Encyclopedia Magical: Divine Rules

Divine Magic 

Who Uses Divine Magic

Divine magic is used by those that worship gods. The worship of deities is organized into cults or religions, and closely associated groups of deities form pantheons, whose cults are associated. 

Learning Divine Magic

The simplest aspects of divine magic, cult spells can be studied by any of a god's worshippers.  It's more powerful magics, divine spells, may only be learned by the initiates, acolytes, priests or Rune Lords of a cult.  The gods are limited by the Great Compromise as to how far they can extend their influence into the world of mortals, but even so the spells and powers they grant their worshippers are one of the most powerful forms of magic in the world.  The first step in learning the magic of the cults is becoming a lay member. 

Lay Members

The simple worshippers of a deity are called lay members.  They attend regular ceremonies and say prayers.  They are excluded from certain parts of the worship service, and are not taught the inner secrets of the religion.  Lay members are casual worshippers who generally belong in a more serious fashion to other cults, or are children, and include anyone planning to become an initiate. 

Requirements to join:

• Initiates, or higher, of an Allied cult, are considered lay members of all allied cults.
• Must be acceptable to the cult (not belong to enemy cult, chaos, etc.)
• Donate 10L to the cult.

Duties:

• Attend the cult's yearly High Holy Day ceremonies and give a small donation at that time.
• Donate 1MP at every ceremony attended.
• Follow the basic tenets of the cult

Benefits:

• Access to cult spirit spells.
• Access to cult skills.

Initiates

To join the inner membership of a religion, a lay member must make a commitment to the religion.  The commitment usually involves substantial investment of time, effort, power, money, and emotion.  The religion must agree to accept this commitment, and frequently accepts the lay member as an initiate only after he passes one or more tests.  An initiate has established a special link with his deity, which allows them to contact the god through prayer, learn divine magic, and gain deity's attention through divine intervention. 

Initiates may be initiates, acolytes, priests or Rune Lords of other cults.  Allied spirits are considered initiates of the cult. 

Requirements:

• A priest or a Rune Lord, of an Allied cult, is considered an honorary initiate of all allied cults.  "Honorary" means that they can sacrifice for divine magic on a one use basis, but are not required to pay tithe or perform other duties of an initiate.  Honorary initiates can join can become regular initiates without asking permission by just sacrificing 1pt of POW. Allied spirits are by definition are initiates of the cult.

• Must be acceptable to the cult (not belong to enemy cult, chaos, etc.)
• Donate 100L to the cult.
• A candidate must not be a sorcerer or a shaman unless allowed
• Must show proficiency with 3 cult skills (must succeed in skill checks 3 out of 5 chosen).  If the test is failed, it is up to the initiating priest to decide to accept or not.

Duties:

• Attend the cult's yearly and seasonal High Holy Day ceremonies.

• Donate all but 1MP at every ceremony attended (unless told otherwise)
• Donate 10% of ones time and income (normally to ones superior in the cult)

Benefits:

• Access to cult spirit spells at a discount.
• Access to one use divine magic, which is reusable to priests
• 4 weeks of discounted training per year in any cult skill.
• Additional discounted training in cult skills if available.
• A power gain roll at a successful yearly High Holy Day ceremony.

Acolytes

Sincere worshippers may become acolytes (also known as associated priests).  They have some of the privileges and responsibilities of priesthood, but not all, and do not lead a congregation.  Associated Priest can sacrifice for divine magic on a reusable basis, but are not required to pay tithe or perform other duties of an acolyte.  Retired priests and Rune Lords may be freed from most of their responsibilities by requesting demotion to acolyte status. 

Acolytes may be initiates or acolytes of other cults.  Associated priest are priests or Rune Lords of other cults.  Allied spirits with power of 18 or above are considered Acolytes 

Requirements:

• A candidate must not be a sorcerer or a shaman unless allowed.
• Pay 1000L fee.
• Must be an initiate or an honorary initiate to become an Associated Priest.
• Must have 10pt of Rune magic (including: Sanctify, Spellteaching, Worship) from this cult (not allied cults).
• If the cult does not have access to ALL Common Divine spells the candidate must know the Worship spell and have two cult skills at 75% and one at 50%.
• Must have 5 cult skills at 50% or higher (some cults have higher requirements).
• Must succeed in POW*5 or perform a mission given by an initiating superior.

Duties:

• Attend the cult's yearly and seasonal High Holy Day ceremonies.

• Donate all but 1MP at every ceremony attended (unless told otherwise).
• Donate 30% of ones time and income (normally to ones superior in the cult).
• Must perform ceremonies (and other duties) if no priest is available.

Benefits:

• Reusable divine magic as per priest.
• May be (or not) allowed to sacrifice for divine magic which is one use to priests.
• A power gain roll at a successful yearly High Holy Day ceremony.

Priests

A priest is the god's spiritual representative in the mundane world.  Priests lead congregations.  A priest is an essentially an acolyte with a congregation.  Priests spend most of their time performing duties duties for the deity, temple, and their flock. 

