people gain inspiration from the past, but it isn't going to change anything overnight because "There is nothing new under the sun."(Ecclesiastes 1:9) Sure I can see the USA eventually being forgotten, but the idea of democratic government, I don't think so.