Adepts

Adepts have been introduced elsewhere. In short, they are individuals capable of wielding some small part of the power possessed by the long-gone Demon Kings. They can alter the nature of the world by the power of their will alone. This page goes into some depth on adepts as characters, focussing primarily on how to simulate their incredible powers in game terms.

Adepts in Human Society

Only in cities do adepts achieve the greatness of true mastery. Being able to manipulate spirit is incredibly difficult and requires intensive training and study that is just not available without Standing Stones as a guide. Adepts can be found in most any profession, though there are some that are traditional. Adepts serve in the military, in city government and law enforcement, the clergy, work as healers, crafters and artisans. Adepts are the class at the very top of the Scala Spiritus or Ladder of Spirit as set down by Prometheus. They are the equivalent of gentry and nobility in the society of the Savage Earth.

One great difference between adepts and the upper classes of the past is the matter of inheritance. Adeptitude is not an inheritable trait. Adepts will almost certainly have normal children and come from normal parents. A "long line of adepts" would occur where there is a tradition of fostering young adepts by older ones. Fostering is very common in Merikia. Similar to indentured servitude, but more familial in nature, fostering allows an adept to pass on a "family business" or to tutor and care for a young person who needs his guidance.

The usual pattern is that an adept will find a young sighted person to sponsor. That person will come to live in the household of the adept. If the fostering adept is wealthy enough, he will usually sponsor the young one's education. Some adepts with greater ties to a "traditional" family based on bloodlines, may arrange a marriage between the fostered child and one of their natural children. Although marriages are not usually arranged, this is one of the few exceptions. (Some merchants may also arrange marriages to consolidate a financial empire).

Although the fostered adept usually winds up inheriting the bulk of their parent's estate, most decent adepts will make sure their normal offspring are well provided for as well. This odd arrangement leads to a society in which the ruling class is determined by birth, but is not hereditary.

As indicated, adepts are not restricted to cities. Barbarian peoples can also produce adepts. Deprived of the opportunity to study the Word and the Way, they are nearly always limited to mere spirit sight, though a few rare individuals have managed to work out a minor devotion or two. Barbarians usually refer to such people as "sighted" or "witches". Different tribes may either revere them or fear and kill them.

Adeptitude is easy enough to prove. Any demonstrtion of spirit sight is a valid indicator, as is the ability to use lumina, which even the weakest and most untrained of adepts can do. If an adept wishes to conceal his or her nature, there are no easy ways for someone to discover their nature. Adepts do not register upon spirit sight as anything other than human. However, active use of spirit manipulation stands out quite clearly to anyone with spirit sight (PER roll). Even use of the minor devotions can reveal an adept (PER-3). Naturally, anyone using Probe Psyche or Psychometry has a pretty good chance of discovering the target's adept nature. A mere Read Psyche is not enough to prove adeptitude, although it may reveal that he target has the intellectual strength to be one.  

Adepts as Characters

Adepts must be human. It is possible there are mutant adepts out there, but none have been reliably reported. An adept must have a minimum natural INT and EGO of 18 each. There is no such thing as a dull or stupid adept. If a character is envisioned as a Master, there must be a way they received and paid for a high quality education. A character who wishes to have the potential of becoming an adept must meet these requirements and must spend a minimum of 10 points for an adept pool, plus 1 point for minimal Spirit Sight when the character is created. No one may "become" an adept. You either are, or you aren't.

Since the realities of role-playing time dole out experience faster than it could logically be spent on acquiring devotions and skill, all player characters can be assumed to be those rare individuals to whom mastery comes quickly and easily. Some learn fast; others learn slow. There does not seem to be a correlation between speed and achievable power level, though. It requires special permission to play a Grandmaster. Such people usually wield a great deal of political power and are usually best employed as plot devices.

As adepts achieve mastery, they may augment their characteristics or those of their followers. Players do not spend points for these enhancements. This is one of the reasons adepts are as powerful as they are.

Adept Limitations

Social Limitations

Tethered. Adepts may be tethered. A tethered adept is one who has enough ley lines attached to objects, that they are unable to travel without severe financial, social, legal or political repercussions. An adept who has used his abilities to enhance a number of clients has a contractual obligation to remain in the same city as his clients. He may even have made an agreement to remain in a particular section of the city. Since the consequences could be severe (breach of contract, possible prison sentence or financial ruin), this is worth 20 points (very frequently, major). NPC adepts are often tethered. Player characters rarely take this limitation since it would restrict adventuring, though it might be appropriate in a city campaign.

Adept Perks

Mastery
Value Rank
0 Sighted*
1 Adept/Novice*
2 Master*
5 Highmaster*
7 Grandmaster*
10 Archon*

Adepts are characters with a higher than average position in society. They have certain rights which place them above the common citizenry. They enjoy the same sort of prestige that gentry, nobility or even royalty might have enjoyed in earlier ages.

Fringe Benefit: Sighted 0 pts. This character has the ability to perceive spirits, but is otherwise unlikely to advance any further. The merely sighted are not advantaged socially enough for a fringe benefit to be meaningful.

Fringe Benefit: Adept 1 pt. This represents a student or other non-master adept. They receive preferential treatment and are less restricted in their movements in many ways. They may have access to adept-only areas of the city, for instance.

Fringe Benefit: Master 2 pts. This is a character who has at least one of the major devotions. They will frequently gain political or business appointments as a matter of course. They may be able to live in a gated section of their city or have easier access to public officials and institutions. They are treated with respect by the established powers.

Fringe Benefit: Highmaster 5 pts. This is a character who has at least two of the major devotions. Besides the benefits listed above, they will receive preferential treatment over mere masters. They also have a likelihood of being generally well-known. Highmasters have much greater access to the upper echelons of government and can more easily cut through red tape.

Fringe Benefit: Grandmaster 7 pts. This represents an adept of highest ability. In addition to the privileges detailed above, they may be entitled to grants of property. They may be exempt from certain laws altogether. In some cities, they may field private armies.

Fringe Benefit: Archon 10 pts. This Grandmaster is the ruler of an entire city. While actual powers may vary from city to city, they are usually unquestioned aboslute monarchs, able to make and break laws, treaties, command the treasury, declare war, etc.

Fringe Benefit: Appointment variable pts. The character has control over a particular area of city administration, usually by appointment from the Archon or other major governing body. The character can usually mete out justice within their bailiwick. Examples include: Archbishop, General, Judge, City Architect, Master Farmer and more. Some appointments may be worth more than others. If an appointment can only be held by an adept (i.e. Bishop), then the character pays for the more expensive of the two, either a level of Mastery, or the value of the Appointment. For example, if the Bishop of Adala is Highmaster, he pays only 7 points total. (The position of Bishop is worth 7 points, which is higher than the 5 point cost of Highmaster.) See the Character Creation page for more details.

Adept Devotions

An adept must learn to walk before she may run. Simpler powers are learned first, with more effective powers learned later. Some individual powers may become more effective with more practice as well.

Adept powers are modeled by a unique power framework called an Adept Pool. The Adept Poolis a reserve of points which may be used in a variety of ways. All adept powers and abilities are accessed from this pool by the use of Perks. An adept character purchases a perk to represent their level of mastery of a particular ability. There is a limit to how much they may spend on any particular ability that is dictated by the overall size of the adept pool.

Adepts may have multiple powers (called Devotions) active at the same time, all drawing from the same Adpet Pool. However, all Devotions require Endurance to use, so there is a practical limit to how much an adept can do at any given time. Endurance Reserves, special Recoveries, Aids or Reduced Endurance costs are forbidden.

All Minor Devotions cost normal endurance for a power (1 point per five active points). Major Devotions cost a similar amount of END, but all Major Devotions cost Long Term Endurance. (See the House Rules on Transformation, below).

To give an idea of the different levels of mastery, consult the following table:

Rank Pool
Sighted 20
Novice 20-40
Master Morphist 40+, must have Modify Morphia
Master Animist 40+, must have Modify Anima
Master Psychist 40+, must have Modify Psyche
Master 40, Must have Shift Aspect in one Aspect.
High Master 45+, Must have Shift Aspect in two Aspects.
Grand Master 55+, Must have Shift Aspect in three Aspects.
In practice, every Master below the rank of Highmaster may be referred to as Master, the qualifier is optional unless being formal.

As you can see, player characters are not likely to play a Grandmaster. To be one requires the expenditure of a minimum of 135 points (40 Adpet Pool + 15 for three Aspects + 24 for the various Shift Devotions, plus 56 points for the pre-requisites), not to mention the attendent Characteristics, Skills and Perks required to make a believably rounded character. These are designed to be NPCs, or often plot devices. They are extremely powerful individuals that shape entire cities. It is possible, with GM permission, to play a Grandmaster campaign, wherein each character is a Grandmaster vying for political dominance in a given city.

Morphia, Anima and Psyche Target Numbers

As stated in elsewhere, everything in the Savage Earth universe has one or more Aspects of spirit. For convenience, those formulas are repeated here, though they may be found on the Campaign Guidelines page. These numbers are used as targets for the various Spirit Manipulation powers of Masters.

Spirit Characteristics
Spirit Aspect Formula
Morphia Body + DEF * †
Anima (Passive) Morphia + Inches/Seg
Anima (Active) Dex/2 + Speed x2 †
Psyche (Int + Ego)/2
*In the case of characters, the average of inherent resistant defenses.
†Double the value for every weight doubling of 100kg.
Major Devotion Target Values
Mastery Level
Devotion Target
Modify Morphia Morphia + AP
Heal Morphia x 2
Repair Morphia x 2
Copy Morphia Morphia x 3
Shift Morphia Morphia x 3

Modify Passive Anima Anima + AP
Modify Active Anima see text
Copy Anima Anima x 2
Shift Anima Anima x 2

Modify Psyche Psyche + AP
Psychic Impression see text
Heal Psyche Psyche x 2
Copy Psyche Psyche x 3
Shift Pscyhe Psyche x 3

Here are some sample values of common objects and their base target values:

Examples of Spirit Values
Item Morphia Anima Psyche
Wooden Door 9 (Bod 5 + Def 4)
Falling Boulder,
Man-sized

(Passive Anima)

18 (Bod 13 + Def 5) 23 (Morphia 18 + Move 5"/seg)
Falling Boulder,
2x Man-sized

(Passive Anima)

36 (Bod 13 + Def 5) x Size 2 41 (Morphia 36 + Move 5"/seg)
Planet Earth

(Passive Anima)

1608 (Bod 19 + Def 5) x Size 67 Rotational Anima
2502 (Morphia 1608 + Move (at equator) 447 *2)
Self-Paddling Canoe

Active Anima

12 (Bod 9 + Def 3) 10 (Dex 11/2 + Speed 2*2)
Normal Human 8 (Bod 8 + Def 0) 8 (Dex 8/2 + Speed 2*2) 12 (Int 8 + Ego 8) /2
Adventurer 14 (Bod 14 + Def 0) 14 (Dex 15/2 + Speed 3*2) 13 (Int 13 + Ego 13) /2
Enhanced Grandmaster 24 (Bod 21 + Def 3) 30 (Dex 20/2 + Speed 5*2) 25 (Int 25 + Ego 25) /2

Major and Minor Devotions

The Table below lists the most common Major and Minor Devotions. The difference between the major and minor devotions is this: The Minor devotions are those which reflect an adepts ability to perceive spirits and act on that information. They are sensory-based. At this point the adept cannot manipulate spirit. Minor devotions are bought as a host of different powers to model this effect, primarily Detects and other Enhanced Senses, Skill Levels, and some Mental Powers.

The Major Devotions are those which allow a Master Adept to alter the spirits he can perceive. These are the powers that allow an Master to change an object or being's basic nature. They are bought as different applications of the power Transform. Instead of the Mind-Body-Spirit classifications of Fifth Edition Hero rules, they are separated between Morphia, Anima and Psyche.

When the word Aspect is italicised, it means that the word may be changed for Morphia, Anima or Psyche. Thus Modify Aspect, may refer to Modify Morphia, Modfy Anima or Modify Psyche.

