Syserians as a norm worship a multideific pantheon of Gods and Goddesses. It is normal for Syserians to pray to more than one God, but they will primarily worship one God.
Syserian Gods and Goddesses either can’t or won’t send avatars unto the face of the planet. This rule is supposed to be unbreakable, but powers have been known to get around it in various ways, such as flying their avatars just outside Syseria’s atmosphere, or channeling their existence outside the flow of time in which The Pact was made. The former limits the power in obvious ways, and unless their followers fly out via starjammer, the deity cannot expect to accomplish much beyond communication by simply being present slightly outside the atmosphere. The latter method, however, causes powers to lose some of their deific influence in that they are effectively not a deity anymore—even if they do collect followers, they cannot operate in the same ways as true deities. But they are present upon the face (or within the bowels) of Syseria, and can use magic, make physical changes, etc.
However, powers can manifest in more subtle ways. Their manifestations vary from power to power, but most will choose something consistent to their idiom and will almost always be consistent from manifestation to manifestation. The purpose of this is sometimes obvious, sometimes mysterious.
What a god cannot do upon the face of Syseria: appear as an avatar, cast spells, make physical changes, reproduce, kill, or otherwise change any living creature, or take action of any kind. What a god can do: collect followers and priesthoods, send visions, send word, grant powers and/or spells, or manifest.
All Deities—The Overall Tenets of Faith
There are four basic categories of worshipers. Even to those deities who purport to operate with no structure, this hierarchy applies. The categories are, from highest to lowest: adventuring game-term priests (listed as whatever classes are allowable, i.e. clerics, druids, paladins, or rangers priestly titles in parentheses), adventuring non-game-term priests (such as fighters, cavaliers, rogues, and wizards), the clergy (non-adventurers but shepherds nonetheless), and finally followers, which do not have a particular listing, but are instead detailed throughout the description of the faith. They sometimes have different benefits & restrictions (particularly so in the more rigid faiths), sometimes not, but all must abide by their deity’s ethos or face the consequences. The worst case scenario is possible expulsion from the faith.
Player character game-term priests and paladins are all required to choose a specific deity and will always fall into the top category. For an average character, following a deity is a simple matter of abiding by their ethos and maybe spreading the divine word here and there for their patron’s benefit.
Game-term adventuring priests, i.e. clerics, druids, rangers, and paladins, cast spells as priests of their faiths, usually under the normal restrictions of their class (if any), and can choose from the spell domains listed. Possible alterations to these classes include races allowed, spell restrictions, ability requirements, prime requisites, and so forth—in all such cases, the changes are listed under the adventuring priests’ heading. These characters obviously gain the granted power(s) listed, and moreover gain the level-by-level benefits and granted powers of advancing as an adventuring priest; this is always shown as a bulleted list after the basics of the adventuring priesthood is listed. If their class qualifies them for other granted powers as listed in the PHB, they may or may not be overruled in this deity’s adventuring priesthood—any changes or omissions to standard PHB class-related powers will always be listed. This category of priest supersedes all others, i.e. a game-term adventuring priest of a deity is considered to be a follower and clergy member (shepherd) of that deity’s flock.
Sometimes a non-game-term priest who is an adventurer can be an adventuring priest by way of application, that is to say he is a shepherd of the flock even though his class is not priestly, paladin, etc. In these cases, the skill and weapon/armor restrictions, and any other bonuses or hindrances apply, as do granted powers—the domains are discarded. The non-game-term priest may or may not be eligible for the level-by-level granted powers. In the cases where a deity allows non-game-term priests in their shepherds’ ranks, those level-by-level powers that the non-game-term priest is eligible for will be specified. If they do not specifically say that a non-game-term priest gets that particular power, they do not. If a warrior, rogue, or wizard is allowed amongst the adventuring priesthood of a deity, the normal weapon & armor restrictions are discarded and he now abides by the same benefits & hindrances as everybody else in the priesthood. These characters receive the granted powers of their chosen faith, but if they cannot cast spells, the domains are irrelevant and they remain inept in the spellcasting arts.The adventuring priesthood are special characters expected to spread the word of their faith, look for new converts, and perform various tasks listed in the faith or as ordained by their patron or deity.
