Immersion (sage ability)

Immersion is an amateur-status sage ability in the study of Ritual, describing a procedure which strengthens a character's belief, empowering them to pursue knowledge within their chosen faith. No religious-based ability found in the lexicon of clerical sage abilities can be performed by a character that has not been immersed as a believer. Immersion can take many forms; it should not be strictly viewed in relation to the Christian act of baptism.

It must be noted that not all believers are necessarily immersed. To be a "believer," a character need only make a declaration of their intention to follow a religion. This enables them to receive the benefits of certain clerical spells and rituals. Believers who are not immersed, however, are bound from affecting the beliefs of others. For this, a "declaration" must be made by humbling oneself before a cleric of minimum 1st level, whereupon the character is considered of that religion and subject to excommunication if the religion's tenets are subverted.

For example, if a character upon determining its background was to discover that it was entitled to a clerical ability — and the ability that was chosen was religious in nature — then the character would need to seek immersion in a chosen religion before that ability could be properly acquired (it is presumed that all characters upon creation have not been immersed, excepting clerics and paladins).

Furthermore, characters in possession of magical items that are fundamentally religious in nature (artifacts with a religious background, items that cast magic resembling clerical spells and protection scrolls) must be immersed before these items will properly function. Note that healing potions are not considered clerical in nature, but are rather fundamentally alchemical.

Once an individual is immersed, they are protected for a period of one week against all attacks, granting them a +1 saving throw in all instances.