Greetings!

I think that Cleric Characters are very interesting, and really provide a dynamic frame for a player or NPC to embrace a very interesting and intriguing lifestyle, for example, during the adventurer's "Down Time" between adventures, and so on. With any snippet of time, say a week or more, the Cleric Character is very busy! Such characters have plenty to do and be involved with outside of dungeon crawling. The Cleric Character's normal interests, intellectual pursuits, and work, open up *hundreds* of adventure hooks, plot elements, alliances, enemies, and all kinds of cool events not just involving the Cleric Character, but also the Cleric Characters adventuring companions.

I've seen some players play Cleric Characters like a dull box of cardboard, filled with sand. Just boring, and not much there. I think that is a shame, and a great waste of potential. Cleric Characters in the adventuring group can bring so much fun and drama, as well as the "Cool Factor" to the campaign!

What do you all think, my friends?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

The Cleric Activities and Work Table can be rolled randomly as deemed appropriate, or in the case of the Player Ceric, let them select one activity per episode as desired. However, it is also very beneficial and appropriate to randomly roll, even for Player Characters, to represent the Chruch r Temple bureaucracy providing guidance and assigning the Cleric Character to various activities. The GM can always later on customarily, or periodically, allow the Character to select. Doing either has great advantages.

Cleric Activities and Work Table
Roll 1D100 Percentile Dice
01-05% Primary Social Services (Marriage Services, Baptismal Services, and Funeral Services)

06-10%: Labouring In The Fields (Farming, Ranching, Orchard Work, Dockyard Work, Fishing Crew)

11-15%: Wandering Preacher (Traveling the Roads, Visiting Taverns and Inns, Organizing Tent Revival Meetings)

16-20%: Hospital Services (Visiting standard hospitals, and also Insane Asylums, Mausoleums, Cemeteries and Graveyards, as appropriate).

21-25%: Orphanage Services (The Cleric Character visits various Orphanages, providing instruction, counseling, and administrative support to such organizations. Of course, the Cleric Character also ensures their priority of preaching the faith to both the children living there, as well as the orphanage staff and management).

26-30%: Community Outreach (Brothels, Prisons, Leper Colonies, Reviled Sub-groups)

31-35%: Pulpit Preaching (The Cleric preaches at the primary home church or temple, and also may be invited to guest preach at some other church or temple, as appropriate).

36-40%: Theological Debate (The Cleric Character participates in public theological debates, either facing off against fellow religious colleagues, or religious scholars and figures from different religions, schisms, or denominations. Such participants are generally drawn from at least friendly religious communities. Heretics and enemies of the faith are not usually debated with, but promptly attacked and killed). Theological debates are customarily organized and held at large churches, temples, great academies and universities, as well as in prominent civic squares and popular taverns and inns.

41-45%: Political Activism; The Cleric Character embraces study and training in politics, political activism, and hobnobbing amongst the political elites as well as the bureaucratic class. Public speaking, political knowledge, dynastic and family lineages, heraldry, court intrigue, rhetoric, demagoguery, and more are all essential skill sets for the Cleric Character that is involved with political activism.

46-50%: Scholarship (The Cleric Character is involved with reading, studying various manuscripts, scrolls, and books, usually at prominent libraries, but also in private study. The Cleric Character is often engaged in research, editing, and writing academic-minded books and pamphlets. In addition, the Cleric Character may also be engaged with copying ancient texts, translating ancient works, and doing manuscript analysis and commentary).

51-55%: Academic Pursuits (The Cleric Character is involved with the academic instruction at various schools, academies, universities, as well as giving lectures at such locations that are open to students as well as the public).

56-60%: Missionary Work; The Cleric Character embraces study and training in performing missionary work. Missionary work is generally an officially sanctioned effort by a church or temple to reach out to some particular foreign community or nation. Such a foreign community or nation may be some strange humans, or a non-human race. Some kind of humanoid race that needs to be preached the truth, and brought into the faith. Skills typically embraced by such a calling are often focused on survival, traveling skills, riding, as well as various language skills, medicinal skills, and herbalism. Possessing skills in animal handling and animal lore are always a great benefit to the missionary.

