Priests
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The priest group encompasses the most pious advocates of a god from a particular mythos. More than mere followers, they intercede and act on behalf of others, seeking to use their powers to advance the beliefs of their mythos.
All priests gain one 6-sided at 1st level. After 1st level, priests gain just 2 hit-points per level.
All priests have certain powers: The ability to cast spells, the strength of arm to defend their beliefs, and special, deity-granted powers to aid them in their calling. While priests are not as fierce in combat as warriors, they are trained to use weaponry in the fight for their cause. They can cast spells, primarily to further their god's aims and protect its adherents. They have few offensive spells, but these are very powerful.
Only priests gain additional spells for having high wisdom scores. All priests have a limited selection of weapons and armour, but the restrictions vary according to the mythos.
Priest spells are divided into 16 categories called spheres of influence. Different types of priests have access to different spheres; no priest can cast spells from every sphere of influence. The 16 spheres of influence are as follows: All, Animal, Astral, Charm, Combat, Creation, Divination, Elemental, Guardian, Healing, Necromantic, Plant, Protection, Summoning, Sun, and Weather.
Priest Experience Levels
| Level | Cleric/Druid |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 1,500 |
| 3 | 3,000 |
| 4 | 6,000 |
| 5 | 13,000 |
| 6 | 27,500 |
| 7 | 55,000 |
| 8 | 110,000 |
| 9 | 225,000 |
| 10 | 450,000 |
| 11 | 675,000 |
| 12 | 900,000 |
| 13 | 1,125,000 |
| 14 | 1,350,000 |
| 15 | 1,575,000 |
| 16 | 1,800,000 |
| 17 | 2,025,000 |
| 18 | 2,250,000 |
| 19 | 2,475,000 |
| 20 | 2,700,000 |
Priest Spell-Slots per Level
| Priest Level |
Spell Level | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 9 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 10 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| 11 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| 12 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 14 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| 15 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| 16 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 17 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 18 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 20 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Priests of Specific Mythoi
If the option is open (and only your DM can decide), you may want your character to adhere to a particular mythos, taking advantage of the detail and colour your DM has provided. If your character follows a particular mythos, expect him to have abilities, spells, and restrictions different from the generic cleric.
Spells Allowed
A priest of a particular mythos is allowed to cast the spells from only a few, related spheres. The priest's deity will have major and minor accesses to certain spheres, and this determines the spells available to the priest. (Each deity's access to spheres is determined by the DM as he creates the pantheon of his world.) The 16 spheres of influence are defined in the following paragraphs.
All refers to spells usable by any priest, regardless of mythos. There are no Powers (deities) of the Sphere of All. This group includes spells the priest needs to perform basic functions.
Animal spells are those that affect or alter creatures. It does not include spells that affect people. Deities of nature and husbandry typically operate in this sphere.
Astral is a small sphere of spells that enable movement or communication between the different planes of existence. The masters of a plane or particularly meddlesome powers often grant spells from this sphere.
Charm spells are those that affect the attitudes and actions of people. Deities of love, beauty, trickery, and art often allow access to this sphere.
Combat spells are those that can be used to directly attack or harm the enemies of the priest or his mythos. These are often granted by deities of war or death.
Creation spells enable the priest to produce something from nothing, often to benefit his followers. This sphere can fill many different roles, from a provider to a trickster.
Divination enables the priest to learn the safest course of action in a particular situation, find a hidden item, or recover long-forgotten information. Deities of wisdom and knowledge typically have access to this sphere.
Elemental spells are all those that affect the four basic elements of creation--earth, air, fire, and water. Nature deities, elemental deities, those representing or protecting various crafts, and the deities of sailors would all draw spells from this sphere.
Guardian spells place magical sentries over an item or person. These spells are more active than protection spells because they create an actual guardian creature of some type. Protective, healing, and trickster deities may all grant spells of this sphere.
Healing spells are those that cure diseases, remove afflictions, or heal wounds. These spells cannot restore life or regrow lost limbs. Healing spells can be reversed to cause injury, but such use is restricted to evil priests. Protective and merciful deities are most likely to grant these spells, while nature deities may have lesser access to them.
Necromantic spells restore to a creature some element of its life-force that has been totally destroyed. It might be life, a limb, or an experience level. These spells in reverse are powerfully destructive, and are used only by extremely evil priests. Deities of life or death are most likely to act in this sphere.
Plant spells affect plants, ranging from simple agriculture (improving crops and the like) to communicating with plant-like creatures. Agricultural and nature Powers grant spells in this sphere.
Protection spells create mystical shields to defend the priest or his charges from evil attacks. War and protective deities are most likely to use these, although one devoted to mercy and kindness might also bestow these spells.
Summoning spells serve to call creatures from other places, or even other dimensions, to the service of the priest. Such service is often against the will of the creature, so casting these spells often involves great risk. Since creatures summoned often cause great harm and destruction, these spells are sometimes bestowed by war or death powers.
Sun spells are those dealing in the basic powers of the solar universe--the purity of light and its counterpart darkness. Sun spells are very common with nature, agricultural, or life-giving powers.
Weather spells enable the priest to manipulate the forces of weather. Such manipulation can be as simple as providing rain to parched fields, or as complex as unbridling the power of a raging tempest. Not surprisingly, these tend to be the province of nature and agricultural powers and appear in the repertoire of sea and ocean powers.
All priests must live by certain tenets and beliefs. These guide the priests' behavior. Clerics generally try to avoid shedding blood and try to aid their community. The nature of the mythos helps define the strictures the priest must follow.
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