Divine Masters: The Faiths and Followers of Tellene (preview)

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter One: Legends and Lore . . . . . . . . . .3
Cosmology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
The Orthodox View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Racial Creation Myths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Other Tales and Legends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Tales of the Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Chapter Two: Following the Faith . . . . . . .15
Choosing Your Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Choosing Your Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Ability Scores and Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Selecting Skills and Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Religious Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Details, Details, Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Acts of Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Regional Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Falling From Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Fragmenting Your Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Churches and the Undead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Temple Rank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Chapter Three: The Celestial Council . . . .36
Lawful Good Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Halls of the Valiant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Home Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Hall of Oaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Courts of Justice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Assembly of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Neutral Good Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Church of the Life’s Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
House of Solace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Parish of Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Church of Everlasting Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Temple of the Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Chaotic Good Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Face of the Free . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Theater of the Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Church of the Night’s Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Temple of the Patient Arrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Church of the Silver Mist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
2
Chapter Four: The Gray Assembly . . . . . . .92
Lawful Neutral Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Founder’s Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Fraternal Order of Aptitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Temple of the Three Strengths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Temple of Armed Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Order of Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
True Neutral Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Assembly of the Four Corners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Temple of Enchantment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Conventicle of the Great Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Parish of the Prolific Coin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Inevitable Order of Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Chaotic Neutral Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Way of the Berserk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
We of the Watchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Thunderer’s Temple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Church of Chance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
Order of the Passionate One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Chapter Five: The Fiendish . . . . . . . . . . . .149
Lawful Evil Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
Courts of Inequity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
House of Shackles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Church of Endless Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Order of Agony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Neutral Evil Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Congregation of the Dead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
House of Hunger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
House of Scorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
House of Knives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Chaotic Evil Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181
Conventicle of Affliction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181
Church of Confusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184
Temple of Sleepless Nights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Temple of Strife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190
House of Vice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193
Chapter Six: Skills, Feats, and Equipment 197
Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206
Other Holy Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208
New Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210
New Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
Chapter Seven: Domains and Spells . . . . .212
Domains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212
Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222
Chapter Eight: Campaigns of Faith . . . . . .246
The Crusade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
The Inquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
The Prophecy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
Evangelism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Return of the Creator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Managing Religious Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Minor Temple Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248
Church and State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
World of Tellene God Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250
Summoning Gods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250
Divine Servants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Chapter Nine: Templates and Artifacts . .254
Progeny of the Gods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254
Godspawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254
Immortal Descendents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Divine Artifacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
one temple to another like the waters churning at the mouth of
a river. A cleric of the Raiser with tales to tell of how he saved a
village from disaster fills his temple. Two weeks later, the
Assembly of Light might plan a massive undead hunt, with a
dozen clerics leading the fray.
This trend doesn’t prevent a skillful orator from establishing
a large and faithful following of worshippers. Those worshippers might be in the temple every week, but the temple will still
have others who come and go as their interest changes.
Temples use the local language, which is Kalamaran in most
area. A few small, rural temples deliver their sermons in the
local Dejy dialect. Some of the temples in P’Bapar use
Merchant’s Tongue for brief services. These services see
Brandobian, Dejy, and nonhuman worshippers who have little
else in common besides faith and a basic understanding of the
Merchant’s Tongue. To overcome the difficulties of using a
language so poorly equipped for discussing theological issues,
the clerics who oversee these services import some terms from
Low Elven, Kalamaran, Celestial and other sources.
FALLING FROM FAITH
Heresy
A church declares a heresy when a cleric or other character
who considers himself faithful rejects a principle of the faith.
The difference could be simple, but religious scholars consider
the entirety of the faith sacred; none of it is open to debate.
These differences have no bearing on how the god is
worshipped, clerical advancement, or anything material. They
might involve unprovable aspects of a god’s nature, or the
importance of an aspect of worship.
An important point is that the heretic believes that the faith
is true, except for one or a few points in which it needs to be
corrected. The heretic stays within the faith, hoping to make
changes for the better. The heretic may or may not be publicly
condemned, depending on how loudly he speaks and how far he
deviates from accepted teachings. If the heresy is extreme
enough, a cleric may be demoted in rank or have all official
privileges and abilities removed until such time as he publicly
recants and rejoins the faith. The fact that some religious
leaders who have been branded heretics have retained their
divinely bestowed abilities makes the conflict even worse as
each side believes to have the righteous path.
