Hullo, folks,
Well, I figured that the time has come to post the skill up
to the two lists, and figured that this mailing list would be the
best place to do so. Bear several things in mind. First of all,
this skill has been something that I've been working on...well, let's
just say for a long time. It is based on the article on Priest
skill that was being written for the DQ system way back when the
Religion supplement was well and truly in the works, and has been
done up on the basis of the memory of the material (plus some of the
notes that I did take on the formulae that were being used for
certain parts of the skill). Secondly, it makes the assumption, as
did that original material, that magic and religion were not
considered all that "mutually inclusive", and thus reflects
this...but I still think that it works when dealing with pagan
religions, and I have added a reference to my own version of this
(under section 166.6) that the Colleges of Shamanism, Witchcraft
(which has undergone some revision the last little while to fit
better with some of the precepts of ARCANE WISDOM), and others that
can be taken within the context of the pagan issues should be
permitted if the GM allows. Thirdly, the concept of Miracles is one
that will drive player and GMs who use this version of the Priest
skill somewhat nuts. This is because, when it comes right down to
it, the Miracles and other material on the deities and their areas of
influence and the like were going to be in a separate, large-ish
chapter of their own. Alas and alack, and all that... :( Finally,
the Devoutness secondary characteristic is described in a separate
article that I wrote which was published in the DQN a way back, and
that was the characteristic that was going to be used for the
purposes of devotion, belief, and all.
Take this for what you will, and I expect to see all manner of
debate and the like on this skill. So, fire away... :) Personal
comments can be addressed to me at this e-mail, or my more normal one
of
jkahane@comnet.ca. :)
Also, please note the copyright on this...yes, that's how long
it's taken me to finish this "project" up. Now, all I have to do is
the Dreamweaver skill. :)
166. PRIEST
In any religion, there are those individuals who maintain the
knowledge and perform the rituals associated with worship of the
gods.
Occasionally, such individuals may call on their gods for blessings,
to borrow powers, or even perform miracles. The Priest skill
provides
a measure of the character's standing within his chosen Priesthood as
well as his ability to call on the deity of his choice.
This skill is unlike any others, however, in that many abilities
are ultimately left open to the GamesMaster. It is actually to
provide a general framework within which the player and GM can
define the actual potential for being a priest for particular
religions and deities. The player and GM need to work together to
provide some of the details of defining the framework of the
religion: What God? What is its domain? What are its powers?
What does it expect of its followers? What other gods may oppose
it? It is then the GM's responsibility to play the part of the
gods and decide when a character has fulfilled the requirements set
upon him by his deity. Because of this, the GM needs to keep track
of a rating for the bond between the god and the Priest. This
rating, called Devoutness, ranges from 0 to around 100, and will
vary as described in the section of DragonQuest Additional Rules,
section 3.11.
Priests are powerful figures in the world of DragonQuest. Not
only
do they command control of power derived from the power of their god,
but they may occasionally call upon the power of the gods to come to
their aid. They can sanctify an area to protect those within it from
the Powers of Darkness (or Powers of Light, depending), and can
satisfy the souls of the dead to ensure a restful and peaceful death.
The importance of the Priests in the world derives from their
secret knowledge of the proper rituals to placate the gods, and
make them happy. Normal people rely on the priests to protect them
from those elements outside the realms of magic: plagues, famines,
bad luck, and a host of other miscellaneous maladies. The priests
are also responsible for the dead, providing them with safe passage
into the afterlife (whatever that afterlife may be, dependent on
the religion), as well as safe entrance to children into this
world.
There is a price to pay for all this: not all may become priests,
and those that do walk a straight and narrow path, with many pitfalls
and temptations that may lead them astray. They must be willing to
follow orders and instructions from their gods, and sometimes
clerical
superiors, without question or hesitation. Those that fall from
grace
may never again enter the priesthood, and may even be hunted down by
their more pious brethren. But to those that join the priesthood,
the
choice is not one they regret.
[166.1] A character who wishes to take the priest skill must meet the
minimum requirement in certain Characteristics.
A character who wishes to take the priest skill must meet certain
minimums in characteristics related to the ability. A priest must
have a Willpower of at least 18 and a Devoutness of at least 25.
If the character's Willpower or Devoutness are below the minimum
values needed, the character expends one-quarter extra the
Experience Points necessary to progress Ranks. If the character's
Willpower is 24 or better, the character only expends
three-quarters the Experience Points to progress Ranks. If the
character has a Devoutness of greater than 60, the character
expends three-quarters the Experience Points to progress Ranks.
