These characters are fighting-priests able to wear any type of armor and cast primarily defensive and curative-type spells. They can “turn undead” by presenting their holy symbol which causes such creatures to flee. Evil clerics will "command undead" causing them to obey. Clerics of Neutral deities will have access to one or the other as determined by their deity. Clerics are limited to blunt weapons that crush rather than cut. They have good overall saving throws and are second only to the fighter in attack ability.

• Primary Ability Scores. Wisdom (16+ adds a 10% experience bonus)

• Minimum Ability Scores. Wisdom (9)

• Hit Dice. d8; Maximum 9d8; Self-train (9th);

• Hit Points. You start with 8 hit points adjusted for Constitution. Each level thereafter you gain 1d8 if you roll for hit points or you can gain 4.5 hit points without rolling. The 0.5 hit points will carry over. Hit Points after Maximum Hit Dice. Clerics gain 2 hit points plus any Constitution adjustment per level past 9th.

• Alignment Restrictions. Cannot be (true) Neutral.

• Player Character Races. Human (U), dwarf (8th), elf (7th), gnome (7th), half-elf (7th), and half-orc (5th).

• Armor and Shield. Any.

• Weapon Proficiencies. Initial 2; Penalty -3; Additional at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th.

• Available Weapon Proficiencies. Clubs, flails, hammer, maces, maul, sling, and staff.

• Attack Table. Use the Priest Attack Table.

DEITY

As a cleric, you are a mortal servitor of a deity you revere above all others. Your alignment must be one listed in the entry. Your character class grants you a bonus weapon proficiency with the deity’s listed weapon.

Certain deities may also add spells to your spell list. You can prepare these just like you can any spell on the cleric spell list, once you can prepare spells of their level as a cleric. Some of these spells aren’t normally on the cleric list, but they’re divine spells if you prepare them this way.

The set of deities provided are used for quick mapping to derive abilities for campaign counterparts or these may be customized by the GM for the campaign.

SPELLS

Cast Spell. [incantation] (declared; casting time)

At 1st level, you gain the ability to cast spells. In order to cast spells, you must have a deity who bestows such spells on their devout followers. Clerics employ certain holy symbols to denote their faith and give power to many of their spells.

The Cleric Class Table shows how many spell slots you have to prepare your spells of 1st level and higher. Clerics gain spells through meditation and prayer, spending up to an hour to regain spells. Clerics may pray for any spell on the cleric spell list assuming they have access to that level of spell. To cast the spell, you must incant according to the procedure laid out in Casting Spells. Once cast, the spell is gone, but the cleric can then rest to gain the ability to cast the spell again (see also Spells and Spell Preparation).

A cleric with a high Wisdom score may have access to bonus spells available per day. See Wisdom for details. In order to be granted 6th level spells, a priest must have a 17 Wisdom or higher and for access to 7th level spells, they must have an 18 or higher Wisdom.

SPONTANEOUS CASTING

Cast Spontaneous Spell. [incantation] (declared; casting time and spell components as per the replaced spell)

A Good cleric (or some Neutral clerics, according to their deity) can channel stored spell energy into cure wounds spells that he or she did not prepare ahead of time. The cleric can “trade” any prepared spell in order to cast (as an incantation) any cure wounds spell of the same spell level or lower. If a higher level spell (over 1st) is used to spontaneously cast a cure light wounds, the spell will gain a bonus of 1 point per cleric caster level (unless this ability is already possessed due the cleric's deity).

An Evil cleric (or some Neutral clerics, according to their deity) cannot convert prepared spells to cure wounds spells but can convert them to cause wounds spells (as above, including a bonus to damage for cause light wounds using a higher than 1st level slot).

A cleric who is neither good nor evil and whose deity is neither good nor evil can convert spells to either cure wounds spells or cause wounds spells (player’s choice or based on deity choice). Once the player makes this choice, it cannot be reversed. This choice also determines whether the cleric turns or commands undead (i.e. if a deity is listed as turning undead, the deity grants curing and the opposite if the deity is listed as commanding undead). Player choice is per the GM according to the campaign's pantheon.

TURN OR COMMAND UNDEAD

By brandishing their holy or unholy symbol, clerics have the ability to cause undead to flee, or, in the case of evil clerics, come under their command.