Cults which do not have Priest may, or may not have Acolytes.  A priest's commitment to his religious duties requires him to ignore skills which are not considered cult required.  ALL non-cult manipulation (melee attack, missile attack) and agility (parry, stealth) skills are limited to DEX*3. 

Priests are honorary initiates of all allied cults and may become associated priests.  Priests may be initiates or acolytes of other cults, but not Rune Lords or priests. 

Requirements:

• An opening must exist.
• Must be an initiate or an acolyte, not an honorary initiate or an associated priest, in good standing for 1 year.
• A candidate must not be a sorcerer or a shaman unless allowed.
• Must forget any sorcery unless allowed.
• Must have 10pt of Rune magic (including: Initiate, Sanctify, Spellteaching, and Worship) from this cult (not allied cults).
• Must have 5 cult skills at 50% or higher (some cults have higher requirements).
• Must succeed in POW*3 (+1%/100L donated) or perform a mission given to you by an initiating superior.

Duties:

• Attend the cult's yearly and seasonal and weekly High Holy Day ceremonies.

• Donate all but 1MP at every ceremony attended (unless told otherwise).
• Must perform ceremonies then required.
• Donate 70% of ones time and income (typically cult sponsored projects).
• Must perform ceremonies (and other duties) if no priest is available.
• Must teach initiates and lay members.

Benefits:

• Gain reusable divine magic.
• Gain an allied spirit (if one is available).
• Gain 1 point of power and a power gain roll at a successful yearly High Holy Day ceremony.

Rune Lords

Rune Lords represent a god's temporal authority.  A Rune Lord is a master of cult skills, and employs his skills in the service of the cult and his god.  Some cults, particularly those that have little use for mundane skills have the office of Rune Lord, but few or no candidates to fill the position.  Rune Lords spend most of their time performing duties and quests for the cult and their god. 

Rune Lords may be initiates or acolytes (associated priests) of other cults, but not Rune Lords or priests. 

Requirements:

• An opening must exist.
• Must be an initiate or an acolyte, not an honorary initiate or an associated priest, in good standing for at least 3 years.
• A candidate must not be a sorcerer, a shaman, or Rune Lord of another cult unless allowed.
• Must have 5 specified cult skills at 90% or higher.
• Must succeed in POW*3 (+1%/100L donated) or perform a mission given to you by an initiating superior.

Duties:

• Attend the cult's yearly and seasonal and weekly High Holy Day ceremonies.

• Donate 1MP at every ceremony attended.
• Donate 90% of ones time and income (typically cult sponsored projects).
• Must teach cult skills to initiates and lay members.

Benefits:

• Gain an allied spirit (if one is available).
• Receive iron armor and weapons (if available).
• Gain 1d10 divine intervention (not available to all cults)
• Supported by the cult in between missions.

High Priests

High Priests are the ultimate repository of the god's authority and power in the world.  They are the undisputed leaders of the cult and a direct intermediary between the divine and the mundane.  Large cults may have several high priests based on clans and or territories.  The size of the congregation and the cult will determine the number of high priests the cult could support. 

It is possible to hold the offices of Rune Lord and High Priest at the same time.  In this case the more restrictive criteria will apply 

Requirements:

• An opening must exist.
• Must be a ranking follower in the community with a congregation size defined by the GM (No High Priests of a party, unless the party are the only worshippers.)
• Must elected (or selected) for the office
• Must acquire the following spells as soon as possible: Initiate, Sanctify, Spellteaching, Worship, Divination, Excommunication

Duties:

• Donate 100% of ones time and income (typically cult sponsored projects).
• Perform all duties required of a priest and an administrator.

Benefits:

• Gain an allied spirit (if one is available).
• Gain 1d10 divine intervention (not available to all cults, based on size of the cult)
• Gain access to all cult divine spells on reusable basis (even spells which are one use to priests).

Allied Spirits

Most cults have a body of spirits who remain loyal to the religion even after death.  One of these spirits may be sent to Rune Lords, priests, or even in special cases an acolyte or an initiate who have been specially chosen.  Such spirits are known as allied spirits. 

The allied spirit or awakened animal is friendly and available.  It will use its powers to benefit its mortal ally.  Allied spirits usually reside in a special ceremonial object or a special animal.  An allied spirit is in continual Mindlink with its ally, and its INT can be used to store spells as its magic points are used to cast them.  An allied spirit can cast spells on itself or its ally, and can attempt to cast spells through its mortal's eyes with an INT*3 roll.  An allied spirit is an initiate of the cult, and if its power is 18 or higher it is an acolyte, and can learn and recover divine magic. 

An allied spirit spends its full time watching over its mortal ally.  If cult spirit's mortal ally shows signs of heresy or show less than full devotion to the deity, the spirit will chastise him and attempt to guide him back to righteousness.  If the mortal ally persists in error, the spirit will leave him, and deity will inform the adventurer's high priest of necessity to excommunicate the offender. 

Divine Intervention 

Divine intervention is an appeal for the god to intervene on the part of an initiate, acolyte, priest, or Rune Lord. 

