Priest
Profession, single-classed
A practitioner of Divine Magic wholly devoted to a patron deity and faith. Priests can convert others and turn undead, but must keep the patron's alignment or see their spells falter.
Also called Priestess
From the book
Priests work Divine Magic and give themselves entirely to their patron deity and creed, seeing their deeds as guided by the god and striving to spread its teachings. Now and then they travel with armed companies or adventurers to carry the faith to remote or wild lands, and they may help with or lead campaigns against groups whose ways threaten their church.
Priests and priestesses can hold any alignment, provided it is their patron's, since their magic flows from the deity; any act against that alignment always weakens their casting.
Minor slips can make one to four spells work badly or fail, while graver ones may bring stronger divine action or a penance quest (Game Judge's ruling). Every priest can try to convert listeners, first winning a hearing and then, after an hour, their belief, with modifiers for hostile or friendly audiences; and can drive off undead by commanding them boldly, usually with a holy symbol raised.
Skills by level
- Level 1
- Any Single Weapon
- Read Magic (100%)
- Spell Casting
- Level 3
- Level 5
- Level 7
- Level 9
- Rods, Staves, Wands
- Level 12
At a glance
- Minimum attributes
- INT 12, WILL 12
- Alignment
- Any (as per patron Deity)
- Combat training
- Untrained
- Hit points per level
- 1 H.P. per point of CON, plus 2 H.P. at first level; then +2 H.P. and any CON bonus per level gained; after 12th level, +1 H.P. per level with no CON bonus (optional rule, page 48)
- Special abilities
- Convert: priest and converts must be able to understand each other. The priest comes to them unarmed and unthreatening and makes a save vs Charisma to be well received, at -1 per level of the intended converts if they are hostile, of diametrically opposed alignment or fanatics of another faith, or at +1 per level of the priest if they are peaceful, of similar alignment or lacking strong convictions. Success wins respectful attention; after an hour, a second save vs Charisma (no modifiers) converts them, and they then regard the priest as an authority. Failure means they brand the priest a liar, fraud, false prophet and the like. The ability works once per level of ability against a given individual or group, failures may turn the audience hostile (Game Judge's ruling), and extremely hostile beings or those with WILL 15+ are generally immune. Turn Undead: the priest must be within 100 ft. and boldly order the undead away, usually brandishing a holy symbol or icon; turned undead leave at once and for one hour cannot come closer than 100 ft. to the priest, though powerful undead, or those set on destroying the priest, may trail at a distance until the effect ends. Roll d20 on the TURNING UNDEAD table (appendix).
- Fields of magic
- Divine Magic
- Restrictions
- Must remain true to the patron Deity's alignment at all times; contrary acts always reduce spell casting (minor: 1-4 spells may work poorly or not at all; greater: more serious action or a penance quest, Game Judge's ruling)
- Equipment
- Holy symbol or other icon (usually brandished when turning undead)
- Patron
- Completely devoted to a patron Deity whose alignment (good, neutral or evil) the priest must share; spell casting abilities emanate from the patron
The level 3 skill is printed 'Theolgy' (misprint for Theology). The stat block is headed 'Priests'.