Blessed Even More (GLOG Classes: Clerics)

    The Masked Clerics are the successors to Aeshe the Great Sage, and therefore successors to the g_ds themselves. They travel the world beating back evil and bringing light to strange pagan nations. Their masks are constant symbols of their unshakeable faith and unbreakable vows.

    But why do clerics wear masks? It's a valid question. The non-answer is "if they aren't wearing masks they can't cast spells". But why is that? And why these very specific images? One of the great mysteries of the world, I suppose. Maybe there's somewhere you could go to try and find answers.

Imagine these gentlemen, but not necessarily gentlemen and they're all wearing silly masks. Source: Wikimedia

Glog Class: Masked Cleric

    You are a Cleric Errant, one who wears a holy mask and commands the servants of the g_ds. A brave campaigner against Chaos. Usually.

    Each order of masked clerics has its own set of tenets, which you must follow or face Doom. In exchange for following these tenets, you have access to angels who can be commanded with Mercy Dice. It's very similar to casting spells with Magic Dice, except it's called something different.

    You never fumble when wielding staves or knives, and can wear light armor. Your order may give you other proficiencies.

Skills: 1. Book-Keeping 2. Public Speaking 3. Archaeology

Starting Equipment: A porcelain mask indicating your order (can be remade for 10 gp if lost), robes from the same order, a walking staff (medium), a shortsword or a mace (light) and one other sacramental.

• A: Ordained, Holy Mask, +1 MD
• B: Prayer, +1 MD
• C: Friends with an Angel, +1 MD
• D: Monsignor, +1 MD
  

Perk: If you perform a three-hour ritual, you may direct an angel with one additional MD. This only takes one hour on Hallowed ground.

Drawback: Your power is tied to the oaths of your mask. While wearing it, you must follow the tenets of your order. Breaking the minor tenets while wearing the mask causes an immediate mishap. Breaking your major tenet is an immediate Doom, whether or not you are wearing your mask.

Cantrips

1. You can choose to accompany your angels with the smell of incense, a pleasant yellow glow, the sound of musical chimes or any combination of these.
2. You can tell how long a body has been dead for at a glance. This is less of a supernatural effect and more a necessary part of the job.
3. You can always see angels and other spirits. If you are wearing your mask they can see you as well. In the same way Wizards can detect arcana, you can detect the influence of the supernal, in the form of curses, hatred and the blight of Chaos.

Ordained
    You are a member of a specific social class. People will make assumptions about you and your behavior. They will support you or oppose you based on the mask of your order.

Holy Mask

    Choose the Infant, the Skull, or the Elder. You are a White Mask, Black Mask or Purple Mask Cleric respectively. You are familiar with two angels from your sect's list; one is Hallow and the other is determined by rolling a d8. You may direct these angels by rolling your MD. If you are achieving a victory for the main tenet of your order, roll another MD which is not counted for mishaps or dooms. Up to your level of angels accompany you in your travels. If you are familiar with more (which you immediately are at first level), you can swap them out with an hour of prayerful meditation. You may encounter other angels on your journeys, and they may join you.
    Every morning, decide whether or not to put on your mask. If you do, failing any of the minor tenets of your order leads to an immediate mishap. If you don't, you cannot direct your angels. Taking the mask off before the end of the day leads to a mishap. Putting the mask on later is fine but you won't recover MD until the next morning.

Prayer
    Once per day, unnerved, unbalanced and at the end of your rope, you can beg for a divine favor. You have a 1-in-6 chance of receiving a single MD and an angel which you are expected to command immediately. Your chances go up by 1-in-6 if you have expended all your MD, if you are injured, or if you have been wearing your mask since morning (these stack). G_d doesn't care about spell lists and might send anything.

Friends with an Angel

    Choose an angel you are familiar with; she follows you without counting towards your limit. This is pretty cool and NPCs will react accordingly. When commanding this angel, your MD exhaust only on a 5 or 6.

