Tag Archives: Story-arc

Reverse Clerics

July 10, 2010 1:28 am / 3 Comments /

Clerics of the Order of the Holy Rest do not worship Crom. “Slumbers” know that he is a sleeping god and when he is stirred, times of great chaos and destruction  follow. The order is dedicated to maintaining his slumber, which has been relatively undisturbed for the last 300 years.

They derive their daily blessings of spells and wisdom from their predecessors, the deceased heads of the Order, who have passed on to higher planes where they sit in council and reveal the Great Plan to keep Crom asleep. These revelations are officially sent only to the High Dreamer, who spends most of his time sleeping to receive instructions. The Order is not guided by any set of morals; the end justifies the means if it keeps Crom’s waking chaos below the Earth.

There are, from time to time, upstart prophets in the countryside and in the cities espousing the will of the Sleepers to the masses. Some of these heretics are known to go on noisome adventures, delving underground and risking a profound disturbance to Crom’s rest.

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All Religion is Local

July 7, 2010 3:19 am / Leave a Comment /
Green Tara

Green Tara

Start a cleric at level 1 and have his (or her) deity be the local village totem/spirit/ancestor. As long as he never leaves the area, praying to Althora, the local waterfall spirit grants him all the spells he needs.

Once he leaves his village, he’s going to need a stronger god with more believers. Spells might come sporadically or at lower strength. Time for proselytizing! He’ll need to figure out why the fishermen and their families in Big-City-on-the-River should pray to her: “The goddess Athora is the protector of all those who fish the rivers.”

As his level increases, his ability to impress and convert would also grow. Eventually, Althora might be the goddess of weathering change. She would be known, if not worshipped, anywhere on continent or in the world, so that the cleric call on her from anywhere. By then, the PC would be the founder of a cult, sect or major religion. The waterfall back home would be a site of pilgramage, where his has established his abby or cathedral. Someday he could be a saint or perhaps a martyr!

This gives the player a chance to make up the trappings and lore of his character’s religion, make visible impact in the campaign and is a terrific opportunity to develop plot hooks.

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