One example of a heresy is the belief espoused by Xuuren
Kailier, a gnome from Shyff. He was a Powermaster who
scorned any healing medicines, calling them a crutch relied
upon by the weak. Indeed, Kailier’s body was astonishingly
resilient and recovered within days from the most extreme
punishment. The threat of excommunication and a severe
reduction in rank caused him to recant his message, but
followers continue to spread the message among the halfling
and gnome population of the Reanaaria Bay.
One of the most prominent heresies is the teachings of Sotak
Malatar, a former Doderan rice farmer who joined the
Congregation of the Dead as a young man and now teaches the
mercy of death for those suffering from great pain. Malatar’s
teachings have made him eternal enemies of the faith he claims
to represent. He hopes that his killings have earned him a
position as a ghost after death, so he can continue to ease the
transition to death for the old or the weak.
Apostasy
Apostasy is a stronger departure from accepted teachings
than heresy. An apostate is actively opposed to one or more
tenets of the faith. The apostate has abandoned his faith, feeling
that it is too “wrong” to be corrected. Instead, a common point
of view is that the faith is acting contrary to its stated goals and
the lie should be exposed for all to see. In extreme cases, the
apostate believes the faith needs to be destroyed for its errors. If
it can not be destroyed, it needs to be damaged in popularity,
political power, or divine power. The best example of apostates
on Tellene are the Vessels of Man.
THE VESSELS OF MAN
Although primarily composed of disaffected clerics, the
Vessels of Man also include skeptical rogues, angry fighters and
cynical barbarians. Sorcerers who wish to prove their power
over that of clerics might seek membership, joining psions and
wizards with the same goal.
The Vessels of Man seek to prove that clerics and gods are not
needed on Tellene. The Vessels pursue their goal in three ways.
23
A Vessel of Man interrupts a service for the Assembly of Light.
ADVANCED GAME RULES: The diverse religions of
Tellene make for fascinating clerics with diverse beliefs, but
their divinely gifted abilities are often limited to those of the
basic cleric as seen in the D&D Player’s Handbook. Even with the
addition of special feats and domains as described in that book,
as well as the Player’s Guide to the Sovereign Lands, clerics of vastly
different gods are still too often of a startling sameness.
Experienced players and DMs may use this section to build a
new cleric following a faith that essentially serves as his own
character class. For example, with these rules a cleric of the
Valiant is no longer just a 1st-level cleric with some specialized
domains, but a 1st level Servant of the Swift Sword. However,
players that use this class must follow certain requirements and
restrictions as laid down by the church (limited weapon and
armor proficiencies, for example). In exchange for such requirements, a cleric gains extra abilities.
Normally, a cleric who ignores this decree is unable to cast
cleric spells or use any supernatural or spell-like class abilities
while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter. The DM should
strictly enforce this, but should also allow the cleric's god to
show leniency in special circumstances (such as when a cleric's
required equipment is forcibly taken from him, or perhaps
when a weaponless cleric snatches a forbidden weapon off the
ground at the last instant, in order to prevent the climax of some
evil, horrific ritual).
While the faith may seem prohibitive to outsiders, its
members believe that the benefits from their god are worth the
restrictions. Each cleric also receives all of the abilities of the
standard cleric (such as turn/rebuke undead), unless otherwise
noted.
While efforts were made to provide balance, it is possible that
some clerics, with the skills and divine powers available to
them, have the potential to unbalance the game. As always, it is
up to the DM to adjust the powers of any advanced cleric class if
he or she feels it is necessary.
At the DM’s option, the standard cleric in the Player’s
Handbook may remain available as an option for a hidden cleric
of the Creator – the original deity from which all other gods
were born. Such clerics may be of any alignment, claiming to
worship any aspect of the Creator ranging from lawful good to
chaotic evil. The other aspects of a cleric of the Creator (holy
animal, domains, etc) vary by cult, as determined by the DM.
39
A Truthseeker, cleric of the Order of Light, Servant of the Swift Sword, Brother of Industry, and Keeper of the Word.
Worshippers of the Dark One do not meet regularly.
Worshippers lock themselves in a pitch black room and say
prayers for an hour. If more than one worshipper lives together,
they pray in separate rooms or at different times to maximize
their isolation.
UNHOLY SYMBOL: An eyeless
raven gripping a bloody eye.
UNHOLY DAYS: Any lunar eclipse
(new moon) is considered an unholy
day, but a solar eclipse is the unholiest
day of all. Overcast, dark nights are also
revered.
