Disease

This is an evil god which dislikes mankind and other sentient races. It creates new and ever-more-terrifying illnesses to inflict upon the sentient races.

The priests of this god spread illness and ignorance. They carry infected victims and rats infested with disease-bearing insects to new ports. Through their actions, they deny their victims an honorable death and can sometimes topple entire civilizations. This is not a character class for PCs to take unless the campaign is very unusual.

Lesser gods of disease would be gods of specific ailments. It's entirely appropriate, for instance, for the Black Plague to have its own representative god.

Gods of disease are just as likely to be male as female.

The priests of this god are on good terms with the priests of Death and Evil. The priests of this god dislike the priests of Birth/Children, Fire, Healing, and Strength.

Alignment: The deity is neutral evil. So must be his priests and their flock.

Minimum Ability Scores: Wisdom 9, Constitution 15. Wisdom or Constitution 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Constitution 16 means +10% experience.

Races Allowed: Dwarves, elves, gnomes, half-elves, halflings, humans.

Nonweapon and Weapon Proficiencies: Nonweapon Proficiencies Required: Herbalism. Nonweapon Proficiencies Recommended: Reading/Writing, Religion, Ancient History. Weapon Proficiencies Required: None. Nonweapon Proficiency Group Crossovers: Priest, General.

Duties of the Priest: Missions: To bring illness to communities which are too healthy and joyous.

Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Weapons Permitted: Bows (all), dart, scourge, scythe, sickle, whip. Armor Permitted: All non-magical armor, all non-magical shields. All together, these constitute Medium combat abilities.

Other Limitations: Priests of the god of Disease must remain celibate and chaste.

Spheres of Influence: Major Access to All, Animal, Healing (reversed forms of spells only), Summoning, Weather. Minor Access to Combat, Divination, Necromantic (reversed forms of spells only), Protection (reversed forms of spells only, where applicable).

Powers: Immunity (as per the Designing Faiths chapter) to all diseases. Laying On of Hands (same as the Paladin ability, but reversed -- it does damage, rather than curing damage).

Followers and Strongholds: The followers are received at 9th level, and consist of one fifth-level priest, three third-level priests, and six first-level priests of the same order, and ten first-level fighters. The priest may take the following on adventures: Three priests (only one of whom can be third-level) and three fighters of his choice. The priesthood will pay for half of the cost of stronghold construction at 9th level. In most cultures, to keep the priesthood safe from the wrath of the people, the priests will have to keep the location of the stronghold secret; it must either be built in the wilderness, or may be built in a community if it is disguised as some other facility (for example, the front rooms may ironically be a healer's guild, while the back rooms are where the real temple activities take place).

Possible Symbols: Mice, Rats.

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