Monsignor

    Your actions have been recognized by your Church. It is likely you will be canonized upon death. If you are a member of the White Masks, you no longer answer to your superiors, and are given a few initiates (perhaps 2d6) of your own to take under your wing and train.
    If you are a member of the Black Masks, you will be assigned a high-ranking assassin who will follow you around and kill you if you fall to Chaos. They are a fourth-level Sword-Shepherd trained in the Sacerd style.
    If you wear the Purple Mask, your exploits have earned you a following of disciples (perhaps 1d6) who are eager to learn from and argue with you. You could start a monastery if you wanted.

Masks, Tenets, Angels

The White Mask; the Infant

    The White Masks are the largest sect of religious (as in non-secular) clerics. Members of this sect wear black robes and the eponymous white masks which depict the face of an infant, to remind the world of the importance of innocence and humility.

Tenets of the White Mask:

1. Do not, through action or inaction, allow an innocent to come to harm. Ignore all other tenets if they would interfere with this, your most important goal.
2. In all things, obey your superiors in the Church without breaking the first tenet.
3. Do not initiate violence, except when directed by a valid authority.
4. Do not touch or interact with corpses, except as necessary for your clerical duties.
5. Do not touch or carry bladed implements, except as necessary for your clerical duties.

    As a rule of thumb, an "innocent" is anyone with less than 1 HD who isn't trying to fight. Initating violence means to cause initiatives to be rolled, to cast a damaging spell or to make an attack. Rations made from meat are corpses. Arrows are bladed implements. Shovels are bladed implements, but digging a grave is often a necessary clerical duty.

    The first White Mask Cleric was also the first disciple of the Great Sage after His ordeals. Thus, the angels of the White Masks are among the most highly revered. Their clerics are proficient with maces and hammers.

