Priest/Theologian Faith talents

[warhorse11h]

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[larsdangly]

Apologies in advance for this wall of text, but here is the entirety of my long-standing house rules on miraculous clerical powers in TFT. They make mention of a couple of new talents, most importantly True Faith, which is basically the 'unlock quasi-magical religious power' talent. The premise of the rules is a more or less abrahamic, monotheistic sort of faith. Other faiths are described using standard magical spells and a couple of peculiar talents.

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9. MIRACLES AND OTHER ACTS OF FAITH

Arcane magic is powerful, and evil or demonic magic particularly so. A normal man with nothing but his sword arm to rely on is no match for a powerful adept. However, the faithful can call on god-given powers that rival, or in some cases even eclipse, the arcane.
The rules governing acts of faith and miracles are designed around conceptions of medieval Christian holy men. These can serve as a guide to similar acts by other sorts of religious characters. This conversion is relatively straightforward for Muslim and Jewish holy men; it should involve little more than a change in wording, and often not even that. These rules also provide a looser guide to how one should handle diabolists pleas for help from the devil. However, it is not recommended that these rules be applied to pagans, heathens and others from totally different religious traditions. The concept of supplication to a caring, omniscient and omnipotent God is peculiar to medieval monotheism. Supernatural acts performed by other sorts of religious characters (e.g., Druids, Shaman, or Bards) are better resolved using the rules for arcane magic.
The effects of acts of faith and miracles are purposefully described in vague terms. They are not intended to be substitutes for arcane spells. A supplicant should wonder about the consequences of their prayer, and the game master should tailor those effects to the circumstances and characters involved.

Holy symbols, places and relics
Some holy symbols and places provide temporary bonuses to the IQ ratings of passionate believers attempting to perform acts of faith and miracles. Common religious trinkets and mundane places of worship (e.g., a cheap wooden cross or country church) provide no bonus of this sort. Brandishing a blessed gold crucifix or standing by the altar of a famous cathedral might provide +1 bonuses. Visiting an important pilgrimage site on a high holy day might provide a +2 bonus.
A holy relic is a body part or important object that once belonged to or was associated with a saint or other holy person. These objects provide bonuses to a possessing character’s IQ when attempting miracles, like holy symbols and places, but the power of a relic is so great that it can even provide the capacity for people of weak faith to perform miraculous acts. Any character holding a relic may attempt an act of faith or miracle as if he had the True Faith talent and an IQ equal to 5 plus the faith bonus of that relic. For example, the toe bone of St. Francis provides a faith bonus of +5. In the hands of the most righteous Prior of Windsleydale (IQ 13 and he knows the TRUE FAITH talent), this relic can produce most amazing miracles (modified IQ of 18, giving a good chance of succeeding at 5 die rolls). But even the degenerate compulsive liar, Sir Sandor Sandwich can have his prayers answered (effective IQ of 10 when brandishing the toe bone) when calling on its virtues. Heretics, atheists and pagans cannot use a relic, unless they are on the path to conversion. If you have access to two or more simultaneous bonuses from holy symbols, places or relics, they ‘stack’.
A pious man with gold in his purse will find no scarcity of people willing to sell him holy relics of every description. In fact, it would not be difficult to find a dozen or more toe bones of St. Francis for sale in a busy market. If only belief alone were enough to make them real…

Common acts of faith
Common acts of faith may be attempted by anyone that has the True Faith talent or that carries a holy relic. All are resolved as 3d6 saving throws vs. IQ, and successes cost the supplicant 1d6 ST (in ‘exhaustion’ damage).

Common Prayer Most medieval people pray several times daily, and pious persons do so earnestly. Such prayers are generally directed toward the well being of others or the world in general. An ‘inspired’ common prayer may have some subtle but noticeable benevolent effect (such as protecting a friend’s household from an illness that ravages the city in which they live).
Courage of the Righteous The successful supplicant is able to resist or recover from terror or madness, through the support of his god.
Prayer for Forgiveness This is the only common act of faith that can be attempted by a character living in a state of dire sin. A successful prayer for forgiveness will give the supplicant an insight as to the penance or sacrifice that is required to return a sinner to his god’s good graces. Without the aid of a priest’s confession, this prayer is required before someone in a state of sin can again call on his True Faith talent.
Prayer for Guidance A successful prayer provides the character with insight as to how he might achieve some goal.
Prayer for Insight The supplicant’s deity provides insight to a perplexing or troubling problem or mystery.
Prayer for Luck The supplicant begs that the deity will aid him (good luck) or impede a foe (bad luck) in some circumstance or conflict in which the character does not feel his native abilities will be enough. Success might be manifested by a 1-die advantage or disadvantage in a saving throw or other task.
Prayer for Protection An attack or other hazard aimed at the supplicant is deflected or dulled.

