| Intro | Locale | Mythology | Religion | History | Races |
| Mechanics: | Mechanics | Combat | Char Gen | Characters | |
| Powers: | Powers | Body/Mind | Dragon Blooded | Virtuous Follower | |
| Maps: | Overview | Local | Stockade | Village | |
| Story: | Session 1 | ||||
Initiates of the Body/Mind Path can pursue:
The five-fold path of the warrior revolves around body / element associations:
| Movements | Fire | Body to body movement (strikes) |
|---|---|---|
| Stances | Air | Positions enhancing ability |
| Meditations | Water | Rituals of power |
| Projections | Wood | Extending body through weapons |
| Devotions | Earth | Focus the body |
Direct body to body contact is the focus of Movements.
| Force Kick - Fire | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-1 |
| Action: | Martial Arts-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action |
| Effect: | The initiate strikes with a forceful kick, doing normal damage, knocking back the target 5' plus 5' per 2 MoS and tagging the target with the Aspect: Knockback. |
| Dervish Claws - Air | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-2 |
| Action: | Martial Arts-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action, special |
| Effect: | This power allows the initiate to carry out a gouging, clawing attack against the foe. A successful attack will only cause a Scratch wound at worst, but each subsequent round the foe will suffer an additional Scratch wound due to bleeding. |
| Harmonious Strike - Earth | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-3 |
| Action: | Martial Arts-Fair |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action, special |
| Effect: | A successful Harmonious Strike attack does damage as usual. It also creates a reverberation in the foe's body Aspect: Resonant. Subsequent martial arts attacks against the opponent invoke this aspect to gain +1 MoS if they hit. |
| Three Storms Strike - Water | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-4 |
| Action: | Martial Arts-Fair |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action |
| Effect: | The initiate executes a series of powerful blows against multiple targets. Reduce MoS by one (minimum zero) and apply the results against up to three foes. |
| Splintered Bamboo Touch - Wood | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-5 |
| Action: | Martial Arts-Good |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action |
| Effect: | This strike is useful against armed and armored foes. A successful attack does no damage to the foe, rather it strikes weapons and armor with devestating force. Each MoS of the attack has one of the following effects (in order): disarms foe, reduces armor by one rank, breaks shield, reduces armor by one rank (repeating). |
Initiates of the Way of the Warrior constantly adapt to the flow of battle. Stances are postures and body positions that enhance movement and leverage combat flow. Assuming or changing a stance takes an action, but can be maintained throughout the scene.
| Unseen Eternal Stance - Air | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-1 |
| Action: | WotW-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | The first lesson taught to any initiate, this stance provides both flexibility and balance. The initiate gains +1 to maneuever skills, and any action that would tag them with a negative aspect involving balance or motion suffers a -1 penalty. Moving from this stance to any other can be accomplished as a free action (though the new stance's conditions must be met). |
| Flowing Stream Stance - Water | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-2 |
| Action: | WotW-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | The initiate moves like the waters of a mountain stream. In this stance the character can move at full speed and still attack normally each round. This stance is often favored by bowmen as it allows them to maintain their distance from foes while firing. |
| Enraged Dragon Stance - Fire | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-3 |
| Action: | WotW-Fair |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | This is the primary combat stance of the unarmed martial artist. The body's energy is directed to hands, feet, or any other part of the body used to strike foes. This stance grants a +1 bonus to all Martial Arts attacks. |
| Cutting Reed Stance - Wood | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-4 |
| Action: | WotW-Fair |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | This stance was originally developed as an unarmed counter to armed foes. Any weapon melee attack against the initiate (successful or not) allows an immediate martial arts counter-attack vs. the original attack's result roll. This attack does not cause a multi-action penalty. |
| Mountain Shoulder Stance - Earth | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-5 |
| Action: | WotW-Good |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | This stance channels body energies towards strength and stability. Though it has no combat application (applying the energies gathered is too slow), it can be used to great effect. The initiate may invoke either the Aspect Immobile or Unstoppable at will. The Immobile Aspect can be used against inanimate moving objects (castle gates, wagons, boulders) to stop them in their tracks. The Unstoppable Aspect can be used to break inanimate objects (castle gates, locks, boulders). |
Each meditation is a one hour ritual requiring full concentration. One meditation can be carried out per day, and grants the given bonus and Aspect for the remainder of the day.
