(1) a big fan of Dungeon Crawl Classics the RPG ("DCC"); and
(2) an obsessive-compulsive tinkerer with all things gamey.
In particular, one of the things I love about DCC is how clerics can call on their gods and cast spells as often as they like - they don't "run out of juice" or "run out of spells." But at some point, like a parent dealing with a whiny teenager, the gods just say "enough is enough," and cut you off. Or, if you've pushed your luck too far, maybe they smack you right in your face for your impertinence. In DCC, that's called "Divine Disapproval." With each spell you cast, your disapproval score, and the risk of that smack in the face, grows.
The only quibble I have with the DCC rules is that the "Divine Disapproval" table is the same for all kinds of clerics. But a lawful cleric and a chaotic cleric really should not be rolling on the same table - and the godly "lord of justice" and the demonic "defiler of the dead" should definitely not be expressing their displeasure in exactly the same way.
So, of course, for my Skull Mountain game, I tried to fix that. The result are the three tables below - a separate divine disapproval table for chaotic, lawful, and neutral clerics. The results go from mild disapproval (low numbers) to truly terrible, often permanent penalties (very high numbers).
The tables are intentionally pretty similar. But I tried to add just enough twists that each feels unique at the table. And, of course, tables like this work best when you *don't* share them with your players in advance. Each time the PCs roll, it should be a surprise.
Divine Disapproval for CHAOTIC Clerics
(Result of Divine Disapproval Roll)
1.
“Trifle Not With Me, Mortal.”
Your cruel master looks upon your constant beseeching with mild disfavor, and you
must atone for your sins. Take a -1
penalty to all spell checks until you spend 10 minutes uttering obscene chants and
intonations to obtain your deity’s forgiveness.
2.
“Blood, Blood For Mine Altar.”
Your god demands a blood sacrifice. The victim need not be human (an animal is
fine), but must be ritually prepared and dispatched (a process taking 10
minutes). Until the proper sacrifice is
made, you suffer a -1 penalty to all spell checks, lay on hands checks, and
turn unholy checks. If you sacrifice is
truly impressive (a monster or dangerous humanoid, or a lawful cleric, sacrificed with all
appropriate rituals), make a Luck check:
if successful, you gain a permanent hit point.
3.
“Spread My Word, Mortal, and Great Power Shall Be Yours.” Your god demands that you recruit a new
follower to your dark faith. Until you recruit
such a follower, you suffer a -1 penalty to all spell checks, lay on hands checks, and turn unholy checks.
Recruiting a follower requires a sincerely willing
participant of Chaotic alignment, and at least 30 minutes to conduct the
proper rituals. If a follower of Level 1
or greater is recruited, and the ritual is performed properly, you gain a
temporary +1 to all rolls for the rest of the adventure. You may also immediately bond the follower
to your god as per the Patron Bond spell, with appropriate benefits, rolling a
spell check without penalty for the result.
4.
“Look Ye, Upon the Dark Vicissitudes of Chaos!” Your god lashes you with the energies of
primal chaos. You immediately suffer
Corruption as a Wizard. Roll 1d6 minus your Luck
modifier to determine the severity: up to 3
(minor), 4-5 (major), 6+ (greater).
Determine corruption randomly, with an eye toward freakish, demonic, and monstrous transformations.
5.
“Destroy Mine Enemies, Faithful Servant, to Prove Thyself Worthy.” Your god decides that a minor quest is in
order—e.g., to loot an enemy shrine, slay a nearby priest of a rival faith,
destroy a particular monster, etc., as determined by the GM. Until the quest is completed, you suffer a -2
to all spell/lay on hands/turn checks.
6.
“Thy Flesh Is Weak. Grow
Stronger, Mortal!” Your god
enervates your body of strength and vitality to test your faith. You immediately suffer 5 points of Strength damage, which can only be healed by normal rest (1 point
per day), you may not use magic to heal the loss.
7.
“Bother Me Not With These Petty Trifles.” Make a Luck check. On a success, you simply lose access to the specific
spell or ability (lay on hands, turn undead) that resulted in Disapproval for
the rest of this adventure. On a failure, you are wracked with pain and immediately take 1d3 damage per character level.
8.
“Wear My Markings With Pride.”
Your god alters your physical form in accordance with his/her/its
ethos. Roll 1d6 for the feature
affected: (1) eyes change; (2) hair
changes; (3) skin/flesh/complexion changes; (4) voice/manner of speaking change;
(5) symbol appears on body; (6) equipment changes. That feature is permanently changed to
something appropriate to your faith (actual change and game effect, if any,
determined by the GM).
9.
“Test Not My Patience, Mortal.”
You immediately suffer a -3 penalty to all spell/lay on hands/turn
checks for the rest of this adventure. This penalty is immediately negated if you personally slay a lawful creature or being.
