Mano a Mano Fantasy:Miracle Workers

Miracle Workers

Some games might have miracle workers who can invoke divine power. They may be priests, shamans, bards, druids or clerics of some sort, but often ordinary and eccentric people not suited or called to religious office have the faith or discipline to perform miracles. The miracle worker often plays an important support role in a party of adventurers, healing and inspiring the heroes to keep fighting. Not every game includes divine power or miracle workers. Character creators should make sure the game they are designing characters for allows this type of character before creating one.

virtue

Miracle workers have one ability, which we will call virtue, but the name of ability could be different depending on the setting and type of divine power invoked. For example the miracles could be performed by faith, humility, providence, merit, karma, spirit, divine favor or positive energy. The miracle worker's virtue is temporarily reduced whenever a miracle is performed but it is replenished daily.

powers

Each divine power is a quality with a fixed level. The miracle worker must have virtue equal to that level to invoke the power and each time the power miraculously intervenes the miracle worker's virtue is (temporarily) decreased by that level. For example, if a character with 5 virtue invokes a level 3 power, then his virtue is effectively 2 for the rest of the day or until the character performs another miracle, reducing his virtue even more. This means he cannot perform miracles greater than level 2 until his virtue is replenished. Suppose the miracle worker uses a level 2 power that same day. After both miracles the character's virtue is effectively 0 (5 - 3 - 2 = 0), and he cannot invoke any other powers. The next day the miracle worker's virtue is 5 again.

Vaguely described powers, such as afflictions, should be given specific descriptions when they are learned or at least when they are used. For example a minor affliction could be painful boils while a mass affliction could be a swarm of flies that harasses an enemy. Powers that affect every visible enemy don't have to be strictly line-of-sight. They might affect everyone in a visible town, or a significant percentage of people in a big city, but they do not affect a specific individual enemy if he is not visible to the miracle worker.

Level 1 Powers (5 CP each) understanding everyone present is able to understand each other as if speaking the same language. Differences of social class, education and professional jargon are also temporarily overcome. talk to animals the miracle worker can understand and communicate with dumb animals. The miracle worker can do this casually without using up any virtue unless he needs to send or receive important or urgent information. talk to plants the miracle worker can understand and communicate with trees and possibly other vegetables. The miracle worker can do this casually without using up any virtue unless he needs to send or receive important or urgent information.

Level 2 Powers (10 CP each)

minor smiting

the miracle worker makes a success roll with his virtue against a single target's virtue. If the smiting is successful, the target receives damage equal to the miracle worker's virtue, but no more than half of the target's toughness. The miracle worker must be able to see the target.

minor affliction

the miracle worker makes a success roll with his virtue against a single target's virtue. If the affliction is successful the target has an unfavorable circumstance modifier (-2 to all rolls) for the rest of the battle.

minor inspiration

the miracle worker or one of his allies recovers all stun and receives a favorable circumstance modifier (+2 to all rolls) on his next turn.

Level 3 Powers (15 CP each) heal wounds one character's damage is reduced to zero. cure poison remove poison and it's effects from one character cure disease remove a disease and it's effects from one character

Level 4 Powers (20 CP each)

major smiting

like minor smiting except the damage is 1 plus either half of the target's toughness (rounded down) or the miracle worker's virtue, whichever is greater.

mass smiting

like minor smiting except that it affects all enemies in sight.

serious affliction

like minor affliction except that the circumstance modifier is very unfavorable (-4 to all rolls.)

mass affliction

like minor affliction except that it affects every enemy in sight unless

permanent affliction

like minor affliction except that it lasts until the miracle worker dies or removes the affliction. The miracle worker must provide the enemy with reasonable terms for removing the affliction (such as unconditional surrender.)

major inspiration

like minor inspiration except that the circumstance modifier is very favorable (+4 to all rolls.)

mass inspiration

like minor inspiration except that it affects the miracle worker and all of his nearby allies.

lasting inspiration

like minor inspiration except that the circumstance modifier lasts for the rest of the battle.

Level 5 Powers (25 CP each)

change weather

the miracle worker can produce any kind of desired weather short of a massive natural disaster. Really foul weather can give everyone present a negative circumstance modifier (-2 to all rolls.) This is not very effective offensively because the foul weather also affects the miracle worker and his allies, but it can be an effective defense if the miracle worker wants to avoid a battle.

lightning bolt

the miracle worker can summon a lightning bolt from the sky to any point which is in sight and outdoors. The lightning bolt can start fires and as a classic sign of divine judgement it can cause damage to any target equal to that target's toughness. There is no success roll required but shelter that would protect someone from a natural lightning bolt will also work against this variety of divine wrath.

Level 6 Powers (30 CP each)

fatal smiting like minor smiting except the damage inflicted is equal to the target's toughness.

major mass smiting

like major smiting except that it affects every enemy in sight.

serious mass affliction

like serious affliction except that it affects every enemy in sight.

serious permanent affliction

like serious affliction with the duration fo permanent affliction.

permanent mass affliction

like permanent affliction except that it affects every enemy in sight.

major mass inspiration

like major inspiration except that it affects the miracle worker and all of his nearby allies.

major lasting inspiration

like major inspiration with the duration of lasting inspiration

lasting mass inspiration

like mass inspiration with the duration of lasting inspiration

Level 7 Powers (35 CP each)

revelation

the miracle worker can get information even if there is no natural way for him to know it, this can include secrets that haven't been told, future or distant events.

resuscitation

the miracle worker can restore a recently deceased person to full health, provided that the body has not been cremated or otherwise destroyed.

mass healing

every living person in sight (or just the visible living people chosen by the miracle worker) is restored to full health and cured of any poison or disease afflicting them.

Level 8 Powers (40 CP each) mass fatal smiting like fatal smiting except that it affects every enemy in sight. serious permanent mass affliction like serious permanent affliction except that it affects every enemy in sight. major lasting mass inspiration like major lasting inspiration except that it affects the miracle worker and all of his nearby allies.