Clerics of Janus, Part IV

Cleric Spells (Janus)

Janus’s focus is on time, space, beginnings, and endings and so too do his clerics mainly cast spells of that nature, some even requiring gateways or other portals to work.

1st Level: Cure Light Wounds, Detect Evil, Detect Magic, Protection from Evil, Remove Fear, Sanctuary (can also be cast on others who stand near portals or who are making new beginnings), Hold Portal* ^(PT), Message* ^PT (does not need line of sight)

2nd Level: Augury, Bless, Hold Person (frozen in time and space), Silence 15’ radius (ditto for sound), Spiritual Weapon ^PT, Knock* ^(PT)

3rd Level: Cure Blindness, Cure Disease, Dispel Magic, Glyph of Warding ^PT, Prayer, Remove Curse, Haste* (reversible)

4th Level: Cure Serious Wounds, Divination, Exorcise, Striking (+2 when used around portals), Dimension Door* ^PT

5th Level: Atonement, Commune, Cure Critical Wounds, Dispel Evil, Plane Shift ^PT, Distort Distance*, Teleport* ^PT

6th Level: Blade Barrier ^PT, Find the Path, Heal, Word of Recall ^PT, Greater Teleport ^PT (as Teleport*, but no chance of being off target)

7th Level: Gate ^PT, Restoration, Symbol ^PT, Time Stop*

PT: Spell requires a nearby portal, such as a gateway, door, or other opening to work. Note that Janus Mysteries will also then grant a +2 bonus to all of the cleric’s rolls related to the spell.

 *: Magic-User Spell

Portal Encounters

The thresholds of Janus can be simple or elaborate; mundane or even magical pathways to another world. Whatever the case, those who travel through will likely be making a new beginning.

Portal Appearance (roll 1d6)

1. Simple Door

2. Moderate Door

3. Elaborate Door

4. Gateway

5. Arch

6. Other (Cave, Hole, Cabinet, Standing Stones, etc.)

50% base chance of being locked or blocked

20% base chance of being guarded

Portal Function (roll 1d30)

1-25. Normal passage to adjacent area

26-27. One-way, stranding passage through time, space, and/or reality*

28-29. One-way, returning passage (1d100 hours later) through time, space, and/or reality*

30. Two-way, secured passage through time, space, and/or reality*

*Special Portal Function

1. Travel into the past ^P, 1d100 (and roll 1d8): [1] rounds, [2] minutes, [3] hours, [4] days, [5] months, [6] years, [7] decades, or [8] centuries

2. Travel into the future, 1d100 (and roll 1d8): [1] rounds, [2] minutes, [3] hours, [4] days, [5] months, [6] years, [7] decades, or [8] centuries

3-5. Travel in a random direction (correcting for elevation and/or obstacles), 1d100 (and roll 1d8): [1] feet, [2] yards, [3] quarter miles, [4] miles, [5] ten miles, [6] hundred miles, [7] thousand miles, or [8] interplanetary

6. Otherworld: see Manannan listing in Divinities and Cults: Volume II for generation guidelines

P: Unless the past isn’t altered in any way by the time travelers (a very unlikely event), then those returning will likely end up in an alternate reality/ Otherworld due to the paradox(es) they cause(d).

Next week: Clerics of Fenrir Wolf!

Clerics of Janus, Part III

Liminal Space

Janus sends his faithful through many thresholds so that they might better understand the implications of space and time.

Divine Tests

1-2. Are you administering the proper rites? The cleric apparently needs more practice honoring new beginnings and measuring how much has already been done. He must now take 2d6 turns of time, as well as having a 50% chance of needing to sacrifice at least 1d6 x 10 gold pieces in treasure or goods, in order to do so.

3-4. A firmer reminder is now required. The priest is immediately shifted in time or space, suffering a -2 to all rolls for the rest of the day and possibly other considerations. Roll 1d3.