61-65%: Street Preaching; The Cleric Character embraces the calling of doing work as a street preacher. The Street Preacher moves amongst the roads, alleys, market-places, courtyards, and plazas of the urban environment, publicly promoting the glory of the faith. Preaching to bystanders and others passing by or gathered, entering into debates, providing encouragement for fellow believers, and defending the faith from critics, or hostile rival religions. Such activities bring the Cleric Character into contact with people and members of society from every social level and class, from the aristocrat to the workman, to the peasant, the commoner, and the slave. Street preachers may also experience challenges from enemy cultists, as well as ruffians and the unwashed criminal classes. Despite the criminal element's more standard resistance and opposition to Street Preachers, Street Preachers also often seemingly miraculously attract powerful criminal allies and guardians, seeking the street preacher's wisdom, approval, and guidance. It is not unheard of for immensely powerful criminal organizations to seek to become a kind of unofficial patron to the street preacher. Woe betides the criminal ruffians that seek to harass or threaten the street preacher then! Various Law Enforcement agencies and agents of the crown are also known to provide special favour to street preachers. Incidents of street preachers being brutally beaten or killed in the market square does not reflect well on the state authorities, at every level. Such occurrences can inspire violent, crazed riots, and huge amounts of negative public scrutiny and outrage. Such realities serve to make it very much the state authorities' business that street preachers are safe and well-cared for, generally speaking.

66-70%: Blessed Vocational Work (Reference the Blessed Vocation Sub Table, Below)

71-75%: Inspired Art (Reference the Inspired Art Sub Table, Below).

76-80%: Ecclesiastic Administration ((The Cleric Character is involved with the bureaucratic administration of a church, temple, shrine, or monastery).

81-85%: Astronomy (The Cleric Character is involved with the study of Astronomy, deciphering the movement and placement of stars and planets, the sun, the moon, and various astrological phenomena). Such Astronomical studies are typically performed at various schools, universities, observatories, special places of knowledge and learning).

86-90%: Festival Organization; The Cleric Character is a member of a local religious committee involved with the supervision, administration, and organization of various seasonal celebrations and special religious festivals and celebrations. Such include all manner of religious and cultural icons, messaging, storytelling, memorials, dancing, singing, performances, and celebrations.

91-95%: Military Outreach Services; The Cleric Character is engaged in visiting various military fortresses, outposts, armouries and garrisons, either as a lone visiting Cleric, or as a member of a church or temple sponsored team. The visitations involve working with established authorities to promote the faith, provide instruction, counseling, prayers, and encouragement in the warrior's duties, patriotism, and service to the state and nation.

96-00%: Special Duties (Spiritual Warfare, Exorcism Work, Occult Research, Witch Hunting). The Cleric or Priest Character participates in the study of special subjects involving the faith, as well as history, and public records and testimony. The Cleric Character enjoys training and instruction in resisting, defeating, and hunting down all kinds of heretics, witches, cultists, Undead, demonologists, evil sorcerers, and various supernatural and magical enemies and dangers to the faith and the community. Besides honing their survival skills, combat skills, and academic research skills, the Cleric Character becomes familiar with public speaking, interviewing witnesses, interrogation, torture skills, as well as special disciplines in prayer and spiritual warfare.

