Luddite
Mar 7, 2019 18:24:32 GMT -6
Post by Lestat on Mar 7, 2019 18:24:32 GMT -6
Homebrew Exaltation - Luddite
Technology has both built the Great Wheel and brought it to its very knees. The greatest danger to society is itself, giving away its power to that which eventually will become too complex to control. Machines ruling machines, and subjugating their former masters: at first as a symbiosis, later as an ultimatum. Sages and far seers even shout while witnessing fevered visions of machines as ancient as the Syrne lurking at the borders of our reality waiting to break through to the other side. Every major power in the Great Wheel has had some experience with technology run amok, but they still tempt fate diving into lost Syrneth ruins plundering the past for secrets meant to be forgotten.
There is another way. To detach yourself from the convenience of modern life, and return to your ancestor's roots isn't a great sacrifice: it's a liberation. When you give power to the machine it takes a little bit away from yourself. Deny the machine, withhold it nourishment and you will thrive, prosper in its place. As the times change and the ways of old become trampled upon the foundation of the future becomes more precarious. A better future starts with you: build your way of life upon the solid principal of the past and deliver the technocratic future from its grim path.
Powers:
Natural Studies: You may purchase up to 6 dots in Arcana, Common Lore, Crafts, Medicae, Ballistics, Brawl, Drive, Weaponry, and Animal Ken skills, and you gain a free specialty (Primitive) in each. At 6 dots you gain an additional specialty of your choice. These skills are considered basic for you, and you may improve them as if they appeared on any class track.
Old Ways: You prefer the tools of the past. Poor quality items function as Normal quality items for you, this becomes good quality at Antiquity 3 and best quality at Antiquity 5. Ignore any technologically advanced benefit this would give you. If an antiquated version of a modern piece of gear exists you are counted as having acquired that in the item's place. For example instead of acquiring a modern emergency medkit you acquire a bundle of herbs, wool cloth, small knives, ointment, and similar supplies. The gear otherwise functions as normal.
Protokindred Physiology: As the times change you remain. Your anatomy is simpler and less demanding than those of the modern era. You regain 1 hit point for every hour of rest and relaxation you receive, and you are considered to be under the effects of a Regeneration spell for the purposes of regrowing limbs. Additionally, you may spend a point of Stamina to regain a hit point as a free action, or to remove a point of fatigue. Lastly, you gain the True Grit feat.
Deny the Machine: You cannot use Power Armor, non primitive ranged weapons, Syrneth and Chain melee weapons, or melee weapons featuring the Power Field or similarly advanced properties in a non improvised manner. In addition you are unable to activate any non analogue technologies, benefit from cybernetic enhancements, pilot advanced vehicles, or successfully manipulate any relatively complex to operate invention made after the Renaissance, and any attempt to do so results in spectacular failure. This counts as the All Thumbs hindrance leaving you unable to choose it otherwise.
Power Stat: Antiquity
When a Luddite grows in power they are tapping into the spirit of the old world. Not an animate apparition, the spirit fills the Luddite, and brings them closer to the natural way. This deepening relation with the past is called Antiquity. A strengthening Luddite is connecting with a further and further spanning past, back to when the spirit was at its most potent.
Resource Stat: Stamina. Luddites have an amount of Stamina equal to their Level + the greater of their Willpower or Constitution. You regain 1 Stamina for every hour of rest and relaxation you receive.
Antiquity | Power Gained |
★ | Survivalist - You know how to get by without the conveniences of modern society. You receive an extra raise on tests to resist drugs, disease, toxins and similar conditions. You don't require a regular source of shelter, or sustenance to be comfortable. You can find desired forgotten Uncommon or lesser rarity items of Poor quality in trash heaps given 10 minutes. Most trash heaps are otherwise picked clean and require another day to find more items. |
★★ | Ascetic - Your attacks are considered magical, you gain aura equal to your Antiquity, and you gain a bonus to Focus Power tests equal to your Antiquity. |
★★★ | Simple is Better - Your attacks have combat advantage against anyone actively utilizing items or technology that would be barred to you by the Deny the Machine power. Your weapons can not be destroyed by the Power Field property. Reduce the damage you take from technological weapons by your Antiquity. |
★★★★ | Hermetic Reasoning - As an outsider to society you have both insight beyond insight, and presumption beyond presumption. It takes an extra point of Resolve spent for others to become jaded to your social attacks, and you count as already jaded at the beginning of any social combat encounter. |
★★★★★ | Built to Last - They don't make them like they used to. Your primitive equipment is as sturdy as an Artifact, you track Critical Damage taken separately for each body part, and your maximum Stamina is increased by 5. |
Luddite Assets
Barbarian
You gain the Frenzy feat. While using Frenzy you gain +1 Resilience, and a bonus to Characteristic saving throws equal to your Antiquity.
Beastmaster
You gain a mighty animal companion made using the Spirit Creation Rules. Its level is equal to half your Antiquity rounded up, its type is Animal, and its natural weapon deals an extra 0k1 damage. Your SM must approve your choices, and it should resemble a real or fantastical beast. You may summon a different animal companion if yours is lost with an Animal Ken test against TN 25 in an appropriate environment.
Grognard
Choose a category of armor other than Power. Choose a selection of primitive armor from that category that covers your entire body (Primitive Armors are listed on pg. 216 as Leathers, Heavy Leathers, Quilted Vest, Chain Coat, Chain Hood, Banded armor, Full Helm, Plate, and Plate Helm. You may also choose a Leather Cap.). Also choose either one weapon up to Rare quality, or two weapons up to Uncommon quality that count as 'primitive' as per the Deny the Machine power. Begin play with these items, they count as artifacts, the armor gaining bonus AP equal to your Antiquity+1 and having its maximum Dexterity increased by 1, and the weapon(s) gaining a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to your Antiquity+1.
Marksman
The art of steady aim, and practiced skill was not invented with the dawn of modern warfare. Primitive ranged weapons have their range doubled in your hands, and receive one other boon. Primitive ranged weapons with a reload time of Free gain the Accurate property, and weapons with a longer reload time gain a new base reload time of a Half Action and their damage is increased by +2k1.
Medicine Man
You may craft holistic remedies to cure all that ails. Over the course of roughly 8 hours you may make a Crafts test to create doses of any individual drug up to Rare quality, the TN being the TN to acquire the drug. You acquire one dose of the drug on a success plus one additional dose for every raise on the test. Additionally you may use Wisdom for Medicae tests, and you know treatments to allow an injured individual to fully regrow limbs as long as you are able to pass a TN 25 Medicae test once per day for a week, giving them treatment and advice.
Primal Sorcerer
You may purchase ranks in Aerokinesis, Biomancy, Botanopathy, Cryokinesis, Hydromancy, Pyromancy, Transmutation, and Geokinesis as if they appeared on any class track. The first rank of each costs 100 XP instead of 200 XP.