Training Table - Religious Devotions

Next up, a very overdue table for religious devotions for the DCC RPG.

While fighters might want to spar with the local guards, scoundrels might want to buy rounds of drinks at the local tavern, and burglars are going to want to burgle, clerics need something to do in the big city.

As I've mentioned before, I have decided to break training up into five tables – Martial Training, Skullduggery, Scholarly Pursuits, Religious Devotions (this blog article), and Practicing Your Profession. 

Rather than spending both money and time like martial training, I've set this chart up to primarily be about time, but it's also about a sanctified location.  You can't do religious devotions as well at a roadside shrine as you can in the Great Cathedral in Toln.  Bonuses to the roll are added if you are a cleric or druid, but there's no reason a religiously devoted Warrior or Thief can't benefit from going to church and visiting the confession booth.

Thoughts, ideas, critiques, stories how this resulted in a Crusade to visit the Silver Throne of the Bright Empire?  Dorp me a note at archadethered@gmail.com 

Religious Devotions

     If a character wishes to devote time to prayer, attending church, or serving their religious community, they may do so as long as there is at least a shrine manned by clergy.

     Religious devotions are available to characters with the following time commitments, adjusting for Luck modifiers, but a Thief or Halfling cannot spend Luck to adjust the roll as it takes place over time and several unrolled checks.

1 hour = roll 1d4 on the table below
1 day = roll 1d6

1 week = roll 1d10
1 month = roll 1d12

Clerics and druids add +1d to their roll
If a temple is available add +1d to their roll
If a cathedral is available add +2d to their roll.
 

1dX

Religious Devotions

0 or less

You Shouldn’t Have Touched That: You break a relic, or sneezed on the priest’s vestments. Suffer a minor curse!

     Curse of Divine Discontent: -1 Luck, roll 1d6 on the Disapproval chart next time the cursed character rolls a natural 1 for anything.  Disapproval effects for spellcasting against non-clerics apply to saving throws.  The curse can be lifted by an atonement rite by a cleric (who know the Blessing spell), or Remove Curse.

1

You Did What? The local priest is offended.  You cannot pray at this religious site until you make amends, with either a DC 12 Personality check and a day spent praying for forgiveness, or a 10 gp donation to the local tithing box.

2

The Gods Are Uncaring: No result, other than spiritual contentment.

3

That Looks Much Nicer: You tend to the temple garden, clean the shrine, or sweep the vestry.  You gain +1 to all social checks with the local community faithful for the next week.

4

Read A Book or Learn From A Local!  If you are willing to spend a further day here and can make a DC 12 Intelligence check at the end of that time, and if successful a permanent +1d boost on a randomly generated occupation (up to a maximum of a fully trained skill check of d20).  You can know the occupation available to learn before deciding

5

Gift From The Community: Someone is impressed with your devotion, and you receive a gift of a relatively common item or service worth up to 10 gp randomly determined (a bottle of fancy wine, some amber prayer beads, an embroidered hood, some incense, a shield painted with your god’s holy symbol, treat you to a sumptuous meal, etc).

6

The Congregation Gathers: You attend a wedding, funeral, baptism, consecration, or similar religious ceremony – you are blessed, gaining +1 to all saving throws, ability, action, skill, or spell checks for the next day.

7

An Offering From the Church: For your devotion, you are gifted with a holy water, silver holy symbol, or something similar.

8

You Have Converted Someone! Your religious teachings have convinced someone to join your church.  If you are a cleric, gain 1 XP, otherwise gain a friend in the community (roll a random occupation for their background).

9

The Prayers Of A Saint: You learn a special hymn, prayer, or devotion to a local saint or divine servant that is the patron of the specific holy place you are visiting – from this point forward, any idol magic checks made here are cast with a +1 bonus.  You cannot receive this bonus for the same location more than once.  If a non-cleric learns this prayer, they can apply the +1 bonus to Personality checks with the local community or Will saves while in the church.

10

The High Mass Begins Soon! It happens to be an obscure holy day or the stars have aligned – you may roll again, but if you wish to donate to your church, for every 20 gp given you gain a +1 to the Religious Devotion roll, up to a maximum of +5.

11

You Have Achieved Enlightenment: Gain +1 XP if you are a cleric, otherwise you are gifted a blessed holy symbol that grants +2 to all saving throws for the next 1d20+10 days.

12

You Make An Unusual Acquaintance: Someone attending the same ceremony as you is very unusual, and you strike up a conversation that leads to rolling 1d12+10 on the Carousing Chart.

13

Something Strange Was Gifted: After sweeping out the scriptorium, the local priest thanks you by giving you an old scroll they don’t need (roll for a random 1st level cleric spell).

14

You Are Healed! Receive the results of a Restore Vitality spell by rolling 1d10+10 (plus your class level if you are a cleric or druid).

15

The Idol Speaks!  A divine servant of your god manifests in a local statue or idol, and speaks to you – receive the results of a Consult Spirit spell, rolling 1d10+15 for the result.  A natural 1 rolled does not result in disapproval or any other mishap.

16

The Naming Rite: You get to read an obscure book, and learn a Truename of a powerful being.  Roll 1d8: (1) a type III demon, (2) a 16 HD elemental, (3) a lich, (4) a ghost of a departed saint, (5) a dragon, (6) a type III archon of Law, (7) an elder treant, (8) a hound of Tindalos

17

A Special Holy Symbol: The local priest gifts you with a blessed amulet that grants +2 to all saving throws that will last for the next year.

18

At One With The Holy Writings: You gain +1d3 XP, regardless of class.

19

An Ally Of The Church: A local priest is very impressed by your devotion.  Roll 1d3 random 1st level cleric spells that they will cast for you if you ask whenever you visit the church at your request (rolling 1d20+4 for all spell checks).

20

A Pilgrimage Awaits: You receive the knowledge of a holy destination – roll 1d8 and reroll if the destination is not at least 90 miles away: (1) The Great Pit of Ursh, (2) The Standing Stones of Pelnm (3) The Silver Throne of the Bright Empire, (4) Tarnhem’s Maw, (5) The Stone Kings of Wesbaylin, (6) The Death Obelisks, (7) The Altar-Forge of Faragrim the Elder, (8) The Black Tree,  If you return with a token from the pilgrimage destination to this church within the next year, roll 1d20 and if it is over your Luck, gain +1 Luck.

21 or more

You are blessed by your gods.  Gain 1 Luck (up to a maximum of 17).