Turn Undead. (major, 1 segment) Good clerics, including some Neutral clerics, gain the ability to cause undead to flee (or, at higher levels, be destroyed). The use of the ability assumes fast access to the character's holy symbol (around neck, in hand, etc.) as one hand must be free to hold aloft the symbol. Otherwise, turning could be a delaying activity. All undead must be able to clearly see the symbol held.

Command Undead. (major, 1 segment) Evil clerics gain the ability to cause undead to obey commands (or if powerful, at least entertain an offer). The use of the ability assumes fast access to the character's holy symbol (around neck, in hand, etc.) as one hand must be free to hold aloft the symbol. Otherwise, turning could be a delaying activity. All undead must be able to clearly see the symbol held.

For rules covering the use of this ability, see Command Undead or Turn Undead in the Combat section.

CREATE HOLY/UNHOLY WATER

Beginning at 5th level, a cleric may personally create holy or unholy water if they have access to a special font. This process takes 24 hours of prayer and meditation before the ritual can be completed (about 10 minutes). After this, the cleric will be exhausted for 8 hours. The type and size of font will limit the amount of liquid to be created each time. Only one creation ritual may be accomplished per week by any given cleric (most NPCs will be too busy to do this without cost and scheduling) and the font may not be used by others during the entire process until the ritual is completed. Certain deities will require additional components for the creation of the liquid, typically adding at least 25 g.p. to the process, and spells used include create water, purify/putrefy food and drink, bless/curse, chant, and prayer. Only one font per structure/area will be found and the most common sort allow the creation of 6 vials per creation ritual.

CREATE HEALING POTIONS

Beginning at 7th level, clerics may compound, using the aid of an alchemist, potions of healing or extra-healing. A potion of healing will take 48 hours of uninterrupted work and require 200 g.p. in materials, while an extra-healing version will require 4 full days and 400 g.p. in materials (cost is not a reflection of time spent in this case). Typically, a day in rest is then required. Holy or unholy water is used as the primary liquid component. Each potion also requires up to two rare material components not included in the cost. Typical ingredients of this sort are ogre magi blood or a fragment of a garment worn by a saint/damned for healing or troll blood or a portion of the body of a saint/damned for extra-healing (hair, nail, etc.). The GM will determine what ingredient will work best and the efficacy of said ingredient.

SCRIBE SPELL SCROLLS

Beginning at 7th level, clerics may scribe their spells on to scrolls which may then be used by them or other clerics to cast the spell at a later time. While the cost is minimal (100 g.p. per spell level to be scribed), the effort in obtaining the special materials (quill feather and ink concoction) is considerable. Time required is 24 hours per spell level to be scribed (thus a 3rd level spell requires 3 full days).

Scrolls must be scribed upon a blessed/cursed altar inside a religious area venerating the cleric’s deity. In some cases, an area dedicated to a compatible (similar in alignment and ethos) deity may be used (although its use must be negotiated of course). The quill must be made from a feather from some holy/unholy creature (the GM will determine) and the ink will be made from similarly rare materials including ink, venom, blood, ichor, etc. and crushed gems. If the GM wishes to allow the purchase of all materials, the time needed for location and shipment will be 2d6 weeks and the cost is 300 g.p. per spell level.

When scribing a scroll of spells, there is a base 20% of failure plus 1% per level of spell being inscribed minus 1% per caster level of the scribe. Using papyrus will cause the failure chance to increase by +5%; parchment offers no modification, and vellum decreases failure chance by -5%.

ATTRACT FOLLOWERS

At 8th level or above, if a cleric establishes a place or worship (of at least 2,000 sq. ft.) dedicated to their deity that houses a relic, they will attract a group of 20d10 dedicated worshipers (dervishes) who serve without ongoing pay (but require housing/food!).

With them come a troop of devout men-at-arms (who do require pay along with quarters and food). Dice for numbers of the men-at-arms (see Cleric Men-at-Arms).

AURA

Any cleric of 8th level or above with an alignment of Good and Evil will emit a continuous aura of evil/good detectable by a detect evil/good effect.