When Diadolai is eclipsed by a smaller moon, the church
calls for the Darkening. They perform mysterious ceremonies
in total darkness (their canon calls for “a thousand blind steps”
before the ritual area is entered). They sacrifice the eyes of a
sentient creature, preferably a worshipper of the Eternal
Lantern, to the Dark One. If a faithful worshipper volunteers
for this sacrifice, the congregation bestows a considerable
amount in gifts in admiration upon him.
A lunar eclipse, or better yet, a solar eclipse, is the most
revered night of all. Clerics of the Eternal Lantern might be
held captive for weeks in anticipation of this night. The higher
the rank of cleric, the greater the prestige for both the character
that captured him and the cleric who actually performs the
ceremony.
UNHOLY COLOR: Black.
UNHOLY ANIMAL: Bat. Caves frequented by bats are
favored resting places for traveling Knights of the Black Pit.
RAIMENT: Needless to say, clergymen of the Church of
Endless Night, who tend to perform their worship in dark,
underground caverns, are not particularly preoccupied with
fashion. The vestments of these Knights are always plain, jet
black robes. Most clerics of the Dark One own no other
clothing save for the terrible masks they wear during
ceremonies and rituals. Faithful members are prohibited from
intentionally trimming their fingernails, although there is no
violation if a nail breaks accidentally.
ADVANCEMENT: To climb the church ladder, one must
gather sacrifices and slay members of the Order of Light.
A Dark Knight is any cleric of Dark Rider or higher rank who
has sacrificed a ranking cleric of the Eternal Lantern. This is a
supplemental title used along with his rank title.
In order to advance beyond Dark Rider, a Knight of the Black
Pit must sacrifice a worshiper of the Eternal Lantern at each
rank. The sacrifice must be of at least half the Knight’s character
level (rounded up) and at least Torch rank. Worshipers of the
Eternal Lantern who do not hold ranks in the church or who are
below Torch rank are still killed whenever possible, but they
cannot satisfy the additional requirement for advancement.
At Duskmaster rank and above, Knights of the Black Pit
receive a yearly bonus of gems and diamonds equal to 500 gp
plus 10x the character’s level.
A Pitmaster’s second follower is a fighter.
A Sunslayer controls the most prominent three regions of
Tellene. Currently these areas are Kalamar, Norga-Krangrel
along with Korak and Ek’Kasel, and Western Svimohzia (which
shows exceptional promise in the minds of the Knights of the
Black Pit).
Special Requirements: Upon becoming a Dark Rider, each
cleric must display his unswerving loyalty to the Dark One by
removing his left eye. Dark Riders lose their Dexterity adjustment to AC (if any), and take a –2 penalty on Search checks and
most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks, including any
with an armor check penalty. All opponents are now considered
to have concealment (20% miss chance) to the Dark Rider. After
1d4 months, the Dark Rider adapts to the loss of his eye,
regaining any lost Dexterity adjustment to AC, and his penalty
on the above checks reduces to –1. Opponents continue to have
concealment against him.
When a cleric attains the level of Pitmaster, he must now
remove his right eye as well. The Pitmaster takes a –2 penalty to
AC, and his penalty on Search checks and most Strength- and
Dexterity-based skill checks, including any with an armor check
penalty, increases to -3. All opponents are considered to have
total concealment (50% miss chance) to the Pitmaster. All
checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and
Spot checks) automatically fail. A Pitmaster is immune to gaze
attacks.
After 1d4 months, a Pitmaster learns to deal with most of his
blindness. He suffers no blindness penalties to Dexterity, and
no opponents gain concealment against him. His penalty on
Search checks and most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill
checks, including any with an armor check penalty, drops to –2,
but all checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading
and Spot checks) still fail automatically. He continues to be
immune to gaze attacks.
Whenever a Dark Rider or Pitmaster removes an eye, a oneday-long celebration follows this act of reverence.
SACRIFICES: Sacrifices are visual organs, preferably from a
sentient being. These are used to create divine focuses.
MAJOR TEMPLES: Important places of worship for the
Knights of the Black Pit are said to exist both in Bet Kalamar and
Balelido.
TABLE 5-6: KNIGHTS OF THE
BLACK PIT
Rank
Title
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Dark Friend
Night Holder
Day Destroyer
Dark Rider
Darkdeath
Duskmaster
Moon Master
Pitmaster
Sunslayer
Nightmaster
161
Temples of this faith are often constructed underground.
