Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 11:58:37 -0400 
From: "Kevin P. Quigley" <kq07+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Beggar Priest

Hi,
    In response to your beggar priest/thief...  I would not make him a 
multi-class human, this would break one of the cardinal rules.  Although
this is really only a matter of nomenclature.  But who cares if a thief
is multi-class and takes a kit.  However, I would not recomend either of
these routes.  I took a few minutes to draw up an example that you might
find suitable.  I don't remember the God (I ran a Grewhawk campaign with
the origional set about six years ago) so some of the things I used
might need to be altered.  I imagined a priest of a good-aligned
demipower (if only marginally) who combined the aspects of a priest and
a thief.  As a granted power they would recieve some of the thief
abilities, to counter this would be a smaller number of selectable
spheres for spells.  

LOWMAN  (sometmes called a MISSIONARY)
Portfolio:  Humility, the Holiness in Lowliness, and Mercy
Requirements:Wisdom 9, Dexterriry 9, Alignment any Good
Weapons:  weapons purchased may not cost more than 2 gp, or must be
stolen or gifts.  No equipment that is extravigant or obviously
expensive can be kept.
Armor:  Any up to leather, Piecemiel armor may be used if DM allows (see
fighter's Handbook)
Major Spheres:  All, Gaurdian, Healing, Protection, Wards
Minor Spheres:  Charm, Divination
Magical Items:  As cleric and thief (No jewelry or gems, except: Amulet
of proof against detection and location, Necklace of Prayer Beads, Pearl
of wisdom, Talis man of pure good.)
Granted Powers:
    - All Lowmen have the following thieving skills at 1st level:
    Pick Pockets:  20%; Move Silently:  20%; Hide in Shadows:  15%; 
Detect Noise  10%;   
    They also recieve 20 extra percentage points which they may
distribute to these skills at first level, and gain an additional 15%
per level thereafter.  Hide in Shadows may also be used to dissapear
into a crowd from even the most wiley attempts at tailing.  They must be
alone (or split up form companions) and may attempt this without penalty
even while under observation. (Now you see him, now you don't)  There
must be a sufficient crowd present.  If there is not, the DM is free to
apply a negative modifier to the roll - up to "NO chance pal."
    - They may "gather alms" at any time during the day.  This is done
either by staying in one place - or by approaching people on the street
and asking for alms. For every hour the priest spends on the street he
must make both a wisdom check and a charisma check (for every three
levels of experience he has, he may add a +1 bonus to either check -
wisdom for remaining statonary, and Charisma for approaching citizens) 
The following posts the results per condition - The first number is for
both checks failed, the second is one check made, the other is for both
checks successful: Horrible 0, 0, 1cp; Poor 0, 1cp, 2d4 cp;  Fair 1cp,
2d4 cp, 1 sp; Good 2d4 cp, 1sp, 1d4 sp;  Excellent 1sp, 1d4 sp, 2d4 sp. 
(These are the equivalents in coinage not actual coin.  It is rare for
someone to give up an entire silverpiece to a beggar.)
    - They are immune to disease; and often use this ability to stay
alive by eating almost anything organic they can find (i.e. food in any
state of rot) without getting sick.
    - They may not turn undead, bt are immune to the draining effects of
undead (Abilties and levels, etc.) due to contact with the Negative
aterial Plane. Some believe that this s because of the level loss that
many a priest has suffered for being unable to help those in need. 
Some, jokingly, think that the priests are such low creatures that not
even the negative plane wants their energy. 
Other Notes:
   They may not enter any dwelling to steal, and never rob from those
who "dersrve" their money.  The definition of "deserve" is left up to
the individual DM.  Mostly they will see a fat aristocrat in a crowd who
has a purse that is far too heavy for them...  75% of their income must
go to feed the poor - if the priest needs at more than this to stay
alive then he may withold a little for the time being, but this better
not become a habit.  If they ever turn away someone with a plea for aid
(unless they themselves are currently in danger or helpng someone else
who urgently needs it at the moment), they immediately lose two levels
of experience and must relieve themselves of all worldly good before
gaining any new experience.  For the most part these are solitary
clerics.  They worship with their own rules and their own prayers.
    At 10th level they may join or establish a Missionary (A  Lowman may
join a missionary at any level)  The missionary is dedicated to caring
for the poor and sick.  This is the only sort of "church" these priests
are known to harbor, although no scheduled services take place and any
using the facility is free to worship how they see fit - as long as it
doesn't disturb the others.  They will offer counseling and food and
healing, and whatever the poor creatures need as long as they can
provide it.  When a character of at least 10th level establishes such a
mission - or a charcater already involved in a mission reaches 10th
level he attracts 1d10 followers, use the following table:
    Roll 1d% 1d10 times:1-40 0-level vagrant; 41-50 mid level city
official who, while not openly an aquaintance of the Lowmman, wile offer
aid in whatever ways he can, if does not jeopardize his standing or his
job;  51-60 3,4, or 5th level Fighter (Determine alignment);  61-70 6,7,
or 8th level thief (Determine alignment);  71-80 1st level Lowman; 81-85
8th level thief with an appropriate Kit (determine alignment); 85-90 a
doo-gooder mage of 1d4 levels; 90-95  a moderatley knowledgeable sage
interested in teaching the poor; 96-99 a paladin (levels 4-7) who will
spen several days out of each month helpinh with the Mission, and will
champion it in need; 100 the mission will attract the attention of a
major noble (king, mayor, prince) this may be good or bad depending on
alignment, or public or secretive depending on the campain needs.
    The alignemnt of a follower has a great affect on the service of the
NPC.  Most good alignemnts will be a great boon to the Mission.  (Good
vagrants will raise alms, provide strong backs without complaint etc..)
Those of Chaotic Neutral alignment will will come and go as they please,
sometimes brings great tidings, sometimes bringing doom, sometimes just
themselves;  Ne followers will stick around and help until there is
nothing left in it for them, then they will depart - probably forever;
LE will usually try to turn the Mission into some kind of front for some
illegeal activity, and may even try to keep this secret from the
Mission's opperators; CE followers will usually be driven by a simple
insane lust to kick those who are down.  They may be crazed serial
killers who cleverly smother vagrants in their sleep, or they might just
explode one day in a massive violent assualt on everyone within the
mission at any given time.
    New Spell:
Mask Useful Item - I leave the specifics up to you, but this god may
allow priests to petition it through this prayer to make an extarvagant
but very useful item look like something that belongs on the badly
dressed priests.  A gleaming shortsword with gold inlays may keep that
evil band of city thugs from beating up your alms squad, but the squad
might expect you to sell it, because the poor could use the food.  The
priest asks the god to consider its uesfullness, the God does so, and in
a few days/weeks/hours/minutes he replies, by either doing nothing
(unload the item you warthog) or by changing it into a decrepit-looking
thing with all of the same properties.  (i.e. the gleaming shrtsword
suddenly has a corroded edge and a hilt that will fall off if anyone
else picks it up.)  Even so the priest may only have three of these
items at a time, and must give up an old one, if he wants to have a new
one.
    They tend to dress in whatever clothes are given to them and are
forbidden to bathe more than once a year.  Lowman own only what they can
carry, and care for animals only if the animal has come to it or was
given to the priest and it doesn't wander off of its own free will.  The
Lowmen have only what they can carry and do not consider this "having"
an ownership at all.  If someone else needs something a Lowman and could
make better use of it then that person should have it...this is also
their justification for theft - but this must be heavilly considered
first...


Questions, comments, Criticism???

                                        RAX