Cleric/Cleric Archetypes

== Table: Cleric Archetypes ==
Archetype 	Description
Aqua Adept 	An aqua adept dedicates herself to preserving the knowledge of those of the ocean and ensuring their ancient connections to the natural world remain undisturbed. They may serve as the keepers of the roots of the lamia people and as their protectors.
Arcane Exemplar	In some cases, especially with regards to gods of magic, a cleric learns to manipulate magical forces and arcane secrets to aid her god.
Bishop 	Grim and determined, the bishop roots out enemies of the faith, using trickery and guile when righteousness and purity is not enough. Although bishops are dedicated to a deity, they are above many of the normal rules and conventions of the church. They answer to their deity and their own sense of justice alone, and are willing to take extreme measures to meet their goals.
Cardinal 	While a cleric’s faith is her highest priority, her church may wield significant political power in some regions. In these cases, cardinals arise from the ranks of the clergy, engaging in the game of intrigue on behalf of their churches. While some cardinals manage to join the world of politics and retain the purity of their faith, many cardinals find that they must compromise some part of their beliefs in pursuit of their church’s political power, and some cardinals even fall prey to the corrupting influence of their power.
Celebrant 	Some clerics are called to lead great armies and face legions of foes. These celebrants live for war and fight for glory. Their hearts quicken at battle cries, and they charge forth with their deity’s symbol held high. These leaders of armies do so to promote the agenda of their faith, and lead armies of devoted followers willing to give their lives for the cause.
Daemonic Vessel	Many clerics pray to or make evil bargains with fiendish powers, devoting body and soul to the insane plans and wicked aims of their despicable deities. But these mortal clerics are often just shallow beings searching for quick power or the caress of true and final oblivion—few truly grasp the full scope of the entities they worship. Daemonic vessels, through their fiendish heritage, share an innate connection with their deity, and that connection grants them understanding and power.
Devout 	Capable of calling upon the power of the gods in the form of blessings and spells, devouts blend divine magic with martial skill. They are unflinching bastions of their faith, shouting gospel as they pummel foes into submission, and never shy away from a challenge to their beliefs. While clerics might be subtle and use diplomacy to accomplish their aims, devouts aren’t above using violence whenever the situation warrants it. In many faiths, devouts form the core of the church’s martial forces—reclaiming lost relics, rescuing captured clergy, and defending the church’s tenets from all challenges.
Divine Knight 	Divine knights are crusaders who use the power of their divine patron to annihilate the faith’s enemies.
Emissary 	Although clerics are faithful servants of their divine patron by choice, others have less agency in their calling. Whether due to divine selection or simply the whims of fate, emissaries are thrust into the role of speaker for their deity whether they desire it or not. They wield great authority, but this power comes at the price of a grim curse—and yet they are unable to turn aside from their path, else greater misfortune befall them. Though they may live many years in the manner they wish, there will come a day when they must deliver a message to their deity’s intended audience.
Exorcist 	The exorcist travels far and wide to root out possessions, hauntings, and hidden evils. The exorcist extracts unruly spirits from not only victims of possession, but also haunted sites and accursed items.
Favored Soul 	The favored soul follows the path of the cleric but is able to channel divine power with surprising ease. Scholars wonder if favored souls have traces of outsider blood from unions, holy or unholy, centuries ago and generations removed. Others suggest that divine training of the proper type awakens the ability, or that favored souls are simply imbued with their gifts by their gods when they begin the cleric’s path. Though this gives them extraordinary divine abilities no normal person could ever match, they see their gift as a call to action.
Healer 	The healer is a master of battlefield revivification, sustaining and restoring allies to keep them in the fight.
Loremaster 	Rather than thrusting their fate into the hands of a god, loremasters seek out truth and power with facts and knowledge.
Mist Invoker 	Some sensitive souls feel magic on a deeply intuitive level, beyond its expression in spells or other effects. These individuals can immerse themselves in the aetheric energies which connect all things in the world: whether it is called the Lifestream or simply Mist, this magical energy field guides the Mist Invoker in all his actions. Over time, he grows so attuned to this ambient and underlying force that he may even use it to supplement his mind or body with mystic powers, pushing them beyond their normal limitations. Such energies may be light or dark, though, and the mist invoker faces critical choices in how he will use them.
Omdura 	Acting as divine warriors, omduras embody the tenets of their gods and serve as divine vessels. These mortals are granted greater purpose and are tasked with both spreading their god’s faith and defeating the faith’s enemies. Omduras are able to grant the same divine power they hold within themselves to others around them. This allows omduras to both defend others from enemies of their faith and inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Gods of all kinds select omduras to enact their will, though how this will is interpreted varies.
Paladin 	Through a select, worthy few shines the power of the divine. Called paladins, these noble souls dedicate their swords and lives to the battle against evil. Knights, crusaders, and law-bringers, paladins seek not just to spread divine justice but to embody the teachings of the virtuous deities they serve. In pursuit of their lofty goals, they adhere to ironclad laws of morality and discipline. As reward for their righteousness, these holy champions are blessed with boons to aid them in their quests: powers to banish evil, heal the innocent, and inspire the faithful. Although their convictions might lead them into conflict with the very souls they would save, paladins weather endless challenges of faith and dark temptations, risking their lives to do right and fighting to bring about a brighter future.
Paragon 	These believers are less concerned with enforcing their beliefs onto the world via martial prowess, and instead try to strengthen their connection with their god. Some see themselves as mere conduits through which their god acts, while others see themselves as having a stronger and more personal bond with their deity. They walk a harsh road, but those that prevail truly deserve to be called paragons of their faith.
Yevonite 	Through the teachings of Yevon, the Yevonsnites will atone for their sins and one day Sin will go away, as long as they follow Yevon’s teachings. Yevonites gain power not from gods, but from the Fayth. Otherwise known as summoners, these yevonites journey to defeat sin and bring about the calm. Though not all stay on this pilgrimage, and simply learn the power to use the Fayth to summon forth Aeons.