Revelries of Dionysos (Cleric Variant, New Spell, Magic Item)

[InsaneOrb]

Revelries of Dionysos


Cleric Variant: The Bacchant Priest

In Thrace and other areas inhabited by the 'barbarians', there is a far more primal cult of Dionysos than that celebrated in our own Athens, their women and men of power all succumb to the teachings of wild priests and drunkards, joining the Bacchant revelries with not a single thought of safety or decency.

These wild priests are, unlike the priests in more civilised areas, generally men of little status and unable to afford their own armour, but display some primal energy of their own, and in their filth and poverty sometimes display a greater connection to the God's sense of freedom.

Requisites: Worships Dionysos (Chaotic Neutral, all priests simultaneously Inflict rather than Cure wounds, Domains: Chaos, Plant, Destruction), Clerics of other deities may not use this variant.
Drawback: No Armour or Shield Proficiency. Furthermore, the ecstatic movements of the Dionysian chants may be difficult in heavier armour, and so a Bacchant cleric suffers a chance of spell failure (as if he were an arcane caster) when wearing Medium or Heavy armour.
Benefits:

Improved Unarmed Strike - Though not the most feared fist-fighters of the world, the Bacchant priests can, by savagely striking their enemies, tear and rend their opponents apart.

Spell-Like Abilities:
Create Wine 1/Week
Inflict Light Wounds 1/Week
Eagle's Splendour (self only) 1/Week
Rage 1/Week
Plant Growth 1/Year

Bacchant Frenzy
A Bacchant Priest may prepare instead of any 3rd-level or higher domain spells, the spell Bacchant Frenzy (see below). He may prepare instead of any 6th level or higher domain spells, the spell Bacchant Festival (see below).

Spell: Bacchant Frenzy
Enchantment (Compulsion)[Mind-Affecting]
Level: See Above
Components: V/S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Area: 100ft. Radius Burst centered on You
Duration: 1 round/Level
Saving Throw: Will
Spell Resistance: Yes

These wild Thracian priests often use enchantments to whip their followers and even foes up into a fury, only because they themselves wish to experience new sensations of power. The strong-willed can sometimes resist these urges, but the frenzied Bacchants rarely wish to.

Anyone affected (in the area, and fails or chooses not to resist the spell's effects) gains a +2 Morale Bonus on Attack and Damage Rolls, and a +4 Morale bonus on saves against fear effects, but suffers a -2 penalty (misc./Morale) to Armour Class. Anyone under the effect of this spell may not fight defensively or make use of combat expertise.

Spell: Bacchant Festival
Enchantment (Compulsion)[Mind-Affecting]
Level: See Above
Components: V/S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Area: 100 ft. Radius burst centered on you
Duration: 1 Minute/Level
Saving Throw: Will
Spell Resistance: Yes

The more powerful of these Bacchants have even greater spells to call upon, one such being used in festivals of Dionysos: all those near enough to the priest are seized by a frenzy. This magic is so powerful that even the priest himself can rarely avoid getting dragged into action.

Anyone affected (in the area, and fails or chooses not to resist the spell's effects) gains a +2 Morale Bonus on Attack and Damage Rolls, and a +4 Morale bonus on saves against fear effects, but suffers a -2 penalty (misc./Morale) to Armour Class. Anyone under the effect of this spell may not fight defensively or make use of combat expertise. Additionally, the spell functions as a Mass Suggestion spell. the two effects may not be separated.

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Magic Item: Thracian Vine Staff

These staves are used in imitation of one originally carried by Dionysos himself as he traveled through Thrace, short plain wooden objects with vines carved along their length and usually the head of a stallion or some similar beast carved into the tip. But, my friends, you would not believe the enchantments placed upon this staff. It is prized both by winemakers and by these frenzied Bacchants, whose priests use it to drive them to even greater depravities.

In combat, a Thracian Vine Staff functions as a +1 Club, however, it has several other properties. Anyone wielding the staff gains a +2 Competence Bonus to Profession: Winemaking and Diplomacy checks. Additionally, the staff has three further magical properties.

Create Wine:
Once per day, the staff may be used to create wine, in exactly the same manner as a 'Create Water' spell cast by a 5th level Cleric, but instead creating up to 10 gallons of high quality wine, worth 10 gp per bottle, or 1.5 lb.

Entangle:
Three times per day, the staff may be used to cast an Entangle spell, as if cast by a 5th level Druid (save DC 16, range 600ft. Duration 5 minutes).

Bacchant Focus:
A Bacchant caster capable of casting the Bacchant Frenzy spell may spontaneously cast that spell in the place of any of his regular spells. If he has prepared it that day, he may apply any metamagic effect (except Silent or Still spell) to it, when cast.

A Bacchant caster capable of casting the Bacchant Festival spell may spontaneously cast that spell in the place of any of his Domain spells. If he has prepared it that day, he may apply any metamagic effect (except Silent or Still spell) to it, when cast.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

I like this (I have a culture that needs a little Greek flavour in my Homebrew setting).

Maybe you could make a new Domain ("Bacchanalian" perhaps), rather than the somewhat unusual mechanic of two adding spells to the domain selection..?

[InsaneOrb]

I like this (I have a culture that needs a little Greek flavour in my Homebrew setting).

Maybe you could make a new Domain ("Bacchanalian" perhaps), rather than the somewhat unusual mechanic of two adding spells to the domain selection..?

The decision against a Bacchant/Bacchic/Dionysian domain would be because the spells would basically end up being some form of plant domain hybrid with nothing really obviously appropriate for many levels. I'm somewhat uncertain about my choice for the additions to the domain spells, too, but I didn't really see a better way (maybe changing it so that those spells replace the Cure X wounds branch for spontaneous casting).

What I loosely had in mind for a Bacchant domain when I was toying with it.

1 - Entangle
2 - Eagle's Splendour
3 - Bacchant Frenzy
4 - Fear
5 - Feeblemind
6 - Bacchant Festival
7 - Control Weather
8 - Symbol of Insanity
9 - Dominate Monster or Storm of Vengeance

Eventually, I decided against it and went with tacking it onto the domains existing. Thanks for the comment

Any more thoughts, anyone? Overpowered? Underpowered? Steam-powered?