Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Fate of Exiles: The Templar

The Templar is an unexpected individual in the cursed lands of Wraeclast; a truly faithful person dedicated to their holy order, firm in their conviction and devotion to God - or at least they were firm in that conviction. While most such exiles will remain secure in their faith, certain that this is, perhaps, a test of their faith, or a task given from on high, some will stumble and find their faith shaken.

Standing between the Marauder and the Witch, a Templar is a warrior with a flair for mystic power, although most will tell those who ask that their magic is holy, granted by God to fight the dark magic of the wicked. That the outcome looks identical means nothing; a Templar knows the truth. Of course, a fallen Templar may recognize that despite their ruined faith, their power remains, and question the true source of it.

The sample Templar here will include the Questor, a Templar who feels that they have been given a trial from God to prove their devotion; the Crusader, who sees Wraeclast as a land in need of a sacred warrior to cleanse it; and the Fallen, who has seen the face of the enemy closely enough to recognize it as their own. Others certainly exist - the number of things a Templar can find as a sacred charge or a way to prove the absence of God are as limitless as the threats of the land itself.

High Aspects will tend to echo what the Templar feels their mission to be; even Fallen Templar have a difficult time not placing what they believe at the center of their being. A Questor might have Warrior On A Holy Mission or Penitent Soldier as High Aspects; a Crusader might have Champion Of The Righteous or Holy Knight; and a Fallen Templar might have Hero Without A Cause or Rebel Against The Angels as theirs.

Troubles will tend to directly echo what the Templar's personal mission is. A Questor may have On A Mission From God, while a Crusader may have The Only Champion In The Land and a Fallen Templar may have Under Siege By My Own Doubts as theirs. Given their nature as (possibly former) holy champions, Dreaming Of The Darkness is certainly a fitting trouble for any Templar.

Questors will like have additional Aspects such as As Steady As The Rising Sun, I've Seen Hell And Fought On, and I Hold My Faith Close. Crusaders may have ones like My Strength Is The Might Of The Righteous, Armored By Faith, and Driven By Zeal as Aspects, although they may also trend toward a somewhat more bloodthirsty angle depending on the Crusader in question. Fallen Templar will tend toward Aspects such as My Faith Is Broken But My Will Is Strong, I Answer To None Save Myself, and I Believe In My Own Strength, echoing their fall from grace and newly discovered self-reliance.

Skill for all Templar will tend to include Virtue, Physique, Will, and Fight as primary skills; Lore and Rapport will tend to be high for those who wish to spout about their faith or who want to use their knowledge to tear down the walls of faith around them. Notice is always useful, and those who want to build a new bastion of faith in this land - or simply to prepare their defenses against the darkness they know is out there - wouldn't be amiss to take Craft. Some rare Templar who feel that preemptive strikes are justified may find value in Shoot or Throw, as well.

Stunts will echo the divine nature of the Templar's beliefs, even for the Fallen. Aegis Of Faith grants a +2 on Physique checks to resist zone-wide attacks that include them, Divine Fire allows a Fate Point to be spent to inflict Fire damage across an entire zone as holy fire rains from the skies, and Unstoppable Force allows the Templar to spend a Fate Point to move across up to two zones, attacking a single enemy at the end with a +2 bonus without having to worry about anyone in the way.

Templar are warriors with a powerful will, and even the fallen among them remain a force to be reckoned with - perhaps even moreso without their beliefs keeping them in check. Those who wish to play someone with strong personal conviction and a powerful force of will could do worse than trying out a Templar as a model for the creation of their character.

Next character conversion will be the Duelist, a nimble warrior who combines personal strength and dazzling agility with charm and charisma.

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