1. Hallow
   R: 30*[dice]' T: a valid square area at most 30*[dice]' to a side, or [dice] corpses D: [dice]*12 hours.
   This must be performed as a ritual.
   A valid area has four solid corners and something to serve as an altar. In a pinch, four piles of rocks and a dead horse will do. If Hallow is consistently applied to an area for fifty days, it is permanently Hallowed.
   Anything cast in a Hallowed area is a ritual. Demons and elfs will not enter without provocation.
   Target corpses will not rise from the dead. They cannot be resurrected by any force weaker than your Hallow.
2. Heal
   R: Touch T: an injured person D: immediate.
   The target is healed for [sum] HP. If you invest more [dice] you can choose to forego the healing for a different benefit:
   If two [dice] are invested, this is a Lesser Restore, which can close a flesh wound or knit a broken bone.
   If three [dice] are invested, this is a Restoration, which can reform mangled body parts or cure a disease.
   Four [dice] invested result in a Greater Restore which can reattach a recently-severed limb or regrow fingers and toes.
   Casting with five [dice] makes this a Miracle, which can regrow essential organs or missing limbs, and can cure any number of diseases.
3. Turn
   R: 20*[dice]' T: [sum] enemies of fewer than [dice] HD D: up to [dice] hours.
   Targets within range are compelled to flee your presence. Intelligent creatures get a save to resist; unintelligent undead do not. Intelligent creatures are also smart enough to take potshots at the cleric from beyond the range. If you take any damage the Turning immediately ends.
   If you invest three [dice] or more, obliterate [dice] undead within range, starting from the weakest.
4. Hold
   R: 30' T: a door, rope, creature or other movable thing. D: [sum] rounds.
   The target is grappled (or held in place) by an angel. The angel is as strong as an adult human with 12 + ([dice]*3) Strength, a good grip, and a firm place to stand.
5. Kindle
   R: reach T: a creature or object struck by your weapon D: instant
   Make an attack against the target with +[dice] to-hit. If the attack hits, target takes an additional [sum] points of fire damage without a save. Inanimate objects are hit automatically.
6. Bless
   R: 50*[dice]' T: [sum] creatures within range D: [dice] hours
   Scream, pray and prophesy as loud as you can while holding your hands above your head. If you have a staff or a sword you should be holding it. While you are doing this all targets within range get a [dice] bonus to every d20 roll they make.
   The effect ends immediately if you take damage or if you drop your hands. A CON check every few minutes would be appropriate.
7. Haircloth and Ashes
   R: shouting distance T: an intelligent creature with HD equal to or HIGHER than [dice] D: [dice] rounds
   You make a complex theological argument describing the target's many sins. At the end of the duration, compare the [sum] to the target's HP. If [sum] is higher, the target abandons their worldly life and leaves forever.
   If you take damage while making the argument, the casting fails and your MD are lost. The target is likely to attack you unless of a highly religious bent.
8. Summon Scavengers
   R: 300' T: a point within range D: [dice] hours
   [sum] HD worth of wild animals will swarm the target and attempt to consume it. With one [die], this is mostly insects which will eat unguarded food. With two, this will include rodents and other small vermin, who may attack people in the area. Three [dice] will summon flocks of scavenger birds, and four will summon foxes, raccoons and wild dogs. Stories of powerful clerics summoning 1d100 bears are likely apocryphal.
9. Deluge
   R: [dice] miles T: a circular area centered on you D: [dice] days
   The target area receives heavy rain. If cast with one [die], clouds gather over the course of [least] days, to steadily rain on the target area for the duration. If cast with two, clouds hurry to the area on sudden winds over [least] hours. If cast with three, the clouds are visibly dragged across the sky within [least] minutes. Casting with four [dice] will cause you to vomit out dark storm clouds which form immediately, and the duration is extended to [sum] days.
10. Raise
    You touch a corpse and return it to some form of life.
    If one [die] is invested, this is called Question Dead and must be cast on a corpse dead for fewer than 24 hours. The corpse will answer [sum] yes-or-no questions you ask it. They are under no obligations, but will usually be friendly..
    If two [dice] are invested, this is Speak with Dead and must be cast on a corpse dead for fewer than five days. The corpse returns to life for [sum] rounds and can hold a conversation with you. They are under no obligations, and may attack if hostile (if you receive damage the effects end immediately).
    If three [dice] are invested, this is Raise Dead and must be cast on a corpse dead for less than a month. The corpse returns to life for [sum]*2 hours. They may have suffered some ability-score damage from decay, but otherwise are completely functional.
    If four dice are invested, this is Resurrection and must be cast on a corpse dead for less than a year. The corpse returns to life for [sum] days. Decay is halted, memories are retained, and the spell may be cast again when the duration is up. Life, in some form, continues.
    Five [dice] would make this spell a True Resurrection. In theory this would return someone to true life; in practice the risks are too high to make the casting practical, and it is illegal anyway (what would the Emperor do if someone raised his grandfather from the dead?)

The Black Mask; the Skull

    The Black Masks are the most widespread and adventurous sect. Members of this sect wear white robes and the eponymous black masks depicting a skull, to remind the world of mortality and the surety of Judgment. Their clerics can use medium armor and shields, and are proficient in one-handed guns or swords.

Tenets of the Black Mask:

1. Do not, through action or inaction, allow a guilty person to escape justice. Ignore all other tenets if they would interfere with this, your most important goal.
2. Do not, through spoken or written word, through action or implication, lie. Go out of your way to correct misunderstandings, unless doing so might break the first tenet.
3. Distrust every other cleric and every member of every hierarchy. When in doubt, assume enemy action.
4. Carry no more money, food or equipment than you need. Any wealth you have in excess must be given to the Church.
5. Ignore rules of etiquette. Be brusque and straightforward, and do not make smalltalk.

 As a rule of thumb, to "escape justice" means to be able and willing to repeat whatever crimes got them in trouble in the first place. Punishment is usually at your discretion. If an execution would be wildly inappropriate (and not merely excessive), then they probably don't count as a "guilty person". Wealth donated to the Church counts for carousing XP. "Banal politeness" really depends on the situation.