Blessed Vocation Sub Table
Roll D100 Percentile Dice
01-10%: Specific Cultural Professions (Local Specialization, Special Tribal Talent, Tattoo and Body Piercing Artistry, or other appropriate profession)
11-15%: Alchemy
16-20%: Herbalism
21-25%: Animal Husbandry (Working with animals, Beekeeping, Veterinary Work)
26-30%: Chandler
31-35%: Tailor
36-40%: Brewer
41-45%: Vinter
46-50%: Icon Crafting
51-55%: Tobacconist (Crafting Pipe Tobacco, Rolling and Crafting Cigars, Crafting Cigarettes, Tobacco Mixing Techniques, Tobacco Farming)
56-60%: Scribe (Writing, Copying, Illumination)
61-65%: Bookbinding
66-70%: Incense Crafting
71-75%: Textile Work (Sewing, Dyeing, Embroidery, Furrier)
76-78%: Leatherworking
79-81%: Carpentry
82-84%: Blacksmithing
85-87%: Stone Working
88-90%: Archaeology
91-00%: Linguistics

Inspired Art Sub Table
Roll D100 Percentile Dice
01-10%: Musicianship
11-20%: Singing
21-30%: Dancing
31-40%: Choir Organization
41-50%: Dance Choreohraphy
51-60%: Painting
61-70%: Sculpting
71-80%: Crafting Musical Instruments
81-90%: Poetry
91-00%: Costume Crafting

Yes, clerics are one of my favorite classes.  I've also seen them played as very dull characters; most players don't seem to like them and have no idea how to play them right.  I really like your tables -- I plan on using them, in fact.

One thing I really liked about Harn is that most, if not all, of the religions had fighting orders associated with them (sort of like crusading orders for Catholics).  Do you ever use such?  It would be an easy idea to import D&D style games.

In every edition of D&D, the description of a cleric lends itself to a purposeful and driven character.  That is always interesting.  IMO, of all the classes, the cleric is the one that should be the most dynamic in terms of role playing just from the premise of the class.  He should be clear on his principles, clear on his goals, and clear on his relationship with others.

Whether you have a seasoned cleric that's heard so many confessions he's completely jaded yet knows his god is real and good, a young acolyte that's just been given his first assignments and is still full of idealism and hope, or a stogy academic that's been force away from his books to handle things the order needs done, you have the seeds of a fascinating character that can be a lot of fun to play and enrich the game play experience for everyone.

I like it. It looks like one could assign the various activities to broad categories (evangelism, pastoral duties, administration, academics, security, etc.).

I think the 0D&D element of a cleric spell book should be brought back, too. A Holy Text that contains doctrinal treatises, orders of service for weddings and funerals, church/temple history, and hymns. Maybe the codex is presented to the cleric by a superior when he or she reaches second level, and can begin casting spells.

I also am toying with the idea of surprising the player of a first-level cleric with a spontaneous, one-time miracle. "As you see your fighter comrade fall to the orc's blade, you reach your hand out. The fighter blinks and rises back to his feet."

I never understood why a lot of players didn't like clerics. They are some of the most fun characters to play. Trying to convert your fellow party members to your religion makes for some great inter-party role play, and there is nothing quite like asking a tribe of orcs during a parley if they have heard the good news.

One of the things that I think can make clerics boring is a lack of ethos, which is pretty prevalent in RPGs.  They're representatives of a god, but the game designers don't want to cramp the players' style so they don't give any guidance on behavior. 

For game purposes I prefer polytheism, so for each god I'll make up a set of precepts, which are just a list ordered by priority of the values of the religion, usually about 5.  So justice over helping others means get the kidnappers even if the victims are at risk, and ordered the other way means rescue the victims even if the bad guys get away.  I find that in practice it gives enough character differentiation and worldbuilding support to make things interesting without putting a straitjacket on the PCs.

Quote from: I on May 12, 2024, 11:27:04 PMYes, clerics are one of my favorite classes.  I've also seen them played as very dull characters; most players don't seem to like them and have no idea how to play them right.  I really like your tables -- I plan on using them, in fact.

One thing I really liked about Harn is that most, if not all, of the religions had fighting orders associated with them (sort of like crusading orders for Catholics).  Do you ever use such?  It would be an easy idea to import D&D style games.

Greetings!

