The Divine Magic Issue

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The Divine Magic Issue

Following the path of the pious is notalways an easy one.

Most other classes do not have the addedburden of pleasing anyone else - fighters,rogues, wizards, sorcerers - these would-beheroes answer to no-one.

The cleric answers ultimately to theircreator, their gilding light, or savour.

And, in exchange for that, the clericreceives blessings in the form of spells andother abilities.

On the other hand, if they stray from therighteous path they may be punished.

Alignment also plays a large part in thecleric s̓ ethos. They follow their deity s̓ (andchurchs̓) teachings and they need to align -at least in part - to that ethos.

In this issue I look at how you can play abetter cleric who not only follows yourdeity s̓ teachings but also grows it.

I also look at where clerics and otherfollowers can go wrong and what theconsequences of misdeeds could be.

Paladins are not forgotten either, with anew look at paladins based on their deity s̓beliefs.

We also look at the religious side ofRiverbend.

Finally, we look inside a temple to the godof magic and we roll the dice to see howyour adventure will kick off.

I hope you enjoy it and get inspired by thecontents within.

And remember, as always, happy gaming!

- Russ from YUMDMhttps://yumdm.com/

https://twitter.com/yum_dm

About MeI have been roleplaying for over 30 yearsand DMing for most of those. I have playedover 50 different roleplaying games, but myfirst love is fantasy - it s̓ like coming home.

Thanks to my Patrons: RollStats, MattKurowski, John, Michael Lawrence Senchuk,Jacob Alexander, ButterflyDefect, J. DavidChrisman, Alex, Korg INC, NOLA Bert,GameCat, Kay Bee, Roll to Save,Widsith Atopos, Brandon Stuart, Lee Boden,Anthony White, Rory Starks, Joseph Hurley,and Steven Bode for making this zine as goodas it is.

Want to join this team and support thezine? I have a Patreon account:https://www.patreon.com/yumdm(New tiers are now available to receive aphysical copy).

© 2021 YUMDM, All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy for personal use. 2

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Contents

Features

4 Creating a PantheonGet your deities in order

7 Holy SymbolsNot all symbols are equal

8 Turning Up The HeatMore to a cleric s̓ turning ability

10 Organized ChaosWhen Faiths Fracture

12 Weapon SpotlightThis month it s̓ the mace.

13 Wayward FollowersPunishments for followers wholose their way

14 Align Your CampaignAnother Look at Alignments

16 PaladinsRethinking the Spiritual Warrior

18 Location, Location,Location!A closer look at Riverbend.

21 Temple of FerastWe look at a magic sanctum

22 Twisted TableStarting Your Adventures

Acknowledgements

ArtCover art: DbaldriArthttps://dbaldriart.wixsite.com/mysite

Art on page 7 & 13: Gary Smith

Art on page 8: Dean Spencer

Art on page 9: Blake Davis

Art on page 10: Hodag

Art on pages 14, 15, 16 & 18: Grey GnomeGames

Filler art by: Greywolf Critter & Axebane

Map on page 19: AlextheMapMakerMap on page 21: Christian Eichhorn

All art ©, used with permission, all rightsreserved.

Featuring art by Daniel F. Walthall, foundat: drivethrurpg.com/product/181517,available under a CC BY 4.0 license:creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

All art ©, used with permission, all rightsreserved.

Unless otherwise mentioned, all articlesare written by myself.

Organized Chaos: When Faiths Fracture byGary Smith


Creating a PantheonGet Your Deities in Order

The daunting task of creating a pantheon ofdeities can overwhelm some GMs. Butnever fear as there are a couple of simpleways to approach this.

Creating Your Own DeitiesAn easy way to create a pantheon of deitiesis to think about your world and list outwhat would be important to those who livein it.

Remembering that older religions maybecome entrenched or disappearcompletely over time.

A small list of these aspects maybe asfollows:

NatureMagicWarAgricultureSafety or HomeLaw or JusticeTravel (Land and Sea)WeatherSeas or OceansElements (Air, Earth,Fire and Water)DeathWealth and Commerce

This list is by no means exhaustive but doeslist out areas where mortal beings may lookto the gods to help them in their dailystruggles, or seek guidance.

The culture, and cultural norms, of thesociety will impact this list as well.

Some cultures may put less emphasis ondeath or war, for example. Therefore thedeities for them may not be as significant.

You can start with as few as twelve majordeities (or even less), which you can easilywrite up a small paragraph on each,assigning domains or spheres as needed.

It s̓ okay to come up with some names and(very) basic ideas about your gods, andthen fill in the blanks a�erwards.

