Sacred Prostitute

With the prudent outlook of the Abrahamic religions, it is all too easy to forget that most of the world's religions revolved around sex. Were modern priests will tell you that God snapped his finger and said "Let there be light.", ancient priests would describe two primordial gods fucking the universe into existence! And that was the reality in their world. ...but some pushy monotheistic zealots had to come along and ruin *everyones* fun!

Once a common practice in the ancient world, Sacred Prostitutes were the sexual representation of the gods to mortal beings. Sacred prostitutes included men and women, with the religious obligation to serve *anyone* the temple demands to be served (including same-sex partners and animals). You could find them throughout the ancient temples of Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, India, Nepal, Mesoamerica and South America. Usually, this applies to fertility gods and goddesses, but there are a number of love/lust deities that ask mortal to reveal in carnal pleasures for its own sake. In communities were this was practiced, it was an honorable and respected calling. Even in places were prostitution in general is stigmatized, sacred prostitutes were the exception. No one questioned this, and to compare one to a common street-walker would get you scorn by the community. They were seen as providers of life, givers of pleasure, the symbol of strong families and bloodlines, and the cornerstone of civilization.

Even in TSR's overly-politically correct years, they managed to have sacred prostitutes in their settings. Forgotten Realms is a great example of this, with the goddess Sune, Lliira and Sharess. Back in those days, management enacted strict polices to utterly neuter the game line. So the staff had to hind such "content" with colourful terms like "festhall" instead of "brothel". While the priesthood of Lliira, the Joydancers, are more focused on party-planing in the pursuit of spreading joy, they are not above entertaining guests sexually to make them feel more joyful. Likewise, the priesthood of Sune, the Hearthwanders, are more focused on art, beautification and match-making, they will engage in sex to improve people's outlook on life. And priesthood of Sharess, the Sharessin, or Senates, are vary much sacred prostitutes, who not just organize sex orgies, but also revel in it. *This* is how you have a fantasy setting!

In D&D terms, they could be a specialized type of Cleric. Unlike the actual Templar-based mace & platemail carrying Cleric class, the Sacred Prostitute (or even "Houri") are pacifists and thus they have no need for combat training. As such they would not have the same level of martial prowess as the classic Cleric class. If they go into a situation where they are unable to fuck their way out of (like a dungeon fulled with man-eating slime, animated corpses and overly-rapey humanoid monsters), they would wear light armor and have some simple weapon for self-defense. Skill and equipment wise, would be limited in combat (weapons, armor, THAC0, HD, WPs, etc.) as thieves and wizards, but would still retain some abilities of a Cleric (EXP needed, favored weapon, saves, spells, cleric-based spells, NWPs, etc.). Their spell list would be focused on effects that: alter the minds or emotions of others; to create, from nothing, things related to food, pleasure and entertainment; to alter appearances though illusion or physical alteration; to enhance sex and fertility (Bigby's Magic Fingers anyone?); and to provide healing and blessings though sexual activity (Marvin Gaye would be so proud). While they would not be able to Turn or Control the undead like a Cleric, but they would have instead, the ability to Awe (living) people. Basically, the character can use the "Turn Undead" chart to quell an angry mob or to calm and beguile hostile enemies, based on equivalent HD. This class would be at home in urban and social environments, than in dungeon and wilderness explorations were they a virtually helpless and out-of-place.

So, how would you guys handle this type of class and religious practice in your games?