| Mind of Clear Pool - Water | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-1 |
| Action: | WotW-Average |
| Essence: | 0 |
| Duration: | 1 day, self |
| Effect: | Clarity of mind leads to focus. Gain a +1 bonus to resist the effect of any strong emotion or mind clouding effect (rage, fear, drunk, groggy). Aspect: Clarity of Mind |
| Soul Weapon - Wood | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-2 |
| Action: | WotW-Average |
| Essence: | 0 |
| Duration: | 1 day, 1 weapon |
| Effect: | Meditate upon your chosen weapon, becoming one with it. Once the meditation iscomplete this weapon cannot be broken or degraded and you cannot be disarmed in combat while wielding it. Aspect: Strongly Wielded |
| Zephyr Form - Air | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-3 |
| Action: | WotW-Fair |
| Essence: | 0 |
| Duration: | 1 day, self |
| Effect: | Become light as air, tireless as the wind. This meditation allows the initiate to operate for a full day without food, drink or rest without penalty. This meditation can be invoked on consecutive days. A single failed attempt at this meditation bears no penalty, but failure after consecutive uses inflicts one Clipped wound per day prior to failure. Aspect: Tireless |
| Renewing Focus - Earth | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-4 |
| Action: | WotW-Fair |
| Essence: | 0 |
| Duration: | 1 day, self |
| Effect: | This meditation strengthens the body and accelerates healing. Once complete the healing effects of any rest are doubled and the effects of any chronic malady are halved for the duration. Aspect: Healthful |
| Inner Fire - Fire | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-5 |
| Action: | WotW-Good |
| Essence: | 0 |
| Duration: | 1 day, self |
| Effect: | This meditation causes the initiate's body to burn its energies at an accelerated rate for the day. All combat rolls for the day gain a +1 bonus. This enhanced state is followed by a day of weakness as the body recovers. All combat rolls on the following day suffer a -1 penalty. Aspect: Energized followed by Aspect: Weakened. |
Projections are weapons-based combat powers. Projections are declared as part of a character's action. Only one projection can be used at a time.
| Cut the Grain - Wood | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-1 |
| Action: | Melee Weapon-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action |
| Effect: | Strike your foe's weapon with your own, breaking it. This power is negated by the Soul Weapon meditation. |
| Rampart of Blades - Earth | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-2 |
| Action: | Melee Weapon-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action |
| Effect: | The initiate may use their weapon skill to deflect incoming missiles (arrows, rocks, bottles) causing them to miss. Further any deflected missile can be directed as a (MoS) attack against any foe within melee range. |
| Typhoon Strike - Water | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-3 |
| Action: | Melee Weapon-Fair |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action |
| Effect: | This striking projection is used against multiple foes. The initiate applies the effect of their attack normally, then reduces the MoS by one and applies it to a second foe. Repeat this for each MoS. If all foes have been hit once, restart the sequence with the first foe. If sequential attacks are directed against a single foe the MoS is reduced by two per strike, rather than one. |
| Meteor Assault - Fire | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-4 |
| Action: | Ranged/Thrown Weapon-Fair |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action |
| Effect: | The next MoS missiles unleashed with this power gains a +1 attack bonus and becomes armor piercing, ignoring armor bonuses and absorption. |
| Celestial Hammer - Air | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-5 |
| Action: | Melee Weapon-Good |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action |
| Effect: | Using a melee weapon the initiate gathers great energy for a single devestating strike. A normal wound is applied, then the following Aspects are applied in order, one for each MoS: Knockback, Dazed, Confused, Deafened. |
Devotions are powers invoked by the initiate to strengthen body and mind. Generally they take 1 action to invoke and persist for one scene. Only one devotion can be used at a time.
| Iron Body Form - Earth | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-1 |
| Action: | WotW-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | Invoking this devotion gives Aspect: Iron Body. Invoke this Aspect to reduce any wound other than Taken Out by one level. This invocation must be done when the wound is received. |
| Burning Hoof Form - Fire | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-2 |
| Action: | WotW-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | This devotion energizes the initiate's blows with great energy. Any martial arts attack with a MoS of two or more knocks the foe off their feet (Aspect: Prone). |
| Heartwood Strength - Wood | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-3 |
| Action: | WotW-Fair |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | This Devotion strengthens the initiate's body, protecting it from harm. In combat this Devotion allows the initiate to ignore all Scratch wounds. It also allows them to ignore effects from many forms of environmental damage. Walking through a burning building, being submerged in icy water, or standing naked in the middle of a blizzard would have no effect on the initiate. |
| Deceptive Mist Technique - Air | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-4 |
| Action: | WotW-Fair |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | The initiate fades from the attention of others like mist in the forest shadows Aspect: Unseen. While not invisible it is unlikely the initate will be noticed by the casual eye. |
| Brilliant Waters Flux - Water | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotW-5 |
| Action: | WotW-Good |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | Invoking this Devotion allows the initiate to become one with the Essence. Gain one Essence any time another character uses a power that uses Essence. |
The body reflects the five elements:
| Fire | Heart / Blood / Pulse |
|---|---|
| Air | Respiration / Digestion |
| Water | Mind / Nerves / Senses |
| Wood | Bones / Tendons / Skin |
| Earth | Flesh / Reproduction |
Each rank of the Way of the Healer provides deeper understanding of each of these elements. Each power below is defined in terms of Skill level required, action result needed for minimum effect, and minimum Essence required.
