A Review of Write-Ups for DCC Deities

When the DCC core rules were first published, 19 potential deities were identified in the cleric class description. Unlike the wizard class, which was supplemented with elaborate patron profiles, the exact nature of each god and how the cleric was to interact with them was left a bit fuzzy. Gradually this was rectified by fans homebrewing their own solutions and Goodman Games publishing the DCC RPG Annual (henceforth, Annual).

Over the years I have frequently seen new players ask for help on Reddit with deities. Whenever this happens, the most popular resources mentioned are: the Annual, Knights in the North (KITN), or Clerics of the Known Realms (CKR). Between these three resources, each DCC deity has two unique write-ups. In this post I review and assess the two interpretations for each deity. Before I do that, I need to briefly explain these sources and note instances of plagiarism I discovered in one of them.

For those wishing to access these resources, the following bullet points contains hyperlinks:

• The Annual is available for purchase here at the Goodman Games store.
• Knights in the North deity write-ups.
• Clerics of the Known Realms via its author’s Google drive.

DCC RPG Annual (2019)

Most DCC players are familiar with the Annual, so I will not belabor the point. For those who do not have it, however, the Annual created write-ups for seven DCC deities (Cadixtat, Daenthar, The Hidden Lord, Justicia, Malotoch, Pelagia, and Shul). These profiles further fleshed out the rules for clerics and introduced terms not present in the core rules, such as divine favors and canticles. Divine favors are essentially cantrips, whereas canticles are special hymns, chants, or prayers that clerics gain as they level up. The Annual repeatedly states that canticles are not spells, though this is usually a distinction without a difference as canticles often require spell checks and failure can result in disapproval. The Annual also created unique disapproval tables for these seven deities.

Knights in the North (Sept 1, 2017-May 17, 2020)

Over the course of three years, a blog (now website) named Knights in the North (KITN) released handouts for 30 unique deities. (Most of these write-ups were created by KITN’s founder, Ari-Matti Piippo, but for the sake of clarity, I will simply attribute them to KITN throughout my review.) This includes every deity listed in the DCC pantheon, as well as several found in DCC adventures, Hubris, or KITN’s own imagination. Their write-ups explain the following details: the deity’s bio, aligned and opposed deities, services provided by their church, their holy symbol, weapon proficiencies of their clerics, special abilities bestowed on clerics, creatures unholy to their faith, and a unique disapproval table for each deity. Most of these profiles also include some type of creative writing, whether a poem, mantra, or tenets related to the deity to help establish their religion’s tone. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about KITN, however, is their decision to create their deities without consulting any official sources (such as DCC #35: Gazetteer of the Known Realms) beyond the core rules. As a result, their interpretations always feel fresh.

In addition to the deities from the DCC pantheon, KITN created entries for:

• Mwepesi, the Slow God (inspired by the extra material in DCC#67: Sailors on the Starless Sea)
• Auranne, the Expectant
• Crom, the Uncaring (inspired by Crom from Conan)
• Melniscar, the Infinite Order
• Loptir, Lord of Flame (inspired by the 2013 Holiday module, The Old God’s Return)
• Creostrax, Goddess of Excess
• Digradia (builds upon profile from Hubris)
• The Corpulent One (builds upon profile from Hubris)
• Bailey (builds upon profile from Hubris)
• Lempo (aka Lemminkainen), the Finnic God of Fertility, Fire & Fighting (uses the template from Divinity & Cults, but was written before D&C released Vol. IV: Finish & Slavic)
• Morgon, the God of Torture and Bodily Fluids

I do not review these deities, but I encourage you to check them out. I know I was particularly excited to see they created a write-up for Mwepesi, the Slow God.

While KITN’s write-ups are quite good, there are two drawbacks. First, their materials are much more difficult to access than the Annual or CKR. Each deity has its PDF listed on a separate blog post. While this may sound like a minor nitpick, it takes way more time and patience to sift through and find each profile (assuming you manage to Google their newer website first). Frankly, I’m a little surprised KITN never released these in a master PDF (if only on their website). Second, their deities lack canticles because KITN established their template before the Annual introduced this mechanic. The lack of canticles is not a problem, per se, but it’s important to know if you like them and intend to use KITN’s write-ups.

Clerics of the Known Realms (2021)

Clerics of the Known Realms is a 39-page pdf first shared on Reddit in the fall of 2021. It adheres to the same format and typeface found in the Annual (minus its bespoke art). If canticles and divine favors are important to you and you want to run a cleric who worships one of the twelve deities listed in the core rules—but missing from the Annual—this resource is for you. It contains entries on the following deities: Klazath, Ulesh, Choranus, Gorhan, Aristemis, Amun Tor, Ildavir, Cthulhu, Ahriman, Azi Dahaka, Bobugbubilz, and Nimlurun.

