Divine Inspiration State

Overview

One of the requirements of some divination spells, and especially those abilities relating to Omens and Oracles, is the acquisition of a state of Divine Inspiration. This temporary state is possible in any being, but is much more likely in those predisposed to it.

Operation

The Divine Inspiration State dictates whether or not an attempted Oracle successfully contacts an otherworldly intelligence to commune with. It is another matter again with regards to whether or not that contacted being is the one intended or not. The chances for a Divine Inspiration State to successfully reach and receive an answer from the intended contact is greatly affected by the actions of the enquirer.

Divine Inspiration State Base Level

The Oracle to be consulted will normally have a 0% chance of receiving divine inspiration during the inquiry/divination/oracular action. However, some sub-classes of Priest gain bonuses in Divine Inspiration in certain circumstances.

Enquirer Pre-Oracle/Omen Consulting Actions

The person consulting the Oracle always comes with baggage from outside the sacred area of the Temple. All of the following modifiers are cumulative. So if the character has killed many individuals - than the purification process can be done multiple times to clear the number of deaths.

Action Performed	Divine Inspiration State
None	+/- o
Killed a sentient being at any time in the past.	- 25%
Killed a sentient being within the past 24 hours.	- 30%
Performed an act against the ethos of the God consulted	- 80%
Purified themselves according to Ethos being consulted	+ 80%
Performed a quest or mission for the Ethos in question (without being subjected to a Geas type spell)	+30 to 80% (varies)
Generally Purified themselves and equipment	+30%
Alignment difference from consulted Ethos	-10% per alignment step
Each Sacrifice Made to the Ethos being Consulted	+05% per animal +10% per 5000gp worth of magical items or gems sacrificed or gifted.

Causes

When a Spirit or God, good or evil is seeking to present an Omen, it must achieve a connection with the Oracle or Prophet through whom it is seeking to communicate. This connection is a tenuous one, and cannot be maintained in times of stress, but is also affected by the preparatory actions, or lack thereof, of the seeker.

Symptoms

The recipient of the visiting God, Avatar, Spirit, Demon, or Devil, will change in behaviour, in some cases the change will be physiological - actually polymorphing the Oracle temporarily, at other times, it will simply be a change in their behaviour to include one or more of the following:
A change in voice
A change in temperature of the whole area
A change in the color of the skin
A change in the appearance of the eyes
A levitation or flight ability is present during the communication

Type

Divine

Origin

Divine

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Extremely Rare