Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1993 17:08:10 WET From: SC Lawley (u0e00@seq1.cc.keele.ac.uk) Subject: Orcus.PriesthoodI have recently re-edited my rules for priests of Orcus in the Greyhawk campaign setting, comments, criticisms or suggestions are welcome , flames will just attract a load of abuse :-)
In particular I would be interseted in comments on those that play in the greyhawk setting on how they think the priesthood should/would fit in with others. At the moment hostility is the attitude between Nerull worshippers and Orcus worshippers (the 'true' god of undead). Of course, as a chaotic priesthood attitudes will vary from one high priest to another.
Currantly there are three sites of Orcus worship established in the campaign I am in, one in highport where evil gods are openly worshipped, one in the Bone March (where my character comes from) that is helping stir up the humanoid trouble in that region, and the other is beneath Greyhawk itself run by Aggarat Essiasan (I think thas how you spell it) A priest of Incabulos (which is where My character will be settling down, my character being at the moment a 10th level priest of Orcus).
ORCUS - (Demon Prince Of Undead)
Area Of Control - Undead. Requirements - Wisdom:14, Strength:12, Constitution:10, Chaotic Evil. Weapons Allowed - Club,Mace*,Morningstar,sap,staff. Armour Allowed - Any. Experiance Cost - +5%SPHERES
Major Spheres - All,Combat,Guardian,Healing,Necromantic,Sun(reversed).
Minor Spheres - Divination.
+ Cause Fear, Command, Protection From Good, Sanctuary, Hold
Person, Summon Undead, Bestow Curse, Dispel Magic, Remove
Paralysis, Cloak Of Fear, Dispel Good, Undead Regeneration,
Aerial Servant, Animate Object, Forbiddance, Word Of Recall,
Creeping Doom, Gate (Demons Only), Unlife.
GRANTED POWERS
1) - Command Undead and Turn Paladins as an evil cleric.
2) - Immunity To The Special Abilities Of Undead. The priest is immune to the
special powers and attack forms of undead who have less hit-dice than the
priest's level. The priest is automatically immune to attacks that allow
a saving throw (such as paralysis, charm, fear, stench, etc.) but only
avoids those that do not (such as level drain, strength drain, ghost
aging, etc.) by making a saving throw versus Death Magic. For the
calculating of this resistance against lich paralysis, use the lich's
highest spell casting level rather than hit-dice.
3) - At 10th Level The Priest Can Summon Shadows. This ability functions
exactly like the fifth level wizard spell but does not require a material
componant. The shadows can be summoned once per week but if they do not
kill anything then the priest must first kill an intelligent, living
creature himself before he can again use this power (this means he strikes
the killing blow either by weapon or spell).
RESTRICTIONS
1) - The spell Magical Stone as well as spells that are also in the Animal or
Plant speheres are not granted.
2) - Non-worshippers cannot be raised unless a victim of the same or higher
level is sacrificed (preferably good or a worshipper of an opposed god).
Summon Shadows (Conjuration/Summoning,Necromancy)
Range: 10 Yards. Componants: V,S. Duration: 1 Round + 1Round/Level Casting Time: 5. area Of Effect: 10' Cube. Saving Throw: None.Explanation/description When this spell is cast, the priest conjures up one shadow for every three levels of experience he has attained. These monsters are under the control of the spell caster and attack his enemies on command. The shadows remain until slain, turned or the spell duration expires.
