Earth

This deity is the manifestation of the world in all its aspects. He's not just a god of growing things, plants and animals; he also represents weather, volcanoes, earthquakes, flood, and many other powerful natural forces. Many earth-gods are also makers of monsters.

This god's priests are a vigorous sect who insist that everyone worship the god, for without the god all creatures on the face of the world could not exist.

Lesser gods of this attribute would represent only one aspect of the earth. One might be a god of earthquakes, one a god of stony mountains, one a god of caves and caverns. The gods of Agriculture, Animals, Nature and Vegetation can also be considered lesser gods of the Earth attribute.

Lesser gods are as likely to be male as female, but the comprehensive god of all the earth is probably female.

The priests of this god are on good terms with Druids and the priests of Agriculture, Animals, Fertility, Life-Death-Rebirth Cycle, Nature, Seasons, Sky/Weather, and Vegetation.

Alignment: The deity is true neutral. The priests may be true neutral or neutral good; most are true neutral. The flock may be of any alignment.

Minimum Ability Scores: Wisdom 12. Wisdom 16 means +10% experience.

Races Allowed: Dwarves, elves, gnomes, half-elves, halflings, humans.

Nonweapon and Weapon Proficiencies: Nonweapon Proficiencies Required: Any one from the following list--Agriculture, Brewing, Mining, Stonemasonry. Nonweapon Proficiencies Recommended: Ancient History, Ancient Languages, Reading/Writing, Religion. Weapon Proficiencies Required: None. Nonweapon Proficiency Group Crossovers: Priest, General.

Duties of the Priest: Guidance, Marriage.

Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Weapons Permitted: Club, dagger/dirk, knife, mace, maul, morning star, picks (all), scythe, sickle, sling, staff sling, stiletto, warhammer. Armor Permitted: All non-magical non-metal armor, all non-magical non-metal shields. Oriental Campaigns: Also nunchaku. All together, these constitute Medium combat abilities.

Other Limitations: None.

Spheres of Influence: Major Access to All, Creation, Elemental (the priest may only use spells dealing with dust, stone, rock, mud, and earth, plus transmute metal to wood ), Plant, Summoning. Minor Access to Animal, Divination, Healing, Protection.

Powers: Detect grade or slope in passage on 1-5 on 1d6 (same as Dwarf ability; dwarf-priests and gnome-priests of this faith will detect slopes automatically when they try). Determine approximate depth underground on 1-3 on 1d6 (same as Dwarf ability; dwarf-priests and gnome-priests of this faith succeed on a 1-5 on 1d6). Immunity (as per the Designing Faiths chapter) to all snake venoms.

Followers and Strongholds: The followers are received at 8th level, and consist of one fifth-level priest, three third-level priests, and six first-level priests of the same order, plus one third-level fighter and seven first-level fighters to act as guards. The priest may take the following on adventures: Three priests (only one of whom can be third-level), plus two fighters of his choice. The priesthood will pay for half of the cost of stronghold construction at 8th level.

Possible Symbols: Snakes; stones.

Notes: The weapons chosen for this order come in three types: Agricultural/harvesting type weapons (such as the scythe), those which sometimes use stones (such as slings, or primitive maces and axes), and those which simply suggest heavy beating, pounding, or the earth (picks and mauls, for example).

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