Gods and Their Specialty Priests

Tempus (Lord of Battles)

Greater Power of Limbo, CN

Portfolio: War Requirements: Strength 14 Wisdom 12 Major Spheres: Animal, Combat, Divination, Elemental, Healing, Necromantic, Protection, Weather Minor Spheres: All, Guardian, Summoning, Sun

Weapons Allowed: All bludgeoning weapons, the spiked glove, plus one other weapon of choice--any one weapon chosen by the cleric Armor Allowed: Any. If a two-handed weapon is taken as the chosen weapon, no shield may be used. Magical Items Allowed: Same as clerics, plus magical versions of their individual "chosen weapons."

Granted Powers

• Specialty priests of Tempus can incite a berserker rage in themselves and others. The rage lasts for 10 rounds. During this time the recipients have a +2 bonus to attack, damage, and all saving throws. The priest may affect one person per level of the priests' experience, once per day. The berserker rage lasts a full 10 rounds. If the recipient runs out of enemies to fight, he must either attack the closest living target in the area (even a friend) or suffer five points of damage for each of the remaining rounds. This is a conscious choice of the berserk character.
• At initiation, the specialty priest of Tempus chooses a particular weapon as his chosen weapon. This is not a weapon type (such as "all flails") but one specific weapon (such as "this flail that I'm holding right now"). This chosen weapon may be of any type. The specialty priest can fight with that weapon type normally, but when using <that> particular weapon gains a +1 bonus to hit and damage (this is in addition to the any other benefits, including the berserker rage). Should the chosen weapon be lost or destroyed, the specialty priest may reconsecrate a new weapon at a recognized temple of Tempus in a ceremony of meditation and fasting which takes a week.
• While recognizing the need for bows, slings, and even firearms and bombards on the battlefield, the specialty followers of Tempus take a dim view of missile weapons. In a perfect world, no one would use such cowardly items, but the world is imperfect. Therefore, no missile weapon can be taken as a chosen weapon unless it can also be used as a melee weapon (like a spear).
• Specialty priests of Tempus have an excellent feel for weapons. They can discern the workmanship and potential magical ability of a weapon merely by handling it. The specialty priest can determine the magical pluses (though not any other special or magical abilities) of any weapon that he is proficient with (including his weapon of choice).
• All specialty priests of Tempus have the following nonweapon proficiencies at no cost: armorer, blindfighting, charioteering, and weaponsmithing.
• Specialty priests of Tempus, particularly those of high rank, wear a spiked gauntlet as a symbol of office. The gauntlet costs 10 gp (though more elaborate ones may be found in more important churches). This gauntlet is size S, a piercing weapon, with speed factor 2, and inflicts ld4 points of damage to creatures of any size. The gauntlet usually is worn only by priests with some sort of authority--those in charge of temples or leading crusades.

Other Notes

Ceremonial garb is the same for both clerics and specialty priests of Tempus, whether they are in the temple or on the battlefield (it is all the same to a priest of Tempus). They wear full plate, spattered with blood. The arms and legs may have white saffron over the plates, but this too, is spattered with red. A full helm is usually common, but with no face plate (or an open face plate). In those few areas untouched by war, a steel skullcap is worn instead.

The orders of Tempus are military orders, and military ranks within the faith are common, such as priest-captain and most holy general. Ranks are assigned by higher-ups, in light of service, needs, and situation, and brevet (temporary) commands are common in desperate situations and suicidal missions. The leaders of a temple or crusade are entitled to wear the heavy battle gauntlet of rank.

Tempurian crusades have been referred to as "a civilized man's barbarian horde." Whipped into a frenzy by a strongly charismatic leader, such crusades have been known to travel great distances and level the castles of those (good, evil or unaligned) who pose a threat to the faith. There have been rumblings here and there in the past century, but no full-blown crusade has rocked the lands around the Kitaran Sea in recent memory.