\nSince most cultures have some form of religion, holy men can appear in just about any story, but they are more common in some genres than others. Historical tales, especially those set in times and places where the church wields considerable earthly power, are full of priests, friars, crusaders, and inquisitors. Exorcists and monster hunting men of the cloth are common in horror fiction. Although holy types were rare in early 20th Century fantasy fiction (except in the form of evil priest antagonists), their inclusion in Dungeons & Dragons<\/em> has made them a staple of game-inspired fantasy novels. The preacher (who is often alcoholic, insane, or a former gunslinger) is a stock holy man in Westerns.
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\nThe Name Game
\n<\/strong>Holy men who are part of a religious organization will usually have a title or rank to reflect their affiliation and position, and some take on holy names (often of Biblical or historical significance) when they join their order or achieve a particular rank. The Irish priest is such a common stereotype in movies and television that even holy types who aren’t complete caricatures often have Irish Names. Italian heritage is also extremely common, especially for exorcists and other monster hunters.<\/p>\n
The Numbers<\/strong> Suggested Jobs:<\/strong> Abbot, Abortion Clinic Bomber, Activist, Angel, Apostle, Bishop, Cleric, Crusader, Deacon, Exorcist, Friar, Holy Warrior, Imam, Inquisitor, Knight, Messiah, Monk, Monster Hunter, Mujahid, Mullah, Missionary, Nun, Paladin, Pardoner, Parson, Pope, Preacher, Priest, Prophet, Rabbi, Revolutionary, Saint, Serial Killer, Shepherd, Street Preacher, Super-Hero, Templar, Terrorist, Vicar, Vigilante, Warrior Priest, Witchfinder Tools of the Trade:<\/strong> The holy man’s equipment depends on his denomination and mission. Some holy men just need their faith while others need access to holy books, candles, incense, rosaries, limited edition lithographs of the saints, and other elaborate props in order to perform their holy duties. Certain holy men are required to wear a uniform or badge of office, like a nun’s habit or a priest’s collar. Holy warriors will of course need weapons and armor in order to smite infidels without getting smitten themselves. Current Events, History, Mythology, Folklore Games The holy man is a character who serves God. Most fictional holy men serve the Christian God, but there are occasional examples of holy men serving other deities, especially in fantasy stories. It should be noted that the holy man’s status as a servant of God is not usually verifiable; he is self-appointed, granted his…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4047,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1998],"tags":[3395,3404,3403,3402,3401,3400,3399,3398,3397,3396,3405,3394,3393,3392,3391,3369,3195,3158,3048,3036,3414,3423,3422,3421,3420,3419,3418,3417,3416,3415,2942,3413,3412,3411,3410,3409,3408,3407,3406,844,853,852,851,850,849,848,847,846,845,854,542,540,485,477,463,371,173,150,119,2161,2896,2857,2856,2841,2840,2464,2424,2337,2336,99,2148,2138,2135,2112,1845,1506,1261,1118],"class_list":["post-183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archetype-of-the-week","tag-geoffrey-chaucer","tag-the-quick-the-dead","tag-mash","tag-father-dowling-mysteries","tag-dogma","tag-padre-pederastia","tag-robert-shea","tag-illuminatus-trilogy","tag-huntress","tag-terry-pratchett","tag-in-nomine","tag-the-canterbury-tales","tag-azrael","tag-the-confessor","tag-micky-roarke","tag-braveheart","tag-jesse-custer","tag-joan-of-arc","tag-the-three-musketeers","tag-alexandre-dumas","tag-moses","tag-friar-tuck","tag-tomas-de-torquemada","tag-robert-tilton","tag-jimmy-swaggert","tag-roland","tag-pat-robertson","tag-oral-roberts","tag-fred-phelps","tag-parcival","tag-domino","tag-jaques-de-molay","tag-dr-martin-luther-king-jr","tag-john-the-baptist","tag-johnny-and-luther-htoo","tag-pope-innocent-ii","tag-matthew-hopkins","tag-louis-farrakhan","tag-osama-bin-laden","tag-holy-man","tag-mission-from-god","tag-boondock-saints","tag-templar","tag-pale-rider","tag-from-dusk-til-dawn","tag-battle-pope","tag-priest","tag-cleric","tag-exorcist","tag-shepherd-book","tag-garth-ennis","tag-preacher","tag-paladin","tag-holy-warrior","tag-blazing-saddles","tag-jack-chick","tag-hudson-hawk","tag-waxmans-warriors","tag-archetypes","tag-serenity","tag-carnivale","tag-the-name-of-the-rose","tag-umberto-eco","tag-world-war-z","tag-max-brooks","tag-jerry-falwell","tag-good-omens","tag-astro-city","tag-kurt-busiek","tag-blues-brothers","tag-vampire-the-masquerade","tag-robert-anton-wilson","tag-neil-gaiman","tag-buffy-the-vampire-slayer","tag-firefly","tag-deadwood","tag-stigmata","tag-dd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deathcookie.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deathcookie.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deathcookie.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deathcookie.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deathcookie.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/deathcookie.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1510,"href":"https:\/\/deathcookie.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183\/revisions\/1510"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deathcookie.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deathcookie.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deathcookie.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deathcookie.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nSince the holy man is defined by his strong belief in an unprovable entity, he needs a strong Nerve Number in order to keep his faith intact. Nerve can also be useful for converting heathens, advising the faithful, and battling demonic entities. A holy man who is fond of theological debates, church history, and holy law will need a high Brain Number. Holy warriors, missionaries, and other holy men who are regularly forced to do battle or survive in harsh environments will need a high Body Number.<\/p>\n
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\nSuggested Gimmicks: <\/strong>Clue Magnet, Divine Inspiration, God’s Little Buddy, Everybody’s Buddy, Faith Healing, Friends in High Places, Holy Powers, Human Lie Detector, Infallible, Iron Will, Mean Mmmm Mmmm Servant of God, Miracles, Moral Authority, On A Mission From God, Polymath, Purity, Second Sight, Shield of Faith, Sword of the Spirit, Vampire
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\nSuggested Weaknesses: <\/strong>Alcoholic, Anger Management Issue, Code of Honor, Demon Magnet, Enemies, Envy, Excommunicated, Glutton, Greedy, Hears Voices, Lust, Makes People Nervous, Martyr Complex, Masochist, Pride, Sexual Deviant, Sloth, Vampire, Vow of Silence, Wanted Man
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\nSuggested Skills:<\/strong> Alchemy, Animal Handling, Brawling, Brewing, Church Law, Demolitions, Eavesdropping, Exorcism, Finance, Fishing, Fund Raising, Gardening, Healing, Horseback Riding, Inspirational Speaking, Investigation, Latin, Literate, Occult Knowledge, Organ Playing, Quick Draw, Ruler-Fu, Sermons, Scripture, Shooting, Singing, Smite, Speaking In Tongues, Swordsmanship, Torture, Wilderness Survival
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\nWWPHITM? <\/strong>Alec Baldwin, Paul Bettany, Tom Bosley, Clancy Brown, James Brown, Gabriel Byrne, George Carlin, Billy Connelly, Sean Connery, Russell Crowe, Johnny Depp, Clint Eastwood, Oded Fehr, Sean Patrick Flanery, Kathleen Freeman, Ron Glass, Andie McDowell, Milla Jovovich, Steve Martin, Timothy Olyphant, Norman Reedus, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, Jerry Stiller, Max Von Sydow, Tom Waits
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\nTag Line:<\/strong> “God tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he’s pretty sure you’re fooked.”–Stephen, Braveheart<\/em><\/p>\n
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\nWhere You’ll Find Him: <\/strong>Some holy men lock themselves away from the world in order to commune with God. Others can be found doing God’s work in the far reaches of the world, the bad side of town, and the battlefield. Therefore, a holy man’s regular haunts will depend on his job.