Clerical sacraments
Clerical sacraments are religious acts that derive their power from the tradition and community of the church, not the strength of faith of the person performing them. These can only be attempted by someone having one of the talents, PRIEST or OCCULT, but do not require the True Faith talent. Attempts to perform clerical sacraments are resolved by rolling 3d6 vs. IQ, or 2d6 if the cleric knows the HIEROPHANT or INNER SECRETS talent. Performing a clerical sacrament does not incur any cost in ST.

Baptism Brings an infant or convert into the church. Inquisitors have discovered this sacrament is effective even if done at sword point.
Blessing: The recipient of a clerical blessing receives a +2 bonus to his IQ for any use of the TRUE FAITH talent for 1 day.
Bury the Dead The cleric buries a dead person in hallowed ground. If properly performed, that person cannot be raised from the dead (as a zombie, skeleton or otherwise), even if that person died without receiving last rights.
Confirmation Bestows full membership in the faith on a young adult. Required for any accepted, adult member of medieval society.
Excommunication The priest casts a strayed believer out of the church. He may no longer receive clerical sacraments and is an outcast from the community of the faithful. The game master might rule that an excommunicated character cannot call on the True Faith talent, unless the excommunication was entirely unjustified and politically motivated. Only a bishop or higher-ranking prelate can perform an excommunication, and he rolls 3d6 vs. IQ when doing so.
Exorcise Demons The cleric forces a demon or offending spirit to make a 3d saving throw vs. IQ (with penalties for Superior Opposition based on IQ). If he fails, the evil being is forced to return to its home plane.
Extreme Unction The cleric provides spiritual aid and comfort and remission of sin to a deathly ill worshiper. If successfully performed on a believer, that person gains a 1-die advantage in attempts to overcome an advanced illness or grievous wound (i.e., he rolls one fewer dice). Extreme unction is not performed on the lightly wounded or ambulatory sick.
Holy Eucharist The cleric administers mass, including the consumption of the bread and wine made holy. A believer who has participated in the holy Eucharist within the last 24 hours receives a +1 bonus to his IQ when attempting any saving throw involving his True Faith talent.
Last Rites The cleric anoints a dying person and absolves him of his sins, so that he can die knowing the way to heaven is open to him. This is extremely important to medieval believers. A person who has been given last rites cannot be raised as a zombie or used to create a skeleton.
Matrimony The priest performs an official marriage between two members of his church.
Ordination The cleric elevates an acolyte to full priesthood. This sacrament must be performed before a character can gain the PRIEST or OCCULT talent. Only a bishop or higher-ranking prelate can perform an ordination, and he rolls 3d6 vs. IQ when doing so.
Penance (Confession) The cleric hears a parishoner’s confession and assigns penance worthy of cleansing him of his sins. This sacrament must be performed for a person in a state of in before he can use his True Faith talent.
Sanctification The priest sanctifies holy water, holy oil, an alter stone or cloth, or a small plot of hallowed ground. Holy water can be splashed on the undead and diabolical to cause 1d6 damage per vial. Holy oil can be used to anoint the sick in the sacrament of extreme unction (above). An alter stone and cloth is used to perform the Eucharist and other ceremonies, and hallowed ground is used to bury the faithful or found a church.

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[larsdangly]

[continued from above]

Miracles
Only a character that has the True Faith talent and that has dedicated him or her self to the spiritual life may attempt to perform a miracle. Most miracle workers are members of the clergy (monks, priests, bishops, etc.), though religious hermits and paladins might also perform them. The normal game requirements are that the character must have one of the talents: PRIEST, OCCULT, CHIVALRY or ASCETIC MYSTERIES (in addition to TRUE FAITH). However, the game master might allow some other sorts of characters to perform miracles if they have demonstrated lasting dedication to their faith.
Miracles are resolved by rolling a number of dice vs. one’s IQ; all such rolls benefit from a 1-die advantage (i.e., roll 1 fewer dice) if one knows the HIEROPHANT or INNER SECRETS talent. Successful performance of minor miracles costs 1d6 points of ST (as exhaustion damage, as if casting spell); performance of a major miracle costs 2d6 ST.

