Wizardry: Clerical Spellcasting

Wizardry: Clerical Spellcasting

Wizardry is my labor of love. However, clerics deserve some love too. A few months ago, I wrote a long post where I divulged my thoughts about clerical magic and even worked out a mechanical framework. However, the framework in question saw some minor changes, and I was told that this long thing looks cumbersome in my setting document, so I moved it here and just replaced it with a link.

-          Clerics purchase their spells as an array of alternative abilities – they do not have Sorcerous Empowerment, Wizardly Study, or any other “base” ability. However, switching between the abilities always requires a full second and a Concentrate maneuver regardless of the underlying advantages. This is balanced by the fact that if the cleric has two or more “slots” bought off, he can maintain multiple instances of the same spell. This is an adaptation of Simultaneous Spells (GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery, p. 8).
-          Access to divinely granted abilities is represented with a power subdivided into domains. Domains are collections of thematically linked divine spells that use the same skill in place of the casting roll – Domain of [Name]. Each Domain is a Hard IQ-based skill that defaults to Theology-5. Domain access can be major or minor. Minor domains allow casting spells up to 20 points; they are marked with “(m)” on the table. All clerics regardless of the domains provided by their patron deities gain access to Domain of Divinity – a collection of universal divine spells. The domains of each deity are listed in the Appendix A: Faiths table. In the GCS clerical spell library, all spells have domain tags, with the universal Domain of Divinity spells tagged as “All.”
-          You are required to take a -10-point disadvantage that will represent a code of conduct of your faith. For a good deity this might be Honesty (12), Sense of Duty (Coreligionists), a major Vow, or something else related to the patron’s dogma. Benevolent deities usually will not cut you off if this would endanger you, but they will suspend your powers should you transgress when the moment is right. Atonement requires a significant deed – a month of fasting, a major quest, a large donation, or equivalent.
    Evil deities usually require such disadvantages as Intolerance or a heinous major Vow (for example, “Sacrifice a living human on the night of the full moon”). As long as you do not transgress, an evil deity usually lets you do as you please, but it will revoke your power instantly should you forget to perform the required deeds. It usually will turn on you, cursing you or making your life difficult in a different way, but getting the favor back should be relatively easy – a single killing or desecration, for example.
    Neutral or uncaring deities provide you with a relative freedom of action, but usually require you to have some principles, such as Code of Honor (Respect nature and oppose those who do not). Should you transgress, it will revoke your power instantly, but you can get back in good standing by completing a minor quest.
-          Use spells from the cleric or wizard spell list from the Wizardry Spell Index, adjusting wizard spells as follows (the GCS clerical spell library has all the spells subdivided by domains with all the adjustments already applied):
    o   Replace Magical, -10% with Divine, -10% for spells or with Divine, +0% for advantages granted by buffs (they do not require the subject to act according to the deity’s code of conduct, but still depend on sanctity).
    o   Add Requires Holy Symbol, -10%.
-          For the purpose of Talent cost, if a deity provides access to more than four major domains, the Talent costs 10 points/level. Anything less makes the Talent cost 5 points/level. For this purpose, every minor domain is considered a half of a major domain.
-          A defaulted Domain Skill cannot be higher than 12. In addition, no Domain Skill can ever exceed Theology + Clerical Talent level. If a spell belongs to multiple domains, then the caster rolls against the higher of those Domain Skills. Improving individual spells as techniques is not allowed.
-          Weak Latency (Divine) perk exists, and clerics are able to combine their powers as per Combining Powers (GURPS Powers, pp. 170-172). Unlike arcane spellcasters, clerics require a full minute of ritual movements and concentration to link up, but they get to roll against the higher of IQ and Religious Ritual to do so. Note that while clerics can combine powers with other appropriate divine spellcasters, non-clerics can only do so if a group contains at least one cleric.
-          When rolling a critical failure on a casting roll, use the “Clerical” Table (GURPS Thaumatology, p. 257), unless channeling powers of an archfiend – in that case use the Diabolic/Horrific Table (GURPS Thaumatology, p. 258).
-          Even if the character hasn't purchased a particular divine spell or ability with character points, he may be able to improvise it by praying to his patron deity. The following requirements must be met:
    o   The spell or ability to be improvised must exist in the setting. The character cannot improvise a spell that doesn't exist. However, he may invent a new spell using the Invention rules (p. B472), if the GM allows that.
    o   The spell or ability to be improvised must belong to one of the deity's domains, and if it belongs to the minor domain, it should have a full cost of no more than 20 points.
    o   The spell or ability to be improvised must not be more expensive than the most expensive divine spell possessed by the character granted by the same deity.
    If the requirements are met, the character may attempt to cast the improvised spell. The spell's properties are modified as follows without changing the spell's point cost:
    o   Fatigue Point cost is increased by 3.
    o   Casting time is multiplied by 10.
    The casting roll takes the following modifiers:
    o   Cost Modifiers: -4 for any spell whose full cost is no more than 25% of the character's most expensive divine spell granted by the same deity; -6 for any spell whose full cost is no more than 50% of it; -8 for any spell whose full cost is no more than 75% of it; or -10 for any spell with a cost up to 100% of the most expensive spell.
    o   Fatigue Modifiers: The character can spend extra FP to offset the cost modifiers listed above. Each FP eliminates a -1 penalty, but cannot provide a net bonus.
    o   Sanctity Modifiers: -5 in a place of low sanctity to your patron deity; +1 in a place of high sanctity to your deity; or +2 in a place of very high sanctity to your deity. In an area with no sanctity to your deity, you cannot cast spells at all.
    o   Repeated Attempts: -1 for every failed improvisation performed by you in the last 24 hours.
    o   Talent: the caster's Talent applies here as a bonus.
    Success means that the spell works once. If the spell is maintainable, then it can be maintained without recasting. Critical success means that there is no FP cost for this spell, including all the extra FP the caster was supposed to spend. Maintaining the spell is not free. Failure means that the spell fails and FP and time spent are wasted. On a critical failure, make a reaction roll for the deity, at -1 per similar failure since the caster last paid penance, sacrificed, etc. A Poor or worse reaction results in the same outcome as violating the power's Pact limitation.