clerical magic and deities who draw power from their worshippers

[feywulf]

Clerical magic or divine magic is one of the tricky subjects in fantasy settings. How to handle it depends on what a deity is in a particular world. In some stories, and in computer games such as Populous, a deity's power grows the more followers they have. Presumably each worshipper donates some of their spiritual energy to their deity through worship. Normally one wouldn't bother to write up stats for this abbility, but i think that this abbility might be related to how clerical magic would work in such a world, so i wrote it up.

 

pts worshipper
--- ---------
1  10 END for deity's divine energy END reserve
     ranged +1/2, transdimensional +1/4, usable by other +1/4
     only usable by deity -1/2, only when praying -2
     1b 2a 0.5714r
1  1 Rec for deity's divine energy END reserve
     ranged +1/2, transdimensional +1/4, usable by other +1/4
     costs end -1/2, only usable by deity -1/2,
     only when praying -2
     1b 2a 0.5r
1  ks:theology/mythology of the faith 8-
2  3pts spend on deity's vpp or mp
     ranged +1/2, transdimensional +1/4, usable by other +1/4
     only usable by deity -1/2, only when praying -2
     3b 6a 2r
5  total

 

The 5 point cost could be offset by a psychlim disadvantage regarding obedience to the tenets of the faith. People of stronger faith could by a larger worshipper package with a correspondingly large disadvantage. The transdimensional UBO connection would be formed

 

What does this have to do with clerics? All clerics are worshippers, so all clerics would have this package(most likely the largest most devout variant of the package). But a cleric would by off the limitation "only usable by deity", and probably spend more points on the divine power framework than what the disadvantage gives back. If the deity's powers are built in a multipower instead of a vpp, then the cleric would need to buy spells in mp slots also.

 

I'm not sure if the only while praying lim should be on the END of the endurance reserve. In order for UBO to work, line of site must be maintained, so persistent might be needed as well, but line of telepathic sight should work, and if a deity were to have a massive constantly maintained mindlink to all of his or her followers in order to hear their prayers...

 

Does this package need anything else to work? Does it have more than it needs?