Paladin

This skill, once invoked, will grant the character the following benefits while active. First it will increase their base Body Point stat by 25%. Second, the character is immune to Dark damage, though the Dark Pool points – if any are used – are not expended.

Finally, the character is immune to special damage effects, including Eldritch attacks, of supernatural creations of the Dark Lord – anything from zombies, orcs, demonlings to Hierarchs. This only works on attacks – melee or ranged – that deal damage and does not affect weapon damage types – silver, mithril, magic, etc. The character still takes the damage normally, just not the special modifier. Note that this does not have any effect on special abilities, spells, skills, etc. from these characters. For example, the character is struck by a Ghoul dealing 4 Paralysis. The character will take 4 damage but not the paralyzing effects of a Ghoul.

This skill requires the use of the character’s focus and a verbal, which must be at least 5 syllables, not including the skill’s name, and must contain some reasonably recognizable version of the name of the skill.

This skill will destroy any lesser Vile Spawn such as undead or lesser demons by touch or through a weapon bringing them to the end of their Death Count. This skill can be blocked by a magical defense against physical attacks and the Destroy Lesser Vile Spawn skill is used. A martial parry skill will block the attack, but the Destroy Lesser Vile Spawn skill is not used.

This skill requires the use of the character’s focus and a verbal, which must be at least 5 syllables, not including the skill’s name, and must contain some reasonably recognizable version of the name of the skill.

This skill will destroy any Vile Spawn such as undead or demons of any type by touch or through a weapon. The targeted character is completely destroyed and turns to dust if corporeal or vanishes if non-corporeal. Demons or Hierarchs are brought to the Brink of Death and instantly banished to their home plane leaving their worldly possessions behind. The Paladin is brought to the Brink of Death after successful use of this skill.

Unlike other skills, this skill is not used if it is stopped by any defense that stops physical attacks and the Paladin suffers no ill effects. If stopped by an Empowerment skill, this skill is used and the Paladin suffers no ill effects. However, if this skill is blocked by an innate Resist ability, the skill is used and the Paladin is brought to the Brink of Death.

This skill requires the use of the character’s focus and a verbal, which must be at least 5 syllables, not including the skill’s name, and must contain some reasonably recognizable version of the name of the skill.

This skill will test the veracity of the last statement made by another character. To use this skill, the character should call a Hold, privately ask the target player if they are lying, then call the Lay On. The skill is undetectable in-game to bystanders and the target character. However, a character with the Lie skill can use their skill as a defense. This is the only defense to this skill.

The veracity of the statement is based on what the player, not the character, knows is the truth. Therefore, if the character is intentionally lying or lying under compulsion (charm effect, Forget and Remember poison, etc), they are lying and will detect as such. Even if the character’s perception of the truth is skewed, the skill will detect the statement as a lie.

For example, a character does not believe it is murder to kill Halflings. After killing Kay, Scanlon asks the character if they killed Kay. The character says no, and Scanlon uses his Detect Lie skill to test the truthfulness of the statement. While the character does not believe killing Halflings is murder, the player must tell Scanlon that he is lying.

The player should not draw upon out-of-game knowledge their character should not know about when judging the truthfulness of their answer.

For example, Susan helped a Plot Marshal set up an ambush down the road. The marshal decides to make her the bait, an innocent farmer’s wife who is being chased by a Lesser Troll the brigands have dominated. The farmer’s wife screams for help and Calandris and his friends hear the call for help and investigate. Calandris asks the farmer’s wife if this is a trap, and she answers no. Calandris uses his Detect Lie skill and learns the farmer’s wife is not lying. While Susan knows there is a trap planned for the characters, her NPC is ignorant of the trick.

If a character is lied to and later tells people the lie believing it to be the truth, he will not detect as lying.

For example, while on an adventure Constantine meets a Dark Paladin who says he killed Squire Scanlon and shows him is tabard. Believing the Dark Paladin, Constantine runs to Avalon to get help. Suspecting this may be a trap, Juhani uses her Detect Lie skill to test the veracity of his statement. The skill reveals Constantine is not lying and they go off to find the Dark Paladin. Along the way they meet Squire Scanlon who is alive and well and is looking for his missing tabard.

In the above example, Constantine was not attempting to lie to Juhani, even though he was wrong and Squire Scanlon was alive, the skill still revealed he was telling the truth. This skill requires no verbal to use.

This skill allows the character to sense if another character is Vile Spawn, such as undead, demons, etc., or a higher power, such as Hierarchs, Dragons, or Forestals, by looking at them. This skill can only be stopped by the Cloak Undead skill. If used against a character who is currently possessed, this skill will reveal this fact and the nature of the possessing character. When used against a Vile Spawn it will reveal whether the target is lesser or greater.