These modifiers are cumulative.
[166.2] A priest does not need to achieve Rank with any additional
languages, but certain priestly functions require extra language
Ranks.
While a priest is not required to have any extra language skills,
it is suggested that the priest be familiar with the Spoken form of
the Religious Common language at Rank 8, and the written form of the
Religious Common language at Rank 7.
In addition, it is suggested that for a priest to rise above Rank
5, he must speak and read/write an extra two languages of his choice
(preferably related to the area in which he serves), and that to rise
above Rank 8, the priest must speak and read/write an additional two
languages of his choice.
[166.3] As a priest progresses through the ranks of the priesthood,
he
has a Knowledge Rank that increases through time and effort.
Each priest has a Knowledge Rank, abbreviated KR, that he gains
when he enters the priesthood, and which rises over the course of
time. A priest's Knowledge Rank is equal to one-half his Priest
skill
Rank, rounded down.
While Devoutness (DV) represents the extent to which a priest
believes in his deity, Knowledge Rank (KR) reflects the extent to
which the priest is familiar with the rituals, behaviours, knowledge,
and other aspects of worship of the deity in question. In addition,
Knowledge Rank is used to determine certain abilities of the priest,
and is also used to incite Miracles, create holy (or unholy) objects
and items, and to enable the priest to live his life in a monastic
fashion. Each of the uses of Knowledge Rank (KR) is detailed below
in
the appropriate sections.
It should be noted that while Knowledge Rank begins at a value
equal to one-half the Priest's Rank, rounded down, it rises and falls
independently of the Priest Rank once the character enters play.
There are various circumstances and situations that raise and
increase
Knowledge Rank. Note that it can never be increased through the use
of Experience Points.
If the priest does not meet the standards set forth for the
worship
of the deity in question (see below, Section 166.15, but this can
include regular prayers, vows, acts of worship or devotion,
sacrifice,
etc.), the Knowledge Rank of the priest is reduced by one for each
week that he does not obey these standards. If the priest does
something or performs an act which is particularly beneficial to the
deity, either performing an act for the deity or advancing the state
of the deity's worship, increase the Knowledge Rank by one point. If
the priest does something that goes against the creed or beliefs of
the deity in question, reduce the Knowledge Rank by 1 to 3 points,
and
reduce the character's Devoutness by at least 1 to 5 points. The
Knowledge Rank of the priest is also reduced by one for each
successful use of the priest of an ability which draws on the deity's
power.
If the priest character's Knowledge Rank is reduced below zero
(0),
the deity in question should punish the priest in some fashion. This
may simply take the form of reducing the character's Priest Rank, or
it may take the form of a Minor or Major Curse. If the deity's wrath
is truly terrible, it could result in the deity smiting the character
from existence.
Note that the priest cannot raise his Knowledge Rank if the
character's Priest Rank is not equal to or exceeds the character's
desired KR value.
[166.4] A priest must choose a specific deity whom he worships, and
receives bonuses to perform skills related to the deity's area of
influence.
A priest must choose one of the gods or goddesses (hereafter
called
deities) to worship, as noted under the Devoutness (DV)
characteristic. A character who chooses to be a priest may not
worship more than one deity, and thus may not have multiple
Devoutness
ratings.
The character receives a bonus to their uses of any abilities or
skills that are directly related to the area of influence of the
deity. The bonus to skills is equal to +(2 per Priest Rank)%. If
the
priest does not have the skill in question, this will not give the
priest Rank in the skill, but will increase their success chances.
Furthermore, weapons and weapon categories receive a bonus of +1 per
Priest Rank)% to the appropriate Strike Chances.
[166.5] Priests are typically addressed by titles, according to their
Rank.
As a priest character progresses through the ranks of their
priesthood, they are accorded certain titles to accompany their rank.
These titles are reflected according to the Rank the priest has
achieved as noted below:
Rank 0-2: Initiate, Novice
Rank 3-4: Acolyte, Brother, Sister
Rank 4-7: Priest, Father, Mother, Deacon
Rank 8: High Priest, High Priestess, Your Worship, Bishop
Rank 10: Arch Priest, Arch Priestess, Pope, etc.
[166.6] A priest may not become an Adept of any of the Colleges of
Magic, with the exception of White Magics or Black Magics.