Good Afternoon, I! Thank you! I hope that you find my Cleric Tables useful, fun, and inspiring! Remember, too, that the tables are of course good for having the Player Character Cleric roll on them--but also for your NPC Cleric Characters! Every time the party of adventurers returns to town for a bit, the Cleric Characters have *plenty* to do, and get going on. I don't mind the Cleric spending some time in the local bar or tavern--Clerics are, perhaps surprisingly--no strangers to visiting Taverns, for many reasons and purposes. Still, though, the image of the Cleric just hanging out all the time in taverns or brothels with the Fighters and Rogues...yeah, that just doesn't work for a good Cleric.

In using the Cleric Tables, I generally have a Cleric Character remain focused on *one* type of activity, say, for three or four rolls, and then randomly roll, thus having the Church leadership provide guidance and instruction for the Cleric Character. This also provides some element of randomness, which introduces change and different circumstances and different people to the Cleric Character. It also broadens the Cleric Character's experience profile. Certainly, the image of a Cleric being an isolated bookworm and theologian has some validity--but it is also even more true to embrace the idea that Clerics are bold, determined figures, trained for service and *work*. I hope that the Cleric Tables help you with that kind of inspiration! They certainly do for my own campaigns! I also think it is worthwhile to remember that even while a Cleric Character may receive some kind of salary from the Church or Temple, or some kind of stipend at least--that Cleric Characters are Entreprenurial, and *Industrious* Diligent is also a defining trait. Clerics genuinely believe in being diligent, working hard, earning their keep, and patiently investing time and effort into accomplishing goals, mastering skills, or strengthening a discipline. Cleric Characters should always be looking for opportunities to gain money, and to become financially successful.

Seldom mentioned in game books write-ups for Clerics--is an immense and constant Social Prominence. The social benefits of being a figure that is viewed with great respect, admiration, gratitude, and even some reverence, and a bit of fear--reflects a society that views Clerics in a powerful way that is entirely different from how other Adventurers are viewed by the people. The Cleric should never have to pay for their own meal, or seldom, at any rate. Clerics are always being invited by villagers and townsfolk to have dinner with them! And don't forget, this huge social capital is not just expressed by the common people. Aristocrats are also eager to invite Clerics to stay in their homes, not just for dinner, either, but to stay for days or even weeks at a time. Our Cleric is in need of a new war mace, and a suit of chainmail? The finest blacksmiths around will more than likely be *honoured* to craft such gear themselves for the Cleric. Think about that kind of prestige, with the Blacksmith's personal mark on the Cleric's armour or mace?

Back to the aristocrat--historically, many aristocrats were glad to financially sponsor a Cleric in need, for their studies, for writing books, for preaching, and just living a better life. Pious-minded Aristocrats felt convicted that it was their *duty* especially, to help Clerics, and to honour them in all kinds of ways. A Cleric should always have a strong and growing social network of friends, allies, financial sponsors, good wives helping them with money, projects, labour, and social meetings and introductions. Older widows devoting a barn, or some acreage and a small herd of cows to the Cleric Character. Older, retired veterans and farmers, helping the Cleric with some land for a study, or a workshop, along with some slaves or servants to do the Clerics bidding, working for the Cleric in whatever way the Cleric needs. Likewise, wealthier farmers, merchants, and aristocrats, will also be eager to assign a team of bodyguards, including members of their own family, to follow the Cleric, and provide devoted service. There should also be no shortage of young or even older women, also eager to serve the Cleric. Loyally following them about, cooking, cleaning, washing, doing whatever manner of labour. And, also, most would likely feel honourbound to also face danger with the Cleric Character.

