Clarification on Jergal

[JobsforFun]

I am playing a cleric currently in a 5e homebrew campaign. My DM wants me to praise my god by whatever it says to do. My Cleric worshiped Myrkul but I decided against that and decided on Jergal. I am slightly confused on how to go about worshiping him, I understand that at dusk my character has to pray to him but it mentions a ritual "The only ritual Jergal's clerics are required to perform is called the Sealing. After recording each and every creature's demise, form of death, and destination in the afterlife, Scriveners of Doom are required to sprinkle a light dusting of ash and powdered bone over their inscribed words to blot the ink and mark another small step toward the world's end." So if my cleric worships Jergal does my character have to keep track of everyone who dies, or everyone he kills? I am not sure if this is from 5e or not since the wiki on the god isn't exactly superb, some help would be appreciated.

Main part of the wiki if you wish to read it :):

Clergy:
Clerics of Jergal pray for their spells at dusk, a time of day representative of the end of life. On the last night of the year, Jergal's clergy cease their endless toil for a full night. On this holy night, known as the Night of Another Year, the clerics read every name whose death they have recorded from the scrolls they have carefully inscribed over the past year. With a cry of "One Year Closer!", all the scrolls are then filed, and work begins the next day. The only ritual Jergal's clerics are required to perform is called the Sealing. After recording each and every creature's demise, form of death, and destination in the afterlife, Scriveners of Doom are required to sprinkle a light dusting of ash and powdered bone over their inscribed words to blot the ink and mark another small step toward the world's end. Some seek church-sponsored undeath to allow them to continue their archiving careers. Some clerics multi-class as monks or necromancers.

[Aett_Thorn]

The Sealing only takes place once a year. So I wouldn't worry about that on a daily basis.

However, I would agree that maybe at the end of every day, the character has to spend some time recording the names of anyone the party has killed that day. If you wish to RP it, I would say that the character has to commune with their god to get the details (especially the parts about where their spirits ended up, since the characters wouldn't know that). Keeping this scroll could be an important RP tool for your character. Maybe they go out of their way to keep it safe, or will need to repent if it is ever damaged or destroyed.

[mgshamster]

Maybe add some new vocabulary to your characters speech, like "Blessed are the dead."

[JellyPooga]

It could be a bit tricky recording the names of everyone the party kills; imagine the scenario:

Orc Warband: "Waaaargh! Kill the Humies!"
Party: *proceeds to slaughter them*
Cleric: "Uh, guys? Did anyone catch their names by any chance? No? Damn, I hate talking to dead orcs; they're always so rude." *starts casting Speak with Dead*

As mentioned, your "Book of the Dead" should be an important roleplaying device; keeping it well protected at all costs and such.

[Biggstick]

A Cleric of Jergal wouldn't have much of a reason to be out and about adventuring for the most part. You're going to have to have a pretty decent reason for leaving whatever Temple or church you worked out of.

For Cleric of Jergal specific RP, there isn't really much needed. Recording how and when someone dies should be something you do at the end of the day, but even that isn't totally necessary. You could record the names and times of death at the end of an adventure (because taking time to write at night when an enemy might be looking for you could be dangerous). There really isn't much else to being a Cleric of Jergal that you'd be able to bring out though. What you should be considering is how spending all that time dealing with the dead has affected you as a PC. What is the PC's view on death? Has this made the PC a bit more pessimistic about things? Another question that needs answering is how/why you're actually out and about adventuring. Most Clerics of Jergal are content to stay in their places of work to simply do what they do. What makes you different? Bring this difference into your RP.

Backgrounds play a big part in your RP. An Acolyte of Jergal will play much differently then a Charlatan or a Sailor. Embrace these differences and really get into them.

[JobsforFun]

A Cleric of Jergal wouldn't have much of a reason to be out and about adventuring for the most part. You're going to have to have a pretty decent reason for leaving whatever Temple or church you worked out of.