A priest may not become an Adept or Mage of any of the Colleges of
Magic except for being a White Mage or a Black Mage. In order to
qualify for the taking of a College of Magic, the character must
still
meet the requirements of the College in terms of Magical Aptitude
(MA)
and any other requirements as deemed necessary by the GM.
In the event that the priest chooses to be an Adept of the College
of White Magics or Black Magics, the character derives a bonus to
their abilities to cast spells from the College under their deity's
influence. The Priest may add (Priest Rank x 2)% to their Cast
Chances with spells from the appropriate College.
[166.7] When a priest achieves Rank 2, the character must determine
their Calling within the ranks of the priesthood.
As a general rule, the Calling of a priest character should be
determined in association with their particular skills. For example,
an archivist would need to be fluent in reading/writing several
languages, as well as having the Scribe Skill (see Section 169). An
administrator would have the Steward Skill (see Section 170). In
some
religious orders, the position of Healer would possibly be
appropriate. Some religions may have prophets and seers, for whom
Astrologer Skill would be appropriate. Priesthoods, notably monastic
orders, often require the use of various craft skills (see Craftsman
Skill, section 156) or domestic skills (for example, cooking,
carpentry, sewing, and gardening). Orators and those who are
preachers would place an emphasis on speaking skills along with
perhaps some Troubador or Courtesan Skills, since part of their tasks
are to obtain converts. Such Callings are, of course, dependent on
the nature of the particular religion of which the priest is a part.
The GamesMaster and the player must agree on the particular skills
needed for the character's Calling, and Rank in the Priest skill can
never exceed rank in those skills by more than 2.
[166.8] Once a priest achieves Rank 4, he may begin to lead certain
traditional ceremonies.
Once the priest character achieves Rank 4, 6, and again at 8, he
may begin to lead certain traditional ceremonies. The ceremonies
that
can be led are to be determined by the player and the GamesMaster
together, based upon the tenets and beliefs of each individual
religion. Some guidelines are provided below.
The Rank 4 ceremonies should include those which are private,
frequent, and that have a low impact on the followers of the faith,
and which may also be somewhat tedious (and this is why the higher
Ranked priests delegate them).
Rank 6 ceremonies should be those which are higher profile, public
rituals. These will typically involve hundreds of followers,
occasionally high-ranking members of society who would take offense
at
being forced to mingle with lower Rank priests, and the like.
Rank 8 ceremonies are those rituals that are vital to the
religion.
Rank 10 ceremonies are those which, for whatever reason or tenet,
can only be performed by the High Priest or leading religious leader
of the religion in question.
In all cases noted above, the Base Chance for the priest to lead a
private ceremony is equal to [20 + (WPx2) + (KRx3) + (� Priest
Rank)]%.
[166.9] Once a priest achieves Rank 6, he may begin to lead
traditional public ceremonies.
Once the priest character achieves Rank 6, he may begin to lead
certain traditional public ceremonies. The ceremonies that can be
led
are to be determined by the player and the GamesMaster together,
based
on the tenets and beliefs of each individual religion. Some
guidelines are provided below.
The priest character cannot, however, lead ceremonies which are
traditionally left to particular ranks of the priesthood. For
instance, some religions have ceremonies which can only be performed
by the High Priest of Priestess of the priesthood. The nature of any
such ceremonies is dependent on the nature of the deity to whom the
ceremony is dedicated, and should be determined by the GM. Note that
having a comprehensive list of ceremonies is not needed or even
advised. It is quite acceptable that, in a given situation, the
player may ask the GM, "It seems like there should be an applicable
ceremony for my Priest." (This gives the player a chance to really
stick it to the GM. Conversely, it gives the GM a chance to really
make the player character work for their deity and their religion.)
In all cases noted above, the Base Chance for the priest to lead a
public ceremony is equal to [30 + (WPx2) + (KRx3) + (Priest Rank)]%.
[166.10] A priest may attempt to convert other characters and being
to
become followers of their patron deity.
While the majority of individuals have a very strong religious
stance and set of beliefs, one of the true strengths of priests is
their ability to convert others to their religion and to the worship
of their deity. This is not, however, a simple task.
A priest can attempt to convert a number of beings equal to his
[(Priest Rank x 2) + (KR)] at any one time. The attempt to convert a
character or a congregation to another deity's worship takes at least
2 hours (-2 minutes per Rank). The Base Chance of converting a
character to the worship of the priest's deity is equal to [(Priest
Rank x 2) + (KRx3) + (WP of Priest - WP of target) + (Troubador or
Courtesan Rank/2)]%. The GM may add any other modifiers that she
sees
fit, although language might be one of the deciding factors in this
whole endeavour.
