The Priesthood of the Rope: A New Class

It was after the great convocation of the faith in the Seventh Century of the Dominion of the Faithful that a great wave of new preachers, hermits and holy men emerged. Many emulated the model of St Roak or St Clunia, taking quite drastic vows of poverty, and encouraging others to do the same. To return to the roots of the Faith was the plan, however much the world had changed in the intervening years. Many of these new movements only lasted one generation; some waned in popularity naturally, some amalgamated with existing religious orders - some fell into darkness and error and were disbanded by order of the College of the Rite.

However, of all these orders the friars popularly known as the Brethren or Priesthood of the Rope have endured, despite the distance between their common practices and the views of the hierarchy. The Order of the Blessed Kordon (named for their founder) are known as mendicants, generally without fixed monastic communities - though a permanent station is kept by brothers of the order in the Holy City. They live simple lives, going amongst the poorest of the slums or to villages in the most desolate regions, bringing the Faith's message of comfort to the lowest - often living solely on the charity of those on the road with them. Founded in a time of much violence, among the pacifistic dictates of the order is that a member must not bear a knife longer than the length of their hand - and that it must only have a single edge. (By the letter of the law, they may borrow other bladed implements- the example is given of a scythe to work in the fields - but to keep them longer than the work requires is forbidden.)

The Brethren of the Rope are recognised by their simple robes, generally of whatever brown cloth can be readily found and belted about the middle with a simple rope, rather than a sash or belt. They are well-loved among many of the poor and are often lauded as examples of simple faith and the endurance that comes from it. Many are the miracles attribute to their piety

What is rather less well known is that the Order, for all their distance from the militarised aristocracy and profession of peace, are permitted to defend themselves, but are obliged to do solely through the use of the rope by which they are known. Snares and nooses have been known to trip unsuspecting highwaymen, lariats to restrain the footpad - the bolas to bring down wild beasts. It is whispered that the use of the rope is not purely defensive either. The rope may be used to restrain, but it can be put to darker purposes. A man-at-arms with many kills to his name must still breathe, and a dark alley-way is a place in which a garrotte may be about the neck before the victim even knows it. The corpses of corrupt taxmen, those running extortion rackets and enemies of the faith are often found without a single blow on their body.

Indeed, it is for this reason that the oppressors of the poor will often wear heavy gorgets about their necks (though it is rumoured that even these will not stop the techniques of Brotherhood of the Rope). It is not uncommon for a member of the Order, when invited to the house of an aristocrat, to be gifted a new set of plain garments, ostensibly as an act of piety - though the new robes will either be lack a rope or possess a subtly weakened cord.

Chap on the right is probably a superior in the Order.
(Painting is Jean-Léon Gérôme's L'Éminence Grise)

***

Out of Universe, this basically derives from me wondering why the chap with the lasso in Westerns is a goody and the chap with a garrotte in adventure films a baddy. (There is probably a very decent paper to be written by some semiotician on the connection between the lasso and the noose.*) It is also a sort of development of the 'clerics wield none-bladed weapons' idea.

This is a character class for those who want to be this chap on the left...

Sean Connery in The Name of the Rose. I add the image more for the sake of the book than the character.

....this chap in Pankot Palace...

That's a certain be-hatted and whip-wielding archeologist he's creeping up on, if you hadn't guessed. 

...the sort of character played by this chap...

From The Coen Brothers' Hail Caesar (2016).
The scene in question may be seen here: presumably some of the Brethren do this sort of thing for fun.

...and with a spot of Friar Tuck for good measure. Add something of the wuxia martial arts picture as desired: how spectacular do you want your rope antics to be?

I've used the term brethren a great deal above, as well as the Western European Medieval norms of my Terrae Vertebrae setting. Naturally, neither masculinity nor Europe are necessary for the class, though some degree of organised religion probably is. The idea of the character class should be flexible enough to accommodate a dashing Robin Hood or Zorro type, a member of a desperate revolutionary cadre using whatever tactics they can, a sinister enforcer for the religious hierarchy or a peaceful monk caught up in violent surroundings carefully defending himself with non-lethal means.

With that, the nuts and bolts of the affair - using, as before, The Fifty-Two Pages as a basis.

***
THE ROPE PRIEST

Size: 1

HP - d6+1+ CON +/-.

Attack Modifiers - None, initially
Mind Save 7 + WIS +/-
Speed Save 5 + DEX+/-
Body Save  7 + CON +/-

Knowledge    Notice Detail   Hear Noise   Handiwork   Stealth   Athletics
      [X]               [ ]                        [X]              [X]              [XX]             [X]

Starts with one extra Language, and Spells: 1+INT bonus. Spells must come from the Abjuration or Restoration list**. All Rope Priests gain Animate Rope as a Cantrip at Level Two and may cast it a number of times equal to their level each day.

The Rope Priest's sacred weapon is a rope. The Rope Priest's religious motto might likely run something like 'Comfort the Oppressed and Live in Peace' (though this is setting dependant).

The Rope Priest must take the background words Religion and Rope. This ensures that the Rope Priest can manufacture ropes out of suitable materials given enough time, tie intricate knots, strengthen or repair ropes, know roughly how much weight a rope can bear, &c. 

Level Advancement: +1 Melee, +1 Missile every Fourth Level
                                    +1 to all Saves every Odd Level
                                    +1 Spell per level

Members of the Rope Priest's Order may entrust him or her with strong thin chains and other rope-like weapons at higher levels or if on a specific mission. 





* The only place I can think of that addresses this - not that I have been looking - is the final act of Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits (1981) in which cowboys summoned to defeat Evil yell 'Yee-haw! Let's have ourselves a lynching!', before bringing out the lassos. Given their fate, there is perhaps a degree of unspoken criticism here. 

**Throw in Nature spells if desired for a St Francis of Assisi variant.