| Touch the Flame - Fire | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-1 |
| Action: | WotH-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | Increase the healer's pulse and circulation, allowing them to increase their healing and empathic powers. This is the most basic teaching of the WotH. Success with this skill provides a bonus equal to 1 + 1 per 2 MoS to any subsequent treatment roll by the adept. |
| Sleeping Embers Technique - Fire | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-2 |
| Action: | WotH-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 day |
| Effect: | Manipulate the willing target's life force, reducing it to the bare minimum to sustain life. The target is reduced to a coma-like sleep. The effects of any harmful effects over time (poison, disease, bleeding wounds, etc.) are stopped for the duration of this technique, though overall effect is unaltered (a poison that inflicts a hurt wound each hour would simply be delayed for a day). |
| Flame of Purity - Fire | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-3 |
| Action: | WotH-Fair |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action |
| Effect: | The adept purifies the target's blood, reducing the effect of any poison by 2 ranks of intensity and duration per MoS achieved. The adept receives a normal wound equivalent to MoS - 2. |
| Essence Flare - Fire | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-4 |
| Action: | WotH-Fair |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Instant |
| Effect: | The adept channels Essence directly through their own bloodstream, causing it to flare into brilliant energy. Apply as an AoE attack to anyone within melee range. |
| Elemental Diffusion - Fire | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-5 |
| Action: | WotH-Good |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | The initiate chooses one of the five elements and focuses their Essence on channeling any energies of that element to their own Essence pool. They gain immunity to the chosen element and any Essence in a matching elemental attack against them is added to their Essence pool. |
| Extending Breath - Air | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-1 |
| Action: | WotH-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | The initiate enhances the body's ability to process life's breath. The recipient may hold their breath for extended periods or breath normally even in the worst conditions (a burning building for example). |
| Breath of Pain - Air | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-2 |
| Action: | WotH-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action |
| Effect: | The initiate inhales the target's breath, taking injuries upon themselves and reducing them by 1 category per 3 MoS in the process. Each MoS removes 3 ranks of wounds from the target beginning with the most severe injury less than or equal to total ranks. For example achieving 2 MoS removes up to an Injured wound (rank 6), transferring it as a Clipped result to the healer's wound track. Transferred wounds roll up as usual so this technique can be dangerous. |
| Breeze of Purity - Air | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-3 |
| Action: | WotH-Fair |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action |
| Effect: | The adept purifies the target's breath, reducing the effect of any disease by 2 ranks of intensity and duration per MoS achieved. The adept receives a wound equivalent to MoS - 2. |
| Spirit Cutting Exhalation - Air | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-4 |
| Action: | WotH-Fair, special |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Instant, up to 3 targets |
| Effect: | The initiate focuses their Essence upon their own breath, turning it into a weapon. The Exhalation can be focused on up to 3 foes within melee range of each other. Each foe is knocked back 5' plus 5' per 2 MoS and suffers an appropriate wound from the force of the blast (Aspect: Knockback). |
| Essence Storm - Air | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-5 |
| Action: | WotH-Good |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | The recipient of this power is attuned to the local environmental Essence. Their personal Essence pool regains one point per round per MoS for the duration of the scene. |
| Calming Flow - Water | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-1 |
| Action: | WotH-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | N/A |
| Effect: | The initiate calms the mental state of the target, instantly clearing the effects of strong emotions (fear, rage) or slight impairment (groggy, drunk). The initiate can invoke this power on themselves without penalty from the effects it counters. |
| Flow of Will - Water | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-2 |
| Action: | WotH-Average |
| Essence: | 0 |
| Duration: | N/A, passive |
| Effect: | The initiate has attuned their mind/body balance such that they gain double effects from all rest. |
| Fluid Senses - Water | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-3 |
| Action: | WotH-Fair |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | The adept attunes their senses to the environment, greatly increasing their sensitivity. By focusing their will they can sharpen individual senses to specific levels, allowing them to see in the dark, listen to ants creep across the floor of the house, smell the bear stalking them while upwind, or spot an eagle upon a mountain peak. |
