Official Game Accessory Warriors and Priests of the Realms by John Terra Official Game Accessory Warriors and Priests of the Realms Design: John Terra Editing: Steven Schend Project Coordination: Thomas M. Reid and David Wise Interior Artists: Ned Dameron and John Dollar Graphics Coordination: Bob Galica Electronic Prepress Coordination: Dave Conant Typography: Tracey L. Isler This book is dedicated to my wonderful friends who let me run them through the Forgotten Realms. Some of the neat things they do with their Realms characters have wound up in these pages: Joel Emery, Tom Gosselin, Ken Hart, Don Manning, Milton McGorrill, Denise Rabidou, John Rennie, Tim Royappa, Bryan Villarreal, Doris Wells, Kevin Wells, Colleen Wetzel, Dave Wetzel, and of course my lovely wife Ellen, whose character is arguably the worst bard in the entire Realms. TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. 201 Sheridan Springs Rd. 120 Church End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton WI 53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB U.S.A. United Kingdom ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM, DUNGEON MASTER, and FORGOTTEN REALMS are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. MONSTROUS MANUAL and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English-language products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. '1996 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. Made in the United States of America. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the mater- ial or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc. 9509XXX1501 ISBN 0-7869-0-368-0 Contents Book One: Warriors of the Realms Introduction ............................ .4 Priests of Gond ....................... .77 Priests of Helm ........................ .78 The Harper ............................. .9 Priests of Hoar ........................ .80 Priests of Ilmater ...................... .81 Warrior Kits of the Realms ................ .14 Priests of Iyachtu Xvim ................. .82 Warriors of the Dales ..................... 15 Priests of Kelemvor .................... .84 Warriors of the Elven Court .............. .19 Priests of Lathander .................... .86 Warriors of Cormyr ..................... .21 Priests of Leira ........................ .87 Warriors of Sembia ..................... .23 Priests of Lliira ........................ .88 Warriors of the Moonsea ................. .25 Priests of Loviatar ..................... .90 Warriors of the Ride .................... .27 Priests of Malar ....................... .91 Warriors of the Vast ..................... .28 Priests of Mask ........................ .92 Warriors of the Dragon Coast ............. .29 Priests of Mielikki ..................... .94 Warriors of the Western Heartlands ........ .31 Priests of Milil ........................ .96 Warriors of Waterdeep ................... .33 Priests of Mystra ....................... .97 Warriors of the Island Kingdoms ........... .35 Priests of Oghma ...................... .99 Warriors of the Savage North ............. .38 Priests of Selune ...................... .101 Warriors of the Cold Lands ............... .41 Priests of Shar ....................... .103 Warriors of the Unapproachable East ....... .45 Priests of Sharess ..................... .105 Warriors of the Old Empires .............. .48 Priests of Shaundakul ................. .106 Warriors of the Vilhon Reach ............. .51 Priests of Silvanus .................... .107 Warriors of the Empires of the Sand ........ .55 Priests of Sune ....................... .108 Warriors of the Shining South ............ .58 Priests of Talona ...................... .110 Warriors of Anauroch ................... .59 Priests of Talos ....................... .111 Priests of Tempus ..................... .113 Book Two: Priests of the Realms Priests of Torm ....................... .115 The Crusader .......................... .61 Priests of Tymora ..................... .116 Priests of Tyr ........................ .118 Priest Kits of the Realms .................. .66 Priests of Umberlee ................... .120 Priests of Auril ........................ .67 Priests of Valkur ...................... .122 Priests of Azuth ....................... .68 Appendices Priests of Beshaba ..................... .70 Priests of Chauntea .................... .71 Nonweapon Proficiencies ................ .123 Priests of Cyric ........................ .73 Priests of Deneir ....................... .75 Shrines, Temples, and Groves ............ .124 Priests of Eldath ....................... .76 Introduction s anyone who does not have his head stuck in the ground well knows, Faerßn is a place of much wonder and variety. Being a bard, I have been able to experience much of this variety firsthand and even convey it(cid:151)in my own humble way(cid:151)through song, poetry, and prose. Oh, didn(cid:146)t I introduce myself? How odd, as I enjoy hearing the sound of my name, especially when chanted by adoring crowds. I am Mendryll Belarod the Half- elven, a bard of renown, worshiper of Oghma, and constant seeker of knowledge. I have spent the majority of my thirty-six summers on Faerßn making my living by crafting beautiful songs, gathering all manner of knowledge, and pursuing attractive women. It is for the second of my pursuits(cid:151)alas, not the third(cid:151)that I am being employed here. Ah well. I am a Waterdhavian by birth, born of a human father and an elven mother. As Waterdeep is a rather open-minded place, I grew up with no stigma against me. Both my parents still live in peace and prosperity in the City of Splendors, and they raised me well. I most certainly had a happy childhood, raised in a tolerant city where artistic skill, knowledge, and gossip are as prized as gold. Is it any wonder that the path of the bard lay ahead of me? When I reached my twentieth summer, I left the relative safety of Waterdeep(cid:146)s walls and began my exploration of the Realms. I had occasion to meet many interesting personalities, and even shared some of their perils and subsequent rewards. While meaning no slight to former thief or wizard comrades, there is little doubt to me that the strength of the sword and the power of the gods are among the mightiest forces in Faerßn. Many tales have I spun about the bravest of he- roes and their weapons. Never to be outdone, the gods themselves have affected many changes to our blessed world by acting through their mortal agents. There is little surprise, then, in my desire to record my findings about the warriors and priests of Faerßn. After all, a refined warrior from cosmopolitan Waterdeep varies greatly from his sullen counterpart from the wretched Moonsea region. Just the same, the Lifewardens of Chauntea certainly represent their god differently than the Greenlords of Silvanus. Both gods command nature, true, but their priests are altogether different. Should you become inspired by my findings, you too might seek to take up the Way of the Sword or the Path of the Devout. Stranger things have happened in response to my tales. Per- haps my next epic song shall be about the great warrior or priest you shall become! Just bear in mind that there are many as eager as yourself, and not all fight fairly. All priests have piety, but remember that gods of good and neutrality gird their priests with truth and honesty to do their biddings while gods of evil arm their servants with cruelty. You have been warned. Till swords part! (cid:151)Mendryll Belarod the Halfelven, devoted of Oghma. DR 1369 4 Using This Book backs of each priest kit. Each kit, by virtue of its unique place in a deity(cid:146)s hierarchy, supplements the standard cleric class rules but does not supplant the particular T he Warriors and Priests of the Realms book is a benefits and drawbacks of that god(cid:146)s specialty priest. De- FORGOTTEN REALMSfi game accessory that fleshes tailed information on Realms deities(cid:146) is available in the out the Warrior and Priest groups, presenting them from major sourcebook entitled Faiths and Avatars. It provides the unique perspective of the Realms. With this supple- details on each god(cid:146)s ethos, allowable spheres, specifics ment, a player can create a warrior who hails from a spe- of worship, and the granted powers and abilities of their cific place in Faerßn or a priest of a particular Realms specialty priests. deity. Of course, the player and character enjoy both Evil Priests as NPCs benefits and drawbacks connected to these features. DMs and players alike will notice that priest kits have Warriors been included for the evil deities as well. This has been done solely for purposes of giving player characters some In the Warriors section, the book is divided into geo- heavily detailed enemies that can match the expanded graphical location entries. Many entries are then further abilities granted to good priest kits. Why settle for bash- broken down into individual cities or special separate kits. ing a plain old priest of Cyric when you can fight a This closely follows the format in this supplement(cid:146)s com- Sword of Cyric, a crazed fanatical priest whose madness panion volume entitled Wizards and Rogues of the Realms. comes from being touched by the Dark Sun himself? Geographical kits are usable by any warrior class Thus, the kits of evil deities are not intended for player (fighter, ranger, paladin), and in conjunction with kits use; they are for nonplayer characters only! found in the Complete Fighter(cid:146)s Handbook. Dungeon