Expressions of Faith (CRH)

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==Expressions of Faith==
Regardless of whether a ranger worships nature, gods, or a philosophy, he is assumed to engage in various practices to affirm his faith. Some of these practices may be formally established; for instance, a particular group of disciples may be required to kneel before the setting sun every day. Other practices may be self-imposed; a ranger may decide for himself that the best way to express his devotion is to refrain from violence during nights with a full moon. Once a player establishes a practice as routine for the ranger, the player and DM can assume the character continues it "off stage" unless campaign events dictate otherwise.
It's up to the DM, in conjunction with the player, to decide what, if any practices a ranger should follow in order to remain true to his faith. Typical practices might include any of the following:
Meditation. Having private moments of quiet reflection and communion is a common practice. These may take the form of the soft verbal recitation of sacred verse, spoken at the same time every day, to periods of silent meditation, performed whenever the ranger gets a chance. Observing particular phenomena, such as a shooting star, or experiencing certain events, such as acquiring a new follower, may inspire special periods of this type.
Offerings. The ranger make regular offerings of food or treasure. Offerings may be given to the underprivileged, cast into the sea, or buried in the ground. Small offerings, such as a scrap of meat or a few copper pieces, usually suffice.
Symbol Display. The ranger may declare his devotion to the world by displaying the symbol of his faith. The symbol may be a distinctive article of clothing, a brooch or pendant, a tattoo, or a tiny mark made on a tree or stone wherever the ranger spends the night. The ranger might mark his animal followers with the deity's symbol. The symbol may be engraved in a collar or bracelet, shaved into the animal's fur, or notched in the animal's horn.
Pilgrimage. The ranger may make a periodic journey to a sacred location, such as a temple, mountain peak, or holy village. The pilgrimage may take place on a particular date (say, the first day of spring) or whenever he gets the chance within a particular timeframe (he must make the pilgrimage once a year).
Taboos. Some faiths may impose strict prohibitions on the ranger's behavior. For example, the ranger may not be allowed to eat meat, wear head coverings, or start more than one fire in the same day.
Players and DMs may also make up their own religious requirements. Remember that a ranger might follow practices unlike other disciples of the same faith; just because most worshipers of a nature deity make shrines out of polished stone doesn't mean that a ranger can't build a shrine out of deer bones. Care should be taken to ensure that the practices don't conflict with the requirements of the ranger's character kit (it's unreasonable to expect a Sea Ranger to make an annual pilgrimage to the middle of a desert).
Most importantly, any routine practices should be simple enough that they don't distract from the campaign or tie up an undue amount of the ranger's time and effort. A ranger who has to come up with a weekly offering of 500 gp or must spend four hours per day in solitude won't be welcome in very many parties.
Once the practices are established, the ranger is expected to follow them. Should a ranger fail to uphold the requirements of the religion, or intentionally violate them, he may lose the use of his spells for a brief period, he may become ill, or one or more of his followers may desert him. The DM determines the penalty based on the severity of the ranger's negligence. In most cases, a warning should be enough (which the ranger may experience as a dream or vision), but continued abuse may call for a more severe response.