Paladins
God’s Chosen
Even the grimmest tales must still have heroes; and when the world is bleakest, even a small candle can provide a source of comfort and light. Old records and stories speak of those who burn brighter in the dark – those who strive to serve as beacons lighting the way for others. Their roads are difficult, long, and at times lonely – for the path of the righteous lacks shortcuts and is strewn with obstacles. These individuals were believed to be exemplars of the Benalian faith chosen to wield holy power by their god; to be both the open hand of grace and the closed fist of vengeance upon the wicked. It was believed for a long time that these holy souls had been snuffed out and extinguished – for no one had seen one in the flesh for many years, though rumors still persisted. They were regarded the same as Witch Kings or Mythical Heroes of legend – the hallmark of an Age that had passed from the world. However, sightings of these charismatic philanthropists have increased in recent years, and the miracles they are said to perform add fuel to the fires of belief. Some believe they have re-awakened to deliver the world from evil, and some say they never left. These paragons of humanity are Paladins.
Paladins, so marked by the fire of the archangels and the touch of the divine, are granted powers beyond the limits of mortal men – but so too must they deal with the constant temptation of the abyss. It is said that the demons of the deep envy them with their caress of heaven’s grace, and thus they constantly strive to turn them away from that benevolent light. These devils offer dark and corrupted versions of the Paladins’ gifts, greater and more terrible in the hands of these holy champions. So strong are these twisted endowments that it is exquisitely difficult to counter the strength of a paladin who has fallen to the darkness. The immanence within a Paladin, dark or light, can be sensed and felt by others who share this gift, and thus Paladins can recognize each other for what they are on sight- an ever important skill in a fragmented world where Paladins can be born in any locale or culture. But born indeed they must be for, despite all efforts, they cannot be made.
This recognition takes the form of a quick OOC question to a suspected other of their own kind. Staff will try to alert at check-in how many others of them there are in play if asked.
The sacred energy that Paladins draw on and expend when they use their gifts is called Empyria, and their bodies can only hold so much of it at a time. Empyria and Depravity are intertwined, with each Paladin having the same amount of Empyria as their Depravity threshold. This means that most Paladins have 5 Empyria, while those with the Faith Attribute at 2 have 7 Empyria. Despite their prominence in the Benalian faith, a Paladin can be of any faith, although all Paladins share the same Sins: the universal five sins, Passion, and Pride. They keep these sins throughout the entirety of their lives, no matter what faiths they may convert to and committing sins from these categories will cause them to acquire Depravity.
More disturbingly, as Paladins acquire Depravity through sinning, their Empyria becomes corrupted. Each level of Depravity that they acquire turns one of their Empyria dark, rendering it unusable for their normal Paladin gifts. It remains corrupted until they atone for that Depravity and can wash their soul clean of the sin. However, each Paladin gift has a dark version of itself- a defiled version of the power that is even more powerful than the uncorrupted version. These dark gifts cannot be fueled by normal Empyria, but rather cost corrupted Empyria. However, once a Paladin spends a corrupted Empyria to activate the dark version of their power, they can never cleanse that Empyria to make it untainted again, even if they atone for the depravity that caused it in the first place. Each Empyria turned dark in this way is one step closer to the Paladin falling from grace, descending into a corrupted and despoiled existence as an avatar of evil. Yet the promise of greater power is ever-present, tempting the Paladin to fall, especially as the Paladin’s purer power wanes the heavier their soul grows.
Paladins may choose, at any time, to change any or all of their available normal Empyria to dark Empyria and immediately spend it using a corrupted version of their gifts. And if all is lost, and they find themselves without any normal Empyria to draw on, they may choose to turn any or all of their empty Empyria dark to be spent and committed immediately. Empyria recovers automatically at dawn’s first light.
When a Paladin’s depravity exceeds their threshold and all of their Empyria is dark, or they have locked all of their Empyria into dark Empyria through the usage of corrupted powers, they become a Fallen Paladin rather than gaining an insanity. A Fallen Paladin may complete the rest of the event they fall in, but after that they become a non-playable character. The Paladin may choose during that final event to undergo a final test of the soul to determine if they achieve final rest and redemption. If they fail, or choose not to, they plague the world as a Fallen. The player may choose if staff may use their character as an NPC antagonist from that point forward.
Paladin Gifts
All Paladins start with two gifts that are included in the XP cost to start as a Paladin.These are as follows:
Charismata
Others can subtly feel the divine nature of a Paladin shining through, and are more receptive to inspiration from their words. At any time, a Paladin may spend one Empyria and give an uplifting speech to remove either misery or fear from up to four people within speaking distance of the Paladin, though it must be the same condition for the entire group.
Righteous Purpose
Paladins know, in some sense at least, that they are different from other humans, even before they first manifest their miraculous abilities. They feel a pull towards great acts, as if they know they are destined to influence the world. Every Paladin may request a holy quest from staff, upon completion of which they receive a Paladin achievement. They may only request one quest at a time, and only after the previous quest has been completed. These Paladin achievements are used to unlock a paladin gift for XP purchase. The purchase of Tier One gifts require one Paladin achievement to unlock, Tier Two gifts require two Paladin achievements to unlock, etc., in addition to their normal XP cost. These quests will sometimes come with more tangible rewards as well.
Gifts
All Paladins begin play with Charismata and Righteous Purpose. Paladins may choose to also purchase 1 level 1 Gift of their choice at the normal price, with the assumption being that they have performed those unlocks before the start of play.
All other gifts must be acquired in game after completing the requisite number of Paladin achievements and spending the required XP. Each tier of Paladin gifts costs five XP per tier, so Tier One Paladin gifts cost 5 XP, Tier Two gifts cost 10 XP, etc. Paladin gifts do not require a teacher, as they are part of the Paladin’s intuitive understanding of their own divine connection.
Paladin gifts fall into one of four trees: Divinity, Vision, Mercy, and Reckoning. In order to buy a Tier Two, Three, Four or Five gift a Paladin must have at least one Gift from the lower Tier in the same tree.