Taking an example from my own campaignworld, Aythia, my initial write up for one ofthe twelve major deities, Arkeris:

Arkeris [ARK-ker-IS] is the god of night,trickery, lies, and illusion. He is the patron godof thieves.

That s̓ all I started with.

As the campaign and the world grows youcan add more to that beginning point,starting with the deities you are going touse within a particular session or a one ofthe PC s̓ deities.

You may need to add some additionalinformation such as domains or spheresthe clerics have access to and a little moreabout the church and their beliefs (seebelow).

Given Arkeris is the deity of thieves andillusions, perhaps the church encouragesillusionists to join them so the Thievesʼ


Guild can use their abilities to their ownadvantage.

A unique thief/illusionist class could becreated as well which is only available tothose characters who worship Arkeris.

As you can see, just by creating thesedeities it adds to the lore of your world andhelps your world building efforts.

Naming Your DeitiesComing up with names for various godsand goddesses can be difficult.

I try to use associated words that couldrepresent the deity.

For example, my god of nature, Gruan,came from the word ʻgrow .̓ I changed it toʻgruʼ and then added the ʻanʼ on the end as itsounded good.

It can be that simple.

Use Existing DeitiesAnother way to grow a pantheon quickly isto use existing deities - either in a fantasyworld or our own real world.

You can do this in two ways:

1. Use the deity “as is” - name anddescription

2. Use the deity and just changetheir name

Both work well and I find that even if youuse an existing deity, over time your

version will diverge from the original prettyquickly.

The next aspect of a pantheon to look at iswhat the cleric s̓ duties are within it. Whatis expected of a cleric (and other followers),and what are some of the day-to-dayactivities they perform.

A Cleric s̓ DutiesWhat should clerics be doing in the nameof their god?

This will depend greatly on the deity youworship, but clerics and paladins should bedoing a little more than just adventuring.

As mentioned above, deities usuallyrepresent various aspects of the world.

These can be nature, magic, war, and manyothers. Below are some activities the clericor other follower of various deities could bedoing in addition to their adventuring orduring any downtime.

NatureFollowers of a nature deity should beactively protecting it. This may meanstopping any excess destruction orpromoting growth and/or expansion of it.

WarFollowers of the deities of war should lookto battles as a way to hone their skills, butnot at the expense of the innocent. Theymay also be called upon to keep warfarefair. As well as be called upon to honour thefallen in battle by holding remembranceservices and erecting holy sites.


MagicDeities of magic like their followers toexpand and grow their own powers but notat the expense of magic itself. Research intonew spells is encouraged, as is the designand manufacture of new magic items.

KnowledgeThe deity could either espouse sharingknowledge or hoarding it. Either way,followers are encouraged to seek out newknowledge and document it, copying textand researching further information.

Travel / ExplorationAlways on the move, the followers of a deityof travel or exploration are always seekingnew adventures and places to visit,spearheading and funding journeys to newdestinations.

Sea/OceanDeities of the seas would expect theirfollowers to make frequent journeys on orin the seas. Protecting the creatures withinthe oceans may also be important. Theywould also fund or help those going onseaforages - from small merchant vessels tolarge vessels sent out to explore new lands.

Holy DaysEach deity would celebrate various days,weeks, and months. These special days forthe deity would be observed by clericseverywhere.

TithingTithing is the act of donating an amount -usually expressed as a percentage of total

income - to the church of the deity youfollow.

This can be between 10-90% of what thefollower earns. Adventurers can end updonating quite a large sum of money totheir church.

Centres of WorshipIf you have a map of your world (or at leasta sense of major places within it) you canplace churches of various deities withinthem and come up with a simple scale from1 to 5 to show how influential the church(and by association, the deity) is in thatlocation.

Affiliated OrdersSome churches have certain organisationsor groups associated with them. Thesecould be an order of knights, a cabal ofsages, or a den of thieves.

By listing one or two of these for each deityyou can not only give more diffientation toyour deities, but also expand yourcampaign world in various ways.

One of these would be to create certainclasses accessible only to the faithful.

Holy SymbolAs shown in the article Holy Symbols in thisissue, you can also create the deities' holysymbols as a way for people to recognisethe various gods in your world.


Holy SymbolsNot all symbols werecreated equal

In my own campaign world each deity hastheir own holy symbol which, when carriedor wielded by a cleric or paladin follower,will give a small benefit befitting the deity.

Something you can use for inspiration inyour own campaign world.

Below is a list of deities and their holysymbols.

