Orisons

Orisons

While undergoing their basic religious indoctrination, clerics learn certain standard prayers and responses. Most of these are non-magical in nature. However, the most powerful do allow the apprentice priest to manifest a little piece of godly power. These prayers are known as Orisons.

While these spells are mere minor dweomers and rarely used by the spellcasting traveling clergy, they still have some uses to the adventuring Cleric, especially before s/he gains first level spells. The cloistered clergy also heavily uses them.

Orisons are cast like normal spells but all require the presentation of the priest’s holy symbol. The number that a Cleric may keep in his/her mind at one time is equal to the Cleric’s level plus his/her Wisdom bonus. Therefore, a 1st level Cleric with a 16 Wisdom (+2) would start with 3 Orisons, while a 6th level Cleric with a 13 Wisdom (+1) would have 7. As with other spells, Orisons may be memorized multiple times as desired.

Aspiration (Invocation)

Range : 0
Duration: 6 turns
Area of Effect: Caster
Saving Throw : None
An aspiration is a quick prayer on the order of , “Give me strength!” or “Don’t let me goof up!” In game terms, it permits a nervous player to pre-roll a dice roll. The player-caster rolls a d20 out of the player’s own sight for the DM, who records it. At any time during the next game hour, the caster may appeal to have a bad die roll replaced by the hidden roll. The d20 can be applied as a to hit roll, a saving throw or by multiplying it by five, a percentile dice roll. Upon the caster’s request, whatever was rolled in casting the orison is revealed, and becomes the official dice roll.

There is no guarantee that the previous roll will be better, but it will be a second chance.

Benediction (Conjuration/Summoning)

Range: 10 feet/yards
Duration: 2 rounds
Area of Effect: 10’ x 10’ square
Saving Throw: None
A benediction is a minor form of bless, raising morale of friendly creatures by +1, and their hit probability by +1. It will not affect those already engaged in combat.

Candle (Alteration)

Range: Touch
Duration: 2 turns
Area of Effect: 1 candle
Saving Throw: None
When casting this orison, the caster causes the candle held in his hand to light. Throughout the orison’s duration, the candle cannot be put out as long as the caster continues to hold it. The candle will be consumed normally, but drafts, gusts of wind and so on cannot extinguish the flame. Drowning or smothering the flame will extinguish it, however.

Canticle (Alteration)

Range: 0
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: Caster
Saving Throw: None
A canticle is a minor form of sanctuary and casting it requires the chanting of portions of the cleric’s sacred literature. As long as the chanting continues, opponents must make a saving throw at +2 in order to strike or otherwise attack the caster. This spell does not prevent the operation of area attacks like a fireball. The caster cannot engage in any activity other than slow movement (60’ rate) during this time.

Ceremony: Oath (Conj./Summoning)

Range: Touch
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: 1 person of the caster’s religion
Saving Throw: None
A person taking an oath in the presence of a cleric pledges his honor to do some minor task. The cleric proffers his holy symbol for both parties involved in the oath to touch, and ratifies the oath with his ritual sign and some formula such as “so be it.”

The oath stands until the pledge is fulfilled or broken. If broken, the oath taker (whether the cleric himself or some other person of the cleric’s religion) will lose 1 point to his reaction adjustment rolls and the morale of retainers until satisfactory reparations are made (if ever).

Note that a third party of the caster’s religion can pledge his honor for the oath of a non-believer. In this case, both join in touching the cleric’s holy symbol while the orison is cast. The cleric can pledge his own honor for a non-believer, but this is an extremely rare circumstance. The penalty to loyalty base simulates the loss of honor to the oath breaker.

Cure Minor Wounds (Necromantic)

Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: Character touched
Saving Throw: None
A minor cure, similar to all other cure spells, this orison will heal 1-4 hitpoints of damage. Note that this spell is not reversible. See the cure light wounds description for more information.

Meal Blessing (Necromantic)

Range: Speacial
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None
The cleric gives a short prayer (1-2 minutes long) to their patron to invoke this orison. This orison must be cast over a prepared meal with everyone who is to benefit from it’s effects being present, within 10 feet of the meal, and able to hear the orison being cast. This spell imbues healing energy into the prepared meal healing 1 hit point of damage to everyone who eats the meal within 20 minutes of the casting of the blessing. The meals must be prepared in a way that is acceptable to the cleric’s patron, thus if there are any foods the deity prohibits, or any portion of the meal was stolen and they patron abhors thievery, the blessing automatically fails and the use of it is wasted.

How frequently this orison can be cast varies by the mandates of the patron. A deity who favors endurance and great personal sacrifice may prohibit the use of this spell whatsoever, whereas a war deity may only allow this orison to be used on great feasts that herald the coming of battle. Only deities of healing and protection would find this orison appropriate to be used at every meal.

Meditation (Conjuration/Summoning)

Range: Touch
Duration: 1 turn
Area of Effect: Caster
Saving Throw: None
A minor (and non-reversible) form of remove fear, a meditation is an orison of personal encouragement that gives the caster (and only the caster) a +2 on all saving throws vs. the various sorts of magical fear attacks for 1 turn.

Petition (Conjuration/Summoning)

Range: Special
Duration: 1 day
Area of Effect: Caster’s patron
Saving Throw: N/A
Petitions are a staple of all prayers, in all religions. Most favors asked of one’s deity are answered in terms of lucky dice rolls and other game mechanics. This orison constitutes a direct appeal of a very limited nature to the caster’s deity or other patron.

If the deity or patron fails his or her saving throw (2 in all cases unless determined to be different by the DM), the request will be heard, and if it’s not too much trouble, some minion or servant of the deity might act upon it. Examples of such minor petitions are to find something minor, meet someone, remember something forgotten, make a favorable impression and so on. A petition is only good for one day. If it is not granted that day, or if no opportunity for its granting comes up, it is wasted and another petition must be made the next day.

Any attempt to abuse this orison with powerful requests (“Oh, please let me find a ring of three wishes!”) will be met with divine punishment if it is heard. Punishment may consist of a loss of spellcasting power, hit points or other power or ability, as desired by the DM. However, punishments are rarely severe or last long unless the caster is guilty of multiple abuses.

Warding (Abjuration)

Range: Touch
Duration: 2 rounds
Area of Effect: Creature touched
Saving Throw: None
This orison is a very minor form of protection from evil. For two rounds, it will prevent enchanted, conjured, or summoned creatures from making bodily contact with the recipient, by encircling him or her with magical protection at a distance of one foot. However, it gives no penalty to any attacks that do not involve such contact and adds no bonuses to one’s saving throws.