An
AD&D term for the item or
icon carried by a
Priest that is representative of his/her
faith. A
wooden
cross is considered a
holy symbol (for most of the
Christian religions) as is an
ankh, a
pentagram, entwined
snakes, or whatever a particular deity's symbol is. Most
Priests are required by their
deities to carry holy symbols; in some cases, they are even
penalized for not carrying one.
A holy symbol is required as a material component for casting several types of Priest spells. Additionally, turning undead is usually accomplished by presenting one's holy symbol forcefully to the undead creatures. Some holy symbols have intrinsic magical properties, but this is usually on an individual basis. Characters of an alignment or faith opposite or disagreeable to the symbol's patron deity sometimes suffer damage or shocks if they try to handle a holy symbol.