[DF] Dwarven Cleric and ancestor worship?

[Luke Bunyip]

I'm in the process of setting up a campaign in a fantasy setting, with all the PCs being dwarves. One of my players wants to play a dwarven cleric.

Problem is, I could build an entire pantheon, but I'm lazy. But what if dwarven religion is focused on ancestor worship? I'm currently looking at the cleric template in DF 1 Adventurers, and the tweaking suggestions in DF 7 Clerics.

I'm thinking of something similar to Dune's Bene Gesserit memory reawakening , but would love to hear of any other approaches that folk have previously used, etc

[Luke Bunyip]

My initial thoughts are basically to combine elements of both the Artificer and Urban priest templates out of DF Clerics.

However, the Initiate template in DF Henchman looks promising.

[The Colonel]

I've certainly run ancestor worshipping dorfs in the past - a bit of colour being that the infant naming ceremony and the funeral rite were disturbingly similar to one another from an outsider's perspective. Of course to a dorf that was only to be expected - both simply transfer someone between the living and not-living branches of the family.
Similarly the gap between deity and culture hero was minimal - fame and descendant count made for rank and, in a Tolkenian way, reincarnation was expected and looked for.

[Anders]

Take a look at Racial Memory. Seems like a good fit.

[The Colonel]

You could also use the granted by ally modifier on some powers to represent being able to have an ancestor "walk in" and use their skills through your body.

[Luke Bunyip]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

I've certainly run ancestor worshipping dorfs in the past...
<SNIP?>.

Nice bit of setting colour... Ta.

Originally Posted by The Colonel

You could also use the granted by ally modifier on some powers to represent being able to have an ancestor "walk in" and use their skills through your body.

This has so much potential. Nice bit of options for the player and/or me to explore.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

You could also use the granted by ally modifier on some powers to represent being able to have an ancestor "walk in" and use their skills through your body.

If you go with this option, it also implies that spells like Borrow Skill & Lend Skill are on the spell list.

If you're building spell lists, take a look at the Body Control, Communication & Empathy, and Knowledge College spells. Any spell which could be reasonably emulated by having a friendly ancestral spirit temporarily lend powers, possess someone, etc. would be a candidate.

Necromantic College spells which allow the caster to communicate with the dead, banish undead, or travel to the Afterlife and return would also be possible if ancestors can communicate with the cleric, interfere with undead spirits, or act as psychopomps.

If the cleric can physically embody ancestors to fight for him, take a look at the Create Servant and Create Warrior spells or the Planar Summons spell.

If Dwarves are inherently "creatures of Earth" (or whatever) and ancestral spirits return to the element from which they came, Earth and possibly certain Movement College spells are on the list.

[Luke Bunyip]

Originally Posted by Anders

Take a look at Racial Memory. Seems like a good fit.

Very much so. Will intergrate.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Luke Bunyip

I'm in the process of setting up a campaign in a fantasy setting, with all the PCs being dwarves. One of my players wants to play a dwarven cleric.

Problem is, I could build an entire pantheon, but I'm lazy. But what if dwarven religion is focused on ancestor worship? I'm currently looking at the cleric template in DF 1 Adventurers, and the tweaking suggestions in DF 7 Clerics.

I'm thinking of something similar to Dune's Bene Gesserit memory reawakening , but would love to hear of any other approaches that folk have previously used, etc

I never really considered it much but it would also have to have things to do with traditional dwarven things like craftsmanship, mountains, caves, and war.

[mburr0003]

Originally Posted by Luke Bunyip

Is dwarf, is beardsense.
Otherwise they're just comical fat mini humans.

I joke, but I did once run a game where the dwarves were based largely on the way dwarves in (very early) Dwarf Fortress behaved...

They were a semi-telepathic/semi-hive mind, bearded, highly skill/job focused lot with out much common sense.

The PCs had one (beardless) dwarf in the party who suffered from depression, he was born unable to be part of the Dwarven 'telepathic/hive mind' (no facial hair) and eventually left to live among humans. He never talked about his people, but then the party never really asked...

... until they encountered a lone, nearly feral Dwarf in an abandoned "dwarven mining complex" (very Dwarf Fortressy, complete with magma traps) and didn't understand why it was wearing a ragged cat-skin shirt, one sock, and nothing else, despite all the clothes they found scattered about.