Arcane devotee

Arcane devotees were particularly faithful arcane spellcasters who dedicated themselves to their patron deity. Usually they expand their studies into divine magic and acquire lesser divine-related abilities. Arcane devotees often worked for the respective church of their deity and are among their most respected members. Devotees also supported the church's armies during times of conflict.

The churches of Azuth, Mystra attracted the highest number of arcane devotees, though Lliira and Bane had a few devotees of their own.

Culture
Although many deities appealed specifically to certain niche groups, most of the greater gods pulled followers from all walks of life. Arcane spellcasters in particular held few solid allegiances to deities other than Mystra, and many of those who studied and used arcane magic could be found worshiping just about any of the major deities.

Although many of these individuals were not particularly devout in their worship and allied themselves with their church primarily for reasons of caution or convenience, others could be truly pious individuals who are willing to give themselves over fully to their patron god's will. Some of these pious arcanists went on to become arcane devotees.

Arcane devotees were useful assets to any church as they complemented the divine power of clerics or paladins with the arcane power of mages. As such, many arcane devotees became important and respected members amongst their gods' followers. They often their arcane power to both aid the church in times of war or create powerful magic items. In combat, arcane devotees often fought near the front line in order to wreak havoc on enemy forces or destroy the divine spellcasters of opposing gods.

Abilities
After beginning the life of an arcane devotee, these spellcasters continued to develop along the same path of their previous training in the Art. Among the most basic of the abilities available to arcane devotees was the metamagic power that allowed them to extend the area of effects of their spells twofold. This extended effect was roughly proportional to the strength of their personality and willpower.

However, as part of their part-arcane, part-divine training, arcane devotees obtained a number of unusual powers and abilities. One of these was the sacred defense, which offered arcane devotees protection from the prayers of others or the supernatural abilities of outsiders.

Similarly, the most experienced arcane devotees gain the ability to, once per day, surround themselves in an aura of divine power that partially protected them against hostile magic.

Another ability arcane devotees possess is the ability to focus their god's moral conviction into divine power, allowing them to cast prayers that draw upon the forces of good, law, evil, or chaos for their strength.

Among the most powerful of the arcane devotee's abilities was to bolster the effects of the spells cast by their patron deity's other faithful worshipers.