The Chosen (A Cleric Character Concept)

"But... why?" Gerald asked, the word coming out in a breath as he wrung his hands. "How?"

"Those are not our answers to have, Gerald," Constantine said, patting the young priest on the shoulder. "And they are, in the end, fruitless questions to ask. You should rejoice that our Lord has shown his favor to someone in our midst."

"Are we certain, though?" Gerald asked, his face still troubled. "She has no training. No schooling. She barely knows her letters. She was grubbing in a pig pen before the attack, and then-"

"And then the power manifested within her," Constantine said, cutting off his companion. "Our lord chose the steel, Gerald. It is not our job to question why, but to take up our rasps and cloths, and to shape and polish her until she reflects his light more completely."

"Of course," Gerald said, inclining his head. It was a contrite gesture, but his eyes said he was confused... and perhaps resentful. Constantine noted it. He would need to help Gerald douse those sparks before they grew into something worse.

"Now then, enough of this," Constantine said, taking Gerald by the arm. "Let us, instead, spend our energies where they may truly be useful."

She must learn control, if nothing else.

The Chosen

When we think of a cleric we usually imagine the character's class as their profession; a priest who is a living conduit to the god whose church they serve. After all, if a god needs someone to carry their power in the material plane, and to act as their representative, why wouldn't they choose from those who are near-to-hand who are ready and willing to accept that responsibility?

Well, perhaps it's because they are not the right tool for the job.

If a god needed a sword, there are plenty of priests who'd be willing to put their blood on the line for their faith... but perhaps it's the grizzled mercenary who has been tempered by years of battle that this god instills with their power. Perhaps they need a voice to spread their word, but rather than reaching to the pulpit, the god finds their vessel strumming a lute in a tavern and singing for whiskey shots and silver coins. There are many among the clergy who might be willing to travel and heal in their god's name, but a barber surgeon or bonesetter who has chosen that life to help others rather than to bask in the reflected glory of their deity's favor may be a better instrument for affecting change.

This is the idea of the chosen. Not that they have some great destiny ahead of them, or that they're instrumental in some grand design; they are, rather, the ideal tool for the job at-hand.

The bones have spoken!

The Chosen is a fun concept for multiclass clerics, or for those who have unexpected/unusual backgrounds, histories, or who don't seem to fit the role of a traditional, priestly character.

The go-to example is the cleric who has little to no knowledge of religious matters. They might be the person with calloused hands and rough speech, standing like a wolf among the sheep of dedicated holy men and women who've been brought up and educated by the clergy. They might be a scion of a noble bloodline who, to the surprise of many, has a glimmer of the divine right of kings that made them an ideal vessel for divine power. In some cases there may be no logical explanation for why a particular god chose a failed wizard's apprentice, a one-eyed orc warrior, or a butcher who seemed to be trying her best to just handle the demands of her trade.

Why these particular individuals were chosen is up to you, and your game master. Of course, if an immediate idea doesn't occur to you, or you prefer to leave the question up to the imaginations of the table, never give a concrete answer.

After all, the gods often work in truly mysterious ways...

Speaking of the mysterious ways of the divine, if you need a little on-hand mystery to drop, consider checking out 100 Random Oracular Pronouncements. And if you're looking for more ways to step outside the usual box when it comes to these particular divine casters, make sure you take a look at 5 Tips For Playing Better Clerics, too!

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That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

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