The general idea was to not make it a cliché ranger á la DnD but to give the character a nice toolkit to be more of a "defender of nature"-type, focusing on the nature aspect.
Edit: 06. Aug 2019:
Since the previous version of the Discipline was heavily inspired by the Purifier and Woodsman (both of which will be coming with the Mystic Paths book), most of what this Discipline did became somewhat redundant. I've done a complete rework of the Discipline, taking away much of the Mysticism and focusing more on the defensive aspect and Animal Companion theme.
Custodian
Discipline Description
Custodians are devoted protectors of Nature who surround themselves with wild animals. Some might live their life as simple Foresters, tending to the trees and maintaining a healthy, balanced wildlife. Others will go about it more aggressively, directly searching out places where the natural balance has been disturbed to hunt down the perpetrators. What all Custodians have in common is their fierce affection for animals and their talent in taming them. The discipline is rumored to originate from a land that lies beyond the Blood Wood, where ancient groves are worshipped by the people and harmony with nature’s denizens is the ultimate doctrine.
Main Attributes: Toughness, Willpower, Charisma
Karma Ritual: The Custodian spends 30 minutes meditating to commune with Nature. In a city, they would have to search out an area such as a park. During their meditation, they focus on their surroundings and how everything present is connected. Finally, the Custodian pictures the life cycle of a single year and a day in their current location, starting from the first day of spring. The Ritual ends when the Adept has, in their mind, once again reached the first day of spring and the cycle starts over.
Artisan Skills: Wood Carving, Sculpting, Body Painting
Half-Magic: The custodians Half-Magic includes knowledge of plants and animals. This allows for identification of common characteristics, attributes and natural habitats. They may also use Half-Magic in place of tests to make use of natural resources, such as the use of natural healing remedies or extracting an animal’s poison.
Spoiler:
Novice
Novice Talent Options
Awareness
Anticipate Blow
Avoid Blow
Creature Analysis
Climbing
Dominate Beast
Melee Weapons
Sprint
Stealthy Stride
Tiger Spring
First Circle
Animal Bond
Animal Training
Custodian Weaving
Wilderness Survival
Wood Skin
Abilities
Free Talent: Tracking
Karma: The Adept may spend a Karma Point on any test which involves non-violent interaction with an animal.
Durability 5
Second Circle
Enhance Animal Companion
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Social Defense.
Third Circle
Empathic Sense
Abilities
Karma: The Adept may Spend a Karma Point on Recovery tests.
Fourth Circle
Animal Companion Durability
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Mystic Defense.
Journeyman
Journeyman Talent Options
Animal Possession
Call Animal Companion
Cobra Strike
Distract
Iron Constitution
Life Check
Lifesight
Resist Taunt
Spirit Mount
Steel Thought
Fifth Circle
Blood Share
Abilities
Journeyman Ability, Safety in Numbers:
Spoiler:
When fighting among allies, the Adept reduces the penalty incurred by Defensive Stance by 1. The player should describe how they are coordinating with their ally to achieve this.
Sixth Circle
Borrow Sense
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Social Defense.
Seventh Circle
Safe Path
Abilities
Recovery: The Adept gain 1 additional Recovery test per day.
Eighth Circle
Goring Attack
Abilities
Defense: The Adepts adds +3 to their Social Defense.
Warden
Warden Talent Options
Astral Sight
Burning Vigor
Crushing Blow
Defensive Posture
Eagle Eye
Fluid Movement
Inspire Others
Lion Spirit
Relentless Recovery
Vital Strike
Ninth Circle
Animal Talk
Abilities
Warden Ability, Primal Presence:
Spoiler:
The Adept is surrounded by a primal aura that affects even the most territorial of animals, improving the attitude of any wild animal they meet for the first time by one degree – but not beyond friendly – and only towards themselves. Additionally, the Adept can spend 2 Strain once per round to gain a +3 bonus to any animal interaction test.
Karma: The Adept may spend one Karma Point per round on Tests which are powered by a Recovery test.
