Samaritan Pre-release

Description

++Vitality/+Spirit

“Not what I Have but what I Do is my Kingdom.”

— — Thomas Carlyle

You are a chronic do-gooder with a saintly reputation gained through acts of charity. You’re little help during a fight but are indispensable once the dust has cleared, healing the wounded, feeding the sick, and drawing attention to the cause to elicit aid from others.

Conduits designing a mission for you should not shy away from combat; you are uncommonly contributive even when far from the action, making split parties much less of a concern. Your playstyle, however, is profoundly social, so if the Conduit wants to really challenge you they could try creating NPCs who are less sympathetic and cooperative.

Grounded in charity medicine, fundraising, and adjacent tropes of indiscriminate humanitarianism.

Examples from history and pop culture include:

  • Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale, and other historical on-the-ground altruists
  • Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood)
  • Mercy (Overwatch)
  • Nurse Joy (Pokémon)
  • Ophillia Clement (Octopath Traveler)
  • Followers of the Apocalypse (Fallout)

Challenge Level: High

Edition: Aspirant v1

Public: Yes

Owner: Robby

Signature Gear

Base Gear

Habit

Base

Traditional monastic uniform.

  • Provides a Mid Ward against hostile magics.
    • If the owner causes harm to another being, this Ward is disabled for a Mid Duration.
  • A truly selfless act to a non-ally will restore L–H the owner’s Essence, scaling on the effort they put into this act (Mid Cooldown).

Asklepian

Base

Large wand entwined with a stylized serpent.

  • Gently touch another being with this wand to gradually heal them over up to a Low Duration (Low Cooldown). This has a Low–High Essence Cost, scaling on the Impact of this healing.
    • If the owner causes harm to another being, this wand is disabled in full for a High Duration, and all its recent healing is undone.

Alms

Base

Low-denomination coins.

Quantity
Mid
  • Giving a single one of these coins to a grateful recipient will conjure some mundane provisions for them (such as food, clothing, money, or medicine) appropriate to the locale, determined via Pitch.

Elective Gear

Wings of Mercy

Elective

Dainty shoulderpiece in the form of a pair of wings.

  • While actively moving to rescue a wounded or imperiled target, this shoulderpiece produces angelic wings of light that enable the owner to fly slightly faster than their normal running pace (Low Duration, Mid Cooldown).
    • If the owner hears such a target call for help, the effect’s Cooldown is bypassed; if already off of Cooldown, its Duration increases to Mid.

Innocence Shield

Elective

Ceremonial shield, about the size of a dinnerplate, so flimsy as to be almost unusable for actual defense.

  • While used to protect nonaggressive beings, this shield glows and gains Boosted size and defense, scaling dramatically on the number and vulnerability of those being defended, beyond High at maximum. (e.g. Protecting one person would make it about as large and effective as a standard heater shield; protecting a large group would make it about as large as a gatehouse and as tough as a military-grade blast door.)
    • Increased size comes without any penalties to weight or usability for the owner (even when gigantic).

Guiding Light

Elective

Handheld oil lantern, magically lit at will.

  • While lit with good intent, this lantern gently compels the fearful, lost, or hopeless to approach its light.
    • When held aloft, this light also becomes visible to all non-enemies, even through physical obstacles.

Abilities

Gifts in Kind

Inspire generosity in a target or group of any size to elicit a gift from them, which you may then teleport to any being you know genuinely needs it.

Essence Cost
Mid
Cooldown
Mid

Paired Action: Politely and persuasively request the desired gift, making clear that doing so is voluntary.

  • Inspired generosity has up to High Impact, scaling on the effectiveness of the Paired Action.
  • Recipients of Teleported gifts will instinctively know who and where they came from.
  • If the user makes use of any of these gifts themselves rather than distributing them to others (via Teleporting or otherwise), this Ability’s Cooldown is increased to High.

Thoughts & Prayers

Bring public attention to a single target’s plight to convert others’ concern for them into gradual rejuvenation.

Essence Cost
Low–High
Duration
Low
Cooldown
Mid

Paired Action: Compellingly broadcast the target’s predicament to as many bystanders as possible.

  • Rejuvenation is determined via Pitch and may include healing, restoring Stamina or Essence, repairing possessions, and more, scaling Low–High on how many bystanders the user involves and the depths of their concern. Essence Cost scales similarly.
  • May affect up to a small group with a shared predicament, but the user must involve a much larger group of bystanders.

Extol Virtue

Laud a positive trait or behavior in a target to redouble their commitment towards it and restore their Essence.

Essence Cost
Mid
Duration
Low–Mid
Cooldown
Mid

Paired Action: Publicly praise the target at length, focusing on a specific virtue they clearly have or are observably demonstrating.

  • Impact and Duration both scale on how positively affected the target is by the user’s praise.
  • Only successful when used on a trait or behavior that both the user and the target consider a virtue.
    • Bystanders who witness the Paired Action and who also see the trait or behavior as a virtue become more likely to respect and approve of the target (scaling as above).
  • Any other player (or the Conduit, in the case of an NPC) may, with your permission, have their character use this Ability on your character (spending their Essence). The other character must be sincere in their praise.