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RollynT.Glal
2012-01-24, 11:11 PM
Piety System
Due to the ever present possibility that a deity may be jockeying for an expansion to their power, there is also the possibility that a deity may give those who revere them a bit of divine favor to help progress their agendas. The piety system is a measure of that favor and explains how you may use that favor to your advantage.

Daily Prayer 1-3*
Fasting (per Day) 1-4
Confession or Penance 1-3
Daily Mass (Attending) 1 (Participating or Leading) 2
High Mass (Attending) 2 (Participating) 3 (Leading) 5
Feast Mass (Participating or Leading) 2
Service 1-5
Sacrifice 1-5
Quest 1-10

The numbers are the points used to "buy" the benefits of the piety system. Before I describe those I believe it will be more appropriate to explain how the points are earned. No item on the list is guaranteed to actually work. The system is designed to grant you above average abilities and of course require above average favor from your deity. Therefore everything on the list actually has the "or 0" option.
Daily Prayer*: Prayer is an attempt to speak to the deity. Prayer must last at least 1 hour and may last longer depending on ritual or mantra. Longer prayer does not always associate with more favor.
Fasting: Giving up food and drink in reverence to your deity. Each day you fast can earn you favor from your deity but if you fast more than 5 days in one 10 day period you take a -1 penalty to Str checks, attack rolls and damage. You cannot fast more than 3 days in a row; else you earn the same penalty.
Confession or Penance: This consists of telling of your transgressions and repenting or receiving punishment for said transgressions. Some deities hold humility to be a virtue and may give larger favor to confessors.
Daily Mass: Daily Mass is a 1 hour ceremony in reverence to the deity in a area dedicated to worship. Leaders of mass gain more favor though it is usually because they are more attuned to their deity's will than attendees.
High Mass: High Mass is performed on the deities chosen day, at their chosen time, for an amount of time that usually ranges from 2 to 4 hours. High Mass is usually better attended than daily mass and with such a focus of the deity's focus the rewards of divine rite are found to be more plentiful.
Feast Mass: Feast Mass is performed at a feast in honor of the deity or a servant of that deity. Churches use feast mass to build renown and influence. The feast acts as daily mass but is performed in public with many who do not readily revere the deity in attendance.
Service: The church or divine inspiration can call a person to do acts of service in the deity's name. The deity often rewards those who perform great acts that expand the faith and agenda of the deity.
Sacrifice: While many evil deities reward performers of the sacrifice of intelligent creatures, many neutral and good deities only require sacrifices of wealth or goods.
Quest: The church or divine inspiration can call a person to do acts of service in the deity's name. The deity often rewards those who perform great acts that expand the faith and agenda of the deity. Quests usually entail much more than service does, and the deity gains much more because of its success. Sometimes quests of seemingly little importance gain unequaled favor.

*Daily Prayer is still required by divine spellcaster to gain your daily spells, failure to pray results in loss of that day's spells.

Rewards:
Learn a Common Spell
1st - 4th level.......................1 point
5th - 7th level.......................2 points
8th - 9th level.......................3 points
Learn an Uncommon Divine Spell
1st - 4th level......................2 points
5th - 7th level......................3 points
8th - 9th level......................4 points
Learn an Arcane Spell
1st - 3rd level.....................2 points
4th - 5th level.....................3 points
6th -7th level......................4 points
8th level.............................5 points
9th level.............................6 points
Metamagic
Empower..........................2 points
Enlarge..............................1 point
Extend...............................1 point
Heighten............................X point(s) (X = Level Heightened)
Maximize...........................3 points
Quicken............................4 points
Silent.................................1 point
Divine Favors
Ignore XP Component.......4 points
Increased Caster Level......2X points (X = Caster Level Increase)
Divine Assistance...............6 points
Deific Assistance................15 points

To learn a spell your Effective Caster Level must be equal to or greater then the Caster level needed to normally cast the spell. If you have levels in a spellcasting class you may use that caster level to learn spells.
Common Spell: A spell that is directly associated with the deity. These spells are freely gained by clerics of the chosen deity. ECL = Character level.
Uncommon Spell: A divine spell that is not directly associated with the deity. The divine power that grants the power is not precisely syncronized to the workings of the spell. ECL = Character level -2.
Arcane Spell: Divine power can be heavily manipulated to create the effects of an arcane spell. Because the process is ineffective it takes much more energy to emulate even low powered spells.
ECL = ½ Character level.
Metamagic: For one day you are treated as having the chosen metamagic feat available for your use. The Metamagic rules are subject to regular rules for your chosen spellcasting class.
Increased Caster Level: For one day you are treated as having an increased caster level.
Divine Assistance: The massive amount of favor a person has gained in order to barter for divine assistance is not wasted. Tales are told of angels leading holy wars, or mighty dragons bending to the will of powerful high priests.
Deific Assistance: Whispered stories of the gods walking the lands are often told after curfew at monasteries across Valfein. Some stories are mere legend but others describe actual events that may have been the result of a prayer made by a pious follower.


There's the system Playgrounders. The idea is to reward characters who go out of their way to revere their deity. Its also sort of a you need favor to get favor system, so I don't plan on just handing out points unless the players do something massive to assist their deity first.
If there are (There are) any ways of gaining favor I've overlooked or rewards that could be added (I know what's currently available isn't mundane class friendly), feel free to post your ideas, all feedback would be appreciated!