Morphic Devotion Costs
Mastery Level
Minor/Major 10 20 40 55 70 85 100
Detect Morphic Danger 1 3 5 8 10
Best Defense 3 5 8 10 12
Detect Weakness 3 5 8 10 12
Shock Morphia 5 10 12

Modify Morphia 5 8 10 12 14
Heal 3 5 8 10 12 14
Repair 5 8 10 12 14
Copy Morphia   8 10 12 14
Shift Morphic Ideal   10 12 14
Psychic Devotion Costs
Mastery Level
Minor/Major 10 20 40 55 70 85 100
Detect Psychic Danger 3 5 8 10
Read Psyche 3 5 8 10 12 14
Psychometry 5 8 10 12
Probe Psyche 8 10 12
Divine 5    
Shock Psyche 5 8 10 12

Modify Psyche 5 8 10 12 14
Psychic Impression 3 5 8 10 12 14
Heal Psyche   8 10 12 14
Copy Psyche 5 8 10 12 14
Shift Psychic Ideal   10 12 14
Animic Devotion Costs
Mastery Level
Minor/Major 10 20 40 55 70 85 100
Detect Animic Danger 3 5 8 10
Anticipate Movement 3 5 8 10 12
Efficient Movement 3 5 8 10 12
Shock Anima 5 10 12

Modify Active Anima 5 8 10 12 14
Deaden Passive Anima     10 12 14
Heal Anima 5 8 10 12 14
Copy Anima 8 10 12 14
Shift Animic Ideal 10 12 14
Spirit Sight Costs
Mastery Level
10 20 40 55 70 85 100
Spirit Sight 1 3 5 8 10 12
Interdivisional
Interdivisional Cost
First Division Normal Cost
Second Division +5 points
Thrid Division +10 points

Basically, to buy any Major Devotions in a category (Morphia, Anima, Psyche) beyond the first, requires the expenditure of an additional cost. This cost is paid only once for each division, not for each Major Devotion.

Finally, no devotion may be bought that is higher than the character's level of Spirit Sight. For example, if an adept with a Pool of 55 points wants to buy Shift Morphia (8 pts), he must first have bought his Spirit Sight up to 8 points.

All major Devotions are based on Transform and require a target number


The Minor Devotions

The Minor devotions can be learned relatively quickly. They may even be learned albeit with difficulty, without formal training. The Minor Devotions are mostly sensory. They enable the adept to perceive spirits.

 

Spirit Sight

Levels: 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12

Description: This is the inital skill of an adept, and in deed, what defines them. All adepts possess at least the first level of Spirit Sight. It requires a conscious act of will to use. It is only at the highest levels that it becomes as natural as seeing or hearing. Nevertheless, adepts are considered to be using it on and off throughout their waking hours, much like a modern driver checks his rear-view mirror at periodic intervals.

The lowest levels allow an adept to detect the general nature of an object's spirit, but no detail. Beginning at level 3, the quality and reliability of the information increases.

An adept can tell a normal animal from a talker, a golem from an animate, or metal from wood. As the level of skill increases, the quality and reliability of the information likewise increases.

1    Detect Spirits 11-, Range 
3    Detect Spirits 11-, As Above + Discriminatory
5    Detect Spirits 12-, As Above 
8    Detect Spirits 14- , As Above + Targeting 
12    Detect Spirits 14- , As Above + Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees)

The discriminatory portion allows the adept to detect the relative strength of the Morphia, Anima and Psyche. The player of the adept can request detailed information with a penalty to their PER roll. A blindfolded Adept could detect all the spirits in a room and a truly powerful one could target them with weapons or other powers.

Spirit Sight is blocked by anything with spiritual enhancement. Thus a simple bag with the weakest of morphic enhancements on it is opaque to spirit sight. The near proximity of a spiritually enhanced object can also make spirit sight difficult. Intervening layers of dissimilar substances can also confuse spirit sight. Large numbers of living things can further cause problems, since they have very complex spirits. Here are some typical modifiers:

Intervening item
PER penalty
Single nonliving substance
-1
2 dissimilar substances
-2
3 dissimilar substances
-4
4 dissimilar substances
-8
Additional Modifiers
Living things
-2
Intelligent things
-2
Target is similar to nearest intervening substances.
-2
Spiritually enhanced object is nearby
-2
Spiritually enhanced substance*
n/a
Blindweed Oil
n/a

*This includes Golems, Animates, Paladins and many Masters.
All penalties are cumulative. Thus trying to pick out a particular human in a mixed crowd of humans and beasts would be -8, the worst possible. Finding a single person behind a wooden screen would be -1, the best possible.

Generally a simple PER roll is enough to gain basic information. For example, a successful PER roll might reveal that someone's pouch contains gold and not silver, that there is someone hiding behind a door or that a person in a cloak is really a disguised beast. An adept would require a complementary skill to gain more information. In the above examples, KS: Metallurgy would reveal the general purity of the gold in the pouch or KS: Currency the actual denominations and value. For the person behind the door, an appropriate Weapon Familiarity would reveal what weapons the person might be carrying. In the case of the disguised beast, KS: Beast Customs or KS: Beast types would reveal the species of the beast and possibly even the individual identity.
A character could be expected to have the equivalent of a roll with things their characters have developed a knowledge of in-play, without buying a specific skill roll. For example, the adept could recognize well-known friends or familiar objects without an extra skill.
As an optional rule, a well-rolled PER roll could deliver more information at the GM's discretion. Whenever an adept requests a Spirit Sight perception roll, the GM should think in rough terms of morphia, anima and psyche, and then work towards specifics.

Example 1: Tira the Adept is looking through a wall at the interior of an inn. She can tell general dimensions (morphia), that there is movement within (anima), and that there are five people (morphia, anima and psyche). If she concentrates a second PER roll with appropriate modifiers on specific person, she might be able to tell species, weapons or armor worn or precise action. There is a limit to the fineness of detail available. She could not read a piece of paper in their hand or look in their stomach to see what they have eaten, for instance. Spirit Sight is NOT N-Ray vision.

Spirit Sight should not be used to substitute for other powers.

Example 2: Tira the Adept has entered a room. A thief has been surprised here and only had a moment to hide himself. He has dived behind a couch. Normally, he would be well hidden to a gaze about the room, but Tira has spirit sight. She's pretty sure she heard something, so she concentrates on the room with her Spirit Sight. The couch is unenhanced and a single, non-living object, so it provides only the merest fuzzy interference (-1 to PER roll). Had he hidden inside the trunk behind the couch that would count as multiple objects and she would receive a -2 to her PER roll.

Nevertheless, she rolls a 10 and perceives him easily. She has made a perception roll by 3 so the GM feels free to tell her a few things about the man. She can tell that he is aware by perceiving his psyche. She can tell that he is crouched and tense by perceiving his anima. She can tell that he is a human by his morphia. If she had succeeded by a few more points, the GM might have told her that he has a knife. If she wanted to determine if he was entertaining murderous thoughts, she would need to use Detect Psychic Danger or Read Psyche. If she wanted to know if there was poison on the knife, she would need Detect Morphic Danger.

Related to Spirit sight is Psychometry (see below). If a psychic resonance is strong enough, it may be perceived with Spirit Sight alone. See Psychic Impression for more details.

Detecting reavings or adepts and enhancements: As noted above, adeptitude itself is not immediately noticeable by spirit sight. The actions of adepts are. Here are some rough guidelines:

Thing to Detect
PER penalty
Enhancement or Reaving
-0
Class of Enhancement (Morphia, Anima, Psyche)
-2
Degree of Enhancement (Slight, Moderate, Great)
-2
Distinguishing a ShapeShift, or appropriate Enhancement from a Reaving
-4, or
KS:Reaving roll
Adeptitude
not poss.

Spirit Sight is a member of the Unusual Sense group.

Cost   Spirit Sight END
1    Detect Spirits 11- (Unusual Group), Range 
0
3    Detect Spirits 11- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Range 
0
5    Detect Spirits 12- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Range 
0
8    Detect Spirits 14- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Range, Targeting 
0
12    Detect Spirits 14- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Range, Targeting 
0

The Minor Devotions: Morphia

 

Detect Morphic Danger

Levels: 3, 5, 8, 10

Description: This devotion allows the adept to be immediately aware of any dangerous substances in their immediate area. It does not inform them about traps, or any hostile intentions. It is primarily used to detect hidden blades or spikes, poisons, radioactive substances, in short any danger that comes from the shape or substance of an object. This includes naturally concealed weaponry, such as sheathed claws. This devotion only informs the adept about the potential for danger. It does not imply that an attack was imminent. Most morphists will automatically use Detect Morphic Danger when entering a new area. GMs should assume they use this precaution unless they are in a very relaxed environment (ex: at home, reading a boook). The base roll is 11-, but gets better and the range increases as the levels increase. At the highest levels, it is always active.

Cost   Detect Morphic Danger  END
3    Danger Sense (self only, in combat) (15 Active Points); shape or substance only (-1/2) 11- 
5    Danger Sense (self only, out of combat) (21 Active Points); shape or substance only (-1/2) 12- 
8    Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, out of combat) (27 Active Points); shape or substance only (-1/2) 13- 
10    Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, out of combat, Function as a Sense) (30 Active Points); shape or substance only (-1/2) 14- 
Best Defense

Levels: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12

Description: By an intimate understanding with their body's own Morphia, the adept is able to present only the strongest and most durable portions of their anatomy to an attack. It requires a great deal of effort and lasts only so long as the adept continues to expend endurance. The maximum amount that the adept can increase is dependant on the level of ability.
If the adept has the skill KS: Armor or PS: Armorer, they can apply one half the value (rounded up) to their armor instead. In this case, the PD and ED gained is considered resistant. This does not require a skill roll.

Cost   Best Defense END
3    Aid PD/ED, distrbuted evenly (+2/+1) 1d6 (standard effect: 3 points) (10 Active Points); Maximum is half again original value (-3/4), Costs Endurance (-1/2)  1
5    Aid PD/ED, distrbuted evenly (+3/+3) 2d6 (standard effect: 6 points) (20 Active Points); Maximum is half again original value (-3/4), Costs Endurance (-1/2)  2
8    Aid PD/ED, distrbuted evenly (+5/+4) 3d6 (standard effect: 9 points) (30 Active Points); Maximum is half again original value (-3/4), Costs Endurance (-1/2)  3
10    Aid PD/ED, distrbuted evenly (6/+6) 4d6 (standard effect: 12 points) (40 Active Points); Maximum is half again original value (-3/4), Costs Endurance (-1/2)  4
12    Aid PD/ED, distrbuted evenly (+8/+7) 5d6 (standard effect: 15 points) (50 Active Points); Maximum is half again original value (-3/4), Costs Endurance (-1/2)  5
Detect Weakness

Levels: 5, 10

Description: This allows the adept to detect the weakest area of an object's morphia. The adept can then strike at the object and deliver more damage than would be normally possible. The adept is not actually altering the target morphia in any way, they are merely using their spirit sight to greatest effect. The base skill roll for this is 11-. There are only two levels to this Minor Devotion. Animates, the Riven and some Beasts may purchase Lack of Weakness, if their concept warrants it. See the pages for each for more detail.

Cost   Detect Weakness END
5    Find Weakness 11- with All Attacks  0
10    Find Weakness 14- with All Attacks  0
Shock Morphia

Levels: 5, 10, 12

Description: This is the most difficult minor devotion a morphist adept can achieve. It is just short of mastery. The adept can affect the spirit directly, as a master does, but without actually being able to control or alter it. It is far easier to break something than to create or alter it. The effects of shock morphia are temporary, except in small targets or those which are already wounded.

Adepts and those specially trained or prepared can resist the power. Specifically, it is defended by Mental Defense. The power is built on Drain Body, so the points come back very quickly. However, if a living target is drained to -10 Bod, it will still die. This is treated as a campaign rule. Remember that since the target is Body (which costs 2 character points per point), the total rolled on the dice is halved for actual body points lost.

Shock Morphia causes stun. After all, it is a wrenching experience to have your physical substance savagely attacked. This is a +1 Advantage. Stun caused is identical to Killing Attack rules. Multiply body lost by 1d6-1. Mental Defense protects against both stun and body lost.

Although it is a zero-range power, Shock Morphia is an expression of the adept's will. It does not require a physical touch, just close proximity.

Cost   Shock Morphia END
5    Drain Body 2d6, Causes stun as per Killing attack (Body lost x 1d6-1) (+1) (40 Active Points)  4
10    Drain Body 3d6, Causes stun as per Killing attack (Body lost x 1d6-1) (+1) (60 Active Points)  6
12    Drain Body 4d6, Causes stun as per Killing attack (Body lost x 1d6-1) (+1) (80 Active Points)  8

The Minor Devotions: Anima

Anima Detect Animic Danger

Levels: 3, 5, 8, 10

Description: This devotion allows the adept to be immediately aware of any traps in their immediate area. It does not inform them about poisons, or any hostile intentions.It is primarily used to detect trapdoors, coiled springs, falling blocks, sudden drops, in short any danger that comes from the motion of an inanimate object. This includes otherwise inanimate objects given Anima by another master. It will detect an imminent attack from a golem, for, instance, but not a manikin, which has a mind, or psyche. This devotion only informs the adept about the potential for danger. It does not imply that an attack was imminent.