Divinity
Tier 1
Inspiration: The Paladin may inspire someone else to have his Devotion as well as their own for the remainder of the day. The subject must verbally agree to take on the Paladins devotion after a brief impassioned speech.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Desolation
Corrupted – Desolation: With the power of his words, a Paladin may inflict his Devotion upon another in addition to their normal devotion, by spending a corrupted Empyria whether the subject is willing or not. If the two Devotions conflict the target is considered to be in violation of one of them.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Lion Heart: The Paladin may resist any fears that may sway him from his divine path, as well as orders from those who would strive to move him from his truth and purpose. He may call upon this gift to resist a Fear or Terror call, or he may use this gift to Disregard any Obey command.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Heart of Stone
Corrupted – Heart of Stone: The Paladin may rid themselves of human weaknesses in order to focus on the task at hand, and do what must be done. They may use this gift to resist any insanity, Honor Code tenet, Obey commands, or Devotion for up to one minute.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Salubrious Gift: Through the cleansing light of god, a Paladin may purify their body and resist a poison call, alchemical effect, or disease. This gift is used per exposure.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Slithering Veins
Corrupted – Slithering Veins: The darkness within the Paladin takes root in their very essence, transforming their blood into a vile disease that poisons the faith of those who the Paladin touches. The Paladin may touch another and give them a Faith down effect equal to each corrupted Empyria that they spend. Call Faith Disease X, where X is the number of corrupted Empyria the Paladin spent.
Cost: Variable
Tier 2
Divine Appearance: Individuals find it nearly impossible to remain angry in the while in the tranquil presence of a Paladin with this power. The Paladin may call “Divine Obey: Calm” command on anyone with speaking distance. This call cannot be countered with a disregard.
Cost: 2 Empyria
Corrupted - Transfiguration
Corrupted – Transfiguration: The imposing majesty of the Paladin is apparent to any who regard them, making it impossible to resist their will. A Paladin with this power may spend two corrupted Empyria to issue a crowd obey call that cannot be resisted, or one corrupted Empyria to issue a singular obey call that cannot be resisted. The call is Divine Obey <command> <crowd or target>.
Cost: 2 Corrupted Empyria
Spiritual Journey: While traveling on their own, a Paladin may spend Empyria to enter a state of contemplation and walk for any length of time without food, water or shelter without suffering any missteps. They may eliminate any travel risk if they are traveling alone in the down time, but they start the next event with one less Empyria.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Dissolution
Corrupted – Dissolution: With an abyssal shriek, the Paladin’s body dissolves and seeks out the essence of one they know. They may call “Divine Escape” and use the “out of character” hand signal to travel to their target. They may reappear next to a person they have seen in the last 48 hours and position themselves in the most strategically advantageous way, such as behind the person’s back. This is true even if their target is hidden or otherwise unable to be found, in which case staff can lend assistance in this process where able.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Beacon of Hope: The Paladin’s very presence is a boon, and all who encounter them feel uplifted next to their divine spark. Fortune seems to smile on those who bask in their companionship, and those around them have faith that everything will turn out alright. The Paladin may give the Hopeful state to each person they individually exchange at least a few uplifting or meaningful words to within a scene or conversation lasting no more than a minute.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Invoke Catastrophe
Corrupted – Invoke Catastrophe: Contained within the Paladin is a well of darkness and despair resulting from turning from god’s light. It is capable of draining all that is bright and hopeful from a location. The Paladin may bleed the pleasure and happiness at will from a room they are in or a 10’ by 10’ space surrounding them with the call “Divine Despair.” All within that space gain Despair.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Tier 3
Defy Sorcery: Acknowledging no force greater than that of the divine, a Paladin may resist any attempt at arcane energies to affect him. The Paladin calls “Divine Armor” on any magical effect to block that effect.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Witchbane
Corrupted – Witchbane: Sometimes, it is not enough to shrug off attacks. Sometimes, those who would dare to insult the might and faith of a Paladin with sorcerous attacks must be punished. The Paladin calls “Divine Armor” on any magical or arcane effect in order to block that effect and reflect it back on the caster. In the case of an enchanted object, the effect is reflected back upon the user of the enchanted item.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Quick Mending: Paladins with this power recover from their wounds quicker than most mortals, their body quick to restore itself to its true form. After finishing their last rite they may spend an Empyria to stabilize themself, whether or not bandages were used on them. They may also spend an Empyria over the downtime to remove a level of a maim earned in play, starting the next game with one less Empyria per level of maim removed.
Cost: Variable
Corrupted - Wretched Knitting
Corrupted – Wretched Knitting: Unable to be kept down in the heat of battle, unable to be stopped with mere physical damage, the Paladin’s body may recover fully at the end of their last rite, with all of their skills refreshed and their body returned to the healthy state. The player may choose to costume menacing scars as a result of using this power.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Tireless Devotion: With this gift a Paladin becomes something more; something so filled with spiritual power that they are nourished by it, and no longer have the same needs for food or sleep as a normal human does. The Paladin may gain the following for the day: Light Sleeper, Immune to Traumatized, and Immune to Miserable. They can also choose to spend an Empyria to avoid the need to breathe air for an hour.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - No Rest for the Wicked
Corrupted – No Rest for the Wicked: The Paladin may fuel themselves by feeding on the energies of those around them. After successfully grappling an individual, they may call “Battered” on that person, and thus regain one Uncorrupted Empyria for each person they so Batter, up to their cap. This is a passive power, but the first time it is used it permanently locks in one corrupted Empyria. As a note, that this would cause the sin of either Deadly Greed or Mortal Degradation, depending on the situation.
Cost: Passive
Tier 4
Endless Champion: Those who fight a Paladin in battle say that the experience is terrifying, for they keep attacking long after another would have fallen as if they are fueled by a force not their own. Paladins with this power may spend an Empyria to instantly take a rest at any time, even in the middle of combat.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Slip from Grace
Corrupted – Slip from Grace: Sometimes drastic measures are called for in the name of the greater good, and a Paladin may use this dark gift to spend corrupted Empyria in order to activate an uncorrupted Paladin gift that they know, even if the Paladin is completely out of Uncorrupted Empyria. Using this power locks in that corrupted Empyria.
Cost: Cost is variable depending on how much Empyria the uncorrupted Paladin gift costs at a one to one ratio, but no matter the cost using this power permanently locks in one dark Empyria
Purity of Soul: The Paladin with this gift seems to be a boundless reservoir of energy, their will inexhaustible, as they perform ever more sacred deeds than seems possible. This passive ability allows a Paladin to regain all of their Uncorrupted Empyria once per day by successfully expending a prayer state.
Cost: Passive
Corrupted - Epiphany
Corrupted – Epiphany: The Paladin who turns to this dark gift allows their inner light to banish all of the doubts, care, or remorse that plague them. Once activated, this power permanently grants the Paladin the ability: once per day you may take a single action that would normally lead to depravity without taking any sin.