[1] Be sent 1d100 minutes into the future- he will experience it as lost time

[2] Be sent 1d100 minutes into the past, being able to even change it, but then suffering 1d20 damage from any paradoxes caused

[3] Be sent 1d20 feet in a random, horizontal direction, taking 1d3 damage and being pushed aside if he would materialize in a solid object

5-9. Duration and dimension can necessarily limit a cleric’s magic. As a result, he experiences a reduction in spells available (50% chance for each one) until dawn of the next day.  Roll 1d6 for each spell lost to determine what the cleric needs to happen in order for him to be able to use it before then:

[1] Arrive at a certain hour: roll 1d12 to determine what hour that is, ignoring whether the time is before or after midday

[2] Pass through a gateway, doorway, or other portal that he has never traveled through before

[3] Prevent all evil beings from passing through the nearest gateway, doorway, or other portal for the next 1d3 hours

[4] Open and pass through a gateway, doorway, or other portal that is currently locked or guarded

[5] Be at an area of synchronicity of time and space (e.g. a location associated with 144 at 1:44)

[6] Defeat one that has violated the laws of time or space (e.g. undead or summoned being)

10-12. Liminal Space can have broader applications, so in this case, use a Test from a similar Divinity rather than one from Janus. Roll 1d3:

[1] Manannan (otherworlds caused by time and space)

[2] Mars (beginnings of war)

[3] Mercury (gateways of trade)

See Divinities and Cults: Volume II for details on these Divinities. In the case of Manannan, explain the sense of not belonging or being otherworldly to the worship of Janus being more popular during archaic times.

13-17. A greater understanding of space is now required of the Janus priest, as well as anyone else who happens to be standing within 1d6 x 5’ of him when this Test occurs. They are immediately teleported a certain distance in a random, horizontal direction, also taking damage from any unfortunate collisions and/or elevation adjustments that might occur when they arrive at the destination. Perhaps he will remember to stick to proper rites for all new beginnings from now on? Roll 1d4.

[1] 1d100 feet, 1d4 damage

[2] 1d10 quarter miles, 1d8 damage

[3] 1d100 miles, 1d10 damage

[4] 1d1,000 miles (roll a 1d100 and add another d10), 1d20 damage

18+ As ‘Janitor’, Janus needs to clean up the cleric’s mess and show him that once and for all, time and space are one. After allowing him to view a temporal mishap that his lack of proper ritual has likely caused (or will cause), Janus then causes the cleric to either (roll 1d3):

[1] Travel 1d10 years into the past

[2] Travel 1d10 years into the future

[3] Enter an alternate reality with 1d4 divergences caused by paradoxes in the timeline (see the Manannan listing in Divinities and Cults: Volume II to generate divergences at random)

Those standing near the cleric when this Test occurs can also be transported with him (per Referee). And, unless the cleric finds another way to immediately return to his original time or reality (a base 5% chance per level), then those transported will end up being stranded. They then have a 50% + 10% chance per level of returning (or seeming to return) by either:

[1] Showing up immediately to find the party again but years older (if they were transported to the past)

[2] Reappearing again years later at the same place and at the same age (if they were transported to the future)

[3] Being switched with an alternate reality double that has a 50/50 chance of being either kinder or crueler and also has all ability scores adjusted by 1d6-3 (if they traveled to an alternate reality).

Otherwise, they will not return. What is more, for every Liminal Space result over 18+, increase the time travelled by 1d10 additional years and increase the divergences by 1d4!

Clerics of Janus (Part II)

Healing Side-Effects (Janus)
Like the flow of time and space, the healing of Janus is based on both beginnings and endings. And in the case of the patient, it will hopefully begin the cure and end the injury sooner rather than later.

What is more, if you’d like to save a die roll, you can have the Healing Side-Effect match whichever clock direction the top of the healing die faces when it lands. For example, if the result on a d6 for a Cure Light Wounds spell points to 4 o’clock, then consider the Healing Side-Effect result to be a 4. For healing spells that don’t have die rolls, simply roll a d12.

1-2. Is it the Appropriate Time? Janus presides over all beginnings, and the question is: what time should healing take place? Roll a d12 to determine the hour that healing is to occur for the patient (ignoring ante meridiem/ post meridiem time). If not already known, then roll a d12 to see if the hour matches. If it does, then the healing occurs immediately. If not, then healing occurs as soon as the correct hour is struck. In addition, and possibly unfortunately for the patient, he or she also cannot receive any healing until this hour is struck, whether from the spell that triggered this Side-Effect or not.

3-4. Rite makes Right. All Good Creation requires proper ritual and that includes curative magic. 1d6 turns of time and 2d6 gold pieces in offering are now required to make the healing work. If not, then it is forfeit.

5-6. Gatekeeper: Movement through space and time requires portals and the same holds true for this healing. As soon as the patient passes through one, whether magical or mundane, then he or she receives the spell’s curative effect.