A necessary, but unfortunate interlude…

I really like CKR. I downloaded a copy from Reddit when its creator, /u/seansps, originally shared it. That said, before I go further, I would be remiss if I did not address several plagiarism concerns that emerged as I started writing this blog post and carefully reading each entry in the Annual, KITN, and CKR. This interlude is not intended as a hit piece. I just want to make sure that credit is given where it’s due.

On several occasions, /u/seansps took KITN’s ideas and presents them as their own. This is perhaps most readily apparent in their entry on Ulesh. KITN described the special abilities granted by Ulesh as such:

CKR’s divine favors for Ulesh (p. 6) are as follows:

There are several other instances scattered throughout CKR that clearly repeat KITN’s work or used it as a reference point. I’ve done my best to indicate this when I discuss each deity’s write-ups.

Similarly, though less damning, I really wish /u/seansps would have acknowledged their reliance on DCC #35: Gazetteer of the Known Realms somewhere in their PDF, such as its preface. I know they acknowledged their reliance on the Gazetteer when they shared an early draft of one write-up, but when they released the complete PDF about a month later, they did not.

In some ways, these mistakes are not super dire. This is a free document that has never (to my knowledge) been monetized. I’m certainly not trying to hand out pitchforks, especially since most of CKR is (to my knowledge) /u/seansps’s own work and I think it’s a great resource overall. That said, I think it behooves all of us to give credit where it’s due when we circulate our homebrews—or in the very least, make careful notes when we borrow for our homebrews in case we share them later, as it can be tricky to remember which portions are your own creation.

Grading the Deity Write-Ups

In the remainder of this blog post I compare and contrast the unique write-ups for each deity. For sake of convenience, I’ve also made this table for a quick overview. Generally speaking, “A” means excellent, “B” means good, “C” means just OK, and “F” means that I would not use it. Whenever CKR plagiarized KITN, I reduced their profile’s grade. Please treat these grades as loose approximations.

DCC Pantheon	Knights in the North	Annual	Clerics of the Known Realms
Shul, god of the moon	B	B+	–
Klazath, god of war	C	–	A
Ulesh, god of peace	A	–	F
Choranus, lord of Creation	A	–	B
Daenthar, god of earth and industry	C	A	–
Gorhan, god of valor and chivalry	B+	–	A
Justicia, goddess of justice and mercy	B	B	–
Aristemis, demi-goddess of true seeing and strategy	C	–	B
Amun Tor, god of mysteries and riddles	B	–	B-
Ildavir, goddess of nature	B	–	B+
Pelagia, goddess of the sea	C	A	–
Cthulhu, priest of the Old Ones	B-	–	F
Ahriman, god of death and disease	A-	–	A
Hidden Lord, god of secrets	B	A	–
Azi Dahaka, demon prince of storms and waste	B	–	B-
Bobugbubilz, demon lord of evil amphibians	B+	–	B
Cadixtat, chaos titan	A	A	–
Nimlurun, lord of filth and pollution	B	–	A
Malotoch, the carrion crow god	A	A	–

A Comparative Survey and Recommendations

My comparative survey provides a brief description of each deity’s divine favors (or “special,” to use KITN’s terminology), canticles, and result #20 on their disapproval table. I feature result #20 because it’s typically the most revealing result on the table and can make or break a write-up. Whenever KITN changed a deity’s alignment from that listed in the DCC core rules, I note it. I also note when KITN included tenets because I think these guidelines can be really helpful for players.

Any of CKR’s write-ups containing plagiarism is acknowledged at the start of that comparison.

To keep this survey manageable, I avoid discussing special weapons, holy symbols, or unholy creatures. Most of these elements are fairly generic. Although KITN spends time discussing how each deity’s church functions, I largely omit such details since the Annual and CKR lack an equivalent. There are a few church descriptions, however, that I love so much that I include them anyways.

Each comparison concludes with a brief verdict as to which interpretation I prefer. My commentary occasionally includes suggestions for improving certain write-ups. I also like to recommend augmenting the stronger write-up with flashes of genius from the weaker write-up, as long as it remains cohesive. I don’t think we should toss out a good idea simply because the rest of its write-up was weaker than another.

SHUL, god of the moon

Annual:

• Clerics always begin first level with second sight and comprehend languages.
• Divine Favors:
  • Moonsense: Can ask a moon-related question daily.
  • Reckoning Braid: Can measure the length of anything daily.
• Canticles:
  • Lunar Glow: Holy symbol radiates moonlight.
  • Shul’s Shining One: Cleric transforms into the Shining One (a shimmering cloud) from Abraham Merritt’s The Moon Pool.
  • Nigodow’s Septichromatic Orbs: Seven gemstones orbit the cleric, rewarding successful spell checks and staving off attackers.
• Disapproval #20: Suffers a spell check penalty until the cleric completes one of four possible quests.

KITN:

• Presents Shul as chaotic instead of lawful.
• Special:
  • Shul’s followers only handle silver and platinum—never gold.
  • Clerics are given minor (or improved) darkvision.
  • Can cast sleep, invisible companion, mirror image, phantasm, and scare.
  • Lay on hands results in cosmetic skin bleaching.
• Disapproval #20: The cleric can suffer an alignment shift, potentially making worship of Shul impossible.