Most animists will automatically use Detect Animic Danger when entering a new area. GMs should assume they use this precaution unless they are in a very relaxed environment (ex: at home, reading a boook). The base roll is 11-, but gets better and the range increases as the levels increase. At the highest levels, it is always active.

Cost   Detect Animic Danger  END
3    Danger Sense (self only, in combat) (15 Active Points); motion-based only (-1/2) 11- 
5    Danger Sense (self only, out of combat) (21 Active Points); motion-based only (-1/2) 12- 
8    Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, out of combat) (27 Active Points); motion-based only (-1/2) 13- 
10    Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, out of combat, Function as a Sense) (30 Active Points); motion-based only (-1/2) 14- 

 

Anima Anticipate Movement

Levels: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12

Description: This minor devotion allows an adept to anticipate the movement of others. The adept can realize by studying an opponent how they will move in combat or under stress. They can use this knowledge to their advantage, reacting faster and striking to better effect. This information can be communicated to another in a combat situation, although in this case, the adept loses the bonus. The communication can be as simple as "hit him low, NOW!" Roleplaying is encouraged. It requires constant expenditure of endurance during the time this devotion is in use. The skill can be used for +1 OCV or +1 DCV per level. It does not allow using bonuses for damage. It also only works against moving opponents.

The following table shows the benefits and END cost for each level.

Cost   Detect Animic Danger  END
3    +1 with All Combat, Usable By Other (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2) (14 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2)  1
5    +2 with All Combat, Usable By Other (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2) (28 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2)  3
8    +3 with All Combat, Usable By Other (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2) (42 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2)  4
10    +4 with All Combat, Usable By Other (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2) (56 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2)  6
12    +5 with All Combat, Usable By Other (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2) (70 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2)  7

 

Anima Efficient Movement

Levels: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12

Description: This minor devotion allows an adept to more efficiently move their body,allowing them to run faster, swim faster and jump higher than they would normally be able to do. It is generally only good for short bursts of speed, and not for long term movement.

The maximum amount of movement that the adept can increase is equal to their normal movement. All efficient movement is considered to be non-combat. The adept is at 1/2 DCV. Example: Jakara has a 8" of running. Normally, she can run 16" in a full noncombat move. She has level 8 Efficient Movement. This grants her +5" non-combat for 3 turns, for a total NCM of 21". She does not add the +5 inches before the non-combat doubling.

Efficient movement can aid any movement power that is natural to the adept, including leaping. If the adept lacks a movement mode (for example, cannot swim), that movement mode cannot be increased.

This devotion cannot be used on any target which already has an enhanced movement.

Cost   Detect Animic Danger  END
3    Aid Movement (+2" running for 1 Turn) 1d6 (standard effect: 3 points), Any Non-Combat Movement (+1/4) (12 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2)  1
5    Aid Movement (+3" running for 2 Turns) 2d6 (standard effect: 6 points), Any Non-Combat Movement (+1/4) (25 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2)  2
8    Aid Movement (+5" running for 3 Turns) 3d6 (standard effect: 9 points), Any Non-Combat Movement (+1/4) (37 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2)  4
10    Aid Movement (+6" running for 4 Turns) 4d6 (standard effect: 12 points), Any Non-Combat Movement (+1/4) (50 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2)  5
12    Aid Movement (+7" running for 5 Turns) 5d6 (standard effect: 15 points), Any Non-Combat Movement (+1/4) (62 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2)  6

 

Anima Shock Anima

Levels: 5, 10, 12

Description: This is the most difficult minor devotion an animist adept can achieve. It is just short of mastery. The adept can affect the spirit directly, as a master does, but without actually being able to control or alter it. It is far easier to break something than to create or alter it. The effects of Shock Anima are temporary.

Adepts and those specially trained or prepared can resist the power. Specifically, it is defended by Mental Defense. The power is built on Drain Speed, using a special variant interpretation. For every ten points of effect, the target loses its next action. Multiple attacks do not increase the number of actions lost. Characters whose Anima is shocked are at normal DCV and may still abort to a defensive action (though they are aborting their next un-lost action phase).

 

Destroy Intertia: This is a highly refined version of Shock anima and can be used only if one has bought the Dex-based skill Intertia Destruction. This can be used to remove or reduce the velocity of an object in motion. An adept could stop a falling boulder from doing damage or stop an arrow before it could penetrate his flesh. He could deaden a sword blow to a mere touch. Naturally all of these things are happening very fast, so the usefullness is limited. The Master must be aware of the object and be prepared to stop it when it gets within zero range but before it does damage. For combat, use the timing resolution mechanics for Missile deflection. If the master successfully times the action, he can roll dice equivalent to the number of points in Shock Anima (5, 10 or 15). Every five points on the dice removes one damage class from the attack.

Example: Master Crockett has fallen from a very tall cliff. By the time he impacts the bottom, he will be travelling at 15" segment. He has ten dice of Manipulate Anima. Assuming he rolls the Inertia Destruction skill successfully, he rolls his dice of effect. He rolls a 35. That is enough to destroy 7 damage classes, meaning he will hit the ground at with 8" of veloscity (8DC). He has a morphically enhanced strength of 20, and can cancel out two more dice of damage with his upward leap (2"). The remaining 6DC he will take as damage. Given his enhanced physique, he is likely to only minor damage. Still, it's better than being squished.

Example 2: In combat with some wily Kabekki tribesmen, he sees someone about to loose an arrow at him. He either has a phase saved or aborts to the power, but declares he is going to deaden the arrow before it reaches him. The archer shoots and gains a hit, but Crockett is ready. He again rolls his Inertia Destruction Skill. He is successful and rolls his 10 d6 of effect. This time he rolls a 34. This cancels 6 DCs. Fortuantely, the Kabekki arrow only did 4 DCs and Crockett is unharmed. Unlike Missile Deflection, Inertia Destruction cannot be done mulitple times in one phase. If two or more arrows were fired at him before his next action, Crockett would receive full damage.

Although it is a zero-range power, Shock Anima is an expression of the adept's will. It does not require a physical touch, just close proximity

Cost   Shock Anima END
5    Drain (Speed -1) 3d6 (standard effect: 9 points)  3
10    Drain (Speed-2) 7d6 (standard effect: 21 points)  7
12    Drain (Speed-3) 10d6 (standard effect: 30 points)  10

 

The Minor Devotions-Psyche

Anima Detect Psychic Danger

Levels: 3, 5, 8, 10

Description: This devotion allows the adept to be immediately aware of any hostile intentions in their immediate area. It does not inform them about poisons, hidden traps or any threat that is not driven by a mind, not even an attack by a golem. They also get a -1 to their roll for every 5 points of Mental Defense the source of danger has.

Most animists will automatically use Detect Psychic Danger when entering a new area. GMs should assume they use this precaution unless they are in a very relaxed environment (ex: at home, reading a boook). The base roll is 11-, but gets better and the range increases as the levels increase. At the highest levels, it is always active.

Cost   Detect Animic Danger  END
3    Danger Sense (self only, in combat) (15 Active Points); motion-based only (-1/2) 11- 
5    Danger Sense (self only, out of combat) (21 Active Points); motion-based only (-1/2) 12- 
8    Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, out of combat) (27 Active Points); motion-based only (-1/2) 13- 
10    Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, out of combat, Function as a Sense) (30 Active Points); motion-based only (-1/2) 14- 

Anima Read Psyche

Levels: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14

Description: Read Psyche allows the adept to detect the emotional state of a being. Note that this is the elementary version of the power Probe Psyche (see below).

The results of a psychic reading (which may be done at range and cannot be detected by the read individual) are as follows

Results of Roll     Emotional Intensity Detected
greater than Ego Strong (or triggered by a Psych Lim.)
Ego +10 Basic (or triggered by a quirk)
Ego +20 Weak
Ego +30 Subconscious

Read Psyche should be used to enhance roleplay. It should reveal that people motives maybe other than what their faces imply. It is not a lie detector. If there is no strong emotion associated with a falsehood (Such as professing love while conealing hate), then a lie can be told without much chance of detection.

Cost   Read Psyche END
3    Telepathy 3d6 (15 Active Points); Empathy All Emotions (-1/2)  1
5    Telepathy 5d6 (25 Active Points); Empathy All Emotions (-1/2)  2
8    Telepathy 8d6 (40 Active Points); Empathy All Emotions (-1/2)  4
10    Telepathy 10d6 (50 Active Points); Empathy All Emotions (-1/2)  5
12    Telepathy 12d6 (60 Active Points); Empathy All Emotions (-1/2)  6
14    Telepathy 14d6 (70 Active Points); Empathy All Emotions (-1/2)  7

Anima Psychometry

Levels: 5, 8, 10, 12

Description: Psychometry is the art of reading psychic impressions left upon objects. In general, this ability is only useful where there is some powerful emotion or intimate identification with an object. A murder weapon or beloved childhood toy are good examples. The type of information received by Psychometry is variable. Sometimes it is merely a vague emotion; sometimes it is almost as vivid as if watching a movie. To read an impression, the adept rolls his dice of telepathy and compares to the following table:

Results of Roll     Impression receivable
1-10 Extremely powerful; A murder weapon, or the Standing Stones
11-20 Strong; Deep emotional attachment such as beloved toy
20-30 Moderate; Sentimental connection such as favorite shirt
31-40 Weak; minor connection, item of clothing
41+ Trace; virtually no connection. A place passed through or an impression remote in time.

The total needed can be modified up or down if the GM decides for some campaign reason that the impression is more or less powerful for an adventure-specific reason. For example an assassin's dagger that has killed dozens might not give much information on individual murders, whereas the murder weapon of an Archon might be as so powerful as to cause the adept to feel as if she were reliving the event. A general rule of thumb is that exceeding the total gives a small amount of information, exceeding the total by 10 gives a lot of information, while exceeding it by twenty gives volumes of information.

Psychometry is one of the few Minor Devotions which allow an adept to actually alter something. A Pyschometrist can actually invest an inanimate object with a psychic impression. These impressions can only be read by another adept with the devotion Pychometry. Again, the Psychometrist must roll their dice for effect. The total is then subtracted from 40. The result is the strength of the impression. Remember, lower numbers are easier to detect.

Cost   Psychometry END
5    Telepathy 6d6 (Human class of minds) (30 Active Points); Limited Power Impressions Only (-1)  3
8    Telepathy 8d6 (Human class of minds) (40 Active Points); Limited Power Impressions Only (-1)  4
10   Telepathy 10d6 (Human class of minds) (50 Active Points); Limited Power Impressions Only (-1)  5
12    Telepathy 12d6 (Human class of minds) (60 Active Points); Limited Power Impressions Only (-1)  6

Anima Probe Psyche

Levels: 8, 10, 12, 14

Description: Probe Psyche allows the adept to detect the actual thoughts of a being. Note that this is different from Read Psyche, in that the former is ranged and provides only general information. Probe psyche requires touch and time and yields far more detail about the workings of the target's mind. Probing a psyche takes a full minute of time or longer, and the adept must physically touch the target. The time required depends on the level of information desired:

1 Minute Surface Thoughts
5 Minutes Hidden Thoughts
1 Hour Memories
5 Hours Subconscious

Note that reading another person's Psyche is difficult, intrusive and unpleasant. It is not attempted casually. It also requires quiet and freedom from interruption. At the lower levels, it can be dangerous. The adept has a chance of becoming confused as to their own identity. GM's might rule that a pyschological limitation is temporarily transferred, or that the prober believes himself to be the target. Such confusion is short-lived (usually equal to the above-mentioned probe time, starting once the probe has finished).

Read here for how Probe Psyche is used in Law Enforcement in the city of Tallon.

Cost   Probe Psyche END
8    Telepathy 5d6 (25 Active Points); Extra Time (Variable Time according to level of information, -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Side Effects: Confusion 11-, whenever Power is used (-1/2)  2
10    Telepathy 8d6 (40 Active Points); Extra Time (Variable Time according to level of information, -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Side Effects: Confusion 11-, whenever Power is used (-1/2)  4
12    Telepathy 12d6 (60 Active Points); Extra Time (Variable Time according to level of information, -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Side Effects- Confusion, 8-, whenever Power is used (-1/2) 6

Anima Divine

Tira Wolfsdaughter is a Sympath, and has the Divine devotion.

