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Lay Powers

Version: 1.0 (09-May-2001)
Author: Michael S. Thibault

As a result of conversations with Todd Ruthman (and others) on the subject of devotion within a Fantasy world where gods and their divine agents have a very real and tangible influence on the mortal world, I have developed a system to give some benefit to non-clerical characters who choose the path of devotion to a deity or deities.

I have always been uncomfortable with the atheist/cleric dualism in most Fantasy campaigns. Either you are a cleric (or paladin or druid) or you are essentially an atheist. There is no mechanical reason in D&D to encourage a non-cleric player to actively seek out temples of a deity, or take a break from adventuring on High Feast Days. What sort of pantheon would allow this? Well, mine does but I'm a lot more forgiving than most deities.

Of course players are free to adopt the devotion to a deity as purely a role-playing consideration, and many do. Even with my house-rules many will do so completely for the sake of role-playing. I've made every effort to balance this to the Core Rules such that it is not something that is a "must have" for devout PCs. My goal is only to provide a tangible, in-game benefit to devout PCs rather than a penalty to atheists.

The Rules below were created for my home-brewed campaign setting but I've tried to edit out as much setting specific information as possible. Where I've left in campaign specific assumptions, I've tried to add notes to the DM explaining what's up.

Lay Powers: Any class can become devoted to a deity, leading a life in accordance with the morals and customs of a greater power even if their calling isn't to serve the divine as a representative on earth in the manner of Clerics, Druids or Paladins. Most gods choose to reward the devotion of the laity in small ways. If a player decides that her character is a devout lay-person she can gain two benefits.

1. Knowledge (Religion) becomes a class skill. Instead of spending time at the saloon, or dicing in the alley, the devout lay-person usually chooses to study the texts, teachings, songs, and legends of the gods and goddesses of the pantheon.

2. Lay Powers appropriate to the deity or deities' domains may be selected as feats. They can only be selected when a feat becomes available based on Character Level -- Lay Powers are not added to the list of Fighter Bonus feats, nor can they be selected as a Wizard's bonus Metamagic/Item Creation feat. Feats can only be selected from the Domains of the deity worshiped.

If the player ceases to act in accordance with the deity's agenda all Lay Powers are lost until Atonement is performed, although Knowledge (Religion) remains as a class skill.

Note to DMs: I let them keep the Knowledge Skill, you don't have to. It fits with my campaign, but if you have tied knowledge of monsters such as undead and outsiders to this skill, you might want to make it a Cross-Class skill for lapsed PCs, or remove this benefit entirely and make PCs pay cross-class prices for ranks in the skill as normal.

Most situations will require the DM's judgement as to whether a character is acting in accordance with the deity's agenda. At the very least the character must observe all High Holy days and rituals prescribed by the god and have one rank in Knowledge (Religion) for each Lay Power selected.

If a character is devoted to more than one god she must observe the holy days and rituals of all gods who are granting lay powers and cannot worship unaffiliated gods. In general, deities of similar alignment are affiliated and deities with alignments more than one step removed are unaffiliated, although exceptions do exist based on the personal and political relationships between deities.

Note to DMs: My setting is truly polytheistic. There are not a lot of deities but they all know about each other and usually have working relationships to one degree or another. Typical mortals work on the assumption that venerating one deity exclusively is not going to cut it if you want to have a good marriage (Godess of Love) and healthy crops (God of the Harvest). The deities understand it in this way too. In fact few deities in my campaign want to convert everyone exclusively to their temple. The God of Magic would be bored stiff having to deal with crops and diseases and all that. Most are happy to render unto other deities that which is in their purview. As long as you aren't hedging your bets with Lawful Good and Chaotic Evil deities, everyone tends to like the arrangement. But to be devout, you still have to be committed and it is difficult to be that committed to more than 1 or 2 deities.

No more than one lay power will be granted by the deities at any given level. Even if you have more than one feat available at a given level (such as a human at first level) you can only select one Lay Power. There is no reason why a Cleric, Druid, Paladin or Ranger couldn't take lay powers in lieu of core feats. Unless a deity specifically denies this to their clergy, it is a legitimate practice.

Lay Powers
DomainLay Power
Air:

1. Wind at Your Back: +1 divine bonus to missile attacks.

2. Protective Wind: +1 divine bonus to AC against missile attacks.

3. Ally of Air: +2 divine bonus to saves vs. Air spells.

4. Bearable Lightness: +2 divine bonus to saves vs. Earth spells.
Animal:

1. Animal Combat: A character may use her Wilderness Lore skill to Feint in combat against Animals, as with the bluff skill, with no penalty for feinting against non-humanoids.