Verdict: I would use the Annual but replace its disapproval table with KITN (the last time I played a cleric of Shul, I didn’t enjoy the Annual’s disapproval table). I’d also use KITN’s suggestion that Shul’s followers only handle silver and platinum. The titles for Shul’s clerics in the Annual are excellent.

KLAZATH, god of war

CKR:

• Divine Favors:
  • Inspiring Shout: An ally can reroll a failed morale check or saving throw.
  • Rush into Battle: Once a day, the cleric can increase their attack bonus while making a charge (see DCC core rules, pg. 96).
• Canticles:
  • Relentless Formation: Increases the crit range for the cleric and allies.
  • Cadence of Defense: Gives AC bonuses to the cleric and allies.
  • Victorious Pursuit: Can force enemies to suffer attack penalties.
• Disapproval #20: Divine magic is restricted and attacks are severely hampered for one day.

KITN:

• Includes tenets.
• Special:
  • Clerics have permanent +1 bonus to AC.
  • A cleric of Klazath belongs to one of five orders.
  • They can cast magic shield and sword magic.
  • Warriors and warfare adjacent classes/occupations get extra healing from lay on hands.
• Disapproval #20: Cannot use divine power until they start a “righteous war.”

Verdict: This is one of the last gods KITN created and they admit struggling with this one. Presenting a cleric with five unique orders feels too busy. Giving clerics sword magic does not make sense based on their description of Klazath, which emphasizes his armor. I would recommend CKR’s version. The canticles are quite strong, but they feel consistent with the ethos of Klazath as presented.

ULESH, god of peace

CKR:

• Warning: CKR plagiarized most of KITN’s work here. This includes the descriptions, divine favors, and disapproval tables.
• Divine Favors:
  • Defensive Strike: Cleric cannot attack first without suffering +5 disapproval.
  • Subdue the Violent: There is no penalty for using subdual damage.
• Canticles:
  • Psalm of Surrender: Temporarily dazes enemies so they cannot act.
  • Poem of Parting: Repels enemies away from the cleric.
  • Serenade of Peace: “When using lay on hands to cause healing, those of opposing alignments are considered as adjacent, those of adjacent alignments are considered lawful, and lawfully aligned creatures are healed by one additional die.”
• Disapproval #20: Cleric cannot use armor or weapons until they prevent a large conflict.

KITN:

• Includes tenets.
• Special:
  • There is no penalty for subdual damage.
  • Cleric cannot attack first without suffering +5 disapproval.
  • Lay on hands calms the recipient, making them less likely to fight.
• Disapproval #20: Cleric cannot use armor or weapons until they prevent a large conflict.

Verdict: I would go with KITN’s version. You could include CKR’s canticles. If you do so, I would make Serenade of Peace a level 1 canticle—I just don’t think it’s a level 5 appropriate. I’d make Psalm of Surrender a level 5 canticle, but increase the spell check threshold and number of targets impacted.

CHORANUS, the Seer Father, lord of creation

CKR:

• Warning: CKR clearly borrows from KITN’s special abilities and disapproval table.
• Divine Favors:
  • Foresight: Once every 1d7 days, a cleric can reroll a failed roll.
  • Arcane Secrets: Clerics can cast comprehend languages, mending, ESP, and shatter.
• Canticles:
  • Song of Scrying: Cleric can determine the number and disposition of creatures in a specific location.
  • Rhyme of Creation: Cleric and those near them recover twice the amount of hit points or ability score loss while resting at night.
  • Chorus of Destiny: The cleric gains a variety of unique abilities/benefits.
• Disapproval #20: The cleric loses access to divine magic until they make a DC 10 Will save.

KITN:

• Presents Choranus as neutral instead of lawful.
• Special:
  • A one-time 50/50(?)—the phrasing is unclear—chance at a single roll succeeding.
  • Clerics learn a stronger iteration of second sight.
  • They can cast animal summoning, comprehend languages, mending, ESP, knock, and shatter.
  • Failure to heal a particular condition with lay on hands means the cleric cannot do so for that wounded individual again.
• Disapproval #20: The cleric loses access to divine magic until they make a DC 10 Will save.

Verdict: I would go with KITN’s write-up. I find their description of a god who knows what will happen at the dawn of creation and subsequently leaves his post out of boredom really compelling. CKR’s canticles strike me as fair, though probably weaker than other deities.

DAENTHAR, the Mountain Lord, greater god of earth and industry

Annual:

• This entry lacks a section for divine favors, but lay on hands and turn unholy are modified:
  • Lay on hands can repair mechanical devices.
  • Attempts to heal a dwarf with lay on hands are improved.
  • Golems can be turned or controlled with turn unholy.
• Dwarves can become clerics of Daenthar, but they lose their dwarf class abilities.
• Canticles:
  • Chaunt of the Unmoving God: Cleric is harder to knock over or be moved against their will.
  • Song of Stone: Increases cleric’s AC.
  • Psalm of the Hallowed Forge: Creates a minor or major construct to aid the cleric.
• Disapproval #20: Loss of divine favors until cleric donates at least 50% of their belongings.

