Religion comes up a lot in my games. There are small gods running around in everyone's business, there's the far-reaching power of the Church. My players love shouting 'praise Zulin' (even the tree-worshipper, I guess he does it ironically?)
But if I'm going to eventually trick them into playing the GLOG, I'll have to have a good 'cleric' type ruleset. Plus, it seems like one of the major projects for that design space that's not a solved game. Hopefully it will prove to eventually be as useful and adaptable as Skerples' wizard rework
As well as the abovementioned and linked blogs, this owes inspiration to Last Gasp Grimoires mystic, although my version is a little more... restrained.
Mystic Class
Starting skills and equipment vary by the mystic's Religion
Starting Equipment: chainmail, shield, mace, holy symbol
Starting Skill: [d3]: 1. History, 2. Scripture, 3. Commerce
A: +1 Faith, Miracles, Religion
B: +1 Faith, -1 Doubt
C: +1 Faith, -1 Doubt
D: -1 Doubt, Divine Inspiration
You also gain a +1 to Save vs Unholy and +1 HP for every two Cleric templates you possess.
Your faith is represented by d8s, similar to a wizards spellcasting dice. Faith dice do not deplete on rolls of 1 or 2. Your Doubt is represented by d6s. There are four of these at first level, with one being removed for each additional template gained, as shown on the above table. When you make a spellcasting roll to invoke a miracle, you roll as many Faith dice as you would like to invest, and all of your Doubt together. Doubt does not contribute to the result of the spell, it only exists to trigger doubles and triples. On a double, the spell fails, and the mystic gains an additional point of doubt. On a triple, the mystic has been Forsaken.
Design note: This is the basic mechanic, which I'm most proud of. I'm awful at estimating probability curves, but if FEELS like it shouldn't be too much less/more powerful than the wizard's spellcasting method, and it should be different enough that it won't be a strictly better/worse situation even if it's a little off.
Miracles
When you pray, your god sends you miracles in the form of spells to help you over the next day. You get one miracle per mystic template you have. Your god picks them, not you, so roll for what you get randomly, unless it's extremely obvious what you'll need (water walk if you're planning on crossing a river). You can petition for specific miracles by making a meditation check, offering a sacrifice, etc. You can always choose to take one of your religion's domain spells, instead of one of the spells you roll.
You can also use scrolls, wands, etc, the same as a wizard. Arcane and divine magic are effectively interchangeable, once they're in item form. Mystics tend to have prayer beads and other more religiously-themed tools, but they work the same.
Design notes: I'm not 100% on the rando thing, but I *do* like the idea of preventing players taking 20 minutes deciding on their spells. Probably at the table, I'd let them pick whatever they wanted to a certain extent, as long as they had it off the top of their head- as soon as they start reading, I start rolling
Forsaken: When a mystic pushes their god too far, demands too much, they may be abandoned by their god. When this happens, they cannot cast mystic spells until they have won or wormed their way back into their god's good graces (or found another religion). The method of regaining favour varies by religion, but it should be no small task, and in some rare cases may be impossible if the god is really fed up. In addition, every time a mystic is Forsaken, they gain a point of Madness.
Design note: I like the idea of cleric's occasionally getting fed up and switching gods. I think some religions will have slightly more 'attractive' rites, or maybe signing bonuses, to encourage conversion.
also, I want to facilitate moments where priests are falling on their knees screaming at the heavens 'why hast thou forsaken me' and this seems a step in the right direction
Religions: As a mystic, you belong to a religion or tradition. One is detailed here, the Priest of the Authority. More to follow.
If you switch religions, you gain a permanent point of doubt. This doesn't stack, so once you've bailed on one religion, you can just keep doing it! Probably don't tell anyone though, it'll make you seem less trustworthy
This makes conversion LESS attractive. I guess I like the idea of players having to weigh these sorts of choices
Your religion determines what miracles you are granted, what your crisis of faith might look like, and so on. They also come with a set of boons, taboos, and orisons (minor prayers that produce more consistent spell effects)
Divine Inspiration: Once per game session, the mystic can replace a miracle they know with another one of their choice. At the DM's discretion, this may include miracles from other spell lists.
Note on Spellcasting Mechanics: In addition to the [sum] and [dice] mechanics in the core GLOG spellcasting, I'm introducing the [best] mechanic. In this, you take the best result (or the result of your choice) out of any single die you invested in the spell.
Volcano Cultist
Boons: Once per day, you can sacrifice a living creature or a work of art to the flame to ignore your Doubt for one spellcasting roll.
