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1. Clerical magic comes from belief.
2. Since most religions teach belief through strict doctrine, it would follow that most clerics would know only certain ways of drawing upon the power of their diety. This would be very dependent on the way that the cleric is tought to worship and their belief in the nature of the diety (different sects with different beliefs evoke different powers, and, because of these beliefs, it is very difficult for a member of one sect to learn the powers of another sect).
3. In some cases (I'm thinking of my char Edwark as an example), a cleric's belief falls outside the norm, and he has no-one to teach him how to worship or evoke the power of the diety in the way that they wish. In this case, the clerical magic is more free-form, largely skipping over the ritual and coming more directly from belief into being in raw form. The player would have to describe his character's interpretation of the diety he assigns himself to. Since this process is experimental, there is the risk of less control over the power, sometimes causing damage to the cleric, his friends, or by-standers. As a substitute for ritual, the freelance cleric may develop his own methods, such as certain evocative words, somatical elements or items. These are not necessary, but help give the cleric a sense of control over their power. Since clerical power feeds from belief, if the cleric believes the rituals give him more control, they usually will, to a degree. It is not uncommon for clerics of established orders to adapt their own personal superstitions or rituals (so long as they don't deviate too greatly from the norm).
The magic systems (spells & type of spells) should be based on the different sects of each god.
I'm guessing in Edwark's case, since his belief runs as deep as his psychosis (and is in fact one with it), that his clerical power would be strong. I like Vir's idea of my character having the power of moral corruption or twisting perceptions, since it fits with the mental problems and Etherus's chaotic, destructive nature.
Some ideas on the division of divine power:
Queprur: Power over aging, decay, and the evoking of spirits to do one's bidding (necromancy).
Urtengor: Ability to move and manipulate earth and stone; also, can refine metals and jewels with their power.
Arvins: Friendship and power over animals and plants; able to aid growth of plants (such as to make a bramble wall or a net of vines).
Ugh, I'm tired. I'll do more on this later.
"And the youngest of the family is moving with authority! Building castles by the sea, he dares the tardy tide to wash them all aside!" - Jethro Tull
Edited by: Edwark at: 4/24/02 6:07:09 am
) and then each of these areas would contain a few sub-areas. For instance, Reasoning (the ability to get along with people and avoid conflicts), Street Wisdom, and Charisma would all go under Appearance.
