Myrkul - Piety System Page

God of Endings

The dead outnumber the living.

Myrkul is the reaper god, who separates the soul from the body with his scythe and delivers it to Kelemvor to be judged. He governs the looming spectre of death - old age, decay and exhaustion. Much as Lathander is the god of beginnings, Myrkul is the god of endings.

Myrkul’s Champions

Alignment: Usually evil, sometimes lawful
Suggested Classes: Wizard, Cleric
Suggested Cleric Domains: Death
Suggested Backgrounds: Acolyte, Sage, Hermit

Champions of Myrkul are obsessed with death and undeath. They frequently have a vested interest in begging Myrkul to stay his hand and grant them the gift of undeath.

Myrkul’s Favor

Myrkul’s favour is given to those who beg for it, and dread his passing. Myrkul thrives on fear, and desires his chosen to fear him. Those skilled in the magic arts, or knowledgeable about the dead are his first choices.

Myrkul’s scions can be morose and nervous sorts, living with the spectre of death literally hovering over them. Despite this, they are often inspired with a fierce ambition to avoid Myrkul’s touch, and thus number some of the most fearsome and capable necromancers in the world.

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

d6	Circumstance
1	You’ve been tampering with corpses all your life.
2	You raised a powerful undead. Too powerful. You escaped, but it’s out there somewhere.
3	You can hear dead people. Or at least you think you can. Jury is out.
4	You begged Myrkul to extend your lifespan, and he did. Now he wants payment.
5	You’ve been to the negative energy plane and survived somehow.
6	You killed a priest of Myrkul, and now apparently you are the replacement whether you like it or not.

Devotion to Myrkul

Following Myrkul means dedicating yourself to death. As a follower of Myrkul, 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	Immortality. I fear nothing as much as I fear death.
3	Power. Undeath is a shortcut to great potency.
4	Mystery. Death is the greatest mystery of all. I shall solve it.
5	Pragmatism. The dead are cheap and ethical labour.
6	Passion. If you love your job it doesn’t feel like work.

Earning and Losing Piety

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

• Summoning and controlling an undead creature
• Prolonging your life at the expense of other
• Encouraging others to fear death

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

• Helping others to come to peace with their own mortality
• Destroying undead creatures not intent on your destruction

Deity Traits

Favoured God: Myrkul

Piety 3+ Myrkul trait
You gain Inspiration when you invoke hopelessness or bleak fear of death in another creature

Even the Dead have Nightmares

Piety 10+ Myrkul trait
You can cast sanctuary with this trait at-will, requiring no components. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. This version of the spell only protects against undead creatures.

Kindred Spirits

Piety 25+ Myrkul trait
Mindless undead not controlled by another force will follow your simple verbal commands.

Chosen of Myrkul

Piety 50+ Myrkul trait
You may spend an inspiration die to cast animate dead, requiring no components. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. This undead remains under your control permanently, until destroyed. Once you cast the spell in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.