The Convert (A Cleric Concept)

Tarmujan peered at the figure approaching his ramshackle throne. The bandit lord's scarred face seamed, and then recognition dawned on his face. He laughed; a cruel sound that curdled in the ear, but which was echoed by the "court" of brigands who ranged out in a half circle from where their leader sat.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" Tarmujan asked, standing and drawing the wicked blade at his hip. "Or has the child of light returned to me again?"

The young man didn't respond. His robes were torn and ragged, crusted with blood. His lank hair hung in his face. He was no bigger now than when he'd been cast out into the waste to die, but there was something different about him. Iron stiffened his spine, and there was a determination in his steps. Some of the bandits recognized it, scenting a change in the wind like wild dogs sensing a coming storm. They weren't sure what was happening, but they took a step back all the same.

"No last words?" Tarmujan shrugged, walking forward, drawing his blade back for a swing. "You had your chance, boy."

The young man snarled a single word, his voice ringing with a primal power. Cracks ran along the length of Tarmujan's blade, and then the carefully honed steel exploded. The bandit lord roared in surprise and pain, shards of metal piercing his neck, his arm, and blinding him in one eye. He cast the hilt aside, snatching at the dagger in the small of his back. He roared as he charged. There were no more words, no more bravado, just the primal, killing frenzy. The young man smiled, and Tarmujan's dogs drew back from that smile. It was a hideous, hateful thing, and it seemed an anathema on the face of the pacifist priest.

What happened next was incomprehensible to those watching. The slender figure grabbed Tarmujan's arm, stopping it in mid-swing. No matter how hard he strained, he could not move the blade an inch closer to the priest's body. He punched at the young man, but the solid, meaty blows did nothing but bloody his smile. The priest bent Tarmujan's arm back further, and further, until something snapped, and the bandit lord screamed again.

The priest didn't stop until every part of Tarmujan was broken. When he stood, blood dripping from his hands and seeping into his robe, the bandits drew back in horror. Carved into the young man's forehead was a symbol they had only seen among the roving packs of wasteland monsters; an unholy mark that promised death, dismemberment, and destruction.

"You left me in the wastes," he intoned, his voice strong, and his eyes unblinking. "There was no light there. No hope. No peace. But there was something else. You showed me the path to my new lord. So I offer you all this one chance. Step forth, and have your eyes opened... or have your bones added to his throne!"

I have seen what dwells behind the flesh, and it is destruction.

The Convert

When you think of a cleric, you tend to think of someone with a deep, abiding faith. Someone who has a personal relationship with their patron deity, and who strives to embody the ideals of that deity. You know, stuff I covered in my 5 Tips For Playing Better Clerics. However, there are times where even the gods make mistakes, or where an individual can no longer abide the creed of their god.

If a cleric breaks faith with their deity, they sever their ties to the powers granted by that deity. However, that doesn't mean another god will not hear their prayers. That another god may offer them exactly what they ask for, as long as they will bend the knee, and serve the new patron's requirements.

No one wishes to hear my word... tell them anyway.

This might be similar to the story that opened this character concept. Perhaps a servant of a god of light and mercy is pushed too far, and in their pain and rage they spurn that deity for a new patron. A god of destruction, strength, and vengeance who not only allows them to deliver retribution, but gives them the express power to do it. Alternatively, a champion of a dark god or evil cult could stray from that path of wickedness, attempting to become a servant of a god of justice, temperance, and righteousness. A progression that isn't too dissimilar from The Risen Antipaladin.

It is also important to remember that the change in a convert doesn't have to be so extreme, either. Additionally, it can happen slowly, gradually influenced by that character's actions over time.

For example, say you had a reluctant cleric of a god of war. They're trained in combat, and adept at strategy, but they tend to focus more on healing the wounded than in getting into the thick of battle. While a necessity, they may grow tired of the sight of fighting, and of the wounds it inflicts on so many. This could lead them to slowly pull away from the patron of warriors and soldiers, and instead seek induction into an order of healers. They might fulfill the same duties, and have the same role within the party or campaign, but they've found a god who is more suited to their personality and skills.

You could, of course, do that in reverse and have a medic who gradually becomes a warrior with an iron-shod staff as adept at smiting the enemy as they are at healing their allies. It's all about the journey you want your character to take, or how the story pushes them.

How Long Is This Going To Take?

Something I would recommend for this character concept is to have the conversion as part of their existing background before the game starts. This option works best if you're starting the game above 1st level so that your conversion is part of your character's Small Legend (more on that in Character Reputation in RPGs: The Small Legend), and you can enjoy the story element without dealing with mechanical bumps in the road. You could run into people who knew you as a servant of your old faith (for good or ill), people you once served with, etc. This could be particularly poignant if you are helping the party fight against your old faithful, or if there are sore feelings between yourself and your former brethren of faith who now consider you a heretic or a blasphemer.

If you're going to have the conversion happen in-game, though, make sure you talk to your GM beforehand and work out a situation that you're both happy with regarding potentials for cleric conversion down the line.

The reason I say this is that I've seen far too many GMs who want to treat this as an excuse to punish a player, rather than reward them for having an interesting story. Setting a penitent quest, or forcing the cleric to play for a dozen sessions with no spells, no domain powers, and no patron is just frustrating, both for the player and the rest of the party who depending on their cleric to carry their share of the load.

No one wants to carry your dead weight.

My personal recommendation is that, as a GM, you should have interested gods keeping an eye on the cleric in case they want to poach them from their current deity. There aren't that many mortals who can wield that kind of power, after all, so when one is suddenly open to adding their strength, will, and hands to the cause of a new deity, it can only help that deity to make the offer when the cleric is vulnerable to their sales pitch.

In this case, you're not looking for the cleric to prove themselves to a new god; their actions, beliefs, etc. should already have done that; you're simply looking for an opportunity for that new god to offer to take the cleric into their service, and for the cleric to accept the offer.

Maybe it happens in the midst of battle, when the cleric feels another influence on them offering powers that could save their allies, and crush their enemies. You might even go through the whole scenario of the cleric losing their powers, and dealing with that loss, before another patron comes to call when the cleric is grieving and vulnerable. Maybe it's in a dream, perhaps they're approached by a strange figure, or they find themselves near a shrine they didn't know about. They might have followed a glowing white stag into a forest clearing, or met a shrouded servant of a trickster god, but the point is that this should be a new chapter in their character progression. Make it exciting, make it meaningful, make it personal, but don't drag the player over concrete, or reduce their ability to participate in the game, because they wanted to use conversion to a new deity as a plot point in their development. Facilitate the transfer of power, and the cleric's new management, so they can get back in the game!

Your cleric player (and the rest of the table) will thank you.

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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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