DIVINITIES & CULTS: VOLUME II BEING A REFEREE & PLAYER RESOURCE FOR LABYRINTH LORD AND OTHER CLASSIC ROLEPLAYING GAMES Written by Dan Osarchuk Revised 2017, 2019 Cover Illustration by Luigi Castellani Interior Illustrations by Luigi Castellani & stock art Special thanks to Curtis Lyon (Three Sages Games), Bruce Wiggins, Ben Orndorff, Craig Grubb, Kolbe Ann, and Loken Roderic for their assistance in helping to edit and refine this work. Copyright © 2016, 2017, 2019 OSRDAN GAMES Compatible with the various Old School Editions and their ‘Retro-clones’, especially Labyrinth Lord! Labyrinth LordTM is copyright 2007-2011, Daniel Proctor. Labyrinth LordTM and Advanced Labyrinth LordTM are trademarks of Daniel Proctor. These trademarks are used under the Labyrinth LordTM Trademark License 1.2, available at www.goblinoidgames.com. Samplewww.divinitiesandcults.com file Key to Divinities & Cults: Volume II How to Use This Book The incredible and mysterious powers of the Gods require similar Triggers are reduced by 1 each day thereafter, along with normal abilities for their followers! Use some or all of these rules in order to prayers, meditation, etc. make one’s cleric more specialized by divinity. Triggers Test Type Roll 0 nil none Special 1 I 1d6 Though ‘cleric’ is the default term for most divinities’ mortal servants 2 II 1d8+2 in this work, they can also be served by priests, druids, and the like. 3 III 1d10+4 Read further in this Volume for details on these subclasses. 4 IV 1d12+6 etc. etc. +4 per Trigger Tenets For example, a cleric violates one of his divinity’s tenets, immediately Clerics are expected to follow these ideological guidelines. Major triggering a d6 roll on the Divine Test table for his divinity. Later that transgressions will result in an immediate roll on the divinity’s Divine day, he needs a +2 bonus for one of his spells, triggering a 1d8+2 roll, Test table in order to bring the cleric back onto the path. thanks to calling upon Divine Intervention. The following day, he rolls a 1 on a casting roll (see below), causing him to start with another Type II Allowed Weapons and Armor Test (1d8+2), since 1 trigger still remained from the day before. Clerics bear protection in specific ways as per their patron deity, marking them apart from clerics of other deities. Clerics who use Cleric Spells disallowed weapons or armor will be unable to use any of their Clerics have access to different spells based on which god or powers during that time and for the next 6d4 hours afterwards. goddess they follow. Note that spells marked thus (*) are magic- user spells; (D) are druid spells. Holy Symbols These are the representations of the cleric’s faith in their divinity. Casting Rolls Various symbols may emphasize various aspects of the divinity and In order to make spellcasting even more dynamic and exciting, may represent distinct sects, denominations, or even cults thereof. clerics can perform casting rolls to have their spells succeed. Doing so makes casting spells feel *magical* and adds an additional layer Can Turn of depth to your game. Clerics can attempt to turn all listed beings held antithetical to their Roll a d20, add the cleric’s wisdom modifier, and then consult the god or goddess, rather than just necessarily undead. following table. The total will need to equal or exceed the listed number in order for the spell to succeed. If successful, then the Mysteries magical side-effect can be rolled too (see above). What is more, clerics may gain special bonuses or abilities, often usable up to once per day per level, based on their patron deity. CASTING ROLL SUCCESS MATRIX Mysteries not only add an additional level of strategy to gameplay, Spell Level but also reiterate a cleric’s place within the cosmos. Cleric Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th Magical Side-Effects 1 5 - - - - - - Something that matches the deity’s purview may also occur along 2 4 - - - - - - with the usual results of a spell. Depending on the d12 result, the 3 3 5 - - - - - recipient may need to fulfill a special requirement first, experience something unfortunate, or even gain a special bonus. Using 4 2 4 - - - - - magical side-effects in one’s game helps to keep each spell gritty, 5 2 3 6 - - - - interesting, mysterious, and memorable. And if a side-effect doesn’t 6 2 2 5 - - - - apply to a certain situation, simply consider it to be ‘no side effect’ 7 2 2 4 6 - - - in that case. 8 2 2 3 5 - - - 9 2 2 2 4 7 - - Divine Tests 10 2 2 2 3 6 - - Divinities may test their clerics (and even other mortals) to bring 11 2 2 2 2 5 7 - them back onto the divine path for their overall benefit or simply to 12 2 2 2 2 4 6 - punish them. In either case, the further the individual strays, the 13 2 2 2 2 3 5 8 greater the test, so the will of the Gods should be taken seriously! 14 2 2 2 2 2 4 7 Success: The spell works! Even if the target then saves, they will Divine Tests are triggered each time a cleric: still experience 1/2 the spell’s effect unless they save by 10 or - Defies a tenet of his or her divinity or does the opposite of one more. - Calls upon Divine Intervention (see Volume I) Failure: Spell doesn’t work- nothing happens! Cleric can try to cast - Gains a new cleric level- this serves as an initiation: the number of the spell again next round. triggers equals the new level divided by 2, rounded down - Defiles a sacred place, object, or individual of any divinity (applies Natural 20: Success and the spell’s effects increase by x1d4+1! to all individuals, not just clerics) - the test will be from the divinity Natural 13: A divine test is triggered even if the spell succeeds! that has been dishonored; save vs. spell negates Natural 1: Failure and a divine test is triggered! - Fails to follow the requirements of a Magical Side-Effect (Exclamation marks are used because this process is so exciting!) - Rolls a natural 1 or 13 on a casting roll, or fails a casting roll by 10 or more (if using casting rolls, see below) Miscellany - For any Sampleother reason, per Referee Divinities & Cults also offers a filenumber of optional rules, new monsters, and random tables, organized by divinity, for use in your The number of triggers determines the Test Type. Roll on the classic roleplaying game. As with all the rules in this book, feel free following table to see which of the divinity’s divine tests occurs. to use whichever ones you wish. Indexed Table of Contents DIVINITIES Fomorian Mutations................................................ 32 Page Brigid....................................................................... 1 Items Mechanica, Items Magica............................. 37 Cernunnos............................................................... 4 Orc & Goblin Foulness........................................... 39 Dagda, The.............................................................. 6 Weapons & Armor by Culture................................ 30 Danu......................................................................... 8 Dis Pater................................................................. 10 Page OPTIONAL RULES & SIDEBARS Lugh........................................................................ 13 Avatars.................................................................... 48 Manannan Mac Lir................................................. 15 Bards....................................................................... 2 Mars......................................................................... 17 Druids...................................................................... 14 Mercury................................................................... 19 Cerberus Hounds................................................... 11 Morrighan, The....................................................... 21 Defixio..................................................................... 11 Trivia........................................................................ 23 Expanded Spell Themes........................................ 24 Vesta........................................................................ 25 Fianna...................................................................... 7 Venus....................................................................... 27 Fomorian Giants.................................................... 32 Vulcan..................................................................... 29 Gaesatae................................................................. 14 Gladiators............................................................... 18 RANDOM ENCOUNTERS Page Legionaries............................................................ 18 Brothel..................................................................... 26 Helms ...................................................................... 30 Cleric....................................................................... 35 Magical Side-Effects by Cleric Sub-Type............. 20 Cold......................................................................... 42 More Magical Boons.............................................. 2 Fey Realms & Beings............................................. 3 Mystics and Priests .............................................. 20 Fen.......................................................................... 22 Shades.................................................................... 11 Hill........................................................................... 7 Shamans................................................................. 42 Nodes.....................................................................