10.
“Only The Strong Are Worthy.”
You are suddenly wracked with pain, and suffer 2 point of damage per
current rank of Disapproval. If this would
reduce you to 0 hit points or less, you are left with 1 hit point but reduce
your Luck permanently by 1 point. If you
accept the full amount of damage, and choose to fall unconscious, increase your Luck score by 1 point.
11.
“The Howls of the Damned Shall Chastise Thee.” All inert corpses and remains within range of you (100' per character level) are immediately animated as undead zombies or skeletons. They are hostile to all life, including you, and will wander about searching for victims.
12.
“You Wish To Serve? Then Prove
Thyself Worthy in a Trial of Arms!” Your god decides to
test your devotion with a feat of arms.
1d4+1 per level minor (Type I) demons immediately appear, attacking you
to the exclusion of all others. If you
defeat the demons, even with help, you gain 1d3 Luck points.
13.
“Cast Aside The Shackles Of Flesh.”
Your god demands a sign of devotion, and the sacrifice or destruction of
something personal to you. Roll 1d8 to
determine the demand: (1) destroy/cast
away your best weapon; (2) cast/give away/destroy all your treasure; (3) cut off all your hair; (4) cut off one of your fingers; (5) destroy
all of your equipment and cast away all
treasure except 1 weapon and a loincloth; (6) burn/abuse your body for at least
6 points of damage, which must be healed normally; (7) mutilate your body in
a way that reduces your strength, stamina, or agility (your choice) by 1 point;
or (8) slay a favored retainer, friend, or ally.
Until the desired sacrifice is made, you suffer -2 on all spell/lay on hands/turn checks. At the GM’s discretion, any
sacrifice that is truly worthy (that results in ability damage or the loss of
significant item or wealth) will be rewarded with 1d3 points of increased Luck.
14.
“Ye Must Choose: The Power I Offer, or Thy Petty 'Friends.'" Your god deprives you of the ability to cast
spells of the highest level known to you for the rest of this adventure. But your powers will immediately return (and you will gain 1d3 Luck points) if you sacrifice or murder someone who regards you as an ally or friend.
15.
“Suffer My Wrath, Ye Ungrateful Servant!” Your god punishes your faithlessness,
blasting you (and all within 10’ of you, friend or foe) with crackling, black energy for (your level x 4) damage. This damage may be healed
as normal. Anyone slain by this energy will, on the next round, rise as some form of hostile undead - which hates the cleric above all, and can sense him/her no matter the distance.
16.
“I Will Waste No More Effort On You…”
You lose the ability to turn unholy for the rest of this adventure. After appropriate sacrifices back in town (i.e., next game) your powers return as normal.
17.
“Only The Weak Cower! Prove Thy
Strength!” You lose access to the
ability to lay on hands for the rest of this adventure. After appropriate sacrifices back in town (next game) your powers return as normal.
18.
“Perhaps You Are Unworthy of My Gifts....”
You may no longer cast spells for the rest of this adventure. After appropriate sacrifices
back in town (next game) your powers return as normal.
19.
“Begone From My Sight, O Worthless One!” Your god has tired of listening to your
impudent demands for now. You lose
access to all spellcasting and magical abilities (spells, lay on hands, turn
undead, and divine intervention) for the rest of this adventure. After appropriate sacrifices back in town (next game) your powers return as normal.
20+.
"My Pets, Destroy This Impudent Mortal!" You have truly offended the howling hordes of chaos, who immediately send 1d4+1 demons to destroy you. Roll 1d6 to determine the strength of the demons: (1-3) Type I, (2-4) Type II, (5) Type III, or (6) Type IV. Upon slaying (or at least escaping) the demons, your god is appeased...at least for now. If you are slain by the demons, they carry off your body and any carried equipment to the netherworld, never to return.
Divine Disapproval for NEUTRAL Clerics
(Result of Divine Disapproval Roll)
Quick note: In my own game, all Neutral clerics worshipped the god of chance, so the results below have a definite "luck" theme. Of course, feel free to disregard and tweak as appropriate for your own game.
1.
“Perhaps Ye Rely
Too Much On My Help...” Your god looks upon your constant beseeching
with mild disfavor, but stays its unfathomable hands/tentacles...at least for now. Increase your Disapproval by 1d6.
2-3.
“A Small Test Of Thy Boldness, Perhaps....” Your god demands an appropriate show of
faith—a reckless risk, while calling out his/her/its name... Until such an sacrifice is made, you suffer a
-1 penalty to all spell checks, lay on hands checks, and turn unholy
checks. If your sacrifice is truly
impressive, you may make a Luck check:
if successful, you gain 1d3 points of Luck.
4.
