Household Gods

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I'm working on a concept right now for a being with strong ties to community and traditions and family, and has sway over 'household gods' as it were.

Knocks on wood to praise the elemental spirits in the wood, always blesses a home they live within and no 'evil spirits' may come within, burns special fires to bring domovoi to tend the hearth, leaves out milk and bread for brownies to take up residence. A 'bit of sugar' or a 'cup of oil' given from such never running out, always having 'just enough' left over, etc.

Basically combines clerical blessings, druidic nature ties, and bardish community.

Anyone have any suggestions or ideas for rituals, perhaps real world customs, traditions and mythology around 'household gods' and sprites of the home?

[Shadowleaf]

The good ole' salt over the shoulder to ward yourself after someone did something stupid (like use a God's name in vain).

I know people who draw runes on their doorway to ward off evil intents. This can be explained by a 'historical' event in your campaign world (like the Death Angel coming for the firstborn in Egypt).

Cleanliness and tidiness around the home. This might seem logical, but it can have a mythological explanation - like you piss off the house spirits if you disgrace their place in the world.

Perhaps doing something special with excess food - like never throwing out good food, as it is a disgrace against nature, who provided the food. A feast for friends and strangers alike is always a good idea, as is giving the excess food to charity.



I believe the basic thought is that these 'rituals' should promote good behaviour. Throwing salt over your shoulder shows that you care how people behave, the excess food thing promotes humbleness and friendship, etc.

[Pink]

Keeping my eye on this topic, cause it sounds interesting.

This is an idea from Monte Cook's Ptolus Setting that might be applicable: House Gifts. Basically the concept in Ptolus was that each house had it's own spirit, and when you came to their house for the first time or were invited specially, you would bring over a tiny gift, some sort of trinket or icon or shiny thing basically, and that near the entrance of each house is a shelf dedicated to holding these little gifts.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Hmm, I like that.

Trying to turn these into actual class abilities. These are starting to spark some ideas, but not yet got them turned into anything you can apply rules to.

[Quirp]

I would say that the class should get some kind of scaling ability to buff (a bit like a hexblade´s curse, but blessing instead).
The ability to "turn" (or calm) animated, angry spirits (golems, undead without sentience).
Some minor spellcasting ability (those household deities shouldn´t be powerful enough to give high level spells)

Just some suggestions.

[Shadowleaf]

Some of these might just be somatic and/or verbal components. Salt over the shoulder would fit well with Break Enchantment, for example.

[Fitz10019]

There's Anoia, goddess of things stuck in drawers, but I can't remember the source book.

Spoiler

Show

Just kidding... Going Postal, a Discworld novel

[Pink]

There's Anoia, goddess of things stuck in drawers, but I can't remember the source book.

Spoiler

Show

Just kidding... Going Postal, a Discworld novel

Oddly enough, this was my first thought when I saw this thread. Though I'm sure she shows up first in an earlier book.

[AtlanteanTroll]

There was a Dragon Magazine that statted out Domovoi.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

There was a Dragon Magazine that statted out Domovoi.

Oh, they're in Frostburn. Already planned on using them. May have to stat up a number of others as well.

Edit: Wondering if I should have them gain spells from these 'small gods' or be able to also worship a deity. Sounds like a new mechanic is in need of invention.

The 'Teraphim' legends also seem like something to build on.

[woodenbandman]

making a class out of this? i dunno, i think this is more like feat territory.

[WinWin]

You mean like Kami? Japanese spirit traditions revolve around them

Some Daoist traditions incorperate spirits into their beliefs.

As for classes, read Oriental Adventures. Wu Jen, Spirit Shaman and the Adept provide an easily refluffed chassis.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Alright, posted a number of household spirits in the homebrew forums here.

[Tyndmyr]

I suggest reading Terry Pratchett's Small Gods.

It provides a very coherent way in which such a system could work, and gives you some insight into motivations of said dieties and such. Also, it's just a good book.

[Analytica]

The D20 Testament setting has rules for Teraphim, as a form of magic items.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I suggest reading Terry Pratchett's Small Gods.

It provides a very coherent way in which such a system could work, and gives you some insight into motivations of said dieties and such. Also, it's just a good book.

Have many a time. Pretty different concept going on here though. There Small Gods are just embryonic adult gods. Believe in them and they skyrocket into powerful beings.

These creatures here aren't actually 'gods' and are usually asleep or inherent to the area, they just don't do anything until directed or interested into waking up by the Goodwife.

Think more Hogfather with belief waking things up that have always been there.

[AyeGill]

I agree that a new mechanic might be needed here. Maybe this class can choose some different household spirits, like brownies or domovoi or whatever. It can choose a maximum of spirits based on its class level, maybe have different levels of spirits or whatever. Then at some point in the class, it could gain the ability to cover multiple houses, choosing a new set of spirits for each house.

Maybe something like this:

Bless house(su): The [class name] knows how to draw forth small spirits to protect and bless a house. The [class name] knows one spirit per class level. Only a certain number of spirits can be active at once, determined by the [class name]'s wisdom modifier times her [class name] level. Each spirit counts for a certain amount of points.
At level five, the [class name] can extend her blessing over multiple houses. each house tracks maximum number of spirits separately.