7-8. Janus Geminus: It is now a temple that is needed for the healing to work, preferably a Roman one. If the recipient has been injured in battle though, then the doors to the Temple of Janus are open regardless and allow healing, no matter where the recipient is. If the recipient is fortunate enough to be in a Roman temple when the healing spell is cast, then he or she gains 50% extra benefit. If not injured in battle and not at a temple when the spell is cast though, then healing occurs at just half the effect.

9-12. Blessing of Janus: Not only is the patient healed automatically for the full amount, but he or she gains the benefits of Janus through time and space too. As a result, the patient can also take an extra action each round, as long as it involves movement, for the next 1d6 rounds.

Clerics of Janus (Part I)

Janus

Lawful Roman God of Gateways, Beginnings, & Time

Tenets of Janus

* Evoke Janus before all others

* Preside over gateways

* See to the proper rituals for all beginnings

* See also to the proper rites of space, as well

Clerics of Janus

Special: Clerics of Janus are also known as priests and priestesses. Being a very Roman God, his clerics focus much on proper ritual, which often takes 1d6 turns at a time. What is more, those clerics who eschew all armor may assume a bicephalus (two faced) form for up to 1 round per day per level. See Lugh’s Divine Test #15 in Divinities and Cults: Volume II for how this ability would work.

Allowed Weapons: Rod, staff

Allowed Armor: Banded or lighter*

Holy Symbol: Two-face (Gemini), Key

Can Turn: Those who violate the laws of time or space (such as undead and summoned beings)

Janus Mysteries: Clerics of Janus gain a +2 bonus to all rolls related to doorways, gateways, space, time, and the like.

Clerics of Epona (Part IV)

Cleric Spells (Epona)

Eponian clerics have access to the following spells. Eponian druids (those considered a distinct class- see Divinities and Cults: Volume II for details) can substitute select spells with druid ones.

1st Level: Cure Light Wounds, Detect Evil, Light, Protection from Evil, Purify Food and Drink (if it is suitable for horses), Resist Cold, Sanctuary (can be cast on others in pastures or stables), Animal Companion^D (horse-kind only), Detect Snares and Pits^D, Faerie Fire^D, Speak with Animals^D (horses)

2nd Level: Augury, Bless, Delay Poison, Know Alignment, Find Traps, Hold Person, Holy Chant, Resist Fire, Charm Person or Mammal^D (horse-kind only), Horse Hide^D (as Barkskin, but more equine) 

3rd Level: Animal Growth (horse-kind only), Cure Blindness, Cure Disease, Dispel Magic, Prayer, Remove Curse, Hold Animal^D, Neutralize Poison^D, Horse Haste (as Haste*, but can only be used when mounted)

4th Level: Create Food and Water, Cure Serious Wounds, Detect Lie, Divination, Exorcise, Protection from Evil 10’ Radius, Summon Animal I^D (horse-kind), Hallucinatory Terrain* (horse-realm only)

5th Level: Atonement, Commune, Cure Critical Wounds, Dispel Evil, Commune with Nature^D (when in horselands), Summon Animal II^D (horse-kind)

6th Level: Find the Path, Heal, Summon Animal III^D (horse-kind)

7th Level: Restoration, Chariot of Epona (as Fire Chariot^D, but horses appear normal and untethered), Reincarnate^D

Mount Qualities

Though this table would serve well to generate a steed, it can also be used to determine qualities of other mount types, since Epona is concerned with fertility, as well. Roll 1d20 twice.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Mane Black Dark bay Bay Blue Roan Brindle Brown Chestnut Dapple Gray Dun Gray Fleabitten Gray Leopard Liver chestnut Palamino Pinto Rose gray Red Roan Salt and Pepper White A different color

Manner/ Qualities Aloof Clever Draft Gassy Mule Old Panicky Pleasant Pony Ragged Slow Social Special Parentage1 Stallion Stubborn Swift Young War Wild Reroll twice

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

¹Roll 1d6 to determine what special parentage the mount has. It then will have 1 special ability that matches, per Referee:

[1] Centaur

[2] Hippocampus

[3] Hippogriff

[4] Nightmare

[5] Pegasus

[6] Unicorn

Clerics of Epona (Part III)

Race Upon the Land

Epona shows her cleric the truth of riding through fertile bounty and overcoming those who would seize or destroy it.

Divine Tests

1-3. It is time for quiet reflection, at least 2d6 turns, though if mounted or in a place where horses dwell, she need only take 1d3 turns, none if at a Node (q.v.)

