Saturday, October 19, 2019

Saint

Inspired by a wonderful suggestion by ArkosDawn, which lead to the first cleric I would actually encourage people to play as!

Lepro-sees by John Sullivan

Perform miracles by accepting temporary curses. Magic user.

  • Stat bonus: +1 speed per level, -1 maximum vigor every two levels
  • Starting items: incense, steel cudgel
  • Skill: politician, writer, or thug
Level 1: miraculous
Level 2: burden, smite
Level 3: forbiddance
Level 4: divine retribution, relic
  • Miraculous: perform miracles by accepting minor curses upon yourself. When you choose a miracle, roll 1d6 for a curse, adding +1 to your roll for each miracle you have used in the same day. Curses last the rest of the day unless otherwise noted or if that wouldn't make sense.
  • Burden: once per day, select an enemy when you use a miracle, inflicting them with the curse instead of yourself.
  • Smite: strike your foe with divine power once per day, dealing +1 damage for each curse you are afflicted with. This includes major curses, curses from techniques, and cursed items.
  • Forbiddance: place an icon that will repel one enemy type whenever they look upon it, for the next 8 hours. Can be used once per day, and enemy types include magical beasts, gods & demons, elementals, cursed & undead, fae, natural beasts, and humans.
  • Divine retribution: once per day, spread one curse that afflicts you onto an enemy. They will be alleviated when you are, or can release their curse separately.
  • Relic: give a piece of your body (such as a tooth, a small vial of blood, or a lock of hair) and a blessing to one person at a time. As long as they hold your relic, it will protect them from any kind of curse, but they will also be unable to use magic.

Miracles
  • Heal an ally within sight by 2d6 vigor.
  • Increase the recovery of a wound by one day.
  • Call upon a lost item to return to its owner, through anything but solid barriers.
  • Grant an ally +2 strength and agility for an hour.
  • Endow a flame to keep burning for 1d6 +2 days.
  • Steal a magic power for one hour.
  • Split a single stone with a touch.
  • Dispel temporary ailments such as blindness.
  • Conjure 1d6 rations worth of food.
  • Split a body of water to cross safely and dry.
suffering by ivan stan


Curses
  1. Lashed by spectral whips for 1d6 damage.
  2. Stricken with hunger, eat 1d6 rations or become strained.
  3. Legs become limp and useless.
  4. Skin disappears, taking +1 damage from all sources.
  5. Arms chained behind your back.
  6. Stricken with silence. Cannot use another miracle for 1 minute, or speak for the rest of the day.
  7. Flesh becomes salt. Take 1d6 damage from notable contact with water.
  8. Invisible imps perch upon you and strike anyone who approaches to help you.
  9. Lose control of your actions. After 1d6 rounds, GM controls the saint for one minute.
  10. Become stiff and immobile for 1d6 rounds.
  11. Shrouded in a nightmarish illusion. People won't talk to you, guards may attack.
  12. Stricken with poverty. Armor, shield, or weapon burns away in holy flame (only one, in that order).

The church is powerful, the people have their faith. Why then, would a lowly peasant ever shy away from the powers of the gods? When there is a holy light of healing, a conjured meal before them, or a demon slain with a touch, how could any deny the privilege of such a position. They hesitate at the sight of a stricken saint, bearing the heavy spiritual weight of their curses after a trying day. That power is great, truly, and holds a position of some guaranteed safety under the church, but such suffering is well more than enough to push away thoughts of joining the orders, until true evil makes itself known and someone with faith enough to become a saint also finds suffering enough that those curses seem worth enduring.

Saints can be adapted for specific gods or religious orders, simply by creating a themed set of miracles and curses. I left off the curses at 12 because I figure by the time someone is carrying around six curses they're not likely to keep pushing that envelope.

1 comment:

  1. This is good.
    I use a less grim variant, where there's no curses but miracles must be net negative for the cleric. I might incorporate curses to make the framework more flexible, so that the cleric can cast miracles on themselves at the cost of a curse.

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