[166.11] A priest may bless or curse characters and beings as he sees
fit, but has certain strictures to doing so.
A priest is capable of blessing or cursing individuals and groups
in such fashions as the GamesMaster deems suitable for the deity in
question. Note that the blessing or curse in question can take any
form desired by the priest. Examples might include, "May the God of
War give you righteous bravery to strike at your foes" (which might
result in a bonus to the target's Willpower or Military Scientist
Skill), or "May you be blinded by your greed" (which might result in
the target character going blind, or perhaps being cursed to go blind
when he sees something that he desires). Note that characters
blessed
or cursed by a priest do not receive a Magical Resistance roll to the
effect in question. The only thing which may moderate or mitigate
the
target character's being affected by the blessing or curse is their
Devoutness, and which deities they worship. This moderation of the
severity of the blessing or curse is left as an exercise to the
GamesMaster and her players.
As a general rule, the blessed or cursed being will receive a
bonus
or penalty of (Priest Rank x 2)% to whatever set of circumstances are
affected by the blessing or curse in question. The GamesMaster may
rule that a blessing or curse is not appropriate because of the
manner
in which it is phrased or due to the nature of the deity the
character
worships. Furthermore, each blessing or curse the priest lays on a
target reduces his Knowledge Rank (KR) by 1 point.
[166.12] A priest may call upon his deity for divine inspiration and
guidance.
There are times when a priest will find himself at a loss for
direction in his life, and at these times, the priest may turn to
their deity for guidance. Through some combination of ritual,
prayer,
and sacrifice, the priest may attempt to receive the deity's
attention
in the hopes of Divine Inspiration.
The Base Chance for a priest to receive successful Divine
Inspiration is equal to [(KRx4) + DV)]%. Such an attempt will
require
24 hours (-2 hours per Priest Rank). The GamesMaster should note
that
divine inspiration is often circumspect or even cryptic, and quite
often open to interpretation. Deities tend to have little patience
when those they share their Divine Wisdom with are so obtuse as to
miss its meaning (that is, Divine Inspiration should not be
meaningless, but it can be obscure or subtle).
[166.13] When a priest has great need, he may be able to call upon
his
deity for a Miracle.
A priest may only call upon their deity to perform a Miracle in a
time of great need. This has to be judged by the GM, as Miracles are
not handed out frivolously, and they are not without cost. In
addition, prayers of this sort are not always answered; a typical
response to such questions is usually, "My child, in this may your
faith be tested." The chart below provides some modifiers that will
affect the chance of a Miracle occurring. This being said, the GM
should note that this chart is only a reference, and not a hard and
fast rule.
The Base Chance of a priest receiving a Miracle is 1%. The priest
character may add � his Devoutness (DV) and his Knowledge Rank (KR)
to
this chance of success. A priest attempting a miracle should roll
percentile dice; this die roll may be altered by the following
modifiers:
Situation Modifier
Miracle attempted in this area in the past year -2
Miracle attempted in this area in the past six
months -5
Miracle attempted by this person in the past
year +2
Miracle attempted by this person in the past
six months -2
Area is a high mana area -(Mana x 3)
Area is a Place of Power -4
Area is Magic consecrated ground -10
Area is consecrated to other deity -5
Area is consecrated to own deity +5
High Holy Day of the Power supplicated -5
In a temple devoted to the deity supplicated +5
Supplicant has demonic ties (deals with Demons
often, travels with a Black Magician or
Greater Summoner, has been granted a boon
by a demon, etc.) -15
Supplicant has not been faithful -10
Supplicant has prayed in the last hour +1
Per week the supplicant spends in meditation +2
Supplicant has a selfless request +2
Supplicant has a selfish request -5
For every Rank in Priest Skill +1
Supplicant is on a holy Geas -5
Supplicant is under attack -3
Note that the request for a Miracle is not one that is open to
further discussion. There are no deals or negotiating that take
place
- either the deity grants the Miracle, or doesn't. An unmodified
result of "01" will always succeed. If a "100" or greater is rolled,
something other than the intended deity is contacted; it is up to the
GM to determine the results of this (a demon may appear as if called
by the Call Master Spell (Black Magics, G-14, pg. 62), or perhaps a
rival deity hears and grants a boon to the supplicant's enemies,
etc.).