Tenth Circle
Thought Link
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Mystic Defense.
Initiative: The Adept adds +1 to their base Initiative Step.
Eleventh Circle
Vine Armor
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Physical Defense.
Karma: The Adept may spend Karma in tests affecting their Animal Companions
Twelfth Circle
Rally
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +4 to their Social Defense.
Recovery: The Adept gains 2 additional Recovery tests per day.
Master
Master Talent Options
Blood Insight
Confront Horror
Critical Hit
Second Chance
Soul Aegis
Spirit Strike
Unflinching Fortitude
Vital Ward
Thirteenth Circle
Animal Leadership
Abilities
Master Ability, Head of the Pack:
Spoiler:
The Adept performs an eight-hour ritual to connect themselves to one of their animal companions. Upon completion of the ritual, the Adept takes 5 point of blood damage and the animal becomes part of the Adept’s pack. Each Adept’s ritual is unique and may change depending on the animal they are connecting with. The ritual can only be performed on a number of animals equal to the Adept’s circle divided by 3, rounded down. The pact cannot be dissolved except through death - the Adept should therefore choose carefully, which animals to form this special connection with. After the death of an affected animal companion, the adept must wait a year and a day to heal the blood damage caused by the ritual and cannot initiate a new animal to take the former’s place until the damage has been healed.
Once a pack has been formed, the adept can empower their animal companions by commanding their pack to take a certain formation in a given encounter. To enter a formation, the adept has to spend 5 Strain as a free action before initiative has been determined and declare which formation the pack is entering.
The following formations can be chosen:
Take-down formation: +3 to Attack and Damage tests
Protective Formation: +2 to Physical, Mystic and Social Defense
Pursuit Formation: +3 to Movement Rate and Perception-based tests
Ambush Formation: +3 to Initiative and tests to avoid detection
The formations are magical in nature and knowledge of them originates from the Custodian’s connection with their pack, additional training is therefore not necessary. Each use of this ability lasts for a single encounter and can be used a number of times a day equal to the Adept’s rank in Custodian Weaving.
Once a pack has been formed, the adept can empower their animal companions by commanding their pack to take a certain formation in a given encounter. To enter a formation, the adept has to spend 5 Strain as a free action before initiative has been determined and declare which formation the pack is entering.
The following formations can be chosen:
Take-down formation: +3 to Attack and Damage tests
Protective Formation: +2 to Physical, Mystic and Social Defense
Pursuit Formation: +3 to Movement Rate and Perception-based tests
Ambush Formation: +3 to Initiative and tests to avoid detection
The formations are magical in nature and knowledge of them originates from the Custodian’s connection with their pack, additional training is therefore not necessary. Each use of this ability lasts for a single encounter and can be used a number of times a day equal to the Adept’s rank in Custodian Weaving.
Defense: The Adept adds +3 to their Mystic Defense.
Mystic Armor: The Adept adds +1 to their Mystic Armor.
Karma: The Adept increases their Karma +1 Step to a d8.
Fourteenth Circle
Boodhound Form
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +5 to their Social Defense.
Initiative: The Adept adds +2 to their Base initiative.
Fifteenth Circle
Exalt Animal Companion
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Physical Defense.
Recovery: The Adept gains 3 additional Recovery tests per day.
New Talents
Spoiler:
Exalt Animal Companion
Step: Rank+WIL Action: Sustained
Strain: 0 Skill Use: No
The adept magically enhances one of their animal companions. They spend a week in meditation with the animal companion, then makes an Enhance Animal Companion test against the animal’s natural Mystic Defense. For each success scored, the adept can increase the rank of a creature’s innate powers by one (including those gained from the use of knacks to change their form). The maximum total bonus that an individual animal companion can have is equal to the adept’s rank in Animal Bond—the more bonded an adept is to an animal companion, the more it can be empowered. However, no power may be enhanced beyond the total successes achieved in a single test or the Rank in Exalt Animal Companion.
