Tribal Priest (Character Kit)

Tribal priest
Description: The struggle for survival in the badlands outside the city states of Athas is fierce and terrible. Thousands of tribes wander the wastes; each year hun- dreds of these are slaughtered, enslaved, or simply starve. One of the most vital edges a tribe can possess over its competitors is access to the magic of a druid or cleric, whose spells can mean the difference between life and death for the tribesmen.
Templars cannot be tribal priests their power lies in the domains of the sorcerer-kings. Tribal priests may be of any alignment and race. Clerics are most often found as tribal priests, since they are not tied to one place and can accompany their tribe in its travels. On occasion, a druid will be found as the patron of a tribe that spends a lot of time in the
druids guarded lands. Tribal priests have to be able to survive the rigorous life of a tribesman before they become a priest; a character must have a Constitution score of 13 or better to qualify as a tribal priest.
Role: The tribal priest is a character with a heavy burden to bearthe survival of his family and friends. He is often one of the most respected and feared mem- bers   of the tribe, and his words are extremely influential. PC tribal priests are assumed to come from a tribe that can spare them for the occasional adventure; otherwise, the character would spend all of his time creating water, quelling squab- bles, and healing the tribes warriors. The DM can explain this freedom in two ways: Either the priest character is only a student or shaman in training with an NPC tribal  priest who remains with the tribe, or the tribe is successful and stable enough that the PC can leave them to fend for themselves from time to time.
The tribal priest kit is especially effective in a campaign built around the raiders and nomads of the wastes. A tribal priest who spends most of his time associating with urban characters from Athass city-states is playing the role of a barbar- ian priest, and is not paying attention to the responsibilities of his position. 
Weapon Proficiencies: In addition to the weapons appropriate for a cleric or druid, the tribal priest is required to select one of the following weapons: knife, dagger, short bow, spear, or sling. These are the weapons of the nomadic tribes.
Nonweapon Proficiencies:
* Bonus: Survival (in the terrain favored by the tribe), Water Find, Heat Protection. 
* Recommended: Animal Lore, Direction
Sense, Weather Sense, Fire-building, Hunting, Tracking, Herbalism.
Equipment: Tribal priests come from societies that are forced to make do with the most basic of materials. They may not purchase any metallic weapons when they begin play, but are unrestricted after that.
Special Abilities: Tribal priests can always find shelter, food, water, and assistance with their protected tribe, no matter what the circumstances. The tribal priest can also arrange for up to one guest per level to receive similar aid. Note that while a tribe can always accommodate the priest himself, a large number of guests may severely strain the tribes resources, and the tribal priest should never bring more guests than the tribe can support.
Tribal priests are recognized through out the wastes of Athas as important people. When dealing with any nomad, raider, slave tribe, or herdsman, the tribal priest gains a +3 on his reaction check. This can be a disadvantage, as an outside tribe des- perately in need of a new priest may be inclined to seize the PC tribal priest for their own if he impresses them too much.
Special Hindrances: The tribal priest is tied to his tribe. Although it is assumed that he can occasionally leave the tribe to go adventuring, there are times when he is needed by his people. There is a 30% chance that the priest is required by his tribe anytime he considers undertaking an adventure that would take him away for a long time. The DM should enforce this rigidly for a character who tends to neglect his background, and be more gen- erous with players who are role-playing their characters well.
Another hindrance lies in the fact that the tribes enemies are the characters enemies as well. The character must select three distinct groups (for example, gith of the Black Spine Mountains, the Jura-dai elven tribe, and the slave tribe Werriks Stalkers) to become his tribes enemies. Whenever the character encounters these enemies, he suffers a -4 penalty on his reaction check with them, since his tribal markings and attitudes clearly mark him as a potential foe.
Wealth Options: Tribal priests are impoverished, beginning play with only a few hand crafted items. They receive only 3d6 × 10 cp instead of the normal starting money of 3d6 × 30 cp.
Category:Character Kit
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