willpell
2012-08-13, 02:49 AM
Just as gods of knowledge and learning may have studious Cloistered clerics (Unearthed Arcana) rather than holy warriors, the gods of love, peace, joy and pleasure have their own devotees, empowered to spread the influence of the church and bring contentment and harmony to the populace...or to keep the people too mired in debauchery to question the deeds of their superiors.
Most celebrants are chaotic or neutral, as they believe in passion and free expression rather than rigorous discipline. Many are very social-minded, but they seldom have a conservative attitude, believing that life should be an ever-changing and energetic thing, not constrained by tradition or obligation.
Hit die: D8 as the standard cleric. While not typically combative, celebrants typically maintain healthy lifestyles, getting a lot of exercise (as well as "exercise"), eating well, and generally treating their body as a masterwork tool for the practice of their personal craft.
Base Attack Bonus: Poor. While recognizing that conflict is sometimes inevitable, celebrants are usually hesitant to inflict pain, injury, or disfiguring scars, and they prefer to use their spells to pacify foes or render them tractable, falling back on weapons only as a last resort.
Class Skills: Add Sense Motive, Gather Information, Knowledge (Local), and Speak Language to the list of class skills for all Celebrants; they are encouraged to reach out to other creatures and establish good relations (to whatever extent they feel comfortable with). Also add Use Rope and Escape Artist; more than a few celebrants have a kinky side, and while they value freedom and don't like restraining the recalcitrant against their will, they like killing them even less. Finally, add Perform; Celebrants often use dance, song or other entertainments as a way of further enlivening the daily routine of those around them. Celebrant clerics gain 4+INTMOD skill points at each level (4x this number at first level), and nearly always devote maximum skill ranks to Diplomacy, Heal, and often some of the gentler Professions.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Celebrant clerics are proficient with the dagger, club, quarterstaff, sap, whip, net, and light and heavy crossbows. They are not proficient with shields or armor (a few wear padding or leather armor, but in general even leather garments they wear are designed to be ornamental rather than protective, and do not count as armor for the purposes of the celebrant's abilities).
Air of Vitality: Devotion to a deity of pleasure, passion, simple contentment, or "the good life" brings either a tranquil serenity or an intense, smolderingly vibrant energy to celebrants; by projecting their benevolent, empowered feelings like an aura, they can fascinate, allure, or overawe those who threaten them. Even a creature which is not capable of being attracted to the celebrant may be intimidated by her seeming physical and interpersonal perfection, cowed by his self-confidence, or otherwise affected by the cleric's personal magnetism. This effect is represented by a bonus to the celebrant's AC, equal to her Charisma bonus, plus an additional +1 for every five celebrant levels. These bonuses apply even to touch attacks (though often very receptive to being touched, the celebrant still draws the line at a Shocking Grasp or a needle dripping with poison). These bonuses do not apply if the cleric is encumbered past light, wears any armor or a shield, or when struck by an attacker of which she is unaware; they DO however apply when she is immobilized or helpless, as even an unconscious celebrant retains such a charismatic presence that her foes may hesitate to harm her (though they may have other uses in mind).
Deity: Most celebrants are associated with Good or Chaotic deities who emphasize the enjoyability of life, although a few lawful-aligned celebrants dedicated to the preservation of beauty or the perfection of the physical form do exist (some of these multiclass to monk in order to further master their bodies), and likewise a few Evil clerics use the Celebrant's preachings as a deceptive tool to manipulate and enslave others (these may dabble in the Beguiler class from Player's Handbook 2 and eventually become Mystic Theurges or similar hybrids both of divine and arcane enchantment). Appropriate Greyhawk deities include Olidammara, Ehlonna, Fharlangn (the Player's Handbook), Lastai, Rao, Chaav, (Book of Exalted Deeds), Geshtai, Liir and Trithereon (Complete Divine); fitting examples in the Forgotten Realms include Sharess, Sune, Tymora and Eilistraee, along with perhaps occasionally Selune, Lathander, Waukeen, or even Uthgar and Chauntea.
For now I'll leave it at this; adding some spells or domains might be fitting, but I don't want to undertake such a big job without some advice from the better-read.
EDIT: Not ready to actually pick spells yet, but here's the framework the Cloistered uses for reference:
0th - +1
1st - +3
2nd - Cat's Grace
3rd - +2, Tongues (reduced from 4th)
4th - +1
6th - +1
7th - +1
9th - +1
It is not certain that the Celebrant will use this exact structure but I will probably eyeball it using this as a starting point. I'm 99% sure Eagle's Splendor Cat's Grace and Tongues are appropriate here, just as Fox's Cunning and Tongues are for the Cloistered; beyond that I'll need to think about it.
