Elective Abilities

I hammered out the main/essential rules to the game finally, which Grey is currently giving a once-over (where he will inevitably tut-tut the lack of u's in words like armor and color) before I run through it again for last minute revision.

As for me, I've switched gears back to character rules. This is actually one of my favorite things to write, so beyond the occasional writer's block I've been really enjoying myself. Even though all the Callings I'd put to pen a couple years back have needed to be re-worked (and in some cases, totally scrapped) it's just inspired me to put my all into them; as well as freed me up to play around with some new ideas.

Every Calling has three or so "Starting" Abilities - these are defining skills and powers shared by all members of that particular Calling; the Battle Princess's Heart's Blade and the Factotum's Pack are good examples of these.

However, Calling also has a list of Elective Abilities. These are not universal, like Starting Abilities are. Instead, players may select a new one when a character reaches a certain Rank. These can take many different forms.

(Just a reminder, all text and rules will likely face revision and maybe alterations in the next process!)

Some, are simple. The following Factotum Ability guarantees a certain proficiency in social situations.

Silver Tongue

Whether a quaint earthy drawl, subtle accent or eloquent manner, a good speaking voice can make any argument sound convincing. Well, almost any argument...

• The Factotum has an Edge on all Negotiation Procedure Rolls as long as they are given a chance to speak.

Others are Advanced - Abilities that you may only take once you are Rank 5 or higher, like this Champion Ability.

Roaring Spirit

Even when calm and still, this Champion’s soul crackles with an energy beyond normal beings. A mere look can send spread this force outwards, sapping the fighting spirit and blood lust from lesser warriors in the Champion’s presence.

• To use this ability, the warrior must glower at the intended targets and make an Aura check.
• Success means that all hostile creatures within shouting distance will step back and will not engage the Champion or their allies unless they strike first.
• This ability has no effect on any creature or adversary with a Rank equal to or higher than the Warrior’s.
• This ability may be used once a session.

Some Abilities are just magical. Bad jokes aside, take note - this Sage Ability is marked as (Magic, Dark): all magical abilities are aligned with Light or Darkness, and taking one earns you an Allegiance point. These points can add up pretty quickly, and can potentially lead to some interesting changes for magic using characters..

Murky Mask (Magic, Dark)

By coating themselves with malleable dark mana, this Sage is able to create an incredibly convincing disguise.

• By taking a few minutes and mushing their face and body a bit like clay, the Sage may alter their physical appearance. They may change their build, coloring, face and height within reason. 
• The result will always somewhat resemble the true form of the Sage, so looking like a another specific individual is generally out of the question.
• As an example: a Human would be able to sculpt themselves to look like an Elf or Tenebrate, but would not be able to mimic a smaller Chib or the significantly larger Prometheans.
• This disguise immediately dissolves if the Sage is caught in a direct lie, loses at least one Heart from an offensive action, or wills the effect to end. Otherwise it will last for an hour before everything snaps back into its proper place.
• Regardless of how the Ability Ends, the Sage needs to let their body rest for another hour before they can use Murky Mask again.