Priestesses of Saule, Part I

Saule

Baltic Sun Goddess

Tenets of Saule

• Attune with the Sun
• Espouse Sunny Ways & Folk
• Drawing Upon Sunny Things 

Priestesses of Saule

• Special: Also known as Saulė, she is generally followed by priests and priestesses, many of whom are more animist, pagan, or practitioners of folk magic (their Emphasis Approach, see below). 
• Allowed Weapons: Spear, staff, dagger
• Allowed Armor: None
• Symbols: Sun, Fruits, Flowers, Harvest, Fire, White, Red, Gold
• Can Turn: With a pagan emphasis approach only, see below.

• Mysteries of the Sun: See below.
  
  

Emphasis Approaches to Mysteries of the Sun

Saule's priests and priestesses often focus on either her animistic, traditional religious, or folk magic aspects. This choice allows them access to different mysteries. Those without a special emphasis select a different one each day at random. 

• Animist: Can negotiate with local spirits, whether free-roaming ethereal or set in animal, plant, or object form, gaining a +1 bonus to reaction adjustment rolls with the former, or to work with, use, or repair the latter. The bonus is +3 if done in a sunny area. Animists may use their mystery a total of once per day per level.
• Pagan: Like priests and priestesses of other lands, they can attempt to turn those who work against sunny ways and folk (if not known, there's a base 1 in 6 chance). In addition, once per day per level, they can gain a +2 bonus to a roll when acting in a sunny place or manner.
• Folk Magic: More akin to hedge wizards (link), they can prepare 1d3 of their spells as that class does, once per day per level. The rest are often cast with heavy reliance on objects or even having additional Baltic folk (or similar) around, per Emphasis Approach Magical Requirements further below.

For example, an animist priestess of Saule could gain a +1 bonus when attempting to negotiate with a spirit, calm a horse, find an herb, or repair a garment. The bonus would instead be +3 if Saule's light was shining down on her at the time.

Magical Side-Effects of Saule
Replace the Saule words below with one of the priestess's emphasis approaches or related words that follow. It then modifies the side-effect too. Roll 1d12. 

1. Ritual of Saule: Much is to be done for the Sun Goddess, requiring some offering, spoken words, and / or allowing time to pass. The priestess must follow 2 of the 3 requirements below (#2, #3, #4) so the spell can work.

2. Given to Saule: What should be left? The priestess is obliged to set an offering in a manner befitting her emphasis approach, whether at a certain type of locale, to demonstrate a religious truth, or with the votive taking a certain form, or else the magic will only be at 1/2 its usual intensity.

3. Righteous Saule: Time to speak. The priestess must make a Charisma check (DC 15) along with abiding by the requirement of her emphasis approach so that the spell can happen. If the check fails, then she can attempt to do so again in 1d3 rounds, rolling once more to see if she needs to try a different spirit negotiation, sacred statement, or magic words to go with an ingredient. 

4. Saule's Unfolding: The Sun Goddess and her spirits will determine when the time for the magic's effects are right. It can take 1d12 turns for them to happen unless the priestess utilizes her emphasis approach, in which case it only takes 1d12 rounds. 

5. Realm of Saule: All around within 120' becomes brightly illuminated and more conducive to the priestess's emphasis approach, allowing a 25% chance of those engaging in such communion, fellowship, or folkway craft to gain a +1d3 bonus to such rolls for the next 2d6 rounds.

6-8. Standard Casting: The magic works normally this time even though there’s a chance of the priestess’s emphasis approach being symbolized in some way too (a 33% chance).

9-10. Saule Magic I: The priestess can opt to follow the requirement of her emphasis approach for the spell to occur, and with a 50% bonus to its effect, range, or duration- or she could pick for it to simply be a standard casting.

11. Saule Magic II: Why not engage with the spirits and the goddess further? The priestess may do so as above, even improving the spell's effect, range, or duration by 100%- or she may not and allow the magic to work normally this time, it is no matter.

12. Blessing of Saule: As well as not being expended so it can be cast again that day, the magic happens at double the effect, range, or duration. In addition, if it’s meant to help the target, then Saule bestows them a +1d3 bonus for 1d2 hours to all their rolls when taking actions in general that correspond with the priestess’s emphasis approach, whether how they interact with the sun and her spirits, reenact a tradition of Saule, or use a sunny thing.

Emphasis Approach Magical Requirements

Those following Saule's animist, pagan, or folk magic aspects can have different needs to make their magic work. Roll a d12 under the matching approach below to determine what it is. Some might end up overlapping, but Saule's magic remains integrated in the end, no matter the original means. Those who don't have a certain emphasis approach can also roll to see which one is to be used in each situation. 

   I. Attune with the Sun (Animism)
    Make a Charisma check* to negotiate with the local spirits while communing at a sacred grove (alka) or...
      1-2. At a certain time of day: dawn, noon, or dusk- roll d3 to determine which one is needed
      3-4. In a familiar land under the sun
      5-7. While facing the sun anywhere
      8-10. In a sunny place
      11. Roll per Paganism 
      12. Roll per Folk Magic

    *Animists can add their level to their roll. If they fail, they may retry the following round.

  II. Espouse Sunny Ways (Paganism)
    Support Saule's religion by it being around the time of the Summer Solstice, or by...

      1-2. Using a horse, chariot, hammer, or large disc symbol, by dancing, or by having been in a sacred grove (alka) sometime within the last 1d12 hours- roll d6 to determine at random each time this result is rolled.
      3-4. Encouraging Baltic women or those of similar folk to truly love and respect Baltic and similar men, while also encouraging fidelity by such men in return (especially Moon types)
      5-7. Providing comfort, help, and health to 1d3 Baltic folk or similar people (especially to orphans)
      8-10. Spreading light, love, or clarity in general
      11. Roll per Animism 
      12. Roll per Folk Magic

 III. Drawing Upon Sunny Things (Folk Magic)
   Use bright, radiant components, such as a...
      1-2. Group of at least 1d3 other sunny Baltic folk that's around
      3-4. Rare substance like amber or gold- that's taken with the spell, or 1d3 sunny folk who are at least similar to Balts
      5-7. More common ingredient like flowers, wheels, woven things, ribbons, honey, small tokens, or fires- which are expended afterward

      8-10. Tale, saying, or song- roll d3 to determine which one it is each time this result is rolled
      11. Roll per Animism

      12. Roll per Paganism

For example, an animist priestess of Saule might need to leave an offering in a familiar land under the sun (if not at an alka / sacred grove already), negotiating with the spirits there when paired with Emphasis Approach #3-4, to prevent the spell from only being at 1/2 power, calling Magical Side-Effect #2 Given to Attune with the Sun. 

In comparison, for Magical Side-Effect #10 a pagan priestess might call it Brightening Magic I, and be obliged to provide comfort, help, or health to at least 2 other Balts, or even Norse, Teutons, Celts, Slavs, or similar types, so she can increase her spell's effect by 50%, even better if they are orphans, with Emphasis Approach #5-7. If it was around the summer solstice, then she need not even do that, though she may still want to.

Next week: tests of Saule, her folk variations, and Baltic counterparts to Proto Indo-European divinities.

 RPG srd Old School 1st ed AD&D Solar Deity Latvian Lithuanian Cleric Domains Priest Spheres PDF