This skill requires the use of the character’s focus and a verbal, which must be at least 5 syllables, not including the skill’s name, and must contain some reasonably recognizable version of the name of the skill.

Learning this skill allows the character to activate the Bane Endowment by consuming specific kinds of demon flesh. Once activated, the endowment allows the character to swing normal fire or normal ice damage with any melee weapon held in either hand. The character must swing the selected element and suffixes the damage type to the damage called in addition to any other damage modifiers. For example, if the character is using a normal one-handed edged weapon and chooses the Ice Bane option, they would call “…Fire”. If they then picked up a magic one-handed edge weapon, they would call “…Magic Fire”. Depending on the type of demon, different effects and detriments are gained. See the table below. Type Effect Demon Type Ice Bane Swing Normal Fire Fire Fire Bane Swing Normal Ice Ice Rot Bane Swing Normal Healing Undead Each purchase of this skill increases the amount of time this endowment is active and amount of corruption gained by activating it. The character may choose how long the endowment will last in the standard increments of 10, 20, or 60 minutes, up to maximum rank of this skill learned. For example, a character with Rank 2 can consume the correct type of demon flesh and have this endowment last for either 10 or 20 minutes. They could not choose to have it last 60 minutes since they do not have Rank 3. The duration of the endowment must be chosen when the skill is activated and cannot be changed once set. The character many not end the effect of the endowment early. The character cannot activate another Bain Endowment while they have a Bain Endowment active. They do not stack.

Learning this skill allows the character to activate the Battle Strength Endowment by consuming a specific kind of demon flesh. Once activated, the endowment gives the character the following bonuses:  +2 Strength Bonus. This is a racial bonus and does not stack with other racial bonuses. The greater bonus takes effect.  +12 Body Points. These Body Points are healable and are the first to be lost. They are temporary and are not affected by anything that affects the character’s Base Body Points. When the affect ends, the character will lose 12 Body Points unless they have already have taken more than 12 points of damage. For example, if a character has 20 Body Points and activates this skill. They then have 32 Body Points. They take 16 points of damage and are currently at 16 Body Points. When the endowment ends, they will not lose any more Body Points. Had they been at 24 Body Points when the endowment ends, they would be at 20 Body Points.  +20 points of Natural Armor. These Armor Points do not reset and are the last to be lost after all spells, rituals, and real armor. The Battle Strength Endowment requires the flesh of any battle demon to activate. Each purchase of this skill increases the amount of time this endowment is active and amount of corruption gained by activating it. The character may choose how long the endowment will last in the standard increments of 10, 20, or 60 minutes, up to maximum rank of this skill learned. For example, a character with Rank 2 can consume the correct type of demon flesh and have this endowment last for either 10 or 20 minutes. They could not choose to have it last 60 minutes since they do not have Rank 3. The duration of the endowment must be chosen when the skill is activated and cannot be changed once set. The character many not end the effect of the endowment early. The character cannot activate another Protection Endowment while they have a Protection Endowment active. They do not stack.

Learning this skill allows the character to activate the Clear Mind Endowment by consuming a specific kind of demon flesh. Once activated, the endowment makes the character immune to Demonic Charm and Demonic Possession for the duration. Note that the charm effects of Hierarchs is not the same and the character will be affected normally. Similarly, any other charm effects like Enslavement spell, Dominate spell, Hypnosis skill, etc. cast or used by a demon is not stopped by this Endowment. The Clear Mind Endowment requires the flesh of any guile demon to activate. Each purchase of this skill increases the amount of time this endowment is active and amount of corruption gained by activating it. The character may choose how long the endowment will last in the standard increments of 10, 20, or 60 minutes, up to maximum rank of this skill learned. For example, a character with Rank 2 can consume the correct type of demon flesh and have this endowment last for either 10 or 20 minutes. They could not choose to have it last 60 minutes since they do not have Rank 3. The duration of the endowment must be chosen when the skill is activated and cannot be changed once set. The character many not end the effect of the endowment early. The character cannot activate another Protection Endowment while they have a Protection Endowment active. They do not stack.