You could add class features to add onto those powers from there, maybe using her abilities to increase a certain spirit's effectiveness or something.

[Tvtyrant]

So I was thinking about the cruddy spell like abilities that some prestige classes get, like the cantrips at will abilities, and maybe you could add a way to switch between those. Not as powerful as a Binders abilities but have that on top of the other class abilities like casting pass without trace by knotting a piece of grass into 6 circles and throwing it behind you. Basically make it superstition based, so that you pick a number of weird beliefs a day and can use them.

[Randel]

I actually got a sort-of-related thought a while ago when there was a thread here asking why most adventurers are orphans. Then later I read the 4e Arcane Power book about familiars and got an idea.

The 4e familiars are aquired by taking a feat and they have active and passive abilities, they basically provide bonuses while 'on your shoulder' and when you send them out to do stuff they have powers that can help you. They can't be permanantly killed and revive after a short rest.

Maybe each house or family has the chance to get a sort of family familiar? Like dryad imps who normally stay in the garden and keep the crops watered and free of pests (a bonus to gardening checks for the family), while they can also be called with a ritual to do tasks for you. They might require for you to perform rituals for them (like the garden imps want you to leave dishes of salt and beer out for them for the passive bonus and you summon them by burying a fish in tilled soil for them to dig up).

The thing is that if your family back home is unable to keep up with the rituals then you loose the ability to summon the imps for yourself. So it gives you a little incentive to send money back home or keep in contact with them or whatever (and by extension have a family to begin with).


Basically the household god would be about the level as a feat, familiar, or regional bonus.

[Urpriest]

The OA Shaman is actually a decent chassis for this concept, though I could certainly see going with a more inventive one. OA Shamans are pretty much exactly what happens when you put clerics into an animistic world, so regardless of whether they are the class you end up with you might want something with their rules in the setting as well.

[Saint GoH]

The OA Shaman is actually a decent chassis for this concept, though I could certainly see going with a more inventive one. OA Shamans are pretty much exactly what happens when you put clerics into an animistic world, so regardless of whether they are the class you end up with you might want something with their rules in the setting as well.

Im kinda on par with this.... I also feel like the Spirit Shaman is a pretty accurate way of depicting benevolent spirits giving us gifts and powers.... with all the stuff like knocking on wood, cookies and milk for brownies, runes on the door against evil spirits is just fluff.

In case I'm way off here, Turkish people carry around blue and white and purple beads with little eyes painted on them, thinking if you "see" evil before it reaches you you can avoid it, so better to have eyes looking in all directions.

[Zephyros]

Check out the lore on the greek Goddess of Hearth, Home, Cooking, and Architecture.

Linkie

[Gabe the Bard]

I like some of the suggestions for class abilities. Here are some ideas along those lines, although the details need to be fleshed out:

• Inspired Cooking (Ex): You can cook for 1 hour and bestow various effects on the participants of the feast based on your ranks in Profession (Cook). Low level effects may include counteracting fatigue or healing more HP during bed rest. At higher levels, the feast could bestow various abilities or immunities comparable to a Heroes' Feast.
  
• Ward House (Su): You can prevent evil spirits and outsiders from entering a room or dwelling. They must make a Will save to enter the room.
  
• Summon Shelter (Sp): You can summon a Tiny Hut, the size and amenities depending on your class level.
  
• Spellcasting: You get spellcasting similar to a Bard. Some of the bard's enchantment and illusion spells could be switched with nature-related spells from the druid's spell list.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Here is the PC mainly done. Still adding blessings and small gods.

The Goodwife

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Don't know if this has been brought up, but there's a Pathfinder "monster" mentioned in the Council of Thieves adventure path modelled after the Roman household spirits called Lares (Lar = singular). Might be worth looking into.

[LansXero]

Dunno why, but this screams Binder to me. Maybe make a second pact-magic class?

[Ravens_cry]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Here is the PC mainly done. Still adding blessings and small gods.

The Goodwife

This reminds of the idea I had of the difference between Turgical magic and Mancical magic. Turgical is working things with magic, affecting the material world directly, while mancical is communicating and making deals with spirits associated with literally everything. Mancical was slower and often less showey, but could be very efficient since you weren't changing anything directly, but convincing the spirits to do so.
I love this prestige class, it has a very distinct flavour to it that feels very old and almost familiar. Kudos!

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Ok, will likely still be adding small gods and blessings for awhile (Lares are in the works, as are spirits of the elements), but for the most part I'm happy with it and have finished the fluff. Thinking up a NPC to go with it.

Dunno why, but this screams Binder to me. Maybe make a second pact-magic class?

Hmm... possibly. It's only really binderish in certain aspects.

This reminds of the idea I had of the difference between Turgical magic and Mancical magic. Turgical is working things with magic, affecting the material world directly, while mancical is communicating and making deals with spirits associated with literally everything. Mancical was slower and often less showey, but could be very efficient since you weren't changing anything directly, but convincing the spirits to do so.

Yup, that's exactly what I was going for!

I love this prestige class, it has a very distinct flavour to it that feels very old and almost familiar. Kudos!

Thanks for the kind words

And yeah, most of what I do when I'm done with it I coulda sworn I've seen it before but can never find anything when I try to look it up.