Brahmin (Character Kit)

:This was originally published in Dragon Magazine #233
==Brahmin==
(Priest kit)
"I have forsaken my home!" shouted Bruhmin Prabhut Bhabani to the winds.
I have forsaken my parents! I have no relation to anyone! I stand as a mirror before you, though your reflection is imperfect. I stand alone before the sacred fire and am ready to accept that loneliness! There Brahmin Bhabani stood for hours, alone with the wind until he felt he could stand no more. On the fringe of his vision, he at last saw a man standing, the ground fur below him. Silent, Brahmin Bhabani bowed his head and stood in the presence of the lord of air.
Description: Historically the Brahmins represented the highest caste in India. In the AD&D® game, the noble priestly class is above even the potent maharajahs; the Brahmins are the loneliest of all. Their assigned task is to interpret the sacred writings of the gods. They super vise birth, marriage, and cremation. High-level Brahmins are usually the only people to have direct contact with devas and avatars, who give them their spells. They are the only ones allowed by society to receive and impart divine visions. Of course, priests outside this class believe otherwise, but this is not sanctioned by Brahmin-run society. No matter which gods they worship, the Brahmins almost never come into conflict with each other on religious grounds.
Given their assigned preoccupation with religion, Brahmins are prohibited from all matters political. As the gods want Brahmins unburdened by secular matters, they wield no actual power beyond the religious. Due to the tithes paid by the Kshatriyas, the Brahmins are the wealthiest class, even above the Kshatriyas and merchants. However, Brahmins must tithe 50% of their wealth to their temples. Thus, even if a group of Brahmins had the hubris to assert control over a Kshatriya, they would not have the resources to do so. Still, they are perceived as at least a symbolic check on the worst tendencies of the ruling Kshatriyas.
Class role: The Brahmins supervise all things religious, though they are dependent upon the Kshatriya for their livelihood. Except in specific associations, the Brahmins eat, sleep, marry, and die with each other. Some Brahmin women marry high-ranking Kshatriyas, but male Brahmins who take up the priesthood are forbidden from marriage until they reach 5th level, Brahmins never eat meat of any kind and do not eat food prepared by a non-Brahmin. In fact, except in religious ceremonies, Brahmins never allow themselves to be touched by any but Kshatriyas or other Brahmins. They always wear single-color robes and have shaved heads.
Minimum requirements: Charisma of 14. In most cases priestly Brahmins must be male, but some deities allow female Brahmins.
Weapon Proficiencies: Varies by deity. See Legends & Lore.
Nonweapon proficiencies:
* Bonus: Chanting*, reading/writing and one artistic proficiency.
* Required: Religion, poetry*.
* Recommended: [All] arts, ancient history, cooking, craft instrument*, crowd working*, diagnostics*, etiquette, healing, herbalism, local history, oratory*, spellcraft,
* Forbidden: Bureaucracy*, law*.
: (Proficiencies marked by an asterisk are from The Complete Bard's Handbook and The Complete Paladin's Handbook.)
Equipment: Any, but the Brahmin’s goods must come from Brahmins, so must cost at least 150% book value.
Special benefits: The Brahmin has powers as noted for each deity in Legends & Lore. The Brahmin’s high social standing gives him a +3 to reactions in societies based on India; other societies will recognize the Brahmin’s position by his bearing and react at +1. He has access to any temple’s acolytes and shelter wherever he wants.
A Brahmin also has a detect spirits ability to see whether a being is extra-planar. If the creature is disguising its origins, it gets a saving throw vs. spells. This power even works on avatars, though their saving throws are quite good.
Special hindrances: Brahmins are forbidden to take food or goods from non-Brahmins, though anyone can donate to the temple. Thus, if a Brahmin priest is starving and cannot speak the language of a heathen benefactor, he will succumb to malnutrition. Brahmins must keep clean and drink soma juice to avoid disease, because otherwise they succumb to the pollution of those around them. A Brahmin who does not observe strict cleaning rituals has a 5% chance per week of contracting a disease.
Wealth options: The poverty option is usually forbidden, though the DM may make special circumstances. Usually at least 3d6x10 rupees.
Category:Character Kit
Category:Character Kit Dragon Magazine