User:Diarik/Proposal for Worship

Create a new variable (because clerics don't have enough already) called Worship. I'd be okay with using this to replace devotion and communes, but I don't like that because this is designed completely differently and would snap the commune system in two. However, activities that gain worship should also gain devotion, regardless.

Distinctions between aspects may or may not be noted. Note that this system is entirely deity-agnostic. You can hand it whatever list of deities you like, be they Chuck Norris, Clark Kent, or Srithin, and as long as you write in the details for them, it will work.

Tiers are very pointedly not the same thing as circles. While experience and maturity are required for tiers 2 and 3, what it means to be the champion of your deity is not the same as what it means to be a 100th or 150th circle cleric. The guild only cares about your standing in terms of the experiences they require of you; your choices of worship, and the benefits you gain from it, are entirely up to you.

Tier 0 Worship - Neutrality

Ye olde default state.

• Attain By: Nothing OR Ritual of Revocation.
• Notes:
  • No benefits. No drawbacks. Except maybe being called a heathen.

Tier 0.5 Worship - Concordance

Not really a tier, but this would be where you are if you follow a god mechanically and are not a cleric. You'd participate in player worshipping, but you wouldn't be much of a factor in the Grand Scheme of Things (er, Divine Plan).

• Attain By: Ritual of Declaration
• Ritual Notes:
  • Ritual is performed using special verb.
• Notes:
  • A cleric may not be on this tier. Just doesn't happen.

Tier 1 Worship - Allegiance

This is basically a way of waving your arms around and saying, "I follow deity X!" You're allowed to mess with influences at this point.

• Attain By: Ritual of Allegiance
• Notes:
  • A non-cleric on this tier may enter concordance with one other deity.
  • A cleric on this tier may enter allegiance with one other deity.
  • Character gains the ability to affect influences. Effects are primarily based on charisma and wisdom.
  • Character gains deity-specific title.
  • Cleric gains deity-specific spell prep.
  • Non-cleric gains access to the PREACH verb.

Tier 2 Worship - Dedication

At this point, you're considered serious about your worship. Hereafter, you have to work and sacrifice and stuff. You have to be dedicated. Not much (or a lot, if you want).

No idea what the maintenance will be, but it would be fairly simple. Possible mimicry would come from the Tamsine or first Eluned quest, or visiting an altar and dance/kiss/touch/pour/pray. Note that you gain the ability to do this via allegiance. The Ritual of Dedication may be different and qualify as the maintenance, too. Dunno.

• Attain By: Ritual of Dedication
• Notes:
  • Requires 15th circle for clerics. 20th circle for non-clerics.
  • Must be maintained. Maintenance is performed every 12 days of RL time spent in game.
  • A non-cleric on this tier may enter concordance with two other deities.
  • A cleric on this tier may enter dedication with one other deity and allegiance with a third.
  • Non-clerics gain a fluff ability, such as a dismantle.
  • Clerics gain a cantrip. May or may not be deity-specific. (Should be, though, even if it's only in the fluff messaging.)
  • Character gains second deity-specific title.

Tier 3 Worship - Recognition

Now you're considered visible to the deity, which is a cleric thing. The term was drawn from the devotion messaging ("barely aware" to "slight pressure"). And just like communes, now that you're sufficiently "devoted"/"visible", you have the power to do special stuff. Whatever that might be... The strength of these powers should be affected by deity influences in the area.

No idea what the trial would be.

• Attain By: Trial of Worth (Baptism)
• Notes:
  • Requires 20th circle.
  • Requires "barely aware" minimum devotion.
  • A non-cleric may not achieve this tier.
  • Must be maintained. Maintenance is performed every 6 days of RL time spent in game.
  • Cleric gains commune-like power.

Tier 4 Worship - Champion

At this point, you're a big dog. Not only are you visible, but you're uniquely acknowledged by your deity as someone who's a champion and is representative of them. Your special stuff is now major (and its usage would be influential in terms of NPC population swaying, if such a thing exists).

Maintenance should be quite costly. It should not be easy to stay here; you aren't merely dedicated, at this point. You're a personal ambassador to the Plane of Abiding. Note that there's also a limit on how many there can be. Part of becoming a Champion is "convincing" another to step down, if there aren't any open slots. This should be built into the Trial somehow. This might involve, say, a unique item.

• Attain By: Trial of Endurance (Ordeal)
• Notes:
  • There may only be 20 clerics at this tier.
  • Must be maintained. Maintenance is performed every 3 days of RL time spent in game.
  • Cleric gains second commune-like power which may only be used once per andu, or per maintenance, whichever is longer.
  • Cleric gains third deity-specific title.

Tier 5 Worship - Subjugation

This is the absolute closest you get to divinity. Alternate tier title is "High Priest" or "Vicar". Like the Champion position, this is deliberated intended to be an extremely difficult position to maintain. Not only must the maintenance occur often, but it should be very costly.

Note that there's also a limit on how many there can be. Like Champion, the quest to achieve this tier should involve displacing any other cleric who might already be there.

Special stuff should be rather unbalancing. On the level of one-shotting someone, if it causes damage. I made it so that you can actually do it more often than the Champion bit for a reason: if it turns out to be Teh Snert Smite of Doom, then using it once shows them what you can do and you can threaten the second usage immediately.

If anyone manages to stay here for more than a week, I'd be shocked.

• Attain By: Quest
• Notes:
  • There may only be 2 clerics at this tier.
  • Must be maintained. Maintenance is performed every day of RL time spent in game.
  • Cleric gains third commune-like power which may only be used twice per andu.
  • Cleric gains fourth deity-specific title.