Re: Digest Number 289

From: Thom Baguley <t.s.baguley_at_...>
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 11:21:49 +0100

>This is something I've been thinking about for our campaign. What
>physical/social structure is needed to join a subcult? Or a full
>cult? Do you need a temple within a day's reach? A week? Just a
>related tample (Orlanth covers all Aspects, plus Thunder Brothers,
>etc.), or more specific? Does the requirement differ for Initiates
>and Devotees (Devotees must attend temple every day)? Currently,
>we're saying you need a shrine/temple available about weekly for an
>Initiate, daily for a Devotee, but subcults, hero cults, etc. are

I would rule: sacred time plus seasonal holy day worship for Devotee or Initiate is the minimum. If you step up the requirements go for worship on related cult holy days (Orlanth and Ernalda at the least). In my mind devotees attend "extra" worship ceremonies out of choice rather than compulsion. They should lose piety and maybe other magic if they fail to act like good Orlanthi (or whatever).

>covered by the 'main' deities' shrines. This, of course, limits the
>available cults, as we're limiting the numbers of different shrines
>in our clan to about the number that could exist in KoDP. So we've no
>Humakti currently, and are unlikely to get any without a shrine.

Subcults, hero cults and aspects can IMO all be _worshipped_ via the great god (or a related great god - cf. Orlanth/Ernalda). Gaining new powers should be harder (unrelated HP cost or not possible in some cases) unless at a shrine dedicated to the subcult. The tribal structure allows support of extra cults. Humakti from your clan can worship at Humakt temple in a city confederation or local clan.

Thom