NUGGET System

Though Dungeons and Dragons was the first role-playing game I came into contact with, it was White Wolfs Storyteller System (Old World of Darkness to you who remember) that I first actually played. Since then, I have had a great affection for game systems that were light on the rules and heavy on the atmosphere. Such games focus more on interesting characters and the world in which they live, using rules to maintain balance.
So, in the spirit of such "Rules-Light" games, I will occasionally be detailing small (1-2 post) standalone game setting using the NUGGET system. This simple and easy to learn game system is brought to you by the folks over at Silver Branch Games and is completely free. You can download this game system here, but for ease of reference I have posted the rules system below:

NUGGET SYSTEM
NUGGET is a simple set of roleplaying game (RPG) rules. A group of people sit around pretending to be imaginary characters having adventures in a fictional setting. Each controls a player character (PC), except one who takes the role of Game Master (GM), setting up situations for the PCs and controlling the other characters they meet (non-player characters, NPCs). The players say what their characters do and the GM tells them what happens next. The story progresses through scenes of particular actions at a location. You.ll need pencils and paper and about 10 six-sided dice.

Basics
Characters are described with Advantages and Disadvantages compared to an average, untrained person. If a task is neither trivial nor impossible, you roll a "pool" of a variable number of dice to see whether you succeed. The pool is made up of the Base Dice that an average person would get, plus one die per Advantage (Adv) from a Skill (knowledge and training) and an Attribute (natural talent), minus one die per relevant Disadvantage (Dis); e.g. Research + Brains.
Base Dice (BD) set difficulty. Just rolling your Advantages is BD 0, a task that needs a professional. If anyone can have a decent try it.s BD +2 (probably the commonest). If only the best can pull it off it.s BD -2 (subtract 2 from your Advantages). Near-impossible tasks are BD -4. The GM can give an extra Adv or Dis for special situations. If you end up with no dice it.s just too hard.
Count each die that shows 4, 5 or 6 as one success. A single success means you just barely do it, though not very well; 3 successes is a good, solid result; 5 or more successes is truly impressive. No successes (all rolls 1, 2, 3) means failure. If they.re all 1.s that.s a fumble: you messed up and the GM describes the awkward consequences.
Exceptional success can be handled in one of two ways. For a realistic or gritty style run the game lid-on.: if all dice come up as 6.s you get one extra success. For high-energy, unpredictable action run it .lid-off.: each die that shows 6 can be rolled again for a possible extra success, and further 6.s give further re-rolls.
Opposed rolls happen when two characters come into conflict - a physical fight, interrogation, haggling, armwrestling or a chess match. Both characters make appropriate rolls. The one with more successes gets their way, and the difference tells you how decisive it was. Ties usually go forward (dramatically!) to another roll.

Making a Character

Attributes
These describe natural talent at general kinds of things. As NUGGET is very simple there are just four:
Brawn - strength, toughness, stamina
Agility - speed, coordination, flexibility
Brains - noticing, remembering, working things out
Will - determination, self-control, charisma
Most people are rated at 0, the average point. Some are talented at +1. A few are exceptional, rated +2. Some are particularly poor, rated -1. Player characters are well above average. You have 2 points to raise Attribute levels. Spend both on one at +2, or split them between two at +1. If you take one at -1 it gives an extra point to spend.

Skills
These are areas of knowledge, training and experience, like Fighting with Swords, Piloting Starships, Chemistry or Investigation. They go in levels 1-4: Basic, Professional, Expert, Master. NUGGET doesn.t give a list, so you.ll have to name your own, neither too broad nor too narrow.
Write down your Occupation. This is what your character spends their time doing - Space Smuggler, Doctor, Private Detective, Barbarian Warrior, Schoolgirl, etc. It gives 1 level with a cluster of Skills, and you don't have to list them all: whenever it makes sense for an action to fit within the Occupation you get an Advantage on the roll (but use a specific Skill if you have one written down).
Pick one Core Skill that.s central to your Occupation (e.g. Medicine for the doctor, Sword Fighting for the barbarian, Pilot Starship for the smuggler) and write it down separately as level 2 (professional).
You also have 4 levels of Skills to allocate as you wish.
They can be new hobby Skills (the doctor might be an amateur stage magician), or you can increase specific Skills from your Occupation - your work is your life!