Orcus-Priest spell list
-----------------------
First Level Second level Third Level
----------- ------------ -----------
Bless 1r Aid 5 Animate Dead 1r
Cause Fear 1 Augury 2r Bestow Curse 6
Combine* 1r Chant 2r Continual Darkness 6
Command 1 Defile 1T Cure Blindness/Deafness 1r
Cure Light Wounds 5 Detect Charm 1r Cure Disease 1r
Darkness 4 Find Traps Dispel Magic 6
Detect Evil 1r Hold Person 5 Feign Death 1/2
Detect Magic 1r Know Alignment 1r Glyph Of Warding : Special
Detect Poison 4 Silence 15' Radius 5 Locate Object 1T
Detect Snares & Pits 4 Slow Poison 1 Negative Plane Protection 1r
Invisibility To Undead 4 Spiritual Mace 5 Prayer 6
Protection From Good 4 Summon Undead 1T Remove Paralysis 6
Purify Food And Drink 1r Wyvern Watch 5 Speak With Dead 1T
Sanctuary 4
Fourth Level Fifth Level Sixth Level
---------- ----------- -----------
Cloak Of Fear 6 Atonement 1T Aerial Servant 9
Cure Serious Wounds 7 Cure Critical Wounds 8 Animate Object 9
Focus* 1 day Dispel Good 8 Blade Barrier 9
Neutralise Poison 7 Flame Strike 8 Forbiddance 6r
Uplift* 12 hours Insect Plague 1T Heal 1r
Raise Dead 1r The Black Circle* 6T
Undead Regeneration 5 Word Of Recall 1
Seventh Level
-------------
Creeping Doom 1r Regenerate 3r Symbol 3
Gate 5 (Demons Only) Restoration 3r Unlife 1r
Unholy Word 1 Resurrection 1T
Summon Undead (Conjuration/Necromancy)
Level: 2. Sphere: Necromantic. Range: See Below. Componants: V,S,M. Duration: 1-8 turns + 1 turn/level. Casting Time: 1 Turn. Area of Effect: 100' radius/level. Saving Throw: None.Explanation/description: The nearest 2-12 undead of hit dice equal to or less than the level of the caster and within 100' per level of the priest, must travel to the caller at normal pace. The summoned undead will not be hostile, nor are they under the control of the summoner. They may act as they wish. Once they have arrived at the summoner, the undead may turn around and go back where they came from, attack anyone in their way, talk to the summoner, or perform any other action that seems reasonable to them. Unthinking undead (such as zombies and skeletons) with a purpose immediatly return to their station. Wandering, unthinking undead stay and wait for orders (for which the caster needs to use some form of undead control such as a potion, spell, or granted power) unless there are obvious foes besides the summoner to attack. The summoner must have bone dust that is scattered to the wind during the spell casting.
Undead Regeneration (Necromancy)
Level: 5. Sphere: Necromantic. Range: Touch. Componants: V,S. Duration: Instantaneous. Casting Time: 6. Area of Effect: 1 Undead. Saving Throw: None.Explanation/description: By means of this spell the priest can "heal" an undead, restoring to its unlife a number of hit points equal to 1d6 plus the caster's level. Gaseous and intangible undead can be "touched" by a caster reaching into the space they occupy. The spell prevents normal undead attacks or effects of contact with undead from affecting the caster. The reverse of this spell, Drain Undead, inflicts a like amount of damage. Undead "drain" damage is not gained as healing or extra hit points by the caster. The same protections against undead powers are given to the caster as Undead Regeneration confers. Only undead can be affected by either version of the spell.
Unlife (Necromancy)
Level: 7 Sphere: Necromantic. Range: Touch Componants: V,S,M. Duration: Permanant Casting Time: 1 round. Area Of Effect: Special Saving Throw: None.Explanation/description: This powerful magic enables the caster to create undead from corpses and skeletal remains. Undead take 20 turns (minus the level of the caster) to come to unlife, and upon appearance, will attempt to carry out one task or action stated in he spell-casting (typically, to attack the first creature other than the caster to enter the place where the spell was cast). The created undead is not otherwise under the control of the caster. The caster has a 7% chance per level over 13 of successfully choosing the type of undead created. Otherwise use the following percentile table to determine what sort of undead the carrion is transformed into. Note that the undead created must be of a hit dice equal to or less than the level the corpse had while alive. If the table indicates a type higher than this the remains are animated as the most powerful type of creature they can be, i.e. an undead equal (or as near as possible) to the victim's original level. Normally only a single undead can be created by this spell. Sometimes (2 in 6 chance) two or three may be inadvertantly created if other carrion is within 20' of the casting. Types of extra undead are not selectable by the caster, nor are such extra undead obligated to carry out any task or refrain from attacking the caster, who may not even be aware of their existance.
