I continue designing my new game, I Sing the Dungeon Electric. This is my introduction of the Priest class. I haven't finalized how I'm going to handle spellcasting, so let's just start with the basic deities.
Priests must roll for which deity they worship, which gives them certain powers and restrictions. Roll 1d10 for deity. If the priest disobeys any restrictions, he loses his priestly powers for 1 week.
1: Deddahoor, Who Sings Sweetly in the Night
Colors: Dark violet, black, dark blue
Powers:
(level 1) While the priest is singing, those who are asleep cannot wake up. The priest must sing at full volume.
(level 5) The priest makes no sound as he moves.
(level 10) The priest can see through walls up to half his level in feet thick when bathed in moonlight.
Restrictions: The priest cannot let his skin touch sunlight. During the day, he must be fully covered in cloth. The priest may not wear armor.
2: Kilbayath, Behind the Golden Veil
Colors: Red, Gold, Ochre
Powers:
(level 1) The priest can handle and deliver poisons without risk of poisoning himself.
(level 5) The priest can communicate silently with anyone he makes eye contact with. They cannot speak back.
(level 10) The priest may turn himself invisible 1 time/day for 1 minute per level. Any hostile actions immediately end this invisibility.
Restrictions: Priests of Kilbayath cannot enter private dwellings uninvited.
3: Yumnulla, the Vast Mother
Colors: Brown, Yellow, Dark Green
Powers:
(level 1) Priest may heal 2 hit points per level per day
(level 5) The priest can switch places with another being in sight 1 time/day.
(level 10) The priest can compel pacifism into a number of creatures whose total HD does not exceed the priest's level. Effect lasts for 1 week. Save against will negates.
Restrictions: Priests of Yumnulla must have sex with a new person at least once a month.
4: Hemnai, Who Builds and Destroys
Colors: White, Black
Powers:
(level 1) Priest may create 1 pound/level of a common material from thin air per day. Can only be roughly shaped.
(level 5) The priest can destroy 1 pound/level of any material once per day. Must be touching the material.
(level 10) The priest can forge magical artifacts.
Restrictions: Priests of Hemnai must always be touching a piece of metal.
5: The Wandering Man, Whose Strides Are Long
Colors: Gray, Blue
Powers:
(level 1) The priest has 1 more movement point.
(level 5) The priest can speak with trees, in a limited sense. They are favorably disposed to him.
(level 10) The priest can instantly move between two known locations 1/week.
Restrictions: The priest cannot remain in one place longer than a week.
6: Ruefursoth, Under the Broken Earth
Colors: Brown, Dull Orange, Teal
Powers
(level 1) The priest can speak with insects and grubs.
(level 5) The priest can burrow at 1/4 normal speed through dirt. Clothes still get dirty.
(level 10) The priest can summon the aid of the one of the great Maggots who swim through the flesh of the earth.
Restrictions: The priest cannot touch open water or running water, and consequently cannot swim. He may only be on a boat if he is meditating the entire time.
7: Klebk, the Dreaming One
Colors: Black, Yellow, Green trim
Powers:
(level 1) The priest can detect all magical items within 20 feet.
(level 5) The priest can make all sources of light within 100 feet suddenly go out. They cannot be relit for 1 hour. 1/day.
(level 10) The priest may switch two creatures minds 1/week. A will save negates from either, though if they are willing, no save is necessary. The change is permanent until switched back. Touch is required in both.
Restrictions: Priests of Klebk must sleep for 12 hours per day. All of them snore.
8: Biim, Of Four Faces
Colors: Blue, White, Violet
Powers: (level 1) The priest is surprised 3 in 6 instead of 4 in 6.
(level 5) The priest can make an illusory double of himself. This double cannot speak, and can only repeat a single simple action at a given interval. Illusion is visual only, and has no substance.
(level 10) The priest can see that which is invisible, and touch that which is ethereal.
Restrictions: Priests of Biim may not be within 20 feet of fire, and are discouraged from being in sight of it.
9: Garalt, Who Stands Atop Mountains
Colors: Saffron, White, Grey
Powers:
(level 1) The priest can summon light rain 1/week.
(level 5) The priest can cause rockslides, mudslides, or avalanches as appropriate given the surroundings.
(level 10) The priest can gain DR 4 and increase his unarmed damage die by 2 steps for a number of rounds per day equal to half his level (rounded down). It takes one round of pure concentration to activate this ability.
Restrictions: Priest may not kill a defenseless creature, nor allow them to be killed.
10: Ebbernet, the Swollen Heavens
Colors: Dull green, Grey, Red
Powers:
(level 1) The priest is immune to sickness.
(level 5) Priest can turn dead bodies into sacks of disease, which explode if touched. 1/day per level.
(level 10) Priest can transform into a cloud of flies 1/day. Transformation back is voluntary at any time until the next sunrise, when it happens automatically. If half the flies are killed, so is the priest. Cannot carry equipment while in this state.
Restrictions: Priest may only eat raw meat. No ill health effects come from this.
Add more to this list if you desire. Formula: strange fantasy name + evocative epithet; whatever colors you feel that epithet evokes; level 1 power should be weird and occasionally useful; level 5 power should be quite effective in a variety of situations; the level 10 power should be something cool that anyone would want; restrictions should be mildly annoying and exploitable.
Priests must roll for which deity they worship, which gives them certain powers and restrictions. Roll 1d10 for deity. If the priest disobeys any restrictions, he loses his priestly powers for 1 week.
