Cleric
There are rules that govern the multiverse, some deciphered by man and some opaque. The oldest rules are the Void, which no man or god understands, only Cthulhu and the Old Ones. Then the Old Ones established Law and Chaos, which created and divided the gods. From the gods came divine rules for the behaviors of mortal man, and if man lives by these rules, his gods reward him in this life or the next.
That is what your god tells you, and as his cleric, you will persuade, convert, or destroy those who speak otherwise. You adventure to find gold or holy relics, destroy abominations and enemies, and convert heathens to the truth. You’ll be rewarded – even if you have to die to receive that reward.
An adventuring cleric is a militant servant of a god, often part of a larger order of brothers. He wields the weapons of his faith: physical, spiritual, and magical. Physically, he is a skilled fighter when using his god’s chosen weapons. Spiritually, he is a vessel for the expression of his god’s ideals, able to channel holy powers that harm his god’s enemies. Magically, he is able to call upon his god to perform amazing feats.
Both clerics and wizards may gain powers from gods, but in different ways. A cleric worships a greater power and is rewarded for his service. A wizard unlocks the hidden mysteries of the universe in order to dominate powers both known and unknowable.
Hit points: A cleric gains 1d8 hit points at each level.
Choosing a god: At 1st level, a cleric selects a god to worship, and in doing so chooses one side of the eternal struggle. Clerics who worship demons and devils, monsters, fiends, Chaos Lords, and Set and the other dark gods of the naga are servants of Chaos. Clerics who worship lawful gods, nascent demi-gods, principles of good, immortals, celestials, guardians, and the prehistoric gods of the sphinxes are servants of Law. Clerics who stand at the balancing point, placing faith in the eternal struggle itself rather than the factions arrayed about it, are neutral in alignment. These “neutral” clerics may still be good, evil, or truly neutral, and as such are either druids, Cthulhu cultists, or guardians of balance.
All clerics pray to join their god in a never-ending afterlife. While still clothed in mortal form, clerics find a place among others with similar beliefs. The weak follow their order, the strong lead their order, and the mighty are living avatars of their gods. As a cleric progresses in level, he moves through these ranks.
A cleric’s choice of god must match his alignment, and determines weapon groups, holy powers, and magical spells. Clerics may choose from the gods shown on page 32.
Weapon training: A cleric is trained in the weapons used by faithful followers of his god, as shown on page 32. Clerics may wear any armor and their spell checks are not hindered by its use.
Alignment: A cleric’s alignment must match his god’s. Clerics of chaotic alignments belong to secret cults and strange sects. They travel the world to recruit new cultists and undermine their enemies.
Clerics of lawful alignments belong to organized religious groups. They may lead a rural congregation, adventure on great crusades to convert heathens, or defend holy relics as a militant arm of the church. Neutral clerics tend toward philosophical affiliations. They may be druids who worship the oneness of nature or dark theosophists who research the dead gods that originally created the universe.
A cleric who changes alignment loses the support of his god. He loses access to all spells and powers from cleric levels earned under his old alignment.
Caster level: Caster level is a measurement of a cleric’s power in channeling his god’s energy. A cleric’s caster level is usually his level as a cleric but may be modified under certain circumstances. Many clerics adventure in search of holy relics that bring them closer to their gods and thus increase caster level.
Magic: A cleric can call upon the favor of his god. This form of magic is known as idol magic. Its successful use allows a cleric to channel his god’s power as a magical spell. A cleric has access to the spells of his god as noted on table 1-5.
To cast a spell, a cleric makes a spell check (see page 106). The spell check is made like any other check: roll 1d20 + Personality modifier + caster level. If the cleric succeeds, his god attends to his request – not always predictably, but with generally positive results.
If the cleric fails he risks disapproval. His god is preoccupied, annoyed, or facing its own battle – or questions the cleric’s use of its power. Some of the most powerful gods are in turn the most fickle.
