Ritual Weapons of Real World Pantheons

[pawsplay]

The weapon doesn't have to have existed when the religion was founded, it just has to fit in the time period the game exists in.

You are correct. However, it helps a lot in establishing why it is a ritual weapon if it has mythological significance or if it was actually used as a ritual weapon.

[Wolverine]

Here's something to consider....

Most PC's are get-out-there bash-monsters-in-the-face types, the sort of people that need a weapon on hand at all times. I can't see too many players complaining about not getting a free weapon that they can never lose (for more than an adventure).

One other thing, the ritual weapon is only ever a basic weapon that can't be augmented or modified. It's a bonus, but a limited one.

[Sletchman]

The weapon doesn't have to have existed when the religion was founded, it just has to fit in the time period the game exists in.

You are correct. However, it helps a lot in establishing why it is a ritual weapon if it has mythological significance or if it was actually used as a ritual weapon.

I meant more because some religions have evolved over time.  The ritual weapon should be the one that is most linked to the religion in the settings period.

One other thing, the ritual weapon is only ever a basic weapon that can't be augmented or modified. It's a bonus, but a limited one.

I was under the impression that you could pay to have a fancy one?

[Crafty_Alex]

I was under the impression that you could pay to have a fancy one?

There's no rule restricting whether or not you upgrade a ritual weapon (after all, if the Church's ritual weapon is a quarterstaff, a country priest should be able to have a wooden stick while the cardinal carries a gilt rod encrusted in jewels). The item you get as the base or when it's replaced, however, is always the same - you don't get the modifications you made back for free.

[EloiseCartwright]

I don't see why there's any reason a ritual weapon has to stay the same through the ages.
During the initial founding of Christianity when it was an underground religion it may have been a staff, club or other tool-like weapon. During the crusades a sword would be appropriate. and beyond that it probably becomes something more symbolic (ironically back to staff or club).

If a game-world was as highly developed as the real-world, you'd probably have sects which qualify as seperate alignments anyway, so Catholic would actually be a different alignment to Protestant (albiet sharing a lot of the same paths/skills).

Also, in parting I'd like to point out that it only matters to Player Character priests. Pretty much any other priest is probably not built with that ability anyway, so it's a moot point for them.

[pawsplay]

I don't disagree with any of that, I just don't think many Christian sects would have an identifiable ritual weapon. In fact, for much of the Middle Ages, the Church preached nearly total pacifism.

[Morgenstern]

I always thought the symbolism of the holy cross and straight-bladed swords with crossguards was pretty obvious and even slightly deliberate. The image of a knight plunging his blade point first into the earth and kneeling to pray before it is about as iconic as it gets for me .

Or maybe it's just Archangel Michael's penchant for fiery-sword beatdowns .

[Morgenstern]

There's no rule restricting whether or not you upgrade a ritual weapon (after all, if the Church's ritual weapon is a quarterstaff, a country priest should be able to have a wooden stick while the cardinal carries a gilt rod encrusted in jewels). The item you get as the base or when it's replaced, however, is always the same - you don't get the modifications you made back for free.

The system also allows for ritual weapons to be have upgrades 'programed' into them - longsword w/bleed rather than plain vanilla longsword.

I am now saddened there is no ceremonial upgrade for weapons, as there is for armor. If you were looking to 'nerf' a more pacafistic bunch, giving them a weapon with the built-in crude or ceremonial 'upgrade' would take the wind right out of their sails as fighty types.

[pawsplay]

I always thought the symbolism of the holy cross and straight-bladed swords with crossguards was pretty obvious and even slightly deliberate. The image of a knight plunging his blade point first into the earth and kneeling to pray before it is about as iconic as it gets for me .

Or maybe it's just Archangel Michael's penchant for fiery-sword beatdowns .

Sure, but those knights aren't priests, anyway. They're Soldiers with (maybe) Blessed. Of course it's great imagery, which is why we see so much of it, when in reality crusaders used swords, spears, axes, maces, and everything else, and during the later crusades era, there were few notable differences between the arms and armor of the crusaders versus the Islamic soldiers. From a visual standpoint, it's ok, but where it breaks down is when you try to picture the priest always having such a sword handy. If you wanted, I guess you could specify different alignments for crusaders, friars, and priests, maybe sword, cudgel, and lash. Argubaly, a sword could work culturally, again, when you are not necessariyl dealing with collared priests, but it's hard to imagine it being associated with special powers based on a Path.

[Sletchman]

There's no rule restricting whether or not you upgrade a ritual weapon (after all, if the Church's ritual weapon is a quarterstaff, a country priest should be able to have a wooden stick while the cardinal carries a gilt rod encrusted in jewels). The item you get as the base or when it's replaced, however, is always the same - you don't get the modifications you made back for free.

Yeah, thats exactly how I thought it was.

I am now saddened there is no ceremonial upgrade for weapons, as there is for armor. If you were looking to 'nerf' a more pacafistic bunch, giving them a weapon with the built-in crude or ceremonial 'upgrade' would take the wind right out of their sails as fighty types.

You could just make it close to the armour one: -1 Damage for +1 Appearance.  Damage is a rough analogue to DR.

[Wolverine]

From a visual standpoint, it's ok, but where it breaks down is when you try to picture the priest always having such a sword handy.

They could aways carry a smaller equivilent:

(click to show/hide)

[pawsplay]

Right, but why would they be carrying it? Even in a Buffy type game it would seem weird if a sect was generally packing steel.

[Sletchman]

Right, but why would they be carrying it? Even in a Buffy type game it would seem weird if a sect was generally packing steel.

Depends on the game.  If the priests are travelling in a world where monsters attack folk with alarming frequency, why wouldn't they be carrying?  Also consider they don't have to be carrying it, per se, but could have it nearby - mostly churches have a ritual "weapon" in some kind of display area, and the priest on the move could keep it in their cart, or tied to their mount, or in any inconspicuous location.

[Wolverine]

Right, but why would they be carrying it?

In older times, it was fairly commonplace for people to carry some kind of weapon on them at all times. A dagger like this could easily be concealed underneath priestly robes.

You can't really apply modern day practices and behaviours to ancient times.

[pawsplay]

Right, but why would they be carrying it?

In older times, it was fairly commonplace for people to carry some kind of weapon on them at all times. A dagger like this could easily be concealed underneath priestly robes.

You can't really apply modern day practices and behaviours to ancient times.

That factored into my thinking. Like, one priest might have a dagger, another might carry a sword or mace. It's hard to identify one weapon that would have special significance and recognizability.