Performing Religious Rites

Religious Rites

Performed by Religious Practitioners

Religious rites are sacred actions performed by Religious Practitioners to invoke divine power, bless objects, or affect the world through spiritual means. There are three levels of religious rites:

• Minor ‘Consumable’ Rites
• Minor Rites
• Major Rites

Minor Rites and Major Rites require consumables, which are created using Minor ‘Consumable’ Rites. These consumables are key ingredients to completing higher-level rites. While consumables can be sourced from other in-game means, such as the Post Office, this may prove expensive.

Similar to crafting, Rites are knowledge, not physical in-game items. While consumables are required for performing rites, the actual knowledge of the rites themselves is what a practitioner learns. The Post Office keeps track of which rites a character has learned, and when a character gains a new rite in-game, they must inform the Post Office to update their records.

The Tools of Faith

Holy Symbol

To perform any religious rite, you will need a Holy Symbol. This symbol must contain the image of the Divine within its structure. The Holy Symbol is personal to the practitioner and must be either worn around the neck or held in the hand. It should be special and unique to the bearer, created by the player.

When you take Religious Practitioner as a skill, you provide your phys rep for this Holy Symbol. The symbol does not have in-game effects beyond focusing the practitioner’s will. Without it, the practitioner will be unable to perform rites.

The Holy Symbol is unique to each individual character, meaning it cannot be used by another. If the Holy Symbol is lost or stolen, the character should roleplay their inability to perform rites and will need to create a new one in-game. This provides a roleplaying opportunity and adds depth to the character's experience.

Altar

In addition to the Holy Symbol, some rites may require the use of an Altar. Every religious practitioner starts with an Altar, which is another item provided by the player (phys rep). The Altar is a personal and sacred space for the practitioner, and it can take many forms—ranging from simple wooden pulpits, to a blanket full of holy items, to a briefcase that unfolds into a full altar setup. The Altar can be any shape or size the player prefers, and we look forward to seeing the creative solutions players come up with.

Consumables

There are four types of consumables used for religious rites:

• Incense (air)
• Blessed Food (earth)
• Holy Water (water)
• Blessed Candle (fire)

Consumables are created by performing the associated Minor ‘Consumable’ Rite, with each rite producing one unit of the relevant consumable. Players should phys rep these consumables when they are created. While consumables can be used by any Religious Practitioner, they are not unique to the practitioner who creates them, and anyone who has the Religious Practitioner skill can use them.

Once a consumable is used in a rite, it is destroyed and removed from play.

Consumables can also be acquired from other in-game sources like the Post Office, but purchasing them this way may be costly.

Minor Consumable Rites take 5 minutes to cast.

Performing a Rite

To perform a religious rite, you must have the required Holy Symbol, Altar, and any necessary Consumables. The amount of time required to perform the rite will depend on the type of rite:

• Minor Consumable Rite: 5 minutes base
• Minor Rite: 5 minutes base
• Major Rite: 10 minutes base

 *(This time can be modified by sub-skills.)*

You must roleplay the appropriate actions and prayers for the full duration of the rite to achieve its desired effect.

• Holy Symbol: The Holy Symbol is both a symbol of office and a non-consumable component required for rites. It focuses the practitioner’s will and intention.
• Altar: An Altar is a physical focal point where rites are performed. It can be as simple as a candle holder or as elaborate as a full table set with holy items. The Altar is required to create consumable religious components.

Rite Limitations

• A character may only have one instance of the same rite on them at any time.
• Consumables are used at the start of a rite and are destroyed, regardless of the rite's success or failure.

Interrupted Rites

A rite is considered interrupted if any of the following occur:

1. The Religious Practitioner becomes unconscious, is on their death count, or is affected by fear, stun, or fatigue.
2. The Religious Practitioner loses the position of their Holy Symbol, or if the Holy Symbol is broken (e.g., mangled).
3. The Religious Practitioner steps away from their Altar (within reason), or if the Altar is broken (e.g., mangled).
4. A referee informs you that your rite has been interrupted for an in-game reason.

Example Rite: Purge Disease

Requires:

• • Holy Symbol
  • 1 x Blessed Candle per Virulence level of disease

When this rite is performed, it allows the practitioner to remove one disease from a character. However, it does not heal any damage sustained as a result of the disease.

Note: This rite will not allow the Religious Practitioner to know the virulence level of the disease beforehand. The practitioner will need to either:

• Find out the virulence level in-game (e.g., from a Medical Practitioner with the Diagnosis skill), or
• Guess the amount of Blessed Candles required based on their best judgment.