Cost: Passive once activated by turning 1 Empyria permanently Corrupted
Purity of Heart: With a gesture, the Paladin may call upon that part of themselves that lies separate from the mundane world. For one hour they become so fully aligned with the spiritual plane that no normal melee or ranged weapons can harm them. The call is Divine Immune Normal Weapons. This does not include weapons or devices bearing additional tags as part of their call, such as divine, arcane, or malefic.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Scornful Heart
Corrupted – Scornful Heart: By wallowing in the guilt from all their past misdeeds, a Paladin may call forth their overwhelming rage and anger, whether directed at themselves or others. Unleashing this onslaught of loathing, they summon a blazing inferno to a ten by ten feet area around them. Anyone within that area, excluding the Paladin, is affected by hellfire, and takes one hit to the torso per ten seconds that they remain in the location, to which they cannot call any defenses. The Call for these attacks is “By My Gesture: Divine Powerstrike” which does not require a physical hit on targets within heavy weapon range.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Tier 5
Immortal: With this power a Paladin becomes indestructible, able to resurrect at the exact moment of death and avoiding the heavy veil of the grave entirely. They may spend one Empyria to have their body instantly ash upon death and go to staff to have staff bring them to the location they resurrect at. Any blessed or holy relics they had on their person when they died stay with them, and the Paladin suffers no memory loss or loss of touchstone memories.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Revenant
Corrupted – Revenant: Death is denied to a Paladin who chooses to follow this gift. They may choose to resurrect their dead body themselves, returning to life 10 seconds after being killed from where their body has fallen. They remember everything and suffer no loss of memory or touchstone memory loss, but every time this power is used a new corrupted Empyria is locked and cannot be uncorrupted.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria each time
Transcendence: Appearing as more angel than man, a Paladin with this power can sprout beautiful, divine wings from their back at will- transcending their mortal form and inspiring awe in those around them. If these wings are costumed, they offer 1 armor call on the back and allow the Paladin to swoop in (walk over OOC) to join an ally in battle or remove an ally from a battle and deposit them somewhere else within line of sight. These wings may remain until the Paladin wishes to vanish them, although an Empyria must be spent each time a Paladin wishes to use these wings to fly.
Cost: 1 Empyria to activate wings; 1 Empyria per subsequent use of Flying
Corrupted - Damnation
Corrupted – Damnation: The Paladin chooses to let their once bright wings become dark and monstrous, betraying the growing darkness of the soul within. If these wings are costumed, they offer 1 armor call on the back and the Paladin may fly to any location and join a battle wherever they choose. When they land, everyone within weapons reach of the paladin is affected by an Area of Effect attack that gives two limb strikes and can only be defended by Transcendence. The Paladin must choose whether everyone within that range is affected by one arm and one leg, two legs, or two arms. Every attribute of the Paladin is increased by 1 for the scene, up to a maximum of Rank 3 in the Attribute. These wings may cosmetically remain after this power is activated until the Paladin wishes to vanish them, but a Corrupted Empyria must be spent each time a Paladin wishes to use their wings to use this flying attack. If a Paladin who has used Damnation ever again tries to use Transcendence, their wings will always appear dark, or twisted and stained in some way.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Vision
Tier 1
Dreaming: Some Paladins manifest an affinity for understanding and influencing the subconscious, as though a portal to mortal dreams has been cracked open to them. The Paladin may touch the sleeping mind of anyone they know and send them a dream of their choosing. When the target awakens, they will remember all of the details transmitted to them with perfect clarity. The Paladin must design the dream in writing which staff will deliver to the target in the morning. Given the symbolic nature of dreams, however, they cannot communicate specific proper nouns such as names or exact places.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Torment
Corrupted – Torment: A sleeping mind also means that the reins on the terrors born of generations of collective dangers and dreams have been loosened. This gift allows a Paladin to construct a terrible nightmare that controls the mind of the target and bends them to her will. The Paladin may issue a Divine Obey command that must be performed the moment the target wakes up. The target cannot be commanded to kill themselves or to place themselves in immediate and obvious danger. This command must also be something that can be accomplished within an hour, after which the target snaps out of the state they’re in.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Guidance: An old folk belief was that the prayers of a Paladin had a more direct path to god, and thus the inspirations that resulted from their prayers were less diluted from the human mind’s mistranslation and misunderstanding of the divine The Paladin may use this gift to go into seclusion for several minutes. During this time they may spend an Empyria and expend the prayer state in order to beg for spiritual guidance from the heavens. They may seek answers to questions like, “How can I solve this problem without sinning?”, or they may ponder whether a course of action has a fair chance of success. This guidance is obtained by asking a Staff member their opinion, and Staff will offer a small suggestion or pose a question the Paladin had perhaps not considered.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Become the Abyss
Corrupted – Become the Abyss: There are those Paladins who grow too impatient to wait for guiding words and contemplation. They desire immediate knowledge derived from seeing events first- hand. No matter where they may be or what they may be engaged in, a Paladin may force themselves into the spaces beneath perception and between worlds for five minutes. During this time they may not touch or interact with anything in the physical world, although they may see and observe. All of the Paladin’s gear and equipment that was on their body comes with them. They may not prematurely re-enter the physical world before the five minutes is up, and they emerge in the location where they are at the end of the five minutes. The Paladin is not immune to attacks from other denizens of these shadowy spaces – such as another Paladin using this same power.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Read the Room: By focusing on the energies of those around him, a Paladin may understand with clarity their guiding emotions. After a conversation with their target, the Paladin can determine what the person’s current main emotion is, as well as determine whether they are under the effect of a social power of any kind. Additionally, he can choose to remove the effects of that social power at the end of the conversation.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Dramatic Effect
Corrupted – Dramatic Effect: Some emotions serve no purpose or might detract from the Paladin’s aims. With this gift, the Paladin can manipulate and change the emotions of those around him. He may evoke any single emotion in a character after a conversation, which lasts for at least an hour- although the character will tend towards that emotion for the rest of the day, however they choose to roleplay it.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Tier 2
Dead Man’s Eyes: Both a benefit and a burden, Paladins manifesting this gift can gaze into the blank eyes of a dead mortal shell and see the last few minutes prior to the person’s death from the victim’s own perspective. This experience can be ended at any time they choose, though it will automatically stop once the memory of the victim’s death is complete. Choosing to re-experience the death of the target is terribly traumatic, and as such, using this power will cause the paladin to suffer blackout and to suffer from a traumatized state that cannot be fixed for the remainder of the scene and the next hour.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Death Dreamer
Corrupted – Death Dreamer: Perhaps the Paladin knows best as to what the victim can and cannot handle. Perhaps they need their target to understand something pertinent about their death. Perhaps they need to cover up a dark deed. Regardless of their reasons, while looking into the eyes of the target’s corpse, the Paladin may spend a corrupted Empyria to both see the death, as well as allow the victim to remember it. However, the victim’s memory of their death may be changed or altered to be whatever the Paladin tells them it is.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Tongues: As a Paladin is believed to be a champion for all of humanity, so it is thus that they may speak in any of the tongues of man. A Paladin with this gift may call upon divine inspiration to have intention and meaning made clear to them. They may understand a language for the span of a conversation or about 5 pages of text. They must spend one Empyria for a common language, two for an obscure language, and three for a lost language.
