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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Afrodyte" data-source="post: 822628" data-attributes="member: 8713">Hey!  I created a system similar to this months ago, when I revised the cleric class.  Here's what I have:CLERICFlavor text as PHB, but add the text below. Saves and skills are the same, but BAB follows the SOR and WIZ model. Clerics are proficient in all simple weapons and the favored weapon of their deity or aspect. If the cleric is already proficient in the favored weapon, she gains the Weapon Focus feat in that weapon as a virtual feat. Clerics are not proficient in any armor or shields unless War or Protection is one of their domains. If this is the case, they gain proficiency in light, medium, and heavy armor and with shields.Clerics gain power through their faith. Faith is greater than the belief in a god or following a code. It is the experience of an enhanced reality. For a cleric, even the most ordinary of activities take on a special significance. This frequently means devotion to a deity, but sometimes, clerics derive faith from an ideal.Clerics don't cast spells. Their abilities are granted to them via the power of their convictions. Clerics may have faith in a specific deity (as listed in the PHB). Or, this faith can focus on a particular ideal or aspect (detailed later). It is perfectly alright for clerics to create deities around a certain aspect, such as Cupid as a god of love or Buddha as a god of peace. The powers granted a cleric via her faith come from the domains associated with the cleric's deity or ideal.All clerics, regardless of where they put their faith, have tenets of faith which influences their codes of conduct. Naturally, these tenets depend upon the deity's alignment and the domains associated with it. The tenets need not be elaborate, but they must at least indicate the deity's values and goals. From these tenets, deities have vows and taboos, activities which their followers must always (vows) and never (taboo) participate in, or they will risk losing divine favor and incurring divine wrath. In general, the code of conduct of lawful and good deities are more stringent than those of chaotic and evil deities. Do not be fooled into thinking chaotic and evil deities are easier to serve. The few rules these deities have can be hard to maintain on a daily basis.Faith.  Clerics have a Faith bonus equal to their level + their WIS modifier. Unlike arcane casters, who have more control over the spells they cast and the effects they wish to implement, divine casters depend upon other powers for their abilities.To pray for divine favors, the player rolls 1d20 and adds the Faith bonus and other mitigating factors (such as fasting, bathing, devotional song, using a divine focus, sacrifice, etc).  The player then tells the DM (acting as the "will of the higher power”) the result, which tells the maximum potency of the divine favor. The exact effect of the divine boon depends on the result, the domains of the higher power, and the wording of the cleric’s prayer. These things together express the will of the deity. The target number for getting these favors depends on level.  The target number starts at 10 for 0th level favors and increases by 5 each level (yes, this means a DC of 50 for 9th level spells).  The DM, acting as the higher power, narrates the effects of the divine caster's efforts. Whatever happens, the divine caster has no idea (though the player might) what her deity will grant.  Divine favors are only granted from the domains associated with the deity or aspect.  Thus, a cleric of Heironeous can cast spells from the War domain, whereas one worshipping Obad-Hai cannot.  A cleric of Pelor can grant Healing spells, but one of Moradin cannot.For instance, say that Roger Rogue, a companion of Cletus Cleric (CLC 5, WIS mod +3), is on the verge of death. Cletus prays for Pelor to bestow his favor onto the fallen comrade and spare his life. The player rolls 1d20 and gets a result of 20 (including Faith bonus). Mechanically, this means that the DM, acting as the deity, may give the cleric a "divine favor" (aka, spell) of up to 3rd level from one of the domains associated with the deity or aspect. This is a drastic change from the PHB, for no automatic cure or inflict spells are granted unless Heal is one of the domains associated with the deity or aspect. Even for divine casters who do not worship a deity, the results of a "divine favor" is indicative of the power of her belief in her ideals. Such belief can sometimes work miracles if it is strong enough.Devotional activities such as fasting, ritual bathing, celibacy (or ritual sex acts), meditation, poverty, sacrifice, self-mutilation, and non-violence influence the Faith roll by adding a +2 circumstantial bonus that lasts for each day each activity is voluntarily participated in. Thus, a Buddhist monk who follows the tenets of his faith without deviance can have a +6 bonus to his faith roll (poverty, meditation, celibacy). If at any point during the day the cleric violates these temporary vows, she loses the bonus. When experiencing these things, the cleric must do so with a mind of utmost seriousness. Being hungry is not fasting. Not having sex is not celibacy. Daydreaming