ArinixArinix is thegod of luck -both bad andgood. Thepriests carry ablessed coin(can be of anydenomination)

that has a deep gouge on one side,representing bad luck. Once per month thepriest may give this coin as payment, givingthe receiver good or bad luck in the nearfuture (50% chance of each). The coin willreappear on the priest s̓ person within thehour.

ArkerisArkanites, the followers of the god of night,tickery, and illusions carry a mask whichthey can wear. It partially covers their facewhen being used (without any penalties tovision) and can allow the priest to disguisethemselves (as per Disguise Self spell) once

per day. They do not need to wear the maskunless using the disguise ability.

DamusDamus is the god of justice, chivalry, andlaw. His followers usually carry a statue ofthe god himself holding the sword ofjustice. Once per day, while clutching theholy symbol, the character can use it todetect lies in a 30� sphere for 1 minute.

FerastFerast is the god of magic. His followers usea scroll as a holy symbol. This scroll isblessed, is impervious to any damage whileon the cleric s̓ person, and will allow thecleric to cast any orison (cantrip) on thecleric s̓ spell list once per day.

GruanGruanites, the followersof the deity of nature,growth and life, carry aliving, growing piece ofnature. This is usually atree branch (in the formof a staff) which growsnew leaves and is alive.Once per day, it willgrow one berry (as perthe Goodberry spell) oncommand.

KalisvarKalisvar is the god ofbattle, war, and patron to warriors. Clericscarry a warhammer to use as their holysymbol (and weapon). The business end isin the shape of a fist. Once per day, the


cleric can add +1 to hit when using thishammer in battle.

LucindarLucindar, the deity of rebirth, fire, and thesun, carry miniature lanterns on their belt,each with a continuous flame inside. Thisradiates light out to 10� at all times (unlessin magical darkness).

TaliiyaTaliiya is the goddess of winter and thecold. Her priests carry a solid ice shardwhich can never melt. This can keep thefollower without the need for water for onemonth if necessary.

UllarlUllarl is the god of death and loss. Hispriests use a simple black or deep purpledisc of metal. It is cold to the touch and canautomatically detect any undead within 30�by growing warmer.

VaalVaal is the god of revenge, pain andsuffering. Their holy symbol is a whip.They carry one at all times and areproficient with its use.

VenrenVenrenites follow the god of protection, theweak, and defenseless. They carry a shieldas their holy symbol (usually emblazonedwith a gauntlet or helmet). Once per day,the cleric can add +1 to their AC, or givesomeone within 5� +3 AC, for one round.

Turning Up The HeatAdding more effects to acleric s̓ turning ability

Turning is a powerful and useful ability forclerics, but there are really only threeresults: fail, turn, and destroy.

This article looks at an alternative systemfor turning undead by adding to thoseresults, giving clerics more options.

Effects of TurningSeveral effects have been added to theresults of turning as described below. Alleffects last for 1 minute.

Shaken: A shaken character suffers a –2penalty on attack rolls, checks, and savingthrows.

Dazed: Unable to act normally. A dazedcreature can take no actions, but has nopenalty to AC.


Stunned: A stunned creature dropseverything held, canʼt take actions, takes a–2 penalty to AC, and loses any Dexteritybonus to AC.

Held at Bay: The undead do not flee, butthey can also not approach the cleric whoattempted to turn them. If the clericapproaches the undead, the effect isnullified.

Turned: As per normal rules.

Destroyed: As per normal rules.

Turning CheckTo check what maximum hit dice and effectyou can have on undead you need to make aturning check.

Roll D20 + cleric s̓ level + Charisma mod

Turning Undead Table

CheckResult

Most PowerfulUndead Affected

MaximumEffect

0 or lower Cleric level -4 Shaken

1-3 Cleric level -3 Dazed

4-6 Cleric level -2 Stunned

7-9 Cleric level -1 Stunned

10-12 Cleric level Held atbay

13-15 Cleric level +1 Held atbay

16-18 Cleric level +2 Turned

19-21 Cleric level +3 Turned

22+ Cleric level +4 Destroyed

The result is the maximum number of hitdice you can affect. For example, If yourresult was 15 and youʼre a 3rd level cleric,you could affect undead up to 4HD (clericlevel +1).

And you would be able to hold the undeadat bay or any lesser effect.

Turning DamageA�er finding out the maximum HD ofundead you can affect, it is time todetermine the number of undead you canaffect.

Roll 2D6 + cleric s̓ level + Charisma mod

That s̓ how many total hit dice of creaturesyou can affect, keeping in mind you cannotaffect undead above a certain HD.

If there are any HD le� over a�er the initialdamage is dealt, then the cleric can applyone lesser effect on a remaining undead.


