Seven Cities Classes - Asipu

Some preliminary notes on the Cleric replacement in the Gods of the Seven Cities sandbox

Asipu

Asipu are the priests and priestess of the city’s Ziggurat and the servitors of the gods who dwell within it. Second only to the nobles in status they also have many roles within and without the city. Not only are they intermediaries between citizens and their deities, but also educators, healers, traders, lawyers, historians, astronomers, mathematicians, and musicians. They are also the only fully literate citizens able to both read and record cuneiform on clay tablets. All Asipu have a rounded education that starts in childhood  when they leave their family and join the priesthood and specialise in one of the earthly fields of expertise.

[Add list of specialties and bonuses]

Beyond these mundane skills they are famed and respected for their skill and ability when dealing with the gods. Due to training, and regular exposure, to their divine superiors they are less prone to the effects of Divine Awe which allows them better able to deal and treat with the gods they serve. The can call on the gods to grant Divine Boons to citizens, allies and themselves. More importantly, to the survival of their city and its populace, they can also call on the gods to lift the Divine Banes. Banes which are an almost daily, and unavoidable, consequence of interacting with the Gods of the Seven Cities. That or the malign mischief of witches and warlocks.  These skills, as well as the ability to contact, negotiate with, and placate the gods makes them a powerful force and invaluable asset.

Effigies

All Asipu can effigies, small statuettes of deities, crafted from wood, stone, or clay, that represent their connection to specific deities. An Aspu can invoke the deity through its effigy asking for help and advice, or more powerful aid in the form of miracles. A deity may also travel instantly to the Asipu’s location via the effigy, but this will destroy it. Creating an effigy requires one day of cleansing, one day of crafting, and one day of ritual prayer before it is ready to become a vessel of the divine.

All newly ordained Asipu start without effigies and will not gain one until they have proven to be dedicated to the priesthood (2nd level). An Asipu’s first effigy will always be dedicated to the first god he has any meaningful interaction with during his adventures or temple duties. His second effigy may be dedicated to any of his city’s deities as he chooses. His third effigy is always chosen by the temple elders (Random roll or GM choice). More than three effigies may be acquired, but the gods are jealous and for every effigy carried beyond the fifth, the Asipu gains a -1 penalty to all rolls.

Banishing Banes

Asipu can a lift Divine Banes through prayer. Success or failure  is determined by rolling 2d6 and consulting the Banish Bane Table . . .

[Banish Bane Tabel is same as the standard B/X Essentials Cleric’s Turn undead table. Monster HD is replaced by Bane Level; No#  = the target number to roll against; T= bane automatically lifted and; D = Bane automatically lifted and replaced by a Divine Boon of half the Bane’s lvl]

Divine Favour

Aspiu needs to curry favour with the gods in order to be able to perform their duties. To curry favour they must  . . .

1 - Spend at least 2 hours a day praising the city’s gods with, song, dance, prayer and mediation.

2 - Make 1 personal sacrifice each week.

3 - Dedicate at least 1 day a week to contemplating the divine superiority of your city’s gods.

Doubling the above will grant the Aspiu extra favour and a +1 bonus to all rolls, +2 if they involve the divine. However, failing to complete these tasks will cause the the Asipu to fall from favour and receive a -1 penalty to all rolls and -2 penalty if they involve the divine.

Exceptions can be made if the Asipu in engaged in tasks or quests, that benefit or glory the city’s gods, but prevent them from achieving these daily and weekly tasks. Unfortunately, even if these tasks and quests do bring glory and benefit; the gods will expect priests that have been exempt for any length of time to work harder and double the requirements to stay in favour for the same length of time they spent questing

For example: Priestess Ninkurra is sent by her elders to seek the true name of an enemy of their great god Kur. It is a long and arduous journey taking three months. During her travels Ninkurra must disguise herself as a common traveler and thus can’t praise or sacrifice.The gods grant her dispensation and she does not lose favour or suffer any penalties. However, when she returns to the city, bearing the secret true name of the enemy, not only has the great god Kur lost interest in this particular quest, probably just days after she set out, she must now also work twice as hard to curry favour for the next three months. Four times as hard if she wants to gain the +1/+2 penalty. And of course failing to do so will result in losing favour and the associated penalties. Yes the gods are shitty.

Temple Duties

As well as owing time to the gods themselves the Asipu must owe a debt of service to their ziggurat. This service is varied but is usually lowly and mundane tasks unrelated to the Aspiu’s chosen speciality. The amount of time is based on their status within the priestly hierarchy.

Lvl  1   = 1 days

Lvl  2 -4 =  2 days

Lvl  5 -6 =  4 days

Lvl  7-8 =  3 days

Lvl 9       = 2 days

Lvl 10+   = 1 day

Restrictions

Asipu are non-combatants and will lose Divine Favour for a week if they engage in violence. However they are protected by both society, the law and their gods. Any citizen witnessing an assault on a priest will come to their aid, and the law decrees that those who harm, or cause a priest to be harmed shall be tortured and then executed. If that isn’t deterrent enough the gods themselves will punish those who harm priests with Divine Banes of the highest levels.

Strangely these taboos do not apply to fellow priests and although it is frowned on sometimes a priest or priestess has to be got rid of. If it comes to that a priests can defend themselves with their copper sacrificial dagger (1d3 dam) or their staff of office (1d4 dam 2 handed). Of course any priest that kills another priest will lose Divine Favour for a [long time?]

Asipu cannot wear armour as they must always wear their priestly robes (AC8) which vary in colour and design based on their status (level) within the temple hierarchy. Failing to wear robes will cause them to lose favour.

Asipu have 1d4hp per level and must have min 9 score in Wisdom if Wisdom is 13 or higher they gain 5% xp bonus if Wisdom is 16 or higher they gain 10% exp bonus.

Starting equipment: priestly robes, staff of office, sacrificial dagger, reed stylus, clay, tools of specialty, reed bed roll, reed bowl and cup, free food and lodging wherever they go and a weekly temple stipend of [shekels]