TEXT: EN World EN5IDER | The Charity of St. Nicholas
  EN World EN5IDER | The Charity of St. Nicholas
   
  writing Jeremiah McCoy
   color art Ellis Goodson
   
  editing James J. Haeck
   
  layout Eric Life-Putnam
  The Charity of
  St. Nicholas
  S
  ometimeS Serving the good 
  cause means more than 
  fighting. Sometimes it is 
  about helping in other ways. The act 
  of giving, of caring is an act of healing. 
  Many faiths throughout time and 
  around the world. Standing against 
  the darkness is noble, and there are 
  some who will always be there for 
  that fight. Healing the fallen is also 
  noble, and dearly needed, but healing 
  is not always sealing wounds. A kind 
  word and gift can do much to heal 
  the spirits. This is the lesson of St. 
  Nicholas. 
   Below, you will find a story about 
  Nicholas of Myra, advice on using 
  saints and miracle-workers in your 
  home games, and the Charity divine 
  domain for clerics.
  
  The Charity of St. Nicholas | EN World EN5IDER
  The Charity of St. Nicholas | EN World EN5IDER
  The Real Saint Nicholas
  St. Nicholas of Myra was born to affluent Greek 
  parents in a Roman controlled port city in 
  Anatolia After his parent’s death, he gave much 
  of their wealth away and began working for the 
  church. He was elected Bishop before he was 
  ordained as a priest. He traveled on a pilgrimage 
  from Asia Minor, down through Egypt, back up 
  through Palestine, and visited various holy sites 
  before returning to Myra. 
   He knew some hardships, as well. He spent 
  time in prison. During the rule of Diocletian much 
  of the early church was suppressed, and many 
  bishops were imprisoned. He was not released 
  till Emperor Constantine named Christianity the 
  official faith of the Empire. 
   Nicholas was invited to attend the Council of 
  Nicea, which was the body called by Constantine 
  to settle various theological disputes in the early 
  church. There are many books, and few games 
  written about the events at this council, but our 
  fellow and future saint was memorable. While in 
  the heat of a debate, with the very controversial 
  Arius of Alexandria, Nicholas lost his temper and 
  struck Arius in the face. 
   As early as the 5th century, Nicholas was 
  seen as a saint and revered by the Eastern 
  Church. He was often referred to as Nicholas the 
  Wonderworker, and his life became the stuff of 
  legend. 
  The Legend of Santa Claus
  Saints are funny things. They often are revered in 
  one place, and nearly forgotten in another. Much 
  of Europe stopped paying a lot of attention to 
  Nicholas after the Reformation, but his feast day 
  was still remembered. The Feast of Saint Nicholas 
  was often a day giving gifts, and was observed on 
  December 6th in Western Christian countries and 
  on December 19th in Eastern Christianity. Some 
  shifting occurred when the calendar changed 
  from Julian to Gregorian, and as a result Saint 
  Nicholas Day became closely associated with 
  Christmas.  
   In Dutch, Saint Nicholas became known as 
  Sint-Nicholas, and later as Sinterklaas. The Santa 
  Claus known in America is a hybrid of the Dutch 
  Sinterklaas and the English Father Christmas. All 
  the figures were tied to the December tradition 
  of giving gifts. The Santa Claus we know today 
  emerged in the 19th century, with his magic sleigh, 
  reindeer, portly build, red coat, and his propensity 
  for breaking and entering. Even then, St. Nicholas 
  was an interchangeable name for the fellow, even 
  if the original figure was largely lost. 
  Saints in Your Campaign
  A saint is a follower of a god that elevates to a 
  divine status themselves through their service or 
  devotion. While the term is tied to the Catholic 
  tradition, the idea is found in many religions. In 
  Greek myth, many a mortal or demigod rose to 
  divine status through great deeds as a mortal. The 
  Buddhist bodhisattva or gurus of the Hindu or 