4-9. All steeds must return to pasture or stable at times and so too must the druidess of Epona. She experiences a reduction in spells available (50% chance for each one), possibly including her turn ability, for the rest of the day. Roll 1d6 for each spell lost to determine what she needs to do in order to get it back before then:

[1] Ride a willing mount for at least 1 hour

[2] Run free for the next 2 hours

[3] Stop to graze upon oats and forage foods for 1d6 rounds at a time, whenever new ones become available, for the rest of the day (she will be able to digest them)

[4] Promote fertility, whether in herself or in others (a base 50% chance of success for each attempt)

[5] Repel or slay a humanoid invader or other foreigner to the land

[6] Put a tyrant or despoiler of nature in his or her place: any will do, but it will most likely earn his or her ire (a 95% chance)

10-12. Epona rides far and her horse cult has similarities to a number of other divinities. Rather than experiencing a Race Upon the Land, reroll and consider this test to actually be for one of the following instead (roll 1d4):

 [1] Artemis (see Vol I)

[2] Danu (see Vol. II)

[3] Eostre (bonus Divinity- contact Dan for the link)

[4] Manannan (see Vol. II)

The Referee should feel free to adjust any results to make them more ‘Gallic’. See the Appendix of Divinities and Cults: Volume II for guidelines, though Epona is quite gentle and strong.

13-17. It is now best for the druidess of Epona to be changed in order to better experience fertile freedom. Each one lasts for 4d6 hours per instance of this test. Roll 1d4 to determine what the alteration is:

[1] Be changed into a horse in all regards except for her mind: the type is determined by the druidess’s nature (per Referee; even a unicorn or pegasus if over 5th level).

[2] Turn into a Gallic centaur mare, granting her +1 HD and the speed of a horse, while still being able to speak and use her upper body normally. Still, she will also get some strange looks from others (a 65% chance), as well as a -4 penalty to casting rolls.

[3] Become a Godivan nymph: she must remain mounted and unclad and any ‘peeping toms’ that look at her at first must save twice to avoid blindness and even death! The rest just avoid taxation.

[4] Merge into the land itself as some sort of Gallic genius loci. She will be aware of what goes on in a 1d20 x 10 yard radius area, leaving a hill figure-type chalk representation upon the ground, even being able to cast spells within the place. Others may attempt to Commune with her, as per the spell during this time, though she may not leave.

18+ Some Races Upon the Land face challenges, and this is one of them. Whatever strangeness befalls her, the druidess must remember that all occurs for the sake of fertility. Roll 1d4.

[1] In eponymous fashion, the druidess’s name now becomes associated with the general locale that she is standing in when this test occurs, causing likely confusion when discussed from now on (a base 75% chance), even possibly hostility from strangers (a base 20% chance).

[2] All horses within her presence now talk, causing those unfamiliar to save or become hostile to either the steeds (a base 25% chance) and/or to the druidess herself (a base 75% chance). Luckily, they are likely to stop talking once she departs: a 85% chance, minus 10% per instance of this test.

[3] Rainbows, bright colors, hearts, glitter, and unicorn horns adorn any mounts that the druidess of Epona rides or is within 60’ feet of for the next 1d6 hours. All those of a masculine disposition that witness such a fey effect must save or suffer a -3 to all rolls during this time, due to manly disgust.

[4] Though the druidess would only do what is right for her people and would expel invaders and despoilers, they are misled and do not see it that way. Via a vote (or the like) she is denied the next leadership role that she would have.

Clerics of Epona (Part II)

Magical Side-Effects (Epona)

Like the Great Mare that she is, Epona provides stable, strong, and steady support for those who honor her equine ways and the lands that sustain her people. Roll 1d12.

1-2. Free to Range: Those who would enslave, harm the land, or replace Epona’s folk must be stopped. The cleric’s magic will only work in this case on those who would mete out justice upon such fell ones within at least 1d6 hour’s time, or else harm those fell ones directly.

3. The Land Provides the Greatest Succor. The magic will only occur if  outdoors or in some other place where horses are housed or dwell, hopefully with plenty of oats and other grains around.

4. Bareback: Horses travel best when they run free, unbidden by restraint and so should the magic’s recipient if it's meant to help them. He or she must be free of garb for the next 1d6 turns, even gaining a +1 to all rolls for the following hour if Godiva-mounted during that time, though chaffing might become a problem (a base 33% chance).