When using this talent, the adept can also choose to move a point granted by a prior use of the talent to another power. Moving a point in this way uses one of the adept’s successes from the test.
If an animal companion’s attitude drops below Loyal, they gradually lose the magical bonuses granted by this talent, losing one point per week from their bonus. If the adept restores their bond with the animal companion, they can use this talent to restore the bonus points, but the bonus points are otherwise lost.
Beispiel’s animal companion is a Snow Badger and they want to raise the creatures Freezing Aura power. Beispiel has the Exalt Animal Companion talent at rank 8 and rolls a 37 on their test, resulting in a total of 6 successes. This would allow Beispiel to raise a single power by up to 6 ranks, however, the Snow Badger has the Willful(1) power, resulting in only 5 available ranks they can distribute.
Any subsequent tests that score 5 or fewer successes will not allow to raise the rank of Freezing Aura further.
Step: Rank+WIL Action: Sustained
Strain: 0 Skill Use: No
The adept magically enhances one of their animal companions. They spend a week in meditation with the animal companion, then makes an Enhance Animal Companion test against the animal’s natural Mystic Defense. For each success scored, the adept can increase the rank of a creature’s innate powers by one (including those gained from the use of knacks to change their form). The maximum total bonus that an individual animal companion can have is equal to the adept’s rank in Animal Bond—the more bonded an adept is to an animal companion, the more it can be empowered. However, no power may be enhanced beyond the total successes achieved in a single test or the Rank in Exalt Animal Companion.
When using this talent, the adept can also choose to move a point granted by a prior use of the talent to another power. Moving a point in this way uses one of the adept’s successes from the test.
If an animal companion’s attitude drops below Loyal, they gradually lose the magical bonuses granted by this talent, losing one point per week from their bonus. If the adept restores their bond with the animal companion, they can use this talent to restore the bonus points, but the bonus points are otherwise lost.
Beispiel’s animal companion is a Snow Badger and they want to raise the creatures Freezing Aura power. Beispiel has the Exalt Animal Companion talent at rank 8 and rolls a 37 on their test, resulting in a total of 6 successes. This would allow Beispiel to raise a single power by up to 6 ranks, however, the Snow Badger has the Willful(1) power, resulting in only 5 available ranks they can distribute.
Any subsequent tests that score 5 or fewer successes will not allow to raise the rank of Freezing Aura further.
Spoiler:
Empathic Bond
Talent: Empathic Sense
Requirements: Rank 5
Restrictions: Custodian, Cavalryman
STEP: Rank+CHA
Action: Standard (see original Talent)
Strain: 2 (see original Talent)
Skill Use: No
Allows Empathic Sense to be used on Animals. Extending the talents duration to a year and a day with an animal costs 2 Blood Damage instead of the regular 1.
Circle of Life
Talent: Blood Share
Requirements: Rank 5
Restrictions: Custodian 6
STEP: Rank+TOU
Action: Standard
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
This Knack allows the Adept to use the Blood Share Talent on plants. To use the Circle of Life Knack, the Custodian must touch the plant and then use the Blood Share talent as usual, however, no incision is needed on the plant.
The maximum damage that can be transferred is based on the plant, with small plants only having around 5 damage points, while a healthy, fully grown tree has the capacity for up to 50 damage points. Transferring damage points from a plant to the Adept will cause it to wither visibly, depending on how much damage was transferred.
Healing a plant for up to the Custodian’s wound threshold, or the plants maximum damage, whichever is higher, will have the same effect as casting the Thrive spell on it.
Animal Wood Skin
Talent: Wood Skin
Requirements: Rank 7
Restrictions: Custodian 8
STEP: Rank+TOU
Action: Standard
Strain: 1
Skill Use: No
The Adept can instead affect an adjacent animal companion with Wood Skin by spending a Karma Point and touching them. The Karma Point is a cost and does not increase the Action test, and the Adept must spend the Recovery Test.
