Iron Balor
May 23, 2022 14:55:25 GMT -6
Post by Amanojyaku on May 23, 2022 14:55:25 GMT -6
The Eye holds great power. Some say they are the windows to the soul, the gateway of power through which one witnesses reality, and is witnessed in return. None know this to be true better than the Balor, who draw their power from the ancient souls of deceased gods. When the gods of old were vanquished, many of their bodies, or parts of their bodies, were retrieved by their faithful. Even in modern times, the Council of Wyrms seeks the pieces of ancient Tiamat's corpse. These faithful, some in acts of worship, others in misbegotten attempts to return their fallen goddess to life, took on their gods' parts, attaching them through medicine or magic, all for disastrous results. Many mages were completely destroyed, their bodies and souls incapable of bonding with that of the gods. However, those who attempted to utilize the eyes found it considerably easier, and learned to hide their power from others. These were the first Balor. The descendants (and they are many) of these original few are spread throughout the great wheel, born with great power, but also the capability to contain it.
Though the power of the Eye is hereditary, it does not manifest in every child, and may not manifest for several generations. However, many Balors live as part of familial clans, training their powers with an older relative until they are old enough to strike out on their own, but always with a home to return to. Each clan has different ideas of how to use their powers. Some are insular, hiding themselves from the world. Others seek out battle, working as professional assassin families or mercenary teams.
Balors are suited to many tasks, depending on the nature of their specific Eye. However, they usually lean towards a combat role, whether social or physical.
Tell: As Balors spend Tears, their Wadjet emanates a glowing, palpable aura of power, putting strain on their mortal eye.
Powers
Jagan: You may fix your gaze on any single creature you can see as a free action. If the target of your gaze is killed, leaves line of sight, or becomes jaded, you may switch your gaze to any other valid target as a free action. Your gaze is unnerving and inescapable. The target of your gaze takes a check on Dodge, Parry, Refute, and opposed tests made against you.
Wadjet: Choose one of your eyes. It gains one of the Wadjets listed below. Should the Balor's Wadjet ever be destroyed, they lose all of their exaltation powers until it is replaced, either cybernetically or via some form of healing. The new eye takes on the appearance of their Wadjet.
- Byakugan: The pale eye of a blind god who nonetheless saw it all. Gain +1 Wisdom, the Combat Master feat, and you can raise Wisdom to six dots. You can spend 1 Tear to make some unknown quality of creatures visible to your eyes for the rest of the scene, allowing you to see any creature that isn't dead clearly through most walls.
- Geass: The eye of a deceiver god, which gives power over the minds of others. Gain +1 Charisma, and you can raise Charisma to six dots. You can spend 1 Tear to have the target of your Jagan take a check to their next Willpower test before the end of the scene or until you switch the target of your gaze, whichever comes first.
- Judgment: The eye of a god of judgment. You're gonna have a bad time. Gain +1 Intelligence, and you can raise Intelligence to six dots. You can spend 1 Tear to cause the target of your Jagan to make a Willpower + Arcana test (TN 10 + 5*Vision) or be unable to take actions with the attack keyword for one round.
- Sharingan: The eye of a catroptic god, able to see and reflect the hearts of others. Gain +1 Fellowship, and you can raise Fellowship to six dots. You can spend 1 Tear to gain a free raise on any tests that the target of your Jagan performed on their last turn.
- Vecna: The eye of a death god, ringed with rot. Ironic; he could save others from death, but not himself. Gain +1 Composure, and you can raise Composure to six dots. You can spend 1 Tear to see the current Hit Points, Resolve, and true name of the target of your Jagan.
Window to the Soul: Even more so than a mortal, the Balor's eyes are windows into the core of their being. If you gaze into the abyss, it gazes back. While your Wadjet is uncovered, you take a static penalty on all Willpower and alignment tests equal to the number of Tears missing from your pool.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Balors tend to hide the nature of their powers as a matter of course. As long as your Wadjet eye is covered - whether by long hair, an eye patch, or some other contrivance - you are effectively mortal to all outside inspection, and cannot use any of your Balor powers. You may cover or uncover your eye as a free action.
Power Stat: Vision: As a Balor becomes more powerful, the symbol within their pupil grows ever more complex. Those looking into the Balor's eyes can see visions of ancient battles between gods.