These rules apply to cleric magic:
• Natural 1 means disapproval. On a natural 1 during a spell check, a cleric discovers that he has somehow gained the disapproval of his deity. The spell check automatically fails, and the cleric must roll on the Deity Disapproval .
• Each failed spell check increases the chance of disapproval. After his first spell check fails in a day, a cleric’s range of disapproval increases to a natural roll of 1 or 2. Thereafter, on any natural roll of 1 or 2, the spell automatically fails, and the cleric must roll on the Disapproval Table. After a second spell check fails, a cleric’s range of disapproval increases to a natural roll of 1 through 3. And so on. The range continues increasing, and any natural roll within that range automatically fails. This means that a cleric could potentially reach a point where normally successful rolls automatically fail because they are in the disapproval range. For example, a cleric who fails 12 spell checks in a day would automatically fail any future spell check on a roll of 1 through 13, even though a roll of 13 would normally mean success on 1st-level spells. When the cleric regains spells on the following day, his disapproval range is reset to a natural 1. Probably. Clerics who test their gods may find they are not always forgiving.
• Penalties can be offset by sacrifices. Once a cleric’s range of disapproval increases beyond a natural 1, he can reduce that range by offering sacrifices to his deity. See below for more information.
• Sinful use of divine power. A cleric may be capable of using his powers in ways that displease his deity. Doing so is a sin against his beliefs. Sinful activities include anything that is not in accordance with the character’s or deity’s alignment; anything that is not appropriate to the deity’s core beliefs (e.g., being merciful to a foe while worshipping the god of war), healing a character of an opposed alignment or healing or aiding a character of an opposed belief or deity (even if of the same alignment), failing to support followers of the same beliefs when they are in need; calling on the deity’s aid in a frivolous manner; and so on. When a cleric commits a sinful act, he may incur an additional increase in his disapproval range. This could amount to an increase of +1 for minor infractions all the way up to +10 for significant transgressions. These additional penalties are always at the judge’s discretion, and may manifest accompanied by thunder and lightning, plagues of locusts, water running uphill, and other signs of divine displeasure.
Sacrifices: A cleric may make sacrifices to his deity in order to regain favor. Sacrifices vary according to the nature of the deity, but, in general, any offering of material wealth counts. Other acts may count as well, at the discretion of the judge.
Sacrificing wealth means the items must be burned, melted down, donated to the needy, contributed to a temple, or otherwise relieved from the character’s possession. They may be donated as part of a special rite or simply added to a temple’s coffers. This is not a rapid combat action; it requires a minimum time of at least one turn and the cleric’s full concentration.
For every 50 gp of sacrificed goods, a cleric “cancels” one point of normal disapproval range. For example, a disapproval range of 1 through 4 can be reduced to 1 though 3. A natural 1 still counts as automatic failure and disapproval.
A great deed, quest, or service to a deity may also count as a sacrifice, at the judge’s discretion.
Turn unholy: A cleric wields his holy symbol to turn away abominations. At any time, a cleric may utilize a spell check to deter unholy creatures. An unholy creature is any being that the cleric’s scriptures declare unholy. Typically this includes un-dead, demons, and devils. For more information on turning unholy, see page 96. As with all spell checks, the turn unholy spell check is made as follows: 1d20 + Personality modifier + caster level. Failure increases disapproval range, as noted above.
Lay on hands: Clerics heal the faithful. By making a spell check, a cleric may lay on hands to heal damage to any living creature. The cleric may not heal un-dead, animated objects (e.g., living statues), extraplanar creatures (e.g., demons, devils, elementals, etc.), or constructs (e.g., golems) in this manner. The cleric must physically touch the wounds of the faithful and concentrate for 1 action. The spell check is made as any other: roll 1d20 + Personality modifier + caster level. Failure increases disapproval range, as noted above. The damage healed varies according to several factors.
• It is always a number of dice, with the type of dice determined by the hit die of the creature to be healed. For example, a warrior uses a d12 hit die, so a warrior would be healed with d12 dice.