2. Animal Empathy can be taken as a cross class skill even if not a Druid or Ranger.
Chaos:

1. Divine Uncertainty. Once per day the Lay Devotee can choose a roll that is normally made against a fixed target number, such as a skill check against a DC or an Attack Roll against AC, and instead roll a d20 to set the target number. All modifiers to the original target number are applied to the d20 roll, such as armour and dex bonuses to AC; spell level and intelligence modifier to a Wizard spell's Save DC; circumstance modifiers for skill check DCs. Consider a base Skill DC modifier to be the fixed DC -10. So a Climb check against a DC15 would instead be resolved as an opposed roll against d20+5. The roll does not have to be one made by the lay devotee, or even on the Lay Devotees initiative order. Note that the player is not permitted to ask the DM what the normal DC is before invoking this power. When adding uncertainty to an opponents checks, the devotee gains no information about the opponent (caster level, skill ranks, AC, etc.) Prerequisite: Charisma 13+

2. Divine Chaos: As with Divine uncertainty except that it can be invoked two times per day. The effect is cumulative with Divine Uncertainty. Prerequisite: Divine Uncertainty.

3. Protection from Law can be cast once per day as a Cleric equal to the lay devotee's character level. Prerequisite: Divine Uncertainty.

4. Divine Skill Focus: The character gains a +2 divine bonus to Bluff and Disguise checks.
Death:

1. Defy Death: The character has a 20% chance per round of spontaneously stabilizing when reduced to less than zero HP. Heal checks for stabilizing the dying character are made against a DC of 10. Normal: Characters have a 10% chance per round of becoming stable when dying and Heal checks to stabilize the character are against DC15.

2. Sunder Soul: Once per day a character can designate a single attack that will kill an opponent if it is reduced below zero HP. Note that most damage to regenerating creatures is converted to subdual damage so the creature is dropped before it reaches negative HP. If it does reach negative HP with a Sunder Soul attack it will, however, die. Normal: if a creature is reduced to -1 to -9 HP it is dying and can be stabilized and healed.
Destruction:

1. Divine Sunder: Objects are effectively -2 to their hardness rating when the Lay Devotee attempts to damage them.

2. Rending: The Lay Devotee gains a +4 divine bonus on Strength checks when attempting to Break or Burst (but not Bend) an object.
Earth:

1. Earthbound: If the lay devotee has not moved in the previous round, she receives a +2 Bonus to Fortitude Saves. If the character has taken even a 5' step in her previous round's actions, she does not gain this bonus.

2. Seismic Energy: The character can call upon a burst of energy from the earth, granting an extra partial action for two consecutive rounds each day. Prerequisite: Earthbound

3. Endure Elements once per day as a caster equal to the lay devotees character level. This is a spell like ability. Prerequisite: Earthbound.

4. Seismic Jump: Once per day the lay devotee can add +30 to a single Jump check.
Evil:

1. Evil Divine Skill Focus: The character gains a +2 divine bonus to Bluff and Innuendo checks.

2. Protection from Good can be cast as once per day as a Cleric equal to the lay devotee's character level. Prerequisite: Evil Divine Skill Focus.
Fire:

1. Cleansing Flames: +2 divine bonus to saves vs. Fire spells.

2. Drying Heat: +2 divine bonus to saves vs. Water spells.

3. Endure Elements once per day as a caster equal to the lay devotees character level. This is a spell-like ability. Prerequisite: Cleansing Flames.

4. Limited Pyrotechnics. The Fireworks function of the Sorcerer Spell Pyrotechnics can be cast once per day as a spell-like ability. Caster level is the lay devotee's character level.
Good:

1. Good Divine Skill Focus: The character gains a +2 divine bonus to Sense Motive and Heal skills.

2. Protection from Evil can be cast as once per day as a Cleric equal to the lay devotee's character level. Prerequisite: Good Divine Skill Focus
Healing:

1. Heal is a class skill.

2. Divine Skill Focus +3 divine bonus to Heal checks.
Knowledge:

1. All Knowledge Skills are class skills.

2. Untrained Knowledge skill checks may be attempted.
Law:

1. Lawful Divine Skill Focus: The character gains a +2 divine bonus to Sense Motive and Knowledge (Law and Customs)

2.Protection from Chaos can be cast as once per day as a Cleric equal to the lay devotee's character level. Prerequisite: Lawful Divine Skill Focus.