KITN:

• Includes tenets.
• Special:
  • Clerics can detect constructions and tricky architecture (traps, hidden doors, contraptions).
  • Clerics know dwarven language.
  • Can cast mending, wizard staff, breathe life, make potion, sword magic, write magic, and transmute earth.
  • Healing broken bones or organ damage with lay on hands requires the use of metal.
• Disapproval #20: Cleric becomes part machine, part flesh and Daenthar controls some of their actions for an undetermined time.

Verdict: I prefer the Annual’s version, but I can understand why one might enjoy the metal healing elements of KITN. If that’s you, I’d still run the Annual version, but incorporate KITN’s metal healing idea. Since it’s technically a drawback, I don’t think this augmentation would be problematic.

GORHAN, the Helmed Vengeance, god of valor and chivalry

CKR:

• Warning: Copied KITN’s disapproval table.
• Divine Favors:
  • Heroism: Cleric and allies gain temporary bonus for Will checks and increased HP.
  • Smite: When fighting unholy creatures, increase the weapon’s damage die on the dice chain by one (e.g., a two-handed sword does 1d12 instead of 1d10).
• Canticles:
  • Aura of Protection: Cleric and allies gain increased AC against unholy creatures.
  • Weapon of Valor: Temporarily blesses a weapon so it deals more damage against unholy creatures.
  • Find Steed: Cleric can summon an increasingly powerful steed—possibly a Pegasus!
• Disapproval #20: Cleric loses all divine magic until they complete a chivalrous quest.

KITN:

• Presents Gorhan as neutral instead of lawful (though he could still be considered lawful without changing anything based on their description).
• Special:
  • Completing a chivalrous quest replenishes 1d6 Luck points.
  • Acting dishonorably results in +5 disapproval and an immediate disapproval roll.
  • Can cast eternal champion, magic shield, and strength.
  • Gorhan may withhold healing (or outright reverse the healing affect) if their cleric attempts to heal someone unworthy.
• Disapproval #20: Cleric loses all divine magic until they complete a chivalrous quest.

Verdict: Even though CKR copied KITN’s disapproval table, I prefer their divine powers and canticles. They seem balanced and useful. That said, KITN does a better job of creating a flavorful take on Gorhan. For instance, in their version, Gorhan’s steed and squire are worshipped by heretical splinter cults. That would be so much fun to lean into regardless of which version you use.

JUSTICIA, goddess of justice and mercy

Annual:

• Divine Favors:
  • Absolve: Can relieve a character of guilt.
  • Cleanse: Removes dirt and blemishes from an item, but doesn’t fix it.
• Canticles:
  • Righteous Freedom: Increases the clerics AC and reduces armor related penalties.
  • Templar’s Might: Cleric can use a restricted deed die to perform Mighty Deeds—the deed die does not modify the attack or damage, however.
  • Martyr’s Reward: Upon the death of a fifth level or higher cleric, Justicia will enact retribution to those who killed her cleric.
• Disapproval #20: Cleric cannot accept any assistance from another source for two hours of in game time (presumably this includes access to divine magic).

KITN:

• Include tenets.
• Special:
  • Clerics roll a 1d30 on law- and justice-related skill checks.
  • Clerics can cast a lawful version of shield maiden (pg. 340 of core rules).
  • Whenever a nonlawful character receives assistance from a cleric of Justicia, they must confess and repent of a sin otherwise the cleric’s disapproval increases by one.
• Disapproval #20: Justicia blinds their cleric until they judge 1d30 sentences.

Verdict: I’ve never been super keen on Justicia, possibly because she’s over-represented in official modules. Unfortunately, neither the Annual or KITN really knock their portrayal out of the park for me. I would keep the Annual’s version but augment it by replacing Absolve with KITN’s special ability that requires confessions and repentance from those benefiting from laying on hands. I would also add KITN’s tenets, “The Holy Decrees of Justicia,” as these do a great job of clarifying her aims.

ARISTEMIS, the Insightful One, demi-goddess of true seeing and strategy

CKR:

• Divine Favors:
  • Flank the Enemy: When the cleric and an ally flank an enemy, they gain a modest bonus to their attack rolls.
  • Expeditious Retreat: The cleric and their allies have their movement speed doubled temporarily once a day.
• Canticles:
  • Focus Fire: An enemy is marked, which makes it easier for everyone to hit them.
  • Gather the Troops: The cleric and their allies gain a bonus to their attack rolls.
  • Divide and Conquer: Up to half of the enemies can become stunned for a turn, thereby allowing the party to gain the advantage.
• Disapproval #20: The cleric loses all divine magic for one hour at which point they can perform a DC 10 Will save to regain their powers the next day.