1. Hallow
   As a White Mask.
2. Heal
3. Turn
4. Kindle
5. Bless
6. Glory
   R: n/a T: self D: [dice] hours
   Your head is lit with a halo of divine radiance. For the duration, you are noticeably more attractive. The halo casts brilliant daylight out to [best]*10', and hirelings and party members get a +[dice] bonus to morale rolls and saves against Fear.
7. Iconoclasm
   R: shouting distance T: a solid object or structure D: instant
   An invisible angel applies sudden sharp force to an inanimate target within range. The strength of this force depends on the number of [dice] you invest; a single [die] is like a blow of a hammer (shattering a household idol or destroying a painting), two [dice] is as effective as two people with tools (knocking over a man-sized idol, smashing open a locked door or chest), three [dice] can do the work of ten men with pulleys and levers (toppling a 20-foot statue, collapsing a wooden building), four [dice] are worth a dozen workmen and a full day (collapsing a stone building, shattering half an acre of woodland). This effect is immediate and must be accompanied with a loud cry.
   
8. Demagogy
   R: n/a T: self D: [dice] minutes
   Your voice is supernaturally amplified. You speak like a crowd of [best]*[dice] men, women and children. Intelligent beings with fewer HD than [dice] must save to disbelieve anything you tell them. Animals will flee. Monsters will be attracted.
   
9. Dispel
   R: touch T: a supernatural object or an area with a magical effect D: instant
   Lightning wreaths your hand. When you touch the target, its magic is undone if weaker than or equal to your Dispel. If stronger, make a save with a penalty equal to the difference in MD or level of caster (depending on the effect). If you fail a save against a more powerful spell, take [dice] damage. Some magical items will be destroyed, others rendered mundane, and some may regain their power as time passes or on certain events.
10. Pillar
    R: 30' T: a cylindrical volume [dice]*5' in radius and [dice]*20' high D: [dice] minutes
    The target volume is filled with a roaring whirlwind for the duration. Unsecured objects will be thrown around, and ranged attacks (made from, directed into or passing through) automatically miss. Flying creatures will take 1d6 damage every round from flying debris.
    On their turn, you may choose to move the the pillar 60' in any direction. The mass of rushing garbage deals [dice] damage to unarmored creatures it passes over, no save.
    

The Purple Mask; the Elder

    Purple Heresy is widespread in the bitter South. Their clerics wear a purple mask which resembles an old man grinning broadly. This imagery is religiously significant in some important way. If you ask what significance it has, the Purple Heretics laugh and call you stupid. Their clerics can use shields and are proficient with rifles.

Tenets of the Purple Masks:

1. Do not, through action or inaction, allow error to be taught. Use fire if necessary. Ignore all other tenets if they would interfere with this, your most important goal.
2. Do not share information with the unworthy or those who would misuse it.
3. Seek out ancient tomes and ruins; do not allow information to be lost or forgotten.
4. Correct those who are under false impressions, unless this would interfere with the second tenet.
5. Accumulate libraries and stores of secret information, unless this would break the third tenet.

    A bishop who preaches (or a book which states) that Aeshe died a martyr is "teaching error", a farmer who thinks disease is spread by miasma is not. Authority to teach is the key element, not the nature of the error. Most PCs are unworthy unless strictly necessary. Remember; it's easy to give away a secret, but taking it back costs blood. Err on the side of caution. Stealing from another cleric's secret archive is bad form, but copying isn't stealing even if they get really mad at you.

1. Hallow
   As a White Mask.
2. Turn
3. Kindle
4. Message
   R: [dice]*5 miles T: a person you know the name of D: immediate
   Sends a message of [sum] words or fewer to a person you know. You can choose to have this happen immediately, or at some point within the next 24 hours. Waking targets perceive the message being shouted at them by many voices. Sleeping targets perceive an angel reading from a scroll in a dream.
   
