Clerics in Coda?

[AslanC]

Has anyone found a way to do Clerics and their spells in the CODA system?

I am just curious as I would like to do a fantasy game with CODA.

[Tobian]

When you say 'clerics' do you meab bog standard D&D Clerics, or are you thinking of something else. I'm not terribly sure how magic works in Lord of the rings, but there's no reason that you couldn't use the rules sets for that, and devise a set of spells on the same scheme, but with holier connotations, such as blessing, or, of course the fun one's like holy smiting flame and such

[AslanC]

Yeah I mean D&D clerics

Power from the Gods.

Now I am not talking about doing it in the LOTR setting, but using the CODA rules.

[Tobian]

Yes I understood what you meant, but the word 'cleric' isn't synonymous ONLY with D&D

I simply meant that becuae LOTR has a built in system for magic, it would be a good starting point for developing a system of any type of magic, including Clerics, within a CODA context. Otherwise you have to completelly start from scratch, or convert over the WOTC source material, which could prove time consuming (so I guess that's why you asked

[Ineti]

I think clerics could be added to the CODA rules easily enough. Just take the existing spell specialties and attribute them to specific gods. It would take some work and some tinkering, but I can see it.

[AslanC]

Well I think the types of spells might be differnent, though that is a personal taste.

Someone suggested taking the Mystic Order from Star Trek RPG and adapting it.

Then it would be a matter of craeting a spell list (which would be the msot time consuming part of it I guess)

[Sea Tyger]

I don't know how LotR handles magic, but one option is to mirror how Psionics are handled in Trek.

1. Create an Edge for Divine Spellcasting. Only those with the edge can use spellcasting skills.

2. Create skills based on spell schools/domains (evocation, abjuration, etc.).

3. The spells would have a TN to cast properly, based on which school/domain they fall under.

That's how I would handle magic in the Coda system.

[Dan Stack]

Moving to LotR area.

[AslanC]

Sorry about that Dan, my bad.

[JeffTidball]

If I were going to do a generic fantasy game with the CODA rules, I'd create a collection of relatively low-powered religion-based edges that provide direct abilities such as minor healing (1d6 points a day or so with the basic edge, more with improvements), minor blessings, and so forth. Anyone would be able to buy these (perhaps after taking a prerequisite edge called something like 'Faith').

Then, I'd create a cleric basic order (though I'd probably call it 'priest') that included order abilities that allowed more powerful manifestation of holiness. Ability to go without sleep entirely, ability to go without food and water entirely, ability to perform more powerful acts of healing than the edges allow, ability to raise the dead (maybe, and only with many improvements), ability to sway nonbelievers, and so forth. Perhaps the nature of these order abilities would vary by the diety or dieties venerated.

For icing, I'd create at least two elite orders. The first would be something like 'archpriest,' which would be for priests who have advanced politically within the church. Their order abilities would allow them to command their followers, awe their enemies, and so forth. The other elite order would be for ascetic, hermit-like holy men who go off to live in the wilderness and eat bugs. Their order abilities would revolve around transcending bodily hardships.

What I would not do (remember, this is what I'd do in my campaign and YMMV) is create, include, or allow clerics to cast spells. Spellcasting clerics feel too heavily borrowed from D&D to me. (I would, however, allow and even encourage cleric characters to join or come from loremaster, magician, and wizard orders to have/gain regular spellcasting abilitity. It seems like a natural match, considering how many monks and priests of the Middle Ages were studious and concerned with 'natural magic.')

[Ineti]

Great stuff, Jeff. My very rough notes for making a priest order for a CODA-fied Deryni RPG sort of echoed some of your ideas, but yours are much farther along (and frankly, way better) than I had considered.

I'll be mining your post and adding it to my thought processes. Thanks!

[Tobian]

Actually I rather like Sea Tyger's idea, of mirroring the psionics ability, becuase then it would create a more Coda-like feel to the game - basically use the core ideas of the spells, but have them as TN's for skills, rolled using a divine atribute.

Skills could be something like

Divine power
(Turning undead TN5 + 5 per undead, Holy aura, TN 10 - +2 bonus to contested willpower,

Healing
(First aid level TN5, Surgery wound levels TN10 heal multiple people TN15 + 1 person per raise etc) (using the medicine skills in Coda as the example)

Holy weapon
(+1 bonus to damage or to hit per +5 rolled)

Holy flame
(flaming sword TN10, Fire bolt TN15)

Divine will
(TN 5 - +2 to willpower, TN 10 +2 smiting evil bonus)

Etc. - you could then simply use the pre-existing rules on fatigue to limit spellcasting, and it saves you haveing to write up whole reams of 'spells' - it never made any sense to me that clerics in D&D have a limited number of 'turn undead' or a set number of spells anyway - since the power comes from the devine, to aid you in your darkest hour!

That way a character can raise his attribute - if he wants to - and specialise in whatever area of magic he likes. - you could also place limits on certain forms of magic depending on your setting - necromancy and raising dead type magic might be frowned on in your setting (as it can be in many) etc.

[Arnold Rimmer]

Just handle it like Psionics in ST. Have a "Cleric Edge." Having the edge gives you a new attribute, starting at four. From there, create a skill list. Skills adavece normally. Either use the mystic profession or create a new one.