KITN:

• Special:
  • The cleric can meditate for an hour to improve their ability to succeed at perception related checks.
  • A short or longbow can be the spell focus of divine symbol and spiritual weapon, thereby making their magic damage apply to ranged attacks.
  • Clerics can cast detect invisible, locate object, and haste.
  • Lay on hands can result in the recipient losing 1d3 personality points upon a failed Will save.
• Disapproval #20: They can only meditate, study, or hunt until they pass a DC 20 Will save at the end of the day. Failure to do so results in a -1 penalty to all skill checks until they succeed.

Verdict: This is one of several instances where CKR and KITN focus on different domains belonging to a deity. CKR emphasizes Aristemis’s identify as a master of strategy, whereas KITN focus more on true seeing. I greatly prefer CKR’s take, though their first canticle feels a little too video gamey to me. Their divine favor, Flank the Enemy, could be busted since it lacks a daily limit. Indeed, it’s a rare instance of a divine favor being just as strong, if not stronger, than some of a cleric’s canticles.

AMUN TOR, god of mysteries and riddles

CKR:

• Divine Favors:
  • Augury: Cleric can cast second sight once per 1d10 days even if they didn’t learn it or happened to lose it for the day.
  • Minor Riddle: Cleric can gain +1d on a spell check once a month.
• Canticles:
  • Legend Lore: Can identify a legendary item.
  • Game of Riddles: Cleric and opponent make a contested intelligence check. If the cleric wins, the opponent is stunned. If the cleric loses, they aren’t impacted.
  • Mysterious Melody: Cleric can charm multiple enemies and make them attack nearby targets.
• Disapproval #20: The cleric’s divine magic is lost for the day and their intelligence is temporarily reduced by 3.

KITN:

• Super flavorful take on Amun Tor’s church structure, but I’ll leave the exact details a mystery.
• Special:
  • Cleric can sacrifice a secret for a bonus on a spell check related to something puzzling.
  • Clerics can cast comprehend languages, read magic, or detect invisible.
  • Providing a cleric with a secret as they lay on hands can give a bonus to the spell check.
• Disapproval #20: Cleric loses divine magic and cannot say anything except for one riddle; once the riddle is correctly answered they regain their lost powers and speech.

Verdict: KITN describes Amun Tor speaking in riddles to those who seek help with mysteries, whereas CKR frames his clerics as helping solve riddles. While neither version really wows me, I prefer KITN’s interpretation of Amun Tor’s church structure, as well as how lay on hands encourages players to share secrets. While you could append CKR’s canticles to KITN’s take, I have quibbles with two of them. It feels like Game of Riddles should negatively affect the cleric if they lose. Moreover, despite its name, the Mysterious Melody canticle does not evoke a feeling of riddles or mysteries.

ILDAVIR, goddess of nature

CKR:

• Divine Favors:
  • Barkskin: Once a day, clerics can gain a temporary bonus to their AC.
  • Druidcraft: Once every 1d3 days, a cleric can predict the weather or manifest a minor nature-related sensory effect.
  • Nature’s Wrath: Clerics can learn animal summoning, spider web, and water breathing.
• Canticles:
  • Wind Whisper: The cleric can learn general information about the wildlife and potential hazards present in the region.
  • Thunderstrike: The cleric can cast thunderbolt.
  • Reincarnate: The cleric can be reincarnated twice.
• Disapproval #20: A bolt of lightning strikes the cleric and they lose their divine magic until they spend a day serving nature.

KITN:

• Special:
  • Clerics have a cumulative 1% chance of attracting Ildavir’s attention in the wild—it’s unclear whether this is a good or bad thing.
  • Disapproval can be reduced by tending to flora and fauna.
  • Can cast animal summoning, but must have a tattoo depicting the animal they intend to summon.
  • There is a cumulative 1% chance that beneficial spell or lay on hands will cause the recipient to manifest a purely cosmetic change evoking the wild.
• Disapproval #20: The cleric needs to complete a quest (determined by the DM) within a fair timeline. If the cleric fails to do so, they lose their powers and are disowned by Ildavir.

Verdict: I prefer CKR’s take on Ildavir as I find their divine favors and canticles more interesting. One minor quibble, however: CKR’s inclusion of weather phenomenon (i.e., lightning bolts) as part of nature feels out of place when we are told “Her favored weapon is a scythe, and her holy symbol is a leaf, frond, or tree” (21). I would much rather see a canticle that involves violent vegetation than lightning bolts.

PELAGIA, goddess of the sea

Annual:

• Divine Favors:
  • Water Breathing: Self-explanatory.
  • Summon Minor Sea Life: Can summon small/medium fishes or crustaceans.
  • Hold Liquid: Self-explanatory.
• Canticles:
  • Motivational Shanty: Increases party strength checks and willpower saves.
  • Siren’s Call: Can mesmerize those near the cleric as long as the song continues.
  • Water’s True Name: Can perform a water miracle ranging from walking on water to summoning a tsunami.
• Disapproval #20: The cleric immediately ages 1d5 years.