Levels: 5

Description: Divine is a very special Minor Devotion, only allowable by special GM permission, since its existence has major repercussions on a campaign. It is at first glance very similar to Psychometry, and indeed, psychometry is a prerequisite. With this devotion, an adept can hear and see the spirit sight history of a highly spirit-manipulated object. The adept does not receive impressions of emotions or thoughts, as with psychometry. Instead, think of a spiritually enhanced object as emitting a "broadcast" of its history. The primary use of this power is to read the Standing Stones.

The Stones are repositories of the wisdom and plan of the Prometheans. Whereas most adepts can only dimly perceive the intent within the stones, to those with the Divine Disipline, the stones tell volumes. Wielders of the Divine discipline are referred to in Merikia as Sympaths. Sympaths are the rare individuals who can interpret the teachings of the stones to such a degree, that their notes are considered official scripture. The Promethean plan of society and the practice of spirit manipulation is impossible without the initial work of a sympath.

So much for the campaign use. As for the actual game use, the power is much less impressive. It can only be used in special circumstances and the information is rarely something that means much to a player. To begin with, only highly manipulated objects can be read. This limited class includes the Standing Stones naturally, and people or objects that have spent the majority of their existence with enhancements to all three aspects of spirit (Paladins, Grandmasters or Animates, but not golems). Only the ability to read the Standing Stones is generally known.

Also, the power has No Conscious Control upon it, since its use is primarily as a plot device. When a Sympath employs the Divine discipline, the GM may feel free to impart to the character any piece of information that may be useful for the advancement of a story. Or no useful information at all.

In the case of the Standing Stones, the sympath may discover some small point of order that might cause a religious schism within the church, or they might even discover a brand new Major Discipline. By and large, the information is generally mundaneand redundant in any society which already possesses a Book of Standing Stones. It might take dozens or hundreds of readings before something truly unique and important is discovered.

From divining highly manipulated objects that are not the Standing Stones, the GM may feel free to relate any tidbit of information from the person's or object's past. Again, the sympath has no control over what is read. It might be the memory of a meal eaten thirty years ago; it might be the revelation of a hidden murder. The GM should come up with something appropriate to the tempo and dramatic needs of the campaign.

Finally, though the use of this power is primarily as a plot device for revealing information, the GM should feel free to give it minor effects of a related nature from time to time. Examples might include: finding items that can only be operated by a sympath, or calling forth the lost or damaged spirit of an animate.

More information on Sympaths and their place in a campaign can be found here .

Cost   Divine END
5    Retrocognitive Clairsentience (Hearing Group) (40 Active Points); Only works on sources of high spirit manipulation (-2), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (0 DCV; Character is totally unaware of nearby events; -1 1/2), No Conscious Control (Only Effects cannot be controlled; -1), Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), Only to Activate, Character May Take No Other Actions, -3/4), Long Term Endurance (-1/2) 12

  

Anima Shock Psyche

Levels: 5, 8, 10, 12

Description: This is the most difficult minor devotion an adept can achieve. It is just short of mastery. The adept can affect the spirit directly, as a master does, but without actually being able to control or alter it. It is far easier to break something than to create or alter it. The effects of shock psyche are temporary.

Adepts and those specially trained or prepared can resist the power. Specifically, it is defended by Mental Defense. Stunned drained in this manner is counted when checking against Con to see if a character has been stunned.If the adept wishes, he can buy the return rate down, but this must be set when the power is learned. It cannot be 'turned off' to gain more dice of effect, though it can be 'turned off' to willingly reduce the severity of the attack.

Although it is a zero-range power, Shock Psyche is an expression of the adept's will. It does not require a physical touch, just close proximity.

Cost   Shock Psyche END
5    Drain Stun 4d6, Mental Defense Protects (+0)  4
8    Drain Stun 6d6, Mental Defense Protects (+0)  6
10    Drain Stun 7d6, Mental Defense Protects (+0)  7
12    Drain Stun 8d6, Mental Defense Protects (+0)  8

The Major Devotions

General Hannon is a Grandmaster, a skilled practitioner of the Major Devotions.

The Major Devotions are the goal of an adept. These are the powers that allow an adept to actually affect spirits. They can selectively augment, diminish or transform a target's Morphia, Anima or Psyche. A beginning master may attempt to learn them concurrently, or to specialize in a particular aspect of the spirit. A master specialized in the manipulation of Morphia is called a Morphist. One specialized in Anima is called an Animist or Animator. The most difficult specialty, Psyche, is the province of the Psychic. An adepts who can perform Major Devotions in two different aspects (ex. Morphia and Psyche) is a High Master. An adept who learns the major devotions in all three aspects is a Grand Master.

Each Aspect has several Major Devotions. Except where otherwise noted, all Major Devotions target multiples of Morphia, Anima or Psyche as defined above. Mental Defense is subtracted from all Manipulation powers.

All Major Devotions use the same power construct, but are considered separate powers due to the difference in effect. This power construct is repeated in the text below once for each aspect, Morphia, Anima and Psyche.

A couple of definitions are helpful at this point and are explained more fully below. A ley line is the invisible connection between an adept and the spirit he has altered. It diminishes with time and distance or can be dropped by an act of will. A Spiritual Ideal is the normal state for an object, as opposed to a physically or spiritually altered state.

The following tables are usable for all major devotions, save where specifically noted otherwise in the text. They detail the write-up of the power, number of dice per level and endurance cost.

 

Cost   Major Devotion - Aspect END
per

level  

Cosmetic Transform 1d6 (Any Transform of given Aspect, Heals by Time and Distance), Targets Given Aspect (+0), Improved Target Group (Any effect dictated by Skill Roll; +1/2), Variable Advantage (+1/2 Advantages; Represents Scaleability from Cosmetic to Major; +1) (12 Active Points); Extra Time (Variable per application, -2), Uses Long Term Endurance (-1/2), Up to maximum possible total of dice (-1/2) 
per
level

 

Cost   Number of Dice END
3    3d6 1
5    5d6 2
8    8d6 4
10    10d6 5
12    12d6 6
14    14d6 7

 


Morphic Devotions

The Major Morphic Devotions the adept to Strengthen or weaken an object or person's Morphia. They can make an object more breakable or resistant to damage, they can also repair items as long as all the pieces are available. Note that this may require some physical effort as well, such as lifting pieces into place. It may require a Mechanic Skill roll for complex machines.

It can also be used to heal wounds or to slowly transform the shape of living things. Though there are many Hero system powers that can do these tricks, the sheer variety of possible uses is best represented by a specialized Transform. The mechanics of the transform and the number of dice granted at each level are shown here. Where this power differes from the base write-up will be noted in the description of each devotion.

 

Modify Morphia

Levels: 5, 8, 10, 12, 14

Target: Morphia + Active Points Added or Subtracted

Time: 1 minute per d6

Description: Upon a successful transform, the target's PD or ED is increased by a number equal to the number of dice rolled. The maximum number of points changeable is equal to twice the original. For example, if a morphist wishes to increase the PD of his faithful bodyguard, and said bodyguard has a PD of 5, the morphist may not increase the PD higher than 10. In objects, golems and animates, the number is equal to half the dice rolled and is considered resistant. In living beings, the caster may also halve of dice to grant resistant defenses. In this case, the defense is considered Damage Resistance, not Armor, in other words, it makes a portion of the target's PD or ED resistant, it doe not confer a higher PD or ED total.
Also, Body can be enhanced or weakened. The minimum value is 1; the maximum is twice the starting value or half the number of dice rolled, whichever is less.

Example: General Hannon is sending a soldier into dangerous territory. He decides to grant the man a temporary increase in his toughness. He has 18 dice of Manipulate Morphia (He is a Grandmaster). He rolls 18 dice and gets a result of 60. His target is a soldier with a Morphia of 12. The man has a natural PD and ED of 6 apiece. If Hannon wishes to double the PD and ED, this is worth an additional 12 character points. The total target is 12+12 = 24. His roll of 60 easily surpasses this and the soldier now has a PD and ED of 12 until the ley line is broken by time, distance or Hannon's will.

Hannon has enough dice to add 18 points of PD or ED to an object, but he may not do more then double the man's natural score of 6.

If he so wished, he could add in a +3 Damage Resistance for PD and ED. This would have added another 3 points to the target number.

Finally, if he was feeling really generous, he could have added +9 Body for a total Body Score of 21. This would have added another 18 points to the target number for a final target of 45.

Note that Hannon would be well-served to make all of these adjustments by one act of will. The man's Morphia score increases with most of theses enhancements. Although it is unlikely that he would miss the score on any of these rolls, a fumble is always possible. Also, one enhancement = 1 ley line. If he had done them individually, there would be three ley lines.

For people wishing to use this to make spirit cloth or armor, the appropriate Professional Skill must be possessed. Cloth or armor could be enhanced to make it tougher, but it would have the encumbrance of equivalent armor and look and move unnaturally. To have it continue to wear well without encumbrance requires talent and dedication. Use PS: Spirit Clothier for Spirit Cloth, and PS: Spirit Armorer to make Spirit Armor.

 

Heal Morphia

Healing Categories
Wounds
Cuts and Punctures
Burns
Internal Organ Damage
Diseases
Contagious Diseases
Congenital Diseases
Poisons
Plant Poisons
Animal Poisons
Other Poisons
Parasites and Infestations
Animal Parasites
Plants and Fungi
Spirit Ailments
Reavings
Alteration Reversal

Levels: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14

Target: Morphia x2

Time: Largest wound is < 1/2 Body: 1 minute per d6
Largest wound is > 1/2 Body: 5 minutes per d6

Description: This is the Devotion used to heal a living being. In Savage Earth parlance, it causes the subject to re-align itself with its Morphic Ideal. It can be reversed to cause damage as well. Upon a successful transform, the target's Body score is altered. The body restored or lost is equal to the number of dice rolled for the transformation. (In other words, an adept with 10 dice of heal cannot heal more than 10 Body per individual.) Restored body does not fade when the ley line is dropped. The body has returned to its natural state, or Spiritual Ideal. However, Damage caused in this manner will immediately disappear when the ley line is broken, since the reduced body score is "unnatural" for the person. See below for more detail

Although the basics of healing are very wasy to learn, to heal very complex damage requires specialized training. Healing is bought with Adders to represent the diffierent categories of healing. 1 point will by a specific category of healing, such as "Burns", whereas 2 points will buy an entire group, such as "Wounds". Most Healers start with the Wounds category. Some extremely specialized healers may have complementary Knowledge Skills not listed here.

To actually replace a missing body part requires the Healing devotion as well as KS: Anatomy, and the Skill Change Shape.

Farralon is a skilled Healer, trained in relieving many types of injuries and illnesses.

Healing has other limitations. A person cannot be healed indefinitely. The maximum number of body points that can be given to a single being is equal to the body score. Once a person is wounded after that, any damage can only be healed normally, or not at all. Characters should keep track of how much Body they have received from healing. They must spend as much time as they would to heal from the damage normally before they can be healed again. This is incremental, i.e. a person who heals 1 Body point in 3 days would be eligible for 1 more point of healing, unless they have dipped below 0 "real" body. After a character has gone into negative body (i.e. has taken an amount of healing equal to their body score), they must heal back the full amount before they can gain the benefits of any further healing.

Example: Gilead has a Body score of 14. He gets into battle and takes 10 points of Body damage. Farralon the Healer rolls well and returns all 10 points, apparently restoring Gilead to full health. However, if Gilead were to immediately get back into a fight and lose 6 more body, Farralon would only be able to heal 4 points of it, due to Gilead's normal total of 14 Body. Gilead's Body score is now 12, all of it due to spirit healing. The remaining 2 points he is down must be healed normally. He can receive no more healing until enough time has passed that would allow him to regain the remaining 12 points. In his case, this is over a month.

The easiest way to track this is to have a separate score for "Healing". Every point healed goes to this score. A character can reduce the score every time they would heal a body point. If ever the score goes above the starting body score, they must wait until it has reached zero before they can receive any more healing.

This rule explains how people can have scars or permanent disabilities when they would logically be able to have been healed. If a bad guy has a scar across his face, he was either unable to obtain spirit healing, or had the injury occur when he was already beyond the maximum number of healable points. In other words, it had to heal naturally.

If the reverse of the devotion is used, the application of the power causes harm. The target becomes misaligned with its morphic field, becoming weaker, broken or dead. Body lost in this way recovers at the normal healing rate. It is not subject to wounding and healing rules Paramedics will not alter the damage taken; it is treated as a new maximum body until the ley line is broken.

For more information on "Healing" a reaving, see here.

