Do you do anything special with cleric's holy symbols in your D&D/OSR games?

Absolutely!

If I haven't defined the religion in depth, I'll have the player describe their cleric's holy symbol. I also include them as treasure, since returning a holy symbol to a temple is usually worth a reward. I want it to be an important aspect of the cleric, aka it's his badge of office, identifying him as a cleric of certain god.

In some campaigns, I've required clerics to cast using their holy symbol to channel their god's power. If without their holy symbol, the casting is more difficult and time consuming. Also, I generally require the holy symbol to be held, thus creating the conduit of body - soul - symbol.

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I didn't even think of holy symbols as magic items until 4e did it. Now I definitely have more options than cheap and expensive holy symbols. There are definitely magical talismans with unique powers, even holy symbols that are true artifacts.

D&D/OSR? No.
The game I'm designing features crucifixes as a weapon type, though.

I liked to play with the idea of symbols and focuses being a personal crafting thing for some, or handed down such items that someone has an affinity to. Especially for druids.

But there were also such items crafted by others that were purchasable. Not everyone has the skillsets to make their own symbol.

And for some I liked the idea that they went out and found the symbol or focus. Or it found them. Perhaps handed off to them by a stranger as they expire.

Alot of interesting ways to get one.

Then theres the question of the users connection to their symbol. How strong is it?
Is it just a tool no different from a hammer?
Is it a personal expression of their dedication?
Is there some spiritual connection with the item?
Or is it some prized possession gained by coin, chance, or fate that the character values having wven when better could be found.

Much akin to the question of how attached to their magic gear a character is.

Yep, I run 4E. Holy symbols are often a key magic item.

No, I just require a cleric to have one in-hand if attempting to turn undead.  Some players will describe their symbol in some detail for RP purposes, but I have no specific mechanics for that.

When I'm doing a homebrew setting (true most of the time), I'll usually do some custom holy symbols for the pertinent gods.  It's seldom that I ascribe any special abilities to the symbols themselves, though.  It's more a flavor thing, though of course having your holy symbol recognized can affect the reactions of NPCs.

Perhaps it is odd, but I'm more likely to do something more elaborate with a holy symbol in a non D&D game.

Quote from: Steven Mitchell;1127775Perhaps it is odd, but I'm more likely to do something more elaborate with a holy symbol in a non D&D game.

Not so odd. When everything is unusual, nothing is unusual. Which is what kitchen sink D&D has become. Why spend GM time elaborating something when it will probably just be lost in the noise of all the other elaborate and special stuff in the setting.

Quote from: Scrivener of Doom;1127741Yep, I run 4E. Holy symbols are often a key magic item.

This.

It's about the only time I have found them interesting enough to bother with as a DM.

In Neverwinter Online the clerics holy symbol (and every other classes main weapon) can be personalized with a few different enchants. Theres also ones that can craft. And quite a few themed to adventures like Ravenloft, Chult, Elemental Evil, etc.

So you could have your holy symbol oozing blood or radiating a fey aura, or various other effects if can get the higher level ones. (And even semi-custom the symbol to look like any old design you happen  like)

I like the idea of some clerics decking out their symbols for added show and effect.

I let the player describe the Holy symbol.  I assist with implementation; but if they want it to look like a cookie with an x in the middle, that's what it is.

Do any of you have monsters who desecrate PC's holy symbols?

I've made an undead rust monster, but its a desecration beast used to defile temples. Instead of turning metal to steel, the defiling beast transforms holy symbols, scrolls, images, etc into blasphemous versions.

Quote from: Spinachcat;1127917Do any of you have monsters who desecrate PC's holy symbols?

I've made an undead rust monster, but its a desecration beast used to defile temples. Instead of turning metal to steel, the defiling beast transforms holy symbols, scrolls, images, etc into blasphemous versions.

This is an awesome idea. An undead rust monster type creature that defiles holy items. God, that sounds like something that should be in an undead heavy megadungeon like Barrowmaze.

Holy symbols are very clerical, and clerics are very Christian. The whole concept is clearly derived from holding up a cross to ward away vampires and such. Switching it to an ankh doesn't do much to change that vibe for me, while making it more abstract ("my holy symbol is a shield with a winged lion") gives it a power-focusy feel to me, a la Harry Potter. I'm not particularly desirous of either atmosphere for my game, so I don't use holy symbols. I have no objection to the protector/healer class casting more freely -- anything that encourages players toward the class is fine with me.

In games where holy symbols were used, my only clarification has been to rule that an item's "holiness" isn't based on the shape or composition, but on the ritual blessings it undergoes during/after being crafted. Making a cross with your fingers isn't going to prevent you from getting drained by that wraith.

I've always used Holy Symbols as type of magic focus (similar to wands in Harry Potter) for priestly characters in D&D. I also include magic versions of them from time to time. They usually work like regular magic amulets, but with the addition of also serving as priestly magic foci.