Ascetic

Alternatively: Fakir.

Ascetics are individuals who, for whatever reason, but almost always some religiously motivated one, decide to live in complete poverty, with shabby clothes, little food or water, and on the streets or in the wilds. They do this in order to reach a state of closeness with their god, to live the life of a saint, or perhaps in an effort to reach a state of enlightenment. They also often in living in poverty, do their best to bring the actually poor out of poverty.

          Ascetics usually live in a community their whole lives, and attempt to spread their own wisdom to that community. Still, some might take value from traveling and spreading their wisdom to others - few lives other than that of an adventurer can allow them to do this so readily. Ascetics who live a life of adventure are likely to advocate the benefits of the ascetic life to their peers, while also attempting to help those they come across who live in poverty not of their own making.

          Hunger is But an Illusion: You can go for weeks without eating. In doing so, you gain a closer position to the gods. You can go for 1 week multiplied by your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1) without eating before suffering a level of exhaustion, or double that eating half rations before suffering a level of exhaustion. Even then, you only suffer an additional level of exhaustion for each week, not day, beyond that. In addition, you can go two days without water before making checks for exhaustion, instead of one.

If you choose Ascetic, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Constitution score or a +1 to your Wisdom score~

~A Skill Proficiency in either Survival or Religion~

~Any one Language that is holy to your faith~

~The following items: A holy symbol, a holy book, a vial of holy water, plain grey robes, and a purse with 3sp~

~Hunger is But an Illusion feat~

Beadle

Alternatively: Deacon.

A beadle is a kind of parish official, working at a temple as a low level member of the clergy. Beadles attend to the maintenance of the temple, refilling of candles, incense, etc., and the procurement of parchment and other necessities. Beadles also act during temple ceremonies to keep order among parishioners, sometimes ushering out troublemakers, or assisting discretely with any issues that crop up during the ceremony.

          Beadles sometimes have to have a talking to with adventurers who, for whatever reason, get a little too rowdy during a temple service. They also might contract adventurers out for minor tasks, such as guarding a shipment of essential items. When beadles themselves become adventurers, they tend to make sure their fellow party members are respectful and decent around strangers, in particular when in the presence of any members of the clergy.

          Keeper of the Traditions: You are well versed not only in the dos and don'ts of your own faith, but in the many religions of Adra. When speaking to someone who is a devout member of any religion, you have a free reroll that you may use once per long rest, on Persuasion, Intimidation, or Deception checks. Furthermore, in Social Challenges, you may use the reroll on any check you make. However, outside of Social Challenges, when dealing with members of a faith with the opposite alignment (e.g. LG vs CE), you only get this free reroll on Intimidation or Deception checks.

If you choose Beadle, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Wisdom score or a +1 to your Strength score~

~A Skill Proficiency in either Religion or Persuasion~

~Any one Language that is holy to your faith~

~The following items: A book of your faith's traditions, a censer with 1lb of incense, a holy symbol, holy vestments, and a purse with 5sp~

~Keeper of the Traditions feat~

Beekeeper

Beekeeping is a long and storied profession - the maintaining of artificial hives and the domestication of docile bees in order to easily and safely harvest honey and wax. The honey is used in the production of mead, an ancient beverage with connections to some pantheons. The wax of course is used in the production of candles, and few groups in Adra use more candles than members of the clergy. As such, beekeepers often work near temple towns or monasteries, delivering the products directly to the clergy or their associates. Others work independently in the countryside, selling their products at market.

          Beekeepers are some of the only folks in Adra who professionally deal with bugs, and they have a more positive relationship with them than most people. As such, sometimes adventurers will come with them seeking advice on how to deal with dangerous swarms they might encounter on their quests. Beekeepers who go on to become adventurers are likely to form a fascination for wild bees, always keeping an eye out for any new species as they travel the world.

          Follow the Bees: You are keenly aware of the pheromones and scents which bees use to find one another. You can plant one such pheromone onto a person or object larger than a bee, allowing your bees to track them and lead you to them at up to 5 miles away. You can attempt to do this discretely with a Sleight of Hand check opposed to the target's Perception. You may only track up to 5 unique targets at a time, and the tracking only works for 24 hours. This feature only works in areas where bees would naturally inhabit.

If you choose Beekeeper, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Constitution score or a +1 to your Wisdom score~

~A Skill Proficiency in either Animal Handling or Sleight of Hand~

~A Tool Proficiency with an Herbalism kit~

~The following items: An herbalism kit, your favorite portable beehive, either a jar of honey or a block of beeswax, a protective beekeeper's hat, and a belt pouch with 10sp~

~Follow the Bees feat~

Bookmaker

Alternatively: Parchmenter or Inkmaker.

