Gorum

Gorum (pronounced GOR-um) is a god of battle above all other pursuits; it is said that if there is ever a time with no more conflicts to be fought, he would rust away into nothingness. Known as the Lord in Iron, his faithful believe he is present in every iron weapon of war that is forged.

Dogma: Gorum is considered the divine embodiment of martial prowess, of glory on the battlefield, and it is believed that should conflicts like those that birthed the deity ever cease, he will perish as a result of their absence. Gorum concerns himself with few matters outside of battle, and this attitude extends to include his relations with other deities. He sees little value in matters of diplomacy and politics, considering the pursuits of his divine peers as frivolous a best. The Lord in Iron is considered brash and impulsive; he takes what he wants, by force if necessary, and answers any direct opposition to his will with violence.The church of Gorum proclaims faith in strength and power, over spirituality or intellect. High priests are great warriors who attain their position through battle. Priests wear heavy armor and forsake non-metallic weapons. The services conducted by the church consist primarily of actual and improvised percussion, to include clanging weapons against shields.

Worshippers: The god is worshiped by mercenaries and barbarians all across the world. One of Gorum's most hardcore sects is the Theocracy of the Fist, which controls a small archipelago of volcanic islands. The Lord in Iron is commonly worshiped by half-orcs, who believe that he is one of them, and that his encasement in iron is the deity’s successful effort to hide his true nature from human worshipers who would be unable to handle his true nature. This belief continues to spread, thanks to the teachings of the orcish warlord-turned-proselytizer named Naellk, who had a vision of himself in an idol of the deity in battle. He is also frequently worshiped by Kellids, who find the orc claims that the Lord in Iron is one of their kind heresy, and wars between the two racial groups have increased since this claim emerged. Gorum's temples tend to have the appearance of strongholds or citadels. They are walled and gated, and spikes adorn the structure. They are always kept stocked with metal weapons. Shrines to Gorum are typically an organized pile of rocks with a helmet or blade set atop. Gorum's church claims no holy text, but it does feature a set of seven holy poems called the Gorumskagat.

Priests of Gorum
REQUIREMENTS: Wisdom 9, Strength 13. Wisdom or Strength 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Strength 16 means +10% experience.
ALIGNMENT: CG, CN, CE
WEAPONS: All bludgeoning weapons (wholly Type B), plus one other melee weapon of choice
ARMOR: Any
SPHERES: Major Access to Chaos, Combat, Healing, War. Minor Access to Elemental, Guardian, Necromantic, Protection.
MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics, plus magical versions of individual “chosen” weapons
REQ. PROFS: Endurance
BONUS PROFS: Armorer, blind-fighting, weaponsmithing
TURN UNDEAD: none

  • Can incite a berserker rage in themselves and others. The rage lasts for 7 to 16 rounds (1d6+6). During this time, the recipients have a +2 bonus to attack, damage, and all saving throws. The priest may use this ability once a day and can affect one person for every two of his or her experience levels (one at levels 1 and 2, two at levels 3 and 4, etc), but must affect himself or herself first. If recipients run out of enemies to fight, they must either attack the closest living target in the area (even a friend) or suffer 5 points of damage for each of the remaining rounds. This is a conscious choice of the berserk character
  • At initiation, can choose particular a weapon as their chosen weapons. This weapon is one specific weapon, not a weapon type. This chosen weapon may be of any type. They then able to fight with that weapon type normally, but when using that particular weapon, she or he gains a +1 bonus to hit and damage in addition to any other benefits in effect. Should the chosen weapon be lost or destroyed, they must reconsecrate a new weapon at a recognized temple of Gorum in a ceremony of meditation and fasting which takes a tenday. If a two-handed weapon is taken as the chosen weapon, no shield may ever be used. No missile weapon can be taken by a speciality priest as a chosen weapon unless it can also be used as a melee weapon (like a spear).
  • Receive Constitution hit point adjustments to their Hit Dice as if they were warriors.
  • Can choose nonweapon proficiencies from the warrior list.
  • At 5th level, can inspire fear similar to the wizard's fourth-level fear spell, though the priest does not have to use material components. A priest with this power can use it twice per day.
Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License