Finishing off
Write down 1-3 Goals - things that are important to the character, which could be people, objects, organisations, principles or things they want to achieve.
Write down your Initiative bonus: the total of Agility and Brains Advantages and the levels of your highest Fighting Skill. (Disadvantages subtract; it can go negative.)
Write down your Physical Resistance (2 + Brawn Advantages) and Mental Resistance (2 + Will Advantages). These scores are the number of dice you'll actually roll (BD 2) - it speeds things up if they.re handy.
Write down Destiny Points, with space for it to change over time. You start with 1 point.
You have ordinary items of equipment to allow you to perform your Skills - beyond that it depends on the game.

Combat
Initiative. When it comes to high-speed action, things happen in rounds: chunks of time a few seconds long divided into 10 phases. At the start of a round everyone rolls one die and adds the result to their Initiative bonus.
The GM counts down from 10 to 1, and your initiative total tells you when you can take your action (e.g.punching, throwing, shooting). After phase 1 the next round starts, until the fight is over. A total over 10 means you can act once on 10 and again on the remainder (e.g. 14 => 10, 4), up to 10, 8. A total less than 1 means you.re too confused to take an action this round. You can also do one simple thing for free each round any time after you're ready for your first action (Phase 1 if you can.t act) - e.g. drawing a weapon, picking something up or running a short distance. More involved actions like all-out sprinting take an action. You can delay an action till later in the round. Characters acting on the same phase go in order of Initiative bonus. You can defend against an attack at any time; one roll counts against all attacks in that phase.
Attack and defense. Attack rolls use the relevant Skill plus Agility, usually BD +2. Defences, like parrying or dodging, are similar but use any close combat Skill (e.g. not Gun), and against projectile weapons are BD 0 to BD +2 depending on cover. If the attacker gets more successes it.s a hit and does damage; otherwise it misses.
Damage. Add the difference between attack and defense successes to the base damage, below. Hand-tohand attacks add Brawn Advantages as well.
0 unarmed
1 knife, small club
2 sword, big club, axe, spear, arrow
3 big sword, polearm, handgun, SMG
4 rifle, shotgun
6 machine-gun
8 tank gun

The target rolls Physical Resistance to withstand the attack, with successes taken away from the total damage. (A fumble adds 1 to damage!) Read the result off here:
1-2 Hurt
3-4 Injured
5-6 Injured and Unconscious
7+ Injured and Dead

Note Hurts and Injuries on your character sheet : they build up and give penalties while they last. Hurts are bruises and cuts that slow you down - each subtracts 1 from Initiative for future rounds and takes 5 minutes of rest to disappear. Injuries are serious wounds - each takes 1 off Initiative and gives a Disadvantage for all rolls except Resistance, and takes a day of rest and care to recover.
.Unconscious. and .Dead. are self-explanatory. Someone with medical supplies can try first aid: roll Medicine + Brains, BD 2. Each round the patient and healer do nothing else, one success can be spent to heal a Hurt.
Combat details. Any armor worn subtracts from damage: 1-3 points for archaic types, possibly up to 5 for modern types. Firearms with spray/burst firing give an Adv to hit. Shields give an Adv to defend. Surprise, e.g. if an opponent has successfully sneaked up, means no defence roll is possible. Unseen opponents turn attack and defense into Fighting + Brains rolls, BD 0.

