The Affiliation Score System

In the D&D 3.5e framework, an Affiliation Score is a numerical value that tracks a character’s standing, influence, and reputation within a specific religious order. This score determines a character's rank within the church and the subsequent mechanical and social benefits they receive from their deity.

The following instructions outline the general mechanics for calculating and managing these scores.

Calculating the Baseline Score

When a character first joins a religious order or chooses to track their standing within one, they must calculate their starting score. This baseline represents the character's inherent "alignment" with the deity’s values before any specific deeds are performed. Base Modifiers include:

• Character Level: A standard bonus equal to 1/2 the character’s total level.
• Ability Scores: Bonuses are awarded for reaching specific thresholds in ability scores valued by the deity (e.g., Wisdom or Charisma).
• Skill Mastery: Ranks in "House Skills" (typically Knowledge: Religion, Knowledge: The Planes, or Heal) provide incremental bonuses to the score.
• Feats: Possession of specific feats that align with the deity’s portfolio grant a flat bonus to the baseline.

Adjusting the Score through Actions

The Affiliation Score is dynamic. It increases or decreases based on the character's active participation in the faith. Each religion has a unique table of criteria categorized as follows:

• One-Time Actions: High-impact milestones that provide a large, immediate boost (e.g., recovering a stolen relic, completing a major divine quest, or defeating a powerful enemy of the faith).
• Recurring Actions: Sustained behaviors that provide smaller, repeatable bonuses (e.g., regular tithing to the Storehouse, participating in triennial festivals, or providing service to the community).
• Negative Criteria: Actions that violate the deity's tenets or invite Chaos will result in an immediate deduction. Severe infractions (Heresy) can result in a score of zero and expulsion from the order.

Rank Thresholds and Benefits

A character’s current Affiliation Score determines their rank within the religious hierarchy. As a character's score crosses the numerical thresholds defined in each religion's specific article, they ascend to the next rank.

• Rank Titles: Each rank comes with a specific title that carries weight in social encounters and within ecclesiastical courts.
• Mechanical Benefits: Higher ranks unlock unique rewards, such as bonuses to specific skill checks, spell-like abilities, or supernatural powers granted by the deity.

Spending Affiliation Capital

Characters at higher ranks (typically Rank 3 or higher) gain the ability to leverage the order’s massive political and social influence. In mechanical terms, the player can "spend" points from their current Affiliation Score to request significant interventions from the church. Example uses of Capital:

• Requesting priority access to Magical Transport Centers or Teleportation Pads.
• Commissioning high-level research from the University of Thoth.
• Securing legal advocacy or a "Writ of Protection" in the courts of the Supreme Republic.

When points are spent, the character’s score is permanently reduced by that amount. If the expenditure causes the score to drop below a rank threshold, the character loses the benefits of that higher rank until the points are re-earned through further service.

Divine Intervention

Members of a faith who hold significant influence or deep personal connection with their deity may occasionally petition for a direct miracle. This mechanic serves as a high-stakes bridge between mortal effort and the unfathomable power of the gods.

Invoking the Heavens

Once per week, a character with levels in a divine class (such as Cleric or Paladin) may attempt to trigger a Divine Intervention. This requires at least a full-round action, but may require more at the discretion of the GM based on what the player is attempting to do.

While this often takes the form of prayer or supplication, it is by no means limited to it. The invocation may be delivered as a bold proclamation, a grand speech challenging a villain, or a ritualistic display of faith. The key requirement is that the character must clearly articulate the desired aid or the divine judgment they wish to see enacted.

Percentile Roll

To determine if the deity intervenes, the player rolls d%. If the result is equal to or lower than the Intervention Threshold, the heavens answer.

Calculating the Threshold

The likelihood of success is determined by the character’s experience, their academic mastery of their faith, and their standing within the divine hierarchy:

Intervention Threshold (Max: 85) = (Divine Class Levels) + (Knowledge [Religion] Ranks) + (Affiliation Score)

The Nature of Intervention

The Dungeon Master determines the exact nature of the intervention based on the player’s request and the deity’s portfolio. Because this represents the deity’s direct agency, the outcome is not limited by the standard effects of spells.

A successful intervention might manifest as a miraculous recovery, a sudden shift in the environment, or a direct sign of divine judgment—such as a strike of lightning to punctuate a condemnation or an aura of absolute truth that shatters a villain’s deception. The intervention is an expression of the deity’s own will and character.

Degree of Fate (Optional)

At the GM’s discretion, the Divine Intervention mechanic may be combined with the Degree of Fate. This would be applied at times where the player's percentile roll technically "failed." In these cases, the deity's presence is felt on a smaller, subtler scale. While the full request may not be granted, a minor favor or a symbolic sign may still occur to show that the character’s words did not go entirely unheard.

Open Game Content Notice

The contents of this article are hereby designated as Open Game Content under OGL 1.0a. See Welcome to Draconia for more information.