Primary Attribute: 💪 Strength
Class Complexity: Simple
The Vanguard is a frontline class that focuses on protective abilities and brute strength.
You are possessed of vast strength, as well as the willingness to use it. Someone once showed you that life gains meaning when you live it in the service of others, and you have dedicated yourself to that ideal ever since. With that dedication comes incredible imaginative powers and the willingness to stand when others cannot. You are a vanguard.
Ethos
Whenever you fulfill your character’s ethos within a gaming session, the GM may award you a Legacy Point. This ethos exists in tandem with and is complementary to your character’s personal ambitions.
Choose an ethos below, or write your own.
- Courage is the measure by which we judge the heart. I face my fears so that I can be strong for others.
- My talent is solving problems through cunning rather than brute strength. I revel in outwitting powerful enemies.
- Brand spanking new planet or not, money makes the world go round. I aim to have a lot of it and grow my influence in the process.
Path of Mastery
Choose an Ideal
Vanguards commit themselves to an ideal that empowers their abilities and reflects their goals. You must strive to fulfill these ideals; even if you falter at times, you persist until you have overcome.
The Ideal of Fearlessness
You are bold, audacious, daring. You deliberately face your fears head on and never back down from doing the right thing. Although you are not reckless, you are prone to tackling problems directly rather than through subtler methods.
You cannot be feared.
The Ideal of Service
You are committed to acts of service. When someone is in need, you rarely refuse, and you go out of your way to bring comfort to others, no matter the inconvenience to yourself. You eschew fame or recognition, preferring to be the silent helper.
You cannot be blinded.
The Ideal of Power
Not everyone has strength. You put yours to use to defeat evil and defend those who cannot defend themselves. Your prerogative is seeking evil and smashing it into tiny pieces so that others can live in peace.
You cannot be weakened.
The Ideal of Discernment
In the absence of wisdom, the path of justice descends to tyranny. You guard against such folly by being well-read and well-informed. You study the law but act from the heart, always seeking to be fair and balanced when possible. Your intuition, informed by knowledge and your purity of motive guides you.
You cannot be confused.
Rank 1
Shieldmaster
You have mastered the use of the shield. So long as you have a shield equipped, it can be used as a weapon to attack.
Its attack costs 💪 and deals 1d6+💪 physical damage.
Dive
Cost: 💪
Range: Next To
Type: Instant
Dive in front of an ally, intercepting an attack. The attack instead targets you.
Hurl
Cost: 💪💪💪
Range: Next To
Type: Imagination
Throw your target somewhere near or above you. They must be regular-sized or smaller. If your target is an enemy, you deal 1d6+💪 damage and they are marked. If you throw an enemy into another enemy, the second enemy also takes physical damage based on the first enemy’s size (small: 1d4, regular: 1d6, large: 1d8).
If your target is an ally, this effect costs 💪💪 less (it costs 💪), deals no damage (they still take falling damage or environmental damage if applicable), and they are not marked.
Shield Wall
Cost: ❤️❤️
Range: Next To
Type: Imagination
You kneel and plant your shield in the earth, creating a barrier around yourself and those next to you.
You gain 1 Armor, are considered to be in cover, and begin regenerating.
For as long as you hold this position, others can take cover in the shadow of your shield.
When you move, attack, or use an ability, the effect ends.
Heavily Armored
You may wear Heavy Armor.
Rank 2
Choose A Trade
You may choose a trade from one of the following options:
- Tailor
- Scripturalist
- Alchemist
- Armorsmith
- Weaponsmith
- Jeweler
- Gadgeteer
Shield Glare
Cost: 💪💪💪
Range: Next To
Type: Imagination
A blaze of blinding white light erupts from your shield, dealing 1d6 damage to your target. They are blinded.
Rank 3
Force Conduit
Cost: 🎭🎭
Range: Near
Type: Concentration
You channel powerful energy into your shield. Choose one of the following:
- Fire: Your shield attacks and abilities instead deal fire damage and singe the target. A target that singed twice in the same round is scorched.
- Ice: Your shield attacks and abilities instead deal cold damage and chill the target. A target that is chilled twice in the same round is frozen.
- Lightning: Your shield attacks instead deal lightning damage and daze the target. A target that is dazed twice in the same round is stunned.
Rank 4
Attribute Increase
Increase one of your attributes (💪, 👁️, ❤️, or 🎭) by 1.
Shadow of the Colossus
Cost: 💪👁️
Type: Concentration
You temporarily triple in size. You are now giant-sized. You can use your hurl ability to throw small-sized objects distant, regular-sized objects far, and large-sized objects near.
Whenever you stand next to an enemy they must roll a doom die. If they do not roll doom, they take 2 psychic damage. If instead they roll doom, they are scared. Enemies that are scared twice in the same round start panicking.
Rank 5
Knightly Charge
An authority figure, a person in need, or a mysterious stranger charges you with a quest. When you complete that quest, you are rewarded with a heraldic banner and tabard (or another article of clothing).
Additionally, you are rewarded with your choice of one of the following:
- a suit of armor
- a shield
- an artifact
- money
Those that recognize your coat-of-arms and align with your cause may provide you with gifts, information, or other help.
You gain two bonus dice on negotiation checks with anyone, friend or foe, that recognizes your banner.
Unstoppable Force
You refresh an additional die each round.
Rank 6
Shield Toss
Cost: 💪💪
Range: Near
Type: Imagination
You throw your shield, hitting up to three targets, and dealing 1d4 damage to each.
