#Occult Adventures

[dailycharacteroption]

Class Feature Friday: Order of the Shroud (Cavalier Order)

(art by DKuang on DeviantArt)

Between today’s entry, the Lastwall Sentry earlier this week, and of course the two Knight archetypes from a few weeks ago, we certainly have been covering a lot of anti-undead warriors lately.

And that’s perfectly fine! We love how many different flavors of a basic concept can be expressed!

In any case, the Order of the Shroud represents those knights, or organizations of said warriors, that vow to oppose undeath wherever they find it and put such abominations to rest. They might have a philosophical drive to give the dead a proper rest and defeat those that would rob them of it, or they may simply fight for survival in undead-infested lands, (probably both) but their dedication remains the same regardless of their exact motive.

Of course, it’s not just about slaying the undead, it’s also just as much about protecting the common folk from the depredations of the living dead.

Additionally, it’s important to remember that these are cavaliers, while blessed with some minor spiritual power, are generally lacking in magical ability, meaning that they are mostly fighting with just a mundane weapon against these deathly foes. However, they certainly would work alongside paladins and goodly clerics and oracles to stand as a bulwark against the undead, or the lead the charge against them while inspiring their allies to greater heights.

Naturally, the edicts of this order demand that these warriors seek out and destroy the undead as well as sources of corrupting magic that give rise to them, while also remembering to also protect those that stand no chance against such monstrosities. However, it makes no mention of what to do if an undead creature has control of their faculties and is generally not a threat to others. I suppose that unlike a paladin or cleric, the cavalier only has to answer to themselves (or maybe an actual formal order), and is the ultimate judge on how to interpret that oath.

The challenge of these cavaliers is particularly effective against undead foes, becoming more accurate in addition to being more deadly.

Though they are not true mages, they do learn enough to secure the protection of the fallen, invoking them to be warded by vestiges of the dead against the incoming attacks of undead foes.

They also imbue their weaponry with enough of their moral being to pierce the defenses of the undead.

Finally, these warriors strike back against the undead that attack them or their nearby allies, punishing them and helping to ensure that they do not get a second chance to strike or make use of their malignant touch. What’s more, the undead find it more difficult to strike grievous blows against them.

This order is a bit specialized compared to others with their focus on destroying the undead, but no more specialized than say, fighting the enemies of your liege or your specific religion. It all really depends on the campaign you are in. With that in mind, their offensive and defensive abilities pair nicely together, and can make for a hit and run cavalier that the undead struggle to stop, or perhaps a more tanky cavalier or samurai that inspires allies as they stand as a stone wall against the dead.

It takes a special kind of courage to face the specter (only sometimes literally) of death without the backing of the divine to protect you, but these warriors do it Of course, even if they number among the few, the fact remains that they have no specific deity blessing them, relying on either a trickle of divine power or perhaps some occult magic to do so. Some may have tried and failed to become paladins (or maybe your setting follows the old 3.5 paradigm of mortals being chosen for the role), forcing them to find other ways to fight the good fight. Alternatively, that might not have entered the picture at all, and choosing this path was simply the way they wanted it to be.

While it is called Shipwreck Atoll by the mariners, the island is better known by the locals as Ama-Putai. Still, the name isn’t inaccurate, since the atoll was formed from a vastly larger reef that has claimed many vessels over the years. However, to rescue the mariners and put to rest those that did not make it, platoons of shark and hippocampus-riding warriors venture to each wreck once it is safe to do so, and patrol them regularly. Some sailors even decide to stay, marrying into the clans, which has given rise to a great many seascarred beastkin, for the core natives are almost exclusively weresharks.

As one of the oldest human cities, Pavinis has one of the oldest grave sites still in use. Consisting of vast acres of graves, tombs, and crypts, as well as miles of catacombs beneath, it’s easy to see why the graveminders ride horses to patrol it. Supporting them are a trio of animated dirges, a variant of the animated aria, which helps put the dead to rest and keep the living city safe. However, what none realize is that someone is attempting to corrupt one of the musical constructs into a form that wakes the dead, rather than lays them to rest.

Some might call them hypocrites, but the Order of the Pale Riders hunt and oppose the undead while riding on phantom steeds of their own. They insist, however, that these ghostly steeds are phantoms, rather than undead ghosts, but the nuance is lost on most.

[flightyquinn]

Pathfinder 1e idea I want to try out; Either make sorcerer a Psychic caster outright, or keep them Arcane, but allow them to use the same spell components as Psychic casters rather than getting Eschew Materials.

If you don't know, Psychic spellcasters get to use Thought and Emotion rather than Verbal and Somatic components. They can also replace costly material components with "any item with both significant meaning and a value greater than or equal to the spell’s component cost". There's downsides to this, of course. You can't cast a spell with an Emotion component if you're under a [Fear] or [Emotion] effect, and if a spell has a Thought component then it has a +10 to any Concentration checks unless the caster spends a move action to focus their mind.

I think this would be great for sorcerers, because their power is supposed to be coming from within. So using mystical gestures and words seem like they don't make a lot of sense. You're not acting out some arcane formula that you learned, there isn't some method that you can teach to others or write down, you're drawing on the innate magical power that already exists within you, just waiting for your will to draw it out.

