Clerical Skills

Different deities have different customs for their new followers. Many churches eagerly seek new worshipers, while others are secretive. In a fantasy world, zero-level characters are quite free to mix religion with their other pursuits. Still, no sect knowingly welcomes its enemies. Although zero-level characters have no fixed alignment, they cannot use clerical powers unless their current alignment tendency matches the alignment of the god they serve. Even luck rolls cannot provide clerical powers unless the character appeals to a deity of friendly alignment. The use of clerical powers increases a character’s commitment to that particular alignment. When PCs use clerical skills, the DM should modify their alignment tendencies by one point in the direction of the deity’s alignment.

Zero-level characters can cast one first-level clerical spell per day, or two spells if they have wisdom scores of 14 or higher. Results of “great insight” on the Learning Table allow characters to cast any one spell as if a 12th level cleric. Although this one spell may be as high as sixth level in power, the insight does not confer a high-level cleric’s full repertoire of spells. Also, each new spell must be studied separately. A character who can cast command still knows nothing about cure light wounds. Novice clerics can also learn to turn the undead.

Learning a spell and casting it once is free, but if the spell is cast more than once it costs the character one AP.

Deities resent being trifled with, and the trivial requests of novices sometimes irritate them. Each time a spell is cast, zero-level characters must roll 1d20. If the result is above the character’s wisdom score, the spell fails and a small boil appears on the caster’s forehead, reducing charisma by one point for the rest of the day. Characters automatically fail this check if they have broken clerical codes within the past 24 hours. The most universal code forbids edged weapons; certain gods will have additional customs. Zero-level characters with wisdom scores of 12 or less must also check for spell failure normally (see the Player’s Handbook). Characters with wisdom scores less than nine cannot learn clerical spells.

If a character decides to abandon study of the priesthood, the exact penalties once again depend on the religion. Usually, zero-level characters can switch fields and keep clerical skills. The most they would suffer is an impassioned speech from a ranking priest. However, characters who switch to an opposing religion or alignment tendency are viewed as traitors who accepted the blessings of the church and then betrayed it. A traitor will be stricken with a random disease from the DMG. Specific religions may have special punishments or enemies for such heretics.