In the cases of non-adventuring priests, i.e. clergy, whether they are spellcasters or not they are all shepherds of their various gods and all the penalties, restrictions, bonuses, etc apply to these peoples. All such characters receive the granted powers of their chosen faith, but if they cannot cast spells, the spheres of influence are irrelevant and they remain inept in the spellcasting arts. The shepherds are expected to spread the word of their faith, look for new converts, and perform various tasks listed in the faith or as ordained by their patron or deity. The basic difference between the clergy and the adventuring priesthood is that the clergy don’t generally travel and will always devote the entirety of their lives to the promotion of the church and its dogma. Typical adventurer concerns, such as the smiting of enemies, collecting of treasures, exploring new lands etc. are not usually considered by the clergy unless otherwise noted. Also, clergy can always be simple humans or demi-humans of the non-adventuring type.
To followers, however, the majority of this stuff does not apply (followers usually don’t granted powers). They often are less restricted in allowable alignments and can usually ignore the armor & weapon restrictions for that deity (if this is not the case, it will be noted in the deity’s description), nor do the benefits apply to followers. Recommended skills remain recommended, and required become recommended unless otherwise noted. They never gain free bonus skills of their faith’s priesthood. Any and all members of the faith from top to bottom must abide by their power’s ethos.
As for paladins, for the gods who patronize such characters it is inexcusable to attempt to be a follower. They are automatically the highest category of priest or shepherd of their god’s flock by the above definition. For this reason, any and all deities that the paladin qualifies for will have “paladin” listed in their adventuring priesthood. When creating a paladin character, choosing a valid deity is obviously required, and the paladin must choose the first alignment listed as allowed amongst the deity’s clergy (characters disregard the Lawful Good requirement for paladins, unless that happens to be the first allowable alignment in the Deity’s shepherds).
If the benefits & hindrances listing for the adventuring priests as opposed to clergy appear to be redundant, think of it in this way: adventuring priests, clerics, druids, rangers, paladins, wizards, etc. are special cases and their status as a shepherd and a teacher is to be augmented by holy powers and restrictions. This category supersedes the non-adventuring priesthood for any who fit in it, and indeed it is often identical to the non-adventuring shepherd’s holy benefits & hindrances, but it also sometimes differs in subtle (or obvious) ways.
PC’s almost always fall into the category of follower or adventuring priest—they generally are not basic clergy members. However, retired PC’s quite frequently become basic clergy members.
Any Syserian who practices Atheism (i.e. not worshiping a deity) cannot be resurrected. When such a soul dies, they are transported to a random plane to be judged, although such souls generally seem to end up in gladsheim or limbo, but never in the Great Well of Damned Souls.
A Syserian who worships a false god is even worse off. Upon the death of such a being, their soul is catapulted into limbo where it will spend the rest of eternity in the Great Well of Damned Souls. There in the nothingness, they must ponder their folly. Resurrection automatically operates as reincarnation, and upon death of the reincarnated heathen their souls still suffer the aforementioned punishment. Only one of 10 creatures are possible in his or her new life:
d10 roll:
- 1: Minor Insect or Arachnid
- 2: Earthworm
- 3: Rat (Non-giant)
- 4: Grub/Snail
- 5: Leech or Minor Lizard
- 6: Minor Snake (non-venomous)
- 7: Kobold
- 8: Otyugh
- 9: Toad (Non-giant)
- 10: Carrion Crawler
Most Syserian gods/goddesses are morally neutral.
Allowable alignments are always listed from most to least desirable, both for followers, shepherds, and spellcasting priests or clerics.
Any time a priest or follower converts to a new religion, he gains the free skills listed only if is not already proficient. No PC can convert religions more than once per game decade.
Generalizations about Syserian religion: priests who follow the same faith, if they are allowed to mate, will frequently bear offspring of the same faith. Beyond that, intra-family faith is generally unrestricted and choosing one’s own path should be the preferred method of religious living. However, choosing a faith that diametrically opposes your parent’s faith will often result in banishment from the family.
The pantheon of Syseria is multi-deific, that is all faiths understand and accept—but do not necessarily venerate—the existence of all other gods. The practice of praying to different deities is commonplace and is not considered unacceptable by any but the most strict of faiths. Communing, however, is only possible with one’s chosen god.
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