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\nSocial Circle: <\/strong>Holy men who cloister themselves away will associate almost exclusively with other holy men. Holy warriors will spend most of their time with their unit or cell. Those who work with the community will usually have a much larger social circle whose members can range from the down-and-out to the rich and famous, depending on the holy man’s focus.
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\nSample Character![](\"https:\/\/deathcookie.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/battlepope.jpg\")
\nOswald Leopold II a.k.a. Battle Pope
\nBody: <\/strong>14
\nBrain: <\/strong>11
\nNerve: <\/strong>15
\nJob: <\/strong>Pope (10)
\nGimmick:<\/strong> Halo of Power (16)
\nWeakness: <\/strong>Lust (16)
\nSkills: <\/strong>Enhanced Strength +3; Martial Arts +3; Drinking +2
\nWWPHITM? <\/strong>Micky Roarke
\nDumb Fact: <\/strong>Trained in martial arts by Bruce Lee.
\nTag Line: <\/strong>“Bring on the whores!”
\nHP: <\/strong>20
\nYY: <\/strong>4
\n
\nInspirational Materials
\nBooks & Comics
\n<\/strong>Astro City<\/em> by Kurt Busiek (The Confessor)
\nAzrael
\nThe Canterbury Tales <\/em>by Geoffrey Chaucer (numerous characters)
\nGood Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophesies of Agnus Nutter, Witch <\/em>by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (Newton Pulsifer)
\nThe Huntress <\/em>sometimes fits the holy warrior aspect of this archetype.
\nThe Illuminatus! Trilogy <\/em>(Padre Pederastia) by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson
\nThe Name of the Rose <\/em>by Umberto Eco
\nPreacher<\/em> (Jesse Custer) by Garth Ennis
\nThe Three Musketeers <\/em>(Aramis) by Alexandre Dumas
\nWorld War Z <\/em>(Sister Montoya) by Max Brooks
\n
\nMovies & TV
\n<\/strong>Blazing Saddles <\/em>(Reverend Johnson)
\nThe Blues Brothers <\/em>
\nThe Boondock Saints
\nBraveheart <\/em>(Stephen)
\nBuffy the Vampire Slayer <\/em>(The Knights of Byzantium)
\nCarnivale <\/em>(Brother Justin Crowe)
\nDeadwood <\/em>(Henry Weston Smith)
\nDogma <\/em>(Cardinal Glick)
\nDomino <\/em>(Wanderer)
\nThe Exorcist <\/em>(Fathers Merrin and Karras)
\nFather Dowling Mysteries<\/em>
\nFirefly\/Serenity<\/em> (Shepherd Book)
\nFrom Dusk Til Dawn<\/em> (Jacob Fuller)
\nHudson Hawk <\/em>(Anna Baragli)
\nM*A*S*H <\/em>(Father Francis Mulcahy)
\nPale Rider <\/em>(Preacher\/The Man With No Name)
\nThe Quick and the Dead<\/em> (Cort)
\nStigmata <\/em>(Father Kiernan)<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Osama bin Laden
\nJack T. Chick
\nJerry Falwell
\nLouis Farrakhan
\nMatthew Hopkins
\nPope Innocent II
\nJohnny and Luther Htoo
\nJoan of Arc
\nJohn The Baptist
\nDr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
\nJaques de Molay
\nMoses
\nParcival
\nFred Phelps
\nOral Roberts
\nPat Robertson
\nRoland
\nJimmy Swaggert
\nRobert Tilton
\nTomas de Torquemada
\nFriar Tuck<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Dungeons & Dragons<\/em> (Clerics & Paladins)
\nIn Nomine<\/em>
\nVampire: The Masquerade<\/em> (Sullivan Dane)
\nWaxman’s Warriors<\/em> (Rabbi Waxman)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"