 

Repair

Repair Categories
Vehicles
Water Vehicles
Land Vehicles
Air Vehicles (may be unavailable)
Machines
Industrial Machines
Small Precision Machines
Weapons
Use the appropriate Weaponsmith
Armor
Tools and Common Objects
Spirit Enhanced Objects
Required for spirit enhanced versions of the above categories.

Levels: 5, 8, 10, 12, 14

Target: Morphia x2

Time: Simple Object: 1 minute per d6
Complex Object: 5 minutes per d6 or more

Description: This skill is used to repair a machine or other inanimate object. Like Healing, the object is re-aligned with its Morphic Ideal. It can be reversed to cause damage as well. Upon a successful transform, the target's Body score is altered. The body restored or lost is equal to the number of dice rolled for the transformation. (In other words, an adept with 10 dice of repair cannot heal more than 10 Body per target.) Restored Body does not fade when the ley line is dropped. The object has returned to its natural state. However, Damage caused in this manner will immediately disappear when the ley line is broken, since the reduced body score is "unnatural" for the object. However, if the object, in a weakened state, takes enough normal damage to destroy it, it remains destroyed, even when the ley line is dropped. Repair would need to be applied separately to fix the object.

The exception for this rule is things that have been broken a long time. A sword that has been broken for ten years has adjusted its natural spiritual ideal from "sword" to "broken sword". A sword Repaired in this way, would again be broken if the ley line were to be dropped.

Although the basics of Repair are very wasy to learn, to repair very complex items requires specialized training. Repair is bought with Adders to represent the diffierent categories of repair. 1 point will by a specific category of repair, such as "Land Vehicles", whereas 2 points will buy an entire group, such as "Vehicles". Repair has the built-in category of "Solid object". Some extremely specialized healers may have complementary Knowledge Skills not listed here.

Example: The Columbia is a spirit-enhanced paddle boat. The main motor has suffered damage. The GM rules that the motor is complex and specialized enough that the repairer must know "Water Vehicles", "Industrial Machines", and "Spirit Enhanced Objects" to perform a repair. However, the target morphia is still only the morphia of the engine itself.

Reversal: If the reverse of the devotion is used, the application of the power causes damage. The target becomes misaligned with its morphic field, becoming weaker, broken or destroyed. Lost body for objects must be repaired. The special effect for Body lost from objects a general weakening of the structure itself. Rocks become crumbly, weapons become brittle, machines become delicate, etc. If enough body is lost to break or destroy the object, it is broken or destroyed, even if the ley line is dropped. Repair would be needed to fix it if broken. A destroyed object cannot be Repaired. If it is only weakened, its integrity will return if the ley line is dropped. It will return to its Morphic Ideal. The reverse of this Devotion requires no specialization.

 

Copy Morphia

Major Devotion

Levels: 8, 10, 12, 14

Cosmetic Minor Major
Target: Morphia x1* Target: Morphia x2* Target: Morphia x3*
Time: 1 min. per d6 Time: 5 min. per d6 Time: 20 min. per d6
* plus Active Point Difference

If Target is the adept's own self, reduce time to 1/2

 

Shape Shifting: Upon a successful transform, the target's Morphia is altered to that of another target. With this devotion, a Master could change a man into a cat or alter one person to look like another. He could also change a bar of steel into a ring, or a horseshoe into a crude dagger.

Note that for the object to actual change shape, some sort of force needs to act upon it. The horseshoe in question won't spontaneously unbend and sharpen, but a person could easily twist it straight and draw it once or twice across a stone. The horseshoe in question would then be a simple dagger until such time as the ley line dropped. After that, any force at all would bend it back into horseshoe shape.

For softer objects such as clay or living beings, any small motion can initiate the change; pieces just slide into the proper shape and configuration. Thus if the great Morphist Calimah wishes to change Bob the Barbarian into a gator, he alters Bob's morphia to gator shape. Bob will slowly become a gator in appearance. The exact amount of time is the time it takes to apply the Devotion. If Calimah takes one hour to perform the task and is successful, Bob will slowly become a gator over the course of an hour.

All applications of change shape do just that, change the shape of the target. They do not alter the substance of the target one bit. Bob may look like a gator, and even possess a working tail, but he does not have the armored hide of a gator. It just looks that way.

Neither does change shape change size. A 180 lb. man becomes a 180 lb. gator. A small amount of size change is possible (+/- 10%) through clever manipulation, but that is the limit. Adepts do not as yet control the ability to spontaneously create matter.

Some abilities may be granted if they are primarily related to shape. The example above would grant (Extra Limb-Tail) for instance. More subtle abilities (gills or such) might require some very specific and narrow Knowledge Skills.

All Shape changes are classified as Cosmetic, Major or Minor.

Examples

Cosmetic: Person to other person, Horseshoe to dagger

Minor: Human to roughly humanoid Beast, Wooden stick to carved artwork

Major: Human to Animal, Rubble to brick, Ash to log (wouldn't burn)

The time required to affect a change is as listed upon the chart above. Applying the devotion to the adept's own self will halve the time required. Additionally, if the adept has a knowledge skill regarding the target, the time can also be halved. These are cumulative. The adept must have a target morphia to copy. If none is present, a Copy Morphia may still be attempted, but the adept must have an appropriate knoweldge skill as above, and the time is doubled, not halved.

Example: Morphist Calibah has 10 dice of Copy Morphia and is going to try to turn Bob the barbarian (Morphia 14) into a Gator Man. A Gator is a very humanoid beast (Minor Transformation) and Calibah is adding a working tail (Extra Limb, 5 pts.) and +4" Swimming (+4pts) so the target is 2x Morphia + AP or 28+9=37. There is no gator present to copy, but the Master has studied Gators and has KS: Gators (x2 Time).

He rolls and totals his ten morphia dice for 38 points, enough to effect the transformation. Over the course of 100 minutes, Bob becomes a gator to all senses. If the Master had had a gator available for copying, the transformation could have been done in 25 minutes (he has KS: Gators for 1/2 time). Assuming the master's morphia to be identical to Bob's, the transformation could have been done upon himself in 12 minutes (1/2 time again).

If the transformation is intended to be long-term and is important to the game, a character sheet should be made for the new form. The difference in the point totals should be added to the target number for the transformation. Most simple applications of this power for disguise purposes merely entail a slight change in Comeliness, so the point difference is negligible. If the adept wishes to impersonate a specific individual, the Disguise skill is still required.

 

Golem Preparation: A Golem needs to make specific movements that ape the movements of its template. A golem ditchdigger would need to have its anima copied from a living ditchedigger to get the movements right. Naturally, a golem body would have to be very carefully constructed, with special attention to stresses, intricate armatures, balance and so forth. Copy Morphia sidesteps that. It's basically a short cut that allows the adept to avoid what would otherwise be a complex engineering task. Whatever ditchdigger-like body is constructed will naturally tend to work properly. The pieces jsut go together very well, becoming strong where needed, being loose where needed.

Copy Morphia is not essential for golem preparation, but it does shorten the time and decrease the expense and expertise requirements of making one.

Shift Morphic Ideal

Major Devotion

Levels: 10, 12, 14

Target: Morphia of both targets x 1.5

Time: 5 hours per d6, Endurance Cost is x2

This is the most difficult of the Morphic Major Devotions and is never more than partially successful. Instead of copying an object's Morphia, the Morphic Ideal is actually moved from one object to another. In the process, the target from whom the morphia is being shifted is either completely destroyed, or takes on the morphic aspect of the target to whom the morphia is being shifted. In short-hand terms, X becomes Y, and Y becomes X.

This is almost exclusively used for creating Animates. The morphia of the recently or nearly deceased body is transferred into a manikin, specially prepared. If the Morphia, Anima and Psyche are all three shifted as a single set of operations, the total Spiritual Ideal may be changed, and the target will require no ley line. This only works with spirits that are powerful enough in all three aspects (i.e. living, intelligent beings).

Noe that this changes the Ideal of the object, not its current morphic state. If the morphic Ideal of human Hank Builder were to be transferred into a manikin of wood, the body would still look like wood, although it would take on some characteristics of Hank Builder, but would still essentially be a wooden doll. Shifting Morphic Ideal is a very difficult Devotion and is never completely successful.

Beyond animate creation, there is little application for a Shift Morphia. Why bother to change X into Y, when you already have Y?

 


Manipulate Anima

The Major Animic Devotions the adept to Strengthen or weaken an object or person's Anima. They can also grant Anima to an object that has none. Anima can be used to make inanimate objects move under their own power. A creature with enhanced Anima can move faster or easier than normal. A creature with its Anima removed cannot move.

Use the write-up for Major Devotion to represent the mechanics of the ability. Applications of each Major Animic Devotion are detailed below.

 

 

Modify Active Anima

Major Devotion

Levels: 5, 8, 10, 12, 14

Target: Anima x2 + Active Point Difference

Time: Simple Object: 1 minute per d6
Complex Object: 5 minutes per d6 or more

Description: This devotion can only be used upon something that already has Active Anima (the directed motion of living beings). A different devotion (below) is required to affect Passive Anima.

Upon a successful transform, one or more of the target's characteristics can be raised or lowered. The points gained or lost are added to the target score of the transformation. (Yes, it costs just as many points to lower a Dex score by 3 as to raise it by 3). When the Devotion is used, the master may choose to affect any or all of the following characteristics or powers.

Speed: the target's Speed is increased by a number equal to the number of dice rolled divided by 3 rounded down. The maximum Speed that can be granted is equal to the original Speed + 3.
The minimum Speed allowable is 0, at which point the creature is immobile until the points return (the Anima heals itself. See the house rules on Transformation for recovery rates).

Dexterity: the target's Dexterity is increased by a number equal to the number of dice rolled divided by 3 rounded down. The maximum Dexterity that can be granted is equal to the original Dexterity + 10.

Strength: the target's Strength is increased by a number equal to the number of dice rolled divided by 3 rounded down. The maximum Strength that can be granted is equal to the original Strength + 10.
Strength is considered a function of Anima, not Morphia, since it is a reflection of the ability of a being to impart movement or force.

Note that having one's Anima enhanced is a fairly uncomfortable procedure. In general, the character will need to eat, sleep and breathe at twice the normal rate. They also age more rapidly. People with enhanced Animas often complain of headaches or heart palpitations.

The following two related devotions add or remove movement or inertia from an object. This devotion only modifies Active Anima.

Upon a successful transform, an object can have motion imparted to it or have its existing motion stopped. It can be used to make eternal motors, or to stop or reduce the speed of objects in motion. A skilled master might be able to deaden the impact of a catapult stone for instance.

bulletDeaden Passive Anima

Major Devotion

Levels: 10, 12, 14

Target: Passive Anima (Morphia + Move/Seg)

Time: Instantaneous

Description: This is a highly specialized devotion requiring years of careful and constant practice. It is properly a subskill of Copy Anima, but has such limited practical use that it is treated separately. This can be used to remove or reduce the velocity of an object in motion. An adept could stop a falling boulder from doing damage or stop an arrow before it could penetrate his flesh. He could deaden a sword blow to a mere touch. Naturally all of these things are happening very fast, so the usefullness is limited. The Master must be aware of the object and be prepared to stop it when it gets within zero range but before it does damage. This usually requires a dex roll for large objects, or a Dex roll with a negative modifier for extremely small and fast-moving objects like an arrow or sling bullet. In the case of a moving large object such as a falling rock or the adept himself falling from a height, use Passive Anima as the score. That's the Morphia score times the number of inches per segment of movement.

Example: Master Crockett has fallen from a very tall cliff. By the time he impacts the bottom, he will be travelling at 15" segment. He has a Morphia of 21 (he is enhanced). His passive anima is (21 + 15)=46. He has ten dice of Manipulate Anima. Assuming he makes a Dex roll, he rolls his dice of effect. If he achieves 46 or greater, he comes to a dead stop at ground level and walks away clean. This will be a difficult result from ten dice. Still, it's better than being squished.

Example 2: In combat with some wily Kabekki tribesmen, he sees someone about to loose an arrow at him. He either has a phase saved or aborts to the power, but declares he is going to deaden the arrow before it reaches him. The archer shoots and gains a hit, but Crockett is ready. He decides to decrease his Endurance cost by only rolling six dice. After all, he is in combat and will need to move and act as much as possible. The GM decides that Crockett saw the arcer and had a good idea of the trajectory of the arrow and only imposes a -2 to his Dex roll for timing the devotion. Had the attacker been obscured or firing with Surprise, teh GM might have imposed a harsher penalty or disallowed the use of the devotion altogether. The maximum penalty should be -6. beyond that the devotion is impossible. In any case, Crockett succeeds with his Dex roll. The arrow does 3 DCs of damage giving a target of (3 x 5) = 15. With six dice he rolls 22 points and the arrow simply bounces from his chest.

