:: Grimoire Class—Exemplar ::

Exemplar (cleric/witch variant)

by Wm Jay Carter III, inspired by the Incanter class from Spheres of Power

An exemplar exercises faith in an eldritch patron—be it a Stranger, the Soul of Athanasia itself, or some other powerful otherworldly entity—to bring about miracles which would never be possible by mortal means. She qualifies for these abilities by entering into a covenant with the being that supplies her power.

This class represents the righteous prophet who serves as the instrument of her god’s will, the priestess of a nature goddess who does as she will but vows to harm none, or the willing thrall of a demon who seeks to spread darkness across the land.

In Athanasia, a worshipper of the Light or Dark joins an order and is called a priestess (male: priest). A devotee of the World Soul joins a coven and is known as a witch (male: wicker). Each order and coven is different, even among those of the same eldritch patron, but each is commonly led by an experienced member who officiates at gatherings and admonishes members to remain faithful to their oaths.

The ways an exemplar conducts herself—as well as the nature and extent of her powers—are based entirely on the terms of her oath. An exemplar’s faithfulness to the oath is rewarded with an increase in power, eventually permitting her to become one with the power she serves. Such scions of Strange Power are called avatars.

On the other hand, breaking her oath can only be interpreted as a rejection of her patron, leaving herself open to the domination of opposing forces. Such oathbreakers become hags (male: warlock).

Spheres

The Fate sphere best characterizes the influence of the eldritch patron in the life of the exemplar. Exemplars of the Light or Dark take the associated spheres, respectively. Exemplars of the World Soul traditionally take the Destruction sphere, although the Creation and Nature spheres are available to those with an open mind. Exemplars gain the sphere aligned with their eldritch patron by virtue of patron-unique sphere-specific drawbacks (see Eldritch Patrons, below). Any other sphere that aligns with the purposes of the exemplar’s patron is encouraged.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d6

Starting Wealth: 3d6 x 10 gp (Average 105 gp) In addition, each character begins with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The exemplar's class skills are Craft (Int), Knowledge (Any; Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha). Eldritch patrons bestow additional class skills.

Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Int modifier

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Simple Weapons

Casting (Su)

An exemplar may combine spheres and talents to create magical effects. An exemplar is considered a High-Caster and uses Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as her casting ability modifier, as defined by her eldritch patron. (Note: Exemplars gain 2 bonus talents and must select an eldritch patron the first time they gain the casting class feature, granting them the associated features. If an exemplar already has a drawback associated with her patron when she becomes an exemplar, the exemplar gains another drawback of her choice. Once made, these choices cannot be changed.)

Spell Pool

An exemplar gains a small reservoir of energy she can call on to create truly wondrous effects, called a spell pool. This pool contains a number of spell points equal to her exemplar level + her casting ability modifier (minimum 1). This pool replenishes once per day after roughly 8 hours of rest.

Magic Talents: An exemplar gains magic talents according to Table: The Exemplar.

Table: The Exemplar

Bonus Feats

At 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th level, an exemplar gains a bonus feat. This may be spent to gain an extra magic talent, or any feat which has casting as a prerequisite (Craft Item feats, metamagic feats, sphere focus, Circle Casting, etc.).

Eldritch Covenant

At 1st level, an exemplar must pledge herself to a specific eldritch patron. The patron defines the exemplar’s casting ability modifier and grants her divine powers in the form of additional class skills, a cleric domain and sorcerer bloodline, and a bonus sphere (gained by virtue of a sphere-specific drawback). An exemplar uses their exemplar level as their effective cleric or sorcerer level when determining the power of her abilities.

In addition, each patron sets forth a number of oaths that the exemplar must follow. If she violates any of these oaths, she becomes a hag (male: warlock) (see Oathbreakers, below). The violation of an oath is subject to GM interpretation. Note that the identity of these patrons might vary depending upon the campaign setting or GM's preference.

ELDRITCH PATRONS

Three deities comprise the major eldritch patrons in Athanasia. They have various names depending upon the culture, but are universally associated with Light, Dark, and the World Soul. Angels, demons, elementals, and the like answer to one of these three. Exemplars of these patrons do not necessarily gather together, but some organizations do exist that are comprised of exemplars who have all devoted themselves to the same patron.

Exemplars of the Light and Dark are called priests and priestesses and their organizations are called orders. Exemplars of the World Soul are called wickers and witches and their organizations are called covens. Orders and covens are presided over by their most experienced members, or rarely, by representatives of their patron (an angel, demon, or elemental).

