The Gods of Khefra: A Preview (Part Two)

More snippets from the RPG material that will be featured in The Three Lives of Fantomah: Daughter of the Pharoahs. Coming soon! (This is Open Game content, and it may be reproduced in accordance with the license detail at the link in the sidebar to the right.)

INTERACTING WITH THE GODS
The gods of Khefra grant spells to members of their priesthoods as described in the rules for the Adept class in OGL Modern, or in the rules for Clerics or Druids in the general OGL rules. In Khefra, an Adept, Cleric, or Druid must select a deity to serve and that deity grants them spells. They may also select any of the "Favored by" feats in place of any bonus feat they earn for their class. (These feats may also be selected by non-clergy characters who honor the god in question through their words and deeds.)

   The gods of Khefra often answer desperate pleas from the citizens of the city-state. Simply mentioned a god's name if one isn't a member of the god's priesthood or engaged in a  formal rite or prayer, triggers a 1% chance that the deity will manifest an avatar (use the stats for the astral deva in all cases) at the location its name was mentioned. If the deity determines that its name has been taken in vain and/or it has been called upon for frivolous reasons, he will place a curse upon the summoner and immediately depart.

Until the character seeks out a temple devoted to the offended god, and completes a quest of atonement assigned by the high priest there, the character suffers a -4 penalty to all d20 rolls and a -2 to damage dealt and a +2 to damage received.

 

GODS OF KHEFRA

 

Isis

Isis is the patron goddess of spell casters and widows. She was the wife of the now-dead god Osiris, and she is the sworn enemy of the gods who slew her husband, Babi and Set. Legend holds that the first undead creatures came into being when Set tried to make amends with Isis by combining forces with her to restore Osiris to life, using her magic and his knowledge of the forces that dwell in the chaotic outer reaches of existence. The dead husk rampaged across the land for days, before the Lord of Water and Fire grew angry at the noise and shattered it, causing it to break into the first liches, vampires, ghouls, and the other various kinds of undead.  In artwork, she is portrayed as a regal woman with multi-colored wings.

   Symbol: A pair of wings

   Interactions with the Mortal World: Isis comes to the aid of imperiled widows who call upon her. There is an 80% chance that she will manifest for a widow in danger and battle those who are threatening her. (The avatar of Isis uses the stats for an Astral Deva.)

 

The Lord of Water and Fire

This fearsome entity was one of the first to emerge from the chaos that pre-dated the creation of the universe. It is both feared and honored by Khefrans, because water and fire are both sources of life and deadly destruction. Except for new year's celebrations--where Khefrans thank the Lord of Water and Fire for permitting them to live another year--no rites and devoted to it.

    Symbol: An vial made of smoky glass (symbolizing steam)

    Interaction with the Mortal World: If called upon through the performance of highly secret ritual, there is a 60% chance that the Lord of Water and Fire will cause wildfires and massive floods to destroy an area in a 1d100+10 mile radius in the area the ritual is performed. The place of the ritual is hardest hit by the disaster, and no magic functions there for 1d100 days immediately after the ritual has been completed.

 

 

Ra

Ra is the father of Set the now-dead Osiris, and he is viewed by Khefrans as the primary defender of all life on Earth. He is the offspring of the Lord of Earth and Air and the Lord of Water and Fire, and it was he who convinced them to curb their wild ways and allow other beings to spring from the world they inhabited. Ra spends the day watching over the world from his palace in the heavens, and then decends to the world at night to relate all the good deeds he witnessed so the Lords will remain convinced that life on Earth is generally righteous and worth preserving. (He is not always successful, which is why people are beset by floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters.)

   Symbol: A gold disc.

   Interactions with Mortals: Ra does not answer prayers given by human beings. If called upon by anyone who isn't a member of his priesthood, there is a 1% chance that will curse that person as described under Interacting with the Gods. As much as Ra loves mortal beings, he is too busy keeping the Lords in check to be bothered with their concerns.

 

 

 

Set

Set is the patron god of abandoned places, and all things that live underground and in the desert -- including the undead. Murderers and assassins pray to him in the hopes that he will intervene on their behalf to lessen their punishment in the afterlife. He is the younger brother of the now-dead god Osiris. Set was jealous that their father Ra seemed to favor his older brother, and he conspired with Babi to murder Osiris. He thought he would be able to hide his guilt, but Ra and Isis discovered the truth, and he has been hiding from their wrath ever since. Khefran's believe that the desert to the north of their city state is so barren because it houses Set's main temple and Ra has his feiry gaze turned upon it when he is awake, hoping to spot and incinerate his hated second son. Set is portrayed in art as a slender man with the head of a creature that vaguely resembles a misshapen ant eater.

   Symbol: A bone with a broken, jagged edge.

   Interaction with the Mortal World: Set does not directly answer prayers given by human beings. He is too afraid of Ra and Isis. He deals only directly with undead beings and monstrous desert dwellers. If called upon by anyone other than his priesthood, there is a 1% chance that he will curse them as described in "Interacting with the Gods."

 

 

NEW FEATS

 

Favored of Isis [Charismatic Hero, Dedicated Hero]

Prerequisite: Must be able to cast spells. The ability cannot be derived from any of the "Favored of" feats.

   Benefit: Any weapon you wield against undead creatures functions as if it had a +2 enchantment higher than its base. (A non-enchanted weapon would have a +2 bonus to hit and damage, while being effective against undead creatures that can't be injured with weapons of less than a +2 enchantment. A weapon that is already enchanted would operate as if it were more powerful, such a +1 sword functioning as a +3 sword.)

   Special: Once per day, you may cast a spell from the following list, with your character level treated as your caster level: Dispel Magic, Detect Magic, Magic Stone, Magic Missile.

These are considered bonus spells and do not count toward any daily maximum the character may be subject to.

Favored of Set  [Dedicated Hero, Fast Hero]

Benefit: Spells that animate dead function at +1 to your caster level. You gain a +2 bonus to all Hide skill checks.

   Special: Once per day, you may cast a spell from the following list, with your character level serving as the caster level: Animate Dead, Obscure Object. These are considered bonus spells and do not count toward any daily maximum the character may be subject to.