Mas- Faith Versus Alignment ters must use discretion, however, as some Fighter(cid:146)s Hand- book kits are inappropriate for Realms warriors. For in- It is possible to worship a deity who is not of a PC(cid:146)s stance, it is certainly possible to have a Sembian Swash- alignment. After all, Tempus is Lord of Battles, and any buckler, but it is not possible to have a desert-dwelling who raise a sword are doing so with his blessing, regard- Anauroch Pirate, or a Waterdhavian Barbarian due to kit less of alignment. and setting specifics. A good rule of thumb is this: If there Hence, it is possible, though not a good idea, to have is a contradiction between the Fighter(cid:146)s Handbook kit and an evil deity as one(cid:146)s primary being of devotion. A thief the Realms kit, the latter takes precedence, and all finally can venerate Mask, or a depressed or cynical PC can de- defer to particular character class limits. cide to follow Beshaba, the goddess of bad luck. Once Each kit entry contains expanded class information, again, the DM must use common sense. After all, it is covering things such as ability requirements, hit die impossible that a paladin would willingly travel with a type, starting cash, and bonus proficiencies. Things like devotee of Cyric, for example. special advantages, special disadvantages, and role-play- The ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONSfi game is, ing notes are included in the text section. above all else, a game of heroic fantasy, where heroes (whether good or neutral) put down all manner of evil Priests beings. Be very careful in selecting a deity to follow, es- pecially if there is any evil element in its alignment. At The Priests section of this book is arranged somewhat most, evil deities of the Realms are given lip service to differently than the Warrior section. Rather than geo- stay their wrath and prevent their intervention rather graphical locations, the Priest section is arranged alpha- than invoke it! betically by deities. Like the Warriors section, the Priests section contains New Kits the usual class information. After that, though, each entry deals with a particular type of priest found within a T particular deity(cid:146)s faith. Note that the information can be he Warrior and Priest kits presented in this book used only with straightforward clerics, not specialty are all presented in the same format, with a style priests of a particular deity. similar to the standard MONSTROUS COMPENDIUMfi Each entry deals with the special benefits and draw- appendix layout. Therefore, the most important infor- 5 mation is in an easy-to-read table, with all the pertinent classes. In rare cases, however, the nature of a kit might (cid:147)numbers(cid:148) and adjustments from standard class rules in result in more or less martial training than is normally sequence. After the tabular information comes the kit expected. When this happens, it will be recorded here. description including all of its role-playing features and Saving Throw Table its special abilities and restrictions. When kit-based PCs make saving throws, they most often do so on the table of their respective parent Class Information classes. However, there are exceptions, and some kits do Each entry begins with a description of the kit(cid:146)s alter- use the saving throw tables of another class. In ex- ations from the normal base skills of the Warrior or tremely rare cases, a kit might note here that a player Priest class. While a kit still resembles its parent class in should split saving throws over different classes. Some of many fundamental ways, the kit changes the class the PC(cid:146)s saving throws are made as one class, while enough for unique and fun characters to develop. others are made as if the PC belonged to another class entirely. While rare, it ensures that the PC gains the best Racial Requirements possible saving throws against harm. Not every kit is available to PCs of every race. This is es- Exceptional Strength? pecially true in cases of geography. For instance, it is im- possible to have a gnome warrior of the Ride, since all The ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS core rules in- natives there are human barbarians. dicate that only members of the Warrior class are eligi- ble for Exceptional Strength scores, and that rule still Ability Requirements applies for the Warrior kits in this book. The entry will Just as some kits aren(cid:146)t open to all races, other kits re- spell that out nonetheless, to avoid confusion. In addi- quire characters to be especially gifted in certain abili- tion, some Priest kits are also entitled to the same bonus ties. For instance, one would never find a silkwhisper of by virtue of the deity they serve, provided they have