Assume deities to be masters of all forms of abilities and the
like
that duplicate Magic within their own sphere of influence, and they
are Rank 60 in all Skills. They could cast a spell, heal those in
need, grant divine power to shoot lightning from the supplicant's
head, or do whatever else the GM feels is appropriate to the
situation
at hand and the deity in question. Resistance rolls to the effects
of
abilities used by deities (such as duplicating magical effects) may
either not be allowed at all (for example, in the case where the God
of Winds uses the winds for some feat or effect, or the God of
Thieves
wishes to hide something) or can be made with a -20 penalty (in such
a
case where the GM determines that the deity does something that is
equivalent to a spell with an MA of around 300, about Rank 50 with
the
"spell," and casts for triple or quadruple effect). Perhaps an
avatar
is summoned, with incredulous characteristics (in the 30s or so) and
obscenely high Ranks (Giant Club at Rank 16, for example).
It is important to bear in mind that, unlike other fantasy
roleplaying games where Miracles are commonplace and such terms as
"clerics" are used, Miracles in the DragonQuest RPG are meant to make
people stand in awe, to be awestruck by the effects of the Miracle in
question. While Miracles are not bound by specific rules - the GM
has
complete control over these - they do follow certain forms. For
example, a character who falls off a 150-foot cliff and prays for a
Miracle, lands hard and walks away from it. This is not a Miracle in
the Priest rules offered here; the character landing, and breaking
their bones, and surviving the fall is the Miracle in this case. The
nature of Miracles are left up to the discretion of the GamesMaster,
and the GM should apply a positive or negative modifier to the
Success
Chance, depending on how she feels the Miracle in question "fits"
with
what is being offered here.
It should also be noted that a successful use of the Priest skill
to invoke a Miracle only results in the deity taking a favourable
interest in the immediate concerns of the supplicant; this means that
the deity may require some sort of service or favour from the
supplicant, at the GM's discretion.
[166.14] A priest is able to create or imbue the essence of his deity
into items or objects, and thus create divine items.
A priest is capable, with the aid of his deity, of creating
objects
that are imbued with the spirit or essence of the deity in question.
The items thus created are often referred to as Holy or Unholy items
and objects. A priest could imbue an object with the essence of his
deity, such that it could be a weapon that is effective against
specific forces or targets, to imbue water with the ability to strike
down the Undead or some force aligned opposite to the deity in
question (thus, an Earth deity's priest can create an object that can
do extra damage or protect against the forces of Air), or can even
repel the Undead. Note that the priest does not create the item
itself, but imbues an item with a holiness or unholiness that he
invokes into the item on behalf of his deity.
When a priest attempts to create such a holy or unholy item, the
priest has a Base Chance equal to [(MDx2) + (KRx4)]%. The priest
requires 24 hours (-1 hour per Priest Rank) to create such an item,
although complex items and the like may take longer at the GM's
discretion. The item is treated as having an ability equal to �
(Priest KR) for whatever purpose the item was intended, although a
special success is treated as giving it the full KR, and a grievous
success is treated as giving it the ability at (KR x 1.5). Thus, a
Rank 4 Priest with Knowledge Rank (KR) at 8 who attempts to create
holy water that will damage Undead, will do +4 damage to the Lesser
Undead and +4 damage to the Greater Undead. A sword that is designed
to function against Air-based beings created by a Priest with
Knowledge Rank (KR) 8 would inflict +4 damage to creatures or
entities
of Air.
[166.15] A priest must adhere to a set of guidelines regarding his
behaviour as it pertains to his deity and his religion.
All priests must pray every day to their deity for a period of no
less than � (Knowledge Rank + 1) hours. This time can be broken up
into periods throughout the day, although most religions have set
times when prayers and devotions are conducted. If the priest fails
to do so, see the notes in section 166.3 on Knowledge Ranks. In
addition, the priest will lose all abilities and powers granted by
the
Priest skill, and suffer a penalty of -10% to all Base Chances that
involve the use of their priestly abilities, due to the lack of
divine
support they normally receive when using these abilities.
Priests must also adhere to a strict set of rules that all priests
of their religion must follow; some examples might include chastity
(no sex), celibacy (no marriage), no meat, must never draw blood,
must
pray facing east, must never cut hair, must go bald, must not kill
specific creatures sacred to the deity, cannot speak, must tithe
wealth to the religion followed (usually some 10%), cannot learn
specific skills (such as Assassins in the case of the followers of
Justice, or perhaps Navigator in the case of devotees of Earth,
although they would be permitted Orienteering skill), must not use
metallic objects, cannot refuse certain requests, cannot lie, etc.