Eldritch Traditions

Every patron grants their exemplars the Neutrality (Fate) sphere-specific drawback, as eldritch patrons are neither good nor evil, but defined by their very nature and balanced by their opposites. This grants the exemplar the Fate sphere (or a bonus Fate talent if the exemplar already has that sphere). Each patron's tradition imposes an additional sphere-specific drawback which typically grants the exemplar the associated bonus sphere (or a bonus talent from that sphere if the exemplar already has it).

LIGHT

            Casting: Exemplars of Light use Wisdom as their casting ability modifier.

            Eldritch Skill: Exemplars of light gain the following class skills: Diplomacy (Cha), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis)

            Domain/Bloodline: Light Subdomain (Sun), Celestial Bloodline (Empyreal Archetype)

            Tradition Drawback: Touch of Light (Light)

            Oaths

            The exemplar must never use darkness to help or hinder herself, friend, or foe. She must always tell the truth, reveal falsehoods, and keep no secrets. The exemplar must strive to shine light in dark places.

DARK

            Casting: Exemplars of Dark use Intelligence as their casting ability modifier.

            Eldritch Skill: Exemplars of dark gain the following class skills: Bluff (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex)

            Domain/Bloodline: Night Subdomain (Darkness), Shadow Bloodline (Umbral Archetype)

            Tradition Drawback: Meld into Dark (Dark)

            Oaths

            The exemplar must never use light to help or hinder herself, friend, or foe. She must conceal valuable knowledge from her enemies, never betray an ally, and reveal no secrets. The exemplar must strive to bring darkness to light places.

WORLD SOUL

Casting: Exemplars of the World Soul use Charisma as their casting ability modifier.

Aspects of the World Soul

Exemplars of the World Soul worship only one aspect of the world, aligned with an element. Upon becoming an exemplar of the World Soul, choose one of the following elemental packages:

Air

Eldritch Skill: Exemplars of air gain the following class skills: Escape Artist (Dex), Fly (Dex), Survival (Wis)

Domain/Bloodline: Storms Subdomain (Weather), Elemental Bloodline (Air)

Tradition Drawback: Energy Focus (Destruction) drawback: Air Blast

Oaths: The exemplar must never use earth, crystal, or stone to help or hinder herself, friend, or foe (this includes gardening and growing crops). She must strive to free captives, escape bondage, and never be held back by another's will. The exemplar must help others to follow their hearts and live their dreams.

Earth

Eldritch Skill: Exemplars of earth gain the following class skills: Appraise (Cha), Climb (Str), Survival (Wis)

Domain/Bloodline: Caves Subdomain (Earth), Elemental Bloodline (Earth)

Tradition Drawback: Energy Focus (Destruction) drawback: Crystal Blast or Stone Blast

Oaths: The exemplar must never use air to help or hinder herself, friend, or foe (this does not include breathing). She must accept the consequences of her actions, ensure that others are held responsible for their actions, and always honor her word (follow through with what she agrees to do). The exemplar must never permit someone she views as guilty escape without punishment.

Fire

Eldritch Skill: Exemplars of fire gain the following class skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Survival (Wis)

Domain/Bloodline: Ash Subdomain (Fire), Elemental Bloodline (Fire)

Tradition Drawback: Energy Focus (Destruction) drawback: Fire Blast

Oaths: The exemplar must never use cold or water to help or hinder herself, friend, or foe (this includes drinking). She must always support legitimate challenges to authority, challenge those whose opinions oppose her own, and accept all declared challenges. The exemplar must strive to change what she sees as wrong.

Water

Eldritch Skill: Exemplars of water gain the following class skills: Diplomacy (Cha), Swim (Str), Survival (Wis)

Domain/Bloodline: Ice Subdomain (Water), Elemental Bloodline (Water)

Tradition Drawback: Energy Focus (Destruction) drawback: Frost Blast

Oaths: The exemplar must never use fire to help or hinder herself, friend, or foe (this includes for light or cooking food). She must support legitimate claims to authority, never directly challenge a view that opposes her own, and strive to avoid conflict. The exemplar must strive to ensure that what she sees as right endures.

OATHBREAKERS

If an exemplar breaks one of her oaths or attempts to change her eldritch patron, she becomes a hag (male: warlock) and immediately falls under the dominion of an opposing patron. When this happens, she loses all features of her old patron and gains the features of her new patron except for domain/bloodline, and oaths. For the purposes of determining which patron a hag is subjected to, light traditionally opposes dark, fire opposes water, and earth opposes air.

Hags and warlocks are not bound by oaths! Instead, their new patron subjects them to a Greater Geas (Fate). A particularly sadistic patron might command their thralls to perform an impossible task—such as filling a sieve with water—and watch as they slowly wither away (from ability penalties) as they fail to perform it. Gracious patrons might be more lenient and assign a task that amounts to community service.

