Cult of the Leviathan - Clerical Spell List

LEVIATHAN SPELLS

 

The Leviathan is a great spirit of the deep seas, and its worshipers are mostly drawn from those aboard the Apollyon who work in or with the seas.  Dedicants of the Leviathan are welcome amongst the crews of Sterntown’s fishing fleet, as their powers can control and compel sea life, brings home full nets and chasing off predators or other dangers. 

The Religion itself is less popular amongst crew in other walks of life, part of this is its alien history, as the religion is based on the superstitions of the most primitive of the Frogling bands who joined with Boss Wug to protect Sterntown, but greater distrust stems from the secrecy of the cult.  The Leviathan’s robed Dedicants, in gauzy purple, blood stained red and stiff rimed white, are the cults’ only public presence, as its worshipers conceal both their membership and rank within the circles of the cult from outsiders and even each other.  Once a season the cult shows its growing numbers, with a parade and free feast, featuring enormous quantities of sea food distributed to all from colorful floats by large gangs of masked and silent cultists amidst the banging of huge gongs and trumpeting horns.

The Cult of the Leviathan is a mystery religion, its worshipers paying, primarily in gold, for entry into deeper and more powerful mysteries of the submerged god and meeting in small anonymous covens, each served by a rotating group of Dedicants. Even Dedicants do not break the secrecy of the cult, and while worshipers of the Leviathan know their fellows by hidden signs, concealed tattoos and veiled references, it is unclear if these markers of membership are universal, or themselves limited by circle and the unknown designs of the cult’s hierophant.

    

Penetrating the Mysteries and Gaining Power

The Disciples of the Leviathan practice a form of Esoteric divine magic, superficially and mechanically identical to the houngans of the Ship Spirits, but where Ship Spirit clerics curry favor and trade promises with a wide variety of kindred local spirits, the Dedicants appeal to various avatars of the Leviathan’s singular presence.  

Fallen Empire - The Imperial Cult, New Class and Spell lists

PRIEST/PRIESTESS OF THE IMPERIAL CULT 

Below is a new sub-class of Cleric I have been preparing for my Fallen Empire setting, it's an evolution (perhaps the final one) of the 'casting die' based spell mechanics that started with animal shaman in the Pahvelorn campaign and which I currently use for some clerics in HMS Apollyon. I generally like this system for divine magic as it makes it unpredictible and strange without adding too many new rules.  It also allows player imagination to expand the spell list by inventing new patrons, which makes it potentially very fun for players who enjoy world building and setting immersion. A PDF of the class can be found HERE.

Within the Successor Empire there is only one religion of power, the Imperial cult stands alone and falsely claims a spiritual unification.  The Cult’s claim is disingenuous as it has birthed a thousand little schisms, divergent traditions, and is big or vacuous enough to contain almost any beliefs.  The Cult worships the Emperor, and while the qualities of the imbecilic Zeno the 14^th, current and 754^th Emperor (210^th of the Successor dynasty), do not lend themselves to worship even his devotees receive mystical power from their belief.  There are hundreds of other Imperial Emperor Saints that also grant power, and many of them conceal the syncretic adaptations of other conquered religions, often worshiped under multiple names.

The spirits of individual emperors offer their devotees unique powers based on a special religious portfolio, and while most priests limit themselves to one or two preferred saints, a few of the most powerful, half saint themselves, can channel many different divine spirits.  However, even these greatest of holy men and women can only call upon one power at a time and must wear the correct panoply to do so.

HMS APOLLYON PLAYERS MANUAL - Ship Spirit Spells

I've gone and written up the spell lists for the three Ship Spirit patrons available to thier Clerics aboard the Apollyon.  The Lists themselves are in a fromat that doesn't transfer too well to Blogger, but the gist of the casting system is below along with descriptions of the three powers available to 1st level clerics.  The spells themselves are in the PDF.



PDF HERE - including actual Spell lists

THE SHIP SPIRITS

The Ship Spirits represent the larger and more popular of Sterntown’s two ecstatic religions.  The Religion itself is loosely organized with various devotees banding together to share space in its shrine houses, which contain many shrines and crèches to individual spirits representing the various aspects of the Apollyon itself.  Each shrine is tended by one or two houngans or mambos who can invoke aspects of the spirit they specially revere and perform magic based on the spirit’s specific nature.

Powers of the Brine Witch - More Leviathan Spell Lists

The Brine Witch - This avatar of the Leviathan symbolizes the deity in its union with humanity.  Appearing as a brine soaked and salt crusted hag with flaking white skin, it is largely summoned by initiates eager to have more power over mortals.  Initiation into the mysteries of the Brine Witch require the preparation of a salt crusted mask of white metal or porcelain (of at least 1,000 GP value) that the initiate must wear at all times while invoking the spirit's power.

