A Cleric’s Special Privileges

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Clerics should never be seen as simply healers with decent combat ability. They are representatives of an organization and have thousands of potential allies. If you are a cleric of the dominant religion in the kingdom, every town has someone you can call on for assistance. Every village has parishioners who might be persuaded to donate food or money for your upkeep or the completion of your mission, from whom you could recruit a posse or mob.

Chance of a shrine, temple or church of your faith

Large City: 100%
Medium City: 80%
Small City/Large Town: 70%
Town: 50%
Large Village: 40%
Small Village: 20%
Modifiers
The only sanctioned or official state religion:+70%
Freedom of religion is established in the region: +30%
One of several sanctioned faiths: +20%
There is climate of religious tolerance: +10%
Neither tolerated, nor forbidden: +0
There is a climate of religious intolerance -10%
Is forbidden and persecuted: -20% (it will be clandestine, of course)

Religions of minority races if there is a community of that race present: +30%
Religions from +1000 miles away or across sea: -25%
These rules take into account the Cleric’s CHARISMA score and in some cases, WISDOM SCORE. Also the GM should reserve the right to disallow use of these privileges in cities or towns too close to one another and perhaps to require appropriately role play.

Shelter

If there is a chapel, church or temple to the cleric’s god in that town, the cleric can expect to be housed on church-owned property for up to one week, along with 3 others. For each level over fifth, one more person will be accomodated. The composition of the guest party must not include anyone obviously taboo (no men in a nunnery, no obvious enemies of the faith, etc.).

Tent Revival

Provided the head clergy of the congregation is NOT a higher level Cleric (or PC-class Priest) OR if the head clergy grants permission, the cleric may call on the local congregation for monetary support. To do this, the cleric must deliver a sermon, perform a ceremony, give a teaching or other service in front of the congregation. The player then makes an ability check (or similar roll depending on your game) vs. Charisma with his WISDOM modifier added. If he passes, he gets the full amount on the table below. If he fails, he gets half. If there is a critical fail, he gets nothing and his name is worthless in this community. Within a week, the four nearest towns will have heard of this and any attempts to do the same are at -3. If a cleric does this more than three times in a given county, he will be known by name by all local clergy, for good or ill.

Community Economics Offering
Very Poor 1d6 x CHA/2
Poor 1d6 x CHA
Middle Class 1d10 x CHA
Rich d20 x CHA
Filthy Rich d100 x CHA

Mob of the Faithful

If the Cleric has a letter indicating a specific mission has been given from his superiors, or can show an immediate need for action (“We must kill this werewolf!”) he can either recuit temporary hirelings or start a mob. If he does not have a letter, he must be able to justify his request scripturally.
The cleric may recruit d4 + CHA modifier hirelings with at least first level fighting experience for a period of two days. Or he may raise up a mob of d10+CHA 0-level fighters armed with farm implements, tools and the ocassional longsword. If the local head clergy publicly agrees with his request, add +1 to hireling reaction rolls or +d10 to the number in the mob. If he publicly argues with the Cleric, hireling reaction rolls are at -2 or -10 members of the mob.

Notes for DM’s: Obviously you’ll want to tinker with these rules. The danger of using this is that you give in to a cleric who feels entitled to doing this. Feel free to limit each activity to one time per adventure, or add some interesting consequences (the higher-ups in the church want a piece of the action or assign him to care over that small chapel in Nowhereburg). What I hope these do for you is make your cleric’s religion a more important part of his game and give him a new and possibly very useful role in the party.

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