Their worship areas are usually small, close and oppressive.
Open pits stand ready to maim or kill worshippers who fail to
show the requisite caution. Real or ceremonial stalactites cause
comparatively minor bruising and concussions to those who
walk into them. If the faith is able to carve out a worship area
instead of relying on solely natural works, they smooth the
floor, leaving textured guide marks on the floor and walls to
prevent worshippers from falling to their death. The temples
are always unlit.
Cathedrals are multi-leveled dungeons, with deep pits for
clerical Cleansing ceremonies. They usually have other pits that
contain underground creatures. Bas-reliefs decorate the walls of
constructed areas; natural caves stay untouched, except for any
work necessary to make the floor passable.
The holy seat’s presence in Ashakulagh causes problems for
some worshippers who would like to visit it but fear hobgoblin
persecution. More than once spies from Korak have attempted
to infiltrate the country as pilgrims in search of the temple, and
the hobgoblins have killed many legitimate pilgrims over the
years in their attempts to prevent spies from reaching their
capital.
Nightmaster Herkuul “the Crow”, a hulking hobgoblin
known as much for his martial prowess as his spiritual visions,
is the faith’s chief cleric. He has a not-so-secret nightwalker
advisor hidden in his chambers. The creature claims to be a
direct servant of the Dark One, although other clerics are suspicious of its motives.
FRIENDS AND ALLIES
The Temple of Sleepless Nights: “Terror and darkness go
hand in hand. Terror breeds in the darkness, and removes the
light in one's soul…”
The Courts of Inequity: “They want everything without
need, and we need everything without want for it. This is
usually a good relationship, when we give them everything they
want and they give us all we need…”
FOES AND ENEMIES
The Assembly of Light: “They seek to destroy the darkness
with their all-powerful radiance… It is sad that they cannot
embrace the darkness that resides within us all.
The Church of the Silver Mist: “They see dreams and
aspirations as sacred, but focus on light, rather than darkness.
They fail to prepare for the Time of the Void, and it will cost
them.”
SAYINGS
162
“Darkness is enlightenment.”
“The black void is near.”
“He shall swallow the light and consume the soul.”
“See the darkness.”
“Blessed are the blind, for they see only darkness.”
THE UNHOLY BOOK
Traditionally written in silver ink on black pages, the canon
entitled the “Book of Endless Night” is a relatively lightweight
book that celebrates the deepest time of night. Superficially a
beautiful work of art, this canon describes vicious sacrifices, dire
chants and appeals to devils.
The Book of Endless Night is divided into three sections,
each written by a different saint of the faith. The first, Daylight,
explains the workings of opposed faiths, especially the
Assembly of Light. It describes a host of reasons for avoiding
daylight, citing mind-subduing rays from the sun, the inability
to hide from your enemies and the excessive heat of the
summer. The second chapter, Twilight, explains that the times
of dusk and dawn are better than day, but not as good as night
(their biggest advantage being the lack of moons and minimal
sun). Twilight is the shortest section, at only a few pages in
length. Night, the final chapter, comprises two-thirds of the
book and contains the evil passages celebrating the Blacksoul
and prophesying his ascension to the earth when the faith extinguishes all light on the surface.
The faith’s clerics may not use the spell continual flame.
Worshipers must not use torches, candles or lamps during the
night of an eclipse. If necessary, they may use special covered
lanterns that emit an eerie red light. The faith prohibits the
killing of a raven or a bat. Killing a raven brings a fine of a goat,
a lamb or a sheep; killing a bat costs either a large farm animal
(such as a cow or an ox) or an equal amount in grain.
The Book of Endless Night is not hard to find in most
nations, but since possession of it might be illegal, the cost is
relatively high. It can be purchased for 80 gp.
CLERICS
The Knights of the Black Pit dedicate themselves to smothering Tellene in total darkness. They fanatically adhere to the
teachings of the Book of Endless Night, an unholy writing from
a bygone era. The ancient manuscript speaks of the Time of the
Void, a time when Lord Midnight will devour the sun and
Tellene will be cloaked in eternal blackness. The Church of
Endless Night teaches that when the Assembly of Light and its
allies are destroyed, this prophecy will come to pass.