5. Guide Eyes
   R: [dice]*30' T: [sum] creatures D: [dice] minutes
   Targets save or find their eyes drawn inexorably towards a point or direction you designate. If this is behind them, they may choose between turning around or closing their eyes.
   
6. Ghost Form
   R: 5' T: self D: [dice] minutes
   You create a duplicate of yourself which disappears after taking any damage. Mundane equipment is copied for the duration. At the end of the duration, or when the duplicate is destroyed, its memories return to you. You may, at any time, destroy the duplicate and immediately move to its location.
   
7. Literal Translation
   R: touch T: physical text or images D: [dice] minutes
   Pass your hands over the target as you cast this spell. Words will be reformed in an approximation of their original meaning. You can do this on paintings and sculptures as well, and the angel will do her best to reshape the art in a way that gives you more context. Angels do not necessarily understand complex language, figures of speech, artistic liberties or very subtle symbolism. The target returns to its original form at the end of the duration.
   
8. Deserving Truth
   R: touch T: n/a D: permanent
   You trace burning sigils on a surface, such as a wall or a piece of paper. These sigils deal [sum] damage to humans, beasts, monsters, ghosts, undead, angels, devils or any other creature which can see and understand them. They may save to take [dice] damage instead. Damaging the surface ends the effect.
9. Eye of Eyes
   R: n/a T: a person, place or thing you can name and could pick out of a lineup D: [dice] minutes
   You summon an angel whose eyes you can perceive through at-will. She flies towards the target at one-hundred and twenty miles an hour, then hovers close to it until the duration ends.
   For every MD invested past the first, add one of these effects: sense of hearing, senses of touch and taste and smell, directing the angel to examine the environment, detecting supernal influences, speaking with the angel's voice.
   There are some things in the world you do not want to examine too closely — things like cursed artifacts, the stars, whatever hides behind another cleric's mask. Be careful.
   
10. Nowhere
    R: 5' T: a space seven feet long and three feet wide D: [dice] minutes
    A coffin appears in the target space. It is large enough to contain a person, or 7 slots of inventory space, and disappears at the end of the duration. It is always the same coffin.
    If your coffin is damaged or stolen, you will have to apply for a new one from the angels. And for heaven's sake, don't let it vanish with living things inside!

Mishaps of the Masked Cleric:

1. Sprained soul. Your dice return to your pool only on a result of 1 or 2 for 24 hours. If this is the result of breaking a tenet, instead dice will not return to your pool for 24 hours.
2. Flashpoint. The casting produces a burst of painful holy light. Your angels panic and are blinded for 24 hours, reducing all casting ranges to touch.
3. Hypermobility. Take d6 damage, adding the result to [sum]. If this is the result of breaking a tenet, instead roll a Mishap with every casting for the next 24 hours.
4. The angel leaves in a huff, and cannot be contacted for 24 hours. Other angels will be snippy with you. If this is the result of breaking a tenet, a random angel (besides your Friend) leaves.
5. Ripple effect. All undead within 10 miles are alerted to your location.
6. Bearing overload. Flammable clothing catches. Lose your sense of taste, smell and touch for 24 hours.

Dooms of the Masked Cleric:

1. Your mind breaks and Chaos flows in like molten lead. The cleric is under the control of the DM for one hour. Their new personality exists in the overlap between Dick Dastardly, Pol Pot and a middle-school bully. They are not necessarily hostile towards the party, but they are likely hostile towards the party's goals, and may need to be restrained.
2. The same as the above but the affliction lasts for 24 hours.
3. Permanent loss of control. The cleric flees into the night a depraved wretch whose only delight is carnage and misery. If you were a Monsignor, that "whoosh" you heard was your chance of canonization going flying off.

You can avoid this gruesome fate by truly Resurrecting a great hero, by putting a priest of Chaos to rest, or by recovering a lost page of the Magolg par artenbrar.

