Elemental Clerics receive a set amount of faith energy each day, which limits mysticism in the following manner:
All clerics can use faith energy in regards to their element. This energy is used up when the elements are invoked to achieve a certain effect, the exact cost calculated as per the charts in the SAGA gamebox.

Note that under these rules, the Duration chart in the SAGA gamebox it is not always accurate for the use of certain effects.

Effects which cause permanent physical changes, such as the shaping of stone into a bridge, will last permanently unless otherwise designated by the caster (not "only as long as designated by the caster"). The Narrator should use their own judgement in determining the costs for various effects, but may wish to consider reversing the cost portion of the chart in regards to the effect portion and using this as an indication of how long an invoked change will take to complete.

Finally, each cleric is able to attempt only limited effects in a single elemental sphere, chosen when the character is first created.

A player can choose to gain access to an extra effect or a related sphere whenever they increase their reputation. This is the same as an attempt to increase an ability code, using 'D' as the amount to be overcome for one sphere and increasing by one code per sphere known.

The spheres of worship available to a cleric are Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Only one sphere may be taken, and only one one effect.  The available effects are Commanding, Shaping, Summoning, Altering.

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Commanding
The ability to command an element allows a character to force a certain amount of elemental material to behave in a specific fashion.  The extent of the command goes only as far as being able to force an occurence the material being influenced would already be able to do.  Ice could be made to melt, the wind to stop or start blowing, a fire to die or flare up.

Shaping
This allows the cleric the ability to shape existing elemental material into a new form though not a new material.  That is, a cleric of Earth could form a rock bridge from the existing rock of a cliff, while a cleric of Fire could cause a fire to flare up in a serpentine shape (making it attack would require Commanding), and a cleric of Water could create a wall of water (assuming one could find enough for such an effect).

Summoning
Summoning brings elemental material directly from the elemental planes. Thus, a pool of water can be created, or a rainstorm, the flame upon or torch or a forest fire. Only pure elemental materials are summoned in this fashion.

Altering
It is this ability that allows a cleric to transform some material into the material of his or her chosen element.  This is simply the power to turn a man to stone, turn water into air, or fire into smoke.

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For ease of determining if an effect is Commanding or Shaping, if the desired effect can be wholly described by the statement of a word or short phrase such as "Be Still", "Freeze", or "Blow" which can be immediately understood without more information being added, it falls under the Commanding effect.

It is the Elemental Worship skill which gives a character the knowledge of how to draw the attention of their elemental patron and direct its will upon the similar elements of the world around the cleric.

The total amount of faith energy that a cleric has access to each day is equal to the individual's Spirit score tripled. This base amount can be supplemented by the performance of various acts of faith in and servitude towards the elemental power the cleric worships.

These can either be done beforehand or afterwards (in regards to the using of the faith energy) in the manner of a pledged quest.  The exact nature of such quests or acts of faith will be wholly dependent upon the nature of the elemental power.

Spirit	Faith
1	3
2	6
3	9
4	12
5	15
6	18
7	21
8	24
9	27
10	30

A cleric may also combine the energy available to them with the energy available to another cleric who follows the same elemental sphere as they, though this increases the difficulty of casting by one rank. Adding the pool of faith energy from other clerics beyond the second does not increase the difficulty, but it is rare for clerics to be found or work together.

A prayer's cost has nothing to do with its difficulty. Instead, the Elemental Worship skill also gives the character the knowledge of calling their patron and coercing the desired effects into existance through the processes of faith and magic. This is a much more demanding part of prayer, and the difficulty of success is based entirely upon the ability and training of the priest as per their skill rank in Elemental Worship.

Ability Code	Prayer Difficulty
A	Average (8)
B	Challenging (12)
C	Daunting (16)
D	Desperate (20)
X	Impossible (24)

The difficulty of a prayer is always increased by the appropriate ability score of the opponent(s), which is by default, Presence.   However, other scores are also used, dependent upon the nature of the spell.
For example, Strength may be the opposing score if the priest attempts to hold down their enemy with a solid wall of air.
This does not increase the amount of faith required for the effect to occur.

 

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