Pyramid #3/78: Unleash Your Soul

Words to the divine
From higher planes, insight dawns
Wisdom from the gods

— A cryptic mystic

Without even getting into "Gamers are devil-worshippers!", the interaction between gaming and matters of faith has a long and complex history. The earliest fantasy RPGs grew out of wargames set against nominally medieval European backdrops, complete with spear levies, knights, . . . and everything from Christian military orders to senior clergy defending or expanding feudal holdings. Lots of little crosses decorated the shields and mantles of the miniatures. This contributed nicely to the quasi-historical flavor.

However, it wasn't long before the Templars and bishops mutated into classic RPG "clerics," praying for and receiving miraculous aid – or simply hurling spells, just like demon-summoning wizards. This didn't have much to do with how any religion – Christian or otherwise – saw faith. Even belief systems that accept mortals channeling the divine call for a bit more piety and attention to ceremony than, "I cast Cure Decapitation!", or, "I brandish my holy charm bracelet and make the zombies' heads explode!" But adventure games required action on a tactical timescale, and the quick-and-dirty approach delivered.

These days, games have started to seek a happy medium. Priests and shamans in RPGs have regained some of their dignity and spirituality, not to mention pomp and ritual, yet still wield powers that command the respect of their allies and the fear of their enemies. That's the realm that Pyramid #3/78: Unleash Your Soul explores:

• Blessed Be, by Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch, disassembles all the existing versions of the Blessed advantage, adds some extra pieces, and delivers a toolkit for creating new varieties of Blessed to suit almost any view of faith. The 10 worked examples include something for everyone from simple wise folk to kings ruling with divine right – and yes, even those cheesy fantasy clerics.
  
  
• GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 7: Clerics allowed holy (and unholy) delvers to choose from a wide range of archetypal divine patrons – but until now, we've been missing Clerics of Order and Chaos. Use these new power modifiers, holy abilities, spell lists, and lenses (for clerics and holy warriors) to bring your world into perfect harmony . . . or to help entropy tear it apart!
  
  
• Religious beliefs and scientific rigor aren't the most natural of bedfellows, but when a pagan sect worships The Voice of the Moon – literally – old-world beliefs drive the need for new-world space exploration. In this month's Eidetic Memory, David Pulver traces a "witch cult" from its 17th-century origins to a modern-day schism. Do they seek to free a god, an Elder Thing, a sentient stargate, or something else?
  
  
• In all things, balance must be achieved. As Kromm did for Blessed, so Christopher Rice does for Divine Curse in Cursed Thou Art. With new Mitigators and rules, it's possible to build each curse from the ground up, as shown by eight detailed examples. As a bonus, learn how to inflict these curses on your foes through a spell, a power, or a dying plea.
  
  
• Many fringe religions promise to open your mind and teach you the Secrets of the Universe! But what if one actually did? Join the Mindists and you'll find your slavish devotion rewarded by "free" psychic powers (such as the packages from GURPS Psis). The more you place their needs above your own, the more powerful you seem to get. It's win-win – right?
  
  
• And you'll find inner peace if you simply open your heart to our usual features, including a Random Thought Table that examines how sickness and death can remain issues in a world with healing magic, an Odds and Ends that may have you wearing your heart on your sleeve, and a Murphy's Rules that teaches us to play unfair.

— PK & Kromm

Pyramid #3/78: Unleash Your Soul