Special rules

Weird stuff
This includes things like magic and psychic powers. NUGGET doesn.t try to cover these. The way they work makes a big difference to the feel of a game, and that needs detail. One simple way is to set them up as Skills, rolled normally but costing a physical or mental Hurt for fatigue unless a success is spent to be good enough to avoid it. The players and GM need to agree how much or little these can do. Possibilities include .Telepathy., .Moving Objects., .Fire Magic. and .Illusion.. Mind-based attacks use Brains with Will as base damage, or just a roll with Will.

Destiny Points
These are a mixture of karma, luck and self-esteem, given by the GM during play and spent to direct the character.s path. Use counters for Destiny during a session and write it down at the end. Gain a point for doing something cool like beating an enemy, performing a dangerous stunt, or just making everybody laugh. Gain a point if the character takes an important step toward one of their Goals in a scene - but a point can also be taken away if a Goal is seriously thwarted, like your beloved aunt getting hurt or the Empire taking over your base! (If you are already at zero and would lose a point, the GM gains one to a general pool for the opposition.) Spending Destiny. Spend one to make a roll again and keep the result you prefer. If the GM allows it, spend one to be unconscious instead of dead (some games should be dangerous, but usually heroes can survive all sorts of harm). Buy a new level of a Skill between adventures for (new level x 5) Destiny Points. Specific games may have further uses, like establishing a minor, plausible coincidence, or getting one die to roll when you have none.

Opponents
In general, give opponents the abilities they ought to have rather than trying to balance points. Minions are lowlevel riff-raff with an Occupation and low or no Attribute and Skill bonuses. Put them all on initiative (3 + bonus).
Even one Hurt takes them out of a conflict. Henchmen have higher stats and are taken out by an Injury or 3
Hurts. Major villains work like PCs, with abilities as good or better, plus other advantages like henchmen or fiendish devices. They start with Destiny - often one point per PC - and can get more for advancing their plans.
Animals, monsters, aliens etc can have Attributes beyond the normal range: up to +4 and down to -2. This is most common with Brawn, related to size.

Threats
Apart from combat, characters get exposed to all sorts of things that can do them physical or mental harm, like fire, poison, falling, or terrifying monsters. They're all handled the same way: the GM gives a damage rating from the table below, which is opposed by the appropriate Resistance and applied as above.
1 Irritating
3 Painful/Tiring (desert)
5 Damaging (ordinary fire, drowning)
8 Deadly (strong electricity)
10 Extreme (space, deep ocean)
Record mental damage separately: Hurts and Injuries add to those from physical damage, but heal
independently. An .Unconscious. result from a Threat gives an impairment lasting about a scene, e.g. blinded by a flash, fleeing in mindless terror. .Dead. gives a permanent condition - curing it could be a story seed.

World of Avis: Careers

Careers (Character Origins)
Before the life of adventure came calling, all characters (NPC or other wise) had to make a living somehow. Few people set out to become adventurers, warriors, wizards and thieves of great renown. As-such characterw will likely have a trade they were brought up doing, or at least training to do. Often this trade will be what the characters parents did (or still do), but could also be from an apprenticeship. Even nobles have been known to study in some of these professions, particularly Hunters for men and Weavers for women, though most times these professions are for the common people.
Below is a list of professions characters are likely to come from. From a game perspective, this is a means by which players can wheedle information out of the GameMaster (DM, LL, whatever), but also is a means to add depth and a "day job" for player characters. This is by no means an exhaustive list of possible professions, and GMs are advised to be generous if a player has a really good idea that wont upset the story.
Roll d00 on the following list:
01-02 Acrobat/Jester (dancing, tumbling, acting, jokes)
03-04 Apothecary (herbalism, gossip)
05-10 Baker (baking, food, fire-building)
11-14 Bard**/Minstrel (music, storytelling, history)
15-20 Brewer (brewing, appraisal of alcohol)
21-23 Cobbler/Shoemaker (sewing, leather-working, wood carving)
24-27 Cooper (Barrel Maker)- (carving, minor metalwork)
28-32 Furrier/Trapper (skinning, leather-working)
33-34 Glassblower (minor alchemy)
35-37 Groom (animal handling, minor medical lore)
38-39 Hayward/Shrubber (basic agriculture, minor herbalism, shrubbery)
40-42 Hunter- (basic wood lore, butchering, basic tracking, direction sense)
43-44 Merchant (grocer, peddler, etc) (appraisal, basic math, literacy)
45-46 Miller (mill operation, grain prices, commerce)
47-49 Miner (assaying, stone-cutting)
50-51 Physician/Midwife* (minor magical lore, literacy, surgery)
52-53 Potter (sculpture, kiln operation)
54-56 Rat Catcher (dog handling, traps, poison, pipes**)
57-59 Sailor/Riverman (swimming, boats, knots)
60-62 Scribe (reading, writing, basic math)
63-66 Smith (pick type) (make, repair & evaluate appropriate metal goods)
67-68 Teamster (animal handling, wagon repair)
69-71 Weaver/Tailor (weaving, sewing, embroidery)
72-85 Woodworker (carpentry, carving)
86-00 No skill of measurable worth- Common laborer, plowman, bricklayer etc.
*If a woman.
**If an Elf or Magic User.

