Its long been a particular interest of mine to use religion and mythology in games. The nature of a culture's (Origin's) religion implies certain things about that culture, can flesh the setting out, and deepen the roleplaying experience, if the players incorporate the religion into their character's path. Naturally, a major aspect of religion is the priest, the religious specialist tasked with maintaining the religion and mythology.
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In Reaver, the Priest Class serves this role, clearly. In general terms, Priests cast spells and are serviceable in melee combat, but lack in ranged combat and have less vitality than warrior classes. Importantly, every Priest must choose a Faith---Druidism, Shamanism, or Theism---which further signifies the nature of their worship and grants the majority of their class abilities. The Faiths also determine the character's weapon and armor proficiencies. All Priests are required to worship in one form or another daily, or risk suffering -2d to Sorcery Feats.
Druids in Reaver are unlike the norm found in other fantasy games. Rather than being nature worshipers, Druids are inspired by the Celtic original though they might be found in many cultures In Reaver, Druids are polytheistic soothsayers, able to read signs and portents in the natural world; they have the second sight, allowing them to sense supernatural creatures and places and see invisible creatures, the true nature of shapeshifters, and can see into the overlapping Otherworld. They are lorekeepers, able to recall the lore of their own Origin, can use artifacts that are restricted to Sorcerers, are especially adept at casting the skinwalking spell (like polymorph), and have unusually long lifespans. Finally, Druids have a special cultural protection that restricts non-spellcasters of their own Origin from intentionally harming them (those that do suffer a hex).
Shamans usually act as the intermediaries between the mundane and the spirit worlds. They take a totem as a "patron deity" from which they draw spells and which acts as their guide. The totem can be contacted as if using a commune with outsider spell. Shamans are especially skilled healers and can mend injuries and cure poisons. Finally, Shamans can create magical talismans for specific individuals which can help in a variety of ways. The Shaman chooses an effect when the talisman is created---battle-luck, health, counter-sorcery, etc., and the talisman lasts for a specific number of days.
Theists are something like traditional "clerics"---they choose a specific deity to worship and are part of an organized, temple-based religion. The weapons and armor they can use are dictated by their deity (see below), from which they also gain extra spells. At levels 3, 6, and 9, Theists can declare spell focus for one spell they know, granting them +1d on Sorcery Feats made to cast it and they can't miscast those spells. Finally, their unyielding zeal allows them to spend 10 minutes in prayer to recover vitality or their Sorcery Die or reset their Resolve to their base.
Religion and Deities
Let's also take a look at how religion and the deities are described in the Reaver Core Rulebook. We'll use the Tuigar people as an example.
Tuigar Religion
Tuigar worship a handful of greater deities that are shared between all tribes, alongside practicing ancestor worship. The greatest of their gods are the divine pair—Ilfri, goddess of the sun, fate, fortune, rain, lightning, and fertility, and Inzar, the god of the earth, thunder, animals, and the harbinger of war. These gods rule over the world, bring both blessings and banes, and oversee the spirit world of the ancestors. The Tuigar cult of the dead venerates all ancestors of the tribe and these spirits can be contacted for assistance in the world of the living.
Tuigar believe that the gods judge the dead, allowing the worthy to join the ancestors, while the unworthy are beset by demons in an eternal land of cold and darkness. They paint their dead with ochre or indigo before burial in the earth or entombment in communal stone mausoleums. Tuigar Priests are Shamans who interact with ancestor spirits or Theists who worship the great gods.
Ilfri
Light-Bringer, the Lady of Fire, the Voice of the Wind
The sky goddess of the Tuigar tribes, Ilfri complements Inzar as the female half of the divine pair and is depicted as a woman in Tuigar robes with the head of a falcon. In the Tuigar myth cycles, Ilfri bestows knowledge and law, rains lightning on upstart demons and jinn, and grants luck and physical boons to her favorite mortals. She protects the dome of the sky from corruption by desert demons and the like. Ilfri is connected to birds, horses, dogs, and jackals, which often appear with her. Ilfri shares temples with Inzar and her rites always include the burning of offerings in a sacred fire.
Portfolio: Sky, sun, rain, lightning, fire, fertility, fate, wind, and luck
Worshipers: Tuigar, Zucchabarans, Rogues, adventurers, gamblers, farmers
Priests: Theists
Theist Weapons & Armor: Club, javelin, mace, morning star, scimitar, short spear, sling; light armor, small shields, caps and helms [These are the Theist's proficiencies.]
Theist Spells: Conflagration (I), illumination (S), atonement (M) [These spell are added to the Theist's spell list and nay be chosen normally---initiate, scholar, master.]
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