As you can see, the skill is difficult to use due to timing. The adept cannot increase his chances of success by taking more time. An adept who bothers to learn this skill usually learns it very high.

An adept who achieves at least half effect will deaden half the DCs of the attack. This is in keeping with the rules on partial transformation. GM's requiring more realism may break this down even further (1/4 reduces by 1/4 and so on), but half and half is a good enough rule of thumb for easy play.

bulletHeal Anima

Levels: 5, 8, 10, 12, 14

Target: Anima x2

Time:

Extremity: 1 minute per d6

Limb: 5 minutes per d6

 

Exxon
Exon Ironhand has an animated left hand

Description: This is another healing devotion, but a highly specialized one. Much like Heal, it causes the subject to re-align itself with its Ideal, only in this case, its Animic Ideal. It is almost universally used for the creation of prosthetic body parts. If a limb is lost due to an accident, it is sometimes possible to replace it with an artificial replacement. In this case, the Repair devotion will cause the person's Animic Ideal to assert itself over the replaced limb. In essence, the person "heals" into person with a prosthetic limb.

There are some requirements. The loss must be very recent. The wound must be fresh and un-healed. The person should have a reasonable strong Anima associated with the body part. A person who has become lame due to age could not have replacement legs to allow him to walk normally, since his Animic Ideal is "lame". In almost all cases, the prosthetic functions no better than the original body part. In a very few cases, if the prosthetic is very well constructed, the body part might be slightly stronger or more efficient.

The armies of Tallon rarely have enough healers to take care of the many wounds received during battle. When the healers are overtaxed, healing animists take up the slack by applying pre-made prosthetic limbs to soldiers on the field. Any sizaeable military company will have a cache of prosthetic limbs on hand during a combat operation.

This devotion cannot be used to replace sense organs such as eyes or ears. To do that requires "Heal Psyche".

Copy Anima

Major Devotion

Levels: 8, 10, 12, 14

Target:

Motors: STR of Motor + Morphia of its material

 

Weapons: Base DCs of Weapon x10

Time: 1 hour per d6

This allows an adept to create a copy of one object's anima within another. It is most often used to create golems, though it has a number of other esoteric uses in trained hands.

Its simplest application is to copy the motion of the turning earth into an object capable of spinning. This is called a motor.

Motors: The target number for creating a motor is equal to the Morphia of the object plus the amount of STR the motor is to possess. Remember that the object has no Anima to begin with. Technically the adept is adding inches of movement, but for game purposes it is easier to equate this in terms of Strength, since motors are designed to perform work.

Use the vehicle list as an example of what can be done with what amount of STR. Another way of looking at it is that 30 STR is equal to one horsepower. Each +5 STR doubles the number of horsepower. The maximum STR a motor can have is equal to the DEF of its construction x 5. Thus, the most powerful motor currently buildable is STR 40. (Steel has a DEF of 8, times 5 is 40). Multiple motors can yield more STR; each doubling of motors adds five to the total STR. Thus the Columbia, the ship of the Rivermaster of Tallon requires several banks of motors. The Columbia has a STR of 60, so it requires 16 motors, 8 on each paddle wheel.

Technically, a motor can be built that has an enhanced DEF. Steel can be enhanced to DEF 12, and would yield a STR 60 motor. This is not done for every motor for a variety of reasons. Were the ley line holding the enhanced DEF to fail first, the motor could fly apart under stress, at dangerous speeds. Second, a non-morphically enhanced motor is cheaper, since you only need to employ an Animist. Third, a bank of motors is more dependable, since there is nothing that protects a motor from poor maintenance or failure of manufacture. A single motor failure from a bank of eight will only cause a minor inconvenience, whereas a process dependant on a single failed motor could have far more serious consequences.

In practice, mostly motors with a great requirement for power, such as the Dock Cranes of Tallon Harbor, or the wheels of her great military ships have DEF-enhanced motors.

One might further wonder why a very large motor might not be constructed. Surely a motor the size of a house could deliver more power than one the size of a housecat. Unfortuantely, this is not so. The anima for turning a motor comes from the rotational anima of the earth, as stated above. This is a fixed value. A larger motor turns more slowly, a smaller motor turns more quickly. The power, the torque, is the same. There are also engineering limits on how small a motor can be built. In practice, most motors are built at a convenient size for maintenance, repair and integration with the parts they will turn.

A motor is usually created with some sort of dis-engagement mechanism, or a trigger condition is added with Copy Psyche (see below). In the former case, mechanical action (such as pulling a lever) is required to engage or disengage the motor from the mecahnism it powers. The motor never stops turning until the ley line fails or the motor breaks. In the latter case, the addition of a simple psyche with Copy Psyche will allow the motor to start and stop on command. In this case, it is the very simplest of golems.

Note that the master is only creating a motor. To make the machine that the motor will empower requires all the normal materials, tools and engineering skills one would normally expect.

 

Simple Golems: Copy Anima can be used by itself to make the simplest of Golems. The master copies the anima from one bject into another, producing a golem which is capable of one very simple action. A humaniform golem could be made to walk, but it would walk all the time, in a straight line regardless if the path is blocked or unsafe. A simple golem is nothing more than a highly specialized motor.

Complex Golems: To make a Golem that is capable of sensing obstacles or performing a set number of limited tasks, starting and stopping on command, requires an additional use of Copy Psyche. This sets up a Simple Psyche, basically a very limited mind capable of following a set number of orders. The Animist would need to have the template of the anima demonstrate all of the motions conceivably usable by the golem. In the case of a golem that would row a boat, the simplest expedient would be to have the animaist be rowed about by a human rower for the duration of the operation. While the template human would be going about all the motions needed for rowing a boat in and about obstacles, tying off, anchoring, etc. the animist would be taking careful note and transfering them into his proposed golem. Remember, though, without a Simple Psyche, the golem would have no ability to decide when each movement was necessary.

 

Weapons: Copy Anima can be used to increase the power of a weapon, by increasing its tendency to momentum. The adept in this case will need to have PS: Spirit Weaponer, since the specific movements of a weapon are so technical. The weapon becomes far easier to swing in the traditional movements, yet still imparts increased momentum to the target. The weapon becomes armor-piercing in terms of game mechanics. A spirit weaponer would say that he has made a sword, "more sword-like".

Most spirit weapons are also morphically enhanced, since they must undergo far more stress than a normal weapon. Non-morphically enhanced weapons tend to break as if they were one class lower on the quality rating than they actually are. Thus a High Quality sword to begin with will only act like a Medium Quality sword using the breakage rules. Weapons which are morphically enhanced will automatically be considered Master Works for purposes of breakage, regardless of initial quality.

GMs may feel free to make available slight variations on spirit weapons, to promote some weapon mystique.

The greatest gladiator of the period of Archon Turik the Builder was named Havelok. Swords created copying his anima gain some of the tendency to follow his incredibly skilled weapon mastery and are +1 or +2 on their OCV. There are only 4 Havelok Swords known to exist.

 

 

Shift Animic Ideal

Major Devotion

Levels: 10, 12, 14

Target: Morphia of both targets x 1.5

Time: 5 hours per d6, Endurance Cost is x2

This is the most difficult of the Animic Major Devotions and is never more than partially successful. Instead of copying an object's Anima, the Animic Ideal is actually moved from one object to another. In the process, the target from whom the Anima is being shifted is either completely destroyed, or takes on the animic aspect of the target to whom the morphia is being shifted. In short-hand terms, X moves like Y, and Y moves like X.

This is almost exclusively used for creating Animates. The anima of the recently or nearly deceased body is transferred into a manikin, specially prepared. If the Morphia, Anima and Psyche are all three shifted as a single set of operations, the total Spiritual Ideal may be changed, and the target will require no ley line. This only works with spirits that are powerful enough in all three aspects (i.e. living, intelligent beings).

Noe that this changes the Ideal of the object, not its current morphic state. If the animic Ideal of human Hank Builder were to be transferred into a manikin of wood, the body would still be limited by its construction. For example, if the head were not hinged to nod up and down as well as shake, the manikin could not perform the action, despite Hank Builder's ability to do so. Shifting Animic Ideal is a very difficult Devotion and is never completely successful.

Beyond animate creation, there is little application for a Shift Anima, though there are reports of some military uses. Some Mekkas are the result of Shifted Anima rather than copied anima. Since the shifting results in the destruction (or switching) of the original, there is little reason to destroy a perfectly workable human being in order to make a non-living copy. Or is there?

 


Manipulate Psyche

The Major Psychic Devotions allow the adept to Strengthen or weaken an animal or person's Psyche. They can also grant Psyche (Intelligence) to an object that has none. Psyche can be used to make give animated objects limited decision making or sensory capability.

Use the write-up for Major Devotion to represent the mechanics of the ability. Applications of each Major Psychic Devotion are detailed below.

bulletModify Psyche

Levels: 5, 8, 10, 12, 14

Target: Psyche x2 + Active Points Added or Subtracted

Time: 5 minutes per d6

Time:

Minor: 5 minutes per d6

Major: 1 hour per d6

Reversal: 5 minutes per d6, regardless of degree

 

Description: Upon a successful transform, the target's Int, Ego, Pre or Stun is increased by a maximum number indicated on the chart below.

This has the effect of making a person more or less intelligent, or willful, or charismatic, or resistant to being made unconscious. The modification can be major, increasing the characteristic and its figured abilities across the board, or it can be minor, such as increasing the intelligence solely for the purpose of perception roles, or increasing the ego solely for the purpose of increasing Mental Defense. These in no way stackable bonuses. Someone cannot increase thier intelligence with a major alteration, and their perception with a second alteration on top of the first.

Most adepts capable of doing so will raise their intelligence, and ego, for it makes their devotions easier to practice.

This ability can also be used to "cure" forms of mental retardation , behavioral disorders such as autism, or learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Such cures are temporary, being ley line dependant.

Some cultures will use the reversal to lower the Ego of a prisoner or slave, making them more willing (if uninspired) servants. These hapless individuals are called thralls. Thralldom is illegal in Tallon, though it is often used in cities such as Orodon or in certain classes of criminal in Karkul.

 

Heal Psyche

Healing Categories 2 pts. Each
Delusions (Recent Mental Illness)
Amnesia due to Trauma
Mental damage due to physical injury
Alteration Reversal
Sensory Organ Replacement

Levels: 8, 10, 12, 14

Target: Psyche x2

Time: 1 hour per d6

Description: This is the Devotion used to heal the psyche of a thinking being. In Savage Earth parlance, it causes the subject to re-align itself with its Psychic Ideal. It can be reversed to cause damage as well. Upon a successful transform, mental damage from various types of attacks can be removed. Lost memories can be restored, neuroses removed, brain damage reversed, etc.

The damage must be recent. In other words, there cannot have been enough time passed to allow the body to adapt to a new psychic ideal. Exactly how long this is is dictated by plot and dramatic needs, but is roughly similar to the amount of time it would take for a person to heal from 0 Body.

 

Sense Organ Replacement: A reasonably common application of this uncommon devotion is the creation of prosthetic sense organs, notably eyes and ears. In much the same way an animic healer can replace limbs, a psychic healer can replace sense organs. Glass eyes can be made to see, leather ears be made to hear.

There are some requirements. The loss must be very recent. The wound must be fresh and un-healed. The person should have a reasonable strong Psyche associated with the body part. A person who has become blind due to a long-ago childhood illness could not have replacement eyes to allow him to see normally, since his Psychic Ideal is "blind". In almost all cases, the prosthetic functions no better than the original body part. In a very few cases, if the prosthetic is very well constructed, the body part might be slightly more sensitive.

 

Reversal: If the reverse of the devotion is used, the application of the power causes harm. The target becomes misaligned with its psychic field, becoming insane, stupid, blind or deaf. Abilities lost in this way recover at the normal healing rate, though it can be tied to a ley line (though this is rare). The reversal can itself be reversed with another application of the power, though in most cases, the ability must heal back.

 

This is a difficult devotion and there are few skilled practitioners. It requires specialized training. Psychic Healing is bought with Adders to represent the diffierent categories of healing, at 2 points per category. Some extremely specialized healers may have complementary Knowledge Skills not listed here.