3. Divine Certainty. Once per day the Lay Devotee can choose a single d20 roll and add or subtract 10 from that roll depending on the desired outcome. The roll does not have to be one made by the lay devotee, or even on the Lay Devotees initiative order. But the intent to invoke Divine Certainty must be stated before the roll is made. Prerequisite: Charisma 13+

4. Divine Order: As with Divine Certainty except that it can be invoked two times per day. The effect is cumulative with Divine Certainty. Prerequisite: Divine Uncertainty.
Luck:

1. Once per level the character can request that the most recent d20 be re-rolled, regardless of who rolled the dice (the PC, the DM or another PC). Re-rolls cannot be "banked" for later use, if you do not use the opportunity during a level it is lost but 1 new opportunity is gained with the new level. Alternatively, if the Divine Intervention Point system is used (cf.) the character gains 1 DI point per level.
Magic:

1. Innate Magic: Choose any two cantrips from the Sor/Wiz spell list. These can be cast as spell-like abilities 1 / day.

2. Divine Mojo: Choose 3 spell-levels worth of spells (three 1st, one 1st and a 2nd, or one 3rd level spell). You can cast these spells at +1 caster level. They must be spells you are able to cast at the time the Lay Power is selected, you cannot "bank" spell levels for later selection. Prerequisite: Innate Magic.

3. +3 divine bonus to Spellcraft checks.

4. +3 divine bonus to Craft checks when attempting to craft magic items.
Plant:

1. The character gains +2 to Wilderness Lore checks and Profession (Herbalist).

2. Wilderness Lore or Profession (Herbalist) is a class skill.
Protection:

1. Divine Toughness: You gain 6 additional HP. These can be lost as any other lay power, if you fall out of favour with your deity. Prerequisites: BAB +2; Toughness. This Lay Power cannot be selected twice.

2. Inspired Protection: Gains a +2 divine bonus on Attack Roll when attempting to perform the Aid Another action to grant your ally a +2 circumstance bonus to his AC.

3. Illustrious Protection: When performing the Aid Another action you grant your ally a +4 divine bonus to his AC. This is a supernatural ability. Prerequisite: Inspired Protection.

4. Resistant Spell casting: When damage is taken that could disrupt a spell, the damage is treated as if it were 4hp lower for purposes of the DC of the Concentration check. Prerequisite: Divine Toughness.
Strength:

1. Inspired Strength: +4 divine bonus to generic Strength Checks not associated with a skill or combat roll and Maximum Load is effectively increased by 20% when lifting or dragging objects (but not for purposes of movement and encumbrance).

2. Strength of the gods: +1 Inherent bonus to strength score. Prerequisite: Inspired Strength, Toughness, BAB +9.
Sun:

1. Can cast Light once per day as a spell-like ability as a caster equal to the Devotee's character level. If the Lay Devotee is also a spellcaster, this ability cannot be affected by metamagic feats.

2. +4 saving throw bonus against low level (less than 3rd) light based effects. Specifically: Colour Spray, Flare, Glitterdust, and Hypnotic Pattern.

3. Cleansing Flames: +2 divine bonus to saves vs. Fire spells.

4. Drying Heat: +2 divine bonus to saves vs. Water spells.

5. Endure Elements once per day as a caster equal to the lay devotees character level. This is a spell-like ability. Prerequisite: Cleansing Flames.
Travel:

1. Daily overland movement rate (including that of the Lay Devotee's mount) is increased by 1/3.

2. Free partial move action 1/day. This cannot be used to take a move equivalent action.
Trickery:

1. Bluff and Disguise are class skills.2. Divine Skill Focus +3 for either Bluff or Disguise. This lay power can

be selected twice but each time it applies to a different skill.
War:

1. Lesser Smite: Once per day a character can attempt to smite her foe. She can add +4 or her Wisdom modifier to her attack roll, whichever is greater. This is a morale bonus. Prerequisite: BAB +4, Wisdom 13+

2. Greater Smite: When a Lay Devotee attempts to smite her foe she may add +1 / two levels to the damage inflicted. This is a morale bonus. Prerequisite: Lesser Smite.

3. Divine Concentration: +2 divine bonus to Concentration checks when casting on the defensive.
Water:

1. Swim is a class skill; +2 divine bonus to checks.

2. Dousing: +2 divine bonus to saves vs. Fire spells.

3. Cleansing Water: +2 divine bonus to saves vs. Water spells.

4. Purify Water as the spell cast by a Druid equal to the Lay Devotee's character level.

5. Dowsing: As a full round action the Lay Devotee can concentrate to locate direction of the nearest fresh water. The dowser may move up to half his speed while concentrating. Optionally the dowser may choose a cardinal direction (up, down, left, right, forward, back) and know the approximate distance to the nearest freshwater in that direction. The way this Lay Power functions is at the DMs discretion but should be set when the Power is selected and not changed, thereafter. This is a supernatural ability.
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