Divine Power

Divine power in the world of Torchbearer consists of using a series of gestures and prayers to channel the primal power of the Immortal Lords who govern the workings of all things. The Lords concede these powers to their champions, clerics who further their cause in the world of mortals.  

The Immortal Lords

  The people rarely refer to gods, except perhaps in relation to the Old Ones, the most ancient of immortals, who no longer attend to Creation. Instead, they make obeisance to the Lords, mortals who attained immortality through thegreatness of their deeds and the worship of others—kings, queens, heroes and villains.   The Young Lords, those who have ascended in recent memory, often retain their individuality and personality. For instance, one hero might be worshipped as Sigrun the Defender, the Lady of Battles who inspires soldiers who fight for Law, standing between civilization and the ravening hordes of Chaos. But in the fullness of time, memory of the deeds and even names of these Young Lords fade. They shed their individuality and personality to become one with the primal forces they champion. Within a few generations, though worship of Sigrun may fade, she will become one with the Lords of Battle.  

Performing Prayers

  Prayers are performed with the Ritualist skill. In order to invoke divine might, the cleric must be able to speak and must have a holy symbol presented and visible.  

Prayer Inventory

  Similar to arcanists, ritualists use a specialized mental inventory system just for prayers. At fi rst level, the Lords grant clerics access to a special prayer: Fury of the Lords of Life and Death. Beginning at second level, the cleric gains a single slot of prayer inventory used to hold a fi rst circle prayer. When clerics perform a prayer, it is removed from the inventory until they have the opportunity to meditate upon the Lords and replenish their prayer inventory during the camp phase (see Memorizing Prayers below).   Clerics expand their prayer slots with each level they gain.  

Known Prayers

  Clerics do not need to learn a prayer (like magicians must learn a spell) before requesting its power from the Lords. Instead, they have access to the entire list of prayers of any circle appropriate to their level. They can memorize any prayer from that circle, provided they have sufficient slots.  

Memorizing Prayers

  Replenishing your prayer inventory requires uninterrupted time to meditate upon the Lords and their mysteries. Clerics may memorize prayers during the camp or town phase as long as the phase is not interrupted by a disaster. To memorize prayers, test Theologian. The obstacle is equal to 8 - Will (do not adjust Will due to the injured or sick conditions for the purpose of this test). Memorizing prayers does not require a check or increase the difficulty of maintaining your lifestyle. The same prayer may be added multiple times to your inventory.   If you are in a temple or shrine of your alignment, take +2D to your Theologian skill. No Theologian test is necessary in your home town: Choose prayers appropriate to your level and slots at your discretion.   If the test is successful you may choose the prayers you wish to memorize. If you fail the test, the GM has two options:  

• The GM gives your character a condition and allows you to choose your prayers.
• The GM chooses the prayers you are granted.

 

Prayers and Alignment

The Immortal Lords—and the prayers they grant—are aligned with Law or Chaos, or else hold themselves aloof and remain unaffi liated. If a majority of the cleric’s memorized prayers differ from the cleric’s alignment, the GM should apply a cumulative +1 factor to the Theologian test to memorize prayers. Increase the penalty by one each time the majority of prayers memorized are not of the cleric’s alignment.   The penalty then counts for all attempts to memorize prayers, whether of your alignment or not. It remains until the cleric performs an atonement ritual (Ritualist test with an obstacle equal to the current penalty) or until the cleric’s alignment is changed.  

Prayer Scrolls

  Scrolls are single-use containers for prayers. Upon use, a scroll is consumed by the power of the Lords. Each scroll holds a single prayer that the ritualist may perform without having memorized the prayer. However, the cleric must be capable of performing a prayer of that circle.

A ritualist must be capable of performing Second Circle prayers in order to use a scroll of Evocation of the Lords of Battle.

 

Scribing Scrolls

  A cleric may create a scroll of any prayer they have currently memorized. Scribing a scroll requires a Scholar test. The obstacle to scribe a scroll of a prayer is listed with each prayer in the prayer list. Any character with the Scholar skill is assumed to carry the necessary gear to create new scrolls.   Scribing a scroll can be done in camp at the cost of a check or in town at the cost of increasing your lifestyle by one.  

Prayer Supplies

  Each prayer describes components that may be used to aid in performing it. Supplies are not required to perform a prayer, but they do aid the ritualist if available. Having the proper supplies for a prayer grants +1D to perform it. Supplies can be purchased, gathered or created using an appropriate skill. Supplies are expended after each use.  

Prayers and Time

  Prayers take very little time to perform. In fact, a Ritualist test to perform a prayer does not take a turn and the GM does not advance the turn tracker.  

Invoking Prayers

  There are three different ways to invoke a prayer. Some prayers have a fi xed obstacle listed in their description. To invoke its power, test Ritualist to meet that number. Some prayers have factors like skills. When praying, choose what factors you’re using and total up the obstacle for your Ritualist skill as described in the Ability & Skill Factors chapter. This is the only time a player factors an obstacle (not counting spells which use the same process).   Some prayers are invoked in versus tests— roll the Ritualist skill against the ability or skill of your opponent indicated in the description. Each prayer describes how you invoke it.  

Prayers in Conflicts

  While cleric prayers are not as confl ict-oriented as magicians and rangers, some prayers can mean the difference between life and death for allies and companions.  

• Some prayers, like Hand of the Lords of Entropy, give clerics the ability to use Ritualist in place of other skills for particular types of actions in confl icts. These prayers may be used at any time during the confl ict on the caster’s action.
• Prayers that may affect or even prevent a confl ict, like Chains of Fate or Evocation of the Lords of Battle, should be performed before rolling disposition.
• Prayers that act as a weapon in a fight, must be cast when selecting weapons before the first action of a new round is announced.
• Hands of the Lords of Entropy replaces Ritualist for an Attack action skill. The Attack action counts as invoking the prayer. No separate roll is made.
• Prayers cannot be disarmed by the Maneuver action.
• Prayer effects cannot be reduced by mundane armor.

Starting Prayer

  Guiding Light of Avana

First Circle Prayers

Second Circle Prayers

   

Third Circle Prayers