Monday, August 9, 2021

RPG-a-Day #9: The Medium


In response to today's RPG-a-Day keyword, an idea presented itself that we may already have covered in other products--sort of like the time when we accidentally re-did our idea for a magic Pho shop but with a few added menu items because we forgot we'd already had and done that idea--but here's a d20 System feat and a talent tree intended to model the idea of medium or spirit channeler who uses those talents as an adventurer or some stripe of action hero.

As with many posts here at the NUELOW Games blog, this post contains strictly first draft stuff. It flowed literally from Steve Miller's brain, through his fingers and the keyboard, and onto the blog. Any opinions or feedback you care to over are welcomed!

(All text from this point forward in the post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2021 Steve Miller.)


THE MEDIUM
The Medium is a character who channels sprits of the dead, accessing their skills and knowledge as he or she needs it. The Medium is never possessed by the spirit, but is instead guided by it. Characters become Mediums in one of two ways, but they basically function the same and gain their abilities through the same feat and talents.

First Type of Medium
This Medium is born. For his or her entire life, there have been "invisible friends" and whispers on the winds that have been lending help and encouragement during hard times, and cheering the character on during times of success and joy. These voices and invisible friends are beings who followed the character into this world at birth, and they have been watching over him or her ever since. As the character has grown, the bonds with the spirits have persisted and perhaps even grown stronger. This Medium is a character who possesses the Medium Beginning Occupation.

Second Type of Medium
This type of Medium arises from a near-death experience. As a hero's soul returned to his or her body from beyond the edge of death, someone or something entered this plane, too. This spirit (or perhaps even several spirits) now exists to help and support the hero. This helpful spirit is represented by the Spirit Guide feat.



NEW STARTING OCCUPATION: MEDIUM
For as long as you can remember, the spirits have been your constant companions and friends. Now, they help you as you embark upon a life of daring and danger.

Medium
Mediums include professions such as clergy, psychics, sideshow performer, investigator, and life coach.
   Prerequisite: Age 15+, Wisdom 12
   Starting Skills: Pick two of the following skills as permanent class skills. If the skill selected is already a class skill, the character gains a +1 competency bonus on checks while using that skill. Decipher Script, Gather Information, Knowledge (arcane lore, history, theology and philosophy), Sense Motive, or add a new Speak Language.
   Starting Feat: You gain Spirit Guide as a bonus starting feat.
   Special: You add the following feats to those you can gain when advancing in levels in your character class. Danger SenseForesight, Fortune Telling, Selfless


NEW FEAT: SPIRIT GUIDE
A bodiless being--a kind soul, a nature spirit, or some being entirely--watches over the hero and help and supports him when needed.

Spirit Guide
You can call upon a helpful spirit (or spirits) in times of need.
   Prerequisite: Medium starting profession or near-death experience (must have fallen below -1 hit points).
   Benefit: Specify a skill that the hero either has at least 1 rank in, or which can be used untrained. Gain a +4 bonus to all skill checks for the duration of the encounter or time period during which you are using the that skill, as your Spirit Guide lets you tap into its expertise. Your spirit guide will aid you a number of times per day equal to the hero's Wisdom bonus.
   Special: Once per day, you may call upon your Spirit Guide to allow you to create spell effects identical to one of the following spells: Daze, Mage Hand, Message, Prestidigitation, or Resistance. The spell effect as if from a spell by caster of the hero's character level.
   This feat is a prerequisite for the talents from the Guiding Spirits Talent Tree.


NEW TALENT TREE: GUIDING SPIRITS
While the Spirit Guide feat represents a hero's main spirit guide, the talents on this tree represent other spirits that are helpful to the hero and that share their power and knowledge with him or her.
   Spirit of Defense: You gain a +4 bonus to DR/AC for the duration of a number of combat encounters each day equal to your Wisdom bonus.
     Prerequisite: Spirit Guide feat
   Spirit of Might: You gain a +4 bonus to damage and attack rolls for the duration of a number of combat encounters each day equal to the hero's Wisdom bonus +2. This bonus stacks will all other, regardless of source.
     Prerequisite: Spirit Guide feat
   Spirit of Magic: You may cast a number of 0- 1st-, or 2nd-level spells from the Divination school equal to your Wisdom bonus each day. These spells are added to any amount of spells you can cast from class benefits, feats. or other traits. 
  Prerequisite: Spirit Guide feat

 


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