Example 1Tenaziir, a 3rd level cleric of Lucindar (CHAmod of +1), encounters 3 ghouls. Hedecides to attempt to turn them.

Holding up his holy symbol he wills thepower of Lucindar on to the beasts.

He rolls his initial turning check and getsan 18 - enough to turn undead up to 5HD.More than enough for these 2HD ghouls.He can also turn them (or any lesser effect).

The player then rolls his turning damage:getting a total of just 10.

This is enough to be able to turn all three ofthe ghouls (who have a total HD of 6).

Example 2Tenaziir, now an 8th level cleric of Lucindar(Charisma mod is now +3), is surprised andsurrounded by four spectres (7HD undead).

The player rolls a total of just 14 for hisTurning Check. High enough to affect thespectres, but unfortunately he can onlyhold them at bay.

He rolls turning damage and gets a total of16. He can hold two at bay, and with 2HDle� over the player decides to apply a lessereffect - stunned - to the third.

Paladins and TurningPaladins add half their level when makingthe turning checks and calculating turningdamage.

Organized ChaosWhen Faiths Fracture

By Gary Smith

Chaos is notonly thecatalyst forchange, butit's alsofundamentalin thecontinuedviability of afaith.

Many willsay that itdoesn't make

any sense to have a faith be chaotic in aRPG.

How could a chaotic faith survive?

This comes down to the ebb and flow ofentropy and its effect on organized religion.

People are a paradox.

We are a social animal that demandshierarchy - we listen to others that are moreauthoritative than ourselves. In many casesall it takes is a symbol to demand ourcompliance, such as a lab coat or auniform.

However, there is a large portion of peoplewho do not comply with the status quo,they upset the balance and tip the scales.


Real World ExampleTo use a real world example, we can look toChristianity as a perfect ebb and flow ofentropy and how it affects religion.

The history of Christianity itself is notwithout its own state of entropy, as even theOrthodox faith, the de facto oldest structureof Christianity, had to claw its way and fightthrough the various factions to becomerecognized as "the one way"...

Only to fall into the same state of declinewith various groups breaking off andforming their own faiths revolved aroundthe same ideas.

Fantasy FaithsFaiths within a fantasy world are generallybizarrely unified.

One could argue that this could be becausean active deity would be able to supplydecrees in a more concrete fashion. But thefallacy of that concept is that deitiesoperate under the same thought structureas mortals: the alignment system.

Considering the concept outlined in thegame's cosmology, deities are as dependentupon worshipers as much as worshipers aredependent upon them.

This power dichotomy allows for a morefree flow exchange of concessions. If adeity is too stringent in their structure, theymay lose worshipers to another deity whowill hold sway with their willingness to beflexible or different ideals altogether.

Since deities require worship as some sortof sustenance, they will view the change ofworship more like a different flavor of food.

This doesn't mean that they won't be willingto accept the previous worship that wasonce afforded to them, but it does meanthat some things will change as splinterfactions form.

But why does it seem like law invariablyturns into chaos only to eventually bereined in again in a strange ebb and flow ofideas and demands?

It's nature, our very own, which comesfrom our need to blaspheme: to controlsomething we were never meant tocontrol... ideas.

To tie this more closely to RPGs, you wantto look at the structure of a chaoticmindset.

Those splintering of ideas do not usuallyhappen en masse. A flec of worshipersbreak off from the ideas of one person andthen it begins to spread amongst others.

Editor: For a fine example of this look toIssue 2 s̓ article on Ullarl: Deity of Death &Loss and the newer Life Faithful faction.

These cults of ideas would invariably startsmall, but it wouldn't be long before thechaos would slowly shi� into neutrality asmore and more people began to adhere tothe ideal structures of the one who startedthe cult, while hanging on to some of theolder customs and beliefs.


Much longer a�er that, when those ideasbecome mainstream; worshippers begin totry to control and codify them into adesignated way of belief and establish aform of hierarchy.

Once this happens ideas become solidifiedinto Canon and thus law is reborn.

Deitific ThoughtWhen you consider a deity, you can neverplace them on the same level as people.The so-called alignment structure is not thesame for them as it is for people becausethey're thought processes are far morepragmatic.

While a deity can have a chaotic alignmentin their own right, they can most definitelyhave a very lawful stable of worshipers, justas a good deity can have worshipers, oreven leaders, or varying alignments.

ApplicationTo make a more believable setting, createfactions within the governing body ofchurches.

Take the time to consider how a specificelement of a god can be twisted into ajuxtaposed position.

Consider how this belief structure iscovering the land and how a splinter cellcan start eroding those foundations andplot the course of its downfall and rebirthinto something new and continue toorganize that chaos.