  Sikh religions also are good examples; the central 
  concept is the same.
   Where to begin?  First, you need to decide what 
  god the saint is tied to. A monotheistic deity is not 
  required, but that certainly version found in with 
  St. Nicholas. A follower of a god of magic might 
  achieve sainthood through legendary deeds of 
  alchemy and sorcery, for example. 
   The familiar saints often have an area of 
  influence, just as the gods themselves have a 
  domain or a divine portfolio. They are advocates 
  with the god they are tied to, and are particularly 
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  EN World EN5IDER | The Charity of St. Nicholas
  EN World EN5IDER | The Charity of St. Nicholas
  Saint Nicholas in Your 
  Campaign
  Below is a generic version of a St. Nicholas 
  priesthood that can be dropped into any fantasy 
  world. As usual, some tweaking might be 
  required to make them fit in specific settings and 
  pantheons.
   Nicholas was not a warrior in life, and his 
  priests are more concerned with acts of charity, 
  though they do not turn back when combat is 
  unavoidable. St. Nicholas is Neutral Good with 
  Lawful tendencies; the core tenets of his worship 
  are to help the poor, protect the defenseless, and 
  only punish the cruel when necessary. Most of 
  his followers follow the Charity domain, and 
  adventurer members of the church will often 
  collect the charitable donations, and distribute 
  them to the poor. These clerics rarely keep the 
  treasure they find while on adventures, preferring 
  to use it to buy food, build buildings, and provide 
  to the poor. 
   Regional heads of Nicholas’s temples are found 
  in major cities and hold the title of Presbyter. They 
  often have a storehouse to hold food, clothing, 
  and other useful goods. Lay members are always 
  called on by specific groups. Saint Thomas 
  Aquinas is patron saint of students and teachers.  
  Saint Joan of Arc is the saint of soldiers. Some 
  clerics begin their devotion by following in 
  a particular saint’s footsteps until they have 
  discovered a calling of their own. The following 
  real-life saints and the exaggerated legends 
  thereof can be used as people or divine beings in 
  your own game. 
   Saint Cuthbert is an obvious choice as the 
  first real-world saint to be translated—however 
  faithfully—into a fantasy roleplaying game. As 
  a saint-turned-deity, Cuthbert can represent 
  the ultimate step in a cleric’s progression, 
  transcending mortality itself by virtue of his 
  miraculous deeds. In this way, Cuthbert is 
  something to which all holy characters can aspire.
   Saint George the Dragonslayer has a certain 
  inevitable charm in a fantasy world. He is again a 
  lawful good patron, but more for those who seek 
  out monsters and slay them. Like most saints, he 
  is associated with a legendary item, a piece of holy 
  regalia. The discovery of his regalia, the Lance 
  of Saint George, could be a plot hook or a mid-
  campaign reward for a devoted PC. 
   Saint Albertus Magnus is a saint of chemists, 
  and in a fantasy world that could also place him a 
  saint for wizards or alchemy. He would certainly 
  be a more neutral figure tied to the Knowledge 
  Domain. Legend has it that Albertus created the 
  philosopher’s stone before his death, and passed 
  it on to his pupil. 
   Santa Muerte, sometimes known as Sacred 
  Death or Our Lady of the Holy Death, is a deity 
  worshiped in modern-day Mexico, linked to 
  healing and safe passage into the afterlife—like 
  most Mesoamerican incarnations of death, Santa 
  Muerte is not a villain. Though her worship has 
  been denounced by the Catholic Church, Santa 
  Muerte has become unexpectedly popular in the 
  21st century. Just as the real life Sant Muerte can 
  be traced back to the Aztec Lady of the Dead, 
  your version of the Sacred Death may also have a 
  long history of being lost, destroyed, and revived 
  by various civilizations. 
  