Note: Pictured is one "Roger The Shrubber" or Hayward (see list). A noble and important profession.

World of Avis: The Twelve Gods

The gods of Avis embody powerful forces constantly at work in the world. These gods are designed to allow players to "get" them, allowing for an easy transition into the fantasy of Avis. Who, even in the modern world has not heard of Mother Nature, or has a good idea of her character?
Avis, and the rules presented here are meant for the Labyrinth Lord Tabletop Role-Playing Game, but can be altered to fit other systems. The Labyrinth Lord game can be downloaded for free here, or purchased here.

Mother Nature (Greater Deity)
Mother Nature is responsible for the changing of the seasons and for helping manage the day to day activities that occur in the natural world. It is her role to watch over nature and make sure it all runs smoothly. She appears as an attractive but mature woman with long hair that is often tied up in a bun, wears a long bell-bottomed dress, and carries a wand of some kind. She and Father Time are married, and can often be found together. Mother Nature prefers places of natural beauty and wonder rather than churches. The wealthy and city-born tend to cultivate parks and gardens dedicated to her. Clerics of Mother Nature typically dress more like gardeners than clergy, though some prefer gowns of natural colors. Worship of Mother Nature generally revolves around natural cycles, observing the changing of seasons as holidays.
All creatures that draw breath on Avis revere Mother Nature, from animals and elementals to great beasts and monsters. Animals and plant creatures such as Treants are often found in her company, and are amongst her closest friends. The Giants, particularly Hill and Stone Giants are amongst the most avid of her worshipers, constructing elaborate earthworks and obelisks in her honor. Some monstrous races, particularly evil dragons, orcs and goblin-kin, reject the worship of Mother Nature, seeing Mother Necessity as the true Nature (see Mother Necessity).
Symbol: Holly berries
Alignment: Neutral (Chaotic Neutral)
Cleric Alignment: Any
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff

Father Time (Greater Deity)
Father Time is an extremely powerful entity who has power and control over time. It is his responsibility to make sure that time and events happen in the right order. He appears as an elderly man with a long gray beard, is dressed a long robe, and carries a farmers flail or a scythe. Father Time is a very busy person, and does not like to be disturbed without good cause. He and Mother Nature are a married couple. Father Time requires no churches or temples as he neither craves or needs worship. Still, a great many would have Times goodwill, and thus shrines and temples are built in his honor. Clerics of Father Time (known as Reapers) dress in black and are tasked with monitoring the passage of time and destiny.
A curious aspect of Father Time is that he begins each New Years Day as the infant Baby New Year, but quickly grows up until he is an elderly bearded man at the end of his year. At this point, he hands over his duties to the next Baby New Year. Celebration of the arrival of this infant is widespread amongst all races of Avis, with feasts, drinking and wild dances. Even normally hostile creatures might be found sharing good cheer or even a drink at this season, only to return to hostilities when the holiday has passed.
Symbol: Hourglass
Alignment: Neutral (Lawful Neutral)
Cleric Alignment: Any
Favored Weapon: Flail, heavy (farmers flail)

