Miracles

Clerics are believed to be divinely inspired, and their powers are granted to Clerics through prayer. Whether higher powers bless Cleric with their might, if these higher powers are what the Cleric believes them to be, or if all Cleric Miracles are merely ritualized forms of sympathetic magic, are all subjects frequently debated. Only one thing is for sure: Cleric magic is indeed magic of a sort. Even though Miracles and Prayers are formalized in a way that Magic-User Spells are not, their results cannot be duplicated by non-Clerics. The process of gaining, preparing, and invoking Miracles is indeed formalized, but only within a religion and even certain sect. Different religions, and even different sects within the same religion, execute their magical rituals differently from one another.

Preparing Miracles each day

Unlike a Magic-User, a Cleric keeps no spellbook. Through prayer a Cleric may prepare any miracle from the Cleric miracle list of a spell level they are able to invoke; the deity grants the prayers it deems fit. The Cleric must rest for six continuous hours before preparing miracles, after which meditation and prayer take one Turn per miracle prepared. The Cleric’s miracle charts give the maximum number of miracles of each spell level that can be memorized at once, and the Cleric can never have more than this number prepared at one time. The same miracle may be prepared more than once, each instance filling a separate slot. A Cleric may dismiss prepared miracles from their mind, clearing the slots so that other miracles can be prepared in their place.

Reversible miracles must be prepared as either the “straight” version or the “reversed” version; the decision cannot be made at the time of invocation. A Cleric can only safely prepare miracles once every twenty-four hours. The mind simply cannot handle any more.

Invoking Miracles

Miracles are invoked by a combination of mental concentration, gesticulation and chanting. In order to invoke a miracle, a Cleric must clutch a holy symbol of his religion and be able to chant freely. A character that is bound, gagged, Silenced, or otherwise unable to gesture or speak cannot invoke miracles. Invoking a miracle cannot be done secretly, stealthily, or disguised as another activity if otherwise not stated; the actions necessary will be obvious to all.

A Cleric can only invoke a miracle that is currently prepared. Invoking the miracle expends it: it leaves the Cleric’s memory and cannot be invoked again until it is prepared anew. There is no roll to invoke — a prepared miracle answers without fail — but it does not take hold the instant it is spoken. Invoking a miracle takes the Cleric’s whole action for the Round, and the miracle only takes effect at the beginning of the next Round, before Initiative is rolled. In the meantime the Cleric is helpless and exposed: if they take any damage after they begin praying and before the miracle resolves, their prayer is broken and the miracle is lost with no effect — the action is wasted and the prepared miracle is spent all the same. A Cleric who acts against their deity’s teachings or alignment may be denied miracles until they atone, as the Referee judges.

• For any miracle that harms a target or produces a direct effect, the target is allowed a saving throw, negating the effect or halving the damage the miracle produces.

• Miracles of 3rd and lower level that search and reveal anything cannot penetrate 3 ft of dirt or debris, 1 ft of stone, 1’’ of metal or a thin sheet of lead. Detection by miracles of 4th and higher level can only be prevented by special magical defence.