Resource Stat: Tears: Tears serve to protect the eye, and in the Balor's case, they also regulate the overwhelming power it contains. A Balor has maximum Tears equal to their Vision + Perception. Regain 1 Tear at the end of each round your Wadjet eye is covered. As a free action, you can take 1 wound to the Head (X damage) in order to regain 1 Tear.
*A Watchful Eye: Your Wadjet eye functions as a Good-quality cybernetic eye. Begin play with Dark Sight and a free specialty (Eye of God) in Scrutiny and Perception. As long as your Wadjet eye remains, you take no penalties for missing eyes.
**Terrible Gaze: Gain the Arcane Mark feat. When you target an enemy with your Jagan, you can brand them with your Arcane Mark.
***Split Focus: You can focus on two targets at the same time with your Jagan, so long as they are both in your field of vision. You may target both of them with abilities that target the subject of your gaze, but must spend resource points separately for each.
****See the Pattern: You can cast the spell Luck as a reaction using Vision + Wisdom in place of the normal magic test. You can cast it as a free action by spending 1 Tear.
*****All-Seeing Eyes of God: Your Wadjet eye can see through any illusions automatically, as well as perceive spirits and objects in the Umbra (or vice-versa, if you happen to be in the Umbra). If you are able to track the target of your Arcane Mark, they count as being in your line of sight for the purpose of targeting them with your Jagan.
Balor Assets
Crowned Wadjet
The original Wadjets, created long before the deaths of the Eldarin pantheon, are far rarer and more powerful. Select one of the following instead of a normal Wadjet.
- Balor: The OG god of giants whose eye made the first Balor. Gain +1 Constitution, +2 Hit Points, and you can raise Constitution to six dots. You can spend Tears to increase your Size by the same amount until the end of the scene. While your Wadjet is uncovered, you can use it to cast Energy Ray without the Somatic component using Vision + Charisma instead of the normal magic test. When cast this way, it ignores an amount of Aura equal to your Vision. Regain 1 Tear each time you kill an enemy whose Level is at least half of yours (round up).
- Calamity: The cursed scarlet eye of an ancient dragon whose gaze brought nothing but misfortune. Gain +1 Charisma, and you can raise Charisma to six dots. You can spend 1 Tear as a free action to prevent the target of your gaze from using anything other than their Resilience to reduce damage until your next turn. At Vision 4, you can cast Unluck on the target of your gaze, using Vision + Wisdom instead of the normal magic test. Whenever the target of your gaze fails a test, regain 1 Tear.
- Powerful: The merciless black gaze of the Strongest Man on the Wheel. Gain +1 Willpower, +3 Resolve, and you can raise Willpower to six dots. You can spend 1 Tear to negate the effect of one resource point spent by the target of your gaze, and you can cast Dispel using your Vision + Willpower instead of the normal magic test. Whenever you succeed on an opposed test or on a test that the target of your gaze failed at since your last turn, regain 1 Tear.
Double Vision
You are descended from two clans. Gain the Blind Fighting feat. Choose a second Wadjet and apply it to an eye that doesn't possess one, if possible. You gain the benefits of the second Wadjet, except for the Characteristic bonus, and retain your exaltation powers as long as you have at least one Wadjet eye remaining.
Dragon's Eye
Your eye is a nexus point, a biological singularity that can see all points in time at once. Gain one free rank of Divination magical power. You may purchase this power as if it was part of any class you belong to. You can purchase the Spell Book feat at any time, applying it only to Divination spells. Finally, you cast all Divination spells using your Vision in place of the magic school during the Focus Power test.
Lord's Eye
Your Wadjet eye was cast in the image of a god's; as you see, so shall you do. Gain 1 rank of the Shattered Mirror sword school. You may advance this sword school as if it appeared in your class progression. You can spend 2 Tears to use a special attack that the target of your Jagan used since your last turn.
Shining Eye
Your Wadjet bears a power beyond mortal comprehension. Once per scene, you can spend 1 Tear as a free action to turn your gaze inward, entering an empowered state as you convert the power of your Jagan into physical force. This state lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Vision + Willpower, during which you add twice your Vision to your Speed and as a static bonus to all rolls involving your Strength, and you ignore the non-damaging effects of attacks, but you cannot use your Jagan. Treat this as if it were the Frenzy feat for the purpose of class prerequisites or interactions with other game mechanics, and treat Frenzy as an optional feat if it appears in your class progression.