From: orion@cwis.unomaha.edu (Jeff M. Beisch) Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.archives Subject: SUPPLEMENT: Please look this over (jerichse,clynch,mad-celt,scotsman dont read) Date: 29 Sep 93 15:23:29 GMT
| Temperant |
Ability Requirement: Wisdom 12
Constitution 12
Prime Requisite: Wisdom
Races Allowed: All (but currently only the humans from the original
settlement have the knowledge)
It is only in the loneliness of space which such a class could develop.
A small group of clerics lost control of their ship and landed it on a barren
asteroid in some unknown sphere. Unable to repair the ship for space travel
they were forced to live out the rest of their lives on the rock. Although
able to create a self-sustaining community, they all began to long for contact
with other people. Despair of the current isolation sent them into deep
meditation and thought. It is here where they discovered, within everyone,
the Essence or Life Force and how to control/use it.
They discovered that within each living being there is a Life Force or Essence which is a direct representation of one's being. It could be controlled for a myriad of noncoporeal purposes or used upon one's body and mind. It took many generations of indepth thought, deep meditation and meticulous study to hone the Essence into a usable force. In doing so, they have brought themselves to one with the cosmos, as they realized, not just living entities contain the Essence, all things contain it.
A Temperant worships his mind, body, and essence, thus, having no diety to pay homage to. They do however, gain abilities identical to the diety granted prayers of priests. A Temperant must be of a lawful alignment but may associate with any value range (good, neutral, evil). They tend however to stay away from evil alignment due to its often harmful effect on the person.
A Temperant who has a Wisdom of 16 or more and Constitution of 14 or more gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points earned.
Although their order does not concentrate on fighting, they have developed skill in melee. They feel that a strong, able body (may use fighter Con bonus) is necessary in the life of the Essence and train themselves to fight relatively well in combat and treat the weapon as an extension of themselves (use thief THAC0 table, only slashing weapons are allowed). They disapprove of armor due to their belief in a pure body, one should not need the cumbersome protection of armor but rather rely ones innerself. They can use all magic items, those which effect AC are allowed while actual armor are not, which are accessible to Warriors and Priests.
Proficiency Slots
Weapon Non Weapon
Initial #Levels Penalty Initial #Levels
3 4 -3 4 3
*proficiencies may be chosen from General\Warrior\Priest
A Temperant philosophy, or the Animus, grants them with the ability to
manipulate their essence. This grants them special abilities much like priest
prayers yet, no diety is involved, just one's self. Their powers manifest
as the spells contained in the Thought, Travelers, Time, Wards, Numbers,
Astral, Chaos and Law spheres. The effect, duration, damage, etc is the same
as if it were cast as a prayer. The means to use it are different.
Instead of having a predetermined number of prayers per level, the Temperant spends Essence Points (EP) on spells. The EP of a prayer is equal to its level. Thus Command, a first level Priest prayer, would cost 1 EP. A Temperant has EPs as follows: (Constitution Score/2) * level. Thus a 4th level Temperant with a constitution of 12 has 24 EPs. The Temperant gains access to the "levels" of the prayers as follows: for every 3 levels of experience, one "level" of prayers. Thus, a 6th level Temperant has access to all prayers of 2nd level or less. If the Temperant has a Wisdom score of 16 or more, you add on to prayer level. Thus the same Temperant with a 16 Wisdom could use up to 3rd level prayers. Once EPs are spent to create a spell affect they cannot be reused or regained except by sleeping (all recovered in 8 hours, or if less sleep same fraction recovered as fraction of 8 hours) or heavy meditation (all recovered in 4 hours, if not in heavy meditation for 4 hours NONE regained). Heavy meditation does not replace sleep, the Temperant must sleep at least 4 hours a day or not gain any EP or be able to use any currently stored.
Essence Points can also be used in some different/beneficial ways. The Temperant can heal at the rate of 1 hp/ 2 EP. The Temperant may also effect his "luck" by influencing the flow of events by using EP. This relates to modifying "to hit" rolls, damage, saves etc made by the character at the cost of +1 bonus/ 5 EP. The final and most powerful use of EP is the Essence Strike. The Temperant literally attacks with his life force. This attack happens before any attacks in the round it is declared occurs and can be used against only one target. The target receives no save but may attempt to use any skill/abilities which allow dodges or evading. The armor of the target is calculated from its natural AC and any bonuses not including magic items. No armor or magical enchantments except artifacts can modify the target AC.
The Temperant makes a normal "to hit" roll with a bonus equal to his current level divided by two rounded down (5th level = +2 "to hit"). The Strike does damage as such: for every 8 EP you roll a d6. Thus, if 32 EPs were left, 4d6 is rolled for the damage. The Temperant must use all remaining EPs in the attack. Immediately following the attack, the Temperant must make a save vs death. If successful, the character is severely fatigues for 2d8 turns (in other words, cannot do anything except rest). If failed, the character drops into a coma for 2d4 hours and will not under any circumstances wake until full time has elapse. The Temperant does not gain any EPs from the rest induced by the Strike.
Due to the Temperant's firm grounding in the understanding of the universe, he receives a +4 save to all illusions above 3rd level and is immune to 1st through 2nd. He also receives a bonus of +4 in saves vs various mental attacks.
I would like criticism/praise/reviews/whatever emailed to me. Thanks for your time!
--
-=The angle of the dangle is inversely proportional to the heat of the beat!=-
orion@cwis.unomaha.edu
Happy Hunting!