Taboos: You must have a living flame (at least a red-hot coal) in order to cast spells.
Orisons: 1. Spend 1 hp to create flame. Lights a flammable object on fire, or deals 1d10 damage to a creature on a successful attack roll.2. You can sift ashes to tell what they originally were, even reading text from burned books. 3. You can meditate to ignore fire damage from passive/terrain effects (iron bathhouses, red hot coals, etc)
SPELLS
1. Scorching Rays. You create 1 ray for each die you invest in this spell. Roll to attack with each ray, they each deal [best]+[dice] damage. You can split the attacks among targets, or aim them all at one target, as you see fit.
2. Ash Cloud. Cloud [dice]x10 ft across, deals [dice] fire damage a turn and anyone in the cloud except caster is blinded and must save or spend turn coughing (no action, can still move as normal)
3. Enfeeblement. Range: Touch.
Target looses [sum] points of Strength. If you invest 3 or more dice, the loss is permanent until the curse is broken- Dispel magic means the strength drain returns at a rate of 1 point per hour, Remove Curse restores it all back immediately.
Target looses [sum] points of Strength. If you invest 3 or more dice, the loss is permanent until the curse is broken- Dispel magic means the strength drain returns at a rate of 1 point per hour, Remove Curse restores it all back immediately.
4. Speak to the Blaze
5. Darkvision
You or a creature you touch
You or a creature you touch
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17. Burning Hands
Range: [dice]x10‘ cone Duration: InstantaneousDoes [best] damage to anything in the cone. Save for half damage. Very flammable things are set on fire.
22.
Priest of the Authority
Boons: You don't get dirty, grimy, bloodstained, unless you want to. Blood and mud still splashes on you, it just doesn't stay for very long. You are legally (and magically) allowed to act as a judge, if no other authority is present.Taboos: You cannot break a promise you willingly make.
Orisons:1. You can separate things that have been mixed together (grain and sand, milk and wine, etc). This takes a full round for each cubic foot of material being effected.2. When you speak the truth, you can pay 1 hp to have a listener KNOW that you're speaking the truth3. Once per day, for a minute, you can act as if you could see, regardless of darkness, blindness, etc. You can't actually see, but the hand of the Authority guides your steps.
SPELLS
1. Purify
R: 50 ft. T: creature or creatures D: instantaneous
You flush all toxins, poisons, and diseases from up to [best] number of creatures.
2. Sticks to Snakes.
A bundle of sticks transform into snakes.The snakes attack and take damage as a group. The snakes deal [best] damage and they have [sum] HP. They occupy a [dice]x10 ft square which they share with other creatures, though they count as difficult terrain for any creature that might trip over or get bitten by them, and they can attack up to [dice]x2 number of creatures within that area. They will not attack the caster or very pious churchgoing characters, but otherwise do no differentiate between friend and foe.
A bundle of sticks transform into snakes.The snakes attack and take damage as a group. The snakes deal [best] damage and they have [sum] HP. They occupy a [dice]x10 ft square which they share with other creatures, though they count as difficult terrain for any creature that might trip over or get bitten by them, and they can attack up to [dice]x2 number of creatures within that area. They will not attack the caster or very pious churchgoing characters, but otherwise do no differentiate between friend and foe.
7. Gust of Wind
R: 50’ T: a gust of wind D: concentration At one [die], use wind to (a) clear away fog or gas, (b) extinguish a fire no larger than a torch, (c) blow all the papers off a desk, (d) with concentration, provide enough of a breeze to power a tiny sailboat. At two [dice], creatures in the area must Save or be pushed in the direction of the wind, up to [best]x5 feet.
8. Zone of Truth
9. Circle of Protection
10. Detect Evil
11. Binding
22. Hold Person.
R: 50' T: creature D: concentration, up to [sum] rounds
Target creature or object is locked in place by divine force. You must maintain concentration for this spell to work. Target can breathe and move their eyes, but cannot swim, fly, or perform any other action. If the creature is particularly willful, blasphemous, or a spellcaster, it may Save each round to break free, with a penalty equal to the [dice] you invested.
R: 50' T: creature D: concentration, up to [sum] rounds
Target creature or object is locked in place by divine force. You must maintain concentration for this spell to work. Target can breathe and move their eyes, but cannot swim, fly, or perform any other action. If the creature is particularly willful, blasphemous, or a spellcaster, it may Save each round to break free, with a penalty equal to the [dice] you invested.
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