Divine Tests
Debauchery can prove liberating for most, whether asked for or not.
1-11. It is revelry who blesses those who come. The cleric loses access to some of her spells (50% chance for each one), possibly including her turn ability. Roll 1d6 to see what she must do to get each one of them back.
[1] Scream wildly for 1d6 turns.
[2] Bathe in water or some other fluid for 1d3 turns. Screaming is optional.
[3] Become quite drunken, taking -1d6 to all rolls for the next 2d6 turns. Screaming is likely.
[2] Bathe in water or some other fluid for 1d3 turns. Screaming is optional.
[3] Become quite drunken, taking -1d6 to all rolls for the next 2d6 turns. Screaming is likely.
[4] Be unclad, or at least promiscuously inappropriately dressed, for 3d6 turns. Others may scream.
[5] Attack the first remotely appropriate adversary she sees, whether to engage in violence, pleasure, or both. The two will tend to scream in any case.
[6] Copulate with the next possibly appropriate partner she encounters for 2d6 turns. Screams are then certain.
12-17. Kotys grants her ecstatic gifts, lending to the slaughter. They last for the 1d6 hours, affecting all within 1d12 x 60' if applicable. Roll 1d8.
[1] 1d6 corybantes (link) and maenads (link) arrive to dance, engaging in (roll 1d6): [1-2] passion, [3-4] violence, or [5-6] both, with any conceivably suitable counterparts they encounter.
[2] Will the torchlight burn in the eyes and hearts of those around? Those in the area who have such hot emotions or use such conflagrations gain a +1 to all rolls , while all else suffer -1.
[3] Liquids erupt and flow, flooding the place, 1d4' deep. They are (roll 1d6): [1] water, [2] wine, [3] milk, [4] mud, [5] blood, [6] other life fluid. Ones faithful in Kotys who bathe in it gain +2 to all rolls for the rest of the day. Ones who aren't may wish to wash it off, that is, if the ones faithful in Kotys let them.
[4] Drunkeness reigns. All nearby must save vs. death/ make a Will save DC 10 or imbibe any intoxicants they can get their hands on. Those affected will then experience a -1d6 penalty to all rolls, little judgment, though they will feel entirely confident in their actions.
[5] Mountain-ranging instruments make the best cacophony. Whether those in the area are willing to oblige or the sounds come themselves, all around must save vs. death/ make a Will save DC 10 or behave as corybantes or maenads above (in result #1), engaging in wild percussions, frightful noises, base satisfaction, and frenzy.
[5] Mountain-ranging instruments make the best cacophony. Whether those in the area are willing to oblige or the sounds come themselves, all around must save vs. death/ make a Will save DC 10 or behave as corybantes or maenads above (in result #1), engaging in wild percussions, frightful noises, base satisfaction, and frenzy.
[6] The calling of Kotys lies in wait until those affected attempt to rest. Smitten with desire, they will awake within 1d3 hours, unable to rest again until either the duration expires or they engage in wild and raunchy action. That may keep them up for a while too.
[7] Rebellious, the goddess sees the functioning of certain things to be an affront to her pleasure. All magical effects, items, prepared spells, and even beings in the area must save vs. spell/ make a Will save DC 15 or not function normally. Those so dysfunctional will then (roll 1d3): [1] not work at all, [2] work only at 50% usual power, [3] affect a random target instead.
[8] Kotys makes her rounds. Roll on a related goddess' divine test table, making sure it reflects Kotys' bodily urges as either (roll 1d2): [1] Artemis (see Volume I) or [2] Bendis (link).
18+ The goddess changes her follower from now on, making her able to reproduce one of results #12-17 of her choice up to once per day, lasting just 1d6 rounds instead. What is more, she will grow larger, gaining 1 Strength, Constitution, and HD to reflect her greater potency, along with a natural attack, such as horns or other extremity, that can inflict 1d4 damage or the like. In return, the follower must save vs. death/ make a Will save DC 10 to not engage in carnal urges in every new encounter. Others must do the same to not see her as monstrous when they first encounter her. And for every divine test result over 18, she gains another use and increases each of these effects by one, making her even more debauchedly incarnate too. None should be left standing when she's done with them.
Folk Variations
Certain guidelines, magical side-effects, divine tests, and spells of similar goddesses can be substituted for and with those of Cotys to provide additional options.
Aphrodite: reflecting all love and passion, whether wild and indulgent or not.
Artemis: more virgin and focused on innocence.
Bendis: giving quite freely, more of earth and water than fire
Cybele: showing dedication, surrendering of oneself to her fully
Persephone: darker and more reserved, with those not left standing returning to peace
For example, a cleric of Bendis could have some of the same magical side-effects and tests as a cleric of Cotys, and vice versa.
Baptai
Priests and priestesses of Kotys. This term is sometimes also applied to her clerics, witches, maenads, and corybantes too. It is no matter to them.
For actual priests and priestesses of Kotys though:
- Treat them as clerics, except that they fight as and have the armor and weapon restrictions of magic-users.
- In return, each day they can cast an extra spell that they know for each spell level they can cast. For example, a 3rd level bapta could cast an extra 1st and 2nd level spell that she knew each day.
- Still, they must roll twice for their magical side-effects when casting any of their spells and follow both results.
Falx
* A two-handed weapon available to Thracian (and Dacian) fighters and clerics of high status.
* It does 1d10 damage and can ignore up to 4 AC of plate or splint armor (treat those wearing such armor as 4 lower AC when struck by a falx). Chainmail, scale mail, and other types of armor are unaffected.
Next week: spells of Kotys and a Kotys encounter!