• The number of dice healed cannot exceed the target’s hit dice or class level. For example, a cleric healing a 1st-level character cannot heal with more than 1 die, even if he rolls well on his check.
• Finally, before rolling his spell check, the cleric may elect to heal a specific condition instead of hit points. Healed dice translate to conditions as noted below. In this case, the target’s hit dice or class level do not act as a ceiling. If the cleric heals the indicated dice, the damaging condition is alleviated. “Overflow” hit dice do not become normal healing, and if the healed dice are too low, there is no effect.
• Broken limbs: 1 die
• Organ damage: 2 dice
• Disease: 2 dice
• Paralysis: 3 dice
• Poison: 3 dice
• Blindness or deafness: 4 dice
The cleric’s alignment further influences the results, as follows:
• If cleric and subject are the same alignment, they count as “same” on the table below.
• If cleric and subject differ in alignment by one step (e.g., one is neutral and the other is lawful or chaotic), or have different but not antithetical gods, they count as “adjacent” on the table below. Such a healing action may constitute sin if not done in service of the faith.
• If cleric and subject are of opposed alignment (e.g., one is lawful and one is chaotic), or have rival gods, they count as “opposed” on the table below. Such a healing almost always counts as a sin unless it is an extraordinary event in the service of the deity.
Then have the cleric make a spell check and reference the table below.
| Spell Check | Same Failure | Adjacent Failure | Opposed Failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-11 | Failure | Failure | Failure |
| 12-13 | 2 dice | 1 die | 1 die |
| 14-19 | 3 dice | 2 dice | 1 die |
| 20-21 | 4 dice | 3 dice | 2 dice |
| 22+ | 5 dice | 4 dice | 3 dice |
Here is the same table presented slightly differently to match the format of the character sheet. The player should record the names of his party allies in the boxes for “same” (same alignment) or “adjacent” or “opposed” (based on alignment steps, as noted above). Then, the appropriate column shows the healing by check.
| PC Names | 12 | 14 | 20 | 22+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (same) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| (adjacent) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| (opposed) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Divine aid: As a devout worshipper, a cleric is entitled to beseech his deity for divine aid. Beneficent followers are already rewarded with spells and the ability to turn the unholy, so it must be recognized that requesting direct intervention is an extraordinary act. To request divine aid, the cleric makes a spell check at the same modifier that would apply were he casting a spell. This extraordinary act imparts a cumulative +10 penalty to future disapproval range. Based on the result of the spell check, the judge will describe the result. Simple requests (e.g., light a candle) are DC 10 and extraordinary requests (e.g., summon and control a living column of flame) are DC 18 or higher.
Luck: A cleric’s Luck modifier applies to all spell checks to turn unholy creatures.
Action dice: A cleric can use his action dice for attack rolls or spell checks.
Gods of the Eternal Struggle
The eternal struggle between Law and Chaos continues on a vast scale measured in the life and death of stars. In a man’s brief time on earth, he chooses one antipode, and in doing so plays his tiny part in the eternal struggle. As such, a 1st-level cleric is either a cleric of Law, Chaos, or the balance. Within that scope, he chooses a god. The cleric displays the vestments of his god, preaches the god’s good word, and carries the weapons considered holy by that god. The cleric’s alignment further determines the creatures considered unholy for his turning ability.