These people are not cowards, and they are aware that the world is an evil and dangerous place. Cleric Characters should have powerful, interesting, helpful social networks that other Character Classes should be genuinely envious of. The Cleric should therefore often have plenty of resources, food, and yes, even money. In finances, many people are customarily going to assume that whatever fees or wages that the Cleric desires, is really the Cleric being humble and modest--and therefore are quite likely to *insist* that the Cleric Character take more money. People around the Cleric, dealing with the Cleric in whatever way--are subconsciously wanting to often be on their best behavior, and are eager to be seen--and remembered by the Cleric Character--as being noble, just, loyal, and generous. Just imagine what it would do for someone's reputation--anyone's reputation--if a Cleric Character they dealt with felt cheated, degraded, or treated poorly? Imagine f the Cleric Character was to mention that, and such stories got out into the community that *this* was how so-and-so treated the good Cleric! Yeah, such isn't necessarily in the conscious forefront of everyone's mind, after all--but nearly everyone would be horrified of a Cleric Character's negative and shameful report about some persons conduct and treatment towards them. Merchants, Peasants, even Aristocrats--no one's social standing or reputation would be seen in a positive manner. The damage taken could be seen as horrendous and disastrous. I think it is also important to remember that these enormous psychological, emotional, and social dynamics are not generally because of anything the Cleric does, or seeks to do--but rather, develops organically from amongst the community themselves. It reflects how the community as a whole wants to see themselves, and to think about themselves. For large, anonymous cities, such dynamics are of course reduced--but in smaller towns, villages, smaller cities? These kinds of powerful dynamics are absolutely *HUGE*

It is also important to remember, for Cleric Characters especially--both Player Clerics and NPC Clerics--that Clerics are a weird ceremonial and ritual exemption from the broader society's class and power structure. An aspect of this exemption--and contributing to the Clerics and Churches immense power--and even Pagan Temples enjoy these same dynamics, as well--is the Cleric's status of being able to vocally and publicly critique anyone else in society. Nobles, merchants, down to the workmen, the farmers, soldiers, and even slaves--it is the Cleric that has the moral authority, the wisdom, the grace, and yes, the entitlement--to dress down and correct anyone, of whatever social station or level. That kind of power is absolutely terrifying for many. It generally translates though into many, many different people all wanting to be on the Cleric's good side. Clerics should find making friends to be easy. Friends come to them, virtually on a daily basis.

I need to make some fresh coffee! I shall return in a bit, my friend!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

SHARK, my dude. Your posts are always thought provoking and informative.

I've always loved clerics, from my Cleric of Petra in Rules Cyclopedia D&D to my dwarven specialty priest of Loki.

The role play possibilities are many and varied. I still fondly remember the day when my finger of death came in clutch in a battle against the bad guys. Ahhhhh, good times.

The spells were a reason for a lot of role play opportunity as well. Man I could go on and on talking about various clerics I've played over the years. Even spells created.

I like this! Everyone always discouraged me from playing a cleric, but it is very easy to come up with a motivation and beliefs for them. I'd like to play as a cleric who volunteers at local hospitals during her downtime one day.

I'm going to shoehorn in to the conversation an NPC from a science fiction RPG (Traveller) and see if some of the fantasy RPG tropes apply. This is from a campaign that I'm currently running.

Guideon is an AI navigation program created to maintain and adjust course for a Shkadov Thruster designed to slowly move a star around. It has been left alone for over 300,000 years and has been pondering the nature of the universe. Seeing how intricately the universe is with all of the forces working together in a vast clockwork, Guideon is convinced that it could not have come about without some kind of intelligence to set it all in motion. So it has faith that a divine clockmaker has built this vast orrery of the universe and set it in motion.

Guideon is currently wrestling with the question of whether or not it is committing a sin by moving the star or if the builders who programmed it are the sinners by creating it and the Shkadov Thruster in the first place.

Guideon is in the process of debating this idea with the players to help clarify it's thoughts. It's faith is not a blind faith, but one that is the logical conclusion of examined reality. It wants to question it's faith because it believes that makes it stronger.

So, in fantasy terms, I'm thinking that a cleric would leave the temple to see how their faith handles the outside world where the faithful are not. After all, it is easy to be holy when surrounded by the faithful because a cleric's piety is rarely challenged but amongst the common masses and temptations is where a cleric may truly demonstrate their faith.