Procedure:

A player must state that his adventurer wishes to call for divine intervention.  An adventurer can call upon divine intervention if he is rendered unconscious and at the moment of death.  In such a situation, the adventurer rolls 1d100.  If the 1d100 roll is greater than the adventurer's POW, then the call for divine intervention is not answered, and there is no other effect.  If the roll is equal to or less than the adventurer's POW, god hears the appeal and intercedes.  The adventurer then loses that number of POW points equal to the roll.  If the adventurer must lose an amount of POW which equals his total current POW, then the response occurs but the god takes up the adventurer's soul.  In this case the character is dead and can not be brought back by any means. 

Effect:

Normal effects of divine intervention are to heal or transport a character, or a group of associated characters.  A divine intervention can also be used to resurrect a dead character.  A divine intervention can also be use to enhance ones chance to succeed with a single task (god guiding your hand) such as creating a magical item or making a single attack.  The final interpretation is of course up to the GM. 

Limitations:

• The god cannot do other than normal to him and divine intervention usually takes form of a manifestation of the god's power.
• Due to the Great Compromise, gods will not act directly against a mortal who is not a worshipper.
• Divine intervention cannot be used against worshippers of the same god, for a god will not act against himself.
• Divine intervention will not work in an area sanctified to another god (without that god's permission).
• Certain magics exist which may permanently or temporarily sever a worshipper's bond to his god and thus preventing divine intervention.

Learning Spells

Cult Magic

The divine magic Spellteaching ritual summons a cult spirit which can impart knowledge of cult magic spell to a cultist.  Lay members are charged normal price for such magic, while initiates or higher usually receive a 50% discount on cult spells. 

Priests generally explain that their Spellteaching ritual summons a cult spirit from which knowledge of the spell is learned.  The spell is a representation of the god's power and is intended to let the worshipper immulate his deity's actions.  The cult spirit is typically commanded not to resist.  Once the spirit is reduced to 0 magic points, the cultist appears to absorb the spirit, and gains the use of the spirit magic spell. 

Divine Magic

To learn divine magic, a character must be at least an initiate of the cult, or an initiate of an allied cult.  The character must pay a priest 100L per point of the spell he wishes to learn and succeed in <cult> Lore skill check. 

Learning a spell requires a sacrifice of 1 point of POW per point of the spell learned.  It takes 1 hour per point of the spell to learn it.

Recovering Spells

Acolytes and priests can recover reusable divine magic in an area sanctified to their deity.  They may also recover allied cult's divine magic or magic granted by their cult to the allied deity at the allied cult's sanctified area.  It takes 1 full day and a successful <cult> Lore skill check to recover 1 point of divine magic.  Only one roll needs to be made for multi point spells.

Temples

A temple is a holy place, consecrated to and protected by a deity.  A temple can defend itself with magic, even without the presence of priests or other worshippers.  Magic can be learned and recovered at a temple.  Although temples are normally the only place to learn spells, the spells learnable are limited by temple size. 

The number of lay members and other worshippers determine the size of a temple.  The sacrifice of POW and magic points at a site opens links to the deity and then sustains the relationship. 

Site (0-50 initiates)

A site is a simple area of worship, normally an area under the effect of a Sanctify spell, where members of a religion gather to worship.  A site has no magical effects, beyond he effects of a Sanctify spell, in and of itself.  A worshipper cannot learn spells at such a site, but is capable of recovering divine magic. 

Shrine (1-100 initiates)

Shrines are the most common form of a holy site.  At a shrine one can learn only the divine spells of Divination, Initiate, Sanctify, Worship <Deity>, and the single divine spell special to the religion and the shrine. 

To qualify for a shrine the location must be of religious significance or contain a holy relic.  Maintaining such a site requires the sacrifice of 10 magic points on seasonal holy days of the religion. 

Minor Temple (10-400 initiates)

This is a temple size commonly found in towns.  At a minor temple, one can learn all the spells which can be learned at a shrine, plus any divine magic special to the cult. 

Maintaining an active minor temple takes the sacrifice of 50 magic points on the seasonal holy days. 

Major Temple (100-1000 initiates)

This is a temple size commonly found in cities.  Here one can learn all common divine magics and divine magic special to the cult. 

Maintaining an active temple takes the sacrifice of 250 magic points on the seasonal holy days. 

Great Temple (500+ initiates)

This is a temple size commonly found in large cities.  Here one can learn all common divine magics, divine magic special to the cult, and any cult spells granted by any associate cult. 

Maintaining an active great temple takes the sacrifice of 1,250 magic points on the seasonal holy days. 

Temple Defenses

As a side effect of worship, every 100 initiates worshipping at a temple provide 1 point of Power for the defense of the temple.  This amount depends more on the sacrifice of power during initiation than the sacrifice of magic points during the worship ceremonies, thus, the amount never exceeds 1 point of defensive power for every 50 initiates, even with particularly active and devoted worshippers.  The spells regenerate at the rate of 1 point a day if triggered or dispelled. 

Copyright © 1993, Oliver Jovanovic, Michael McGloin and Carl Fink