Hey 19 (Pyramid, that is)
 

Sorry, I have been waiting for a chance to use that as a title :D

So, Clerics! What kept you in the monastery and what made you want to chuck it all for a job as a pickle vendor?

What inspired you to change things around or shake them up like the bones of a turned undead?

Is the profession a cooler-sounding idea after reading this issue, or are you still thinking you'd rather be a barbarian?

Step to the lectern and brandish your talismans, brothers and sisters.

Re: Hey 19 (Pyramid, that is)
 

Another very solid issue. No regrets about re-subscribing.

"Auras of Power" was very useful--especially for the Aura of Power meta-enhancement itself. I really enjoy these Psionic Powers-like articles, which both give interesting ideas and "show their work."

I was particularly unimpressed by the handout this time.

Of the remaining articles, I especially enjoyed "Sanctuary and Right of Clergy" and "Templars: The Fighting Priests."

Re: Hey 19 (Pyramid, that is)
 

I'm glad you liked the "Auras of Power" article. The meta-enhancement was in fact the thing that prompted it all. I had grown tired of seeing people ask for this in the forums ;)

As for the issue, I particularly liked the sin eaters. I don't think that the ability to eat sin rates as more than a perk in GURPS, but it's rather inspired. Closely behind where the other articles, even the random though table (I usually find it to be one of the less useful sections, though it's quite good in absolute terms). It was an all around solid issue, though I agree that the handout could have been better.

Re: Hey 19 (Pyramid, that is)
 

I wasn't expecting much out of this issue because I'm not running or playing in anything with magic-wielding clerics. However...

Auras of Power

Very nice, mostly for the aura mechanic itself rather than the examples. Applicable to all sorts of weird powers... [5]

The Sin Eaters: An Unclean Clerical Calling

An interesting magical spin on a (probable) real-world tradition. The scenario hook may be obvious, but it's still enjoyable. Loses a point for not having mechanics, and another because I'm not going to be able to use it soon. [3]

Warehouse XXIII: Three Holy Artifacts

The Hymnal is an interesting restriction on a usual effect (for which reason I wouldn't use the less-restricted Greater Hymnal). Seeds of Faith seem a bit too gimmicky (entirely subjective evaluation). The Self-Candle is more interesting, and as pointed out works both ways. [4]

Miraculous Events!

I don't know who uses these handouts. This particular one is even less interesting than usual, because it doesn't offer any combinatorial effects; it's just a set of index cards. [1]

Templars: The Fighting Priests

Mostly stuff I already know, and much of it not particularly game-related. Graeme is always an interesting writer, though, which scrapes back a point. [3]

The Tricks of the Shaman

A usefully sociological approach to deception. This has all sorts of applicability, and even a reasonable leavening of rules material. [5]

Sanctuary and Right of Clergy

Short and solid. Not directly useful to me but could go into a lot of campaigns. [5]

Random Thought Table

Didn't grab me as much as usual, but mostly because I'm not running that sort of campaign at the moment. [3]

Odds and Ends

Quirks don't really grab me, and the Avalanche box would have been better in RTT, but it's a decent Murphy. [3]

Overall

I'd have liked to see something about clerics in non-fantasy settings.

Re: Hey 19 (Pyramid, that is)
 

Thanks, man! I liked the auras article, too. Dunno when I'll get to use it, but you never know...

Re: Hey 19 (Pyramid, that is)
 

Well, the thing is, it's an awesome bit of color that can be dropped into almost any fantasy setting, does not require a huge expenditure of CPs (As I said, I would rate sin-eater as a perk, same as Rest in Pieces, and add social regard and a bunch of reaction reducing disadvantages as needed, until they more or less negate the bonus).

As people might have noticed, my talents lie in the crunchy side of things, not on the literary one.

Re: Hey 19 (Pyramid, that is)
 

I have only read the auras so far. These seem to be pretty cool but there is no aura like Aura of Evil Exhaultant where when evil creatures like undead, demons and the like are subjected to it they are compelled to serve and evil cleric with this power. Maybe this would be better handled through Charisma (Evil Beings)? Who knows? Anyway, I would like there to be more stuff that matches up to old School D&D. Also, it would be useful to have some articles on Temples where DF PCs can go and interact with the clerics there. Maybe some ideas for how to have a semi realistic Temple of Odin or Apollo so that clerics can do their thing there and buy goods needed for adventuring and also ideas for having the temple heal or cure other PCs for a price.

Re: Hey 19 (Pyramid, that is)
 

Well, that wouldn't be an Affliction -- it'd really be Mind Control. So it's a bit outside the scope of the Auras. But for most other effects, it should be easy for you to create your own, since Toni went to a lot of trouble to show exactly how he build each Aura, and even broke down the important bits into a simple meta-enhancement.

Re: Hey 19 (Pyramid, that is)
 

The Knights Templar: I really liked this article but in the end it left me flat. Sure it provides info on organizing a martial religious order like the Knights Templar in a fantasy world but what about the reverse where you want to play a Knight Templar in a Df world? Yes I know that this is *gasp* controversial but what would be cooler than having your holy warrior be a Knight Templar? Christianity is tailor made for good vs. evil stuff and if vampire films can use it then why not DF? Maybe God also communicated with people in the Dungeon Realm, Greyhawk or whatever DF world you wish and then the people wrote down a Bible just like on Earth and maybe the stories are true or allegories but noone has to know for sure. God could have sent his son to this world too and had him crucified and later become a large scale religion. There could be a holy grail and also pieces of the cross as divine artifacts. The Knights Templar could be a great source of adventure as they try to stop the forces of evil and reclaim their holy artifacts and so forth in dungeons. Finally, the Devil is an awesome evil god that needs defeating. Devil worshipping goblin-kin would cause many templars to react quickly. Bringing Chrisitainity to DF would be awesome for me because I like to have some texture to my adventures and Chrisitanity is full of interesting bits that add to the ambiance. So in all I liked the Knights Templar article but I would have liked it to have gone further and bring this religious order into my DF world.

Re: Hey 19 (Pyramid, that is)
 

Saying that sounds a bit Hollywoodian to me.

". . . your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:45)

I rather think that Christianity was tailor made for scandal and huge confusions, specially after the so called "free-exam" of its Scriptures, that destroyed any further possibility of exegetical objectivity.

The existence of the Knights Templar inside a Christian frame was paradoxical. A part of the thing is that in the spiritual sphere or ambient of the Middle Ages, there were by far more synthesized things than just Christianity.