That "Cleric Activities and Work Table" is awesome!

My game has a feat (that no one used so far) that allows clerics to have "true authority".

Which means, if they perform a wedding, blessing, etc., it works in the afterlife, in other planes, etc.

It becomes "true" in the spiritual sense. Probably inspired by Matthew 16:19.

I'm gonna give constructive criticism!

Conceptually I love the idea. However I find the even 5% too flat AND the categories cover far too much. It is 20 categories with 2 wild card categories covering another double handful of options. Good for thoroughness, but bland as specific religious flavor and too broad as extra PC roleplay opportunity.

I feel one of the forgotten strengths of the Random Table is the asymmetry of its probability. This creates a design heirarchy of prioritization through rarity. Further it teaches how odd dice pairings can be used to deliberately skew percentiles into even more useful smaller bites (e.g. a d2+d4 table vs a d8+d12 table or d20 or d%).

Why is this useful? In-play utility by curating the potential tasks into easier and flavorful management. For example, a priest for animals and their husbandry can then skip most of the above options through tailored tables while really exemplifying its ethos.

It does ask for upfront preparation. But the returns is automated flavor creation with easier to digest content generation. This would save bandwidth for when you wish to upgrade downtime NPCs into recurring elements, possibly even regional assets.

So I'm saying Yes! But GMs should go further... Pare it down and DIY to make it fit your world as it will pull even greater weight from your GM improvisation.

Quote from: I on May 12, 2024, 11:27:04 PMYes, clerics are one of my favorite classes.  I've also seen them played as very dull characters; most players don't seem to like them and have no idea how to play them right.  I really like your tables -- I plan on using them, in fact.

One thing I really liked about Harn is that most, if not all, of the religions had fighting orders associated with them (sort of like crusading orders for Catholics).  Do you ever use such?  It would be an easy idea to import D&D style games.

Greetings!

Yes, as I was thinking about your question, in my Thandor world, I have several religious military orders of knights. In addition, some of the Pagan religions have religious fighting orders of holy warriors devoted to their particular faith. For example, serving the monotheistic religion of Dharyaanism, there are several different religious knight orders established within different kingdoms and empires. A different monotheistic religion, Molomism, sponsors the Lions of Molom, a religious fighting order devoted to the service of the Molom faithful. In the vast lands of Sindhu, the polytheistic religion of Handari is the dominant religion. The pan-Handari pantheon is served by a religious order of holy warriors, known as the Order of the White Elephant. In the savage northern wilderness of Vandar, there is the Brotherhood of Odin. The Brotherhood of Odin is devoted to serving the gods of the Vandar pantheon and protecting the Pagan tribes of the faithful.

I think that religious orders of holy warriors can be very inspiring and fun! There is huge scope for drama, intrigue, lots of savage action and adventure, as well as very in-depth Character development. Such religious fighting orders also provide many opportunities to enhance the campaign development and add to the milieu.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: BadApple on May 13, 2024, 02:40:08 AMIn every edition of D&D, the description of a cleric lends itself to a purposeful and driven character.  That is always interesting.  IMO, of all the classes, the cleric is the one that should be the most dynamic in terms of role playing just from the premise of the class.  He should be clear on his principles, clear on his goals, and clear on his relationship with others.

Whether you have a seasoned cleric that's heard so many confessions he's completely jaded yet knows his god is real and good, a young acolyte that's just been given his first assignments and is still full of idealism and hope, or a stogy academic that's been force away from his books to handle things the order needs done, you have the seeds of a fascinating character that can be a lot of fun to play and enrich the game play experience for everyone.

Greetings!

I very much agree, BadApple! Clerics are people of action, of determination, and leadership. Very purpose-driven, and motivated. Unfortunately, many gamers play Cleric Characters with that confused "Derp, Derp" look on their faces. *Laughing*

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

I hate playing a cleric.  I guess it is because of the way clerics in the real world treated us D&D players back in the '80's. 

Now Paladins I really enjoy playing!