Sun Maiden (Intermediate Deity)
The Sun Woman is the goddess of the sun. She appears as a radiantly beautiful woman with a full figure and long golden hair. The Sun Woman adores beautiful things, particularly gold and diamonds. She is a generous but fickle deity who has little true understanding of mortals, often accidentally harming them with her gifts and affections. Sun Woman dwells in a vast palace of adamantine gold on the sun, where she holds court over a large number of celestials and other beings of light. Most of the male gods are infatuated with her, though none have yet dared pursue her for fear of her rejection. Because of this she is a lonely being, and adores any attention she receives. Temples to the Sun Woman are always beautifully made and adorned with gold and gems, with large and ornate windows. Her clerics wear garments of white and gold and are tasked with bringing light, wisdom and joy to the world and to oppose darkness and undeath whenever it is encountered.
Summertime is when most think of this goddess, when she is the strongest in the world. The Aubadian Empire, though now shrink to the Eastern Islands, has long favored the Sun Maiden and sought her favor. The Knights of Dawn are the most respected and wide-held knightly order dedicated to her, with members shunning the company of all women save their goddess.
Symbol: Golden disc or sun
Alignment: Neutral
Cleric Alignment: Lawful or Chaotic (no middle ground!)
Favored Weapon: Mace

Man in the Moon (Intermediate Deity)
The man in the moon is the deity of the moon, and lord over the realms of sleep. He appears as a pale older man or dwarf with scrawny arms and legs and an overlarge head. He often watches the mortal world and the realms of sleep, and has a particular affection for children. Father Time is his older brother with whom he is very close. The Man in the Moon dwells in a large observatory from which he looks down on the sleeping world. He has many daughters but only one son- The Spirit of Invention, from his wife Mother Necessity. Temples dedicated to the man in the moon are often lunar observatories or stone circles. Clerics of the Man in The Moon are tasked with watching over the affairs of the night and its creatures. The realm of dreams is always of concern to the priesthood, with a great many fey employed as special servants.
All night loving creatures revere the Man in The Moon, but especially good and neutral lycanthropes such as were-bears, whose revels in honor of the Man in the Moon are legendary. Elves and fairys all adore the Man in the Moon, holding monthly revels during the full moon. Such celebrations are wild affairs, full of music and dancing.
Symbol: Crescent moon
Alignment: Lawful (Chaotic Good)
Cleric Alignment: Lawful or Neutral
Favored Weapon: Morningstar

Old Man of The Sea (Intermediate Deity)
The Old Man of the Sea is the master of the waterways and the deep, known for his deceitful ways. He appears as a wild old man with glaring eyes and a long beard, sometimes dressed in simple but well-made attire but also known to go in rags or to appear as a Triton. He adores treasure of all kinds and demands tribute of such to safely cross his territory. Those who fail to please him may find themselves taken into his deep realm where their souls will fill his coffers instead. Temples to the Old Man of the Sea are always near the sea or a river leading to the sea and are typically built on the wreckage of a previous structure that was overwhelmed by the sea. The remnants of wrecked ships, sea-caves and similar structures are common temples to the Old Man of The Sea, though smaller “business shrines” are often located nearer to settlements. His clerics act as money changers and tight-fisted merchants and slavers, looking to make profit at any expense. A great many undead, intelligent and not, serve this deity.
Despite the cruel nature of this god, the church of the Old Man of The Sea is extremely ethical in regards to money, as long as the god gets his due. Letters of credit, allowing persons to deposit their valuables with a local church preceptory before embarking, received a document indicating the value of their deposit, then used that document upon arrival to retrieve their funds. This allows travelers some security for their wealth, and also contributes to the Old Mans coffers.
Symbol: Sea chest
Alignment: Chaotic (Lawful Evil)
Cleric Alignment: Chaotic or Neutral
Favored Weapon: Club (driftwood)

