Lejendary Adventures
The Home of Lejendary Adventures RPG here at Dragonsfoot.
Section Editor: Steve steve@dragonsfoot.orgForum support for this section available.
More on Religion
Adding to the Deities & Man Essay

© 2001 Trigee Enterprises Company. All rights reserved.

As the impact of potent and responsive deities on a fantasy world is considered more fully, the greater the model of the Western European world in the medieval period comes to mind.  It is as if this historical example were tailored for the RPG game master of today…in this case a Lejend Master, of course!

As the priest/priestess is well modeled in the Ecclesiastic Order Avatar in the Lejendary Adventure game, I turned my attention to the supporting cast, so to speak.  A special new Order, Friar, will be appearing in an upcoming issue of Lejends Magazine (subscription information: LoreCollege@aol.com), I’ll not deal with them here, instead publish here a special, basically Non-Avatar Character, Order, the Monk.

Unlike the cloistered Monk (and Nun) Order, Friars will typically be found outside priory as they preach, teach, and seek alms.  They are a key element in the maintenance of the ecclesiastical structure as are their more sheltered brothers and sisters.  Where the friar is mobile, however, the monk or nun remains primarily in a fixed location to deal with local folk and provide hospitality to visitors.

As a reminder to LMs reading this, the Rank system for Orders provides a handy tool for you when detailing encounter areas, the hierarchy being set forth by Rank.  Of course, all persons might not match the exact qualifications indicated.  For example, an abbot or abbess might not actually be of 1st Rank, having gotten his or her office through preference or some other attribute rather than through the route manner indicated.

Monk (or Nun) Order:

This is basically a Non-Avatar Character Order.

Monks will generally be devoted to a male deity of less than greatest sort that is serving a more exalted god, as they serve the former deity.

Nuns will generally be devoted to a female deity of less than greatest sort that is serving a more exalted one, as they serve the former deity.

Upper Lower to Middle Society: The monastic association of religious persons involved in the lay priesthood.  This Order is similar to the Friar Order, akin to that of the Ecclesiastic.  Monks (or Nuns) are clergy organized into religious societies that take holy vows, shun materialism and carnality, seclude themselves from society, work to support their separate community, and offer care and hospitality to others that come to them.  Monks (and Nuns) are looked to in particular by the lower classes for guidance and inspiration, as well as theological help. They are found in all of the world’s nations, and they are generally considered in formal hierarchy.  They are recognized by all in such states in which their deities are honored, and elsewhere, possibly respected or dishonored, as their pantheon has renown or not.  Typical places for association are abbeys (and convents), shrines, religious establishments, temples, and sometimes even in noble courts. 

Note that unlike others, persons of this Order do not have Weapons Ability in any form, as their dedication to their vows demands otherwise.  However, a person becoming a member of this Order after pursuing a secular path might well have such Ability.  Also,   a person in the Order above 7th Rank can acquire such Ability. The basic five Abilities of the Monk (or Nun) are:

Rustic, Pantology, Learning, Theurgy, and Physique.

12th Rank, Postulant. Rustic and Physique possessed: No benefit save contact.

11th Rank, Novice. Rustic, Pantology and Physique possessed: Gain small wooden devotional object (worn) and small devotional object (in cell); abbey (or convent) membership required; add 1 point each to the three Abilities possessed.

10th Rank, Novice Brother (or Sister). Rustic, Pantology, Learning, and Physique possessed: Add 1 point to each of the four Abilities possessed.

9th Rank, Lay Brother (or Sister).  All five Abilities possessed: Gain a book of scripture and a Memory Tablet with one Rite, and three Powers; add 2 points to each of the five required Abilities possessed, but addition to Rustic Ability can not then cause the Avatar to move to a higher (numerically lower) Rank.  If this would occur, limit addition to the last point total in the category, i.e. 60, 70, etc.

8th Rank, Younger Brother (or Younger Sister).  Rustic at 61: Gain a Memory Tablet with one Rite, and three Powers; add 1 point to each of the four other required Abilities possessed.

7th Rank, Brother (or Sister). Rustic at 71: Add Arcana Ability at 20, or else add 10 points to Arcana if already possessed.

6th Rank, Elder Brother (or Elder Sister). Rustic at 81: Gain a Memory Tablet with one Rite, and three Powers, add 1 point to each of the four other required Abilities.

5th Rank, Brother Superior (or Sister Superior). Rustic at 91: Add Evaluation Ability at 20, or else add 10 points to Evaluation if already possessed.

Order members of this Rank and above are permitted to travel alone outside the boundaries of the abbey (or convent) lands.

4th Rank, Brother Magister (or Sister Magistress). Rustic at 101: Gain a Memory Tablet with one Rite, and three Powers, add 1 point to each of the other four required Abilities.

3rd Rank, Brother Proctor (or Sister Proctress). Rustic at 111: Add Urbane Ability at 20, or else add 10 points to Urbane if already possessed.

2nd Rank, Brother Dean (or Sister Dean). Rustic at 121: Gain a Memory Tablet with one Rite, and three Powers, add 1 point to each of the other four required Abilities.

1st Rank, Abbot (or Abbess). Rustic at 131: Add chivalry Ability at 20, or else add 10 to chivalry if already possessed.

 

 

The material on this page is either copyrighted (© 1999 - 2024) Dragonsfoot Web Team or has been used under permission. You may download, store, redistribute or generally circulate any of the material found on this page but you must keep all copyright information intact and distribute files as is. No modification is permitted without express permission from the Dragonsfoot Web Team. You may not claim this work as your own unless you are the original author. Enquiries may be sent to webmaster@dragonsfoot.org.
Dragonsfoot acknowledges all copyrights, trademarks and registered trademarks detailed on this page that do not belong to Dragonsfoot and make no challenges to the ownership of said property rights.

Dragonsfoot Data Protection Policy