| Alignment | Gods | Weapons | Unholy Creatures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law | Shul, god of the moon Klazath, god of war Ulesh, god of peace Choranus, the Seer Father, lord of creation Daenthar, the Mountain Lord, greater god of earth and industry Gorhan, the Helmed Vengeance, god of valor and chivalry Justicia, goddess of justice and mercy Aristemis, the Insightful One, demigoddess of true seeing and strategy |
Club, mace, sling, staff, warhammer | Un-dead, demons, devils, chaotic extraplanar creatures, monsters (e.g., basilisk or medusa), Chaos Primes, chaotic humanoids (e.g., orcs), chaotic dragons |
| Neutral | Amun Tor, god of mysteries and riddles Ildavir, goddess of nature Pelagia, goddess of the sea Cthulhu, priest of the Old Ones |
Dagger, mace, sling, staff, sword (any) | Mundane animals, un-dead, demons, devils, monsters (e.g., basilisk or medusa), lycanthropes, perversions of nature (e.g., otyughs and slimes) |
| Chaos | Ahriman, god of death and disease Hidden Lord, god of secrets Azi Dahaka, demon prince of storms and waste Bobugbubilz, demon lord of evil amphibians Cadixtat, chaos titan Nimlurun, the unclean one, lord of filth and pollution Malotoch, the carrion crow god |
Axe (any), bow (any), dagger, dart, flail | Angels, paladins, lawful dragons, Lords of Law, Lawful Primes, and Law-aligned humanoids (e.g., goblins) |
Career
Career Progression
| Level | Attack | Crit. Die/ Table | Action Dice | Ref | Fort | Will | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +0 | 1d8/III | 1d20 | +0 | +1 | +1 | 4 | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | +1 | 1d8/III | 1d20 | +0 | +1 | +1 | 5 | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | +2 | 1d10/III | 1d20 | +1 | +1 | +2 | 5 | 3 | - | - | - |
| 4 | +2 | 1d10/III | 1d20 | +1 | +2 | +2 | 6 | 4 | - | - | - |
| 5 | +3 | 1d12/III | 1d20 | +1 | +2 | +3 | 6 | 5 | 2 | - | - |
| 6 | +4 | 1d12/III | 1d20+1d14 | +2 | +2 | +4 | 7 | 5 | 3 | - | - |
| 7 | +5 | 1d14/III | 1d20+1d16 | +2 | +3 | +4 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 1 | - |
| 8 | +5 | 1d14/III | 1d20+1d20 | +2 | +3 | +5 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 2 | - |
| 9 | +6 | 1d16/III | 1d20+1d20 | +3 | +3 | +5 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 10 | +7 | 1d16/III | 1d20+1d20 | +3 | +4 | +6 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
Cleric Titles
| Level | Law | Chaos | Neutral |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acolyte | Zealot | Witness |
| 2 | Heathen-slayer | Convert | Pupil |
| 3 | Brother | Cultist | Chronicler |
| 4 | Curate | Apostle | Judge |
| 5 | Father | High priest | Druid |
Other Benefits
Deity Requests
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | The corpse of the cleric’s next opponent animates momentarily and exhorts the cleric to slay twenty of his deity’s enemies in as many days, lest he suffer great misfortune (in the form of a -4 Luck penalty) on the twentyfirst day. |
| 2 | While meditating in his temple, the cleric hears a voice that encourages him to ransack the temple of the deity’s rival, noting that his own prayers will henceforth go unheard until he prays in the ruins of the rival temple. |
| 3 | While trekking through an unsettled area, a passing deer or eagle pauses to speak to the cleric, instructing him to build a temple to his god and endow it with sufficient gold to operate for a year. Until this is complete, he loses contact with his god if he departs more than one mile from the region. |
| 4 | Over the course of a week, the cleric looks in his mirror each morning to see not his own face, but a different face on each of the seven different days. Somehow he knows that he must find these seven men and bring them to an appointed place and time for purposes unknown. During the seven days he suffers a cumulative -1 spell check penalty per day, to a maximum of -7 on the seventh day, which is relieved by -1 for each of the seven men located (eventually returning to a +/-0 modified to spell checks). |
| 5 | While traversing a busy city street, the cleric cannot help but notice that a particular object on the person of a stranger glows with a supernatural light. His companions do not see the light. He is compelled to steal this particular object from one person, then deliver it to another. Until the cleric does so, he can think of nothing else and suffers a -4 penalty to all other actions. |