Mother Necessity (Intermediate Deity)
Mother Necessity is a powerful goddess who oversees the forces of change and (hopefully) renewal. Towards this end she promotes conflict and strife in the hopes of spurring people, nature and society to adapt and grow (or die and get out of the way). Mother Necessity appears as a proud and determined woman who is in turns warm, sexy, domineering and cruel with a sharp tongue and mind. She is married to the Man in the Moon and is the mother of The Spirit of Invention. Temples to Mother Necessity are small but well adorned and well staffed. Clerics appear as stern and serious scholars, politicians and teachers, often traveling into odd and dangerous locations or promoting economic and political change in places of power.
Monstrous races such as Trolls, Gnolls and Goblin-kin of all sorts adore this goddess, viewing her as the true Mother Nature. Such creatures are regularly used by the goddess to "test the nations," causing strife and war. These bestial followers of Mother Necessity realize their role in the world, and see it as a holy duty. Chaotic Dragons are the favored "children" of this goddess, and can often be found in her company. Worship of Mother Necessity more often than not involves sacrifice of living creatures, particularly intelligent ones. Children, particularly male children of a rivals are typically slain on cold alters of stone. Cannibalism is usually only practiced by monster races such as goblins and Trolls. Worship of this goddess is outlawed in most regions.
Symbol: Oroboros (life and dissolution)
Alignment: Chaotic (Chaotic Evil)
Cleric Alignment: Neutral or Chaotic
Favored Weapon: Flail, light

Dame Justice (Lesser Deity)
This potent deity is the goddess of justice and liberty, constantly looking for wrongs to fight injustice and avenge the downtrodden. Dame Justice appears as an attractive woman wielding a sword and wearing a blindfold. She takes an interest in all levels of law, but prefers the big cases, hunting murderers and rapists with a grim determination that is a terror to wrongdoers everywhere. Temples of justice are courts of law prisons and police stations, though she also acknowledges righteous gatherings of militia and similar rural groups. Clerics of justice work as judges, sheriffs and guardsman, pursuing evildoers and exacting justice, even in lawless lands.
Though law and justice is desired by most people, Dame Justice and her acolytes make people uncomfortable. Even the very good have something in their past that they aren't proud of, and the presence of a cleric of Dame Justice can make a person feel the weight of their sin all too distinctly. Because of this, those who follow this goddess must try to be self-sufficient and to aid others of their order, as they are unlikely to find folk to put them up. Fighters dedicated to Dame Justice are called Paladins, and are amongst the greatest and most virtuous warriors, seeking to right wrongs and oppose the wicked. Sadly, most such souls die quite young, but this is not always the case.
Symbol: Scales
Alignment: Lawful (Lawful Good)
Cleric Alignment: Lawful
Favored Weapon: Mace

Spirit of Invention (Lesser Deity)
An energetic and scatterbrained deity, Invention is the force of raw creativity and inventive genius. He appears as a rumpled dwarf in workman’s clothing and wearing a tool belt. He is constantly working on some project or another. He interacts with few gods, even avoiding his parents, Mother Necessity and the Man in the Moon whenever possibly. He prefers the company of constructs, dwarves and gnomes. There are no temples dedicated to the Spirit of Invention, rather his shrines are workshops and his altars are workbenches. Clerics of Invention are all craftsmen and seem more like madmen to most folks. Religious observances revolve around invention and craftsmanship.
The Spirit of Invention teaches on the importance of creativity in invention, and the willingness to take risks. His acolytes are those who push the boundaries of engineering to create marvelous and useful devices such as musical instruments, block-and-tackle pulley systems, hydraulic pumps, elaborate siege engines, reversible crank mechanisms, and many others. Some even more elaborate devices such as ship shakers and steam cannons can be made by the truly inventive.
Symbol: Cog
Alignment: Neutral (Chaotic Neutral)
Cleric Alignment: Any
Favored Weapon: Hammer, light