For Cleric of Jergal specific RP, there isn't really much needed. Recording how and when someone dies should be something you do at the end of the day, but even that isn't totally necessary. You could record the names and times of death at the end of an adventure (because taking time to write at night when an enemy might be looking for you could be dangerous). There really isn't much else to being a Cleric of Jergal that you'd be able to bring out though. What you should be considering is how spending all that time dealing with the dead has affected you as a PC. What is the PC's view on death? Has this made the PC a bit more pessimistic about things? Another question that needs answering is how/why you're actually out and about adventuring. Most Clerics of Jergal are content to stay in their places of work to simply do what they do. What makes you different? Bring this difference into your RP.

Backgrounds play a big part in your RP. An Acolyte of Jergal will play much differently then a Charlatan or a Sailor. Embrace these differences and really get into them.

I'm not to experienced on the whole cleric thing since this is my first. I am still writing my backstory so I should be able to write in some reason of why he decided to adventure. If I believe correctly Jergal is somewhat excited for the end of days so maybe have that in it somehow?

[JobsforFun]

It could be a bit tricky recording the names of everyone the party kills; imagine the scenario:

Orc Warband: "Waaaargh! Kill the Humies!"
Party: *proceeds to slaughter them*
Cleric: "Uh, guys? Did anyone catch their names by any chance? No? Damn, I hate talking to dead orcs; they're always so rude." *starts casting Speak with Dead*

As mentioned, your "Book of the Dead" should be an important roleplaying device; keeping it well protected at all costs and such.

I think it'd be more of a rping thing I wouldn't have to write the names down personally. What do you mean by Book of the dead, do you mean the book my character writes the names down?

[mgshamster]

A "Book of the Dead" would just be a blank book or journal your character would keep that he writes down names and events. Like a blank journal you'd buy at a store. And he would believe it is sacred to him and his religion.

In it, he would write down the name and event of every death he personally witnessed or heard about, whether the death was caused by him or not.

At the end of the year, he would hold a ceremony described in your first post. Then he would buy a new blank book and start over for the new year.

It's a simple way of roleplaying the character that adds a lot of flavor.

You could even insist on staying places or going to locations where people have died so you can record the information. Makes for a great character.

[JobsforFun]

A "Book of the Dead" would just be a blank book or journal your character would keep that he writes down names and events. Like a blank journal you'd buy at a store. And he would believe it is sacred to him and his religion.

In it, he would write down the name and event of every death he personally witnessed or heard about, whether the death was caused by him or not.

At the end of the year, he would hold a ceremony described in your first post. Then he would buy a new blank book and start over for the new year.

It's a simple way of roleplaying the character that adds a lot of flavor.

You could even insist on staying places or going to locations where people have died so you can record the information. Makes for a great character.

Really? I like that idea :). Would my character also keep records of when he uses 'Animate Dead'?

Another quick question can wizard necromancers worship gods? My next character idea is a wizard plague doctor necromancer and that sounds like an interesting idea for his character as well

[mgshamster]

Really? I like that idea :). Would my character also keep records of when he uses 'Animate Dead'?

Another quick question can wizard necromancers worship gods? My next character idea is a wizard plague doctor necromancer and that sounds like an interesting idea for his character as well

He can. It's roleplaying. It's up to you. Come up with a role and play it. Just make sure your group and DM agrees with it and your roleplaying doesn't disrupt the group play. Other than that, you can roleplay whatever you want.

And yes, wizards can worship a god. Anyone can worship whatever god(s) they like. However, only clerics get special powers back from the gods, unless your GM says otherwise.

[JobsforFun]

He can. It's roleplaying. It's up to you. Come up with a role and play it. Just make sure your group and DM agrees with it and your roleplaying doesn't disrupt the group play. Other than that, you can roleplay whatever you want.

And yes, wizards can worship a god. Anyone can worship whatever god(s) they like. However, only clerics get special powers back from the gods, unless your GM says otherwise.

Thanks for the help, the more I get into the role playing of DnD the more I enjoy it :).

[Sigreid]

I would suggest that in cases where you can't get the name, such as the aforementioned orc hoard, a good description, or a sketch using artist tools might be an acceptable substitute.