Clerics - Symbols of Worship

[gurgleflep]

First off, thank you for reading this. I've got a couple questions that are cleric related.

Clerics of Moradin get a blue hammer tattooed onto their foreheads if memory serves me right, but do clerics for other deities do things similar to this?
Clerics of Gruumsh would probably put out an eye, Lolth would probably have an amulet or tattoo based off of a spider. What of Corellon, Tempus, Helm and the other well known deities? Lolth and Corellon's daughter, Eilistraee, is one I'd like to know in particular.

Sorry I ask so many questions, I'm a relatively new DM and I need as much help as I can get.

[CaladanMoonblad]

Oh... I've never seen the tattoo on your forehead thing in any material I've read...

Holy Symbol via RAW-

Holy Symbol, Silver or Wooden
A holy symbol focuses positive energy. A cleric or paladin uses it as the focus for his spells and as a tool for turning undead. Each religion has its own holy symbol.

Unholy Symbols
An unholy symbol is like a holy symbol except that it focuses negative energy and is used by evil clerics (or by neutral clerics who want to cast evil spells or command undead).

A wooden holy symbol is 1 gold, and a silver one is 25 gp.

I suppose though, that a really devout cleric might shove wood under their skin, or even silver. /shrugs

There's an uncited claim in the wikipedia entry for Elistraee

Priestesses of Eilistraee have no ceremonial garb; instead, they aim to wear as little as possible during their official ceremonies. When relaxing, they prefer silver, diaphanous gowns. The holy symbols of the faith vary, including: a silver sword pendant the size of a hand, a silver bastard sword outlined against a silver moon with silvery filaments, and a nude long-haired female drow dancing with a silver sword in front of a full moon. These are often worn as a pin or hung around the neck by means of a slender silver or mithril chain.

[gurgleflep]

Oh... I've never seen the tattoo on your forehead thing in any material I've read...

The tattoo thing may have just been something a previous DM of mine did.
Thanks for that tid-bit on Eilistraee, bye the way. It's quite helpful.

[ArcturusV]

Weird. I kinda remember Eilistraee clerics using Hunter's Horns myself. But that might have been just Novel stuff rather than hard rules.

Well, there's the Krynn silliness as I recall, where things were Color Coded for your convenience, and all clerics of Paladine wore white robes/armor (As did Good Wizards), all clerics of Tahkisis wore black robes/armor.

[gurgleflep]

Weird. I kinda remember Eilistraee clerics using Hunter's Horns myself.

I'm sorry, but what are Hunter's Horns?

[ArcturusV]

The idea is you take a horn of an animal, like a cow or something. Hollow it out, cut off the pointy end. You have a horn (instrument) that you can use for signaling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowing_horn

I suppose that's the more proper name for it.

[CaladanMoonblad]

Weird. I kinda remember Eilistraee clerics using Hunter's Horns myself. But that might have been just Novel stuff rather than hard rules.

Well, there's the Krynn silliness as I recall, where things were Color Coded for your convenience, and all clerics of Paladine wore white robes/armor (As did Good Wizards), all clerics of Tahkisis wore black robes/armor.

I remember that too, and thought (when I was a teenager reading the books) that it sure is nice of everyone to color code their alignment... I also thought that "being colorblind in Krynn sure is more dangerous."

I've got the entry on Elistraee from the 3.0 Faerun stuff (I don't have 2nd E material-) for symbols it's all nude elves and silver bastard swords and full moons... but in the text description it says they do a hunt 4x per year "wearing nothing and carrying only a single sword." So perhaps the horns appeared in a previous or later edition?

[gurgleflep]

The idea is you take a horn of an animal, like a cow or something. Hollow it out, cut off the pointy end. You have a horn (instrument) that you can use for signaling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowing_horn

I suppose that's the more proper name for it.

Okay, that's pretty awesome. Makes sense too, after reading her description.

[gurgleflep]

... they do a hunt 4x per year "wearing nothing and carrying only a single sword." ...

That sounds both unsafe and unsanitary.
But, if the books say it... :smallwink:

[ArcturusV]

Yeah, the only book I had featuring her was the 2nd Edition "Drow of the Underdark" book. Which also mentioned the naked hunting. They also mentioned one of her most common Manifestations/Boons was a Hunter's Horn call in the distance which would inspire morale (And generally terrify low Int/Wis enemies into thinking Reinforcements were coming).

... Elminister was even in it. He's in EVERYTHING Faerun! :smallfurious:

So they might have updated things since then. I know they hacked the Drow backstory/racial history from 2nd Edition (Where they were dark colored jungle elves who basically picked fights, and lost) to being personally cursed and blighted by the Bastard of Gods, the Elf God, for no good reason.

[CaladanMoonblad]

Yeah, the only book I had featuring her was the 2nd Edition "Drow of the Underdark" book. Which also mentioned the naked hunting. They also mentioned one of her most common Manifestations/Boons was a Hunter's Horn call in the distance which would inspire morale (And generally terrify low Int/Wis enemies into thinking Reinforcements were coming).

... Elminister was even in it. He's in EVERYTHING Faerun! :smallfurious:

So they might have updated things since then. I know they hacked the Drow backstory/racial history from 2nd Edition (Where they were dark colored jungle elves who basically picked fights, and lost) to being personally cursed and blighted by the Bastard of Gods, the Elf God, for no good reason.

Lovers quarrel between Correllon and Araushnee/Lolth similar to the unnameable persons in creation apocrypha of unnameable real world world monotheistic religions (at least on this board). Lolth left and took her followers into the Underdark, and Elistraee (the product of this union) went underground but had her dad's alignment. So yeah, she was an Ed Greenwood creation in 1989's Drow of the Underdark for RPG stats, but it was Salvatore's 1988 "The Crystal Shard" novel that introduced Drizzt Do'Urden (and his goddess) where the idea first began. I never read Salvatore.

What I find hilarious about Elminster? His levels in Rogue.



BACK TO HOLY SYMBOLS : )

One of my players has his holy symbol of Heironeous embossed on his shield. He didn't like the idea of leaving himself wide open to show some silly battle axe / sword at his throat for undead. So long as he paid the 25 gold cost, I was fine with it.

Another of my players worships a variation of Kord (this one is a heavy drinker, and a "temple of Kord" is a euphemism for tavern) who insisted on a mug with Kord's holy symbol. She's a dwarf. Her mug is tied around her neck as an amulet and she is always ready to worship.

[ArcturusV]

Eh. Not TOO hilarious. I actually did read the Elminister novel. He started off as a bandit. Didn't even learn a cantrip until he had been a bandit for a few years, shooting guys in the back with a Crossbow.

Of course, the one I always find funny?

When gods of Thieves, Stealth, Trickery, Secrets, etc, have holy symbols. I always found that weird.

[Calmar]

I wonder if someone outside the neckbeard realm actually uses the "aim to wear as little as possible during their official ceremonies" stuff and the naked hunting in their games. I suppose that sort of lore is great for the fanfics, though.

[ArcturusV]

Considering Eisiltraae is a Drow Goddess and most of her clerics/devout followers are described as women, my gut instinct says that the naked hunts and such come up more often than they would if she was a God and her worshipers were naked dwarf men.

[gurgleflep]

Considering Eisiltraae is a Drow Goddess and most of her clerics/devout followers are described as women, my gut instinct says that the naked hunts and such come up more often than they would if she was a God and her worshipers were naked dwarf men.

Welp, that's an image I won't soon get out of my head.