Bookmakers are skilled craftsmen who work in the production of books, sometimes called codices. While scrolls and loose parchment is still used for their low cost, books allow someone to store a great deal of information into a much more convenient format as compared with scrolls. The institutions to really promote bookmaking are the various clergy across Adra, in particular them monasteries, who spend time and effort making books of their religious texts, and spreading them across the literate world. As such, most bookmakers still work in or near monasteries and temple towns to this day, though a few are found in cities as well.

          Bookmakers are unlikely to have much reason to meet with adventurers - however, they themselves might be drawn to a life of adventure through the laborious nature of their job. Bookmakers are often literate themselves, and one who reads the tales of the outside world can find themselves dreaming of being a character in them. Adventurers who are former bookmakers are likely to always pay close attention to any information found while adventuring - no matter how unimportant it may seem, all books and texts are valuable to someone.

          Books That Betoken Skill: Normally, books can provide knowledge, but rarely genuine skill without practice. However, you have the ability to enhance books, so that their readers get far more out of them, by enhancing the binding, gloss of the paper, and feel of the cover. You can spend 8 hours working on a book, and use 20sp worth of supplies, so that the book grants a Subdiscipline in a certain skill. It only grants this bonus if the possessor of the book studies it once per day for an hour in the morning. Furthermore, someone can only benefit from this bonus from one book at a time. This skill which the book improves is one which the DM thinks fits the best given the topic of the book - some books may be so general that they provide no bonus at all.

If you choose Bookmaker, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Dexterity score or a +1 to your Intelligence score~

~A Skill Proficiency in either History or Religion~

~A Tool Proficiency with Weaver's tools~

~The following items: Weaver's tools, a blank book, a guild membership pin, plain grey robes, and a belt purse with 10sp~

~Books That Betoken Skill feat~

Chandler

Chandler is the proper term for a candle maker - they take beeswax (usually anyway) and a fiber wick and create a slow burning flame, which burns cool, and is much safer than rush lights and torches inside buildings. However, they are expensive, and even with their slow burning qualities, it is rare for most in the medieval world to make use of them - only wealthy or scholarly types tend to employ the use of candles in their work at night - however, nobody uses more candles than the clergy of Adra's many pantheons. Candles are used not only to light up the large temple chambers, but also serve ceremonial roles in most religions. As such, while some chandlers work in cities, many work on or near temple grounds.

          Adventurers are rarely patient in waiting for the sun to bring light, and so often employ the use of candles to keep working and plotting deep into the night. Most adventuring parties worth their salt have a good candle maker sourced somewhere, and so the two groups rub shoulders more often than one would think. When chandlers go on to become adventurers, they tend to of course themselves advocate for the use of candles - in doing so, they can gain an advantage over their enemies - they work late into the night, getting a few more hours of thinking in, while their opponents go to bed with the sun.

          Candle-Lit Rituals: You have the ability to make candles that burn with glowing wicks, which burn with strange colors and give off sweet smells. These candles are excellent for use with rituals. You can create 1d8+2 ritual candles by spending one long rest with 10sp of ingredients and Alchemist's supplies (the candles need to set overnight). Each candle that is burned alongside a ritual spell will reduce the time needed to perform the ritual by 1 minute, and up to 10 candles can be burned at once during a ritual. The ritual uses up any candles used during it. The candles are so special that they require maintenance, and it is impossible to maintain more than 20 at once, meaning you have a maximum of 20 ritual candles that you can have at once.

If you choose Chandler, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Constitution score or a +1 to your Dexterity score~

~A Skill Proficiency in either Sleight of Hand or Religion~

~A Tool Proficiency with Alchemist's supplies~

~The following items: Alchemist's supplies, 10 of your candles, a guild membership pin, leather gloves, and a belt purse with 10sp~

~Candle-Lit Rituals feat~

Cultist

Cultists are usually either extremist members of a faith, or members of a faith which exists outside the gaze of civilized society. In either case, cultists tend to keep their plans and acts hidden from the authorities and eyes of other clergy, and often have some sort of grand plan which they are attempting to bring to fruition, often through morally dubious means. Cultists might not be religious however, they could simply be cultic in their fanaticism to some leader or ideology.

