church-going commoners; magical tombstones

[EricNoah]

What are some minor magical effects that your typical commoner might expect to receive as a result of being a faithful worshipper? I was thinking about maybe the ability to cast something like Guidance or Resistance once a week (maybe extend the casting time to one minute, as the commoner whispers a prayer). Anyone else have good ideas in this area?

As a kind of related idea, I think it would be neat if fantasy gravemarkers had magical effects tied to them. The obvious one would be some sort of minor curse to "he who disturbs my bones". Anyone have good ideas for minor "in-place" effects for tombstones?

 

[Harlock]

Cool question Eric. I think you could look to modern churches or the Church Christ set up in the New Testament for examples. Faith healing is one aspect. Cure disease once a month maybe for fervent followers. Minor miracles: "My Ox was dying and I had to get in this harvest before the rains came and ruined the cotton so I knelt down, appealed to Bob, patron of agriculture and animal husbandry and after an hour of prayer, Bessie was up on two feet again." Maybe limited personal prophecy along the lines of knowing certain things about yourself or those in your direct lineage (daughter, son) like upcoming financial disasters, illneses or even choice of mate or number of children. And lest we forget, there are a ton of people in this hellish desert I live in that encourage one another to pray for rain.

Most of these types of things really don't require a game mechanic explanation, heck, even we say things like, "the lord works in mysterious ways" but surely all of them can be attributed in part or in whole to things like prayer, luck or self fulfilling prophecies. There's also in game mechanics you could use. Miracle once per year for truly devout followers who make some personal sacrifice to the god in question. Limited scrying for small divinations to those who attune themselves to their gods' wishes. I hope that's something along the lines you were looking for.

 

[333 Dave]

Protection From Evil, Hallow, or Magic Circle Against Evil would be good choices for tombs. Also, I'd have posts around the graveyard with Daylight contingencied to be cast on them if any undead enter the area...

 

[Darrin Drader]

I wouldn't give them anything. I mean, just think about the problems associated with putting magical power in the hands of the unwashed masses. Besides, how is a deity supposed to derive power from their legions of worshippers if they keep giving it back in the form of low-level spells?

 

[EricNoah]

That's only a problem if your cosmology has deities with limited amounts of power.

I really dig the idea of non-flashy spells/effects for these devout worshippers. Something that, when they "cast" it they may not even know they are doing so.

Another alternative, I suppose, could be a "permanent" bonus to something (Will or Fort saves?), but it has to be renewed every week by going to church and worshipping. So they're not "casting" anything, it's just always around, helping them.

 

[Desdichado]

I also like the idea of a "populist" religion in a campaign setting -- but I also think that if a commoner (or non-divine spellcaster, really) gets a few orisons in his entire lifetime for having been pious and devout in his observance of his religion, that that'd be enough to show "the almighty hand of his gods" well enough.

Things like graves and the like would probably be blessed as a graveyard rather than as an individual grave, although if (as in our world) it's not unusual for the clergy to officiate at grave ceremonies, all kinds of spells could be cast on a gravesite, at least in theory. I think a protection from evil, or perhaps a curse on anyone who disturbs the grave, etc. are all appropriate, if cast by a qualified cleric officiating at the graveside ceremony.

 

[Pielorinho]

I think I'd approach it from a different direction: figure out cinematic/storylike things that commoners might pray for, and then work the powers backwards from there.

Here are some examples:
* "Cuthbert, protect me from this marauding vampire!" The commoner develops a one-shot negative energy protection: when the vamp attacks, there's a burst of positive energy, enough to drive the vampire hissing into the night.
* "Pelor, have mercy on my sick child!" The child makes his next two saves vs. disease, curing him and setting him back on the slow road toward health. However, the child is then marked for the priesthood: his life is Pelor's now.
* "Hextor, my neighbor has been sleeping with my husband: destroy her!" A raiding party of orcs comes to the village that night, killing both the neighbor and the worshipper.

I'd make these prayers a once-in-several-lifetimes experience: most people will never have a prayer be answered. When they are answered, they may be answered dramatically (as with the vampire), subtly (as with the sick child), or monkeyspawedly (as with Hextor). They should be governed by plot-devices, not by rules: basically, the NPCs are giving up their wills to the Gods, and the gods are responding.

Anyone who can call regularly on the aid of the Gods ought to be called a cleric, I think. I might consider the most faithful commoners actually to be 0th-level clerics, able to access a few orisons, maybe limiting the orisons by the god's domain.

As for graveyards, in a world with standard D&D magic, most folks won't have access to individually-blessed gravestones. They're magical items, too expensive for most folks. A graveyard might receive a seasonal blessing, however; a typical blessing would prevent the bodies contained within from being raised as undead. There might even be an annual festival in which a cleric casts a ritual that results in a mass speak-with-dead, allowing mourners to exchange a few words every year with their departed loved ones.

For wealthier folks, a bestow-curse tombstone would be a great thing. Alarm stones might be placed in tombs, if there's going to be a cemetary guard. And a gravestone that contains a once/week (or once/month on the new moon, or once/year on All Hallow's Eve) speak with dead would be pretty cool; a king might order such a tombstone for the wisest of his advisors, and the effect might remain centuries after the kingdom has fallen.

Daniel

 

[caudor]

For particularly faithful followers (commoners), I would provide a few grave benefits. Some example that come to mind:

- Tombstone doesn't crack, fade, or fall over (even if all the other do)

- Flowers grow year round

- Crops/fields of the deceased grow usually well for several years after passing

- A statue or representation of the deceased crys

That's some. I hope these are helpful.

 

[Staffan]

Sean Reynolds has a small article on the topic at http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/misc/donations.html . Basically, when a worshipper is in a situation that's relevant to the deity's portfolio, the DM may allow him to make a percentile roll of (silver piece value donated in the last week) or less in order to get the effect of a guidance, resistance or virtue with its effect possibly applying retroactively to a just-failed skill check or save.

 

[Dr. Harry]

Another alternative, I suppose, could be a "permanent" bonus to something (Will or Fort saves?), but it has to be renewed every week by going to church and worshipping. So they're not "casting" anything, it's just always around, helping them.

How about a "floating" +1 or +2 bonus that can be applied to a skill check or saving throw once/day, as long as the individual is in good standing with his deity and the goal is commesurate with his choice. For example:

"O good Apollo, for this last emprise
Make of me such a vessel of thy power
As giving the beloved laurel asks!" Paradiso, canto I

Would get the benefit, while :

"Sweet Jesus, I hope no one noticed me stealing that money"

Would not.

I would also have the timing be at the DM's discretion, and not something the PC/NPC can "summon" or "cast". I think I can see the flavor you're going for, the chaalenge will be in keeping the "mystery" part of "the gods work in mysterious ways" and avoiding, "Hey! Thor! move this rock outta my garden!"

Harry