Cost: Variable (1-3)
Corrupted - Crown of Thorns
Corrupted – Crown of Thorns: Twisting their gift of tongues into a tool that can sow the seeds of chaos and confusion, a Paladin may spend a Corrupted Empyira to give someone they touch aphasia for an hour, causing them to believe they are speaking normally while they are actually babbling in gibberish. Any effect that requires specific spoken words will fail, and may have ramifications.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Life Ken: With careful intent and insight, over time the Paladin can sense the waxing and waning flow of the energies of life itself. Just as the living pulse brightly, so too does the dark absence of life, or the dimming of disease or injury make itself apparent to her. The Paladin can detect the health of living beings and undead in the area (approximately the size of a standard room) for the scene by asking their target(s) an OOC question such as “Are you affected by any drugs or diseases?” or “What injuries are you affected with?” and gain the information that the player has. They can also call “Tracking Dead/Wounded” to find dead bodies or people who are downed.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Shadow Call
Corrupted – Shadow Call: Nothing may hide from the Paladin who chooses to see farther than the eyes of man were meant to. The darkness and shadows part for her, as do the veils that separate the natural and the supernatural. She may call “Tracking Divine Reveal” and have anyone who can hear the tracking call temporarily reveal themselves fully for a few moments, whether they are mortal, malefic, or otherwise.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Tier 3
Forewarning: The Paladin has opened themselves to premonition and signs from the universe of what is to come, and they are especially sensitive to impending threats to themselves. This passive power allows the Paladin to protect themselves from some of the mortal dangers of the world by granting them the Light Sleeper perk, rendering them immune to Assasination, and alerting them to the presence of poison in their food or drink. They will suddenly be aware that a beverage or food item is dangerous right before they are about to consume it- although they will not have more detail than that.
Cost: Passive
Corrupted - Blind the Eyes of Fate
Corrupted – Blind the Eyes of Fate: Sometimes there are things that a Paladin does not wish others to be able to see, and through their own terrible force of will, they may mute or hide such things from the gaze of mortals. A Paladin with this gift may remove the emotional resonance from an object or make one room- no larger than ten feet by ten feet- immune to scrying or divination for an hour.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Spellseer: Magic has a distinct energy, unweaving and reforging reality as it does. While only a Magician can truly understand the subtleties of such force, some Paladins are inherently attuned to notice such things. With this gift, a Paladin can sense magical auras and enchantments, as well as gain a rough understanding of a spell’s intended purpose. This effect lasts for the scene and also allows the Paladin to sense if a person is a source of magic or has had magic cast on them in the last chapter.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Eye of the Malestrom
Corrupted – Eye of the Malestrom: Magic is also a wild thing, barely contained and controlled by even the most talented and rigorously trained. With this dark gift, the Paladin is able to twist and fuel arcane energies into an overwhelming wave crashing upon its would-be master. He can call Stun Body on any Magician that is currently casting or hanging a spell. This interrupts the Magician and forces them to roll on their anacrusis chart, rolling on the mild anacrusis chart for level 1 spells, the next chart for level 2 spells, and the next chart for level 3-4 spells.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Unseen Hand: The Paladin with this power can manipulate and move objects under their gaze with their mind, allowing them to call Divine Disarm on a target. This not only disarms the target – it also delivers the weapon to the Paladin’s hand. This gift may also be used to bring the Paladin’s own weapon back to their hand if they were disarmed. Paladins using Unseen Hand may only pull one weapon to their empty hand at a time, pulling a weapon to a full hand will result in a strike on the Paladin as if the weapon hit them. They can also pull an item that they can see to them, as long as it is within ten feet. The Call for this is “Divine Disarm To My Hand.”
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - The Devil’s Fist
Corrupted – The Devil’s Fist: A Paladin with this gift may exert a violent concussive force on enemies around them, flinging them like ragdolls and shattering objects. They may call Divine Stun Body on any target within ten feet of them, as a wall of concussive force radiates outward from the Paladin, or they may slam a target into a wall within a room and hold them there for the space of a rest. In either use, all of the targets’ armor and shield are sundered, and any weapon they are holding is disarmed. The Call is Divine Stun Body, Sunder Armor and Shield, Disarm Weapon.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Tier 4
Communion: The fortress of the mind opens its gates to the Paladin with this gift. She may link minds with her target, and spend an Empyria to enter into a two-way conversation within their thoughts for five minutes, or she may spend the Empyria to search through their mind to gather a single piece of information relevant to events happening presently by asking an OOC question every minute. The Paladin needs to be able to see the target in order to read their thoughts. Additionally, anyone who has spoken to the Paladin personally may use their Prayer ability to pray to the Paladin and she will know the nature of their prayer. This portion of the ability is always active but does not always happen at the same time as the prayer.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Desolation
Corrupted – Desolation: If the mind is unguarded, it is also defenseless to protect that which it keeps: memories. The Paladin can change the memories of their target that are the length of a scene or an hour, whichever is shorter. The Paladin has to be talking with the target in order to tell them what they remember, and they must finish their description of this new memory in order for this power to go into effect. If the process is interrupted, the memory is not altered and the power fails.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Grand Destiny: The Paladin is a true inspiration to all who witness him, so much so that with an exchange of words, he may set someone on an entirely new path in life, completely altering the course of their destiny. By nearly or completely exhausting all of their Empyria, a Paladin may give a target a new Devotion that replaces their current Devotion. This Devotion lasts until the object of their original devotion is presented to them, at which point the target can choose if they want their new devotion to be permanent.
For example, if their target originally had the Devotion of Love:Tiffany, and the Paladin changed it to Order: Benalian Church, this Devotion would last until the target saw Tiffany once more. At that time, the target may decide if they want to return to their old Devotion, or carry on their new path.
Cost: 5 Empyria
Corrupted - Fate Stealer
Corrupted – Fate Stealer: By spending five Corrupted Empyria, the Paladin may forcibly change the course of their target’s future and fortune by temporarily possessing them and making them take specific actions for an hour. The target remembers everything they did, but believes that they took those actions free of any sort of outside influence and tries to rationalize their behavior. The Paladin should give the player very specific instructions of what their character should be doing for that hour, and then the player will act it out.
Cost: 5 Corrupted Empyria
Prophecy: The threads of Fate that weave a tapestry incomprehensible to the human eye can sometimes reveal parts of their pattern to the Paladin. By spending a large amount of Empyria, once per game, the Paladin may ask Staff one question about the future which the staff must answer to the best of their ability. However, even simply knowing can change the future.