Custodians also gain access to all animal related knacks from the Game Master’s Guide:
Animal Handling, Augment Ally’s Form, Beast Summons, Empathic Command, Heal Animal Companion, Mold Ally’s Form, Sculpt Ally’s Form, Tame Animal
The Circle requirements of the existing disciplines are replaced by an equal Rank in Custodian.
Talent: Empathic Sense
Requirements: Rank 5
Restrictions: Custodian, Cavalryman
STEP: Rank+CHA
Action: Standard (see original Talent)
Strain: 2 (see original Talent)
Skill Use: No
Allows Empathic Sense to be used on Animals. Extending the talents duration to a year and a day with an animal costs 2 Blood Damage instead of the regular 1.
Circle of Life
Talent: Blood Share
Requirements: Rank 5
Restrictions: Custodian 6
STEP: Rank+TOU
Action: Standard
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
This Knack allows the Adept to use the Blood Share Talent on plants. To use the Circle of Life Knack, the Custodian must touch the plant and then use the Blood Share talent as usual, however, no incision is needed on the plant.
The maximum damage that can be transferred is based on the plant, with small plants only having around 5 damage points, while a healthy, fully grown tree has the capacity for up to 50 damage points. Transferring damage points from a plant to the Adept will cause it to wither visibly, depending on how much damage was transferred.
Healing a plant for up to the Custodian’s wound threshold, or the plants maximum damage, whichever is higher, will have the same effect as casting the Thrive spell on it.
Animal Wood Skin
Talent: Wood Skin
Requirements: Rank 7
Restrictions: Custodian 8
STEP: Rank+TOU
Action: Standard
Strain: 1
Skill Use: No
The Adept can instead affect an adjacent animal companion with Wood Skin by spending a Karma Point and touching them. The Karma Point is a cost and does not increase the Action test, and the Adept must spend the Recovery Test.
Custodians also gain access to all animal related knacks from the Game Master’s Guide:
Animal Handling, Augment Ally’s Form, Beast Summons, Empathic Command, Heal Animal Companion, Mold Ally’s Form, Sculpt Ally’s Form, Tame Animal
The Circle requirements of the existing disciplines are replaced by an equal Rank in Custodian.
Old Version..
Spoiler:
First things first: I did take some inspiration from/nicked a few things from existing material so credit where it is due:
Custodian
Themes: Connection to Animals & Nature, Mobility, Steadfastness
Custodians devote themselves to the protection of Nature, aiming to maintain the natural balance. Some Custodians might live their life as simple Foresters, tending to the trees and maintaining a healthy, balanced wildlife. Others will go about it more aggressively, directly searching out places where the natural balance has been disturbed and doing everything in their might to restore it. However, all custodians have in common their deep connection with nature and its denizens, and they tend to keep a few companions around to help in their endeavours.
Main Attributes: Willpower, Charisma, Toughness
Karma Ritual: The Custodian spends 30 minutes meditating to convene with Nature. In a city, they would have to search out an area with at least a few trees or abundant plant life. During their meditation, they focus on the surrounding life and how everything present is connected. They then picture the life cycle of a single year and a day in their current location, starting from the first day of spring. The Ritual ends when the adept has, in their mind, once again reached the first day of spring and the cycle starts over.
Artisan Skills: Wood Carving, Craftsman, Body Painting
Half Magic: The custodians Half-Magic includes knowledge of plants and animals, this includes identification of common characteristics, attributes and natural habitats. They may use Half-Magic in place of tests to make use natural resources, such as the use of natural healing remedies or poisons.
Novice
Journeyman
Warden
Master
Custom Talents:
Custom Knacks:
- ED3 Namegiver’s Guide, Purifier & Woodsman
- Morgan Weeks aka Panda: Master of the Hunt
Custodian
Themes: Connection to Animals & Nature, Mobility, Steadfastness
Custodians devote themselves to the protection of Nature, aiming to maintain the natural balance. Some Custodians might live their life as simple Foresters, tending to the trees and maintaining a healthy, balanced wildlife. Others will go about it more aggressively, directly searching out places where the natural balance has been disturbed and doing everything in their might to restore it. However, all custodians have in common their deep connection with nature and its denizens, and they tend to keep a few companions around to help in their endeavours.