Sacramentals

1. Gold-plated Mace. A medium weapon which deals full damage to the undead. Expensive to replace. 1 slot.
2. Bottle of Holy Water. Splash this on an undead for 1d6 damage, or on random people in the street in case they are devils. Three doses. You can make another bottle with blessed salt, an MD and a ritual (blessing the salt is also a ritual but a sack of that stuff lasts a long time). ⅓ slot.
3. Bottle of Blessed Chrism. Can be splashed on undead like holy water, or you can insert a wick and use it like a blessed lamp. In olden days this was a mix of olive oil and balm-of-gilead; now it's just the oil. ⅓ slot.
4. 10 Beeswax Candles. Nice modern wicks. Shed 10' of light for half an hour. 1 slot altogether.
5. 100' of Silk Rope. Very high-quality stuff. 1 slot.
6. Crosier. A T-shaped bronze head on a medium staff. For some reason, angels out in the wild respond well to it. 1 slot.
7. Ribbon. Twenty feet of it, in the color of your choice. Delightful.
8. Bone Shoebuckles. Heavy iron things filled with pieces of saints (not necessarily the bones). Your footprints can be tracked with supernal-sight, and you can kick down weak Wizard Locks (or similar spells) as if they weren't there.
9. Snakeskin Belt. Fashionable. If thrown into a fire, emerges as an immense, fireproof 4 HD viper. It is not loyal or grateful. Its skin can be made into another belt.
10. Blessed Gun. A normal snapchance (2d6 damage, full minute to reload, -1 to-hit every 10' of range), but it has been blessed. Glows faintly in total darkness. 1 slot.
11. Horn of Red Powder. Weaker than black powder; guns loaded with it deal 2 points of damage fewer. Red powder catches even if soaking wet, produces no smoke and explodes almost silently. The muzzle flash is lurid red and much brighter than that of normal powder. Ten doses. 2 slots.
12. Orthodox Holy Book. Contains information about Aeshe, his torture, and what his disciples taught. Hearing this read gives hirelines and party members +1 to morale rolls and saves against Fear. ⅓ slot.
13. Less Orthodox Holy Book. Contains information about Aeshe's death and the early days of the Church. There's a map scrawled over one of the pages. You need a good reason to own something like this. ⅓ slot.
14. Very Irregular Holy Book. Contains speculation about Aeshe, his disciples, and their relation to the g_ds. This might be the last copy in the world. You do not have a good enough reason to own it. ⅓ slot.
15. Calligraphy Set. Pens, brushes, inks, nice paper. Doesn't make you a better writer but it makes you the best writer you can be. 1 slot.
16. A drawing of the face of G_d. You (yes you, the player) have to actually draw this. Whatever you draw is your character's take.
17. Fake Mask. Looks just like another sect's mask. You could have a lot of fun with this (and all of it would be illegal). ⅓ slot.
18. Sacral Mirror. Reflects more than just light. Allows you to see yourself with supernal-sight or to peer around corners. ⅓ slot.
19. PLACE NO BETS. A handsome heavy weapon, with a squared-off blade and a holy symbol on his pommel. Remembers a lot of folklore and likes to tell stories around the campfire. He also likes to cut the heads off of criminals. 2 slots.
20. An oddity. Roll 1d6:
    
    1. A small pair of golden scissors. Their edge never dulls.
    2. A diamond-studded ring in a rococo style. "Eats" fires when you stick your hand in them, and can light kindling with a snap of your fingers.
    3. A ram's horn, polished smooth. Blowing it produces a male chorus singing about the end of the world.
    4. A briar pipe and a few ounces of high-quality tobacco.
    5. A pair of green sunglasses. Canines (including werewolves) are invisible to you while you wear them.
    6. A map to the site of several lost treasures of the Green Heretics. They will pay you 20 gp for it. Their rivals will pay you 30.

Good luck.