Basic Information
Holy water is water that has been ritually consecrated to a deity (or at least "the forces of good" in settings with hazy or inconsistent theology) … traditionally such water is used for ritual purification and anointment, but is also thought to be harmful to unholy creatures - such as devils/demons, the undead and - in many cases of European folklore The Fair Folk. Traditionally holy water burns these creatures like an acid and is painful and repellent to them.
Note that the concept of holy water, as it exists in popular consciousness, is mainly derived from the Ecclesiastical Christian traditions (especially the Church of Rome), and is less prominent in Protestant ones … once one gets into the murky depths of fantasy-religions the theology of it is usually best not examined too closely. "Evil holy water" or "unholy water" - similarly consecrated to the "powers of darkness" is a purely fantasy trope as far as can be made out, and can suffer from even odder theology and applications. Historically, the forces of evil were often suspected to attempting to acquire holy water for nefarious purposes - typically involving its defilement and subsequent use in parodical versions of religious rituals.
In use, holy water may be poured, applied with a wetted finger, sprinkled/flicked from a brush or a specialised device called an aspergillum, or just thrown.
Sources
Game and Story Use
- Feel free to have other settings use something other than holy water for the same purposes (salt would be an excellent choice).
- As per the notes on the theology of the stuff above, some settings play fast and loose with it, having the stuff consecrated by the truck load (or even worse, the fire sprinkler header tank full) and flung about by people of no particular theological persuasion. In kitchen sink fantasy, this may be acceptable … in other settings, treating the stuff with contempt may turn out to deconsecrate it.
- Also, given historical concerns about misuse, even buying holy water might be restricted to those in good standing with the appropriate cult.
- In setting, there may be a significant difference between those who can and cannot consecrate holy water - this may or may not be the same as the division between those who do and do not make the stuff for sale. The difference may be True Faith or Clerical Investment or both … "that RPG", somewhat predictably, uses a spell.
- Where "clerical material components" are a thing, expect this to be common amongst them.
- Besides theurgy and weaponization, holy water might also serve to wash the taint of evil from items and places and otherwise fight spiritual corruption.
- Drinking it, or using it as a wound wash, might also help against unholy and supernatural diseases (the results of ghoul bites for example, or the results of being tricked into sharing a meal with a wendigo or tamanous).