Main Attributes: Willpower, Charisma, Toughness
Karma Ritual: The Custodian spends 30 minutes meditating to convene with Nature. In a city, they would have to search out an area with at least a few trees or abundant plant life. During their meditation, they focus on the surrounding life and how everything present is connected. They then picture the life cycle of a single year and a day in their current location, starting from the first day of spring. The Ritual ends when the adept has, in their mind, once again reached the first day of spring and the cycle starts over.
Artisan Skills: Wood Carving, Craftsman, Body Painting
Half Magic: The custodians Half-Magic includes knowledge of plants and animals, this includes identification of common characteristics, attributes and natural habitats. They may use Half-Magic in place of tests to make use natural resources, such as the use of natural healing remedies or poisons.
Novice
Spoiler:
Novice Talent Options
Awareness
Anticipate Blow
Creature Analysis
Dominate Beast
Maneuver
Melee Weapons
Sprint
Stealthy Stride
Tiger Spring
Empathic Sense
First Circle
Animal Bond
Animal Training
Avoid Blow
Custodian Weaving
Wilderness Survival
Abilities
Free Talent: Mystic Pursuit
Karma: The adept may spend a Karma Point on any test which involves non-violent interaction with an animal.
Durability 5
Second Circle
Enhance Animal Companion
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Social Defense.
Third Circle
Wood Skin
Abilities
Karma: The Adept may Spend a Karma Point on Recovery tests.
Fourth Circle
Animal Companion Durability
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Physical Defense.
Awareness
Anticipate Blow
Creature Analysis
Dominate Beast
Maneuver
Melee Weapons
Sprint
Stealthy Stride
Tiger Spring
Empathic Sense
First Circle
Animal Bond
Animal Training
Avoid Blow
Custodian Weaving
Wilderness Survival
Abilities
Free Talent: Mystic Pursuit
Karma: The adept may spend a Karma Point on any test which involves non-violent interaction with an animal.
Durability 5
Second Circle
Enhance Animal Companion
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Social Defense.
Third Circle
Wood Skin
Abilities
Karma: The Adept may Spend a Karma Point on Recovery tests.
Fourth Circle
Animal Companion Durability
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Physical Defense.
Spoiler:
Journeyman Talent Options
Animal Talk
Blood Share
Borrow Sense
Call Animal Companion
Cobra Strike
Distract
Life Check
Lion Heart
Spirit Mount
Steel Thought
Fifth Circle
Tending the Land
Abilities
Protector’s Oath: Upon entering an area with abundant wild plant growth, such as a forest, the Adept can spend 30 Minutes to perform the Protector’s Oath Ritual. The Adept thereby binds themselves to the pattern of the area and takes the role of its Custodian. The connection also allows the Adept to feel any unnatural disturbances within the pattern. For the next week the Adept may spend 1 Strain to make a Custodian Weaving Test (6) in order to sense anything that disturbs the natural order in the area. Filtering out specific disturbances requires extra success but the bigger the disturbance, the easier it should be to filter out. They can then use the Mystic Pursuit Talent to find the source, without needing an object associated with the target. During the 1-week duration, the adept has to stay in the area, otherwise the effect ends.
Karma: The adept may spend one Karma Point per round on any Action test one of their animal companions is making.
Sixth Circle
Safe Path
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Social Defense.
Seventh Circle
Animal Possession
Abilities
Recovery: The Adept gain 1 additional Recovery test per day.
Eighth Circle
Lifesight
Abilities
Defense: The Adepts adds +3 to their Social Defense.