Cost: 5 Empyria
Corrupted - Hand of Destiny
Corrupted – Hand of Destiny: And some Paladins are able to pull on those threads of Fate and reweave them into something else. By spending their maximum Empyria, once per game, the Paladin gains a prophecy in the same manner as the above gift. The Paladin may then submit a statement with an “and” that relates to the prophecy, to which the Staff may submit a statement with a “but.” Both of these statements are true although requests of the future may be delayed by plot needs.
Cost: 5 Empyria (either corrupted or uncorrupted), but using this power locks in all unlocked corrupted Empyria used and requires at least one corrupted Empyria to use.
Tier 5
Avatar:The Paladin summons an angelic being of holy form and function, with three ranks in every Attribute, the equivalent of any single level five skill (as well as the skills that lead up to that fruit), and divine armor. Once summoned, it can act on its own and needs no further instruction, but will respond to the will of its creator. However, this creature cannot do anything that would result in depravity for itself or others. It will vanish at the end of the scene, if destroyed, or if the creator loses consciousness.
Cost: 5 Empyria
Corrupted - The Conqueror Manifest
Corrupted – The Conqueror Manifest: There are times when all hope is lost, and the only solution remaining is to seek the strength of the darkness. The Paladin with this power can use their mind as a beacon and make themselves into a bridge for a demonic entity to manifest itself. This creature has enormous cosmic powers and will do anything you ask of it, but it does not remain under the control of the Paladin after it is finished, nor is it banished after performing this task unless forcibly removed from this plane .
Cost: 5 Corrupted Empyria
Omniscience: Though the Paladin is still limited by the capabilities of her mortal-born mind to process it, the universe has opened itself to her. By spending a large amount of Empyria, the Paladin can have an OOC conversation with a staff member consisting of a series of “If, then” statements, to which the staff member will answer Yes, No, or Unclear given how close they are to reality. Example – “If John goes to the ruins tonight, then he will catch a disease.” This questioning continues until the Paladin chooses to end it or they receive 3 No responses.
Cost: 5 Empyria
Corrupted - Omnipotence
Corrupted – Omnipotence: For some, it is not enough to know. They must touch and change that which does not please them. The Paladin may have an OOC conversation with a staff member consisting of a series of “If, then” statements, to which the staff member will answer Yes or No. Example – “If John doesn’t lock his doors tonight, then he will not survive to see the dawn.” Those statements to which the Staff member offers a “Yes” response become reality. Should the “if” condition be met in play, the “then” result is unavoidable. This questioning continues until the Paladin chooses to end it or they recieve 3 “Yes” responses.
Cost: 5 Corrupted Empyria
Mercy
Tier 1
The Good of Others: The Paladin can choose to take on the wounds and ailments of another. Although diseases, maims and poisons must be transferred in whole, the paladin may split individual wounds obtained in combat and only transfer some between the subject and the Paladin. Each such transfer costs one Empyria. This transfer is one way and once completed cannot be undone. So powerful is this gift, that the Paladin can even undo death itself if they intervene before the body turns to ash or begins decomposing. However, doing so will kill the Paladin. Powers that render the Paladin resistant to effects that he would take upon himself in this way, such as Salubrious Gift, Quick Mending, Immortal, etc, do not work as they ordinarily would – the Paladin suffers exactly as much as the person would from the ailment that passes to him.
Cost: 1 Empyria per type of transfer per subject
Corrupted - The Value of Others
Corrupted – The Value of Others: The burden of responsibility lies heavily atop the Paladin, and at times, that suffering must be lessened. Or perhaps a lesson or punishment must be passed on to one deserving of it. With a searing touch, all of the Paladin’s own Injuries or Battered Conditions, Maims, Poisons or Diseases are passed on to another.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Shepherd’s Crook: The Paladin’s compassion can shield even the wicked from harm, even if the agent of that harm is the Paladin himself. By extending the mercy in his heart to his attacks, every blow the Paladin lands has the stun limb/torso effect rather than inflicting Injuries or Strikes. This effect can be parried or dodged.
Cost: 1 Empyria per target per combat
Corrupted - Reaver’s Lash
Corrupted – Reaver’s Lash: The Paladin lets their rage and hate pour out of them, turning their attacks into something spiteful and bloody. The force of these vicious blows slides around anything blocking them and slices into flesh. After spending one corrupted Empyria for the combat scene, whenever weapon contact is made with another character the Paladin also calls Bleed on their opponent, even if the attack is blocked by a shield or weapon. The Call is Divine Bleed.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Soothing Presence: A Paladin with this gift gives off a calming aura that pacifies tempers and strong emotions. Angry individuals will become easier to reason with, and even the most violent find their bloodlust cooled. The Paladin may call “Divine Group Obey: Calm” and any individual within oration range who is combative or hostile will shift toward a neutral mood as their mind relaxes and they cease to have apprehensions. The calming command lasts for the scene, or until something incites violence again.
Cost: 2 Empyria
Corrupted - Fearsome Presence
Corrupted – Fearsome Presence: The Paladin’s emotion-choked aura permeates the area they are in, spreading unease, tension, and discontent. Those in range find that their nerves are on edge, their fighting instincts rise to the surface, and raised voices and violence feel like the only options for resolution. The Paladin may spend a corrupted Empyira to call “Divine Group Obey: Be Enraged” on all in Oration range, but they may not exclude anyone, even their allies.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Tier 2
Chasten: The words of a Paladin often feel weighty with meaning and inspiration, and it is common for people to seek them out for their advice and wisdom, whether or not they understand the true nature of the Paladin. With this gift, the Paladin may spend an Empyria to sit down and speak with another and offer them advice. If the individual follows that advice, they will lose Despair.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Temptation
Corrupted – Temptation: The Paladin may twist their gift with words and give advice or command another to take some course of action which would be sinful and which they do not already have. If the individual obeys, the Paladin gains Corrupted Empyria equal to the Depravity of the deed even if they would normally go over their maximum Empyria, although they may not exceed eight Empyria. The individual also loses Despair. This can be used once per person per event. This power may be activated once a day for 1 Corrupted Empyria, but may be used passively throughout the day once activated.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria to activate for a day, passive for that day after activation.
Holy Concert: The voice is a powerful instrument that can be used to all manner of ends and purposes, and the Paladin can use their voice to uplift, inspire, and give all who listen the drive to persevere. So powerful is this inspiration that the body responds as well as the mind. Using the power of their voice, a Paladin with this gift can stabilize anyone within oration range. They simply call their divine energy into themselves, hold their hands up to heavens and call “Divine Group Stabilize: All Who Hear Me”.