Salt Monsters - they all look the same.

Foul or Cleanse (ritual) [10] [purify water]
Summoning the powers of the Leviathan to cleanse or foul waters for drinking is a boon most often happily granted by the Brine Witch.  A volume of water equal to a 10'+1' per level of the caster cube may be so effected.  Fouling waters simply turns them brackish and undrinkable, it does not render them poisonous and will quickly dilute in larger bodies of water.  Catastrophic failure of the spell implies an intervention on the part of elemental forces, and usually results in the creation of a hostile water weird.
 
Drown [13] [hold person]
The Brine Witch's powers may be directed at the bodies of other humans and humanoids, causing their lungs to fill with salt water.  The Initiate may select up to three targets who may Save vs. Spells to avoid the effect.  If afflicted the target will find themselves coughing and spewing water in a desperate attempt to breath.  Victims of the spell will be unable to act or move in an effective manner for 5+1 rounds after the spell is cast.  Catastrophic failure of the spell will most often result in a backlash where the initiate and up to two of her companions will be effected by the Drowning.

Entropic Weard [13] (ritual) [Protection from Law]
Forming the Witch's sigil from brine crusted bones creates a powerful ward against order that may be shattered to induce terror in all nearby.  When worn by an individual this weard, a lattice of bone, salt crystal and string will make it impossible for creatures or agents of order to touch the wearer.  Mortal and mundane agents of order may still attack, though at a -2 to hit, but supernatural creatures of order are limited to ranged assault while the weard is active. The weard will last for 1 turn per level of the initiate, before greatly accelerated entropy causes it to crumble.

Rather then wear the weard for protection an initiate may shatter it, instantly causing terror and the impulse for flight to grip creature within 30' that is capable of such emotions (including the caster).  All aggressive acts for the next turn will be a -1 to hit for those effected because of timidity, and a save vs. spells is required to avoid immediate flight for 1D12 rounds towards any remembered place of safety.

Catastrophic failure often results in complete chaos and entropy in the area the ritual is performed.  In addition to causing all those present to flee in terror for 1D12 rounds, the entropic weard is likely to permanently mark the ritual area with signs of its presence - such as rapid decay, a crusting of salt or the presence of otherworldly murmurings.

Brine Horror (ritual) [17] [animate dead] By performing an elaborate ritual, it's gruesome mysteries known only to the Heirophants of the Leviathan, the initiate may draw a fragment of the Brine Witch's power into the body of a water logged corpse.  When this corpse dries in 1-4 days it will animate as a mummified, salt encrusted servitor ready to follow the commands of the Initiate.  An initiate may only have one Brine Horror spell active at a time, but may raise multiple horrors.  To raise more than one servitor the initiate simply needs to subtract 1 from their casting roll per additional corpse animated.  The servitors created will be 3HD undead, AC 5 that attack last each round, either with their clawed hands (D6 damage) or with weapons provided by the initiate.  Given the draconian penalties associated with necromancy in Sterntown, the cult of the Leviathan discourages the use of this spell amongst its initiates, and when Brine Horrors are created they are kept well concealed.  A catastrophic failure of this spell often creates a temporary rift in the fabric of reality and draws nightmarish creatures such as shadows and wraiths from beyond.

Stagnation [17] [dispel magic]
Through the use of this spell the initiate asks that Leviathan uproot the reality of the present and lock the universe in place around the initiate.  This spell effectively disrupts and destroys the intervention of other forces, dispelling all magic within 10'  as if the spell had been cast by a 10th level magic user.  All magic in the area of effect will be transmuted into sprays and structures of crystalline sea salt, pale grey in color. The initiate may not choose what magic is dispelled as the thaumaturgic energy of the entire area is leeched into the Leviathan, and even friendly magic will be dampened or destroyed by this spell.  A catastrophic failure of this spell will often render the initiate himself unable to cast spells or use magic for at least a day. 

Dessication [21] [death spell]
Asking for this boon is dangerous, because of the power it contains.  If successfully cast, this spell will desiccate the next target of a successful melee attack by the initiate.  On a successful attack the target begins to shrivel and desiccate, rapidly turning into a mummified corpse encrusted with brine.  Targets may Save vs. Spells, but even with a successful save the will take the Initiates level x 1D6 points of damage.  Creatures slain with the Brine Witch's dessication will rise as brine horrors within 1D4 days, but have no loyalty beyond a loathing for life.  A catastrophic failure of this spell will most often cause the caster 1D6xlevel points of damage as the Witch draws the life foirce and moisture from them instead of the target.  Alternatively it may simply drain a level of experience and render the caster unconscious for 1D4 hours.  