Animal Talk
Blood Share
Borrow Sense
Call Animal Companion
Cobra Strike
Distract
Life Check
Lion Heart
Spirit Mount
Steel Thought
Fifth Circle
Tending the Land
Abilities
Protector’s Oath: Upon entering an area with abundant wild plant growth, such as a forest, the Adept can spend 30 Minutes to perform the Protector’s Oath Ritual. The Adept thereby binds themselves to the pattern of the area and takes the role of its Custodian. The connection also allows the Adept to feel any unnatural disturbances within the pattern. For the next week the Adept may spend 1 Strain to make a Custodian Weaving Test (6) in order to sense anything that disturbs the natural order in the area. Filtering out specific disturbances requires extra success but the bigger the disturbance, the easier it should be to filter out. They can then use the Mystic Pursuit Talent to find the source, without needing an object associated with the target. During the 1-week duration, the adept has to stay in the area, otherwise the effect ends.
Karma: The adept may spend one Karma Point per round on any Action test one of their animal companions is making.
Sixth Circle
Safe Path
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Social Defense.
Seventh Circle
Animal Possession
Abilities
Recovery: The Adept gain 1 additional Recovery test per day.
Eighth Circle
Lifesight
Abilities
Defense: The Adepts adds +3 to their Social Defense.
Spoiler:
Warden Talent Options
Astral Sight
Burning Vigor
Defensive Posture
Lion Spirit
Momentum Attack
Plant Talk
Resist Taunt
Spirit Strike
Steely Stare
Vital Strike
Ninth Circle
Goring Attack
Abilities
Safety in Numbers: When fighting together, the Adept coordinates skillfully with their animal companions. The Custodian may spend 1 Strain to get a +3 bonus on any test improving their physical defense (Anticipate Blow, Maneuver, Acrobatic Defense, etc.).
Karma: The Adept may spend one Karma Point per round on Tests which are powered by a Recovery test.
Tenth Circle
Thought Link
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Physical Defense.
Initiative: The Adept adds +1 to their base Initiative Step.
Eleventh Circle
Vine Armor
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Mystic Defense.
Karma: The Adept may spend one Karma Point per round on any active defense test (Avoid Blow, Steel Thought, etc.).
Twelfth Circle
Resist Pain
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +4 to their Social Defense.
Recovery: The Adept gains 2 additional Recovery tests per day.
Astral Sight
Burning Vigor
Defensive Posture
Lion Spirit
Momentum Attack
Plant Talk
Resist Taunt
Spirit Strike
Steely Stare
Vital Strike
Ninth Circle
Goring Attack
Abilities
Safety in Numbers: When fighting together, the Adept coordinates skillfully with their animal companions. The Custodian may spend 1 Strain to get a +3 bonus on any test improving their physical defense (Anticipate Blow, Maneuver, Acrobatic Defense, etc.).
Karma: The Adept may spend one Karma Point per round on Tests which are powered by a Recovery test.
Tenth Circle
Thought Link
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Physical Defense.
Initiative: The Adept adds +1 to their base Initiative Step.
Eleventh Circle
Vine Armor
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Mystic Defense.
Karma: The Adept may spend one Karma Point per round on any active defense test (Avoid Blow, Steel Thought, etc.).
Twelfth Circle
Resist Pain
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +4 to their Social Defense.
Recovery: The Adept gains 2 additional Recovery tests per day.
Spoiler:
Master Talent Options
Blood Insight
Confront Horror
Critical Hit
Fluid Movement
Howl
Relentless Recovery
Second Chance
Soul Aegis
Unflinching Fortitude
Vital Ward
Thirteenth Circle
Animal Leadership
Abilities
Head of the Pack: The adept performs an eight-hour ritual to connect themselves to one of their animal companions. Upon completion of the ritual, the adept takes 1 Blood Magic damage and this animal then becomes part of that adept’s pack. Each adept’s ritual is unique, often based on their training and personal philosophy. The ritual can only be performed on a number of animals of half the adept’s circle, rounded up, and the pack cannot be dissolved except through death.
This ability allows the adepts to spend 2 Strain as a free action to inflict penalties on his own defense ratings, initiative or attack step and distribute these penalties as an equal a bonus to the members of his pack. The sum of the penalties cannot be higher than the Custodian Weaving Rank.
Defense: The Adept adds +3 to their Physical Defense.
