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Old 11-18-2018, 05:41 PM   #1
hcobb
 
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Default Priestly spellcasting

Every IRL example I can think of "Priestly spellcasting" is done from a book or similar ritual.

So how about this for a house rule:

The Priest talent gives a hero the ability to cast spells from books, but only those books written for that Priest's specific religion. The hero's faith substitutes for a wizard's training. Otherwise the procedure is exactly the same as Casting Spells From Books on page 141. The box is then called a Cleric's Chest, but it works exactly the same.

The Theologian talent negates the -2 DX penalty for this book casting. A wizard theologian can cast from his sect's holy books at no DX penalty and in only an additional minute over the time it would take to cast the same spell if memorized.
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Old 11-18-2018, 08:46 PM   #2
platimus
 
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Default Re: Priestly spellcasting

I prefer keeping spell-casting as-is in the RAW but role-playing religious cults/orders in a way that is very similar to role-playing for guilds.

Priest and Theologian simply denote your "rank" or "level" within the cult/order and allow you to perform the official functions described by those talents.

You can be a devout follower of a religion and learn spells but your cult/order must approve of those spells and may require that you only learn spells from them. You've seen my post in the Turn Undead thread, so I won't elaborate any further here unless you post a question here.
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Old 11-19-2018, 08:07 AM   #3
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Default Re: Priestly spellcasting

I think this is a pretty good optional rule.
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Old 11-19-2018, 08:11 AM   #4
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Default Re: Priestly spellcasting

I added Rites for the religious orders in The Book of Unlife. They function largely as spells but most also have Priest/Theologian prerequisites. They don't cost more for non-mage characters, unlike traditional spells, so a priest doesn't perforce have to be a mage.
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Old 11-19-2018, 09:25 AM   #5
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Default Re: Priestly spellcasting

The rites I would add are for things like...

IQ 10 Funerary Rites(T): Adds one die to any attempt to use the residual life force of a corpse. (I.e. the DX roll for the Zombie or Revival spells, the IQ roll needed to rise as a ghost, alchemy from the body parts, etc.) May be attempted up to five times for a single corpse. The cost for the first casting is two fatigue. This doubles for each subsequent attempt, succeed or fail.
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Old 11-19-2018, 10:52 AM   #6
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Default Re: Priestly spellcasting

Quote:
Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
Funerary Rites
I actually have Funeral Rites as one of the Rites in my book, but it serves a more traditional purpose. It's for performing a proper funeral and reducing the risk of the dead returning as a restless soul of some kind. Your suggestion makes for an interesting Rite, and might be considered to come under the purview of Necromancy as well, as it uses the energies of the dead.

I basically divide Rites along a traditional good/evil axis, with Holy Rites (such as Consecration and Exorcism) and Dark Rites (such as Abnegation and Torment). They can be applied to whatever religion the GM considers a good match.
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Old 11-19-2018, 02:06 PM   #7
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Default Re: Priestly spellcasting

I like HCobb's ideas here -- KISS is followed, but it makes Priest/Theologian more desirable. While it by-passes the extra cost necessary to actually learn a spell, it also limits their abilities strongly. Finally, it contains the seed of many an adventure just within the concept (figuring out how to use the books wisely, potential problems with your deity if you use it foolishly, quests to obtain new books, quests to "pay back" your deity (or organized religion) for access to the powers, quests to defeat opposing religions and acquire their books -- even if you can't use them, neither can they if they don't have them -- etc., etc.). Brilliant!
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Old 11-19-2018, 02:36 PM   #8
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Default Re: Priestly spellcasting

The main thrust of my tiny wrinkle is that it doesn't prove that God exists.

Wizards will look at this and just say that it is substandard wizard training.

Dialing it back a bit: http://www.hcobb.com/tft/new_spells.html#Magic
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Last edited by hcobb; 11-19-2018 at 03:10 PM.
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Old 11-19-2018, 02:41 PM   #9
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Default Re: Priestly spellcasting

Who's to say how that quest got assigned? Sure it might have just been the Hierarch dreaming up some way to get his hands on something he personally wants, but when he sends you on the quest, he TELLS you that Qurom, the God of Quick Tricks and Small Slams really is the one sending you out there for that book "Bridge Through the Ages"...
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Old 11-21-2018, 11:36 AM   #10
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Default Re: Priestly spellcasting

If your priest is reading Remove Thrown Spell out of a book to dispatch each zombie should he get a break on the five minute casting time for each one?

In the meantime, the anti-Zombie sword: http://www.hcobb.com/tft/new_spells.html#Magic
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Last edited by hcobb; 11-21-2018 at 11:44 AM.
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