a Sune with a Charisma of 6! Any minimum (or, rarely, Strength score of 18. maximum) ability score requirement is listed in this part Exceptional Constitution? of the table. As a rule, only Warrior classes are allowed to have more Prime Requisite than a +2 hit point bonus for high Constitution scores This is the most important ability score for PCs using a above 16. However, some Priest kits may be similarly given kit. The prime requisite determines if the PC gains blessed, and these will be noted here. Naturally, all of the 10% experience point bonus, described in detail in the Warrior kits have Exceptional Constitution, but the the Player(cid:146)s Handbook (PHB). entry will spell that out to avoid any confusion. Advancement Table Spell Ability This entry shows which experience point advancement If a Warrior kit has spell ability, it will be listed here. All table a player uses with this character kit. Players should Priest kits have spell ability as priests, of course. There pay close attention to this factor when selecting a kit, are also some rare cases where a certain kit also has ac- since not all kits advance at the same pace. In most cess to wizard spells as well. In all cases, further informa- cases, the more powerful a kit is, the more slowly the tion will be presented in the entry(cid:146)s text. character advances in levels. Starting Cash Hit Die Type Starting wealth available to PCs using these kits will In the standard rules, Warrior kits use the lo-sided Hit vary according to the respective kit. The entry here indi- Dice and the Priest kits use the 8-sided dice. Any excep- cates the number and type of dice rolled to determine tions to these rules will be noted here. how much money a player has to equip his PC when starting out. The number rolled on the dice is multiplied Attack Table by 10 to obtain an exact gold piece total. These dice and As with the Hit Die type entry, most Warrior and Priest starting numbers supersede the standard starting cash kits use the same attack tables as their respective parent dice allowed in the PHB. 6 Proficiency Information cally. The riding nonweapon proficiency uses Wisdom If the optional proficiency rules are being used in the with a check modifier of +3 for its base score. With this campaign, this section of the entry provides the proper warrior(cid:146)s Wisdom of 12, the total adjusted ability score information on the number of proficiency slots avail- is 15. The skill is recorded on her character sheet and it able, the allowable nonweapon proficiency groups, and is noted that it fills (cid:147)0(cid:148) slots. If the player wants her PC the frequency with which additional slots are attained. to have a better score in land-based riding, she may al- locate an additional slot for each +1 increase to her Weapon Slots total adjusted ability score. Thus, the player of the war- This entry indicates the number of initial weapon profi- rior from the Ride allocates two slots to land-based rid- ciency slots available to a PC built with this kit. ing, boosting the total adjusted ability score to 17. Additional Slot Recommended Proficiencies As PCs advance in level, they become more proficient Recommended proficiencies are similar to bonus profi- in combat with an increasing number of weapons. This ciencies in that they reflect skills common to a kit. indicates the number of levels a PC must gain in order However, they are definitely not mandatory. They serve to earn an extra proficiency slot. merely as guidelines for players to create characters with a wide range of skills that PCs of that particular kit are Nonproficiency Penalty likely to have. Note that each recommended profi- If a PC is forced to use a weapon that he has never used ciency does require the normal slot allocation. or even learned how to use, his attack rolls will suffer. This entry indicates the exact penalty applied against Overview the PC(cid:146)s attack roll when using such unfamiliar weap- ons. Following the tabular information is at least one para- graph generally noting the kit, its primary distinctions Nonweapon Proficiency Slots from other kits, and how it fits into a Realms campaign. This entry indicates the number of initial nonweapon This description is not intended to be a fully detailed proficiency slots available to the PC. essay, but rather to give players a capsule description that they can browse as they decide on a character kit. Additional NWP Slot As a PC gains more experience, he is able to learn how Description to do more things. This entry indicates the number of levels a PC must advance in order to earn an additional Almost every character kit has a certain (cid:147)look(cid:148) to it. nonweapon proficiency slot. This might include favored types of