The GamesMaster should devise a set of restrictions for each
character
wishing to learn the Priest skill, based on the specific deity they
choose to worship. Failure to comply with these strictures results
in
the same penalty as if the priest had failed to pray; however, in
these cases, the priest will suffer the penalties for at least a
number of days equal to his (Devoutness - Priest Rank), possibly
longer, depending on the nature of the transgression and the will of
the deity.
Blatant actions against the strictures of the deity may result in
a
loss of Rank in Priest skill and/or Knowledge Rank or even a geas.
[166.16] A priest of a given religion must usually engage in monastic
behaviour for part of a given period of time, usually in years.
As a general rule, priestly orders are somewhat monastic- or
sisterhood- oriented in their nature, and require the priest to take
a
monastic pilgrimage to strengthen their faith, maintain their belief
in the priest's deity, and to rededicate themselves to the deity in
question. However, not all religious orders are monastic or require
this. This should be decided by the GamesMaster and the player,
depending on the nature of the deity and religion in question.
A priest of a monastic order is usually required to spend up to
[30
+ (Priest Rank x 2) + KR] days in a monastic setting, worshipping
their deity and re-dedicating themselves to the deity in question
once
every (KR - 1) years. Some priests spend even more time on these
retreats, simply because they are so spiritually fulfilling.
If a priest fails to spend the amount of necessary time in a
monastic environment, his spiritual beliefs gradually give way to a
more worldly set of values, and the priest loses 5 Ranks in Priest
skill and a corresponding drop of 3 Knowledge Ranks. When the priest
does decide to fulfill his monastic retreat obligations, the priest
must spend an extra (Priest Rank + KR)2 weeks in the monastic worship
and solitude.
[166.17] The social position and status of the priest character has
certain advantages and disadvantages.
A priest is generally revered and respected by the people in the
area in which they live and work (although not always by the
nobility)
within their own culture. In those cases where the GamesMaster feels
it is appropriate, the priest may receive a bonus of (Rankx2)% to his
reaction rolls. Conversely, in cases where the priest is most
unwelcome (for example, a priest of the deity of Justice who is
arbitrating in the Thieves' Guildhall), the priest suffers a penalty
of (Rankx2)% to his reaction rolls. In some cases, the reaction roll
is to be altered even if the priest's identity is a secret - the
priest simply carries an aura of the divine which affects those
around
him.
[166.18] A priest may be called upon by their patron deity to perform
a quest or other similar service.
The deities do not tend to just give their blessings and a portion
of their power to their priests and servants, and usually expect some
service in return. Once per season, the GamesMaster should roll to
determine if the priest's deity calls upon him to perform a service.
The chance of this happening is equal to the character's (Priest
Rank)%. It can be assumed that the deity of the character in
question
has at least Rank (D10+50) with the equivalent of the Geas ability.
If the character is contacted, and even attempts to resist the
service
or geas of the deity (in a manner deemed suitable by the GM, of
course), he will lose all his Ranks with Priest skill (with that
deity, at least). Quests handed down in this fashion are not
necessarily dangerous, but could be tests of faith. The higher the
Rank of the priest, the more likely the geas or quest is to be of a
somewhat perilous nature.
[166.19] A priest must pay [150 + (Rank x 200)] Silver Pennies per
year for the necessary supplies and tools needed for the basic
religious rituals and the like each year.
As a general rule, this would include ceremonial garb, books and
scrolls, minor artifacts (for example, crucifix, staves, amulets,
symbols of the deity), incense and the like.
If the priest fails to pay this yearly cost, the character's Rank
with the skill is reduced by two Ranks below the actual Rank he has
with the skill. If the character does not pay the fees for two
consecutive years, his Priest Rank is permanently reduced by one.
Note the reduction in Priest Rank automatically causes a reduction of
1 to 3 points in Knowledge Rank (KR) that the priest may have.
-----
Copyright (c) 1983, 1984, 1986, 1991, 1992, 2001 John M. Kahane
... Diamond (n.): A lump of coal that made good under pressure.
JohnK
from the Lap of OS/2
johnk-thinkpad@comnet.ca
http://www.comnet.ca/~jkahane