So, I'm hitting this class now and I'll let you know: this is probably the class I've looked the least into. I've never really been all that compelled by "priest" classes, especially when there's an opportunity to have a more knightly divine warrior like a Paladin or Draw Steel's Censor. That means that I'll be probably learning a lot more about this class in the reading and summarizing here than normal.
Conduits are called that because they act as conduits for the divine forces the work through them. They might be adherents of a Saint or a god, and work that being's will upon the world through divine magic. One of the core rules' three pure spellcasters (though Troubadours are on the cusp of counting as a fourth,) Conduits bring that holy (or unholy - though the game assumes that your character is a hero) power.
Conduits' main characteristic is Intuition, which will start at 2 and go up by 1 with each echelon of play.
One of the most interesting elements of the class is that subclasses work very differently. Divine beings each have a number of domains, such as Sun, Death, Love, Creation, etc. Both Censors and Conduits interact with these domains to get certain features (though Censors, which we'll cover in a later post, also have traditional subclasses). Conduits choose two of the domains their divine patron represents, taking features from those two choices as they level up.
It's essentially a "build your own subclass" toolbox.
The divine domains are:
Creation, Death, Fate, Knowledge, Life, Love, Nature, Protection, Storm, Sun, Trickery, and War.
Heroic Resource: Piety
Like with all other classes, when combat begins, you gain Piety equal to your victories, and you gain 1d3 Piety at the start of each of your turns (interestingly, this puts you on the more "chaotic" side of the classes, though I've also noticed that if you think of Nulls and Talents being the two psionic classes and Elementalists and Furies as the more elemental magic classes, each of which have one chaotic and one orderly resource generation, this likely balances the two divine magic classes, as Censors get the flat 2).
Conduits can choose before they roll for their Piety each turn to pray to the gods for more. Now, if you roll a 1 on the d3, you gain 1 additional Piety but take psychic damage equal to 1d6 plus your level (damage that cannot be reduced). If you roll a 2, you just gain the additional piety with no ill effects. If you roll a 3, you gain 2 additional piety and can activate a special prayer effect from one of your two domains.
Each domain has a passive piety generation effect, like most classes have. For example, if you have the Creation domain, you'll get 2 piety the first time in an encounter that a creature within 10 squares of you uses an area ability.
In addition to their special piety-generating features and prayer effects, you also get a feature from one of your chosen domains, as well as a skill from the group associated with that domain.
Healing Grace is a maneuver that all Conduits get at level 1, which can target yourself or an ally, with a range of 10. The target can spend a recovery, and you can spend piety to add benefits, spending one piety for each effect: You can target a second ally within distance, you can end one effect on the target that is ended by a saving throw or ends at the end of their turn, a prone target can stand up, or the target can spend an additional recovery.
Ray of Wrath is your magical ranged free strike, which allows you to deal your choice of untyped or holy damage to a creature or object.
You'll also choose a Triggered action at level 1, one of which grants allies edges to ability rolls for damage-dealing abilities, with the option to spend 1 piety to make it a double edge, or another that gives a bane to abilities that target an ally with a power roll, with the option to spend piety to give it a double bane.
You'll pick a Prayer (not to be confused with praying for piety) that grant things like greater range with ranged abilities, a bonus to rolled damage with magic abilities, higher speed, higher stamina and stability, or the option to wear armor and wield a weapon. You can swap your prayer as a respite activity.
Also, Conduits can choose a Ward, each of which give you various defensive bonuses, also swappable as a respite activity.
You'll pick two signature abilities and a 3-Piety and 5-Piety heroic ability.
At level 2, you get The Lists of Heaven, which allows you to spend a Recovery when you allow another creature to spend a recovery.
You also get a crafting, lore, or supernatural perk.
Also at 2, you get a 5-piety heroic ability from one of your two domains.
At level 3, you get Minor Miracle, which allows you to bring a creature who died in the last 24 hours (from an effect not related to age) back to life as a respite activity. The creature's soul must be willing (you'll understand immediately if they aren't, and can do a different respite activity if that's the case). The revived creature returns to life at the end of the respite with full stamina, but only half their recoveries, and you regain only half your recoveries at the end of this respite.
Also at 3, you pick a 7-Piety heroic ability.
At level 4, you get Blessed Domain, increasing the piety gained by your domain features by 1.
Also, your Intuition goes up to 3, and you can increase another characteristic by 1 (to a maximum of 3).
You also get a perk and a skill of your choice.
Also at level 4, you gain one feature from one of your domains.
At level 5, you get to pick the domain feature you could have gotten at level 4 from your other domain. You also get your choice of 9-piety heroic ability.
At level 6, you get Burgeoning Saint. This comes with several benefits as you are infused with divine power. You get an edge on presence tests to interact with other creatures, you can spend a recovery whenever you deal damage to an enemy, you have your choice of corruption or holy immunity 10, and your clothing and equipment change in a way that reflects your deity's chosen champion.
You also get a crafting, lore, or supernatural perk of your choice.
You also get a 9-piety heroic ability from one of your two domains.
At level 7, all of your characteristics go up by 1, maximum of 4. You also now gain 1d3+1 piety at the start of each of your turns. You also get a skill of your choice.
Finally, at 7, you gain another feature from one of your two domains.
At level 8, you get a perk of your choice, and you get the level 7 feature from your other domain. You also choose an 11-piety heroic ability.
At level 9, you get Faith's Sword. When you finish a respite, you can choose a willing hero (player) ally who finished that respite with you. They get the benefits of your Burgeoning Saint feature until you finish another respite. Also, you can spend piety as a free maneuver to give that hero 1 of their heroic resource for every 2 you spend.
You also get Ordained, allowing you to treat your characteristics as 1 higher for the purpose of resisting potencies. When you have 5 or more Victories, you get a double-edge on presence tests to influence other creatures.
Also at 9, you get one 11-piety heroic ability from one of your domains.
Finally, at level 10, you get Avatar. You can now be affected by three different Prayers at once (and can swap all of them as a respite activity). You can also use a maneuver to activate a domain effect without needing to pray. Additionally, when you take a respite, you can open a portal to rest in the presence of your deity and bring any allies. When you do so, you can ask the deity three questions, which the Director will answer honestly if the deity knows the answer. When you finish the respite, you and your allies can appear anywhere in the Timescape where someone worships your deity.
Also, your Intuition goes up to 5 and another characteristic increases by 1 (maximum of 5).
Your epic resource is Divine Power - you gain one for each XP you earn at the end of a respite. This can be spent as if it were Piety. You can spend this even to use as Piety for conduit abilities you don't have (if the ability doesn't cost any piety, you'll need to spend 1 divine power if you don't already have it).
Most Pious gives you 1 additional piety when you roll for it at the start of your turn (so 1d3+2, or more if you're praying for more).
And you get a skill and a crafting/lore/supernatural perk of your choice.
It's interesting: especially when you get to level 10, you'll really need to have a good sense of all the options that this class has available to it. Conduits have, I think, unparalleled support abilities, and while "healers" in Draw Steel are a little unconventional, this class certainly excels at that.
No comments:
Post a Comment