The Sprits of the Deeps - Alternate Cleric List for HMS Apollyon

Two of the major religions aboard the HMS Apollyon are not organized religions in the sense that the average D&D cleric seems to depend on, they are less hierarchical and more polytheistic then the standard portrayal of D&D holy men.  The Shrine of the Ship Spirits is a syncretic polytheism that worships numerous small spirits and petty gods tied to different manifestations of the Apollyon itself.  It has aspects of ancestor worship and animism, depending in the immediate intervention of local spiritual forces.  The Cult of the Leviathan is likewise outside the norms of clerical practice, being a classic mystery cult devoted to an otherworldly entity with dominion over the ocean.  I have decided optionally to adopt a non-Vancian system for these religions following that used by Brendan in designing a Shaman class for Pahvelorn.  Alternatively I have included the name of a standard clerical spell that can be replaced by the Cult versions below for flavor. It should also perhaps be noted that these guys were originally intended to be baddies, yet for whatever reason they seem to be perceived as more "zany counter-culture types" by my players.

Cult of the Leviathan

It's likely that Leviathan ...

The worshipers of the Most Serene and Ancient Leviathan are a fairly new addition to the religions of Sterntown.  Some claim the Leviathan was originally a Frogling deity, and indeed Froglings make up a fair portion of it's worshipers, but then again many Froglings are fishers and the Leviathan's entire congregation is made up of fisherfolk.  The Cult is an ecstatic mystery religion, with the bulk of its supplicants knowing little beyond a few mantras requesting divine aid in finding schools of fish, or strengthening nets, and worshiping the Sunken God only by wearing a carved whalebone gris gris or marching in the Cult's festive parades.

Shaman Spell Lists of the Mater Milia - Pahvelorn House Rules

In Brendan of Necropraxis' long running G+ game Vaults of Pahvelorn, due to the slow evolution of the game world, it recently made sense for my thief to hire a henchman/spiritual adviser name Lau Taxan. Lau is a former clerk and embezzler out of the holy city of Illum-Zugot, but he is also chosen by the rat goddess, and after a few months of adventuring he developed the abilities of a rat priest.

Der Rattenkonig

Now one of the things that's developed in Pahvelorn is an interesting religious dichotomy between followers of the orthodox sky religion, the Eternal Empire and the resurgent cults of old local spirits.  Many local spirit cults are animal in nature, and have very different powers.  In order to make this religious split interesting (it's changed party dynamics a bit - with (arguably evil) the thief and child witch trying to outdo the (arguably good) two clerics with good acts to prove their dubious rat deity is a more generous god than the Empire. One could also comment that the PCs religious beliefs have made the party less mercenary, and more focused on helping the various towns and human civilizations rather than narrowly focused on loot and advancement.

Under Brendan's rules, the distinction between the way priests and traditional religious practitioners work is interesting with an entirely different kind of casting and limited menu of spells based on summoned spirit.  Details on the Cult can be found in this post about Lau Taxan, but it has recently been described as "Rat focused Marxism" and indeed a common mantra of its worshipers is "To the glory of the Mother according to her needs, from each according to ability"

Cult of the Ravenous - HMS APOLLYON

Not all of the HMS Apollyon's human residents live within Sterntown, though however oppressed its masses are they are arguably the luckiest of the vessel's fully human residents.  Only the stretched albino giants of the Black Gang supposedly live better deep in the hull amongst their forges, fortresses, furnaces, and soot stained temples to the blood quenched spirits of ash, ember and steel.  Of course it is hard to believe that they are human at all, as the Black Gang has dwelt without light or fresh air for so long that they have been changed, if not for the evil, then certainly for the strange.  Likewise the thralls of the Fishmen, while once human are now something very different.

Other people live within the hull however, small tribes of primitives, exiles, and inbred clans all eking out frightened existences hiding from the horrors of the hull.  It is no surprise that some of these groups seek the protection of otherworldly patrons, or that the they are far less picky about which patrons they will serve and how they serve them.  The worst of the cults that has recently come to some prominence, and may even represent a threat to Sterntown's expansion is the Cult Ravenous, worshipers of Yeenoghu Gnawer at the Root of the World.  No gnolls exist to praise Yeenoghu with butchery and gluttony aboard the Apollyon, so he aids his human followers with many boons.

Cult Ravenous Blessed One

Servants of the Elder Gods - Spell List

Below is an alternative spell list for clerics of animal and other primal deities.  I figure it'd work for cultists and shaman as well.  It's sort of an alternative for the Druid class, and dispenses with the Druid's focus on nature as a whole in favor of a focus on the power of some sort of totemic spirit - usually of an animal nature. I suppose a tribal priest that drew their power from ancestors would work well, only the creatures summoned and evoked through the spells would be totems, spirits and homunculi empowered by revered shaman.