North Wind (Lesser Deity)
The North Wind is an aggressive being of frost and winter winds. This deity is ferocious, looking to blow his way into homes under doors, through thatch and into bodies and souls chilling all as he goes. He appears as a ferocious man with a wild thick beard and cruel eyes. He loathes warmth and comfort, and can only be held at bay with extreme precautions and sacrifice. The North Wind is known to spend time with the Old Man of the Sea and the East Wind. Temples to the North Wind are always grim, cold affairs with few amenities such as rime coated caves or up on lonely cliffs. Clerics of the North Wind are grim-faced men and women who dress more like barbarian chieftains than priests, with fur and animal hide covering them. These clerics are charged with spreading a healthy dread of the winter.
Though this god is considered cruel by many in the North, he is also known to be surprisingly generous. Mid-Winter festivals depict the North Wind as Father Winter, a laughing bearded being who brings presents to good children. Woe unto children who are wicked when this spirit is about, as he has been known to carry off such wee ones to an icy death in the northern wilds. Most times this role is conducted by clerics of The North Wind, who give small gifts of carved toys, snowshoes and mittens.
Symbol: Icicle or Snowflake
Alignment: Chaotic (Chaotic Neutral)
Cleric Alignment: Neutral of Chaotic
Favored Weapon: Hammer, War

South Wind (Lesser Deity)
A fickle and energetic deity, the South Wind is the god of summer storms. Though he can be beneficial with his cooling and watering rains, he is notorious for hailstorms that flatten crops. The South Wind appears as a young, winged man with long hair and wearing flowing robes. He is a fun loving deity who adores the company of attractive persons of either sex. Temples to the South Wind are usually small roofed shrines along roads. Such shrines function more like way-stops for travelers, often with an inn or other eatery close-by. Large shrines are themselves inns, offering shelter and sustenance to those traveling the world.
Mid-Summer is the time of the South Wind, when the first and greatest planting is in the soil and growing and the herds growing fat. It is at this time when great lords and peasant alike celebrate the Sun Maiden, Mother Nature and the South Wind are celebrated with bonfires and dances. Only cultures that plant and cultivate their food take part in Mid-Summer festivals, with raiders and monster such as orcs, pirates and trolls choosing to prey upon other civilizations for their sustenance. Such peoples and creatures typically prefer the treacherous East Wind. Other times of the year the South Wind is revered in hopes of warmer currents, but he is known to be fickle.
Symbol: Hurricane or Tornado
Alignment: Neutral (Chaotic Neutral)
Cleric Alignment: Chaotic or Neutral
Favored Weapon: Sling

East Wind (Lesser Deity)
The East Wind is an trickster spirit, generally associated with bad luck and thieves. The East Wind appears as a strongly built, winged man with a thick dark beard and wearing flowing robes. He is a wild deity who is rarely in any place for very long. The East Wind loves all offerings of gold, gems and especially gossip. Temples to the East Wind are always hidden in out of the way places, down back alleys, or in the wilderness. Such places serve the Clerical needs of bandits, smugglers and assorted thieves and monsters. Clerics of the East Wind are shifty, intelligent folk with a love of theft and a hatred of hard work.
Harvest time is both a time of celebration, and a dread of the coming winter. All over Avis, though particularly in the North, peoples have brought in their last harvest and have slaughtered all their livestock save for the breeders, and with all of the blood from such harvest, a great many fine dishes are made such as blood pudding and sausages. And so many feasts and celebrations in honor of the East Wind and the Man in The Moon are held as people prepare for the long dark grip of winter. Light-hating creatures such as goblins, undead and trolls are known to be particularly active at this time, as the hated sun is often hidden by clouds, and the nights are long. These beings hold wild parties in the wilderness, where humankind dare not venture.
Symbol: Dark cloud
Alignment: Neutral (Neutral Evil)
Cleric Alignment: Neutral or Chaotic
Favored Weapon: Club (sap)