Physical Armor: The Adept adds +1 to their Physical Armor.
Karma: The Adept increases their Karma +1 Step to a d8.
Fourteenth Circle
Aura Armor
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +5 to their Social Defense.
Initiative: The Adept adds +2 to their Base initiative.
Fifteenth Circle
Law of the Land
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Mystic Defense.
Recovery: The Adept gains 3 additional Recovery tests per day.
Blood Insight
Confront Horror
Critical Hit
Fluid Movement
Howl
Relentless Recovery
Second Chance
Soul Aegis
Unflinching Fortitude
Vital Ward
Thirteenth Circle
Animal Leadership
Abilities
Head of the Pack: The adept performs an eight-hour ritual to connect themselves to one of their animal companions. Upon completion of the ritual, the adept takes 1 Blood Magic damage and this animal then becomes part of that adept’s pack. Each adept’s ritual is unique, often based on their training and personal philosophy. The ritual can only be performed on a number of animals of half the adept’s circle, rounded up, and the pack cannot be dissolved except through death.
This ability allows the adepts to spend 2 Strain as a free action to inflict penalties on his own defense ratings, initiative or attack step and distribute these penalties as an equal a bonus to the members of his pack. The sum of the penalties cannot be higher than the Custodian Weaving Rank.
Defense: The Adept adds +3 to their Physical Defense.
Physical Armor: The Adept adds +1 to their Physical Armor.
Karma: The Adept increases their Karma +1 Step to a d8.
Fourteenth Circle
Aura Armor
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +5 to their Social Defense.
Initiative: The Adept adds +2 to their Base initiative.
Fifteenth Circle
Law of the Land
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Mystic Defense.
Recovery: The Adept gains 3 additional Recovery tests per day.
Custom Talents:
Spoiler:
Tending the Land
Step: Rank+TOU+2 Action: Standard
Strain: 0 Skill Use: No
The Tending the Land talent increases the natural connection the custodian has with nature and allows an adept to either heal by drawing upon earth’s power, or to nurture the earth and allow it to recover from damage. The adept must be touching or standing on natural ground to use Tending the Land.
When using Tending the Land to heal himself, the adept spends a Recovery Test, then makes a Tending the Land Test and reduces his Current Damage by an amount no higher than the result. Doing so saps life energy from the surrounding area.
When using Tending the Land to nurture an area, the adept spends a Recovery Test, then makes a Tending the Land Test and suffers a number of Damage Points of his choosing no higher than the result, doing so enriches the surrounding area with the adept’s life energy.
The affected area is the one within Tending the Land Rank x 10 yards of the adept. The effects the transfer of life energy has on an area are determined by the gamemaster. It is suggested that a transfer of double the Tending the Land Rank Damage Points causes small but visible effects in a moderately fertile area (a number of leaves turning brown, for example), with effects worsening the more barren the area, but hardly being noticeably in very fertile environments.
This damage cannot cause Wounds and cannot be by mitigated by armour or other effects which absorb damage, such as Wood Skin or Absorb Blow Charms.
Law of the Land
Step: Special Action: Standard/Sustained
Strain: 0 (Special) Skill Use: no
The Custodian's bond with nature manifests in them being able to influence their surroundings to their own advantage. This Talent can be use both in combat and out of combat for different results.
In combat, the custodian can make a Tending the Land test to channel their will into the plants around them. The character declares which enemies he wishes to hinder in combat and needs to channel Damage Points equal to the highest Physical Defense among all targets into the ground. The maximum number of targets is limited by the Law of the Land’s Rank.
By doing so they command the local plant life to hinder their enemies, resulting in their targets being Overwhelmed, incurring a –3 Step Penalty to all tests and subtracting -3 from both Physical and Mystic Defense. This penalty can be further increased by actual character attacking the effected enemies in close combat, increasing the Overwhelmed penalty.
The Duration is a number of rounds equal to Law of the Land’s Rank. The test fails if the Custodian doesn't manage to reach the required Damage points with their Tending the Land test. This damage cannot cause a wound and cannot be mitigated by damage absorbing effects.