CONSTRUCT RELIGIOUS STRONGHOLD

Beginning at 9th level, a cleric can construct a religious stronghold (castle, monastery, abbey, etc.) venerating their deity. It will be fortified and contain a space for congregations of not less than 2,500 sq. ft.

The cost of the structure will be one-half of normal, and, if the high priest keeps the surrounding area free of threats and humanoids dwell therein, they will collect a tithe of 10 s.p. per individual per month.

HIGH PRIEST

You have gained eminence in your faith and, in addition to recognition within your own religion, others in civilized society and beyond will have awareness of your status. Directly harming, or through inaction, causing a high priest to come to harm brings understood consequences. Thus, high priests that use an encounter reaction check to prevent violence against themselves or their allies will gain a +25% bonus to the check.

DIVINE INTERVENTION

Divine Intervention. [wish] (immediate)

Beginning at 10th level, you can call on your deity to intervene on your behalf when your need is great. Describe the assistance you seek, and roll percentile dice. If you roll a number equal to or lower than your cleric level, your deity intervenes. While the GM chooses the nature of the intervention, the effect of any cleric spell would be appropriate.

If your deity intervenes, you can’t use this feature again for one month. Otherwise, you can use it again after 24 hours.

At 20th level, your call for intervention succeeds automatically, no roll required.

Depending on the circumstances and/or deity, there could be a price for such aid.

FABRICATE CLERICAL MAGIC ITEMS

Beginning at 11th level, a cleric may fabricate magical items usable by other clerics. Only specifically clerical items may be fabricated or certain scrolls of “protection”.

Scribing scrolls of protection (anti- shell or warding scrolls affecting devils, possession, or undead) follow the rules for scribing spell scrolls above. The spell level is equal to the experience point value of the scroll divided by 100.

The procedure requires at least 14 days in continuous meditation and prayer, followed by another 7 days fasting and repose. Finally, the item, made of materials of the finest quality (as determined by his or her deity [and the GM], but usually the cost is 1/5th of the item’s final magical gold piece value), will be subject to the final ritual by being placed upon an altar or similar holy/unholy locus and awaiting empowerment by the deity. There is a 1% cumulative chance per 24 hours that the item will be so empowered. Once empowered, items with charges must be “filled” by the cleric, using spells to charge it (one spell of the required type per charge).

Once the ritual is complete, the cleric will be exhausted and must rest for one day per 100 XP of experience value of the final item (an item granting 1,000 XP will require 10 days of complete rest). See Magic Items & Treasure for magic item XP values.

BECOMING A SAINT OR THE DAMNED

A cleric of 12th level or higher may qualify for Sainthood or “One of the Damned” status. While this achievement grants extraordinary powers, it is rare in the extreme and limited by deity. Each deity may only have three saints/damned originating per Material Plane.

Thus, of all their many worshipers, only three may qualify for this status at a time. Primarily Neutrally-aligned deities do not have these special followers.

For Good-aligned deities, these special clerics are called Saints. Evil-aligned deities have followers known as The Damned or “Fiend of ‘X’” (i.e. Fiend of Darkness, or Fiend of Betrayal, etc.).

Becoming a saint or one of the damned requires a religious quest laid out by the deity (on occasion this may be competitive) as well as perfect alignment and exemplary adherence to the deities goals and ethos. In the case of Evil deities, the status may require dispatching one of the existing members.

Finally, and most importantly, the character must have died following an important mission on behalf of the deity and been brought back to life with the aid of the deity, it having consulted personally with them before they were returned.

To complete the Ritual of Becoming, the individual must sacrifice 225,000 XP (while maintaining a level over 11th) and cover expenses of 3,000 g.p. per class level along with any other specific requirements set forth by their deity. Powers granted are as follows:

• • The character gains their Wisdom Will Power modifier as a bonus to Armor Class. (e.g. an 18 Wisdom will grant a permanent +4 bonus to AC.)

  • The character is no longer considered a humanoid with respects to spells that affects such creatures. (e.g. the hold person spell.)

  • The character is protected by continuous protection from evil or protection from good spell.

  • The character will regenerate 3 hit points per round if wounded but will still die at -10 hit points.

  • The character is immune to poison effects.

  • The character will have a 19 Charisma as it pertains to all interactions with worshipers of his or her deity.