Weapon SpotlightThis month we look at the mace.

MaceThe mace is an iconic clericalweapon. In older editions,clerics could only use bluntweapons and the mace alwaysseemed the best option.

In our own world, three broadtypes existed: footman's mace,which was shorter; thehorsemans̓ mace, which waslonger for reach; and thetwo-handed mace, which waslonger still.

Mace Table

Weapon Damage Type

Footmans̓ Mace D6* Simple

Horsemans̓ Mace D8* Simple

Two-Handed Mace D10* Martial

There are two broad types of maces: ball orknobbed maces and flanged maces. Thelatter were developed in response toheavier plate armour and were good atcausing more damage to heavily armouredopponents.

* Using my system for weapon versus armourdamage (see article Weapon Vs. Armour in Issue 3),you may give a character with a flanged maceadvantage on damage rolls Vs. plate armour.


Wayward FollowersPunishments for followerswho lose their way

Thanks to two of my patrons, Roll to Save &AlexTheMapMaker, for suggesting this article.

Gods are sometimes fickle beings.

They desire their followers to, well, followtheir teachings and live up to their ideals.

Especially their clerics (and paladins), whothey give spells, blessings, and otherpowers to.

So, what happens when the cleric in theparty is not living up to their beliefs?

Well, the deity may punish them.

A word of warning: this is one area whereDMs need to tread carefully as players maynot realise they are doing anything wrong.

WarningsThe first thing to do is to give a warning.This could be in or out of game, but I find itbetter to be warned in-game. There are acouple of ways you can do this.

DreamsCharacters could receive a dream whilethey sleep, giving them a scene where theircharacter is lacking any powers in a diresituation, trying to tie it to what thefollower did to anger his deity.

I have used dreams before for this exactreason. For both clerics and druids.

ReverieIf the character is an elf, then you couldgive them a vision during their 4-hourmeditation session one night.

If this doesnʼt work, then you may need totry an out-of-game chat.

EffectsIf the follower refuses or ignores thewarnings, then it is time they feel theeffects of their deity s̓ displeasure.

Possible effects will differ from deity todeity and can be linked to their portfolio.The god of death, for example, may ceaseresurrecting the cleric s̓ companions.


Possible Effects:

1. The cleric stops receiving certainspells. If the cleric used a spell ina way that went against thedictates or teachings of thechurch, or used a banned versionof a spell (on a scroll, forexample), then a certain (useful)spell could be withheld

2. If a cleric refuses to use a spell orother ability on someone whowas in need, the cleric may findthat spell withheld.

3. Whole level of spells or all spellsmay be withheld in extremecircumstances

4. Certain powers like turningundead may fail to function,leaving a cleric exposed to adangerous situation

5. Other followers of the samereligion may receive warningsagainst helping the cleric, havingreceived dream visions of theirown

6. The deity may curse the cleric.This curse could take the form ofreduced ability scores, penaltieson saving throws, or losing anitem

Penalties like these should be a last ditchattempt to get the cleric or follower back ontrack and focused on the deity s̓ beliefs.

If you, as GM, continue to have issues witha PC not following the dictates of theirdeity, then an out-of-game discussion maybe needed.

Align Your CampaignAnother Look at Alignments

Alignments are slowly being phased out ofthe game, which is a shame as they canhave a variety of uses.

Newer players to the more recent editionsfind no use with them, but I feel this couldbe due to misunderstanding of whatalignment is, and what it can be used for.

Back in OD&D, there were but threealignments: chaotic, neutral, and lawful.

This is a much simpler version than thenine alignments there are in more modernversions (AD&D onwards).

I like both, and it comes down to the styleof campaign you are running which youimplement.

Alignments in 5e are mostly useless,mechanically speaking, as the new ruleshave stripped out any real mention ofalignment or have any use for them.


Try finding the Know Alignment spell in 5e.

Alignments however, can work in severalways beyond what is in the PHB and DMG.

Organisational AlignmentsOne way you can use alignments in yourcampaign is for groups and organisations.

Use it as a shortcut for organisations likeNations, cults, guilds, NPC parties, etc.

This gives you a quick way to know howthat organisation or group will react.

Once you know this, you can then roleplayany more nuanced individuals later.

For example, you could have a city that islawful good, a militia which is lawfulneutral, a thievesʼ guild which is neutralevil, a group of three witches who arechaotic good and the barbarians outside thecity who are chaotic neutral.

Whenever the PCs encounter a particulargroup you have a quick idea on how to playthem.

