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#Post#: 1259--------------------------------------------------
Ceremony
By: Dungeon Master Date: September 16, 2025, 12:19 am
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[center]Ceremony [/center]
Ceremony
Spell Level: 1
Class: Druid
School: Invocation
Sphere: All
Details
Range: Touch
Duration Special
AOE 1 creature, item, or area
Casting Time 1 hr.
Save Special
Requirements Somatic, Material, Verbal
The druidic ceremony is similar to the priest version, having a
number of applications within the hierarchy of druids. The
ceremony spell does not leave behind an aura of magic (although
a know alignment spell or similar magic might reveal the force
of true neutrality involved), and the effect cannot be
dispelled. Druidic ceremonies include the following, which can
be performed by a druid of the indicated or higher level:
1st-level druid: coming of age, rest eternal, marriage
3rd-level druid: dedication, investiture
7th-level druid: initiation, special vows
9th-level druid: hallowed ground
12th-level druid: cast out
The characteristics of the various types of druidic ceremony
spells are as follows:
Coming of age is performed upon young people in druidic
societies, usually when they reach the age of 14, and is
symbolic of the young man's or young woman's entrance into
adulthood. A young person receives a +1 bonus to any single
saving throw, which can be taken at any time after the
coming-of-age ceremony is completed. The coming-of-age ceremony
has a symbolic significance in that the adolescent can
thereafter enjoy the rights and privileges of adulthood.
Rest eternal is performed upon the body of a deceased creature
and hastens the journey of the soul/spirit to its final resting
place. The spirit of the deceased will not return to haunt the
living
Marriage is essentially identical to the clerical ceremony of
the same name.
Dedication allows the recipient of the spell to be taken into
the ranks of the druid's followers/worshipers, provided the
individual has a neutral alignment. A recipient of this spell is
charged, as are druids, with the responsibility to preserve and
protect nature and the balance of forces in the world.
Investiture must be performed upon an individual of true neutral
alignment before he or she can become a 1st-level druid.
Initiation imbues the druid with the shape-changing and
immunity to woodland charm powers that become available upon
attaining 7th level. This ceremony must be performed upon a
druid immediately after he or she begins to advance upward
through the 7th level of experience; if cast earlier than this,
it does not work, and the druid does not have the benefit of the
above-mentioned special powers until receiving initiation.
Usually, a druid must seek out another druid of 7th or higher
level to perform the ceremony, but in unusual cases, a druid can
cast it upon himself or herself.
Special vows is a ceremony that operates in the same fashion as
the clerical rite of the same name. It does not work upon
paladins but will function upon cavaliers of any alignment.
Hallowed ground is cast by the druid on his or her permanent
grove. This ceremony ensorcelled the trees of the grove so that
they will never be affected by disease or other natural
disasters. The ground remains hallowed for as long as the druid
maintains this grove as his or her permanent base.
Cast out is a form of excommunication or punishment that can be
performed by a druid upon someone who has committed sacrilege
upon the natural environment or in some other way violated the
principles and standards of druids. Its effects can be lessened
at a later date by the casting of a reversed version of this
ceremony, either by the same druid or another one-off at least
as high a level as the original caster, but the casting out can
never be completely neutralized except by a Hierophant Druid of
any level. An individual who has been cast out exudes a powerful
negative aura, causing any natural creature encountered to react
negatively to the individual. This includes all normal
(nonmagical) animals, monsters native to the woodlands,
domesticated beasts such as horses and dogs, and all druids and
their followers.
Casting out is a very powerful form of punishment and can only
be performed by a druid who has received permission from his or
her Archdruid to do so. Similarly, an Archdruid must get
permission from the Great Druid, and the Great Druid from the
Grand Druid. The Grand Druid does not need to obtain permission,
but his or her actions can be reversed by a Hierophant Druid at
any time. This ceremony is usually only used on occasions where
the severity of an offense warrants such extreme punishment; a
druid who asks for and is denied permission to perform it, or
one who later has his or her actions offset by another druid,
may be subject to punishment by higher-ranking members of the
hierarchy. An intended recipient of this ceremony who is
unwilling receives a saving throw vs. spell, at -4, to negate
its effects.
The components of a ceremony spell always include mistletoe, and
the rite (of any sort) must be performed in a druid grove or
some other natural, healthy patch of forest. Such ceremonies are
normally conducted at either dawn or dusk, the times when night
and day are in balance.
Notes: Restricted to druids, common.
Other Druidic Ceremonies
Witness (3rd-level) Within their society, druids are legal
of¬ficials as well as religious leaders. Having a druid witness
an oath makes it binding. The oath taker pronounces the vow,
usually an act to be completed within a specified time, calling
upon the powers that be, and specifying a penalty if the oath
goes unfulfilled. After the ceremony is completed, the
oath-taker must fulfill his literal word or suffer the
consequences. The druid may advise against rash promises or
suggest suitable modifications to an oath, but the final say is
the oath-takers. After an oath is wit¬nessed, nothing more can
be done about it. Warriors often take oaths to perform certain
deeds. While an unfulfilled oath may be binding for years, the
death of the oath-taker breaks all but the most terrible oaths.