Out of combat, the Custodian can use Law of the Land to ease their travels and make their surrounds easier to traverse. Tree roots will disappear into the ground, branches will move to the side and small holes will fill up. The Custodian makes a Tending the Land Test and increases the land travelling speed of themselves and their nearby allies by 20% for up to a number of hours equal to the test result. The Damage points are gradually channelled while travelling at a rate of 1 Damage Point per hour travelled. The maximum duration is the Talent Rank in hours.
Step: Rank+TOU+2 Action: Standard
Strain: 0 Skill Use: No
The Tending the Land talent increases the natural connection the custodian has with nature and allows an adept to either heal by drawing upon earth’s power, or to nurture the earth and allow it to recover from damage. The adept must be touching or standing on natural ground to use Tending the Land.
When using Tending the Land to heal himself, the adept spends a Recovery Test, then makes a Tending the Land Test and reduces his Current Damage by an amount no higher than the result. Doing so saps life energy from the surrounding area.
When using Tending the Land to nurture an area, the adept spends a Recovery Test, then makes a Tending the Land Test and suffers a number of Damage Points of his choosing no higher than the result, doing so enriches the surrounding area with the adept’s life energy.
The affected area is the one within Tending the Land Rank x 10 yards of the adept. The effects the transfer of life energy has on an area are determined by the gamemaster. It is suggested that a transfer of double the Tending the Land Rank Damage Points causes small but visible effects in a moderately fertile area (a number of leaves turning brown, for example), with effects worsening the more barren the area, but hardly being noticeably in very fertile environments.
This damage cannot cause Wounds and cannot be by mitigated by armour or other effects which absorb damage, such as Wood Skin or Absorb Blow Charms.
Law of the Land
Step: Special Action: Standard/Sustained
Strain: 0 (Special) Skill Use: no
The Custodian's bond with nature manifests in them being able to influence their surroundings to their own advantage. This Talent can be use both in combat and out of combat for different results.
In combat, the custodian can make a Tending the Land test to channel their will into the plants around them. The character declares which enemies he wishes to hinder in combat and needs to channel Damage Points equal to the highest Physical Defense among all targets into the ground. The maximum number of targets is limited by the Law of the Land’s Rank.
By doing so they command the local plant life to hinder their enemies, resulting in their targets being Overwhelmed, incurring a –3 Step Penalty to all tests and subtracting -3 from both Physical and Mystic Defense. This penalty can be further increased by actual character attacking the effected enemies in close combat, increasing the Overwhelmed penalty.
The Duration is a number of rounds equal to Law of the Land’s Rank. The test fails if the Custodian doesn't manage to reach the required Damage points with their Tending the Land test. This damage cannot cause a wound and cannot be mitigated by damage absorbing effects.
Out of combat, the Custodian can use Law of the Land to ease their travels and make their surrounds easier to traverse. Tree roots will disappear into the ground, branches will move to the side and small holes will fill up. The Custodian makes a Tending the Land Test and increases the land travelling speed of themselves and their nearby allies by 20% for up to a number of hours equal to the test result. The Damage points are gradually channelled while travelling at a rate of 1 Damage Point per hour travelled. The maximum duration is the Talent Rank in hours.
Spoiler:
Empathic Bond
Talent: Empathic Sense
Requirements: Rank 5 Restrictions: Custodian 5
STEP: Rank+CHA Action: Standard (see original Talent)
Strain: 2 (see original Talent) Skill Use: No
Allows Empathic Sense to be used on Animals. Extending the talent's effect with animal costs 2 Blood Damage instead of the regular 1.
Talent: Empathic Sense
Requirements: Rank 5 Restrictions: Custodian 5
STEP: Rank+CHA Action: Standard (see original Talent)
Strain: 2 (see original Talent) Skill Use: No
Allows Empathic Sense to be used on Animals. Extending the talent's effect with animal costs 2 Blood Damage instead of the regular 1.