church-going commoners; magical tombstones

[Red Baron]

Scarred Lands takes a neat stab at this in The Divine and the Defeated, using a new skill called Ritual Casting. (I've adapted the premise to my other games, too, without recourse to the new skill. I just use a Wisdom check).

For example, in Scarred Lands, worshipers of Denev (sort of an earth/fertility goddess) have a few small rites that they may learn. With a successful Ritual Casting check (DC 15), made at the end of the rite performed, they may gain one of the following:

(i) The Green Prayer: By coating his hands in loam or soil for 10 minutes while chanting hymns to the Mother of All, a character gains a +1 bonus for 24 hours to all Profession checks applicable to farming or agriculture.

(ii) Woodsman’s Supplication: By offering small bits of food to local animals while chanting praises to the Earth Mother for 1 hour, the character gains a +2 bonus to either Listen, Spot, or Wilderness Lore checks (choose one) for the next 24 hours.

(iii) Midwife's Blessing: By consecrating the space in which she works with spring water and sigils marked in the juices of berries or tree sap, a midwife draws on the All-Mother's blessings to aid in the healing process. The supplicant recieves a +1 bonus to all Profession (midwife) or Heal checks for one day. The successful supplicant's patients also gain an additional hit point per day of rest while under her care.

The idea is easily adapted and modified so that anybody can try it, and it makes sense that, in a world where the gods take an active and visible role, certain "formulaic" or ritualized benisons would have arisen.

Note that this wouldn't preclude any of the other ideas people have suggested earlier, either. It's just a neat way to add flavour to a world where magic and religion are living, breathing things.

 

[EricNoah]

Cool, cool, cool, I'm seeing some really flavorful ideas here.

I always thought it was weird that you've got these clerics that have these magical powers, but then you had the rest of the chumps who show up at church week in and week out and have nothing to show for it.

 

[Hand of Evil]

In my games a 'protected path' and 'Guardian' (Walker of the Dead) to the afterlife. With a lot of planes and demi-planes, the dead sometimes get lost/hunted/ate and I have a PrC class that guides them to the right place and protects them from dangers that may face them.

Faithful in my game can also once a year can ask for major healing and once in their life resurrection. There is a lot of room for faithful.

 

[grimslade]

Grave consequences

The ritual aspect of worship is very interesting. The individual worshipper should not get spells. A group of worshippers praying together would grant benfits, true power of the people. These rituals, led by a priest, should create subtle but grand scale effects.

A ritual for good harvest (grants +2 to Profession agri checks)
A rite for health (grants priests heal check in place of saving throw
for all attendants)
A ceremony for baptism (grants bonus to save vs. possession)

Grave markers for common folk should at most keep the dead from becoming undead. What's that spell? Burial Blessing?
More affluent families might have a permanent Gentle Repose effect on their Mausoleums.
If ancestor worship is common, grave markers might grant an Augury to relatives once a year. "Every year at Harvestide we visit Grandma's grave to find out if we should trade with the Wood elves or not."

Grim

 

[RingXero]

How about a tombstone that casts a limited version of speak with the dead spell on whoever is buried there. Once a month, year, or 5 years. The words of the dead person would be 'carved' on the tombstone not spoken.

Stones that display an illusionary painting on the face of the stone that show the deceased at their favorite activity.

Stones that prevent weeds from growing, Stones that don't accumilate dirt, Stones that heat up or go cold depending on the temperature to keep visitors comfy, Stones that hum the favorite tune of the deceased when someone is near, Stones that brighten or darken depending on whether the deceased approves/disapproves of the visitor, Stones that cause flowers to be constantly in bloom on the grave, Stones that create minor objects like toys once a year/5years/generation for a 'special' child of the family or town, or maybe all deserving children of the town. (the stone made for that special caring person of the town, created by a loving husband/friend/relative)

A stone that gives off that special perfume/cologne/smell of the deceased. A stone that makes digging in the area extremely difficult. A stone that displays the parting words of the deceased for each visitor(changing depending upon the person).

need any more or am I giving you the wrong type of stuff?


RX

edit: sorry first one already mentioned by previous poster.