Priestly Followers (CPrH)

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It's good to remember that the priest's followers, the ones who come to him around 8th level, are not mere spear-carriers or meat for the monsters. They haven't shown up so that they can be thrown to the jaws of dragons in order to give the priest more time to get away. They've shown up to serve the god and the priest.
That's why, in the Designing Faiths chapter, we talked about giving them names and personalities, and likewise talked about the priest getting fewer and fewer replacements if he wastes the followers he has.
Once again, this is a sign that the priest cannot act with utter impunity. He is dependent on the good will of his god, and his god will not look kindly on a priest who brings about the deaths of other followers of the god. The god who says, "Yes, my son, kill off my other followers so that you can have more gold" is a foolish god indeed.