1: Deddahoor, Who Sings Sweetly in the Night
Colors: Dark violet, black, dark blue
Powers:
(level 1) While the priest is singing, those who are asleep cannot wake up. The priest must sing at full volume.
(level 5) The priest makes no sound as he moves.
(level 10) The priest can see through walls up to half his level in feet thick when bathed in moonlight.
Restrictions: The priest cannot let his skin touch sunlight. During the day, he must be fully covered in cloth. The priest may not wear armor.
2: Kilbayath, Behind the Golden Veil
Colors: Red, Gold, Ochre
Powers:
(level 1) The priest can handle and deliver poisons without risk of poisoning himself.
(level 5) The priest can communicate silently with anyone he makes eye contact with. They cannot speak back.
(level 10) The priest may turn himself invisible 1 time/day for 1 minute per level. Any hostile actions immediately end this invisibility.
Restrictions: Priests of Kilbayath cannot enter private dwellings uninvited.
3: Yumnulla, the Vast Mother
Colors: Brown, Yellow, Dark Green
Powers:
(level 1) Priest may heal 2 hit points per level per day
(level 5) The priest can switch places with another being in sight 1 time/day.
(level 10) The priest can compel pacifism into a number of creatures whose total HD does not exceed the priest's level. Effect lasts for 1 week. Save against will negates.
Restrictions: Priests of Yumnulla must have sex with a new person at least once a month.
4: Hemnai, Who Builds and Destroys
Colors: White, Black
Powers:
(level 1) Priest may create 1 pound/level of a common material from thin air per day. Can only be roughly shaped.
(level 5) The priest can destroy 1 pound/level of any material once per day. Must be touching the material.
(level 10) The priest can forge magical artifacts.
Restrictions: Priests of Hemnai must always be touching a piece of metal.
5: The Wandering Man, Whose Strides Are Long
Colors: Gray, Blue
Powers:
(level 1) The priest has 1 more movement point.
(level 5) The priest can speak with trees, in a limited sense. They are favorably disposed to him.
(level 10) The priest can instantly move between two known locations 1/week.
Restrictions: The priest cannot remain in one place longer than a week.
6: Ruefursoth, Under the Broken Earth
Colors: Brown, Dull Orange, Teal
Powers
(level 1) The priest can speak with insects and grubs.
(level 5) The priest can burrow at 1/4 normal speed through dirt. Clothes still get dirty.
(level 10) The priest can summon the aid of the one of the great Maggots who swim through the flesh of the earth.
Restrictions: The priest cannot touch open water or running water, and consequently cannot swim. He may only be on a boat if he is meditating the entire time.
7: Klebk, the Dreaming One
Colors: Black, Yellow, Green trim
Powers:
(level 1) The priest can detect all magical items within 20 feet.
(level 5) The priest can make all sources of light within 100 feet suddenly go out. They cannot be relit for 1 hour. 1/day.
(level 10) The priest may switch two creatures minds 1/week. A will save negates from either, though if they are willing, no save is necessary. The change is permanent until switched back. Touch is required in both.
Restrictions: Priests of Klebk must sleep for 12 hours per day. All of them snore.
8: Biim, Of Four Faces
Colors: Blue, White, Violet
Powers: (level 1) The priest is surprised 3 in 6 instead of 4 in 6.
(level 5) The priest can make an illusory double of himself. This double cannot speak, and can only repeat a single simple action at a given interval. Illusion is visual only, and has no substance.
(level 10) The priest can see that which is invisible, and touch that which is ethereal.
Restrictions: Priests of Biim may not be within 20 feet of fire, and are discouraged from being in sight of it.
9: Garalt, Who Stands Atop Mountains
Colors: Saffron, White, Grey
Powers:
(level 1) The priest can summon light rain 1/week.
(level 5) The priest can cause rockslides, mudslides, or avalanches as appropriate given the surroundings.
(level 10) The priest can gain DR 4 and increase his unarmed damage die by 2 steps for a number of rounds per day equal to half his level (rounded down). It takes one round of pure concentration to activate this ability.
Restrictions: Priest may not kill a defenseless creature, nor allow them to be killed.
10: Ebbernet, the Swollen Heavens
Colors: Dull green, Grey, Red
Powers:
(level 1) The priest is immune to sickness.
(level 5) Priest can turn dead bodies into sacks of disease, which explode if touched. 1/day per level.
(level 10) Priest can transform into a cloud of flies 1/day. Transformation back is voluntary at any time until the next sunrise, when it happens automatically. If half the flies are killed, so is the priest. Cannot carry equipment while in this state.
Restrictions: Priest may only eat raw meat. No ill health effects come from this.
Add more to this list if you desire. Formula: strange fantasy name + evocative epithet; whatever colors you feel that epithet evokes; level 1 power should be weird and occasionally useful; level 5 power should be quite effective in a variety of situations; the level 10 power should be something cool that anyone would want; restrictions should be mildly annoying and exploitable.
This is a really creative list. I like the use of colors. They're often more memorable than names or descriptions, and leave a stronger impression. I like the restrictions, too. Players who are clerics should always feel some sense of obligation to their deity. I dislike the idea of clerics as mages, only thinking about increasing their own power, and nothing else. I personally like making clerics roll on a chart every day for their spells. I like them to always be grateful to their god for help, and never take it for granted. My system isn't everyone's cup of tea, though.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, nice post.