Besides vigilantly opposing the Assembly of Light, the
Knights of the Black Pit are constantly preparing themselves for
the Time of the Void. Because these clerics believe the world
will be devoid of light, they regularly practice combat in total
darkness and in underground or confined areas. Additionally,
clerics of Blackmourn learn the necessary survival skills for life
below the surface.
Just as important as the removal of a cleric’s own eyes (see
Advancement, above) is bringing the bounty of her god to
another. Therefore, when in battle, these clerics will strike for
their opponent’s visual organs. A Knight will taunt and goad his
opponent into speaking; this allows the cleric to home in on his
foe’s eyes.
Each potential cleric must undergo a ceremony, known as the
Cleansing, before earning a place in the clergy. A group of Dark
Friends places the future congregant at the bottom of a dark pit.
They then leave the aspirant in the pit, providing only food and
water, until the Pitmaster believes the aspirant is ready to
become a Knight. The time varies, depending on the individual;
however, it is seldom less than a year and never less than two
months. The aspirant then trains in the way of the Knights of
the Black Pit.
A form of the Cleansing also takes place on unwilling participants, usually children and those whose eyes have been taken
for sacrifice. The victim is brainwashed to believe that only the
Eyeless One can give them the power to see again. As they adapt
to their new environment and learn to function in the dark,
they come to believe that the Knights are correct. At this time,
the brainwashing is complete and the victims are admitted to
the congregation. Such victims suffer the penalties for blindness as a Pitmaster (see Advancement, Special Requirements,
above).
Adventures: Knights of the Black Pit adventure to bring the
gloom and shadow of the night to all parts of the world.
Characteristics: Knights of the Black Pit emphasize their
divine powers, using their martial prowess only when necessary.
Background: Many Knights of the Black Pit come from
unwilling participants in the Cleansing, although an alternate
background for Knights of the Black Pit is some time spent in
isolation in the dark. A dwarf who got lost far from home, a
human captured by mind flayers, or a traveler of any race who
fell into a sinkhole and couldn’t escape a natural cavern – each is
a likely candidate.
Races: The Lurker in the Void is extremely popular among
underground races such as stone dwarves, dark elves and
various humanoid cultures. Races who are at home underground are natural Knights of the Black Pit. Other elves tend to
be fond of nighttime, but only as long as there are stars out; they
have no love for total darkness.
Relations With Other Classes: Knights of the Black Pit
prefer to work with fighters. Wizards with an appropriate spell
selection (emphasizing cold, darkness and gloom) are well
regarded, but rogues are not, since they lose many of their skills
in the darkness. In keeping with their faith, Knights despite
enemy clerics, especially those of the Eternal Lantern. They
view other classes with indifference.
Relations With Undead: Clerics are encouraged to animate
or create undead in their attempts to further the faith. If intelligent undead must be controlled, the cleric must free them of
control as soon as possible. Clerics may freely destroy undead
created by junior clerics of their faith, but should not those of
peers or higher-ranking clerics. A cleric is allowed to destroy
undead created by another faith, if those undead hinder an act
that furthers the faith. Violating these restrictions may cause
the cleric to lose temple rank, or undergo a quest to atone.
Role: Even when part of a group, the Knight of the Black Pit
often prefers to work alone, knowing that few (if any) of his
companions can match his ability to function in the dark. He
often uses his darkness to disrupt enemy spellcaster (who
usually need a direct line of sight for their spells) and attacks the
eyes of fighters and other direct threats.
ADVANCED GAME RULES
A Knight of the Black Pit has the same game statistics of a
cleric in the Player’s Handbook, with the following changes or
clarifications.
Abilities: Knights of the Black Pit value Wisdom because it
affects their spellcasting. In the event of conflict, a high
Strength is useful as well. Dexterity is particularly useful for
negotiating hazards in the dark.
Alignment: Knights of the Black Pit must be lawful evil.
CLASS SKILLS
The Knight of the Black Pit’s class skills (and the key ability
for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Wis), Knowledge
(arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform
(ventriloquism) (Cha), Profession (usually miner) (Wis), Sense
Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis). See Chapter
4: Skills in the Player’s Handbook and the Kingdoms of Kalamar
Player’s Guide for skill descriptions.
