Welcome to our second installment of BREAK??, an April Fools tradition where I use the holiday as an excuse to post something for BREAK!! that's a bit odder or off the cuff than usual. This entry features the Balladeer, a Caster Calling (like the Sage or Heretic) whose magic is associated with music and song.
While that doesn't sound too inherently silly, some of the abilities this Calling has (such as one that can force targets into a musical number) might even challenge the sages themselves in whimsy.
While a bit less polished than the Callings in the BREAK!! book proper (I've only had one player test this one out) it should be a perfectly fun character option for players and group of a certain temperament.
BALLADEER
There are many ways to shape mana into spells, but arguably none are as pleasant as the Balladeer’s technique of using melodies to guide arcane energy to great effect. While some may scoff at what they see as colorful frippery, others recognize how useful their bolstering spells can be. What is undeniable is their connection to the Song, a fabled melody that helps tie the Outer World (and perhaps all comprehensible reality) together.
Wandering Bards, Charming Storytellers, Dazzling Personalities and Traveling Idol Singers are all good examples of Balladeer Characters.
Calling overview
Balladeers excel at bolstering others during difficult tasks and combat. Their magic often influences rather than affecting things directly - meaning they usually stick to the sidelines rather than get into the thick of things.
Balladeers learn new performances that provide them various ways to help allies and hinder foes, as well as deal with other obstacles. Some can become guides or gain a supernatural grasp of language.
Sharp wits and a strong personality are what Balladeers need most, so their Insight and Aura is high - which is good, as they are found lacking in just about every other Aptitude.
All the time the Balladeer has spent perfecting their voice means they’ve not had a lot of time to train for battle. They may only use Standard and Thrown weapons and Light Armor.
Balladeers are a good option for players who enjoy flashy characters, those who like to cheer on and coordinate, or ones that like to sing a lot.
Hey new player! Quickstart!
Add your combat stats to your character sheet: Attack {+0}, Hearts {2}.
Next, your base Aptitudes: Might {6}, Deftness {7}, Grit {7}, Insight {10}, Aura {10}.
Now write down your Starting Abilities: Leitmotif, Focus Instrument, and The Song in your Heart
Have a bit of fun picking out your Focus Instrument! Its exact nature doesn’t have an effect on mechanics so you’ve got a lot of freedom here.
Starting Abilities
All Balladeer’s start with 3 Abilities.
Leitmotif (Magic)
Each Balladeer has a song that is closest to their heart, one that is most attuned to their truest desires. Singing it brings hope to you and your allies, and it often asks as a spark or a bridge to other songs.
You may use this ability to sing or play portions of your Leitmotif in combat, allowing you to perform Attack Assists for allies that can hear you up to 2 Areas Away.
You may perform your Leitmotif outside of combat to grant an ally that can hear your song an Edge on a Check or Contest Roll. Doing so means you are unable to use this Ability again for 24 hours.
Focus Instrument (Magic)
With a flourish or a snap, you may summon forth a magical instrument or device that assists in your performances. These allow you to fine tune your song magic into something you can use against foes.
Your Focus Instrument takes the form of a small musical instrument (such as a flute or lyre) or other related device (a conductor’s baton or megaphone). This item appears in your hands when you need it and vanishes when you do not. If it is ever destroyed or lost, you can simply summon it again and it is as good as new.
You may use your focus instrument during combat to hinder a target that can hear you and is up to 1 Area away. This requires you to spend a turn playing an annoying song or otherwise utilizing the device and an Aura Contest between you and your target.
If you are successful in this Contest, your Target incurs a Minor (-2) Penalty on the Next Roll they make.
The Song in your Heart
Thanks to being in tune with the Song you are almost always singing, humming, or drumming away. While incessant, there is something charming and unforgettable about your mannerisms.
You have an Edge on rolls for Socializing and Reputation Management.
At Rank 5 and above, anytime you take a Downtime Action, you may take an additional one - though this extra Downtime Action must be Socializing or Reputation Management.
Elective Abilities
Balladeers may select a new Ability at ranks 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10. An ability may only be selected once unless noted otherwise.
Standard Abilities
These may be selected at Rank 2 and beyond.
Disparaging Ditty (Magic)
You may rob a foe of their motivation by leveling your instrument at them and unleashing a mocking tune that amplifies whatever feelings of despair might be within them already.
This Ability may be used against a target that can hear you and is up to 1 Area away. It requires your action for a Turn and initiates a contest between your Aura and their Grit.
If you are successful, they take your mockery to heart and the mana in your song takes hold. They are afflicted with the Dispirited Status Ailment. This lasts for one hour or until you use this Ability on another target successfully.
Gain 1 Point of Dark Allegiance
Guiding Beat
You’re further tuned into the rhythm of the Song and while you can’t glean too much from it (it’s a bit dangerous to do so) you can always find the right way, and occasionally, the right person when traveling to a new place.