KITN:

• Presents Pelagia as a chaotic deity affectionately(?) referred to as the “Bitch Queen,” instead of neutral.
• Special:
  • Uses a 1d30 to make water related skill checks; clerics suffer only half effects from AC penalties involving water.
  • “Clerics with a seafaring occupation gain a +2 to all spell check rolls. This also applies to clerics who have drowned and survived. These bonuses stack.”
  • Clerics roll using divine magic to help others suffer a -5 modifier to spell checks targeting those who haven’t bathed in the sea (or intend to do so); turn unholy receives a +5 modifier for those who have not touched seawater.
• Disapproval #20: The cleric’s lay on hands is restricted until they sacrifice a life.

Verdict: I prefer Annual’s interpretation of Pelagia, but if you are looking for an edgier version reminiscent of the Drowned God from Game of Thrones, check out KITN’s version.

CTHULHU, priest of the Old Ones

CKR:

• Warning: They plagiarize two of KITN’s special abilities and disapproval result #20.
• Divine Favors:
  • Eldritch Forces: Clerics can cast sleep, scare, phantasm, and Emirikol’s entropic maelstrom.
  • Arcane Lore: Clerics gain +1d for lore checks related to weird or paranormal events.
• Canticles:
  • Requiem of Remorse: Targets within earshot may receive penalties to their willpower saving throws.
  • Dirge of Minor Drain: Cleric can life drain a single target.
  • Weird Intonation: Targets cannot approach the cleric; they also receive penalties on attacks and spell checks.
• Disapproval #20: The cleric’s body becomes an empty shell as their spirit is transported to R’Lyeh. Time to roll a new character.

KITN:

• Cthulhu’s temples are gates to the Eibon Maze and those who do not follow Cthulhu will suffer for entering.
• Special:
  • Clerics can receive help at Cthulhu’s temples.
  • Clerics gain +1d on skill checks regarding strange lore.
  • Rolling a natural 5 or 23 is treated as a critical success, rolling a natural 7 is a fumble.
  • Clerics can spend Luck to change their disapproval table result.
  • Can cast chill touch, sleep, phantasm, scare, Emirikol’s entropic maelstrom, demon summoning, transference, and water breathing.
  • Party members healed from 0 HP may need to roll on the corruption table.
• Disapproval #20: “The cleric is taken to R’lyeh, and will never return. (Unless the Judge deems otherwise the character is gone. Not even dead, just gone. Forever.)”
• Disapproval #23: Cthulhu is distracted, reset the cleric’s disapproval at 1.

Verdict: I don’t really like either version. Despite (or perhaps because of) KITN’s enthusiasm for the Cthulhu mythos, their take feels overly complicated. (That said, I do like their decision to turn natural 5’s and 23’s into critical successes and treat 7’s as a fumble; this unique quirk helps establish a weird and grotesque vibe.) Even if I were to ignore CKR’s plagiarism, I don’t find their canticles very compelling. I want something more ineffable and grotesque. For instance, a canticle could cause a target enemy to make a corruption roll and then have nearby enemies roll a Will save in response to that corruption.

Disclaimer: While I’ve read some of Lovecraft’s short stories, I have not read any of his Cthulhu work—so perhaps I’m not the best one to judge these entries.

AHRIMAN, god of death and disease

CKR:

• Divine Favors:
  • Divine Fortitude: Clerics are better at resisting disease and poison.
  • Prophetic Destruction: Clerics know a reversed version of mending called tear.
• Canticles:
  • Psalm of Petulence [sic]: Enemies need to make a Fort save or acquire a disease that drains their stamina daily.
  • Toll of the Dead: An enemy needs to make a Fort save or take damage.
  • Portend Doom: Enemies near the cleric need to make a Will save or suffer penalties to their saving throws for a duration.
• Disapproval #20: Cleric needs to survive a two DC 20 Fort saves or die.

KITN:

• Presents Ahriman as a “(borderline) neutral god,” instead of chaotic.
• Special:
  • Can dedicate kills to Ahriman. Every time a cleric delivers the killing blow in this fashion, they gain steadily increasing positive modifier for a single damage roll. Upon using this positive modifier, it resets.
  • Clerics can cast charm undead (as charm person targeting undead), undead summoning (as monster summoning for undead creatures), ray of enfeeblement, scare, consult spirit, and blade of the void (as blade of Atropos targeting undead creatures).
  • Clerics CANNOT cast restore vitality, cure paralysis, or neutralize poison or disease.
  • Upon using lay on hands successfully, the recipient must dedicate their next kill to Ahriman. If they don’t, the cleric cannot heal them until they do so.
• Disapproval #20: Clerics physical attributes (STR, STA, and AGI) are set to 1 and do not heal as normal. The cleric can only restore 1 point of a stat for each kill they make.