Learning this skill allows the character to activate the Protection Endowment by consuming specific kinds of demon flesh. Once activated, the endowment makes the character immune to either fire, ice, or rot damage – but not effects. Therefore they would take 0 damage from an attack dealing “12 Magic Fire/Ice/Rot” but would take full effect from any spells or martial attacks that have an effect like Plague Spell, Death Slave Spell, Slay, Stun, Disarm, etc. This will not protect the character from Eldritch attacks, and Eldritch attacks will do double damage for the detrimental element. Additionally, the character will take double damage from the opposite element, or half effect of healing in the case of Rot Protection. Depending on the type of demon, different effects and detriments are gained. See the table below. Type Effect Detriment Demon Type Ice Protection Immune to Ice Double Damage from Fire Ice Fire Protection Immune to Fire Double Damage from Ice Fire Rot Protection Immune to Rot Half Effect from Healing*, Double Damage from Elemental Healing Undead * This includes Heal Person spell, Paladin Healing, Druid Healing, but no change to Spell Singer healing or Alchemical healing. Each purchase of this skill increases the amount of time this endowment is active and amount of corruption gained by activating it. The character may choose how long the endowment will last in the standard increments of 10, 20, or 60 minutes, up to maximum rank of this skill learned. For example, a character with Rank 2 can consume the correct type of demon flesh and have this endowment last for either 10 or 20 minutes. They could not choose to have it last 60 minutes since they do not have Rank 3. The duration of the endowment must be chosen when the skill is activated and cannot be changed once set. The character many not end the effect of the endowment early. The character cannot activate another Protection Endowment while they have a Protection Endowment active. They do not stack.

Learning this skill allows the character to use the Release Soul Endowment by consuming a specific kind of demon flesh. Once activated, the endowment allows the character to do two things.  The character can draw out a demon possessing another character. To do so, the possessed character must be restrained, unresisting, or unconscious. The character then spends one minute of roleplay coaxing, cajoling, insulting, and/or tempting the demon out. Once out, the demon character must initiate combat with the character using this endowment, but then is free to act as it wishes. The demon may not repossess the same character for 5 minutes, but may possess any other character it wishes, including the character using this endowment!  The character may free another character of the effects of their Demonic Charm by taking the effect upon themselves. The target character must be restrained, unresisting, or unconscious. The character using this skill must touch the target character for 10 seconds in a manner consistent with the rules. The character then becomes demonically charmed including any orders the target character had. The demon that charmed the target character now has control over the character using this skill and can issue new commands. Out-of-game, the target character should inform only the character using this skill what their commands, if any, are and who the demon that charmed them was. If the character using this skill has the Clear Mind Endowment active or is otherwise immune to the Demonic Charm, then the Demonic Charm has no effect and both characters are free of any control. Note that the character using this skill may not use an Iron Will to resist the Demonic Charm, only being immune protects them. The Release Soul Endowment requires the flesh of any arcane demon to activate. Once activated this endowment lasts until the character successfully draws out a possessing demon or frees another character of Demonic Charm, or the event ends. The character many not end the effect of the endowment early

Learning this skill allow the character to activate the Shadow Bane Endowment by consuming specific kinds of demon flesh. Once activated, the endowment allows the character to swing Shadow Lock at will with any melee weapon they wield in either hand. The Shadow Lock effect, when used against any kind of demon, will prevent that target character from using Shadow Walk, Shadow Meld, Hide in Shadows, or any other kind of similar shadow based ability. The character may swing Shadow Lock at will for the duration of the endowment or they may swing their appropriate weapon damage not both at the same time, even if wielding two weapons. The Shadow Lock effect lasts for 10 seconds, is stopped by any defense that stops martial attacks, and cannot be dispelled or ended early. The character should call, “Shadow Lock, 10 seconds” when using this Endowment. Shadow Lock is not affected by Damage Resistance, Soaks or Thresholds. The Shadow Bane Endowment requires the flesh of any shadow demon to activate. Each purchase of this skill increases the amount of time this endowment is active and amount of corruption gained by activating it. The character may choose how long the endowment will last in the standard increments of 10, 20, or 60 minutes, up to maximum rank of this skill learned. For example, a character with Rank 2 can consume the correct type of demon flesh and have this endowment last for either 10 or 20 minutes. They could not choose to have it last 60 minutes since they do not have Rank 3. The duration of the endowment must be chosen when the skill is activated and cannot be changed once set. The character many not end the effect of the endowment early. The character cannot activate another Shadow Bain Endowment while they have a Shadow Bain Endowment active. They do not stack.

When invoked, this skill will empower any weapon the character holds to swing for magical damage for 30 minutes. This skill is hand specific and once invoked, only weapons in that hand will be augmented. There is no Damage Bonus or other effect from the use of this skill. The weapon can still be shattered.

This skill requires the use of the character’s focus and a verbal, which must be at least 5 syllables, not including the skill’s name, and must contain some reasonably recognizable version of the name of the skill.