CLASS FEATURES
A Knight of the Black Pit has the same class features as a
cleric in the Player’s Handbook, with the following changes or
clarifications.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Knights of the Black Pit
are proficient with simple piercing weapons, with the greataxe,
and with light armor. They are also proficient with shields
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Chapter SIX:
SKILLS, FEATS,
AND EQUIPMENT
Many players find clever ways to use the rules for expanding
their connections to the divine, and the variant rules in this
chapter provide such options. The chapter begins with a discussion of skills, continues with a section of feats, and concludes
with new equipment and holy texts.
SKILLS
The following new options for existing skills supplement
those found in the Player’s Handbook.
DIPLOMACY (CHA)
Normal Use: You use this skill for giving others the right
impression, to negotiate effectively and to influence others.
New Use: Characters can now use this skill to convert
another character to their faith. (Note: the DM may decide that
the target is not receptive to conversion.
Check: You can change another character’s attitude towards
your faith with successful Diplomacy checks; see the
Influencing NPC Attitudes sidebar on page 72 in the Player’s
Handbook). The subject’s initial attitude towards adopting the
new faith is set by the DM, but should usually be no better than
Indifferent. For the initial attitude to be Friendly, the NPC
would have to be especially indebted to the faith (or the evangelist) and have an alignment very similar to that of the deity.
Action: Converting a character’s faith takes 1+2d4 hours for
each Diplomacy check, though the time does not have to be
spent in a single sitting as long as all the time is spent within the
same week. The initial Diplomacy checks are an attempt to
influence a change in the target’s attitude toward the specific
religion. Once enough Diplomacy checks are made so that the
subject is at Helpful attitude, you must succeed at one additional
Diplomacy check to convert the target to the new faith.
Try Again: Optional, as noted in the Player’s Handbook.
Special: A character that beats the Diplomacy check to
convert by 10 or more can also persuade the creature to be the
willing target for the redemption/temptation part of an atonement spell.
GATHER INFORMATION (CHA)
Normal Use: You use this skill for making contacts, learning
gossip and rumors, and obtaining general information.
New Use: The same process used to discover information can
be used to Spread Information within a community. The information can be true or an intentional falsehood, but once
successfully planted, it shows up on Gather Information checks
made in the community.
Check: Spending an evening’s time spreading rumors and
gossip (such as giving out “confidential” information in
exchange for a drink, or being “accidentally” overheard) and
making a Spread Information check gets the rumor out into the
community. The base DC to plant information is based on the
population size, as detailed on the following chart.
Community
Thorp
Hamlet
Village
Small town
Large town
Small city
Large city
Metropolis
DC
5
5
5
10
10
15
20
25
A successful result generates a rumor or piece of information
that can be obtained with a Gather Information result of 15 or
higher. This result level can be decreased or increased when
planting the information.
Action: A typical Spread Information check takes 1d4+1
hours.
Try Again: No. If the attempt fails, the information does not
circulate beyond the initial group of persons involved, and most
of them do not believe the information to be true.
Special: A character that beats the Spread Information check
by 5 points can lower the DC of other characters’ Gather
Information checks (to learn the planted information) by 2
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Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
You cause a creature to panic for 1d6 minutes. The creature
has a 50% chance to immediately drop what he’s holding. The
creature flees, choosing his path randomly and fleeing from
other dangers. The creature suffers a -2 morale penalty on all
saving throws. After 1d6 minutes, the creature is no longer
panicked, but the fear never truly goes away.
Each night, the creature must make a Will save or be subject
to the effects of a nightmare spell (with the same DC as the
original unforgettable terror). Unlike casting nightmare, however,
you do not have to enter a trance and wait until the victim
sleeps, nor does a dispel evil spell harm you when cast on the
dreaming subject. The creature’s own memory brings the terror
back, and the nightmares never cease until the creature is killed.
VESHEMO WANES
Abjuration
Level: Cleric 4, Moon (Veshemo) domain 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
Components: V, S, F/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: All lycanthropes within a 30-ft. radius sphere
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Veshemo wanes exposes all lycanthropes within its area of
effect by forcing them to change shape. Lycanthropes in animal
or hybrid form assume their human form, while those already in
their human form shift into hybrid form for a moment, then
shift back. This transformation takes 1 round, and the subjects
cannot take any actions but are not considered helpless.
Arcane Focus: A silver dagger.
VICTORY MEDITATION
Transmutation
Level: Order of the Pike 3
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The affected creature gains a +4 morale bonus on Knowledge
(military tactics) and Profession (siege engineer) checks, and a
+2 morale bonus on Reflex saves.
In addition, when making a full attack, the affected creature
may make one additional attack with any weapon he is holding.