“Let’s See How
Lucky Ye Really Are…” A scratched ancient gold coin falls from the
darkness above: Flip it, and roll 1d6+your Luck modifier. On a 3 or less (tails), increase your
Disapproval by 1d10. On a 4+ (heads), you
are fully healed and gain 1 point of Luck. You may keep the coin.
5-6.
“No, No, Ye Won’t
Be Doing That Again For A While...” You immediately lose access to the specific
spell or ability (lay on hands, turn undead) that resulted in Disapproval for
the rest of this adventure.
7.
“Oooh, Lucky
Seven! Good For You!” Startlingly, and for no apparent reason, your
unknowable god is pleased! You suffer no harmful effect, reset your Disapproval, and gain 1d4 Luck.
8-9.
“Ye Scheme Too Much, and Risk Too Little. Here, Let Me Help…” Your god decides to make it easier for you to rely upon chance…by damaging your brain! After a few seconds of agonizing pain, you suffer 1d3+1 points of intelligence damage. This damage is permanent unless somehow healed by magic from a different cleric - Your god certainly won't help.
10-11.
“Ye Weren't Pronouncing These Properly Anyway…"
You
lose access to all spells of the highest level known for the rest of this adventure.
12.
“Cowering Is
Undignified Anyway…” You lose access to the ability to turn unholy
for the rest of this adventure.
13.
“Thirteen? I Forget...Is That Lucky or Unlucky?" Roll 1d6+your Luck modifier. On a 3 or less, you immediately gain 1d6 points of Luck. On a 4+, your Divine Disapproval does not reset, and you gain 3d6 more Disapproval. Keep playing with fire at your own risk.
14.
“Whine, Whine,
Whine…What Is It About “Chance” Ye Find So Confusing?” You suffer a -4 penalty to all spell/lay on
hands/turn checks for the rest of this adventure.
15.
“Now That I Think
Of It, Where’s The Sport If I Just Keep Healing Ye?” You
may no longer use lay on hands for the remainder of this adventure.
16.
“Ye Spin the Wheel,
And Takes Your Chances!” The cleric feels a strange sense of foreboding. For the rest of this adventure, all spells target a random creature within sight, instead of their intended targets. Eventually, he'll figure it out.
17.
“Sorry, The Magic
Shop’s All Closed For Today.” You lose access to all spells for the
remainder of this adventure.
18.
“This Should Halt Thy Mewling!” Your
god has tired of listening to your impudent demands for now, and struck you (roll 1d6): (1-3) blind, (4) deaf, (5) dumb, or (6) deaf, dumb, and blind. Your senses return to normal (roll 1d6): (1-3) the next dawn, (4-5) the next midnight, or (6) never.
19.
“Pressing Thy
Luck, Eh? Well, Now Ye Burn.” Your
god has decided to visit some random misfortune on you. The GM selects a random spell, and rolls a
misfire for that spell, and inflicts it upon you.
20+
“I’m Afraid Thy Luck Has Run Out…” You risk your very soul with each toss of the dice. Whenever you attempt to use any of your cleric powers for the rest of the adventure, make a Luck check. On a failure, your god cackles and tosses you into oblivion.
Divine Disapproval for LAWFUL Clerics
(Result of Divine Disapproval Roll)
1.
“Do Not Abuse My Gifts, Mortal.”
Your god looks upon your constant beseeching with mild disfavor, and you
must atone for your sins. Take a -1
penalty to all spell checks until you spend 10 minutes uttering chants and
intonations to obtain your deity’s forgiveness.
2.
“You Must Offer More Than Mere Lip Service….” Your god demands an appropriate sacrifice—a
donation to the needy, the dedication of a special weapon, or any other
appropriate sacrifice. Until an
appropriate sacrifice is made, you suffer a -1 penalty to all spell checks, lay
on hands checks, and turn unholy checks.
If your sacrifice is truly impressive (a dangerous monster dispatched, a
vast treasure dedicated, a beloved weapon discarded) you may make a Luck
check: if successful, you gain 1 point
of Luck.
3.
“Gather Ye The Faithful.”
Your god demands that you recruit a new follower to the faith. Until you recruit such a follower, you suffer
a -1 penalty to all spell checks, lay on hands checks, and turn unholy
checks. Recruiting a follower requires a
ritual requiring a sincerely willing participant of the correct alignment and
at least 30 minutes to conduct the proper rituals. If a follower of Level 1 or greater is
recruited, and the ritual is performed properly, you gain a temporary +1 to all
spell/lay on hands/turn checks for the rest of the same game session. You may bond the follower to your god as per
the Patron Bond spell, with appropriate benefits, rolling a spell check without
penalty for the result.
4.
“Destroy Mine Enemies, Faithful Servant, and Prove Yourself Worthy.” Your god decides that a minor quest is in
order—e.g., to loot an enemy shrine, slay a nearby priest of a rival faith,
rescue a person in danger, destroy a particular monster, etc., as determined by
the GM. Until the quest is completed,
you suffer a -2 to all spell/lay on hands/turn checks.