armor, clothing, or- naments, tattoos, hairstyle, or whatever else is appropri- Available Categories ate. In some cases, the description even gives guidelines All nonweapon proficiencies in the AD&Dfi game are on general appearance (groomed, dishevelled, covered divided into categories (General, Warrior, Rogue, etc.) in blood), and even aroma. Whenever such information that reflect the skills normally associated with a specific is applicable, it will be mentioned here. class. As in the normal rules, characters can use skills Players and Dungeon Masters alike should be aware from other categories, but they cost additional slots to that not every PC of a kit looks precisely the same ((cid:147)Oh use. look, a man covered in blood. . . . That must be a priest of Tempus, Lord of Battles!(cid:148)). Minor deviations are al- Bonus Proficiencies lowed in general, and other changes can be made as Certain kits start with extra nonweapon proficiencies, long as they stay consistent with the role-playing (A reflecting special initial training or other circumstances. priest of Tempus at a state dinner would not remain Players need not allocate slots for their PCs to use these covered in gore!). Caution must be exercised, however, bonus proficiencies, but they may do so in order to raise lest the PC stand out too much, and be shunned (or the basic roll for success. worse) by his peers. For example, a warrior from the Ride receives the land-based riding nonweapon proficiency automati- 7 Role-Playing These disadvantages weigh against the abilities gained by each particular kit. Some disadvantages are minor This entry gives the player the necessary information to nuisances like penalties on interaction rolls with NPCs, make his portrayal of his PC even more realistic. General saving throw penalties, or longer spellcasting times. traits are presented here, and, when appropriate, even Other kits have potentially major threats to overcome, specific personality details are suggested. As a rule, the such as vows of absolute poverty, automatic death sen- Priest kits are more inflexible, since the kits are set up to tences from worshipers of rival deities, or the inability to allow PCs to be representatives of their deities; the per- refuse any battle challenge. sonality traits given for priest kits are endemic to most Geography worshipers and clergy of that particular deity. As with the Description entry above, it is important Versus Faith to note that not every PC in a certain kit acts precisely the same. There are exceptions, but once again, the DMs and players should exercise caution. These role- R playing tips are not exclusive and can be supplemented emember that the fundamental difference be- with other traits for individual characters. Therefore, tween the Warrior kits and the Priest kits is that while two different players with priests of Helm must the former is divided up by geographical areas, and the play both characters as serious, stolid guardians, one latter is split up by deity. If there are any special geo- could be a compassionate protectress while the other graphical considerations for a particular Priest kit, they could be a stern, obsessive defender with a fiery temper. will be discussed in the respective kit description. For example, priests of Cyric are not particularly welcome in Special Advantages Zhentil Keep after its destruction, since it is now com- mon knowledge that Cyric himself engineered the at- Every kit has some special abilities that set the character tack on the Keep. apart from those of the same class and other kits in that Good Versus Evil same class. This might be anything including saving throw bonuses, special talents like thieving abilities, extra spells, granted powers, or the power to turn un- O dead. In addition, any entries on the table that require nce again, it must be stressed that the Warrior kits clarification will be detailed here. of evil city groups and the Priest kits of evil gods are intended for use as NPCs only. They are not pre- Special Disadvantages sented here for use as player characters. The evil deities of the Realms, no matter how attractive a facade some It is certainly not fun for any challenge-loving role- may adopt, are a brutal, violent, and corrupt lot. To have player to have a PC that only has advantages and nice a player character emulate and support such a deity is to gifts. Disadvantages provide what are often interesting violate the whole spirit of heroic adventure built into challenges for role-players, and they also serve to bal- the FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign world. Neutral ance the kit against other classes and kits. deities have enough moral latitude for those players who do not want to be saddled with only (cid:147)goody two-shoes(cid:148) priests. 8