I don't have the EA release ... there is no alignment? There are other ways to set up a mechanism that does the same basic thing, but overall, the D&D alignment map is a pretty good balance between simplicity and coverage of most of the cases. That's the thing with clerics, while the game companies are stuffing them with mage spells and fighter abilities to make them more desirable (I guess), little is being done to promote the cleric's relationship with divinity which is the real reason why the class exists in the first place. From a thematic point of view, the cleric should be one of the best characters to write! I thought the Jaheira dialogs in BG II were pretty well thought out, for example, with her internal conflict between druidic balance, the Harpers, and her own personal destiny.
So here is what I suggest: stop adding fighter and mage class abilities to the cleric class profile, and instead give them divine favors. If the cleric is doing a good job, then allow scaled levels of random divine intervention in the form of healing/regeneration boosts, combat bonuses, instant restoration of cast spells, a percentage for the identification of traps or cursed items, increased chance for favorable interactions with merchants, etc. That is all stuff that is in the game already, sort of like wild magic but based on the cleric's standing with their ethos. And of course, divine favor could turn into rebuke if the cleric falls too far from the path. Role play with a tangible effect.
And halos. I like halos, and who better than a cleric to have one once in a while when the divine favor is active?