is not meditation. It is reasonable for a DM to ask for a Concentration check to see if the cleric can achieve and sustain the proper mental state. Just because a cleric is pious does not mean that she will automatically gain the most favorable boon. Gods can be moody, especially when they give great benefits. If Pelor is angry, he may just give the cleric enough to keep her fallen friend from dying. Gods can also be vain (or very compassionate for the masochistic things the faithful do to themselves), and displays of devotion can move them to do more. Having noted that Roger is at -5 HP, the DM decides that Pelor wishes to reward Cletus’s piety as well as teach Roger about foolishly pursuing violence. Pelor, benevolent as he is, grants Cletus cure moderate wounds. Roger will live, and the soreness he feels for the next few days will give him plenty of time to be thankful for his life.Marked.  As stated earlier, gods can be tempermental. Most of them despise it when their favor is taken for granted. Many gods encourage their followers to be judicious with asking for divine favors. Those clerics who do not represent the god well are considered Marked. Marked clerics are in for a rough time of it, as higher powers specifically target him for punishment. Punishments range from embarassing (braying like an ass for a day) to dangerous (lightning striking the cleric from "nowhere"). The DM keeps a secret tally of how many Marked points the cleric has. Examples of activities that incur Marked points are: breaking a vow or taboo, using divine favor when mundane methods work just as well (like using cure spells when you have time to rest), and using divine favors to ends opposed by the deity or ideal. At any time during or after the cleric prays for a divine boon (so Marked points may accumulate), the DM rolls 2d6 and adds the cleric's Marked points to the total. Then, the DM compares this total to the list to determine the exact nature of the backlash. Once the backlash is endured, the character's Marked points are reset to 0. The most Marked points a cleric may have at one time is 6. When a cleric reaches 6 Marked points, she suffers backlash as soon as she prays for her next divine favor or when she performs another action which would gain a Marked point. If a cleric suffers a backlash too many times, she may lose her powers indefinitely.Marked points may be erased before the cleric suffers backlash. Usually, this means repentance in the form of devotional activities and the refusal to ask for divine favors.Marked result3 - 5: embarrassing (smelling like a dung heap for a day, braying like an ass instead of speaking for a day, always seem nude to others for a day, outsider comes to chastise you)6-11: hindering (blind/deaf/dumb/crippled for a day, lose powers for a day, your equipment rots/rusts/goes stale)12+: dangerous (something harmful but not deadly such as a lightning bolt striking you in the head, an outsider beating the crap out of you, or suffering any damage you inflict on others)Divine favor. Gods tend to take good care of their best followers, and they sometimes grant boons to those they feel worthy. When a cleric reaches 10th level, he may become a candidate for receiving a divine favor. A divine favor is a power that is granted to a cleric as a reward for her faith and diligence in furthering the goals of her beliefs. This power is usually in the form of a spell that the cleric may cast at will. Sometimes, a cleric's divine favor comes in the form of his gear taking on divine properties or an effect that happens as a result of a contingency trigger. To qualify for a divine power, a cleric must be either 10th, 13th, 17th, or 19th level and have suffered no backlashes due to being Marked (either through diligence or repentance). Clerics are advised not to get too cocky. Divine favors can be taken away. Aspects (for clerics without deities or those who do not follow the standard deities)Death (N): Death, Destruction, Law/Chaos (choose one), Travel. Favored weapon- scytheFate (N): Knowledge, Luck, Protection, Trickery. No favored weapon.Justice (LN): Destruction, Knowledge, Law, Protection. Favored weapon- longsword.Learning (LG): Good, Knowledge, Law. Favored weapon- none.Life (NG): Animal, Healing, Plant, Sun, Water. Favored weapon- none.Love (CG): Good, Knowledge, Luck, Protection. Favored weapon- shortbow or composite shortbow.Moon (N): Healing, Magic, Trickery, Water. Favored weapon- sickle.Mountain (LG): Earth, Law, Protection, Strength. Favored weaopn- war hammer.Nature (N): Air, Animal/Plant (choose one), Fire/Sun (choose one), Water, Healing/Death/Destruction (choose one). Favored weapon- quarterstaff.Peace (NG): Good, Healing, Luck, Protection. Favored weapon- none.River/Sea (CN): Air, Luck, Travel, Water. Favored weapon- trident or spear.Storm (CN): Air, Chaos, Destructuion, Fire, Strength. Favored weapon- flail.Sun (LG): Fire, Healing, Sun. Favored weapon- mace or morningstarTrickery (CN): Chaos, Luck, Travel, Trickery. Favored weapon- rapier.Valor (LG): Law, Protection, Strength, War. Favored weapon- any sword, battleaxe, or polearm (choose one weapon)War (CE): Chaos, Death, Destruction, Strength, War. Favored weapon- same as Valor.</blockquote>

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