5-8. Standard Spell: The  magic works without a side-effect this time.

9-10. Stable Magic: If within 1d6 x 10’ of a horse, pasture, or horse dwelling when the spell is cast, then the magic has a 50% bonus to its effect, range, or duration, 100% if more than one apply.

11-12. Blessing of Epona. The spell's effect, range, or duration is doubled. In addition, if meant to be helpful, its recipient gains a +2 bonus to all rolls related to horses and defending the land for the next 1d6 hours. What is more, if he or she is specifically working against tyrants, despoilers, and/or invaders, then the recipient gains an additional +2 bonus in those situations as well, for a total of +4.

Clerics of Epona (Part I)

Epona

Neutral Gallic Goddess of Horses, the Land, & Fertility

Tenets of Epona

* Honor horses and all that they bestow

* Enjoy the fertile bounty of the land

* Stand up to tyranny and despoilers

* Protect your homeland from invaders too

Clerics of Epona

Special: All clerics of Epona are female and are also known as druidesses or priestesses.

Allowed Weapons: None

Allowed Armor: None

Holy Symbol: Horse, Foal, Cornucopia, Bowl

Can Turn: Tyrants, Invaders, Despoilers

Eponian Mysteries: Clerics of Epona can gain a +2 bonus to one of their casting rolls when mounted or when otherwise near a horses or horses, up to once per day per level.

Clerics of Svarog/ Slavic Clerics Pt. IV

(illus: Viktor Vasnetsov, 1898)

Cleric Spells (Svarog)

Clerics of Svarog have access to the following spells:

1st Level: Command, Create Water (as rain), Cure Light Wounds, Detect Evil, Light, Protection from Evil, Purify Food and Drink, Remove Fear (reversible), Resist Cold, Sanctuary, Divine Weather^D, Heat Metal^D, Burning Hands^D

2nd Level: Augury, Bless, Delay Poison, Find Traps, Hold Person, Holy Chant, Resist Fire, Produce Flame^D, Pyrotechnics^D

3rd Level: Continual Light, Cure Blindness, Cure Disease, Dispel Magic, Locate Object, Prayer, Remove Curse (reversible), Striking (on iron weapons only), Clairaudience*, Clairvoyance*, Gust of Wind*

4th Level: Cure Serious Wounds, Detect Lie, Divination, Exorcise, Neutralize Poison, Protection from Evil 10’ Radius, Enchant Arms*

5th Level: Atonement, Commune, Cure Critical Wounds, Dispel Evil, Flame Strike, Plane Shift, Fly*

6th Level: Animate Objects, Control Weather, Find the Path, Heal, Stone Tell

7th Level: Astral Projection, Holy Word, Restoration, Wind Walk, Control Weather (Greater)^D

Slavic Countryside Encounters

Much goes on beneath the great domain of Svarog, though here is just a smattering.

Locale (roll 1d10)

1. Kapishche (outdoor sacred enclosure): 25% chance of having a volkhv of Svarog present, level 1d3.

2. Idols or cemetery (50% chance of being foreboding)

3. Logging camp

4. Beautiful overlook (with a nice view of the Sky, Svarog’s domain)

5. Forest Clearing

6. Hut or Cabin (50% chance of having a bath house)

7. Forest path

8. Marshy area

9. Open field

10. Farm

Inhabitants (roll 1d10)

1. None (area is deserted)

2. Animals only (20% chance of being dangerous, per Referee)

3. 1d6 Folk enjoying the countryside (+1 on Disposition Table below; 35% chance of being attractive women)

4. 1d8 Workers (-1 on Disposition Table below)

5. 1d4 Tradespeople

6. 1d6 Travelers (See Odin section in Divinities and Cults: Volume I for table)

7. 1d4 Nobles guarded by 2d4 levels of fighters

8. 1d6 Vagabonds (See Loki section in Divinities and Cults: Volume I for table; 25% chance of being bandits too)

9. 1d3 Spirits (See Orcus section in Divinities and Cults: Volume II for details; 65% chance of being mischievous; 35% chance of being dangerous)

10. 1d4 Monsters (great beasts, demons, humanoids, giants, undead, or fey)

Disposition (roll 1d8)

1. Angry!

2. Gruff

3. Depressed

4. Reverent

5. Peaceful

6. Happy

7. Boisterous

8. Celebratory!