Cost: 2 Empyria
Corrupted - Black Cacophony:
Corrupted – Black Cacophony: A Paladin who chooses to corrupt their gift may instead let out a horrid and painfully piercing demonic screech and call “Divine Weaken: Fortitude 2: All Who Hear Me” and give that effect to all within oration range. If another Paladin is within that range the Paladin using this dark gift may also call “Divine Drain: 3 Empyria” and receive 3 uncorrupted Empyria from the target Paladin. This draining ability may not be used more than once per hour.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Lay on Hands: The Paladin is able to call upon healing energies and use their body as a conduit for this miraculous ability. When they lay their hands upon a wounded person, the injured find that their wounds close, Battered is removed, and their health is restored. Bleeding immediately halts and if the wound is still fresh (incurred within the same scene) this power can even heal a permanent injury such as a new maim or the new worsening of a maim. This healing takes the course of a full minute and may not be used on one’s self.
Cost: 2 Empyria
Corrupted - Harm Touch
Corrupted – Harm Touch: By focusing on their contempt, disgust, and malice instead of mercy and grace, a Paladin can inflict an awful wound upon another with only their touch. Upon a successful Grab using a brawl boffer, a Paladin may spend one Empyria to call “Divine: Powerstrike.” You can use this power even if you do not have Brawl skills.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Tier 3
Humility: The Paladin is in tune with a benevolent sense of grace, and exudes an air of forgiveness as they guide others through their moral struggles. A Paladin with this gift may listen to the confession of another, and afterwards may spend Empyria equal to the Depravity of the sin that was confessed to wash them clean of that sin without needing to go through the atonement ritual.
Cost: Variable
Corrupted - Channel Hate
Corrupted – Channel Hate: The Paladin boils over with negative, powerful emotions, and may lash out their hatred in the form of terrible lightning. For each corrupted Empyria spent the Paladin may point at someone within Oration range and call Divine: Stun Body.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria per call
Reverse Ruin: In the wake of ruin, where all seems sundered and shattered, a Paladin may set the world to right. By expending Empyria, the Paladin is able to reverse damage to objects around her: a dirty shawl will become clean and free of taint, the shards of a broken pot will find their proper places, and an ancient potion will become fresh and new again. A Paladin may spend one Empyria to clean an item or restore something rotted or rusted, two Empyria to repair a sundered item, or three Empyira to repair Destroyed or Expired items. This power only applies to things, and not to living creatures.
Cost: Variable 1-3 Empyria
Corrupted - Ruination
Corrupted – Ruination: Some things should be destroyed, left broken so they cannot be used again. Some actions should be final, and unable to be taken back. With this power, a Paladin may break a thing forever, rendering it Destroyed, or with a killing blow, send a person directly to a Harrowing no matter how many touchstone memories they have. People killed in this way may still come back, but they are forever altered by the experience and come back changed in some way. This power takes 2 corrupted Empyria to ruin an object, and 4 corrupted Empyria to ruin a person.
Cost: 2 or 4 Corrupted Empyria
Spell-breaker: Anything woven can be unwoven. Using this gift, a Paladin may channel holy power to see the threads of magic controlled by a Magician within the vicinity, and counteract the spell before it can have an effect. By spending two Empyria, the spell fails at once. This can be used to immediately undo any effect just called by a Mage by calling “Divine Destroy: Spell.” Too much time will have elapsed to successfully use this gift if the Magician or the Paladin has taken another action since the spell was cast.
Cost: 2 Empyria
Corrupted - Spell-eater
Corrupted – Spell-eater: The Paladin takes the raw arcane energy of a spell and converts it to energy that fuels them instead. They may spend one Empyria to resist any spell effect that targets them directly and, when doing so, a number of Empyria are restored equal to the Power of the magic spell effect, to their normal maximum. This siphoning of magical energy also drains the Magician and gives them the Weaken: Intellect 2 effect on the first use and Traumatized on the second use.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Tier 4
Salubrium: The power of the Paladin’s voice has been refined and honed to a beautiful purpose, and all who hear it can feel the strength of their divine connection. The Paladin extends their arms out wide and, taking no other actions except speaking, may spend 3 Empyria to call “ Heal one wound” for someone within oration range once every ten seconds. One a Paladin moves or takes any action besides speaking, the gift stops working, and they must spend 3 Empyria to activate Salubrium again.
Cost: 3 Empyria
Corrupted - Dissonantia
Corrupted – Dissonantia: A Paladin may call upon the darkness within them and summon death itself to walk the field. From their shadow seeps a foul miasma which pours into the field and allows them to call first “Divine Stun: Combat: All Who Hear Me”. After five seconds, they may then call “Divine Bleed from the Eyes: Anyone Stunned”. Then, after an additional five seconds, they may call “Divine Weaken 2: all Physicals: Anyone with Bleed”. Finally, after an additional five seconds, they may call “Divine Black Out: Anyone Weakened”.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Pillar of Faith: It is believed to be inherent within the holy spirit of the Paladin to be able to drive away evil. The Paladin may hold their arms aloft and call “Divine Obey: Be Banished” on up to 10 Undead and/or Triumverati of their choice within the scene. These characters or creatures must then leave the scene immediately. These individuals may not return while combat is occurring or while the Paladin has their arms outstretched, but the power must be reactivated to banish new individuals.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Bastion of Evil
Corrupted – Bastion of Evil: A Paladin may choose a different use for their power and instead decide to bolster or control malevolent entities. In embracing their own darkness, encountered Malefic regard the Paladin as an ally and an authority. The Paladin may use a “Divine: Obey” call against Malefic creatures. Additionally, every Malefic entity within speaking distance gains a Malefic Armor call. This lasts for a combat or a scene. At the end of the combat/scene, the Malefic creatures will scatter, although creatures of human intellect or greater are aware of the Paladin’s manipulations.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Angelic Caress: With their kindly and gentle touch, a Paladin may bring forth the grace of the heavens and set right what has been broken. The Paladin may lay their hands upon another and remove damnations, old maims, or drive out unclean spirits of contagion and plague. For any of these effects, the Paladin spends a number of Empyria equal to the point value a physical or mental impairment would award as a flaw in order to remove it from the subject (two Empyria for mild maim or insanity, four Empyria for severe, or six for crippling). If the impairment was bought at character creation as a Flaw, this process allows the subject to buy the flaw off their sheet at cost. Meanwhile, Poisons and Diseases are cured with two Empyria. This process requires a scene of at least ten minutes, and if the subject is unwilling they must be physically restrained. The Paladin may not use this on themselves.