Anointing (14th level): This ceremony is used to raise kings,
high-level druids, and other important persons to their
stations. Sovereignty is a goddess to be wooed and wedded. The
candidate is expected to make offerings to the holy groves,
conduct great sacrifices, and give away vast amounts of wealth
to the poor to please his bride. Displays of the candidate's
physical prowess lead up to the anointing. Finally, the
anointing takes place. If the candidate proves himself good,
wise, liberal, and powerful, he is accepted by the Sovereignty
and is allowed to take up his station. At Tara, the kingstone
upon which the new High King stood was supposed to cry out for
the true king when he stood upon it. (King Arthur's pulling the
sword from the stone is much the same.) While the anointing is
the seal of station, dis¬putes can arise about whether a person
is the rightful possessor of the office. A successful anointing
raises the recipient's Wisdom and Charisma by one point each (to
a maximum of 18). The saving throw for this spell is special.
Assuming the candidate is properly qualified, he is rated on a
scale of 1-4 (1 being highest) in each of five areas by the DM.
The rating in each area is added, generating a saving throw of 5
to 20. If the number or above is rolled on 1d20, the individual
is confirmed as not only the lawful, but the rightful possessor
of the office.
Alignment: Has the recipient displayed good character and
faithfulness to the druidic cult?
Duty: Has the recipient shown himself responsible and reliable
in all his past dealings, and loyal to the kingdom, sect, or
organization?
Leadership: Has the recipient been a strong and fair leader?
Performance: Did the candidate perform well in the rituals,
games, demonstrations, offerings, and generosity during the
festivities prior to his anointing?
Breeding: Is the recipient of good family connections, and does
he act as befits his station?
Seasonal Ceremony Spells
The seasonal spells of spring, summer, autumn, and winter have
the following in common. These affect the land and people under
the druid's care, large or small. (A druid is off on his own, in
his own charge: a party of adventurers of the druidic religion
also might be considered his charge.)
A druid of insufficient level to conduct a seasonal ceremony is
part of another druid's charge, as are the people and lands
under the lower-level druid. The junior druid must participate
in the ceremony conducted by the senior druid for those in his
charge to benefit. The lower-level druid is expected to conduct
the ceremonies of which he is capable and to attend and assist
when senior druids conduct seasonal ceremonies that he cannot.
Failure in either case could mean disaster for the druid's
charges.
These ceremonies are all-night affairs, during which the druids
keep vigil, chant, make offerings, and perform certain actions
important to the community's or kingdom's welfare for the coming
year. Ordinary worshipers are also participants, although the
druids do much of their work withdrawn from the masses (and in
secret).
5th level druid: Spring (Beltane)
7th level druid: Summer (Lugnasad)
9th level druid: Autumn (Samain)
12th level druid: Winter (Imbalc)
Spring: The spring festival (Beltane) celebrates the sun's power
to give life. Great fires are lit, and cattle are passed between
them. Druids and people process between the fires, waving shoots
of grain. The fiery sun is associated with health and the
destruction of disease. The main point of this festival is to
ensure protection from disease for animals, crops, and the
faithful. The cere¬mony reduces the chance of disease for the
year to come by 10%. Beltane is a major civic festival
associated with the spring planting.
Summer: The summer festival (Lugnasad) begins with the all-night
vigil of Midsummer, the shortest night of the year. All is in
full flower. Those involved in the ceremony wear garlands, which
are later offered as sacrifices, beginning on Midsummer's Eve.
This is the night when druids gather their mistletoe for the
coming year. Each druid must gather his own mistletoe on this
night for his spells to work at full potency during the next
year. A druid who cannot perform the summer ceremony must join
with other druids, or the mistletoe he gathers will be nothing
more than lesser mistletoe. The penalty for neglecting this
festival is a loss of spell potency throughout the coming year.
On the night of the first full moon following Midsummer, great
fairs are opened.
Autumn: The autumn harvest festival (Samain) is a time of
feasting. All the folk assemble to offer their first fruits to
the gods. Great bonfires are built on prominent hills, and
dancing and drinking go on all night. The harvest's bounty is
meant to stave off hunger in the winter. Neglecting this
festival brings dearth and poverty for the coming year (extra
expenses will be accrued, various treasures collected will be
deficient in value, etc.). (The DM handles this condition of
misfortune until the next Samhain. A monthly loss of at least
100 gp per level is suggested.)
Winter: The winter festival (Imbalc) celebrates lambing season,
and offerings of milk are in order. Like a lamb, the year is
born as the sun begins to wax again. The ceremony takes place on
Yule, the longest night of the year, the longest sea¬sonal
ceremony is a petition for strength. Neglecting the ceremony
produces a -5% penalty in experience points earned for the next
year, and the Hit Dice of animals born in the new year have a
penalty of -1 hit point per Hit Die.
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