House Rules, Interlude I - As The Gods Demand

      When I first paged through the Dragonbane rulebook, I found it odd that it lacked a cleric profession. Unsure how to proceed and wanting to avoid just bolting on D&D's cleric profession and spells onto a new (to me) game, I searched for a solution online. Someone, somewhere, had to have kit-bashed or devised their own system. The solution I found on Fria Ligan/Free League's forum was more elegant than I expected.

 

What is As The Gods Demand? 

     As The Gods Demand, an OSR 'zine by Charles Ferguson-Avery, is meant to expand divine intervention beyond the purview of clerics and priests in D&D, giving non-cleric characters a reason to interact with the divine (or infernal) powers that be. As the author's system is independent of D&D's various cosmologies and spellcasting system, it slots seamlessly into Dragonbane. Ferguson-Avery's system provides a theological framework on which to figuratively hang the dressings of a fictional religion or otherwise define a real-world religion in terms of either an allegorical analog in fantasy or in a supernatural real-world setting.

 

    In a lot of fantasy settings, monotheistic and polytheistic faiths are pitted against one another, each side viewing the other as heretical, if not demonic. The reality is that in Terrenor there is one creator deity and many lesser, fading divinities. Normally, there would be an established celestial hierarchy or bureaucracy, but this isn't necessarily the case. At any rate, that is something for another post. (EDIT: I originally wanted to cover everything related to the subject of the Church of the Seven Saints, but the post began to grow out of control and so I opted to reel myself in and break it down into more manageable chunks.)

 

The Church of the Seven Saints (ATGD Format)

Sigil of the Church of the Seven Saints.

Initiation
     To join the Church, you must seek out a cleric or priest and be baptized, confessing your sins and renouncing your past misdeeds. The penitent is then anointed as one of Solanthius' children. Some individuals take this a step further, declaring one of the Seven as their patron saint and/or joining the clergy or a holy order as a novice/initiate.

Daily Invocation

• Treat others as you would want to be treated.
• Render to temporal authority what is owed.
• Take part in worship and communion at least once a week if possible.
• Donate time and - if possible - money to a local congregation.
• Speak about your faith to those who express interest or have questions.

Favor

• Show mercy to those who are sick, imprisoned, impoverished with no thought of recompense.
• Actively aid in reconciling individuals and groups, promoting harmony and peace.
• Take part in worship and communion.
• Donate time and - if possible - money to a local congregation.
• Complete a pilgrimage to a holy site, if possible.

Initial Miracle
     You perform a miracle demonstrating one of the daily invocations or activities of favor or to otherwise demonstrate the power of Solanthius and/or the wisdom in the Theologikos.

Rites

• Baptism - Accept the Covenant of Solanthius fulfilled in the Primordial Law and be anointed as one of His children. Miracle: You are blessed by the mark of Solanthius forevermore and recognized by fellow believers. Any action taken against you by the forces of Asmodeus or those otherwise opposed to Solanthius incur a Bane.
• Communion and Absolution - Take part in celebrating the death and resurrection of Solanthius and the fulfillment of the Primordial Law. During the ritual, you confess your misdeeds and beseech Solanthius for forgiveness as a group or individually. Miracle: One or more conditions are healed.
• Holy Orders - Join a convent or monastery or an aspect order (more on these in a later post). Miracle: You receive a Boon when demonstrating a virtue of the Theologikos.

      In the second interlude post, I'll expand upon the theology and the nature of magic in Terrenor, as well as the cleric/priest profession as it fits within the Church of the Seven Saints and details regarding the aspect orders of the Church in my campaign.

Artwork by DoomedWorlds and Avalon Classic, used under license.