 

Psychic Impression

Major Devotion

Levels: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14

Target: As below

Time: 1 minute per d6

Description: Upon a successful transform, the target object is imbued with a psychic impression that may be read by anyone with Spirit Sight. The adept rolls her dice of transform and notes the result. The quality of the psychic impression is determined by the following table:

0-20   Simple phrase or idea
21-40 Complex idea with emotion

41-60 Series of concepts or simple images
61-80 Full audio-visual experience
81+    Complete personality with memories

This is actually a psyche that is being temporarily given to an inanimate object. It could be altered by the use of the next Devotion, Alter Psyche.

 

Copy Psyche

Major Devotion

Levels: 5, 8, 10, 12, 14

Target: As Below

Time: 1 hour per d6

 

Simple Psyche Copy Behavior Copy Identity
Target: Pscyhe x1* Target: Psyche x2* Target: Psyche x3*
Time: 1 min. per d6 Time: 5 min. per d6 Time: 20 min. per d6
* plus Active Point Difference . See notes for each ability.

If Target is the adept's own self, reduce time to 1/2

 

This is a skill with a wide variety of uses, some of them beneficial, some absolutely criminal. This devotion requires Adders, as referenced in this table:

Copy Categories, 1 pt. each
Simple Psyche
Copy Behavior
Copy Identity

 

 

Simple Psyche: By far the easiest and most common of applications, this level allows the Psychist to create a Simple Psyche. This imbues an object with a certain amount of very limited self-direction. In the Animate Golem devotion above, metnion is made of the golem possessing the ability to follow certain simple commands. The example is given of a golem rower. The golem can follow simple directions to stop, go and will naturally avoid obstacles. This ability to function like an aware being comes from the fact that a psychist has imbued it with a Simple Psyche. It is needed for anything but the most simple and repetative of tasks.

A Simple Psyche also imbues an object with rudimentary sensory and reactive abilities. It can follow pre-set commands, avoid obstacles, do basic maintenance or cleaning jobs, etc. It does not impart the ability to speak. A golem is not truly aware, it only has the semblence of awareness. An object with a simple psyche that requires a sense must have the representation of that sensory organ built upon them. A door that can respond to people needing to get through, must have a face with eyes and ears worked into its decoration or carved from its surface.

In game terms, the devotion is still based on a transformation, but you are using the transformation to change something that does not have a computer to something that does. Purchase the computer normally, and then double its cost to determine the target number for the skill. The minimum target number is 5.

Mausoleum Golem
(Simple Psyche)
Int 8
-2
Dex 10
0
Speed 2
0
Skills
PS: Simple Maintenance, 11- 3
Programs
Perform Maintenance 1
Walk from Point A to Point B 1
Hold Object Still 1
Carry Object 1
TOTAL COST 5
Target Number 10
Door
(Simple Psyche)
Int 8
-2
Dex 10
0
Speed 2
0
Programs
Operate Door 1
TOTAL COST -1
Target Number 5

For construction purposes, a Simple Psyche should have an identical dex and speed to any Golem it is placed in.

A Simple Psyche cannot be placed in an object already posessing a psyche, such as a person or animal. Although it can be placed in an object that is not animated, there is no known application for such a practice. A Simple Psyche is nearly always based on the adept performing the devotion. If the adept does not possess any of the skills in question, a psychic template that meets all requirements must be found. If the psychic template is someone other than the adept, double the cost again. In the example of the Maintenance Golem, if Rondo the Psychist does not have any mainentance skills, he must find someone who does. In that case, the target number would become 20.

 

Copy Behavior: This is used to copy an aspect of someone's personality, or a skill or mental ability to another. So long as the ley line lasts, the person will be able to use that skill, or function under the restrictions of a Psychological Limitation. In each case, the target number is 2x the psyche of the target, plus the cost of whatever is being temporarily added to the character sheet. The minimum cost for any skill or ability is 5 points.

Abilities temporarily gianed through this devotion can be learned more quickly once the ley line drops. If someone gains piano-playing ability for a month, once the line drops, they could conceivably learn the instrument far more quickly than someone who had never had first hand experience of what it is like to possess the skill.

Such a style of teaching is generally frowned upon in Tallon's Hall of Art, but it has its uses.

Example: Haiku is a barbarian who does not speak Anglish. She needs to learn quickly, so that she can communicate with her new Merikian friends. Her Psyche score is 15. Although Anglish would only cost her 3 points to learn, the minimum cost for figuring the target number is 5. Thus the total score is (15 x 2) + 5 = 35. This will take some time and effort of a psychist, but at the end of the process, she will be able to speak Anglish to the limit of her own understanding of language, and the limitations of the template Anglish speaker from whom the ability was copied. If neither speaker knew the meaning of the word "crepuscular", Haiku would be unable to express it and would need to add it to her vocabulary as if it were a foreign word. The ability lasts only so long as the ley line is not dropped. Once the ley line is dropped, she could learn the language normally at a far faster rate than she could have without having had the experience. Exactly how much faster is determined by needs of plot, drama or GM-player discussion.

Example 2: Judge Gont is a wicked and ruthless man. He has a servant who is totally devoted to him. Judge Gont carefully cultivated this man for devotion, raising him from ignominy, giving him power and favor, saving him from an otherwise violent and pointless end. This servant would die for Judge Gont. The Judge can transfer this loyalty to an unwilling target. For this he chooses a confidant of his enemy, planning to gain a spy in his enemy's camp. The target is a man named James, whose Psyche is 11. The Psychological Disadvantage of Total Loyalty is (Common, Total) and worth 20 points. Thus the Target number is (11 x 2) + 20 = 42 points. The judge is very strong and achieves this number with a good roll. James is now totally loyal to Judge Gont and will gladly perform whatever heinous act the judge might require of him.

Copy Identity: Similar to the Copy Behavior usage, this will cause one being to behave like another. In this case, the copy is almost total. The target will believe he is the template, and have limited access to his memories and skills, as well as be influenced by the template's beliefs and loyalties. Exactly how much is again, determined by dramatic necessity. In the case of this devotion, the target Psyche is the greater of the two, template or target. (The person being copied or the person being copied to).

Shift Psychic Ideal

Major Devotion

Levels: 10, 12, 14

Target: Psyche of both targets x 1.5

Time: 5 hours per d6, Endurance Cost is x2

This is the most difficult of the Psychic Major Devotions and is never more than partially successful. Instead of copying an object's Psyche, the Psychic Ideal is actually moved from one object to another. In the process, the target from whom the Anima is being shifted is either completely destroyed, or takes on the psychic aspect of the target to whom the psyche is being shifted. In short-hand terms, X thinks like Y, and Y thinks like X.

This is almost exclusively used for creating Animates. The psyche of the recently or nearly deceased body is transferred into a manikin, specially prepared. If the Morphia, Anima and Psyche are all three shifted as a single set of operations, the total Spiritual Ideal may be changed, and the target will require no ley line. This only works with spirits that are powerful enough in all three aspects (i.e. living, intelligent beings).

Note that this changes the Ideal of the object, not its current psychic state. If the Psychic Ideal of human Hank Builder were to be transferred into a manikin of wood, the body would initially be unconscious and must be "woken up" (ie, it starts at 0 Stun). In some cases, the Shift may be problematical and the awakening might be delayed by some time. This is determined by dramatic necessity and plot needs, but is rarely more than a few days. The longest on record is over 70 years, in the case of the aforementioned Hank Builder, who may never have woken up had he not been encountered by nascent Sympath Tira Wolfsdaughter.

Beyond animate creation, there is little application for a Shift Psyche. In theory, a mind could be place into another body, buit it would be ley line dependant. Once the line gave out, the subject would die, or at least lose their mind permenently.

Summary of Animate Creation

 

Raggedy Jane
Ragedy Jane is an Animate, the ultimate
expression of the transfer of Spirit.

To sum up, An animate is created in the following way. A body is prepared by a craftsman. The body must be capable of being posed or bent in some way, i.e. a statue will not do. If the animate is to be able to see, hear and speak, it must have the representations of eyes, ears and mouth. The body then has the Morphic Ideal of the original human body shifted into it. This is done with the Devotion Shift Morphic Ideal.

The Manikin is then given a new Animic Ideal, using the Devotion Shift Animic Ideal.

In the last step, the personality, skills and memories of the original body are transferred to the manikin using the Devotion Shift Psychic Ideal.

If the morphia and the anima and psyche were all shifted from the same donor, then the Spiritual Ideal has been changed. The change is permanent and requires no ley line.

All of these steps must be done sequentially without interruption. It requires a supreme amount of skill and an exhaustive effort. Creating an animate can come close to killing a Master.


This is the most difficult feat an adept can perform. It is so difficult that it is the hallmark of what defines a Grandmaster. An adept becomes a Grandmaster upon the creation of an animate. Adepts may not cooperate to shift a Spiritual Ideal, and it can only be done by someone who has mastered all three aspects of spirit . Thus, most Grandmasters will create one and only one animate in their lives, although it is not unheard of for a Grandmaster to create further animates.

Transformation House Rules

Because these alterations are so lengthy and apply only to the Adept transformation powers, they are included here rather than on the appendix for house rules.

Targetting Number and Target Groups: Each transformation works off of a Target Characteristic defined by the Major Devotion, multiples of either Morphia, Anima or Psyche. This target number must be reduced to 0, not its negative value. This does make transformation much more powerful, but accurately simulates the terrifying power that adepts wield. Also, instead of breaking transforms down by Mind, Body and Spirit, the Savage Earth breaks them down by Morphia, Anima and Psyche. Each is bought separately.

Most Devotions are targeting powers. If a subject is unwilling, the Adept must make a to-hit roll.

Number of Dice: There is no distinction between Cosmetic, Major and Minor transform. All applications of the power use a number of dice indicated by the cost. Instead, the target number changes to indicate the difficulty.

Endurance Usage: Please note that all uses of Transform are considered to use Long Term Endurance, recovered at 5 points per hour. If the endurance used is great enought to cause stun to the adept, the GM may levy a temporary penalty upon the adept, usually exhaustion or weakness. Adepts may take no recoveries during the usage of a Major Devotion.

Transformation Time: Transformations take time. The Minor Devotions are usually instant or constant powers, governed by standard rules. The Major Devotions typically take extra time, indicate in each power description. This time represents constant effort during which no other major actions may be undertaken. Occasional minor interruptions or conversation are possible, though. If a Master has a Complementary Skill, they may take extra time with that skill to increase the chances of successfully gaining the benefit of a successful roll (see individual power descriptions).

Maximum Effect: Unlike standard uses of the Transform power, there is an upper limit to the number of points that can be generated by a Transform. The maximum number of points is equal to the maximum that could be rolled on the available number of dice. Thus a Master with 10 dice of Manipulate Morphia could generate no more than 60 points of effect, no matter how many times he rolled.

Recovery Rate: Finally, Transformations are temporary. A transformed object slowly reverts to its natural state at the rate of 1 point per hour. This rate decreases with proximity to the adept who performed the alteration. In general:

Proximity Recovery Rate
Same House = Permanent
1 mile radius = 1/month
5 mile radius = 1/week
10 mile radius = 1/day
10+ miles = 1/hour

The GM will doubtless modify this by dramatic necessity. A good rule of thumb is that spirit-vested objects are permanent when they are personal tools of an adept, last several years in the inner city, less than a year in the outer city, a season in the country and a few days in the wilderness. The only exception to this rule is an object or being which has an altered Spiritual Ideal. Only a grandmaster can do this, and usually only once.

In game terms, an enhancement is usually temporary. It does not require the expenditure of character points. This might seem unbalancing, but no different than finding a powerful magic item in a fantasy game, or purchasing major firepower or armor in a science fiction setting.

Cost of Power: 5 Active Points per die of effect. Major Devotions are a custom power. It is a targetting power with a range of "Touchable", and costs 1 LTE per die.

Ley Lines and Spirit Economy

As stated above, an adept's transformations last longer, the closer they remain to the targeted person or item. The adept is connected to these items by invisible bands called ley lines. A ley line is undetectable to all but the most legendary of adepts. An adept is limited in the number of ley lines they can have, shown in the table at right. Very powerful adepts may have dozens of ley lines. The only thing that can break a ley line is time and distance, the loss of an enhancement, or the conscious effort of the line holder.

An example of the first would be moving the object far away for a long period of time. An example of the second would be using the reverse of whatever devotion enhanced the object, an example of the third would be the adept willing the line to drop and making an ego roll as described below under the sharing of ley lines.