  The Charity of St. Nicholas | EN World EN5IDER
  The Charity of St. Nicholas | EN World EN5IDER
  on hand to help. Traveling members of the church 
  are required to make a pilgrimage at least once a 
  year to a main temple and report to a Presbyter. 
  This is usually an opportunity collect information 
  on places in need throughout the realm.
   In times of famine, war, or disaster the church 
  organizes a Great Mission. They call together 
  the entirety of their priesthood, ask for aid from 
  nobility across the land, and go to the place of 
  need bringing the considerable resources they 
  collect. The Mission stays in place till the need 
  has passed.  A few permanent cities have started 
  in refugee camps over the centuries. The Grand 
  Mission is often what allows that to happen. 
  Luckily, such disasters do not happen often. 
   The Church of St. Nicholas is popular in many 
  kingdoms. It is hard to work up a dislike for a 
  religion founded around charity and good works. 
  Many noble garners favor or prestige by giving 
  lavish gifts to the church. The Feast of St. Nicholas 
  is popular throughout the lands, and is honored 
  by peasant and noble alike. 
   The church does face some resistance, here and 
  there. Some nobles have objected to the churches 
  neutral application of aid. It doesn’t matter if 
  there is a war on, the church will give aid where 
  it is needed, an act which often puts them at odds 
  with priests of war gods. For this, the church’s 
  benevolent acts also frequently draw the attention 
  of the servants of evil. While it is not a church 
  militant, it is often on hand giving aid to those 
  who oppose evil forces. They are also not popular 
  with priests to gods of trade or wealth. 
   St. Nicholas is unusual for a god, in that he does 
  not have a set celestial home. Instead, he wanders 
  the celestial realm or invisibly in the material 
  plane. His humility is legendary and charity is 
  hard to perform from a distant perspective. 
  Charity Domain
  The Charity domain focuses on good works. It 
  is less about fighting evil, or rebirth, or even 
  nature.  It is about the giving of gifts and service 
  to others. The gods of Charity promote kindness 
  and generosity to those in need rather than just 
  those who fight against evil. It is not directly 
  about healing, though priests will do that as well, 
  but about performing kind acts to heal the soul 
  or community. This Domain is almost exclusively 
  claimed by good aligned deities. The evil do not 
  concern themselves with the good of others. You 
  need a good nature to provide gifts and help the 
  needy. Greek Goddess Eunomia and her three 
  daughters (often call the Charities) would be 
  a good example of a god aligned to Charity, as 
  would St. Nicholas, of course. 
  Charity Domain Spells
  Cleric Level Spells
  1st
  sanctuary, unseen servant
  3rd
  aid, lesser restoration
  5th
  beacon of hope, create food and water
  7th
  locate creature, guardian of faith
  9th
  hallow, greater restoration
  
  EN World EN5IDER | The Charity of St. Nicholas
  EN World EN5IDER | The Charity of St. Nicholas
  Bonus Proficiency
  When you choose this domain at 1st level, you 
  gain proficiency with one type of artisan’s tools of 
  your choice. Crafting even the smallest gift can be 
  an act of charity. 
  Kindness to Strangers
  At 1st level, your presence is a balm for the needy 
  and the poor. You have advantage on Charisma 
  (Persuasion), Wisdom (Insight), and Wisdom 
  (Animal Handling) checks with creatures in dire 
  need. This benefit only applies to creatures that 
  are not in combat with you. 
  Channel Divinity: Bestow Health
  Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel 
  Divinity to relieve ailments. 
   As an action, you present your holy symbol and 
  you can relieve a disease or one condition from 
  the number of targets within 30 feet equal to your 
  proficiency bonus. The conditions can be blinded, 
  deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned. You may cure 
  a single target of multiple effects by reducing 
  the total number of targets by the number of 
  additional conditions cured. 
  Gift of Healing
  Beginning at 6th level, whenever a healing 
  spell you cast would heal a target above their 
  maximum hit points, they may choose to share the 
  remaining healing with a creature of their choice 
  within 30 feet.
  Wisdom of Giving
  Starting at 8th level, once per turn when you or 
  a creature within 30 feet makes a saving throw, 
  you may add your Wisdom modifier to the roll 
  as a reaction. You must choose to use this feature 
  before the roll is made.  
  Spirit of Graciousness
  At 17th level, you may cast mass suggestion 
  without expending a spell slot a number of 
  times equal to your Wisdom modifier. The spell 
  usually affects up to twelve creatures, but you 
  may expend additional uses of this feature to 
  affect an additional twelve creatures per use. Your 
  suggestion cannot be used to incite violence, even 
  if the crowd is likely to do harm. 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/EN World EN5ider/EN5ider 116 - Charity of St Nicholas.pdf