Cyric Specialty Priest alternative

From: Thomas M Costa 

I was actually a little disapointed that Cyric didn't really change the 
abilities of his priesthood much between the FR Hardcover and F&A, 
especially since his portfolio and personality went through such dramatic 
changes, so here is my slightly altered take.

CYRIC

Greater Power of Pandemonium, CE
Portfolio:	Assassination, betrayal, conspiracy, cunning, deceit,
	deception, discord, duplicity, 
	illusion, 	intrigue, lies, madness, murder, strife,
	treachery

The Church
Clergy:		Specialty priests, crusaders, anti-paladins
Clergy's Align:	LE, NE, CE
Turn Undead:	SP: Yes, Cru: No, AP: No
Cmnd. Undead:	SP: Yes, Cru: No, AP: Yes
All clergy of Cyric receive religion (Faernian) as a bonus nonweapon
proficiency.

SPECIALTY PRIESTS (Strifeleaders)
  Strifeleaders correspond to the specialty priests in Faith & Avatars
with the following additions and changes.
  Strifeleaders have the following requirements: Strength 13, Dexterity
10, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 13.
  The church of Cyric produces a special armor of partial plate on soft
leather with either a plate skull cap or a stylized helm in the shape of a
snarling monster [AC4]; blackened steel skullcap or helm, breastplate,
shin guards, and tassets, silver bracers, on dark purple soft leather, and
usually with a dark purple cloak trimmed in silver [AC 4, Dex Chk -2, Wgt
35 lb., DP 30, +2 to armor's saves due to quality, thieving adjustments;
PP -25, OL -10, F/RT -15, MS -25, HS -20, DN -10, CW -40, RL -0, Bri +5,
Tun -15%, EscBon -5% Cost 2,000 - 4,000 gp].  The armor is custom fitted
and usually ornamented to look menacing with spikes and such.
  Strifeleaders may learn all bludgeoning weapons under 6 lb., one-handed
small or medium sized blades under 6 lb., one-handed small piercing
weapons under 6 lb., the garrote, and whips.   The preferred weapon of the
faith is the pedang [slashing short sword, p83].  Suggested weapons
include:  horseman's flail, horseman's mace, sap, sling, quaterstaff,
dagger, dirk, jambiya, knife, main-gauche, stiletto, broad sword, cutlass,
long sword, rapier, saber, scimitar, short sword, caltrops, darts,
starwheel pistol, garrote, scourge, whip.
  Strifeleaders have major access to the all, astral, chaos, charm,
combat, divination, guardian, healing (reversed forms only, see below),
necromantic (reversed forms only, see below), numbers, summoning, sun
(reversed forms only, see below), thought, and war spheres; and minor
access to the elemental (1st- and 2nd-level spells only) and protection
spheres.						
  Strifeleaders have access to the following spells within the healing 
sphere:  cause light wounds, cause moderate wounds, cause serious wounds, 
poison, cause critical wounds, and harm.			
  Strifeleaders have access to the following spells within the necromantic 
sphere: ebony hand (Complete Necromancer [CN]), skeletal servant (CN), 
spectral senses (CN), undead alacrity (CN), aid, black talon (Cyric), hear 
heartbeat (CN), animate dead, feign death, life drain (CN), speak with dead, 
spirit bind (CN), cause insanity (CN), heart blight (CN), monstrous illusion 
(Leira), poison, dark promise (Bane), dispel good, slay living, undead spell 
focus (CN), wound (Bhaal), asphyxiate (CN), quench spirit (Myrkul), spirit
annihilation (Bane), create direguard (Cyric), death pact (CN),
destruction, energy drain, and mindkiller.
  Strifeleaders have access to the following spells within the sun sphere:
darkness, faerie fire, continual darkness, starshine, moonbeam, and the
black circle.						
  In addition to the above sphere changes, Strifeleaders have access to the 
following spells:
attraction (Bhaal, charm sphere), impenetrable falsehood (Leira,
divination sphere), obscurement (elemental sphere), adamantite mace
(combat sphere), dark aura (Cyric, combat sphere), modify memory (thought
sphere), and skull of secrets (Cyric, guardian sphere).  Strifeleaders do
not, however, have access to the following spells:  music of the spheres,
stone tell, and uncontrolled weather.
  Strifeleaders receive disguise, trailing and venom handling as bonus
proficiencies.  They are required to learn two of the following; bribery,
inquisitor, forgery, modern languages.
  Strifeleaders may backstab as a thief of equal level.
  Strifeleaders begin with move silently 15% and hide in shadows 15%.
Both increase by 15% every two levels.
  Strifeleaders get a saving throw to resist the power of a ring of truth
  At 9th level, strifeleaders learn the secrets of making amulets of proof
against detection and location.
  Strifeleaders suffer a -4 reaction penalty with any good NPCs who know
of his faith.

CRUSADERS and ANTI-PALADINS (Ebon Knights and Ebon Swords)
  All crusaders and anti-paladins of Cyric belong to the Company of the
Ebon Spur.  Crusaders are known as the ebon knights of Cyric;
anti-paladins as the ebon swords of Cyric. 
  The crusaders and anti-paladins of Cyric often where armor similar to
the strifeleaders (see above) and while they have access to any weapon,
usually prefer the same weapons as the strifeleaders, in particular the
long sword.
  Both crusaders and anti-paladins gain the blind fighting and inquisitor
nonweapon proficiencies as bonus proficiencies.
  Both crusaders and anti-paladins have the ability to backstab as a
thief.
  When battling an enemy who visibly wears the holy symbol of a good
deity, Iyachtu Xvim, or Kelemvor, crusaders and paladins gain +1 to attack
rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws.
  Both crusaders and anti-paladins are immune to fear.
  Crusaders have major access to the all, charm, combat, guardian, healing
(see above), summoning, sun (see above), and war spheres, and minor access
to the protection and necromantic spheres (see above).  Anti-paladins have
access to the charm, combat, healing (see above), summoning, sun (see
above), and war spheres.