Bronze Age Clerics, Part I

Gods of the Bronze Age
Glorious warriors, palaces, and god-kings abound, with forgings for divinities to match.

Tenets of Bronze Age Gods

• Achieve glory for oneself according to one's caste 
• Obey the paternal order
• Ensure the success of your family, your clan, and your people
• Trade with others as needed
• Do not deign to use iron or other non-bronze armament or protection

Bronze Age Clerics

• Special: Bronze Age gods are served by glorious warrior clerics, palace clerics, and god-king clerics. Each type has unique considerations.
• Allowed Weapons:
      Glorious Warrior: bronze short sword (especially if Aegean) or bronze- or stone-headed battle axe (especially if Nordic or from British isles), bronze-tipped spear, bow & bronze-tipped arrows, bronze dagger
      Palace: bronze mace, club, bronze dagger
      God-King: who needs weapons? I (am/ serve the) god-king!
  Note: bronze weapons are -1 to hit those wearing iron (or harder) armor or shields. 
  They also bend when they hit with a 1 or less in any case, suffering -1d12 to all rolls until repaired.
• Allowed Armor:
     Glorious Warrior: bronze armor (AC 4) or leather & shield
     Palace: leather or padded
     God-King: who needs armor? I (am/ serve) the god-king!
• Symbols: Sun, Wheels, Beasts
• Can Turn: Per their divinity, but also varies in effect based on their bronze age cleric type.
     Glorious Warrior: Those turned may only attack the cleric for the next 2d6 rounds instead.
     Palace: Turning can only occur if done within or in sight of a political center, temple, trade center, or great earth or stone works.
     God-King: Those turned must kneel and bow to the cleric for the next 2d3 rounds instead.
• Mysteries of the Bronze Age: Rather than having access to their divinity's usual mysteries, bronze age clerics can use one of the following up to once per level per day. These can be quite powerful, making up somewhat for any drawbacks they might experience when facing iron-using foes:
     Glorious Warrior: Reroll one of their combat rolls, taking the second result, just as long as they are fighting grandiosely.
     Palace: Correctly augur an individual's most pressing political, religious, or commercial interest, gaining a subsequent +6 bonus to then negotiate with them.
     God-King: Cause one who attempts to harm or defy them to reroll a roll, forcing the fool to take the second result!

Bronze Age Magical Side-Effects

Seen as a golden age by many, bronze age magic may wield wonders, though not without dire perils too.

Roll 1d12, then roll on the matching bronze age cleric type table too if need be, combining the two like copper and tin.

1 or less. Required: The bronze age cleric must perform a task or the spell fails. He will also have a -1 penalty the next time he rolls on this table due to disgrace. A result of -3 or less also provokes a bronze age test (see Part II).

2-3. Needed: Unless he performs a task, the bronze age cleric's spell will only be at a paltry 50% of its usual power.

4-9. Magic Signs: The cleric can spend an extra 1d3 rounds casting if he wishes and can roll again on this table with a +1 bonus. In any case, all within 120' also have a 25% chance of gaining a +1 or -1 modifier to all rolls for the next 2d6 rounds, depending on whether those affected are akin to what the cleric's task would be. Otherwise, the spell has no other side-effect this time.

10-11. Enriched: If the bronze age cleric performs a task, then the spell's effect, range, or duration will gain a 50% bonus. If he doesn't, then the spell fails and is lost.

12 or more. Grandiose!  Performing a task will appease the gods so that they make the spell's effect, range, or duration be doubled. In addition, the cleric gains a +1 bonus the next time he rolls on this table. Not performing a task in this case would thus be unwise.

Glorious Warrior Tasks (d6)

1. Show off one's 'weapon', whatever that may be, pointing it upwards for all to see.

2. Be well-groomed, showing elite status.

3. Act in the name of patriarchy and hierarchy.

4. Be engaged in high adventure, preferably mounted.

5. Carry a specific weapon type, such as a sword or axe (since they can now be forged).
6. Be on a boat, or have been on one, even if only a representation, sometime within the last 1d6 days.

For example, if a glorious warrior cleric rolled 6 as a Bronze Age Magical Side-Effect and then 4 on the Glorious Warrior Tasks table, then all within 120' would have a 25% chance of gaining a +1 bonus to all rolls if high adventure matched their nature and the reverse if it didn't, all for the next 2d6 rounds. Then again, the glorious warrior cleric can also choose to keep casting instead and see if he achieves a different magical side-effect.

Palace Tasks (d8)

1. Act in the name of unity, a centralized place (to then be redistributed).

2. Wear an elaborate headdress.

3. Engage in some form of trade or exchange.

4. Something grandiose, massive, or cyclopean is nearby or in sight.

5. Be gilded or exhibit some other form of commercial aptitude.

6. The celestial alignment corresponds to the spell (if not known, a base 50% chance, 85% if near a temple or political center).

7. The spell reflects wheels, the sun, or other cycles, or they are within view.

8. The spell clearly supports one's family, clan, people, or state.

For example, if a palace cleric rolled 12 or more as a Bronze Age Magical Side-Effect and 1 on the Palace Tasks table, then the spell's effect, range, or duration can be doubled if she is acting in the name of unity and/or a centralized place. She'd also get a +1 bonus to her next magical side-effect roll to boot, riding the wave of divine fortune.

God-King Tasks (d6)

1. Bow to the sun.

2. Have 1d6 subjects around, who should be adoring of course.

3. Be wearing a tall hat, the greater and more golden, the better.

4. Emphasizing the cleric's magnificence, solar discs of any type are shown.

5. Rulers respect each other, servants respect rulers, and the magic reinforces that immutable law.
6. Horns play, or some other grand pronouncement occurs, demonstrating one's splendor.

For example, if a god-king cleric rolled 2 as a Bronze Age Magical Side-Effect and then 5 on the God-King table, then the spell will only be at half power if it doesn't involve rulers respecting each other or servants respecting their rulers at least.

Next week: Bronze Age tests in Part II! 

RPG srd Bronze Age Old School 1st ed AD&D