This skill allows the character to bring another character that is at the Brink of Death back to life at 1 Body Point without having to use the Death System. The character using this skill in this manner suffers a Weakness spell-like effect for 1 minute. This is not actually the spell and there is no way to end the effect or reduce the duration. The character cannot prevent the effect from affecting them.

This skill may also be used as an attack, either by touch or through a weapon, against undead or other characters harmed by Life affects only. It can also be used to block the Death Touch skill. Using the skill in either of these ways does not cause the character to be affected by the weakness effect.

This skill requires the use of the character’s focus and a verbal, which must be at least 5 syllables, not including the skill’s name, and must contain some reasonably recognizable version of the name of the skill. This skill can be delivered by touch or through a weapon. If delivered through a weapon, the targeted character must be struck, and unlike Channeled spells, weapons and shields will stop the attack. If the character misses their target or the target uses a martial skill to stop the attack, the skill is not used. If the attack is stopped by an Empower skill or a magical defense that stops physical attacks, the skill is used.

Once this skill is purchased, the character gains a Healing Pool. For each purchase of this skill, the character gains 25 Healing Points. How the character may use this pool depends on whether they are a Cleric or Paladin.

A Cleric or Paladin may heal any living character’s Body Points at a rate of one for one. The character may also use their pool to mimic some Healing School spells and the Light spell from the Pyrotechnics School at double the Power Point cost. The table below outlines what spells they can mimic and how many Healing Pool Points it costs. After the verbal is called, the character should suffix the effect with the word “…Light.” Note: Empower Evil will not stop these spell effects and the Absorption spell will stop the spell but not give any Power Points.

Healing Spell
Healing Pool Points

Light
0, 2 if Thrown*

Detect Life
0, 2 if Thrown*

Purify Blood
4

Assess Ailment
8

Heal Body
8

Heal this Mind
8

Heal this Limb
10

Heal this Mortal Wound
12

Return Ghoul**
16

Regenerate Wounds**
16

Return Death Slave**
40

* The character must have at least 1 Healing Pool Point to use these effects.

** Only Clerics can mimic these three effects, not Paladins.

A Cleric or Paladin can use their pool points to harm undead, demonic or other Vile Spawn characters at a rate of one for one. The attack damages the target character’s Body Points and is considered magical damage for the purposes of Damage Resistance. This can be delivered by touch out of combat or thrown via a spell packet. The character determines the amount of damage when the skill is called, up to their current Healing Pool total.

For example, Kida has three purchases of the Heal Wounds skill giving her 75 Healing Pool Points. She has used 20 Healing Pool Points already that Tag Cycle. She sees a demon pontificating to the Avalonians attempting to cower them into submission. She walks up behind the demon and touches the character using her Healing Pool to inflict damage. She says, “By the light of the sun I cleanse your evil taint with 30 Light”. The NPC demon takes 30 points of direct Body Point damage. Now Kida is engaged in combat and cannot touch the NPC. She uses her dagger to attack the demon. Normally she swings 1 damage with her dagger, but Kida has used a Holy Blessing and a +3 Strength Potion. She uses 1 point of her Healing Pool to augment her damage and now swings “6 Light” – 1 for the dagger, +1 for the Holy Blessing, +1 for the Healing Pool point, and +3 for the Giant Strength potion.

A Cleric or Paladin may use this skill to augment their damage to “Light” which will deal direct body damage to all undead, demons and Vile Spawn and requires at least one point of their Healing Pool per attack – damage or skill. If the character has the Cleric skill, they may use up to one purchase or 25 points of their Healing Pool to increase their damage. A character with the Paladin skill may use as much of their Healing Pool as they wish, up to their current total pool points. Either way, the character must call their verbal before each strike and the damage dealt is always “Light” damage. If the character fails to land their attack, they have 5 seconds to try to land the attack before they must recite their in-game verbal again.

For example, Reylos is fighting a pack of undead that is normally only affected by silver weapons or better. Having only normal weapons and swinging 7 points of damage, he uses three points of his Healing Pool with each swing. He now swings 10 points of damage and calls “10 Light”. Reylos can use more of his Healing Pool with each attack to increase his damage accordingly.

Damage augmented with “Light”, in either case, does not harm living characters unless noted on their Character Card.

This skill requires the use of a verbal, which must be at least 5 syllables, not including the skill’s name, and must contain some reasonably recognizable version of the name of the skill. This skill can be delivered by touch, thrown, or through a weapon. If delivered through a weapon, the targeted character must be struck, and weapons and shields will stop the attack. If the character misses their target, no matter how it is delivered, or the target uses a martial skill to stop the attack, the skill is not used. If the attack is stopped by an Empower skill or a magical defense that stops physical attacks, the skill is used.

