Cleric
A cleric is a religious figure who is blessed with magical powers from a god due to their devotion to their faith. They are the most common practitioners of granted magic.
Career
Career Progression
Most clerics are trained as such from youth, starting as nuns or acolytes of a particular temple. They learn the history, rites, and tenets of the faith of their god or order, as well as the basic arcane principles that pertain to their god's domain.
A few clerics attribute their powers to one initial event of miraculous contact with a god, where the deity speaks directly to them to approve of their actions, give them a prophecy, or designate them for a special purpose in their service. Overconfidence is common among many such clerics, who believe themselves to be "the chosen one," yet many of them struggle to perform magic beyond the limited scope of that demonstrated in their first encounter with their deity. This claim of direct contact is often the first step in an unskilled cleric's eventual demise after an ill-fated adventuring career. That said, some of the most powerful clerics in history began as lay-followers of other gods before their deity's first contact—most recently, Nekrotzar Oakenheart and Charlotte Schutz.
Perception
Purpose
The primary purpose of a cleric is to perform healing magic and sometimes resurrection magic for those around them, whether within a settlement, a wandering order, or particularly within an adventuring party.
Operations
Provided Services
Clerics most commonly heal acute injuries, bless holy water or shrine offerings, and perform or oversee religious rites like funerals and ordained marriages. Less commonly, a skilled cleric may be called upon to lift a curse, dispel a disease, or exorcise a person or area from the influence of a Fiend or Undead creature. The most skilled clerics are capable of consecrating and dedicating large sanctuary sites such as temples or major shrines, or even of Resurrection of the dead under certain circumstances.
Dangers & Hazards
Clerics who wish to pursue (and survive) and adventurer's life must also be capable warriors. Most adventuring clerics deploy a mix of healing magic and offensive magic, as is appropriate for their god and domain. A few are also skilled with melee weapons, most commonly blunt objects like quarterstaffs or war hammers. (Clerics of the Wild Dynasty temples in Scalados, such as Eldanír-in-Danu, are an exception; they are traditionally trained in swordsmanship instead of blunt weaponry.)
Type
Religious
Famous in the Field
Other Associated professions
Ranks & Titles
Comments