Minor miracles
Confound Magical Forces (4d6): Arcane spells cast at the holy man or paladin, or one under his protection, automatically fail, for the duration of one encounter or adventure event.
Cure Minor Disease (4d6): A victim is completely cured of one generally non-fatal disease, such as black bile or phlegm (though any accumulated damage from that disease must still heal normally).
Defy Evil (4d6): The character repels an intrinsically evil being, such as the undead or a demon. If the attempt is successful, the being in question must save vs. IQ on 3d (with penalties for Superior Opposition based on IQ) or flee.
Find the Open Way (4d6): The path to some goal is revealed to the cleric by way of a god-given insight.
Heal the Wounded (4d6): 1d6 points of damage are healed to a single wound of less than grievous severity.
Minor Miracle (4d6): The cleric or paladin performs any other sort of miracle of broadly similar magnitude to the other minor miracles described here.
Neutralize Toxins (4d6): The victim of a poison or other toxin is cleansed of its effects.
Purify Food and Water (4d6): Enough food and/or water to provide for up to a dozen people is purified of all taint or disease.
Recognize Evil (4d6): The cleric can identify anyone in sight or hearing that is intrinsically diabolical or evil in intent.
Restore the Faithful (4d6): A subject believer is instantly healed of all exhaustion damage.
Smite the Godless (4d6): The next blow struck by the cleric or paladin (or someone he supports), aimed against a non-believer, gains a +1d6 damage bonus. It might be several turns between the performance of this miracle and when this blow lands.
Strength of the Righteous (4d6): The cleric or someone he supports gains a 2-die advantage (i.e., he rolls 2 fewer dice) for any attribute-based saving throw related to a single, brief task (e.g., climbing a wall or lifting a gate).

Major miracles
Call Back the Dying (6d6): A believer who has died within the last hour, but who is generally intact, returns to life and in stable, though still injured, condition (i.e., whatever caused his death will not immediately claim him, but he still must recover normally from cuts, etc.). This miracle cannot be performed on someone who has received last rites, been buried by a priest in hallowed ground or who has been severely disfigured (decapitated, burned to a crisp, etc.). This miracle does not defy God’s laws because it is a form of healing those who almost-but-not-quite died. Recalling a soul that has passed on to judgment in the afterlife is a blasphemous abomination left to depraved necromancers.
Cure Blindness (5d6): Sight is returned to a blind person.
Cure Major Disease (5d6): A victim is completely cured of one generally fatal disease, such as plague, leprosy or the French pox (though any accumulated damage from the disease must still heal normally).
Heal Grievous Wounds (5d6): The cleric heals a believer of 2d6 points of damage from a grievous wound.
Heal the Lame (5d6): The cleric restores function to the limb(s) of a believer who has been lamed by injury or disease. This requires a 6d6 roll if the limb has been amputated.
Holy Barrier (5d6): The cleric establishes a barrier up to 3 MH in diameter, across which diabolical beings, heretics, sorcerers and evil people cannot cross (no saving throw). This barrier lasts up to several minutes, or for the duration of one encounter or adventure event.
Major Miracle (5 or 6d6): The cleric or paladin performs any other sort of miracle of broadly similar magnitude to the other major miracles described here.
Remove Curse (5d6): Any harmful, lasting arcane magic is dispelled from a believer.
Visions (5d6): The cleric gains detailed insight into the future, past or the state of affairs in some distant or unobserved place.

[zot]

This looks really good, guys! I'm interested in more details if you have them.

[Shadekeep]

For clerics in my game world I've devised a series of Rites, which roughly correspond to Spells for wizards. These are fundamentally the same in practice across the various religions in my world, though they have different rituals and trappings. For example, the Rite of Consecration purifies and makes the consecrated repellent to the undead and unholy. This Rite looks very different when carried out by a Buddhist priest than a Catholic cardinal, but functions the same.

Religions in my game world divide largely along a light/dark axis, though there are subtleties and aspects of each that make them unique. But overall a light religion gets the positive versions of the Rites, and the dark religions get their opposite (so the Rite of Consecration becomes the Rite of Defilement for them).