The geas of an eldritch patron is more potent than that of ordinary spellcasters; it cannot be broken through the Break Enchantment (Life) talent, and even if the hag discovers some way to fulfill the task and recover her lost ability points, any penalties to her casting ability accrued over the course of the geas can never be restored except by the Atonement (Fate) advanced talent (see below).

Hags may continue to progress in levels as an exemplar under her new patron's influence. To do so, she must willingly perform the requirements of her new patron's geas without access to a domain or bloodline for one entire level. Once accomplished, she is released from the geas and she gains her new patron's domain and bloodline. With neither geas nor oaths to restrict her, the unbound hag becomes a fearsome force indeed.

Some depraved exemplars will actually make oaths to a patron with plans to break those oaths deliberately and become a hag on purpose! Planning to become an oathbreaker should always trigger a plot twist or some other character development event, especially one that does not work out in the PCs favor.

A hag may reconcile with her former patron and regain that patron's features if she atones for her violations as per the Atonement (Fate) advanced talent. If she does so, she also loses any penalties to her casting ability accrued over the course of her geas.

THE WU XING

An alternative school of thought called the Wu Xing acknowledges five elements of the World Soul instead of four. These include earth, fire, water, metal, and wood. Instead of forbidding the use of elements as listed above, the oaths of water and earth change as follows: water forbids the use of earth and crystal, and earth forbids the use of wood and plants (which includes eating). Fire forbids the use of water, as normal. Exemplars who believe in the Wu Xing can choose from the following aspects of the World Soul in addition to earth, fire, and water:

Metal

Eldritch Skill: Exemplars of metal treat the following as class skills: Appraise (Int), Perception (Wis), Survival (Wis)

Domain/Bloodline: Metal Subdomain (Earth), Deep Earth Bloodline

Tradition Drawback: Material Focus (Creation): Basic Metals [does not provide an extra magic talent]

Oaths: The exemplar must never use fire to help or hinder herself, friend, or foe (this includes for light or cooking food). She must never act on emotion, require a logical reason to intercede in others affairs, and answer gifts and offenses with the same measure as they were given. The exemplar must never compromise.

Wood

Eldritch Skill: Exemplars of wood treat the following as class skills: Climb (Str), Heal (Wis), Survival (Wis)

Domain/Bloodline: Plant Domain, Verdant Bloodline

Tradition Drawback: Verdant Geomancer (Nature) [custom drawback]: You can only use the Plantlife package and can only gain (plant) geomancing talents. You cannot gain Expanded Geomancing, or any (spirit) talents, unless they are also (plant) talents.

Oaths: The exemplar must never use metal to help or hinder herself, friend, or foe (this includes money, weapons, and armor). She must promote her patron whenever possible, defend her coven from harm, and harm none except in defense. The exemplar must take every opportunity to increase her own stature, prestige, or power.

Changing Patrons in the Wu Xing

It is possible for an exemplar who believes in the Wu Xing to change patrons by undergoing a lengthy ritual, but she may only devote herself to the aspect of the World Soul that follows in the creative cycle. In the following sequence each element "creates" the element listed after it: fire, earth, metal, water, wood, and fire. Thus, an exemplar of water may become an exemplar of wood, and so on. When this choice is made, she immediately loses all the features of her old patron, and gains all the features of her new patron, except domain/bloodline. She must then follow the oaths of her new patron for one entire level without access to a domain or bloodline. Once accomplished, she gains the domain and bloodline of her new patron.

It is hypothetically possible to change patrons in the creative cycle as many times as a character has levels remaining, although a character that did so would never benefit from domains or bloodlines. Once reaching level 20, however, it is impossible to change patrons further, and the character would immediately gain access to the domain and bloodline of her current patron.

Oathbreakers in the Wu Xing

In the Wu Xing, the aspects of the World Soul oppose one another in a destructive cycle, which is not simply the opposite of the creative cycle. In the following sequence each element "destroys" the element listed after it: fire, metal, wood, earth, water, and fire. Oathbreakers in the Wu Xing are dominated by a patron aligned with the element which destroys the element of their old patron. Thus, if an exemplar of wood ever broke an oath, she would become a hag of metal, and so on.

A hag that wishes to reconcile with the World Soul through the use of the Atonement (Fate) advanced talent does not regain the patron she had before becoming a hag. Instead, once reconciled, she gains the patron and features of the next element in the creative cycle. Thus a hag of metal who reconciled with the World Soul would become an exemplar of water (not wood).