West Wind (Lesser Deity)
The West Wind is the god of spring bloom and growing crops, a welcome being in any port. The West Wind loves sex, growth and growing things, often flirting with farmers daughters by blowing up their skirts and spying on them from the treetops. The West Wind appears as a handsome, winged young man with long hair and a permanent glint in his eye. He is flirtatious with attractive persons of all races and genders, though fertile females are of particular interest. Temples of the West Wind are small shrines or altars in wild fields or cliff-sides. Such locations are chosen for outdoor revels, with all participants bringing food and drink as offerings. Clerics of the West Wind are travelers who dress simply known for their skill in music and storytelling.
The great Festival of Spring is a holiday celebrated all over Avis, though nowhere as much as in the coastal areas of the Northern Continent, where the long winters make for a deep hunger for spring. When the first crop is sewn, all the farming peoples hold elaborate parties celebrating spring and honoring Mother Nature and the West Wind.
Symbol: Sheaf of wheat
Alignment: Neutral (Chaotic Good)
Cleric Alignment: Lawful or Neutral
Favored Weapon: Sling

Religion and Non-Humans
Though only the humans of Avis can take levels in the Cleric class, that does not mean that other races do not revere the gods. Rather it is that the other races have a different view of them, and serve them in other ways.
Dwarves: The Dwarves of Avis revere the gods with a solid dedication to family, honesty and hard work, seeing these things as holy in and of themselves. Of the gods, dwarves prefer Father Time, Dame Justice and The Spirit of Invention above all others. What passes for priests amongst dwarves are NPC Blacksmiths, Engineers and Sages (see LL Rulebook page 48). Such specialists keep the sacred lore of the Dwarves, and are central to the community.
Elves: The elves do indeed revere the gods, though they prefer to interact with them directly or with with arcane magic. On holy days or during celebrations, elaborate ceremonies dedicated to one or another god are enacted by the elves, hoping for the god in question to attend or send an emissary. Mother Nature and the Man in The Moon are the most revered by the elves, though all are revered in one way or another.
Halflings: Halflings prefer hard work to worship in temples, though they are known to leave offerings to Mother Nature or South and West Wind. Storytellers take the place of cleric amongst halflings, passing down tales of heroes and gods and keeping old traditions alive.
Other Races: Races such as centaurs, goblins, were-creatures, orcs, giants (including ogres and trolls), neanderthals, morlocks, lizardmen, troglodytes etc all worship the gods in their own ways but do not have true clerics. These races produce their own holy men and women (often via vision quests or other initiations), whose devotion to their gods has granted them a small dispensation of power.
Such "Witch Doctors" are created the same as standard members of their race, though often of higher than 1HD. All such "priests" gain the ability to brew potions as an Alchemist (page 47 LL rulebook) and gain one or more Dispensations from their master, roll Roll randomly to determine the nature of this power:
Roll d00
01-10 Animal Command (as a ring of animal command)
11-20 Commune (As the cleric spell)
21-25 Remove/Bestow Curse (As the cleric spell)
26-35 Animate Dead (As the cleric spell)
36-40 Cure/Cause Disease (As the cleric spell)
41-45 Lightning Bolt (As the magic-user spell)
46-50 Speak to Plants (As the cleric spell)
51-57 Insect Plague (As the cleric spell)
58-67 Climbing (As a potion of climbing)
68-77 Control Weather (As the cleric spell)
78-86 Polymorph Self (As the magic user spell)
87-96 True Seeing (As the cleric spell)
97-99 Roll twice
00 Roll three times