Most celebrants are chaotic or neutral, as they believe in passion and free expression rather than rigorous discipline. Many are very social-minded, but they seldom have a conservative attitude, believing that life should be an ever-changing and energetic thing, not constrained by tradition or obligation.
Hit die: D8 as the standard cleric. While not typically combative, celebrants typically maintain healthy lifestyles, getting a lot of exercise (as well as "exercise"), eating well, and generally treating their body as a masterwork tool for the practice of their personal craft.
Base Attack Bonus: Poor. While recognizing that conflict is sometimes inevitable, celebrants are usually hesitant to inflict pain, injury, or disfiguring scars, and they prefer to use their spells to pacify foes or render them tractable, falling back on weapons only as a last resort.
Class Skills: Add Sense Motive, Gather Information, Knowledge (Local), and Speak Language to the list of class skills for all Celebrants; they are encouraged to reach out to other creatures and establish good relations (to whatever extent they feel comfortable with). Also add Use Rope and Escape Artist; more than a few celebrants have a kinky side, and while they value freedom and don't like restraining the recalcitrant against their will, they like killing them even less. Finally, add Perform; Celebrants often use dance, song or other entertainments as a way of further enlivening the daily routine of those around them. Celebrant clerics gain 4+INTMOD skill points at each level (4x this number at first level), and nearly always devote maximum skill ranks to Diplomacy, Heal, and often some of the gentler Professions.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Celebrant clerics are proficient with the dagger, club, quarterstaff, sap, whip, net, and light and heavy crossbows. They are not proficient with shields or armor (a few wear padding or leather armor, but in general even leather garments they wear are designed to be ornamental rather than protective, and do not count as armor for the purposes of the celebrant's abilities).
Air of Vitality: Devotion to a deity of pleasure, passion, simple contentment, or "the good life" brings either a tranquil serenity or an intense, smolderingly vibrant energy to celebrants; by projecting their benevolent, empowered feelings like an aura, they can fascinate, allure, or overawe those who threaten them. Even a creature which is not capable of being attracted to the celebrant may be intimidated by her seeming physical and interpersonal perfection, cowed by his self-confidence, or otherwise affected by the cleric's personal magnetism. This effect is represented by a bonus to the celebrant's AC, equal to her Charisma bonus, plus an additional +1 for every five celebrant levels. These bonuses apply even to touch attacks (though often very receptive to being touched, the celebrant still draws the line at a Shocking Grasp or a needle dripping with poison). These bonuses do not apply if the cleric is encumbered past light, wears any armor or a shield, or when struck by an attacker of which she is unaware; they DO however apply when she is immobilized or helpless, as even an unconscious celebrant retains such a charismatic presence that her foes may hesitate to harm her (though they may have other uses in mind).
Deity: Most celebrants are associated with Good or Chaotic deities who emphasize the enjoyability of life, although a few lawful-aligned celebrants dedicated to the preservation of beauty or the perfection of the physical form do exist (some of these multiclass to monk in order to further master their bodies), and likewise a few Evil clerics use the Celebrant's preachings as a deceptive tool to manipulate and enslave others (these may dabble in the Beguiler class from Player's Handbook 2 and eventually become Mystic Theurges or similar hybrids both of divine and arcane enchantment). Appropriate Greyhawk deities include Olidammara, Ehlonna, Fharlangn (the Player's Handbook), Lastai, Rao, Chaav, (Book of Exalted Deeds), Geshtai, Liir and Trithereon (Complete Divine); fitting examples in the Forgotten Realms include Sharess, Sune, Tymora and Eilistraee, along with perhaps occasionally Selune, Lathander, Waukeen, or even Uthgar and Chauntea.
For now I'll leave it at this; adding some spells or domains might be fitting, but I don't want to undertake such a big job without some advice from the better-read.
EDIT: Not ready to actually pick spells yet, but here's the framework the Cloistered uses for reference:
0th - +1
1st - +3
2nd - Cat's Grace
3rd - +2, Tongues (reduced from 4th)
4th - +1
6th - +1
7th - +1
9th - +1
It is not certain that the Celebrant will use this exact structure but I will probably eyeball it using this as a starting point. I'm 99% sure Eagle's Splendor Cat's Grace and Tongues are appropriate here, just as Fox's Cunning and Tongues are for the Cloistered; beyond that I'll need to think about it.