5.
“A Test Of Your Faith Is In Order.”
Your god visits a wasting sickness upon your body to test your
faith. You immediately suffer 2 points
of Strength, Agility, and Stamina damage, which can only be healed by normal
rest (1 point per day), you may not use magic to heal the loss.
6.
“Bother Me Not With These Petty Trifles.” You immediately lose access to the specific
spell or ability (lay on hands, turn undead) that resulted in Disapproval for
the rest of this adventure.
7.
“Wear My Markings With Pride.”
Your god alters your physical form in accordance with his/her
ethos. Roll 1d6 for the feature
affected: (1) eyes change; (2) hair
changes; (3) skin/flesh/complexion changes; (4) voice/manner of speaking
change; (5) symbol appears on body; (6) equipment changes. That feature is permanently changed to
something appropriate to your faith (actual change and game effect, if any,
determined by the GM). If your form has
already been altered, roll again ignoring this result.
8.
“Test Not My Patience, Mortal.”
You immediately suffer a -2 penalty to all spell/lay on hands/turn
checks for the rest of this adventure.
9.
“Greedy Mortal, Cast Aside These Petty Trifles...” Your god looks with disfavor at your unseemly
accumulation of wealth. You suffer a -4
penalty to all spell/lay on hands/turn checks for the rest of this adventure or
until you cast aside (destroy or dispose of, not simply gift to a friend) at
least 100 gp in treasure that you have accumulated. If you destroy or cast off more than 1,000 gp
in treasure, you gain 1 Luck point.
10.
“Abuse Not What I Have Given Ye.”
Your god deprives you of the ability to cast 1 spell, determined at
random or picked by the GM, for the rest of this adventure.
11.
“Cast Aside The Shackles Of Flesh.”
Your god demands a sign of devotion, and the sacrifice or destruction of
something personal to you. Roll 1d6 to
determine the demand: (1) destroy/cast
away your best weapon; (2) cast/give away all your treasure; (3) cut off all
your hair; (4) cut off an offensive limb, or genitals; (5) destroy all of your
equipment and cast away all treasure
except 1 weapon and a loincloth; (6) burn/abuse your body for at least 6 points
of damage, which cannot be healed by magic; (7) mutilate your body in a way
that permanently reduces your strength, stamina, or agility (your choice) by 1
point; (8) slay a chaotic aligned ally or nearby creature. Until the desired sacrifice is made, you suffer
-4 on all spell checks. At the GM’s
discretion, any sacrifice that is truly worthy (that results in permanent
ability damage or the loss of significant item or wealth) is rewarded with 1d3
points of increased Luck.
12.
“Remember Whom Ye Serve.”
Your god deprives you of the ability to cast 2 level one spells,
determined at random, for the rest of this adventure.
13.
“I Will Waste No More Effort On You…”
You lose access to 1d4+1 spells, randomly determined from all you
know. These spells cannot be used for
the rest of the adventure.
14.
“Prove Thy Strength, My Champion!”
You lose access to the ability to turn unholy for the rest of this
adventure. After appropriate sacrifices
back in town, your powers return as normal.
15.
“I Am Growing Displeased, Mortal.”
You suffer a -4 penalty to all spell/lay on hands/turn checks for the
rest of this adventure.
16.
“Are You A Being of Faith or Flesh?” Your god wishes to test your faith. You receive a permanent -4 penalty to all
spell/lay on hands/turn unholy checks until you donate at least 50% of your
wealth to your temple back in town. This
penalty does not reset at the end of the adventure—only the proper donation
will suffice. If you donate more than
1,000 gp in treasure total, you gain 1 Luck point.
17.
“You Have Squandered Enough Of My Power.” You may no longer use lay on hands for
the remainder of this adventure. After
appropriate sacrifices back in town, your powers return as normal.
18.
“Perhaps You Are Unworthy Of My Gifts.” You lose access to all spells for the
remainder of this adventure. After
appropriate sacrifices back in town, your powers return as normal.
19.
“Begone From My Sight, O Worthless One!” Your god has tired of listening to your
impudent demands for now. You lose
access to all spellcasting and magical abilities (spells, lay on hands, turn
undead, divine intervention) for the rest of this adventure.
20+.
“You Beseech Me Again? Behold The Face Of A Wrathful God!” Your god, irritated with your incessant
demands, allows you a brief glimpse of his/her/its unfathomable immortal form, a sight
no mortal was meant to see. Make a DC 20
Will Save. If you fail, you are blinded
for the rest of this adventure, something that no mortal magic may cure, and knocked
unconscious for 2d4 rounds. If you
succeed, you are merely stunned for 2d4 rounds.
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