| Mind Cleansing/Tainted Mind - Water | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-4 |
| Action: | WotH-Fair, Melee Attack-Success |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action |
| Effect: | Invoking the cleansing aspect of water, the initiate removes any mental or sense impairment or influence (insanity, curses, confusion, possession, blindness, deafness, etc.) from the target. In cases of possession multiple Mind Cleansings may be required. The reversed power, Tainted Mind inflicts the target with a mental curse as designated by the adept. Curse effectiveness is based on the success of the skill use and the nature of the curse. |
| Crystal Mind Defense - Water | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-5 |
| Action: | WotH-Good |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | The target gains Aspect: Perfect Clarity. This Aspect can be invoked to see through any illusion or sense affecting magic. It can also be used to negate powers that directly affect the mind (Tainted Mind for example). |
| Barkskin - Wood | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-1 |
| Action: | WotH-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | The initiate hardens the target's skin to the toughness of wood, gaining the equivalent of leather armor bonus/absorption. No skill penalty is applied to this protection. |
| Soothing Touch/Touch of Pain - Wood | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-2 |
| Action: | WotH-Average, Melee Attack-Success |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | The adept uses this ability to grant peace to their patients and inflict agony on their enemies. Soothing Touch removes all feeling of pain from the target, while Touch of Pain generates burning agony. Touch of Pain inflicts a 1 + 1 per 2 MoS penalty on the recipient for all skill checks. |
| Bamboo in the Wind/Bamboo Spine Touch - Wood | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-3 |
| Action: | WotH-Fair, Melee Attack-Success |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Instant / Scene |
| Effect: | The first application of this power removes any movement impairing or paralyzing effects from the target. The second invocation of this power causes the target's joints to stiffen (Aspect: Paralyzed). |
| Flowering Life Form/Choking Vine Grasp - Wood | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-4 |
| Action: | WotH-Fair, Melee Attack-Success |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | The initiate adjusts the target's mind/body balance, allowing the adrenaline rush of conflict to heal 1 rank of wounds per round. If cast upon themselves healing is increased to 1 + 1 rank per MoS. The harmful version of this power requires a successful melee attack and inflicts 1 rank of damage per round on the target. |
| Oak Body Technique - Wood | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-5 |
| Action: | WotH-Good |
| Essence: | 0 |
| Duration: | N/A passive |
| Effect: | The adept has altered their mind/body balance so they resist many forms of attack. They gain the equivalent of leather armor, a +1 resistance to elemental damage, and Aspect: Oak Body. |
| Healing Earth - Earth | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-1 |
| Action: | WotH-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 rest period |
| Effect: | The recipient of this skill heals at an accelerated rate, increasing the effects of a rest period by 1 rest per MoS. |
| Body Mending - Earth | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-2 |
| Action: | WotH-Average |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 Action, self only |
| Effect: | The initiate instantly heals their own wounds. Each MoS removes 2 ranks of wounds. The initiate can choose how this healing is applied. For example if they achieve 2 MoS they could heal an Injured, or remove 2 Hurt results. |
| Stone Form - Earth | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-3 |
| Action: | WotH-Fair |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | By focusing Essence on their flesh the adept protects the target from elemental damage Aspect: Elemental Resistance. This resistance can be invoked after a normal defensive challenge has been failed (for example, the adept fails to dodge a fire attack, they can invoke Elemental Resistance to avoid taking damage). |
| Broken Form Technique - Earth | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-4 |
| Action: | WotH-Fair, Melee Attack-Success |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | Scene |
| Effect: | The adept uses their great knowledge of mind/body to temporarily steal an Aspect of their foe. The target Aspect must be tagged. The target loses the Aspect completely and the initiate can use the Aspect normally. |
| Perfect Flesh Slumber - Earth | |
|---|---|
| Skill: | WotH-5 |
| Action: | WotH-Good |
| Essence: | 1 |
| Duration: | 1 rest period |
| Effect: | The target of this technique falls into a sound sleep, during which all wounds are healed and any disease, poison, or other malady is cured. |
FINI
All material Copyright (C) Mark A. Thomas. All rights reserved.