| 6 | An ongoing religious crusade in a neighboring duchy requires assistance. The cleric is called to lead an army of minor followers on their raids, for which he will be rewarded with the trappings of leadership. |
| 7 | A holy relic dangerous to the deity has been discovered and must be destroyed. The cleric receives an urgent summons during his next prayers and is informed that should this relic be put to its intended use, the cleric will lose all access to spells as his god is shut off from the material plane. |
| 8 | The cleric must persuade a neutral party to take sides in a conflict. He learns this from a hobbling mendicant who admonishes detachment in the issue, declaring that his own penury shall befall the cleric should he fail. |
| 9 | The cleric must sacrifice something of personal value (suffering a -4 Luck penalty until he does). The deity requests the following sacrifice (roll 1d8, adjusting for alignment as appropriate): (1) 100 gold pieces, (2) treasured magic item, (3) holy symbol, (4) best weapon, (5) most villainous foe, (6) one of his fingers, (7) all his hair, (8) a favored mount. |
| 10 | The cleric must recruit a number of new followers (or lose access to half his spells until he does) (roll 1d4): (1) 100; (2) 7; (3) one per caster level, and another upon gaining each new level; (4) one, but he must be persuaded to abandon worship of an opposing god. |
Divine Aid
Clerics may request direct intervention from their deity. This is not an act to be taken lightly; however, pious followers may be granted frequent favors. The cleric wields his holy symbol, genuflects respectfully, and prays for assistance— often referencing his recent acts of devotion or promising future loyalties. Calling for divine aid simply allows a cleric more flexibility in generating magical effects. There is a spell check DC associated with different kinds of divine aid. Simple requests are granted rather easily; more demanding requests, not as much. The judge must assign DCs on an ad hoc basis. As a rule of thumb, the ease of a request roughly mirrors casting a spell of the same level. Unlike spells, there is no sliding scale of effects; the request is either granted or not. Any time a cleric requests divine aid, the deity requires a specific act in return.Divine Aid Check DCs
DC 10: Very simple cantrips: light a candle, levitate a pebble, vanish a feather, sound a tweet.
DC 12: Minor mechanical effects (lift a latch), visual effects (lantern-like lights at a distance), or auditory effects (sound of footsteps bless a course of action (+1 to +2 modifier to some roll for short duration simple persuasions (induce suspicious or friendly tendencies in a single human).
DC 14: More complex physical or sensory effects (unlock a normal door or untie a rope; cause a mirror image to appear stronger blessings (+4 to some action or affect more people simple summoning (physical objects such as a weapon).
DC 16: Incredible physical acts (leap a gaping chasm, lift a boulder impressive persuasion (amplify a voice to motivate an army summon living aid (send divine warriors to aid a charge smite an enemy (Will save or enemy suffers significant damage or ability score loss).
DC 18: Acts of clear divine intervention: affect the weather (draw down a lightning strike, dismiss storm clouds, summon a cyclone superhuman feats of strength (topple a pyramid, smash a giant statue into a thousand pieces incredible magical displays (control a swirling column of fire, split into a hundred mirror images).
DC 20: And so on. Higher-level acts are at the discretion of the judge.
Cleric Spells
| 1st Level | 2nd Level | 3rd Level | 4th Level | 5th Level | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blessing | Banish | Animate Dead | Affliction of the Gods | Righteous Fire |
| 2 | Darkness | Binding | Bolt from the Blue | Cause Earthquake | Weather Control |
| 3 | Detect Evil | Cure Paralysis | Exorcise | Sanctify/Desecrate | Whirling Doom |
| 4 | Detect Magic | Curse | Remove Curse | Vermin Blight | |
| 5 | Food of the Gods | Divine Symbol | Speak With The Dead | ||
| 6 | Holy Sanctuary | Lotus Stare | Spiritual Weapon | ||
| 7 | Paralysis | Neutralize Poison or Disease | True Name | ||
| 8 | Protection from Evil | Restore Vitality | |||
| 9 | Resist Cold or Heat | Snake Charm | |||
| 10 | Second Sight | Stinging Stone | |||
| 11 | Word of Command | Wood Wyrding | |||
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Comments
Author's Notes
From DCC Handbook