Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Apollo Encounters, Part I

Followers of Apollo

APOLLAN PHILOSOPHY
Though his tenets generally appeal to all of Apollo's devotees, many focus on just one. This emphasis can not only guide their motivations and general personality traits, but it can also adjust the mysteries, magical side-effects and divine results available as written in Volume I.

Main Emphasis (d20)
1-2. Light (Lyceus)
3-4. Protection from Evil (Apotropaios)
5-6. Smiting Evil (Apellon)
7-8. Prophecy (Iatromantis)
9-10. Healing (Iama)
11-12. Music (Musagetes)
13. Wolves (Lycegenes)
14-15. Protection of Flocks and/or Crops
16-18. Self-Perfection
19-20. No special focus

For example,  if a cleric of Apollo's focus is protection from evil, rather than his spell needing to be cast in a sunny place (as in magical side-effect result #4), it might need to be cast to protect from evil instead. Such a cleric could also be able to use his Apollan Mysteries when doing so instead too.

Such modifications can serve to offer greater choices for Apollo's cleric-types while maintaining their relative applicability. Once made, they should generally remain set so as to not make them too powerful. Special quests can be undertaken though in order to change them again.


APOLLAN CLERIC-TYPE GENERATOR
Male Classes (75% chance, d8)
1-2. Cleric
3-5. Priest (Hiereus)
6. Mystic
7-8. Seer (detailed at the end of this article)

Female Classes (25% chance, d6)
1-5. Pythia (per Seer below)
6. Priestess only (Hiereia)

Hair Color (d6)
1-3. blond
4. brunette
5-6. black

Complexion (d8)
1-2. fair
3-4. medium
5-8. tanned

Robes (d6)
Main color of garb, often with little else on (as climate and situation allows).
1. golden yellow
2-3. white
4-5. blue
6. red

Possessions (percent chance each)
- laurel head wreath (25%)
- lyre (10%)

Apollan Clerics only
- bow and 2d12 arrows (20% per level)
- sword (15% per level)
- armor (10% per level)

Special (percent chance each)
- divine blood (5%): gain +2 to a random ability score
- hyperborean blood (10%): immune to harmful light, cold, or psychic effects (pick one), but also a -1d3 penalty to all rolls when in darkness, heat, or when within 30' of dullards (bipeds with an Intelligence of 7 or less).


Sample Cleric-Types of Apollo

AdonionLvl 1 Greek cleric of Apollo, Align: L, MV: 40’, AC: 4, HD: 1, Atk: 1 (bow), Dmg: 1d6, SP: spells prepared (1st: Cure Light Wounds, Detect Evil), SV: C1, Mor: 8, Items: holy symbol, chiton, Greek linothorax, bow, 7 arrows, dagger, lyre, 1d20 gold pieces. Main Emphasis: Music. Appearance: tanned skin, blond hair, white robes.

Asclemondra, Lvl 1 Greek pythia of Apollo, Align: L, MV: 40’, AC: 4, HD: 1, Atk: 1 (bow), Dmg: 1d6, SP: Hyperborean blooded (immune to harmful light effects), seer (see below), spells prepared (1st: Detect Magic, Remove Fear, Divine Weather). Main Emphasis: Smiting Evil. Appearance: fair skin, black hair, red robes. 


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Greek Seers (Mantis or Pythia)
* Treat as clerics, except that they fight as magic-users.
* They must also roll for Seer Magical Side-Effects when casting spells (see below). These results can be adjusted based on the seer's tradition and can also occur on their own once every 1d12 hours, per Referee.
* In return, they can cast any extra divination spell each day.
* In addition, they may also reroll any roll they make up to once per level per day, deciding which result to keep, since they are so attuned to prophecy and fate.

Seer Magical Side-Effects (d6)
The seer must do one of the following for the next 1d4 rounds.
Afterwards, he or she must save vs. death/ make a Will save DC 10 or suffer a loss of 1d2 Constitution for the rest of the day, due to exhaustion.
1. Stare off into space, being shown prophetic events.
2. Interpret entrails.
3. Babble/ speak in tongues (a save vs. spell/ Will save DC 15 is required for those who wish to interpret it correctly).
4. Pronounce one's doom, as determined by the Fates, causing them a 1d12-6 modifier to one of their next 1d12 rolls.
5. Inhale cave vapors (or the like), seeking inspiration from their god or goddess.
6. Engage with the spirits, being disoriented due to the many visions they see, moving in a random direction each round.


Next week: temples of Apollo in Part II!