          Cultists are often the enemies of adventurers, what with all of their investigating, and interfering - they never seem to be able to keep their nose out of other peoples business. Still, sometimes cultists might be shown mercy by adventurers, and decide to begin the process of redemption there. More often however, cultists sometimes choose a life away from their brethren to further the aims of the cult away from its center. Cultists who become adventurers are likely always the first to notice other rival cults, and are often quite zealous of purging them.

          Safe in Secrecy: Being a member of a secret cult, you are keenly aware of people around you, and whether they are following you, because after all, you can't have anyone find the cult hideout. Therefore, if someone is attempting to follow you or the party, but not actively concealing the fact, you automatically know. If they are concealing the fact, you still get a free Perception check to notice at advantage.

If you choose Cultist, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Wisdom score or a +1 to your Charisma score~

~A Skill Proficiency in either Religion or Deception~

~Any one Language that is holy to your faith or important to your ideology~

~The following items: A curved dagger, a book of sacred rites, a holy symbol, dark robes, and a belt pouch with 10sp~

~Safe in Secrecy feat~

Friar

A friar is a member of a monastery, essentially, a monk, though not to be confused with the warrior monks that also often serve at western and eastern monasteries across Adra. Rather, the average friar (man or woman) lives entirely at the monastery, meditating, praying, working, and writing. Monks tend to copy texts of their faith, spreading them across Adra. They also raise money for their efforts, often by brewing beer, wine, or mead, or sometimes pursuing other crafts. Monasteries, more often than temples, hold the wealth and relics of their faiths - which is of course why some friars must become warriors after all.

          Friars are naturals for training in the way of the warrior monk, and obviously many a monk has adventured through Adra - some do it to retrieve long lost relics, others to spread the faith, and some just to get distance from their order. Friars who become adventurers are likely to take time each day to quietly reflect, pray, and meditate, even in the darkest depths of a dangerous dungeon. They may also serve as a calming presence in an otherwise chaotic group of ruffians.

          Body Language: You were often asked to undergo vows of silence, which would sometimes last months at a time, during which you could not utter a word. During these trials you learned how to effectively communicate silently. If someone is actively attempting to communicate with you using body language, you can make a DC 12 Insight check to determine the meaning of their movements, though this can only communicate simple sentences (determined by DM). Furthermore, you are so skilled that when you use body language to communicate with others, they need only succeed at a DC 10 Insight check to determine the meaning of your gesticulations. Finally, you can make a DC 15 Insight check to glean meaning from people who aren't trying to communicate with body language, but are communicating, perhaps in a language you don't understand, or at a distance out of earshot.

If you choose Friar, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Wisdom score or a +1 to your Constitution score~

~A Skill Proficiency in either Religion or Insight~

~A Tool Proficiency with Calligrapher's supplies~

~The following items: Calligrapher's supplies, one of your books, a holy symbol, plain grey robes, and a belt purse with 5sp~

~Body Language feat~

Healer

While healer is a general word, it tends to refer to those members of the clergy, or at least those adjacent to the clergy who heal the sick and injured at temples, monasteries, and hospitals. While sometimes using mundane methods, they tend not to use much in the way of advance diagnosis, and never resort to advanced technical procedures like surgery. Instead, they use a combination of therapeutic methods with divine healing to cure the sick of what ails them, and it usually works. However, powerful abilities underlie this art, and they do not come cheap or easy.

          Healers deal with adventurers more often than they'd like, often seeing the same group of heroes return multiple times to heal their recklessly gained injuries. If the quest a group is on is important enough to the temple a healer works for, healers might even accompany a party on their travels to keep them alive in the field. Healers who become adventurers will be in high demand on the frontier, always ensuring their fellow party members stay alive, even when all odds say they should be dead.

          Ready Remedy: You gather remedies and curatives as you go, so that when someone becomes injured, you can react speedily. Once per short rest, as a free action you may heal a target that is within touch range. They subtract one hit die for the day, and in turn roll it and regain the resulting amount of hp, though they do not add their constitution modifier (or any other for that matter) to the roll.

If you choose Healer, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Wisdom score or a +1 to your Charisma score~

~A Skill Proficiency in either Medicine or Religion~

~A Tool Proficiency with an Herbalist's kit~

~The following items: An herbalist's kit, a healer's kit, a holy symbol, holy vestments, and a purse with 5sp~

~Ready Remedy feat~

Limner

Limning or illuminating is the process of taking a normal book and turning it into a holy work of art, an illuminated manuscript, worthy of the words of a god. Limners don't for the most party write books, but instead painstakingly paint the complex pieces of artwork inside of them, or instead add flourishes to important words or letters. They use paints, and also precious metals like gold and silver in this process. Most illuminated manuscripts are holy texts, but occasionally might be for other purposes also. Almost all limners are highly specialized members of a monastery.