Originally this was intended as an alternative for animal spirit clerics in Pahvelorn, but it sounds like there's another much cooler plan in the works for that.  The spell list is based on the presumption that these casters are less armored crusaders and more likely to be light combatants like the tribal or cult warriors they support.

Oh Rats!

Spell List for the Servant’s of the Elder Gods (lvls 1-3)

LEVEL 1

1. Detect Magic – Blessing of the Auras
Servant may detect magic for 1 turn per level.  This magic detection is not as effective as that of an arcane practitioner, based instead an ability to see that things, people and creatures are tainted with something unnatural.  The ability to see magical auras lasts 1 Turn per level of the caster.

2. Calm Beast – Peace of the Ancients 
Allows the caster to calm up to 8HD of enraged natural creatures with a single word spoken in the elder tongue.  These creatures will remain calm and uninterested in the caster or those accompanying her for 1d6+4 turns unless considerably disturbed or attacked.

3. Detect Hidden – Sight into the Hidden Worlds
By calling on the Spirits of place and time the caster may have a flash of vision that will reveal everything hidden or concealed within a 30’ radius circle indoors.  This includes hidden objects, traps and secret doors and areas blocked by walls or doors. The spell does not provide meaning to the items it shows, such as where the trigger to a secret door is located, or how to disarm a trap, but it can reveal their presence. Outdoors this spell, in addition to detecting nearby hidden items can be used to find trails and paths if the Servant is lost.  An unfortunate the after effect of this spell is that the caster will suffer from blindness to all but ethereal things for 2D10 turns after the spell is cast.

Spell Reskinning - Lightning Bolt

5th Level is when Wizards start to get really dangerous, and one of the signs of their new power to destroy is lightning bolt, deadly area effect spell that is a staple of magic user direct damage spells.  In the spirit of my previous posts reskinning sleep and magic missile, here's a set of twenty alternatives for Lightning Bolt.

HMS Apollyon - Grimore, Hammer of the Damned.

Hammer of the Damned – Grimoire

Bound in cracked rust colored skin, most likely from one of the denizens of the planes of punishment, this volume is partially filled with the liturgy of an extinct cult devoted to eliminating the presence of Outsiders from the material plane. It is bound with an ornate gold lock, which someone has taken a hammer to in the past. Likewise the embossed sigils on the cover have been carved at to distort them and eliminate any trace of magical protection they may have offered.

The grimoire once contained a wealth of spells, but many pages have been ripped out, scribbled over or partially burnt. I currently contains only the spells listed below, but the fragmentary documentation of other spells can be used to gain a 20% bonus to the research of spells dealing with extra-planar entities with a successful intelligence check.

HMS Apollyon - A Grimoire

One of the regular players aboard the HMS Apollyon recently purchased an illegal necromantic grimoire from a Mr. Snee, seller of odd objects. The book and the spells it contains are as follows. It's not the most battle ready collection of spells, but it was a good deal at two 1st level, 3 second level and 1 third level spell for 2,000gp (that's under 200Gp per spell level!) - not saying there isn't a catch.

An HMS Appollyon Spell - Auric Devourer

A player recently purchased a strange elemental version of Tenser's Floating Disc from a untrustworthy Frogling.  Below is the Spell in my best high Gygaxian
Auric Devourer (Summoning)

Level: 1 Components: V, S, M Range: 1" Casting Time: 2 rounds Duration: Special
Saving Throw: None    Area of Effect: Special

Explanation/Description: A simple Summoning, available to even to weak practitioner, with this spell the caster summons a small toad like elemental creature from the plane of Earth and asserts a limited amount of control over it.  The Elemental will appear in a summoning circle made of powdered iron.  The creature appears as a squat metallic toad about 4' in diameter and is both docile and harmless.  If attacked it will vanish back to its home plane, and cannot be recalled.  If the spell is cast again a different devourer will appear, and any valuables within the first are irretrievably lost.

The elemental serves only a limited purpose, it gluttonously devours valuable metals and can eat up to 10,000 coins worth of copper, silver, gold, electrum or platinum. Controlled by the caster the Devourer will only eat the metal it is directed to, and will not travel far from the caster's side to do to.   After it has had its fill, or at the command of the caster, the creature will vanish silently back to its home plane, but may be recalled to either eat more or disgorge the valuables within.  Making the Devourer disgorge its meal is traumatic to the beast and afterwards it will not return unless again compelled by the spell.

While digestion is not a danger (The digestions times of Earth Elementals are geological in duration), rarely a Devourer will lose its meal and return with nothing.  There is only a 5% cumulative chance of this per week the Devourer will lose the caster's valuables, and there is a flat 5% that it will return having devoured more noble metals (50% addition to value of contents).