D&D 5E Benefit of Acolyte Background for a Wizard?

[Osirisx]

From what I've been able to glean from the PHB, it specifically states a Cleric or Paladin can make use of a Holy Symbol. The Acolyte background, though, also grants a Holy Symbol -- so is any class that takes the Acolyte background also able to use a Holy Symbol as a focus for spellcasting? How does this work? Thanks.

 

[Parmandur]

From what I've been able to glean from the PHB, it specifically states a Cleric or Paladin can make use of a Holy Symbol. The Acolyte background, though, also grants a Holy Symbol -- so is any class that takes the Acolyte background also able to use a Holy Symbol as a focus for spellcasting? How does this work? Thanks.

No benefit, or lack of benefit: Wizard can't use the Holy Symbol for magic, but it's as good as any other: backgrounds are mainly for RP.

 

[Al2O3]

The holy symbol is there to say something about the character, it does not give anything extra in itself. It might give a cleric the option of having one symbol as an amulet and one on the shield.

Mostly it is similar to the lucky charm of the sailor bakgrund, the signet ring of noble or the Sage's letter from a dead colleague. Fun and makes the character potentially more interesting, but not intended as a mechanical benefit.

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[Osirisx]

No benefit, or lack of benefit: Wizard can't use the Holy Symbol for magic, but it's as good as any other: backgrounds are mainly for RP.

Ok, thank you, I assumed he couldn't use it as it specified it was for clerics and paladins, but seemed weird to give it for a bg that anyone could choose.

 

[Lanliss]

Ok, thank you, I assumed he couldn't use it as it specified it was for clerics and paladins, but seemed weird to give it for a bg that anyone could choose.

It can still be used, just not for spell casting. It proves that wizard is of the Faith, allowing him to live for free at a Moderate lifestyle at similarly aligned temples. It would do the same for a Fighter or Rogue who took the Acolyte background.

 

[Kobold Stew]

The Acolyte wizard can also marry passing NPCs, which is not something that clerics do. The Acolyte actually has religious authority in the eyes of the populace (conducting services and rituals, etc.).

 

[Ogre Mage]

I think the benefit is primarily social -- the wizard is connected to a religious order which it can receive aid from and is recognized as an official of that religion. And it makes a lot of role-playing sense if it is a deity of magic such as Mystra or Azuth. Being a member in good standing of a temple of magic could be very valuable for a wizard PC.

 

[Valetudo]

The Acolyte wizard can also marry passing NPCs, which is not something that clerics do. The Acolyte actually has religious authority in the eyes of the populace (conducting services and rituals, etc.).

Says who? All clerics are priests, not all priests are clerics.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Says who? All clerics are priests, not all priests are clerics.

Says the PHB, p. 127: "and you can perform the religious ceremonies of your deity." This is part of a background FEATURE. If a cleric has not taken the Acolyte background, they don't have the FEATURE (unless custom, etc.). But, explicitly, the FEATURE of the background is the ability to be recognized as a priest (i.e. someone who performs appropriate religious ceremonies).

As a result, not all clerics are priests; only those who were previously acolytes.



This is one of the true strengths of 5e -- the possibility of players choosing a disconnect between their background and their class. Your Fighter can be an acolyte or a craftsman or a noble, and those mean different things in the game world.

 

[Al2O3]

PHB is clear about not all priests being clerics. Whether or not all clerics are priests depends on how you read and regard the description in PHB. I would say it does not say that clerics are priests and also it does not count as rules anyway. But stressing a different word would make it say that clerics are special priests.

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