The reverse of this spell, Go Down, causes a single undead to be reduced to lifeless remains (if non-corporeal it is reduced to dust forever). such remains (not dust) could be reanimated by later magic. The material componants for both forms of the spell are a pinch of dust, a drop of blood, a drop of water, and a fragment of bone.
Level Skeleton (D.M.s of or choice) Caster Zombie Ghoul Ghast Shadow Wight Wraith Mummy Spectre Ghost Vampire Other 14-16 01-12 13-25 26-36 37-48 49-57 58-64 65-71 72-83 84-87 88-93 94-00 17-19 01-10 11-23 24-34 35-46 47-55 55-62 63-69 70-81 82-82 86-91 92-00 20-22 01-08 09-21 22-32 33-44 45-53 54-60 61-67 68-79 80-83 84-89 90-00 23-25 01-06 07-19 20-30 31-42 42-51 52-58 59-65 66-77 78-81 82-89 90-00 26-28 01-04 05-17 18-28 29-40 41-49 50-56 57-63 64-75 76-79 80-89 90-00 29 + 01-02 03-15 16-26 27-38 39-47 48-54 55-61 62-73 74-77 78-89 90-00
The Dark Priesthood
-------------------
The faith of Orcus is not a popular one, nor are its priests numerous. Like
most chaotic evil gods, Orcus is more feared than worshipped but there are
those that relish his power and potential and these become his active priests
and worshippers. The relationships between the various branches of the faith
vary widely, being dependent upon the whims and characters of the church
leaders in a manner typical of a chaotic religion.
As worshippers of the Prince Of Undead, priests of Orcus are extremely morbid. This fascination with death is so strong that they wish to study and examine such things as corpses and undead, often conducting grisly and disgusting experiments. In common with their god they share a strong desire for power and dominance, seeing the benefits they gain from their worship as tools to achieving this end.
They are also morally bankrupt and totally corruptible, and believe everybody else to be similarly motivated and thus are usually quite paranoid. Their desire for power and interest in necromancy is such that many eventually become vampires or liches.
Alongside their great knowlege of undead, priests of Orcus are also familier with the various types of demon, due to them being worshippers of a Demon Prince. Because of their unpredictable, evil nature and attitudes, priests of Orcus are feared and avoided by normal people, who are repulsed by their depravity.
Priestly raiment consists of a long, grey surcoat-like vestment with the cult's symbol (a goat's head with ram's horns) in black on the chest, worn either on its own or (more often) over armour. Altars are of black obsidion and typical temple trappings are skulls, idols, bones and similar devices. Living sacrifices are often part of rituals.
Priesthood Doctrine
-------------------
1) Orcus was the creator of the undead and the creation of undead and spreading
of undeath venerates and pleases Orcus, helping in the consolidation of
his power.
2) Living sacrifices also please Orcus. The souls being thus dedicated to him are gathered by his minions to be turned in to undead that are then used to populate his Abyssal realms.
3) The worshippers of Orcus are exalted ones in his eyes and are rewarded upon (permanent) death with Nabassu (demonic) status.
4) The sect must seek out and destroy those opposed to to Orcus and/or undead, especially those that turn/dispell undead, undead who actively venerate other gods, and former worshippers who have turned their backs upon the faith.
5) The worship of Orcus should be spread as far as possible thereby allowing society to be more to his pleasing.
6) The status of church leaders should be only as great as their power, weakness of any kind should not be rewarded. Those members of society who are weak are to be despised, manipulated and used - personal power is to be striven for.
7) Those demons who are Orcus' servants should be treated with respect by those of lesser power and as equals by those of equal or greater power. Deference, however, should only be granted to greater demons.
8) Chief enemies of the faith are those that serve Demogorgon, Graz'zt or Lolth, those that venerate any devil-kind including Hextor, the followers of the gods St.Cuthbert, Pelor, Pholtus, Heironeous and Nerull, the latter's creation of the drowned ones being an affront to the true god of undead.
9) The priesthood is free (and actively encouraged) to indulge in any manner of personal vice or heinous act.