This skill will allow the character to become completely and permanently immune to one specific charm or charm-like effect per purchase of this skill. Some of the charms that can be chosen are given below.

Charm Category
What is Stopped

Charm School Spell
That specific spell only.

Domination
Any domination effect, spell, ritual, or ability.

Vampiric Charm
Any charm effect from Vampires

Demonic Charm
Any charm effect from any demon or Hierarch

Possession
Any possession effect from any type of character

Hypnosis
Any hypnosis effect from any skill or ability

Undead Control
Any skill or ritual that controls undead (not Faith skills)

A character may not use this skill to become immune to any alchemical affect, even if that effect is similar to the categories listed above. Additionally, a character may not become immune to any Follower of the Light or Servant of Darkness compel or turn skills.

This skill grants the character a limited immunity to necromancy. The character is immune to any undead creation spell in the Necromancy School. Damaging spells from that school still effect the character normally and a Death Slave spell brings the character to the Brink of Death. Undead creating sorcery rituals affect the character, but they are at half power, in other words, half the normal Body Points, Power Points, Strength Bonus, Skills, etc. and is wracked with constant pain and agony. After the end of the current Event in which the undead was created, the player can choose to end their character’s undead torment whenever they want, even if the character is on their last death.

This skill makes the character permanently immune to all fear effects.

A player may only have the Cleric or Paladin skill at one time. It is possible, with Plot approval and appropriate in-game roleplay, for a character to change from a Paladin to a Cleric by swapping this skill for Cleric, with the appropriate Build Point change.

This skill will force all lesser undead and lesser demons, or one specific greater undead or greater demon to stay 10 feet away from the character for as long as they hold up their focus. The undead or demons may not attack, cast spells directed towards the character, or even look at the character. This skill does not require concentration and will remain in effect so long as the character continues to hold up their focus and in the case of a single target, towards the target character. The character may take offensive actions and cast spells while maintaining a repel, but should they take damage, the effect will end. Note that a character may only maintain one Repel Vile Spawn at a time and cannot use any of their other turn vile spawn skills while maintaining a Repel Vile Spawn skill.

This skill can only be countered by a Servant of Darkness control skill, Empower skill or sorcery; necromancy or abilities will not counter this skill.

This skill requires the use of the character’s focus and a verbal, which must be at least 5 syllables, not including the skill’s name, and must contain some reasonably recognizable version of the name of the skill.

This skill will stop one of the following skills: Death Touch, Pain Touch, Venom Touch, Sever Soul, Withering Touch, Fear Gaze or one strike of Dark damage or skills augmented with Dark. Dark damage is the only numerical damage stopped by this skill.

One use of Resist Evil will also stop the special abilities of supernatural creations of the Dark Lord that are effects, not damage.

It will not work on skills or spells delivered by these characters, nor will it work on any level of Cosmic Manipulation. A Dark Cleric using their Wounding Pool to cast Necromancy or Demonology Spells cannot be stopped by Resist Evil. Both the Resist Evil and the resisted skill are used.

In the case of use against Sever Soul, this skill can be used when the character is not conscious; the player not the character decides when to use it.

This skill will force all lesser undead and lesser demons within hearing range or line of sight of the character to turn and flee away from them for 10 minutes. The affected characters must turn and move as fast as that type of character is able to move. They are not allowed to take any offensive actions and cannot use defensive skills, but they may invoke latent defenses.

This skill can only be countered by a Servant of Darkness control skill, Empower skill or sorcery; necromancy will not counter this skill.

This skill requires the use of the character’s focus and a verbal, which must be at least 5 syllables, not including the skill’s name, and must contain some reasonably recognizable version of the name of the skill.

This skill will force all undead and demons of any type, within hearing range or line of sight of the character to turn and flee away from them for 10 minutes. The affected characters must turn and move as fast as that type of character is able to move. They are not allowed to take any offensive actions and cannot use defensive skills, but they may invoke latent defenses.

This skill can only be countered by a Servant of Darkness control skill, Empower skill or sorcery; necromancy will not counter this skill.

This skill requires the use of the character’s focus and a verbal, which must be at least 5 syllables, not including the skill’s name, and must contain some reasonably recognizable version of the name of the skill

This skill allows the character to cast white only rituals, gives the character a +5% Casting Bonus to all white and white only rituals and double their Knowledge Bonus for ranks of Healing School.

For more information, see the sections on Follower of the Light Advanced Career and Sorcerer Advanced Career