Cleric¶
A Cleric keeps people standing before death and calls them back after it. Shared wards, spiritual judgments, preservation, resurrection, and the Hearthwardens' service rites make the calling a protector without reducing it to a passive healer.
| Calling feature | Cleric |
|---|---|
| Aptitudes | Resolve, Attunement |
| Casting aptitude | Resolve |
| Magic | all foundations, Greater Breath, Cleric's Wheel |
| Guild | the Hearthwardens — the Rites |
| Natural strengths | spiritual wards, warding magic, service, resurrection |
Building the character¶
Resolve powers the Cleric's spiritual workings and keeps the caster steady; Attunement deepens magical practice. Vigor matters to Health, Insight supports awareness, and Might becomes relevant for a mace-and-shield or armored plan.
Common priorities are:
- Channeling and Spirit Attunement;
- circle ranks toward specific known workings;
- enough Conditioning, Armor Training, and defensive training for the intended kit;
- Spell Targeting only if the chosen catalogue makes repeated use of bolts;
- Field Medicine and service skills when the character's ministry includes field care.
The Cleric's blunt-weapon and armor paths are viable choices, not proof of a universal caster template. Check each current cost with TRAIN.
The three circles¶
Lesser Breath provides widely useful wards, cleansing, road magic, and spirit attacks. Greater Breath reaches deeper into sanctuary, passage, severing hostile workings, and group support. Cleric's Wheel holds the calling's litanies, consecration, preservation, judgment, and return from death.
Use SPELLS to see catalogue code, required circle ranks, and mana independently. The last digits are shuffled lookup digits, not the working's depth.
Death and return¶
A fallen character remains at the body for a limited time. Cleric workings can preserve that window and, with the necessary spirit, mana, reach, and cooldown, call the adventurer back. Resurrection carries aftermath; it does not erase death into a costless teleport.
Read Death and Return before promising a rescue. Location, the body's state, and the Cleric's own reserves all matter.
The Hearthwardens¶
The chapter house behind Coldhollow's chapel teaches the Rites. Lessons use the guild's brazier, censing practice, and public office. Rites ranks add authority to the Cleric's spiritual work.
GUILD shows dues, rank, and the open lesson; CENSE works the practice fire. Guild progress comes from completing that office, separate from normal Training.
Fighting rhythm¶
Ward before leaving safety, not after the first critical. In an uncertain room, READY or BRACE gives time to identify whether the enemy tests Guard, Resolve, or posture. Cleric magic can punish, control, preserve, and restore; the correct action is often the one that prevents the next emergency.
Common mistakes¶
- Training three circles evenly instead of planning the next useful working.
- Spending spirit casually and discovering the pool empty during a rescue.
- Assuming “Cleric” means another character's wounds can be erased by any spell.
- Neglecting physical defenses because wards are available.
- Waiting until a body is nearly lost before learning the return sequence.