The militia may not take kindly to bribes,for example. While the witches will have noreal love of the law or the watch who try toenforce it.

The descriptions of the alignments in 5ePHB are actually pretty concise andwell-written, and will serve our purposeadmirably.

Lawful Good creatures can be counted onto do the right thing as expected by society.

Neutral Good folk do the best they can doto help others according to their needs.

Chaotic Good creatures act as theirconscience directs, with little regard forwhat others expect.

Lawful Neutral individuals act inaccordance with the law, tradition, orpersonal codes.

Neutral is the alignment of those whoprefer to steer clear of moral questions anddonʼt take sides, doing what is best at thetime.

Chaotic Neutral creatures follow theirwhims, holding their personal freedomabove all else.

Lawful Evil creatures methodically takewhat they want, within the limits of a codeof tradition, loyalty, or order.


Neutral Evil is the alignment of those whodo whatever they can get away with,without compassion or qualms.

Chaotic Evil creatures act with arbitraryviolence, spurred by their greed, hatred, orbloodlust.

Using these you can see how the groupsmentioned above could react.

The average citizen in the city is LG and canbe “counted on to do the right thing.”

Meanwhile, the militia, which is lawfulneutral, will “act in accordance with thelaw.”

Members of the thievesʼ guild, which isneutral evil, will “do whatever they can getaway with.”

The witches, who are chaotic good, will “actas their conscience directs” (whether that islawful or not).

Finally, the barbarians outside the city, whoare chaotic neutral, will “follow theirwhims, holding their personal freedomabove all else.”

With very little work you have a fair ideahow each of these groups will respond - atleast initially - to the PCs and their actions.

Individuals can be roleplayed based onthese alignments or something completelydifferent as the GM sees fit.

PaladinsRethinking the SpiritualWarrior

When you imagine a paladin it is o�en inshiny plate armour, sword and shield inhand, with a lo�y sense of their ownimportance.

Well, you can still have the latter andredesign your paladin to fit in more withthe deity they represent.

Unfortunately, we have becomeaccustomed to a one-size fits all mentalitywhen it comes to these holy warriors andthis need not be the case.

A�er all, a paladin is usually dedicated to aparticular aspect of worship as much as acleric is.


It stands to reason, just like a cleric can bebuilt differently, so too can a paladin.

A paladin of a war god would be differentfrom a paladin of the goddess ofagriculture.

Something to also keep in mind is that aparticular deity may not have a paladinorder at all.

Unique TraitsTo gain one of the following traits, apaladin gives up some of their moretraditional traits. This could include beinglimited in their armour selection or theirability to turn undead. In exchange, theygain an additional trait at 1st level.

DeathGranted Power: You turn undead as a clericof your level.

Restriction: You are restricted to wieldingsimple weapons.

HealingGranted Power: You cast healing spells at+1 caster level.


KnowledgeGranted Power: You cast divination spellsat +1 caster level.

Restriction: You are restricted to onlywearing light or medium armour.

LuckGranted Power: You gain the power of goodfortune, which is usable once per day. Thisability allows you to reroll one roll that youhave just made before the DM declares ifthe roll results in success or failure.

Restriction: You lose your ability to turnundead.

MagicGranted Power: Use scrolls, wands, andother devices with spell completion or spelltrigger activation as a wizard. For thepurpose of using a scroll or other magicdevice, you are treated as a wizard.

Restriction: You are restricted to wearingonly light armour.

NatureGranted Power: You can speak with animalsor speak with plants once per day.


ProtectionGranted Power: You can generate aprotective ward as a supernatural ability.Grant someone you touch a resistancebonus equal to your cleric level on his orher next saving throw. The protective wardhas a duration of 1 hour that is usable onceper day.

Restriction: You lose your ability to turnundead.


StrengthGranted Power: You can perform a feat ofstrength as a supernatural ability. You gaina bonus to Strength equal to your clericlevel. The power lasts 1 round, and it isusable once per day.

Restriction: You lose the lay on handsability.

Appearance

It is important for a paladin to not onlyfollow the deity s̓ ideals, but also be a goodrepresentative of the faith.

While a paladin of war may wear the bestplate armour, a paladin of a deity of thievesmay use weapons with more finesse than atwo-handed sword.

While a paladin of the deity of travel, likeDusrin (see Issues 3 & 4 of this zine), wouldlikely wear light armour to not impede theirmovement at all.

What will your next paladin look like?

Location, Location,Location!This month we will take a closer look atRiverbend.

Town of RiverbendRiverbend is a town located along theSnowmelt River, where the road from thesouth meets the river.

Places of InterestRiverbend is known for two things: brandyfloats and a prison. This highlights theeclectic nature of the town.