Verdict: I don’t think you can go wrong with either version. CKR and KITN provide equally fun interpretations of this deity. CKR focuses on death and disease, whereas KITN’s clerics dedicate kills to Ahriman for boons. Both of their #20 disapproval results are BRUTAL, but at least CKR’s version puts you out of your misery sooner. I’m legitimately not sure whether a cleric could claw their way back from rolling a 20 on KITN’s disapproval table.

Honorable mention: One of KITN’s special abilities restricts the spells available to Ahriman’s clerics. No other write-up in the Annual, CKR, or KITN did this. More people should experiment with this underutilized design space. Saying “yes!” to a deity should mean saying “no!”—or being told “no!” by your deity—to some things.

HIDDEN LORD, god of secrets

Annual:

• No titles or divine powers; clerics of the Hidden Lord are encouraged to pretend to serve other gods.
• Canticles:
  • Death Touch: Sneakily reverses lay on hands.
  • Psalm of Secrets: Can better detect secret doors.
  • Black Temple Prayer: Cleric can open a portal to their own personal extradimensional hiding place.
• Disapproval #20: Must remain silent for the day or be struck by spectral energy.

KITN:

• Special:
  • Can backstab as 1st level thieves.
  • A cleric can trade secrets for assistance.
  • Clerics pretend to belong to other deities and those who are found out immediately have their disapproval set at 10.
  • Can cast any wizard spell.
  • Lay on hands gives people strange dreams.
• Canticles: None.
• Disapproval #20: The cleric is possessed by the Hidden Lord for 13 hours.

Verdict: I recommend using the Annual’s version, but give them KITN’s special ability: backstab as 1st level thieves. (The conceit of a cleric remaining hidden falls apart anyways as soon as they use their canticles.)

AZI DAHAKA, demon prince of storm and waste

CKR:

• Divine Favors:
  • Minor Dust Storm: Can summon a dust storm that causes spell check penalties.
  • Abyssal Flight: Clerics can learn feather fall, levitate, or fly.
• Canticles:
  • Disorienting Fog: Self-explanatory.
  • Horrid Wilting: Cleric immediately evaporates progressively larger quantities of water.
  • Call Minor Storm: Cleric targets an enemy with a large thunderstorm that slows them and may potentially harm them.
• Disapproval #20: Cleric loses access to divine magic for one day and is harassed by a 20-mile-wide thunderstorm.

KITN:

• Special:
  • Clerics can spend time dehydrating themselves for a +1 bonus on all checks for a day, but if they fail, they suffer a -1d on these rolls instead.
  • Clerics can cast all of the patron spells listed in the patron profile from the DCC rulebook: invoke patron: Azi Dahaka, snake trick, kith of the hydra, and reap the whirlwind.
  • Lay on hands causes the recipient to lose one point of STR, STA, or AGI.
• Disapproval #20: The cleric is engulfed in a desert wind reducing all their stats to 3. For every conversion or sacrifice, the cleric can regain 1 ability point.

Verdict: Both interpretations are inspired by the patron profile in the core rules, but take it in different directions. CKR embraces the storm domain to the point of neglecting the wastes, whereas KITN emphasizes the wastes with little emphasis on the storm. Although KITN’s interpretation is more faithful to Azi Dahaka’s patron profile, I think it suffers from mechanical problems. For instance, gaining +1 to all checks for a day is not worth the risk of a -1d penalty (though maybe if the effect were cumulative the risk would be worth it). CKR’s problems are largely a matter of flavor. Despite Azi Dahaka’s associations with the desert, two of CKR’s canticles involve fog and rain storms. I would replace the fog with a mirage effect and the rain with a dust storm. (I want the minor storm canticle to evoke the dust storm scene from The Mummy starring Brandon Frasier!)

Ultimately, I recommend using CKR’s version (with modified canticles to emphasize the desert waste more) and incorporating KITN’s lay on hands. Some might take issue with KITN’s lay on hands, but I like this infernal trade and think it’s appropriate for clerics who worship a demon.

BOBUGBUBILZ, demon lord of evil amphibians

CKR:

• Divine Favors:
  • Can breathe under water.
  • Can create a small patch of swamp.
• Canticles:
  • Speak to Amphibians: Self-explanatory.
  • Swim with Frogs: Becomes frog-like and swims better.
  • Summon Minor Devil Frog: Self-explanatory.
• Disapproval #20: Loses access to divine magic for a day and continually harms themselves by vomiting slime until they make a DC 20 Fort save.

KITN:

• Flavorful description of Bobugbubilz’s temple—particularly the suggestion that their sacrificial ponds are portals to “Frog Hell.” Having run DCC #77: The Croaking Fane, I could totally see incorporating this tidbit into my rumor table.
• Special:
  • Inevitable patron taint.
  • Bonuses to checks made in marshlands and against poison.
  • Can cast frog climb (as spider climb), water breathing, polymorph, Hepsoj’s fecund fungi, patron bond — Bobugbubilz, and his patron spells in the core rules.
  • Healing others can turn them frog-like.
• Disapproval #20: Cleric becomes a toad, though retains mental capacities.