You are able to act as a Guide during Overland Travel.
After reaching your destination in a Journey you may make an Aura Check. If you succeed, a friendly Game Master Character just happens to run into you upon arrival. They will answer questions you might have about the place to the best of their ability and might be of further assistance, at GM’s discretion.
GM Note!: This GMC should be someone who is familiar with the Settlement or site. It might even be a fellow traveler or friendly (or at least, non-hostile) monster. Feel free to make use of your random encounter tables!
Beckoning Note (Magic)
With a gesture and a sing-songy whisper, you can entice an individual into following you wherever you go, at least until they catch on!
You may use this Ability on anyone up to 2 Areas away from you (or within earshot outside of combat) who is capable of hearing and understanding you. If done during combat this requires your Turn. This Ability always initiates a Contest between your Aura and your Target’s Insight.
If you succeed, the target must spend their next 2 actions following you wherever you go. Once they are done they will come to their senses but feel pleasantly towards you and will be open to Negotiation, unless you lead them to somewhere obviously dangerous (such as a room filled with armed enemies, or the like)
Targets will not do anything directly life threatening (such as walking off a cliff or into open flames). They will resist attempts to stop them from following you, but they won’t hurt allies to do so.
Creatures without normal emotions (Goops, as an example) may not respond to this Ability per GM discretion.
Gain 1 Point of Dark Allegiance
Glorious Echo (Magic)
By letting out a loud cheer or other encouraging noise with your focus instrument, you make your allies' successes all the greater.
You may activate this Ability whenever an ally within earshot makes a successful Roll. You may bolster it in one of the following ways:
You may make it so that a successful Attack does an additional Heart of damage, or includes a special effect similar to Stunt (with Game Master Approval).
You may make it so that a successful Check or Contest Roll is a Special Success.
You may only use this Ability once a session, so make it count!
Gain 1 Point of Light Allegiance
Harmonious Hearts (Magic)
Your trusted friends can always hear your song, no matter how far away they might be.
To activate this Ability, you must sing softly to the sky.
This song conveys a single message (I’m locked away in the dungeon of the Holy Chain Cathedral, We are besieged at all sides by terrible foes, Please bring me some moon plums right away, etc) to as many individuals that have a Social Bond with you as you like. So clear is this melody in their heads it may rouse them from sleep or unconsciousness!
Once you’ve used this Ability, you may not use it again until after your next Downtime Session.
Gain 1 Point of Dark Allegiance
Tranquil Tune (Magic)
A calming melody from your instrument can bring succor and turn away blows as effectively as metal armor and shields.
You may activate this Ability during combat. Doing so requires your action for the Turn and for you to be able to sing.
While this Ability is active, anyone attempting to attack or make any other form of aggressive action against an individual within the same Area of you must first win an Aura Contest against you.
If they lose, their attempt is foiled by the magic of your song and they cannot try and act again until their next Turn.
You may continue to use this Ability on subsequent turns to continue the effect. You may not move or be moved from the Area you're in while utilizing Tranquil Tune or the effect will end.
Gain 1 Point of Light Allegiance
Beast Song (Magical)
Your desire and intent can travel across the magical songs you weave, allowing their meaning to reach even those which cannot normally comprehend your words.
Choose one of the following creature categories; bird, mammal, reptile, insect, or aquatic. These sorts of animals are able to understand you as long as you are singing to them.
Animals give simple responses and do not understand complicated concepts or vocabulary. You may also make uncomplicated, non-dangerous requests of them with a successful Aura Check.
Gain 1 Point of Light Allegiance
Something to remember me by!
You’ve gotten rather good at making little tokens bearing your personal brand.
You are able to create and repair Basic Artificing Crafts.
At Rank 5 and higher, you are able to create and repair Advanced Artificing Crafts as well.
Advanced Abilities
These may be selected once the Balladeer has attained a Rank of 6 or higher.
Enchanting Performance (Magic)
You are able to compel those around you to join in an improvised song, leaving them too involved in your performance to notice or do much else.
You may activate this Ability whenever you and those around you are not involved in an immediately dangerous situation.
As an example, you could attempt to use this when surrounded by suspicious town guards, but not if your friends are already engaged in battle with those guards.
Activating this Ability requires you to be able to move about while singing and playing your focus instrument. This prompts a Contest between your Aura and the Insight of anyone within earshot who can hear you.
You gain a Minor (+2) Bonus on this Contest if one or more individuals opts to play along with the effects of the Ability and forgo their Roll.
Player Note!: This means your friends can help you by singing along, basically.
You may also exempt a number of individuals equal to your Rank from the effects of this ability. For example, you might want to let some of your allies slip away unnoticed during the commotion.
The GM may make a single Roll for any large groups of mooks or basic folk within range at their discretion.
Any target who loses this Contest must participate in your performance by dancing or singing along. Their participation doesn’t have to be particularly noteworthy (or even good) but it does require their complete attention.