The town also has a number of temples andshrines to numerous deities.

TemplesThere are three temples within the city.

LucindarThe Temple of the Guiding Light is parttemple, part lighthouse. This multi-purposebuilding sits on the very tip of the centrallandmass where the two rivers combine.The lighthouse is maintained by theresident cleric, Lightbringer Torvald of theChurch of Lucindar (see Personalities ofRiverbend later in this issue). It shines acontinuous light at all times out into theriver to alert boating traffic of the islands.

UllarlLocated on the corner of Market streets andQuay streets, the temple to the deity ofdeath and loss looms large.


Built from ebony stone slabs, it supports alarge holy symbol - a purple disc - on thefront of the building, above the front doors.

The head cleric is a giant of a man calledLoss-Seer Farlkin (Hu M Cleric NG;Growing the church, Ashen skin andwell-kept beard; Somber). He has managedto grow the local congregation andmanages all funeral rites in town andsurrounds, even those of the prisonersfrom the local jail.

FerastThe god of magic has a small church inRiverbend, sitting at the end of South Road,which comes off Eastern Way.

See Temple of Ferast later in this issue.

The head cleric is Magehand FarlinSilverhair, who is also a mage of somepower.

Both temples have a sizable libraryattached to them, featuring tomes andscrolls on local history and events, as wellas more clerical teachings.

ShrinesA couple of shrines exist in Riverbend.

GruanOn the outskirts of town sits a small treestump with ancient runes carved into it.This is a shrine to the deity of nature,Gruan. It has been maintained and servicedby a young woman by the name of Seanna.


DusrinDusrin, the deity of travel and messengers,maintains a small shrine in Riverbend,connected to the local stables, located justoutside the east gate.

A squire, and follower of Dusrin, Ignal ofMyrbridge (Hu M Paladin LG; Ladies man,Tanned and buff; Jaunty), maintains theshrine and tends to the horses the churchhas stabled here.

Cabal of the Celestial StarA long dead, and recently resurrected cult,this shrine is located along one of the mainsewer tunnels under the town.

It was constructed by the druid Wyst (seePersonalities of Riverbend in Issue 4 of thezine) to establish the cult once more. Thecult believed (rightly so) in certain celestialalignments and their ability to bring aboutmagical surges.

The shrine is a stone carving of a celestialstarscape.

Wyst has recently reivogorised the cult andis actively recruiting members from thethievesʼ guild and beyond.

The real motivation for Wyst is to use theupcoming power surge in nature magics todestroy the town of Riverbend and claimthe ruins as his own.

Personalities of Riverbend

Lightbringer Torvald of the Church ofLucindar is a sun-scorched middle-aged

man who has lived his whole life inRiverbend. He relies on outsiders' storiesand tales to keep informed.

Seanna is an orphan who has grown upliving it rough on the streets of Riverbend.She has taken it upon herself to upkeep theshrine to Gruan and can be found there onmost days. She has a talent for calminganimals. She survives by weaving basketsusing reeds from the riverbank, which shesells at the local market.

Ignal of Myrbridge has been sent by hisliege to watch over this shrine aspunishment for a few late nightindiscretions. He resents being here butloves horses so care for them well.

Magehand Farlin Silverhair (Hu F ClericLG; Magical studies, Lithe; Detailed) is thehead cleric of Ferast in Riverbend. Shetakes her role very seriously and o�en takesthe council of Greyhand Malcar (seebelow).

Greyhand Malcar is the towns̓ residentwizard and follower of Ferast. He hastrained many local youngsters in the waysof wizardry. His current apprentice is alightfoot halfling by the name of Sinz.

Sinz (Ha F Wizard LN; Pleasing her master,Long brown hair; Skeptical) is the currentapprentice of Greyhand Malcar. She spendsmost of her time on errands for her masteror hold up in his tower, studying her tomesand cataloguing the mage s̓ newacquisitions.


Temple to FerastA Look Inside a MagicSanctum

Part temple, part meeting hall, the templeto Ferast is built to be a place where greatminds can come together to shareknowledge and discuss topics of the day.

Many mages stop here on their travels.

Run by Magehand Farlin Silverhair, thetemple is open to all who seek knowledgebut she is particularly keen on meetingfellow mages.

There are o�en “round table” discussions atall hours (something the local residentsprotest to), discussing anything from newspells, to the location of certain materialcomponents, to local laws and news.

Shelves of books line the circular wall ofthe temple, creating a mini-library of sorts,which are freely available to mages andalchemists who are part of the church.

