Gruumsh - Piety System Page

Orc God of Anarchy and Justice

Civilisation must serve us all, or it serves noone. If the world fails you, it must be torn down and rebuilt.

Gruumsh is the orc god of anarchy and justice. When all institutions fail you, when the law derides you and the world turns its back on you, Gruumsh will empower you to strike down your enemies and forge a new world from the ashes. Despite being the head of the orc pantheon, Gruumsh does not ascribe to any concepts of racial purity, welcoming all into his ranks who accept his doctrine.

Gruumsh’s Champions

Alignment: Usually chaotic
Suggested Classes: Barbarian, Fighter, Cleric
Suggested Cleric Domains: War
Suggested Backgrounds: Folk Hero

Champions of Gruumsh are people of action, hurling themselves into the fray and taking matters into their own hands.

Gruumsh’s Favor

Gruumsh’s favour strikes from above like a thunderbolt, exalting those who the one-eyed god believes deserve his wisdom and power. He chooses those who are willing to sacrifice for their cause, and those who will use the power he gives them to effect meaningful change.

Gruumsh’s scions vary in age, ability and standing, but all have proven themselves to Gruumsh by proactively engaging in acts that display their dedication to their cause.

Why did Gruumsh seek you out as a champion? The following table offers a few suggestions.

d6	Circumstance
1	You killed your first person at a young age when they tried to hurt you. The experience changed you.
2	Your village was displaced by invaders, so you hunted those responsible down and slew them one by one.
3	Your loved ones were slain by a rich criminal, and when the law failed you, you dealt our your own justice.
4	Your feudal lord didn’t come to your aid when your village was threatened, so you took control.
5	The world is in danger, and no-one will listen. You’ve had to use violence to get the issue some attention.
6	You abandoned the military when you were asked to kill civilians.

Devotion to Gruumsh

Following Gruumsh means dedicating yourself to violence in the name of justice. As a follower of Gruumsh, consider the ideals below as alternatives to those suggested for your background.

d6	Ideals
1	Devotion. My devotion to my god is more important to me than what they stand for. (Any)
2	Freedom. I will never be beholden to unjust laws.
3	Passion. I act impulsively and recklessly when I feel strongly about something.
4	Rage. The state of the world makes me angry. Things must change.
5	Community. Laws and traditions are less important than what we owe to each other as people.
6	Anarchy. Better no laws than bad ones.

Earning and Losing Piety

You increase your piety score to Gruumsh when you expand the god’s influence in the world in a concrete way through acts such as these:

• Using violence or direct action to effect change
• Dealing out revenge or justice personally

Your piety score to Gruumsh decreases if you diminish Gruumsh’s influence in the world or contradict her ideals through acts such as these:

• Allowing yourself to be bossed about by another
• Denying yourself something you want

Deity Traits

Favoured God: Gruumsh

Piety 3+ Gruumsh trait
You gain Inspiration when you take the law into your own hands

Free Spirit

Piety 10+ Gruumsh trait
You cannot be magically compelled to any action that runs in direct contradiction to your Ideal.

Momentum

Piety 25+ Gruumsh trait
If you move at least 30 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a melee weapon attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage.

Chosen of Gruumsh

Piety 50+ Gruumsh trait
You can invoke the chaos of Gruumsh to break others free from coercion and enchantment. As an action, you can spend an inspiration die and touch a creature to end any magical domination, geas or charm effects active on it.