Ley Lines
Adept Pool
# of Lines
10
5
20
10
40
20
55
35
70
55
85
80
100
110

The concept of ley lines is important for two reasons. Firstly, it sets a limit on the amount of spirit-enhanced people and objects. This is why the city is not riddled with golems, and why adepts charge as much as they do for enhancing and vesting objects. It forces an economy of spirit manipulation. In most cities, adepts are required to donate a certain number of ley lines to the public pool. These are used for the various pumps, motors, golems, architectural enhancements and so forth that make the city great. In Tallon, this requirement is only given to those educated by the Hall of Art or members of the clergy. Wealthy adept may pay other adepts to hold their line obligations for them, or they may be granted special dispensation by the Archon. In the case of the clergy, this dispensation comes from the Archbishop.

This brings up the second feature of ley lines. They can be shared. An adept may allow any other adept to share the ley line with the object he has created. In this way, spirit enhanced objects may be moved or traded great distances. Ley lines are transferred with an Ego roll-3 for each party, and expends 5 long term endurance. The base time is 1 turn. This can be upped by +1 for every step up the time chart. Thus at 20 minutes, the adepts must each make a normal Ego roll. Positive modifiers are not allowed. This roll can also be used to simple drop a line. In either case, the act must be done in the immediate proximity of the object. It is not a ranged effect.

Example: Torsus the adept swordsmith has made a spirit sword that he would like to sell in another city. Normally the sword would lose its enhancement long before reaching its destination. However, Torsus has a business relationship with Danchee, the adept merchant. Although Danchee is an adept, she is a weak one, never having progressed beyond spirit sight. But this is enough. Each of them makes an ego roll at -3. If both succeed, then they share a ley line. The sword will keep its enhancement when in proximity of either of them. However, if the sword travels more than a certain distance for the critical amount of time from either of them, the ley line will be broken with that particular adept. Danchee travels by caravan to the neighboring city. Long before she arrives, the ley line with Torsus is broken by time and distance. She has the sole ley line with the sword. She reaches the foreign city, where she sells the sword to another adept. Both of them make an ego roll at -3. The sword now has shares a ley line with its new owner and with Danchee. The connection with Danchee will be broken when she returns to her home city.

Note that if in the above example, Danchee had sold the sword to a non-adept, it would lose its enhancement entirely after she passed beyond the ley line's limit. This is dishonest business practice. If a non-adept buys a spirit-enhanced object, they need to make arrangements to attach a ley line to an adept they trust not to leave the city. This is where many weaker adepts make money. They sell their ley lines with the understanding that they will not travel beyond a certain area. Such adepts are referred to as "line-bound", or "tethered". The character of Novya in Tallon is an example of a tethered adept. She could easily transfer ley lines to other tethered adepts, but that would release her monopoly over the enhancements she has made. In the military, a tethered adept is referred to as a "lineman". Tethering is a valid Social Limitation for adepts.

Another word on the perception of ley lines. An adept should keep careful track of the ley lines they have created, since not even an adept can tell when a line breaks. If an adept is in physical proximity of an object to which they have a line attached, they can read the strength of the attachment (ex: 30% expired). At a distance, however, it is merely guesswork. Neither can an adept tell who might be sharing a line to an object. If Master A shares a line with Adept B and Adept B later shares with Adept C, Master A has no idea of Adept C's relationship to the object. This means a ley line cannot be used as a means of long-distance communication. Otherwise, Adept C could travel to a distant city while Master A dropped the line in order to give a signal. This cannot be done.

It would seem that an adept's strength could be measured by the number of ley lines they hold. This is not practical for several reasons. The number of lines represents a theoretical limit. In other words it gets progressively more difficult to add a ley line after the limit is reached. The limit can be passed, but only with great effort and luck. For every ley line an adept tries to hold past their limit, reduce their END total by 5 until the line is dropped. Few adepts are willing to exhaust themselves in order to hold more ley lines. Also, few adepts are willing to disclose exactly how many ley lines they hold, and no one would relinquish all their lines just to give a public demonstration of how many they can carry at once. Thus, an adept's pool strength is never known by others with exactitude.

Holding Ley Lines for Profit (Line Holders)

Many adepts (particularly non-masters and students) will hold lines for a fee. If Jo Pitfighter spends his hard-earned eagles on a spirit sword, he wants some guarantee that the holder of the ley line won't be slain and render his sword useless. Therefore, he can pay to have other adepts hold the line as well, increasing his insurance that the lines won't fizzle out on him when he least expects it. The typical charge for holding a line is 5% of the appraised value of the item (after it has been enhanced). Since the person who enhanced it has a pretty good idea of the cost, he can easily communicate this to the adept to whom he is passing the line.

Being a line holder has certain responsibilities. The client is paying the holder for insurance against loss of the enhancement, thus the holder is expected to stay within a certain geographical area. If the line holder needs to leave the area, he must make every attempt to pass on the line to another holder (and thus pass on the fee, hopefully in an honest manner). He should also make every attempt to inform his client of the transfer. Ideally, the holder and the client should agree upon the new holder, but this is not always the case and could be brought before a judge if the parties cannot reach a compromise. Many merchants employ adepts specifically as line holders, and no military company is without an adept Lineman.

Spiritual Ideals

Since all objects have spirits, it therefore follows that all spirits are definitive. For example, a rock is a rock because it has a "rock spirit". A man is a man because he has a "man spirit". More specifically, Farralon of Tallon is Farralon of Tallon because he has "Farralon of Tallon spirit". Every spirit has a natural state that define the object it is associated with. The easiest way to visualize this is in game terms. A person has a Body score of 10. Even if he takes 4 points of damage, he still has a natural score of 10. He will heal back up to 10, because that is the characteristic that defines him. It is his default state. In the teachings of Prometheus the Lawgiver, this is called its Spiritual Ideal. All objects strive to reflect their spiritual ideal.

The same is true for all objects in the Savage Earth. A sword "wants" to be a sword. Even if broken, its spiritual ideal remains a whole sword. A body with a broken leg "wants" to heal the damage. Now an inanimate object such as a sword has no way of "healing" damage taken. If it is snapped, it remains snapped. However, if an adept uses a Major Devotion such as Alter Morphia: Repair upon it, it has realigned with its Spiritual Ideal and will remain "fixed" even if a ley line is dropped. This is why spiritually healed characters remain healed without the expenditure of a ley line. They have resumed their Spiritual Ideal. (This is similar to the concept of the power Aid. A character below normal Body who is Aided to full, retains the body even after the Aid fades. Conversely, a character who is Aided to above normal will return to normal once the aided points fade.)

This is also why Riven are so hard to cure. Reavers not only alter a being's spirit, they alter its Spiritual Ideal. A riven who is shape-shifted back to normal needs a ley line to remain normal. If the ley line is broken, they will quickly revert to their riven Ideal.

It is important to realize that Spiritual Ideals gradual shift over the course of time. An old man does not possess a baby's spirit, for example. A sword that has been broken for ten years is now generally accepted as a broken sword and has the Spiritual Ideal of "broken sword". Exactly how long it takes for a Spiritual Ideal to change is best left to dramatic license. If a sword was legendary and highly symbolic to a large number of people, it might retain the Spiritual Ideal of "Legendary Sword" for some time, even if broken. The needs of the story should drive this, though. If it is important to the story that someone remain mad, then they have been mad long enough to have the Spiritual Ideal of "Madman".

Finally, this concept tells us why the Cities of the Savage Earth do not possess more animates. The Spiritual Ideal must be changed. It requires the difficult and expensive Shifting Devotion; all three aspects must be Shifted, and at least the Psychic Shift must be Total. Furthermore, it most be done by a single adept, and is considered one continuous act for Endurance purposes, meaning that the Grandmaster will be tied up for days or weeks, and likely exhausted to the point of illness or even death. it is not easy to change a Spiritual Ideal, and rarely attempted.

It has long been a strong cultural tradition that the power be used to make an animate. It is seen as the hallmark of Grandmastery and a great gift to the otherwise dead person. A Grandmaster or group of properly trained Masters could certainly make a tethered animate, one that would fade when the ley line was broken, but this sort of temporary half-life would be seen as a cruelty.

Despite this, several Grandmasters in the past have attempted the feat multiple times. Tonda the Farmer is responsible for many of the altered crops that Tallon grows. They breed fast and true from generation to generation because of her self-sacrifice in creating better spiritual ideals for them. Of course, this cost her her health, and she is sometimes known by the title, "Tonda the Crippled". Throughout her Archony, she was unable to walk for more than a few steps unaided.

Spiritual Ideals can be referred to as Morphic Ideal, Animic Ideal or Psychic Ideal. It's all essentially the same thing: the default state of an object or being.

Adepts and Self-Enhancement

There are several implications of the use of adept devotions. Firstly, Masters will almost certainly use the various spirit enhancements on themselves. Therefore, a Master will almost always have characteristics which vastly exceed those of the human norm. See the table below for likely values.

Because of these enhancements, Adepts tend to live longer than normal humans. It would seem that they could be immortal, but there are a number of complications. Firstly, they do in fact age. They get older and weaker like normal folk. They cannot restore youth, but they can ameliorate the effects of age. Eventually, they get so old that even their great abilities cannot make up for the losses of time. There's only so much you can enhance a 130 year old body, for instance. A second factor is that many adepts tend to enhance their anima at various periods of their life, usually when they are young and feeling that they will live forever. Enhancing your anima causes you to live faster. As a master advances in age, they will use this particular ability less and lees, unless it is to make up for lost normal speed and movement. It rapidly becomes a slippery slope. Most masters can expect to reach 100 years of age; a very prudent and conservative master might reach 150. On the average, figure that a master will live about half again as long as a normal person, and age more slowly during that time. When the inevitable decline comes, it comes rapidly.

Enhanced Characteristics

The enhanced characteristics that come from spirit manipulation are not usually permanent. It is possible that they could last quite a long time, however, given the house rules on transformation recovery. A character does not need to pay for these characteristics. They are the result of a power. This might seem to be unfair or unbalancing. This is true. They are unfair and unbalancing. They are designed to be. Adepts control a great and terrible power. There is a reason they are rulers, movers and shakers.

Here is a list of the characteristics that can be enhanced or weakened, along with the devotion that affects them and the maximum value attainable. Note that for the purposes of this table, Movement is considered a characteristic.

Anima
Characteristic Max Value
Str +10*
Dex +10*
Con +10*
Speed +3 or 1/5 the number of dice
Movement Half again. Or 1/5 number of dice.
Morphia
Characteristic Max Value
Bod Double*
PD Double, half original resistant*
ED Double, half original resistant*
Com Special effect of change shape
Psyche
Characteristic Max Value
Int +10*
Ego +10*
Pre +10*
Stun + Number of dice
* This is the maximum theoretically possible. The actual maximum is the 1/2 the number of dice rolled. If an adept only has 12 dice of Manipulate Morphia, the most he can increase a Body score by is +6. In the case of PD, the resistant option is Damage Resistance, not Armor. A person with a natural PD of 6 can be given a PD of 12 (3 resistant), but not 12 PD + 3 Armor. Persons with enhanced defenses may not use Combat Luck, but they can wear armor.

Other Limits to Enhancement

Given the aforementioned rules, the obvious question is, "Why isn't everyone enhanced all the time?" It seems that since Modify Aspect is the first skill learned among the major devotions, and given the number of Masters in a city and the number of lines per master, that thousands of people should be cohorts, walking around faster or tougher or smarter than a normal human. This is not true for several reasons.

The first is simple economy. Industry and city defense take up many lines of many adepts. Without continually holding the lines to enhanced objects, the city would cease to function and be defensible, particularly to reavers. Also, the investment is such that most important objects need multiple lines for security. What would happen if the only line holder for an animated sawmill were to suddenly die or disappear? The line would drop and the whole mill would suffer downtime until it could be properly animated again. A sawmill owner would doubtless pay for at least three adepts to hold the line. The same goes for the holder of a spirit sword or spirit armor. Also, in the case of spirit weapons and armor, if the person is killed, the gear can go to someone new without any new investment of spirit. If an enhanced person is killed, they must be replaced by someone with a whole new set of enhancements.

The second reason is that most people find the state of being enhanced uncomfortable. Merely increasing the toughness of someone's skin to leather or even wooden hardness is a state few people enjoy. It does not feel right. It requires an intimate knowledge of the target to fashion an enhancement that feels comfortable on a long term basis. Few people are willing to invest the time to study someone that deeply, and few people are willing to relinquish their privacy to that degree. In game terms, in order for a person to maintain an enhancment comfortably for a long period of time, the enhancing adept must purchase a KS for that person at the INT roll level. This represents a period of intense study of a rather intimate nature. All Grandmasters have a KS for each paladin they enhance.