Divine Favor Points

In Agorath, every soul who swears to a god or deity carries the potential to grow in power and divine connection. This connection is tracked as Divine Favor Points (DFP). The more a character acts in alignment with their deity’s domain, completes quests for them, or performs rituals, the more their favor grows, and with it, the potency of their blessings.

Gaining Divine Favor Points

Adventurers earn Divine Favor Points by performing acts that honor their deity. This includes participating in rituals or oath ceremonies, completing quests aligned with the deity’s domain, creatively using deity-related powers, or roleplaying behavior consistent with their chosen patron. Risking personal safety or sacrificing personal gain for the deity’s cause grants particularly large increases in favor. Conversely, repeatedly acting against the deity’s principles may reduce favor or temporarily weaken blessings.

Levels of Favor

The connection between mortal and deity develops in stages. At the first level, the character is a Devotee, having made the initial oath and gained access to the basic blessing associated with their deity. With consistent devotion, the character becomes an Adherent, enhancing the minor blessing and gaining extra uses or slightly stronger effects. When a character achieves the rank of Favored Soul, signature abilities unlock, and subtle supernatural signs may manifest—glowing eyes, faint auras, or divine whispers. At the pinnacle is the Chosen, recognized by the deity as a champion. These individuals gain permanent enhancements, may call on their deity in dire situations, and may unlock rare divine artifacts or personal quests.

Example of Blessing Evolution

For a fire-aligned character devoted to Ignivarus, the Devotee stage might grant a small flame they can summon or +1 fire damage to their attacks. As an Adherent, they can ignite larger areas or inflict slightly more fire damage. As a Favored Soul, they might radiate a fiery aura around themselves, burning nearby foes. At the Chosen level, they could strike with a powerful flame attack once per day or permanently imbue a weapon with fire.

For a water-aligned character under Aquilonis, the Devotee might gain swimming speed equal to walking speed and advantage in watery environments. Adherent level grants minor control of small water surfaces. Favored Soul allows limited underwater breathing or shaping of water. The Chosen can summon small water allies or manipulate larger bodies of water.

The same evolution applies to all deities. Silvestra’s followers grow in healing and nature manipulation, Luxinar’s in light and insight, Ventaros’ in mobility and wind manipulation, Fortema’s in combat prowess, and Tenebrix’s (rare and dangerous) followers gain shadow abilities with social and moral consequences.

Integrating Divine Favor into Gameplay

Divine Favor is not just a number—it is a living reflection of a character’s story. Reaching new favor levels may trigger visions, dreams, or subtle intervention from the deity. Characters who are Favored Souls or Chosen may gain divine aid in critical moments, unlock special quests, or discover hidden relics. Communities and guilds notice these connections, influencing social interactions, reputation, and story opportunities.

New characters joining the story start as Devotees of their chosen deity and can organically grow their favor through actions aligned with their god, making the system flexible and inclusive.

Roleplay and Story Hooks

The system encourages roleplay and thoughtful decision-making. Using blessings creatively, performing acts of devotion, and embracing the chosen deity’s ethos all contribute to DFP. Rewards evolve naturally—mechanical bonuses and narrative recognition reinforce the bond, making each character’s journey toward divine favor meaningful and personal.

This approach keeps the system mechanical, scalable, and story-integrated without relying on tables, while leaving space for the DM to adjust points, blessings, and divine interventions as the story unfolds.