Gods are a very real presence in the mortal world, each with their own powers, goals and destinies, much like those who worship them. Through their limited understanding of these powerful beings, many choose to align themselves with a god who suits their disposition, while some even choose to devote their lives to serving these gods in exchange for the amazing powers they grant to their worshipers. As a result of these abilities and the influence of their deities, many people are changed and molded by the will of the very force they serve.

Almost all lands have some sort of religious influence, whether it be a monastery, church, enchanted grove, crypt or underground cult. In most cases the goodly churches tend to see more exposure to the outside world, the message of peace, healing and hope tends to be seen as more attractive to large populations. There are land, however, that worship darker gods, and such worship is often tied in to the ruling forces of the area, keeping the influence spread thick among the populace. In any case, the nature of a religion is almost always connected to the people that inhabit the land where it is based, for if the people did not believe, the deity would have no power in that realm.

Creatures utilizing the Divine Philosophy call on the powers of their deity to fuel their prayers. Most powers in the Divine Philosophy are Cast Actions and utilize the Caster's Devotion and Divine Might.

Devotion

Devotion is a measure of casting technique and is used to wield a prayer as it is cast. Casters with a high Devotion find that their prayers are more accurate and more frequently affect their targets. Clerics use Wisdom to calculate Devotion and Paladins use Charisma (see the class page for more information).

Divine Might

Divine Might is a measure of the amount of raw power that a creature can pour into a prayer. A creature with a high Divine Might can often do more damage with prayers. Clerics use Wisdom to calculate Divine Might and Paladins use Charisma (see the class page for more information).

Divine Disciplines

Divine Philosophies can have many Disciplines. They can be Life, Death, and anything in between, it just depends on the nature of those who serve, and if such a god exists to grant them power. Some even speculate in hushed tones that it is in fact mortals who created gods to worship, and that in an almost symbiotic connection, mortal and immortal support each others needs. Creatures that utilize the Divine Philosophy pray to their deities to grant them power.

Anarchy

This divine discipline assaults all facets of order, seeking to breakdown and destroy both the mental and physical facets of a lawful target. The Divine Discipline of Anarchy is not known for it's defensive qualities, and instead concentrates mostly on assault and disruption, not unlike the deities and clerics who claim it in their portfolio.

Combat

The Divine Discipline of Combat is highly favored by Paladins and Clerics of War, both good and evil. It seeks to bolster those who use it's divine power with renewed vigor, strength and defensive abilities. It can make of a normal man a true warrior, and a skilled warrior a champion of his people. Powers in the Combat Discipline focus on battle, typically by enhancing Weapon attacks. A Divine character with the combat discipline seeks to enter the fray of combat himself or to augment those who do.

Creation

Creation is the power of the divine in it's purest form. Almost all gods grant the ability to heal, mend wounds, objects and diseases alike to their followers. It is through Creation that most divine healing flows, and is one of the most well known and sought after powers an adventuring cleric should master. The Creation Discipline focuses on the divine energies that originally brought about the creation of the world. It allows for the creation of divine objects and effects.

Destruction

The prayers contained within this discipline constantly seek to counter the forces of Creation, either directly harming a living thing with pure destructive energy, or dismantling physical objects and divine enchantments. While not inherently evil, it is often misrepresented by the ignorant as an evil god's domain. The Destruction Discipline includes prayers that directly inhibit a Divine affect, inflict direct damage to a creature.

Holy

Holy divine energy and prayers deal with overwhelming evil forces be they divine or mortal, with goodly energy. It also others against such threats with powerful wards against darkness and evil effects. Holy energy is commonly associated with divine light, as well.

Influence

The Discipline of Influence exists as a countermeasure to physical harm and instead controls the mind or emotions to achieve the designs of the gods that grant such powers. It's use and effects can be righteous or heinous, depending on the intent of the wielder.

Mysticism

This discipline is the power most directly responsible for claims of miracles that spread throughout the world. Things such as resurrection and walking on water are common effects found within this divine power. Acts of divinity unexplained and seemingly impossible effects owe credit to the god that grants powers under this domain.

Order

Order is the force of Law made pure, and is the direct counter to the discipline of anarchy. It seeks to impose control over anything it effects, or disrupt the magical effects of chaos. Most practitioners of this divine discipline are similarly rigid, valuing a strict edict above all other things.

Savior

The Savior Discipline is a source of power for many Paladins, an individual wielding it must be willing to sacrifice for others and use their powers for the benefit of their charges, for that is when this discipline is most effective. It is also the source of many divine auras that bolster those who wield them.

Unholy

This dark practice focuses on corruption and blasphemy. A cleric wielding Unholy energy is unquestionably evil, for one must hand themselves over to an evil force in order to learn the secrets of this discipline. Unholy divine magic is extremely harmful to goodly creatures, and can even has the potential to twist a well intentioned being into a malevolent image of their former selves.

Warding

The Warding Discipline is primarily concerned with protection against various threats, both mundane and magical. While it typically does not belong to a goodly divine force, many warding abilities combat necromantic and unholy effects.

Divine Spheres

Divine Spheres are special areas of influence granted to a Cleric by his deity. Each Cleric may select his spheres form his Deity's List. Each sphere will grant access to a special prayer unique to the sphere and give the Cleric a bonus Basic Prayer. As the Cleric's Divine Rank increases, he gains access to new shells of the sphere which grant new features and abilities.

List of Divine Spheres