This effect ends if you are incapacitated, stop your performance to do something else, or after 3 Turns.
Anyone who beats you in this contest (or is exempted from it) may act normally. If you have 3 or more affected people performing along with you, those moving into, out of, or around the general vicinity of your performance must first succeed on a Might or Deftness Check to dodge or shove through the crowd.
You may not take any other actions besides sing, play and/or dance within the general area while this Ability is in effect. You may end it prematurely to make other actions if you wish.
You may only use this Ability once a Session, regardless of how successful it is (or not).
Gain 1 Point of Bright Allegiance
Dancer’s Stride
A good sense of rhythm and a bounce in your step means you can really pick up the pace when you need to.
Your Speed Rating increases by a single step (usually from Normal to Fast).
Lucid Note (Magic)
By playing a steady melody with your instrument, you can cause those around you to keep their senses.
You may activate this Ability by taking your turn to play a calming song.
This prompts an Aura Check. On a success, everyone within 1 area of you who is suffering from the Dispirited, Terrified, or Disoriented Status Ailment is restored to their senses and has the ailment removed. This Ability may be used to remove other mental or emotional afflictions or control at GM Discretion.
On a failure, you were unable to dispel the effects and cannot attempt to use the ability on these particular effects again.
Gain 1 Point of Dark Allegiance
Healing Song (Magic)
With a few gentle notes and a short lullaby, you are able to restore others to health.
You may activate this Ability by singing softly to an injured or suffering person while touching one of their injuries lightly.
This prompts an Aura Check. On a success, you may remove a single instance of a Wounded, Broken Arm, or Broken Leg Injury from the target. Once successfully applied, this Ability cannot be utilized again until you’ve had a chance to take a downtime action.
On a failure, the injury was too deep for you to heal in this manner. You cannot attempt to remove the same injury with this ability again.
Gain 1 point of Bright Allegiance
Auteur’s Request (Magic)
You are so in-tune with the song of the universe that you may attempt to force reality to obey your dramatic sensibilities.
You may activate this Ability any time you or an ally within your sight fails an Attack Roll or Check. Doing so prompts an Aura Check.
If you succeed this Check, then the result of the activating Roll is overturned and they succeed instead. Consider this roll 1 over the defense of the target’s enemy if an attack, and 1 below the associated Aptitude if a Check.
Once you have activated this Ability you cannot use it again until you’ve had a session of Downtime, whether it succeeded or not.
Gain 1 point of Dark Allegiance
Battle Anthem (Magic)
Your song can ferry along volatile mana charged with blood lust and hostility, empowering your allies or weakening your foes.
You may activate this Ability during your turn during combat. You must be able to sing and utilize your instrument. You may target the effects of this Ability on anyone within 1 Area of you.
This prompts an Aura Check. On a success, you are able to activate one of the following two effects:
You may grant an Edge to an ally’s Roll for an Assault Action or use of an Ability that directly harms an enemy or inflicts a Status Ailment on them. This takes your Action for the Turn.
You may force a Snag to an enemy’s Roll for an Assault Action or using an Ability that directly harms an Ally or inflicts a Status Ailment on them. If this effect is used you may not take an Action on your following turn.
On a Failure, you couldn’t quite find the right note or footing, and you lose your action in the attempt. You may try to activate the effect in subsequent turns if you wish.
You may continue to play your Battle Anthem and utilize these effects in subsequent turns without further rolls. However, if you do anything else besides move (attack, activate another Ability, etc) then the Ability’s effect ends. You will need to start over with another Roll if you wish to use Battle Anthem again.
If you are playing your Battle Anthem at the same time a Battle Princess is using their Battle Dance, those participating in the latter gain an Edge on their Aura Roll to stay in step each Turn.
Gain 1 Point of Bright Allegiance
Encore (Magic)
Playing a certain series of notes allows you to control the expended mana that collects when someone acts, re-energizing it and allowing an ally to act in the same manner a second time.
You may give up your action in a turn to play this song, choosing a target that you have a social bond with and has already acted in this turn, allowing them to repeat the action they last performed.
Any rolls required for resolution should be made again (for example, if they are attacking a second time, they should once again make an attack roll) and this power cannot be used on someone if repeating their last action is no longer possible (for example, using an Ability that has been expended for the day).
Once you have granted your ally this action, make an Aura Check. If this is failed, you cannot utilize this Ability again for 24 hours.
Gain 1 Point of Dark Allegiance
The Universal Language
Your connection with the song of the universe has extended to all aspects of language, even soundless variants.
You are able to comprehend any and all languages, spoken or written. You can sing in all of them as well, save for Creator’s Script.
Combat Gear Allowance
Balladeers may use Standard Melee Weapons and Thrown Missile Weapons. They are able to wear Light Armor without difficulty.
Progression table
* Players may opt for a calling standard ability or advanced species ability instead of an advanced calling ability.