          Limners specialize in bringing the majesty of nature and the gods onto the pages of a book - some limners then will even travel and do their work in the presence of the things they which to capture. Such outgoing limners might be drawn then to a life of adventure, though this is rare. Adventurers who used to work as limners are likely to keep a piece of their work to continue to make additions to in their free time in between adventures.

          Sights Unseen: You are so deeply involved in the creative process, that you see things that others do not when you view a work of visual art. Your occupation is that of contextualizing the meaning of words with artistry, and a such, you can pull meanings by filling in the context yourself. If you see a depiction of visual art, whatever the kind, you are able to understand any hidden meanings behind the art, or at least the artist's intent. However, there is a 1 in 10 chance that, little do you know, your interpretation is wrong.

If you choose Limner, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Dexterity score or a +1 to your Charisma score~

~A Skill Proficiency in either Religion or Sleight of Hand~

~A Tool Proficiency with Painter's supplies~

~The following items: A book you are working on, painter's supplies, a holy symbol, plain grey robes, and a belt pouch with 5sp~

~Sights Unseen feat~

Pastor

Alternatively: Presbyter, Preacher, or Priest.

Across Adra, pastors are the clergy who work directly with the common folk, spreading the word of their faith to the masses. They do this usually in a temple, chapel, or church, where a regular service is held with parishioners. Still, it might also be in a house or basement, or just in the open air of a street corner. Pastors tend to take interest in the affairs of their parishioners, and try to help them when they can. Pastors also only represent the most front-facing aspect of a faith's clergy.

          Pastors might unwittingly welcome adventurers to their service, trying to convert those new strangers passing through town. They may also seek adventurers out to help them with an issue facing their parish or one of their favored parishioners. Pastors who become adventurers might see a life on the open road as an opportunity to spread their faith to the uninitiated, or even do good for those far away from their normal haunts.

          Inspiring Sermon: In order to be successful as a pastor, you had to have excellent public speaking skills, and needed to be able to inspire your parishioners. Once per long rest, you may give a speech to anyone you wish to inspire, and all those listening will gain a +1 to the next roll they make that day. Furthermore, if your bonus makes the difference in succeeding on a check (for example if the DC was 16 and before your bonus they had a 15), then you gain advantage on the next ability check, saving throw, or attack that you make before the next long rest. You may gain advantage in this way multiple times.

If you choose Pastor, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Charisma score or a +1 to your Wisdom score~

~A Skill Proficiency in either Religion or Performance~

~Any one Language that is holy to your faith~

~The following items: A holy symbol, a book of prayers, a vial of holy water, holy vestments, and a purse with 10sp~

~Inspiring Sermon feat~

Sexton

Alternatively: Gravedigger.

Sextons are minor temple officials who serve to maintain the temple's grounds and property, in particular its walkways, gardens, and graveyard. Sextons might ring bells before every service, and are usually in charge of digging the graves and taking care of the handling of bodies of parishioners who have died. Sextons are not usually considered clergy members, but rather folks who work for the temple, though they might still be religious.

          Sextons are usually the bane of necromancers, since it is a sextons job to make sure no graverobbers try to pilfer the parish graveyard. Seeing as adventurers are often hunting down necromancers, its not uncommon for the two groups to meet, and some sextons, essentially unskilled laborers, might see taking up adventure as a more appealing prospect. Sextons who go on to adventure are likely to see it as only decent to deal with any corpses the adventurers come across, and will also likely know to seek out local clergy for aid or information on their quests.

          Sure, Just Get Away from Me: People tend to stay away from sextons and gravediggers, because of their inseparable association with the dead. You have four (and a maximum of four) Grave Dice, which are d4s. You may roll one of these dice, expending it, and add the result to any Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion check, or any check in a Social Challenge, either before or after the check is made. However, because this die represents your interlocutor just wanting to get away from you, any further Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion checks you make with that target after will have disadvantage for the rest of the day. You regain one of these die (up to a maximum of four) when you bury a corpse, in accordance with your religion's rituals. It must be a corpse that died within 1 month of being buried in order to count for this purpose.

If you choose Sexton, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Strength score or a +1 to your Constitution score~

~A Skill Proficiency in either Athletics or Perception~

~A Tool Proficiency with Land Vehicles (for carting bodies to the cemetary)~

~The following items: A sturdy shovel, a cart, a mule, mud-spattered boots, and a belt purse with 5sp~

~Sure, Just Get Away from Me feat~