Cost: Variable
Corrupted - Vile Touch
Corrupted – Vile Touch: This Paladin’s tainted touch brings not grace, but corruption, making it a thing of desecration. By laying their hands upon a person, they may break that person’s mind or body, inflicting upon them an insanity or maim by spending Corrupted Empyria equal to the flaw point value of the insanity or maim. They may also choose instead to cause disease, Calling Disease where the effect is equal to the corrupted Empyria they spent.
Cost: Variable
Tier 5
Grace: A Paladin with this power is regarded almost as a living saint, and finds themselves able to set at ease the most profound hurts of a person’s soul. The Paladin may lay their hands upon another’s brow and spend Empyria. Every Empyria they spend removes Despair or one Depravity immediately. If the subject was Wicked in the sin to be removed, they find themselves suddenly both remorseful and joyful knowing that they have been forgiven, and may buy off the flaw at cost.
Cost: Variable
Corrupted - Profanity
Corrupted – Profanity: This Paladin’s very existence seems obscene and grotesque to all, and they smear foulness upon all they touch. There is nothing so pure that it cannot be made filthy by one such as this. Touching another’s brow, they may spend Corrupted Empyria to give that person one Despair and one Depravity of their choice within their culture’s sins, and the Wicked Flaw to match that Depravity. Those affected by this corruption are said to never feel clean again.
Cost: Equal Corrupted Empyria to the level of Depravity given
Unquenchable Light: The Paladin may call miracles into being as the very idea of infirmity or death seems impossible in their presence. By stretching their hands to the heavens, they may resurrect everyone within oration distance as if they had never died, and return everyone who was wounded to perfect health.
Cost: 5 Empyria
Corrupted - Hand of Undeath
Corrupted -Hand of Undeath: The Paladin is an angel of death, a reaper upon a field of corpses. With this dark and unholy gift, all the dead within oration distance will rise and turn towards the Paladin to perform her bidding. With the call of “Divine Obey: All the Dead” all the corpses are bent to her will in a shambling mockery of life. These bodies will remain hers to command for up to an hour.
Cost: 5 Corrupted Empyria
Reckoning
Tier 1
Whispers of God: The Paladin’s kiss upon a weapon infuses it with a subtle power, making it into a Weapon of the Dawn until sunrise the next day or until utilized. This holy weapon may deliver one single Divine: Power Strike against a Malefic creature. This does not, however, affect incorporeal creatures or refresh on Rest. Cost: 1 Empyria per weapon
Cost: 1 Empyria per weapon
Corrupted - Absence of God
Corrupted – Absence of God: As if creating a blindspot where the gods cannot see, this twisted gift allows the negation of a single Paladin gift in use by another Paladin, including Passive powers. The Corrupted Empyria spent must be equal to the Empyria spent by the Paladin affected, (or the Tier in the case of Passive Powers) and that power cannot be reactivated for the scene or for an hour, whatever is longer. The Paladin calls “Unweave ” to strip the target Paladin of their active gift.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Forfeit Life: The Paladin’s compassion for others allows them to defend them beyond what would normally be possible. The Paladin may spend any Physical Defense they have access to on behalf of another character that is within a few feet by calling, for example: “Parry ”. They may also choose to take damage or an effect instead of that person, calling “Taken ” for the person they are protecting, and accepting the damage or effect.
Cost: 1 Empyria per call
Corrupted - Demand Life
Corrupted – Demand Life: The Paladin’s presence can also seem intoxicating, drawing others to them like moths to a flame, with the same sense of self-destruction. He can make others believe that the Paladin’s life is more valuable than their own, inspiring them to risk their life on his behalf. This gift requires only a look from the Paladin, the expenditure of one Corrupted Empyria, and calling “Obey: Defend Me ” to someone in oration range.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Martyrdom: Driven for the good of others, sometimes a Paladin is pushed past their limits, and yet they keep going. This sacrificial gift allows the Paladin to activate one of their gifts without an Empyria cost if they are depleted to the point where they could not activate it normally. But this comes at a cost. When this gift is activated, the Paladin begins to bleed from the eyes which results in a Bleed condition that lasts until sunrise the next day and cannot be remedied by traditional means. If this gift is used by the Paladin a second time in the same day, they also receive a permanent mild maim to the eye (blurry vision), if it is used a third time a severe maim (lost eye), and a fourth time results in a crippling maim (blinded). These maims may not be healed by traditional means either but require the use of paladin abilities to heal these maims. This power may only be used to activate gifts, and not to activate corrupted gifts.
Cost: Passive
Corrupted - Inflicted
Corrupted – Inflicted: Sometimes, for the greater good, the Paladin must make use of the sacrifices of others. When the Paladin spends one Corrupted Empyria and activates this gift they may, for one Combat scene, regain one Empyria up to their normal maximum each time they successfully inflict an Injury upon or Down an opponent. This cannot be done on a willing individual. As a note, this would cause the sin of either Deadly Greed or Mortal Degradation, depending on the situation.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Tier 2
Heroism: By attuning themselves more fully to their divine mission, a Paladin may temporarily push past the normal limits of their body, and become capable of feats they could not have done before. At the cost of 1 Empyria, the Paladin may temporarily raise their Strength, Speed, or Fortitude Attribute up to a maximum of level two for a Scene. Each Attribute may only be raised once per Attribute per scene.