Verdict: KITN and CKR’s versions are just alright. If I had to choose one, I would probably go with KITN. Although I generally prefer flavor over power when playing characters, I don’t like how CKR’s divine magic is almost entirely utilitarian. Put simply, CKRs take on Bobugbubilz does not excite me. In fairness to CKR, I also find DCC’s official patron profile a bit uninspired.

CADIXTAT, chaos titan

Annual:

• Divine Favors:
  • Will of the Axe: Temporarily increase the cleric’s attack die.
  • Heart of Chaos: Temporarily inspire noncombatants into a violent, xenophobic or racist frenzy.
• Canticles:
  • Metamorphosis: The cleric transforms and gains unique abilities/benefits.
  • Tattered Veil of Chance: The cleric re-rolls their Luck score.
  • Hand of Chaos: The cleric can weaponize a severed hand.
• Disapproval #20: They need to cut off two fingers, which harms their attack rolls.

KITN:

• Special:
  • Clerics can spellburn STR or STA for skill checks related to their former occupation.
  • Clerics can cast mending and sword magic.
  • Lay on hands creates whimsical scars (purely flavor).
• Disapproval #20: They need to make a masterwork and are severely inconvenienced on almost all rolls until then.

Verdict: Both versions take Cadixtat in radically different directions. The Annual presents Cadixtat as a murder-hobo warrior, whereas KITNpresents him as an artist, driven by the chaotic urge to create. Both are equally inspired and would be fun to run. It just comes down to preference. Although I often recommend augmenting KITN’s version by adding canticles from the Annual or CKR, the interpretation of Cadixtat is too different in this instance.

NIMLURUN, the unclean one, lord of filth and pollution

CKR:

• Divine Favors:
  • Pollute Water: Makes water diseased.
  • Filth Immunity: Increased immunity to diseases.
• Canticles:
  • Song of the Sewer: Makes the ground dirty, which may benefit Nimulun’s followers.
  • Fortitude of the Filthy: Fortitude save bonus increased.
  • Call Rodents: Increasingly larger number of rats summoned.
• Disapproval #20: Cleric loses divine magic for a day and almost certainly contracts sewer plague.

KITN:

• Includes tenets.
• Description of Nimlurun’s church is chef’s kiss: “The Church of Nimlurun cures all diseases. Or, rather, takes the symptoms away. The recipient of this service has to pledge themselves to the service of Nimlurun: the physical marks of their disease remain, and they are still contagious, possibly more so, but they themselves have ceased to suffer.”
• Special:
  • Can resist disease.
  • Easier time healing disease (or the symptoms anyways).
  • Clerics heal while smearing the wounded with filth.
• Disapproval #20: Makes the cleric patient zero (KITN created an additional 6-page document expanding upon 6 homebrew diseases).

Verdict: I would use CKR’s version, but include KITN’s disapproval 20 result and their homebrewed diseases.

MALOTOCH, the carrion crow god

Annual:

• Divine Favors:
  • Raven Moon: New moons help their spell casting; whereas full moons hinder.
  • Speak with Messenger: Can ask a raven a question each day.
  • Blessing of the Flesh: Eating dead flesh ensures the cleric does not bleed out.
• Canticles:
  • Murder Hymn: Summon murderous crows.
  • Psalm of the Flesh Eater: The cleric gains a random array of protection or powers.
  • Requiem of the Surrendered Flesh: The cleric becomes temporarily undead and gains damage resistance and protection.
• Disapproval #20: The cleric must ride an eagle to a mountain and sacrifice their hand on an altar.

KITN:

• Presents Malotoch as neutral male deity, instead of a chaotic female demon.
• Special:
  • Better navigation senses.
  • Increased ability to turn unholy, which normally a chaotic cleric cannot do.
  • Severely punished with +10 disapproval for healing individuals with mortal wounds.
• Canticles: None.
• Disapproval #20: Attacked by crows and suffers damage to STR, AGI, and STA.

Verdict: Both interpretations are equally interesting and worth trying out. If you decide to augment KITN’s interpretation with the canticles found in the Annual, you’ll probably want to make some adjustments to the canticle, Requiem of the Surrendered Flesh. This canticle temporarily makes the cleric undead, but in KITN’s version, undead are unholy. Finally, I just want to opine that Murder Hymn is the best named canticle in the entire Annual.

Parting Thoughts

I’m very interested to hear comments from anyone who has used any of these deity write-ups, particularly those created by KITN or CKR. If you feel like any of my verdicts are off base, I would love to hear that as well. Finally, I just want to thank everyone who worked on the deities in the Annual, KITN, or CKR. I know how labor intensive this work can be, but I also know that your work has made (and continues to make) a profound impact in many DCC campaigns. Your work is indispensable, and for that, I thank you.

In my next post, I intend to briefly review other DCC and OSR resources that you should consider imitating while creating deities.