You can find D6+1 wizards or alchemistshere at any one time. Roll D12 to determinetheir levels.


Twisted TableStarting Your Adventures

By Tale of the Manticore

Random tables allow the GM to besurprised by the game world along with theplayers. This edition of Twisted Tables is abit different.

If you are bored with starting your PCs in atavern, or slaving in a salt mine, or evensomething lame like as prisoners of a tribeof goblins, check out the ideas that follow.

Most of them require minimal prep, butthey are all deliberately incomplete – youʼllneed to use your own creativity to keepthem going. When you are ready to start anew campaign, simply roll a D8 and consultthe following entries:

1: Gladiators: The party members start outas indentured gladiators in the minorleagues (see Location, Location, Location! inIssue 3). They may know each other or be

strangers. Go through a few small fightsand equip them with better items as theywin.

A�er these combats, they go to a majorevent. Uh oh! The overzealous promoterhas somehow captured a minotaur (orother fearsome, unbeatable beast) andloses control of it during the event. It goeshaywire and, if the PCs are smart enough tostay out of its way, cleaves a path tofreedom that the PCs can easily follow andstart their adventuring lives.

2: Delivery Service: The players begin asemployees of a noble or merchant orfollowers of the Dusrin, the deity of traveland messengers (see Issues 1 & 2). Theydeliver sensitive packages (information,valuables, people, etc) across hostileterritory. They may or may not besomehow bonded by sacred oath, magic orsomething else. Opportunities foradventure occur when a package is lost,(accidentally?) opened, or if the PCs arecaptured.

3: Work for your Supper: The PCs begin atan inn where they have agreed to tradelabour for room and board. A�er a fewhours of carrying heavy sacks of grain tothe basement, a commotion is heard at thetop of the stairs. The inn has been raided bybandits, monsters, or something else!

Will the players hide or help? What s̓behind the attack? Are the innkeepers morethan they appear to be? Perhaps they havetreasure or information… or is theresomething hidden out of sight right there inthe basement?


4: Tomb Raider II: Recently some tombraiders returned to town looking hauntedand badly injured. They quickly sold theirhaul and le� town, never to return. Whatdid they find that was so harrowing? Themerchant who bought their stolen treasurealso has their map. And most importantly,the tomb is only partially explored.

The merchant will hire the party to go backand finish exploring it and will give them acopy of the map for an equal share ofwhatever they find within.

The raiders would not mention what it wasthat made them leave while there were stilltreasures to be found, but they did tell himthat if he were to use the map, he hadbetter bring along a priest…

(See the D8 Dungeon Generator in Issue 1 tohelp generate the tomb.)

5: The Stuff of Dreams: Tell playersupfront that the opening scene is a dream.Any characters that die do not really die.Any XP gained is really gained. Anytreasure found is lost… except for a specialnecklace/ amulet/ ring/ whatever.

When the character who touched it firstwakes up, they are still wearing it! There s̓ aspecial symbol engraved on it. Perhaps alocal (or not so local) scholar could tellthem what it means… Oh, and all of the PCswill quickly discover they all had the samedream. What the heck!?

6: The Suzanne Collins: The PCs are allmembers of a community who fought – andlost – a war with a neighbouring power

many years ago. As punishment, every 7years, (# of PCs) tributes are required to besacrificed in the “Maze of the Horrors”which of course was built by the victoriousneighbouring power to teach their rivals alesson. Our PCs are the unlucky souls whodrew the ʻwinningʼ lottery tickets. They aredelivered, and sealed within.

7: The Bag-Enders: The PCs are hired tosteal something back from a monster ofsome kind. The monster should beoverpowered and wise PCs will not tryfighting it. Each PC has been hired for aspecific and rare skill (class ability, spell,proficiency, language, etc) that will betested at some point in the adventure. Theskills should dictate the adventure design.

8: Stop, Thief!: The PCs are at a marketstall, or at church or a funeral, or somepublic event. Someone bumps into one ofthe PCs and … hey… the gold necklace thattheir father/mother/whoever gave them isgone! The other PCs are friends or goodSamaritans, so when the thief dashes off,the PCs pursue. They are led throughalleyways and then down into a sewersystem, and so begins a ʻdungeonʼ crawlthrough thievesʼ guild territory. This is agood ʻquick startʼ because most of the PCswill not be fully armed and armoured, sothere s̓ no need to waste time shopping.

Allow each PC a weapon, but no armor,plus 2 items they might logically becarrying in the chosen locale. The familyheirloom will be part of the ʻtreasureʼ ifthey succeed in winning it back, so itshould be fairly valuable – possibly evenmagical.


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The Divine Magic Issue