Clerics are the priesthood of the Old World, authorised by their churches to conduct services and to minister to the spiritual needs of the faithful. In order to carry out their duties, Clerics are granted access to the deity by the medium of prayer, as well as a number of magical powers. These powers come from prayer and devotion to the deity rather than knowledge and force of will, although Clerics are treated in a similar way to Wizards with regard to levels and spell use.
Religions[]
Full details of some of the major deities can be found in the Religion & Belief section. Characters may be expected to know the names and spheres of influence of all these gods and you should allow players of Cleric characters to select one of the these deities to follow.
Each cult has its own specific Strictures (rules which must be obeyed by Clerics of the cult), Spells, Skills, Trials (which may be set for characters wishing to advance a clerical career), and Blessings (special benefits which a deity may grant to especially deserving followers). While Spell use varies between the different cults, all deities allow their Clerics to use the Detect Magic and Dispel Magic spells.
Note that all characters are expected to show at least some measure of respect for all the gods - although Clerics are excused from showing respect to deities who are hostile to their own god.
Becoming A Cleric[]
To become a Cleric, a character must first have fully completed the Initiate Basic Career. Because Clerics depend on their deity for spells, characters do not progress automatically from Initiate to level 1 Cleric; when the Initiate career has been completed, they must accumulate the 100 Experience Points necessary to change careers and then go to a temple of the deity and pray for guidance, exchanging the 100 EPs for one roll on the Cleric Advance Table. The result must be obeyed; failure to do so always results in the character becoming subject to the deity's anger.
The roll should be modified by the GM according to how well the character has behaved, kept the deity's strictures, and so on. Characters who have followed exemplary lives according to the beliefs of their religion should be allowed a modifier of +10%; conversely, those who pay only lip service should be penalised by -10%. You should consider other relvant modifiers when Clerics attempt to move to another level - for example, a Cleric who has heroically defended a temple against overwhelming odds may receive a +15% modifier.
The GM is also free to ignore the results of any dice roll - characters who constantly refuse to follow strictures or abuse their religion in other ways should invoke the Wrath of the Gods automatically, if the player's conduct merits such drastic action. However, this should be extremely rare, only occasioned by such action as even the gods cannot ignore. Conversely, if a Cleric is consistently "saintly," he or she may be awarded a Blessing - bearing in mind that this should be just as rare.
When a Cleric completes a level, the same procedure is used; the character seeks guidance at a temple and exchanges 100 EPs per level for a roll on the Clerical Advance Table. Again, the GM should modify the roll according to the character's behaviour.
Once a Cleric has completed the level 4 Cleric career, another roll is made on the Cleric Advance Table. The result must be obeyed as usual, except that instead of moving on to another level, the character may take any of the listed Career Exits, without losing any spell use. Players who reach this exalted height must remember, however, that their characters are still Clerics; the change in career in no way affects the commitment which the deity expects of them.
| Cleric Advance Table | |
|---|---|
| D100 roll | Result |
| 05 or less | The deity takes offence with the character, who immediately suffers the Wrath of the Gods. |
| 06-10 |
The character is judged unworthy to continue as a Cleric and is commanded by the deity to follow a new basic career. Roll a D6: 1-2 Rogue The new basic career is generated randomly from the relevant Career Chart. The character may never again become an Initiate. |
| 11-20 | The character must prove him or herself worthy of advancement by undertaking a trial. See the entry for the relevant deity in Relgion And Belief for some examples of trials. |
| 21-35 | The character is judged not to be ready for advancement. The character must accumulate another 100 EPs and try again (even if the character has enough EPs to expend a further 100 straight away). |
| 36-80 | The character is judged worthy of advancement and may enter the next level of the Cleric career. |
| 81-95 | The character is favoured by the deity; as well as entering the next level of the Cleric career, the character gains D10 x 10 EPs as a gift from the deity. |
| 96-104 | The character is especially favoured by the deity; as well as entering the next level of the Cleric career, the character gains D10 x 10 EPs and 1 Fate Point as a gift from the deity. |
| 105 or more | As well as being permitted to move on to the next level, the character receives one Fate Point and is blessed. See the entry for the relevant deity in the Relgion And Belief section for details. |
Advance Scheme[]
|
Advance Scheme - Level 1 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
M |
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Dex |
Ld |
Int |
Cl |
WP |
Fel |
|
|
|
|
|
|
+2 |
+10 |
|
|
|
|
+10 |
+10 |
+10 |
|
Advance Scheme - Level 2 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
M |
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Dex |
Ld |
Int |
Cl |
WP |
Fel |
|
|
+10 |
+10 |
+1 |
+1 |
+3 |
+20 |
|
+10 |
+10 |
+10 |
+10 |
+20 |
+10 |
|
Advance Scheme - Level 3 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
M |
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Dex |
Ld |
Int |
Cl |
WP |
Fel |
|
|
+10 |
+10 |
+1 |
+1 |
+4 |
+20 |
|
+20 |
+20 |
+20 |
+20 |
+30 |
+20 |
|
Advance Scheme - Level 4 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
M |
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Dex |
Ld |
Int |
Cl |
WP |
Fel |
|
|
+10 |
+10 |
+1 |
+1 |
+4 |
+30 |
|
+30 |
+30 |
+30 |
+30 |
+30 |
+30 |
Skills - Level 1
- Arcane Language: Magick (as appropriate for the religion)
- Cast Spells: Clerical Level 1
- Meditation
- Public Speaking
- Arcane Language: Elemental Magick (Dwarfs only)
- Inscribe Runes: Level 1 (Dwarfs only)
- Rune Lore (Dwarfs only)
- plus any listed under the Cleric's deity
Skills - Level 2
- Cast Spells: Clerical Level 2
- Identify Undead
- Magical Sense
- Arcane Language: Ancient Dwarf (Dwarfs only)
- Inscribe Runes: Level 2 (Dwarfs only)
- Law: Dwarf (Dwarfs only)
- plus any listed under the Cleric's deity
Skills - Level 3
- Cast Spells: Clerical Level 3
- Magical Awareness
- Manufacture Scrolls
- History: Dwarf (Dwarfs only)
- Inscribe Runes: Level 3 (Dwarfs only)
- Speak Additional Language (Dwarfs only)
- plus any listed under the Cleric's deity
Skills - Level 4
- Cast Spells: Clerical Level 4
- Manufacture Potions
- Arcane Language: Ancient Elf (Dwarfs only)
- Craft Master Rune (Dwarfs only)
- plus any listed under the Cleric's deity
Magic Points
- +2D8 points per level (including Dwarfs and Halflings)
Strictures
- According to religion
Trappings
- Clerical robes
- Religious token
- D6 Gold Crowns
Career Exits
- Cleric - of next level
- Augur
- Demagogue
- Exorcist
- Loremaster - from level 4 Cleric only (Dwarfs only; must have two prerequisite careers)
- Witch-Hunter