Azure Cathedral (Greyhawk 4E)
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This is a work in progress.
An affiliation for whalers, seamen and others who make their livelihood from the waters around the Azure sea and Nyv Dyr. This is a church, but it is a church that the gods and their clerics really didn't work to build. Seafaring lay people demanded that the churches of Procan, Osprem and Xerbo bury the hatchet and provide services to all seafarers, and the churches somewhat reluctantly agreed.
Background: The Azure Cathedral exists to provide services to sailors and fishermen. They dream of a sea where mariners can travel safely and in peace - yet they know this dream is impossible to achieve.
The sea holds its own beauty and its own terrors. The Azure Cathedral does not concern itself much with the politics of land, but seeks to being people in harmony with the sea. There is a freedom and tranquility there, away from the conflicts of people. Yet, there are also dangers, and piracy and sea monsters are a constant threat. The Azure Cathedral is a staunch enemy of the Scarlet Corsairs and the various evil cults and races of the sea, such as Sahuagin.
The three deities don't really get along well. Osprem is easy enough to deal with, but Procan's temper is as mercurial as the weather and Xerbo has a moody streak. Yet the three gods represent three common faces of the Azure sea - the calm and beautiful, the sudden storm, and the mysterious depths.
Members: The Azure Cathedral sponsors the Legendary Captain and Leviathan Hunter prestige classes. Their symbol is a three-pointed azure trident. The points can be said to represent the three gods venerated by the church, or the three neighbors of the Azure Sea - Wooly Bay, Gulf of Gernat, and the Relmor Bay, as this is where the cult originated. The trident is used as the sacred weapon and holy symbol of by clerics deriving their power form the whole church.
Scale: 13 (Azure Sea, Densac Gulf, and neighboring waters)
Affiliation Score Criteria: The affiliation has an informal ranking system. Clerics of the sea gods tend to be ranking members, as do experienced sea captains, but sometimes a seemingly insignificant sailor can reach a position of prominence based on superstitious rumors of strange adventures.
Advancement
| Criterion | Affiliation Score Modifier | |
| Effective character level. | +1/2 levels | |
| Acquired | 6 | |
| Profession (Sailor) 5 ranks | +1 | |
| Balance, Climb, Swim, or Rope Use 5 ranks | +1 | |
| Balance, Climb, Swim, Profession (Sailor), or Rope Use 10 ranks | +1 | |
| Legendary Captain or Cleric of one or more of the Azure Cathedral patrons | +2 | |
| Old Salt, Sail Monkey, or Sea Legs feat | +1 | |
| Has visible scars from a whipping or battle at sea | +1 | |
| Work | 4 | |
| Be a ship's officer or shipowner | +1 | |
| Captain a ship (replaces line above) | +2 | |
| Practice the lore of the sea; get tattoos, talismans, and charms. No whistling aboard the ship, celebrate the passing of the meridian etc. Respect the omens of the sea. | +1 | |
| Make a habit of living the high life in port, then return to sea when the money runs out | +2 | |
| Adventure | 4 | |
| Survive a sighting of a sea monster (CR +5 or more) | +1 | |
| Sail a sea you never sailed before (including new parts of the Azure sea) | +1 | |
| Harpoon your first whale | +1 | |
| Defeat sea monsters or pirates | +1 | |
| Save marooned or shipwrecked sailors | +1 | |
| Survive a shipwreck | +1 | |
| Clear a sea area of monsters and pirates | +2 | |
| Clear the Azure Sea of monsters and pirates, and keep it clean for a year | +4 | |
| Penalties | 0 | |
| Aiding or abetting pirates | -1 | |
| Spurning the wisdom of the sea; refusing to hold/participate in a ritual of luck or initiation | -1 | |
| Allowing ship morale to deteriorate by too hard or too soft discipline or by spreading dissent | -2 | |
| Abandoning faithful sailors to die by accident (such as losing a man overboard) | -1 | |
| Abandoning faithful sailors to die by design | -4 | |
| Lead a ship astray, for example by false charts or signals | -2 | |
| Sinking and abandoning a ship with hands remaining on board to die | -8 | |
Benefits
The church offers some perks, most of which are trade secrets and simple charms that give benefits at sea.
| Affiliation Score | Title: Benefits and Duties |
| 3 or lower | Landlubber: No benefits. Has a hard time being accepted among sailors. |
| 4-10 | Sailor: +2 affiliation bonus to Profession (sailor) checks. Can find a ship to take you on as crew with a Profession (sailor) roll. A roll of 10 turns up a ship to a major port, 15 finds a ship to a minor port, and 20 a small port or cove. Ports are always in the right general direction. One roll per hour; a small harbor allows only one roll, while a large one allows one roll per pier or section in the harbor. This allows you to earn money instead of spending money on voyages. |
| 11-20 | Old Salt: +2 affiliation bonus to Spot, Profession (sailor) and Rope Use checks. |
| 21-29 | Seafarer: +2 affiliation bonus to Appraise, Balance, Climb, Craft (carpentry and sewing), Intimidate, Knowledge (nature and geography) checks. |
| 30 or higher | Azure Legend: Use control weather as a spell-like ability once per month, with a caster level of affiliation score/2. Must make a pledge to the azure pantheon to use the power and fulfill the pledge before it can be used again. The pledge must be a promise of sacrifice of treasure worth a minimum of 2,000 gp or a specific adventure significant enough to increase affiliation score. Legends are full of members being late with this, then repenting in the face of some terrible storm. |
Executive Powers: Holiday, Raid, Trade.