Cost: 1 Empyria per Attribute
Corrupted - Demonic
Corrupted – Demonic: By openly inviting the possession of a wicked spirit or demonic energy, the Paladin may increase their Strength, Speed or Fortitude up to the third level for the remainder of the Scene. Each Attribute may be raised for one Empyria, but only once per attribute per scene. The eyes glow red when this power is invoked.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria per Attribute
Holy Smite: Filled with the light of their righteous mission and a blade that thirsts for justice, the Paladin has become an agent of destruction on all that is evil. The Paladin may spend an Empyria and recite a litany of sins they know or believe their opponent has committed – for every Deadly Sin named in the five universal sins, the Paladin gains a Strike call against the opponent during the combat scene. If the Paladin is incorrect in the sin litany recitation, however, nothing happens.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Nemesis Blow
Corrupted – Nemesis Blow: The Paladin shouts out a litany of their own unatoned sins, embracing their guilt and depravity in exchange for power. For every Deadly Sin they list for which they still have the Depravity, the Paladin gains a Powerstrike they may use against their opponent within the same Combat.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Light of the Soul: Pulling on their well of inner strength and perseverance, a Paladin may spend an Empyria to resist their wounds, as per a use of the skill True Grit, or they can resist an injury on an injured limb for the span of the combat.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Sanctity’s Betrayal
Corrupted – Sanctity’s Betrayal: The Paladin devours their body’s weaknesses, refusing to succumb to wreckage of their physical shell. They may call “Divine: Block” to denote a physical attack striking their spiritual shield and not their person, and thus become temporarily immune to any physical harm or attack.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria per call
Tier 3
Thunderclap: The Paladin invokes divine strength from the heavens, holding up his fist into the air and causing a deafening thunder-crack and brilliant blast of light to issue forth. He may spend one Empyria and call “Thunderclap Divine Stun: Body” to stun any creature within speaking range. Such a power may destroy weaker Malefic creatures (such as Instinct level 2 or lower) as well.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Prince of Darkness
Corrupted – Prince of Darkness: The Paladin can reach into the crevices of reality and wield the darkness within. By kneeling and touching his shadow, the Paladin may cause anyone standing in a shadow or darkness to be struck by umbral horrors. The Paladin may call “Strike” on anyone in shadow who is within oration distance (see terms), although those standing in light will find themselves immune to the teeth and claws of tenebrosity.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Wizard’s Debt: Aligning themselves with the sacred forces of the universe, and becoming a tool of equilibrium, the Paladin’s weapon crackles with a strange power. The Paladin may then point and yell at a Magician within oration range “Divine Destroy: Hung Spell” to destroy any hung spells that Magician has prepared.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Glimpse Beyond
Corrupted – Glimpse Beyond: The Paladin invokes a terrifying power and causes the world to twist and writhe subtly around them. For the rest of the combat, the world seems muffled and strange within speaking range of the Paladin. The air thins, and no magic functions at all. Spells die as they reach this space and no enchantments give their effects until they are away from the Paladin once again. The Paladin can call “Divine No Effect” for any spell or magical effect that attempts to affect anyone within speaking range of them.
Cost: 3 Corrupted Empyria
Sunder Darkness: A Paladin with this gift appears able to land whatever blow would be most damaging to sources of villainy and wickedness. They smite with tremendous physical force, stretching the bounds of what their weapons can do. They may spend an Empyria to call any weapon quality of their choosing on a single hit.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Reaper of Souls
Corrupted – Reaper of Souls: The dying are of limited use in battle, and sometimes the call must be made to put them out of their misery. The call to end life is a sweet song to the Paladin with this gift, however, for with the deliverance of a final, killing strike after someone is downed, they may regain all of their spent Empyria (regular and Corrupted), up to their maximum.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Tier 4
Sacred Duty: On the battlefield, the Paladin is a mighty fortress upon the battlefield in which their allies can never fail to rely or take shelter behind. When a Paladin calls upon his courage and fortitude, they may spend an Empyria and take the harm away from their allies and direct it to themselves. Once activated, all of the Paladin’s allies that are within a few feet of them may call “ on <Paladin’s Name>” on any Hits or other physical effects dealt to them. The Paladin then takes the effect as if they were somehow the original target, although they can defend against the effect as normal. This effect lasts the rest of the combat.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Deathless Tyrant
Corrupted – Deathless Tyrant: On the battlefield, there are times where the Paladin is the most valuable combatant, able to do what others cannot. Sometimes, they must make the decision to sacrifice others in their stead. When activating this gift, whenever the Paladin would take damage during a combat scene, they may instead call “ on ” where the Name is one of their allies or any bound prisoners within oration range. This effect or injury will instead be taken by the ally or prisoner as normal. So long as there are allies or prisoners remaining alive, the Paladin may continue to call this effect.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Force of Faith: A Paladin does not need a weapon to be the embodiment of an instrument of divine ruin. After spending their Empyria, as long as they are not weilding a weapon they may call Strike, Sunder, or Push with Brawl/fist boffers for a combat scene. Once per combat, included in the cost of activation, the Paladin may also call Push on everyone within oration distance.
Cost: 1 Empyria
Corrupted - Devastation
Corrupted – Devastation: When the Paladin calls upon the seemingly bottomless reserves of their hatred, they hammer through all obstacles and defenses, becoming an unstoppable force of havoc. After spending a corrupted Empyria, none can stand against their assaults, as the Paladin can call Push and Bleed after all Hits that physically land, even if stopped by a defensive call to counter any injury. This lasts a combat.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Light of Heaven: With a mighty invocation to the divine, the clouds will part to let the light of the sun stream down, regardless of the time of day. The sunlight washes over an area about ten feet by ten feet that the Paladin points to. This allows them to call Divine Driving: Malefic on every Malefic target within the area. This power must be used outdoors, and can be defended against with Dodge or Parry. This light also mechanically eliminates shadows within the designated area.
Cost: 2 Empyria
Corrupted - Hellfire
Corrupted – Hellfire: With a growl or roar of rage, black fire erupts from the Paladin’s hand as they channel the energies of the abominable forces that lie beyond. The Paladin gains a special Divine Powerstrike for each category of Sin that the Paladin has at 3 (Deadly). The call for these attacks is “By My Gesture: Divine Powerstrike” which does not require a physical hit on a single target within Oration Range.
Cost: 1 Corrupted Empyria
Tier 5
Combat Purity: The Paladin’s prowess in battle is perfection in motion; execution without flaw. They are a reckoner of the highest order and have transcended the struggles of normal combat. Gone is the panic, the fear, the rapid tenseness of the muscles as they recoil from a crushing blow.Every movement is deliberate, and every blow lands exactly as intended. After spending three empyria, the Paladin has Powerstrike on every hit for the combat.
Cost: 3 Empyria
Corrupted - Invincible Champion
Corrupted – Invincible Champion: The Paladin’s combat abilities are unassailable and they cannot be felled. Having seen countless battles, and learning from endless foes, they strategize dozens of steps ahead of their opponents and predict nearly any eventuality in combat. Once this gift is activated for a combat, the Paladin’s hits land even if their weapon is physically parried, as the force of their blows simply push aside the weapon and bite into their target. The Paladin also has infinite Power Strikes to call for defensive purposes. Additionally, the Paladin can also call “Divine Escape” at any time to flee and escape the scene.
Cost: 3 Corrupted Empyria
Wrath of God: The Paladin is the divine sword, the personification of holy justice, and they cannot be escaped. Those who wish them harm do so at their own truest peril, for they are under the direct protection of their god. To mortally wound this Paladin is to invite direct divine retribution against such an offender. Every time a character is the cause of the Paladin’s death, that character also immediately dies and, upon resurrecting, gains a Severe Phobia of Sinning.
Cost: Passive
Corrupted - There Is No God
Corrupted – There Is No God: There is no force so profoundly wrong as a Paladin with this gift. Their very presence is disturbing and befouling enough that it is impossible to come away from a close encounter with them unsoiled and whole. If a character kills this Paladin, she lets out a hideous death cry, and anyone within oration range immediately gains a Severe Obsession with Sinning.
Cost: Passive