Swords of Mars: Minor customization of the Clerics of Mars

The gods of Law and Chaos Mars allow their priests some minor variations from the normal rules for clerics. This allows some to pick up a variety of additional weapons normally not allowed, as well as having additional spells they can choose from the magic-user spell lists to substitute for existing spells.

Shem
Weapon: Spears
Spells: 1st: Shield; 2nd: Continual Light; 3rd: Infravision; 4th: Dispel Magic; 5th: Wall of Fire

Ilu
Weapon: Daggers
Spells: 1st: Read Languages: 2nd: Locate Object; 3rd: Dispel Magic; 4th: Confusion; 5th: Feeblemind

Astara
Weapon: Daggers
Spells: 1st: Charm Person; 2nd: ESP; 3rd: Mirror Image; 4th: Charm Monster; 5th: Hold Monster

Hadu
Weapon: Any melee weapons.
Spells: 1st: Shield; 2nd: Detect Invisible; 3rd: Protection from Normal Missiles; 4th: Haste; 5th: Massmorph

Nergal
Weapon: Daggers
Spells: 1st: Hold Portal; 2nd: Wizard Lock; 3rd: Dispel Magic; 4th: Wall of Ice; 5th: Wall of Stone

Naru
Weapon: Daggers; poison is just fine, too
Spells: 1st: Charm Person; 2nd: Invisibility; 3rd: Invisibility, 10’ Radius; 4th: Polymorph Self; 5th: Magic Jar

Bashal
Weapon: Daggers; poison is just fine, too
Spells: 1st: Ventriloquism; 2nd: Phantasmal Force; 3rd: Invisibility; 4th: Invisibility, 10’ Radius; 5th: Confusion

Nayari
Weapon: Daggers; poison is just fine, too
Spells: 1st: Charm Person; 2nd: ESP; 3rd: Mirror Image; 4th: Charm Monster; 5th: Feeblemind

Kalak
Weapon: wavy-bladed daggers and swords-- short, normal, and two-handed
Spells: 1st: —; 2nd: Magic Missile; 3rd: Mirror Image; 4th: Fireball; 5th: Wall of Fire

Dalku
Weapon: Daggers; poison is just fine, too
Spells: 1st: Charm Person; 2nd: ESP; 3rd: Invisibility; 4th: Confusion; 5th: Animate Dead

On the Nature of the Gods of Athanor

It may be a matter of my own personal beliefs or my view of how Burroughs, Howard, Lovecraft and others have depicted pulpish fantasy, but I don't want a world where the gods are living, tangible things. At least, not the kind of gods that clerics would follow. Instead, I leave the presence of the Lords of Law and Chaos as mysteries. Are they real or imagined? Where to clerics get their powers? Will the gods intervene for me? The answer is a big fat patch of silence. We do't even know if there are gods out there.

Now, there will be things worshiped as gods. Barbarians in the wastes may worship the great dinousaurs as embodied nature spirits. Mutants in the ruins in Zamora may worship a great Spider God, which is actually a huge, semi-sentient spider. A cult in the sewers may worship the Mother Of All, which is acually a huge pit of grey ooze. But these aren't real gods, just powerful beings which are being worshiped by the superstitious or gullible.

The real faces of the gods — if there are any gods — remain entirely inscrutible.

Religion in Zamora

The people of Zamora worship the 6 Lords of Chaos and the 3 Lords of Law.

The Lords of Chaos are gods of change, magic and possibility. They include:

1. Bel the Liberator
   
2. Asheba the Creator
3. Checkah the Trickster
4. Vanya of the Silken Thighs
5. Kesh the Destroyer
6. Tala the Corrupter

The Lord of Law are gods of order and stability:

1. Fala the Lightbringer
   
2. Malkut the Scholar
   
3. Serin of the Iron Fist

The Churches of Law have great institutional power and tend to work together to consolidate their power. The churches of Chaos are popular among the people, but tend to have less political clout and clear connections in the city.