Clerical Rites

[Shadekeep]

Originally Posted by zot

This changes the feel of the world but I think it does fit well into Cidri.

Sorry wizards but I think this is only fair... :)

Yes, and I'd say it largely depends on how the GM views magic operating in their game setting. If it's a discrete magisteria that requires years of dedication and study to master even the most trivial of spells, then it's probably best left to the wizards. But if it's simply another art or science which anyone can learn with a bit of effort, there's no reason it wouldn't be adapted to many professions in the same way as Rites. I feel that Rites are a bit easier to allow simply because religion and magic both come with a mindset attuned to the mystical and supernatural, and are usually accompanied by lots of study. But again, depending on how magic operates, it could be extended across the whole field of careers in a similarly "linked to talent/profession" way.

[David Bofinger]

Originally Posted by Shadekeep

I've done away with categoricals and all Rites are unaligned now.

Ideally every rite would have a few Cidri examples of use, at least one of which we might expect players to see as ethically acceptable or admirable and one contemptible. Maybe you can't afford the words.

The only real duality is between life and unlife, because that's an actual physical distinction and not some kind of arbitrary categorical.

It's arguable, though, that Unlife is what paleontologists call a wastebasket taxon - a bin we throw things in that don't fit in the Life category. I mean, what do a ghost and a zombie have in common, apart from neither of them being alive? The name is a giveaway of a concept defined not by what it is but by what it isn't.

[David Bofinger]

Some characters will have being a member of a profession as part of their concept, but will also have non-transcendence be part of the character concept. "I'm just an honest smith making honest iron," is a pretty common idea. If smiths in this world, or at least skilled smiths, are casting spells, what happens to this character concept? Some campaigns might be willing to let it go but most I think would want to keep it.

[Shadekeep]

Also, let me know if there are any issues with the PDF itself. Weird stuff like missing fonts and so forth. Thanks again!

[Anomylous]

Obvious application of a Transcendent profession: Bard songs. Make your DX roll to see if you can perform convincingly; if so, you get various quasi-magical effects to happen. Maybe a Lullaby would make everyone in the vicinity roll vs. IQ to stay awake, or a Drinking Song would temporarily grant you the Carousing talent.

(I'm somewhat of a musician IRL, and I've seen strange things happen when the stars align and the spirit moves...)

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by David Bofinger

It's arguable, though, that Unlife is what paleontologists call a wastebasket taxon - a bin we throw things in that don't fit in the Life category. I mean, what do a ghost and a zombie have in common, apart from neither of them being alive? The name is a giveaway of a concept defined not by what it is but by what it isn't.

I added a third classification to address this distinction in my own campaign's metaphysical ontology. Spirits and corporeal undead are very different things in my game... the latter being created by exposure to an extradimensional energy source called malsporum or 'anti-life'.

[Axly Suregrip]

Historically clerical abilities would most often be seen as inspiring men to fight on. Whether it is because there cause is the righteous one, or promise of heaven, etc, the net effect to the believers of that faith was the same: they fought harder and selflessly.

Maybe this can be seen as +1 DX for one fight when inspired by a Priest; and the equivalent to Berzerker with no chance of attacking friendlies (but innocent bystanders beware!) for Theologians. I would expect this abilities to be limited to only working on the faithful and any individual could only be inspired say once per week. I would also say the holy man must make a 3vIQ roll to get the results.

Now how to determine who is of the same faith. I would not want to get into naming real religions. Just do faiths by race. An Orc priest inspires orcs only, and so on. But this is up to the GM.

I would leave out healing. That is a D&D thing and TFT has healers already (physickers). If you are looking to mimic miracles, then I would say just stick with the lesser wishes system. That is, a priest can earn a lesser wish that he has earn through the methods in ITL already, just like anyone else. The only difference is, in order to make it more likely that the holy man spend the lesser wish on someone else, whenever he/she does so, the GM grant them extra XP. Not 500 XP, but enough to make the priest to look for such situation. Maybe 50 to 100 XP depending on the situation.

[Shadekeep]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

I added a third classification to address this distinction in my own campaign's metaphysical ontology. Spirits and corporeal undead are very different things in my game...

I consider fairies and other ethereal beings to be a third type as well. They are neither undead nor mortal, and governed by different processes of existence. Some of the Thanatophiles in the Unlife book fall in this class, such as Banshees and Psychopomps, along with Guardian Spirits. Part of the reason I chose the term unliving instead of undead, because it covers a wider range.

Originally Posted by Axly Suregrip

Historically clerical abilities would most often be seen as inspiring men to fight on. Whether it is because there cause is the righteous one, or promise of heaven, etc, the net effect to the believers of that faith was the same: they fought harder and selflessly.

Agreed, there could be further Rites for things like this, such as providing a morale boost to combatants or soothing hostilities. The Rites I provided are merely those with application to the unliving, and are by no means exhaustive.

[hcobb]

A wizard is both spiritual and physical. The Astral Projection spell splits these two aspects for a time.

[Shadekeep]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

malsporum

"the bad seed". Nice. :)