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Bernard Shaw - The Adventures of The Black Girl in Her Search for God - Constable & Company Limited - 1932 (designed and engraved by John Farleigh)

[weirdlookindog]

"She was an eerie, yet lovely, creature of unnamed regions"

Virgil Finlay (1914-1971) - Illustration for Lee Francis' 'Witch of the Blackfern Moor'

(Fantastic Adventures Vol.5 #10, December, 1943)

[p1xiemeat]

[asleepypigeon]

Lofi dark arts beats to cast spells and relax to.

[videogamepolls]

Requested by @signal-less

[itscontinental]

Q #1514

Transcribed as it suits us:

(TEXT LEFT)

"Returning from a brief hiatus in which were stolen many colored inks;/// again, to answer your questions and speak on santas which chittered; and speak on also other things/// as for example how the lord did on the sixth day make the things that creep;/// and all the creeping things there chittering hymnals happy santas sing"

(TEXT RIGHT)

"IT'S CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST AND IT IS PAPER AND IT'S EVERYTHING"

[who-do-i-know-this-man]

⚠️Vote for whomever YOU DO NOT KNOW⚠️‼️

[puretopia]

[rynx2003]

Hello Internet! I'm new here and please leave a like and follow as a support 🙏🏻

[dailycharacteroption]

Class Feature Friday: Guardian Spirit (Medium Spirit)

(art by Gregartmind on DeviantArt)

It’s time for another spirit for the medium class, and we’re back to doing a core spirit, this time being the spirits of constitution: the Guardians spirits!

Much like the mythic path of the same name, it can be hard to differentiate what makes a guardian spirit different from a champion spirit specifically. After all, traditionally they are both warriors and lend their expertise in combat.

However, we also know that the aforementioned mythic path includes options for characters with animal companions or a deep connection to nature, since such characters do traditionally guard nature in their own way.

That, however, dances around the true difference between guardians and champions, and that is that guardians are defenders and protectors first, warriors second. They might have been guards protecting the peace, soldiers garrisoned at a fort or manning a city gate, or even simply a paladin who perished shielding innocents against truly monstrous evil.

No matter their origins though, these spirits can lend their aid to a medium, providing them with potent defensive might.

Naturally, guardian spirits are easiest to channel in fortified locations, any reinforced structure used primarily for defense will do.

At a base level, these spirits offer the medium a protective ward, helping them defend against not just physical attacks, but those that affect the body or require reflexes to avoid. Additionally, this also enhances their stamina as well.

Those that participate in the séance to call forth this spirit find themselves instinctively better at avoiding and warding off various combat maneuvers mean to leave them at a disadvantage.

However, guardian spirits are naturally cautious and when their influence manifests, tend to make their host overly cautious, focusing on defense to the point of inhibiting their attacks and spells.

Like all spirits, guardians also have taboos that the medium can accept for greater power (and cost if they fail to adhere to them). Some require that the helpless be defended from harm (including defeated enemies), or that the medium avoid injury whenever possible, or even demanding that the channeler be stoic and silent.

The medium at the base level gains the spirit’s knowledge of heavy armor and shields, improving the baseline of defense they have to work with.

From there, they gain resistance to both physical and energy attacks that only grows with their mastery, and the spirits even allow the mystic to reflexively shoulder the burden of all harm that comes to another in a single moment, leaving them unscathed.

The spirit can also surge with power to ward the medium or a nearby ally from a single attack, not only protecting them, but also setting the mystic up for a counterattack.

The most powerful channelers can call upon their guardian spirit to completely no-sell an attack or spell, negating the effects against themselves, though this only protects them and can only be done once per day.

With such a defensive focus and the ability to ward others against harm, the guardian spirit is good option if you want to primarily build your medium for melee combat, making it a good pairing with the champion so you can switch between defensive support and deadly offense depending on what sites are available each day. The influence drawback is not terrible, but it gets slightly worse when you want to go on the offensive or cast spells, so keep that in mind.

Given their nature as defenders, the locations where they like to be channeled, and the fact that they are deceased souls (or echoes thereof), nearly every guardian spirit has a tragic story, evoking how they died in the defense of something greater than themselves. Many may manifest with wounds from their last stand, while others may stand untarnished, their stalwart nature refusing to be marred by their death. Some may believe they failed in their duty, while others stand satisfied that they gave their everything in the service of others.

Though the gnome may seem frail and unassuming, Pipix Lightstep has more than earned his place in the Ironfort Guard, in not small part because the diminutive channeler can call upon the spirits of those that gave their lives defending it, drawing upon their skill and determination.

The sacking of Belmore Castle happened over a decade ago, but the place still stinks of smoke and ash, in part because of the lost souls bound to the place, and also because the animate wickerman the invaders used to execute them still lurks within. Destroying the wickerman will free the souls within, and may offer a prospective medium a powerful partner indeed.

It’s an open secret that the garrison of Molbaan is haunted by the spirit of it’s first captain, though said spirit rarely manifests except to move objects around and occasionally appear as a phantasmal arrow-studded guard on the ramparts that shouts out timely warnings. Those seeking contact, however, may find the spirit amenable to a pact in the right circumstances.

[magick-memes]

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Peter O'Donnell - Sabre-Tooth - Doubleday & Company - 1966 (jacket by Saul Lambert)

[weirdlookindog]

Norman Lindsay (1879-1969) - Adventure, 1921

[nyxshadowhawk]

Sorry not sorry.