The attack is made using the creature’s full base attack bonus,
plus any modifiers appropriate to the situation. (This effect is
not cumulative with similar effects, such as that provided by the
haste spell, nor does it actually grant an extra action, so you can’t
use it to cast a second spell or otherwise take an extra action in
this round.)
A cleric of the Order of the Pike worships the Old Man.
VINDICATION
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Purger 5
Components: V, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. +10 ft./level)
Target: 1 creature
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude half (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
Introduced by a still unidentified priest from the House of
Knives in Bynarr during a particularly bloody internal power
struggle over a century ago, the effectiveness of this spell is
borne out by the near complete destruction of the Veiled
Priesthood in the city at that time.
The Purger targets any single creature within range; and for
the duration of the spell, any attack or spell from the creature
that does damage to the Purger causes a backlash of negative
energy. The subject takes 1d6 points of negative energy damage
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the characters must overcome a foe with enough power to
justify such a divine prophecy being made in the first place. The
characters need not all worship the same god, or indeed any
god, but as the subjects of prophecy, their actions are watched by
various churches, some of which offer assistance, while others
seek to prevent them from meeting their destiny.
Evangelism
In this campaign, the characters should all come from the
same church. The characters are charged with bringing the faith
to a region where it currently is without support. Perhaps the
region is dominated by a rival or enemy church, and the characters must confront their church’s traditional foes, both in
combat and in intrigue and in non-violent confrontations.
Perhaps the church sponsors the colonization of a wilderness
region, with an eye towards the long term goal of a future political force with close ties to the church. Maybe the characters
must restore the faith following a scandal, violent purge, or
other crisis that shattered the church to its former glory.
Overcoming the antipathy of the local populace is difficult, so
the PCs need to become champions for them, defeating
monsters, restoring lost relics, and helping to improve the
communities. Overcoming King Joto’s paranoia of clergy and
restoring the church to legal status in Shynabyth would be a
noble Evangelism campaign.
Might churches of the Creator lie hidden in secret places?
The Return of the Creator
Perhaps the most ambitious religious campaign would center
on the restoration of the Creator. Her worship suppressed and
lost for thousand years, the Creator decides the time is right to
return to her place. The characters are assembled from across
various faiths, and set on a course of adventures (perhaps
unknowingly) that will not only free her, but do so in a very
open, public way. Along the way, the characters encounter many
foes, especially from among the churches of the gods most
responsible for rebellion, and learn more about the truth of the
Creator and the origins of the world. A world spanning series of
explorations and adventures, a Return campaign allows the DM
to not only present the players all the many flavor-filled
locations of Tellene, but to also mix many different play styles.
As the characters advance, they become more aware of the role
that they are playing and the impact their actions may have. If
successful, the Return of the Creator will mark the greatest
change to the universe of Tellene in recorded history.
MANAGING RELIGIOUS CHARACTERS
Not all campaigns are based around religions and faiths, but
nearly every D&D campaign has a player character for which
faith is a central trait. While most of these characters are clerics,
any player who defines his character as deeply committed to his
religion also qualifies. Such characters should have ample
opportunities to display and explore their faith. Beyond the
typical “Does my church believe in killing prisoners?” debate
that often occurs, other matters eventually arise. Does the
church seek to command and control the character? Should the
character seek to convert fellow party members? If the player
wishes to pursue advancement within the title and rank system,
how do the character’s obligations and status impact the
campaign? The temptation to violate a tenet of the faith should
be presented in an attractive form; after all, the sin would be
easy to resist if it were not appealing. The player should be aware
of the consequences of such a violation, but the DM who
carefully crafts the situation as to make the decision difficult has
made the role-playing situation that much more rewarding.
The key is balance. Faith is not a constant burden, or else
there would be fewer characters that would cling to it for
strength and hope. A religious character should be given opportunities to gain advantage from his faith as well as encountering
challenges to his beliefs. Perhaps an otherwise indifferent NPC
recognizes the cleric’s holy symbol and becomes more helpful
since they share the same faith. Perhaps the party benefits from
cheaper healing magic at the temple of the cleric’s church after
a particularly difficult adventure. The gratitude of the local
citizens to the cleric’s sermons and benevolence means the
group has welcome hiding place when they are wrongly
accused and pursued by the king’s officers.
Similarly, a short or medium term religious plot line for the
group should strike a balance between encouragement and
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