Moment of Heroism
Gain the heroism resource. Once per day, you may use this ability to do one of the following:
- Your next attack deals critical damage
- Regain 10 HP
- Repair your armor
- Rebuild your dice pool
- Gain 3 bonus dice on your next check or save.
Rank 7
Face Me!
Cost: 🎭
Range: Near
Type: Imagination
Goad your target. You heal 4 HP, and your target is taunted.
Rank 8
Die Upgrade
You may permanently upgrade one of your attribute dice.
Rank 9
Ideal Evolution
Rank 10
Knightly Charge
An authority figure, a person in need, or a mysterious stranger charges you with a quest.
Additionally, you are rewarded with your choice of one of the following:
- a suit of armor
- a shield
- an artifact
- money
Rank 11
Form of the Pocket Dimension
You may spend ☯ to shape yourself into a pouch roughly the size of a coconut. You have 5 HP and no armor nor magical armor. The inside of the pouch is magical, and resembles the interior of a medium-sized shed. Regardless of how many items are placed within the pouch, it still only weighs about as much as a coconut weighs.
The air inside the pouch is temperate and breathable. Living beings can exit the pouch as they choose (unless incapacitated). When you revert to your original form, objects stored inside the pouch appear on the ground next to you.
Ingenious Artifacter
Your craftiness allows you to get the most out of your use of exotic items. You may use all single-use items an additional time.
Rank 12
Attribute Increase
Increase one of your attributes (💪 👁️ ❤️ or 🎭) by 1.
Improved Closed Fist Technique
You have learned different ways to improve your bombs. When using the Closed Fist Technique, you may now choose from these additional options:
Flashpowder – When your bomb is thrown at the enemy, it explodes in a concussive blast, dazing them.
Noxious Gas – When your bomb is thrown at the enemy, it explodes in a noxious cloud, making them queasy.
Corrosive Slime – When your bomb is thrown at the enemy, it coats their armor, dissolving it.
Rank 13
Form of the Mirror
You may spend to ☯ split your shadow into a mirror-self. You no longer cast a shadow. Your mirror-self has 1 HP. Whenever you are attacked by any single-target action, there is a 50% chance your opponent attacks your mirror.
Your mirror-self repeats any action that you take. For example, if you attack your opponent, your mirror-self also attacks your opponent. However, it does half of the damage that you would deal, rounded up.
Critical Feint
Cost: 🎭🎭🎭🎭
Range: Next To
Type: Instant
You expose your enemy, leaving them wide open to an attack. The damage of next attack or ability that damages does critical damage.
Whenever you successfully dodge an attack, this ability costs 🎭🎭🎭 less to use (it costs 🎭).
Catastrophic Feint
Cost: 🎭8
Range: Next To
Type: Instant
You expose your enemy, leaving them wide open to an attack. The damage of next attack or ability that damages does catastrophic damage.
Whenever you successfully dodge an attack, this ability costs 🎭🎭🎭 less to use (it costs 🎭5).
Fatal Feint
Cost: 🎭12
Range: Next To
Type: Instant
You expose your enemy, leaving them wide open to an attack. The damage of next attack or ability that damages does fatal damage.
Whenever you successfully dodge an attack, this ability costs 🎭🎭🎭 less to use (it costs 🎭9).
Rank 14
Underworld Connections: Kingpin
With the help of your connection, you have become a dominant force in the underworld. You may spend 5 Legacy Points to cement yourself as a kingpin. If you do, you receive 50% better prices when buying and selling, and your network of spies and informants can find powerful magical items for you to purchase as well as gain you secrets most could never dare to uncover.
Form of the Skeleton Key
You have fashioned yourself into the ultimate unlocking tool. Spend ☯ to shape yourself into a key that can open any lock. You have 5 HP, no armor and no magical armor.
Rank 15
Aspect of the Master
You have gained complete mastery over your body’s inner energy field. You may now spend a ☯ to re-roll a die (any die).
Form of Water
Spend ☯ to shape yourself into water. While shaped as water, you have 10 HP and 2 Magical Armor. You are resistant to fire damage. You can shape yourself as you please.
Unlike other shapes, you may use your other rogue abilities and make attacks normally while in the form of water.
Sublimities
Once you have completed your Path of Mastery, you unlock new quests your character can complete and achievements they can earn. Sublimities occur within the fabric of both your campaign’s overarching story and your character’s personal story, and often require the player to work with the GM. They represent a character’s spiritual growth and transcendence. Achieving a sublimity rewards your player with Legacy Points, which they can then use to unlock upgrades.
Players should choose one sublimity that they feel best represents their character’s personal story. If the examples below don’t feel appropriate, they can work with their GM to craft a new one.
Sublimities are divided into three categories: Love, Wisdom, and Power.
Love
- Amass a fortune, then give it away to someone in need.
Wisdom
- Overthrow a tyrannical ruler.
Power
- Pull off an impossible heist.
Completing a Sublimity awards 30 legacy points.
Legacy Purchases
Legacy purchases can be made once you have completed your Path of Mastery.
5 LP – Unlock a new aspect or clan technique.
10 LP – Master of Meditation. Gain an additional ☯.
15 LP – Permanently upgrade one of your attribute dice.
30 LP – Begin a new rogue clan as its leader or become a mayor or local leader.
50 LP – Become the leader of a province, state, or kingdom.