The Favoured Soul

Sometimes, the spark of magic emerges from a divine source nestled deep within the soul. For those blessed as Favoured Souls, their innate magic often stems from a distant yet potent familial connection to a divine being. The purer the bloodline, the greater the likelihood of this occurrence. It could be that an ancestor once soared as an angel, descending to the mortal realm to champion a deity's cause. Alternatively, their birth might align with an ancient prophecy, designating them as a conduit for divine will or a vessel of sacred enchantment.

Favoured Souls, with their magnetic presence and indomitable personalities, frequently unsettle traditional religious structures. As outsiders wielding the power of the gods, these sorcerers challenge existing norms and assert a direct connection to the divine.

In certain cultures, only those who can claim the mantle of a Favoured Soul hold sway over religious authority. Within these realms, ecclesiastical positions are monopolized by select bloodlines, upheld across generations.

Note: Favoured Souls represent the chosen champions of their deities, bestowed with divine gifts and tasked with executing their will on the mortal plane. Their roles and capabilities vary significantly depending on the nature of the deity they serve.

Favoured Souls are individuals handpicked by their deity or pantheon to act as divine emissaries in the mortal realm. Unlike traditional priests, they draw their power directly from their patron deity, akin to priests but with a more intimate connection. Often wanderers, they traverse the world, spreading their god's influence and teachings.

Favoured Souls epitomize devout servitude to their deity, embodying divine will and often standing as champions of their faith. They wield divine power in battle and possess the ability to perform miracles and acts of divine intervention. Their role within a party can vary, from healer and support to frontline combatant, depending on their chosen spells and deity.

Favoured Souls tread a path akin to Priests but possess a raw natural affinity for channeling divine power. They perform tasks akin to other divine spellcasters with remarkable ease, devoid of extensive study; to them, it flows effortlessly. Scholars speculate on the origins of this ability, pondering whether traces of outsider bloodline from ancient unions, whether holy or unholy, linger within them. Others propose that divine tutelage or a divine bestowment of gifts upon commencing the Priest's journey awakens this ability. Regardless, Favoured Souls manifest their spells with innate prowess, propelled as much by their force of will as by scholarly endeavor. While this grants them extraordinary divine capabilities unmatched by ordinary individuals, they view their gifts as a divine calling, which sometimes causes them to lag behind their more academically inclined counterparts.

Often solitary figures, Favoured Souls roam the land in service to their deities. Welcomed by their respective churches yet regarded as anomalies, they are sometimes misunderstood. They stand as emissaries of their deities, existing outside the conventional church hierarchy, esteemed mystics who do not rely on the usual support crucial for a priest's success. Consequently, they are alternately revered and envied by their Priest brethren. Though occasionally scorned for their perceived lack of discipline, devout followers recognize them as potent messengers and living embodiments of their deities.

Unlike Priests, Favoured Souls cast divine spells through an innate connection rather than through rigorous training and prayer, making their divine link intrinsic rather than learned. While they possess fewer spells and acquire powerful ones more slowly than Priests, they can cast spells more frequently and require no prior selection or preparation. (Spells cost Half the P.P.E.)

For Favoured Souls, divine magic flows intuitively, devoid of meticulous prayer. This intuitive nature leads to a more liberal interpretation of faith and doctrine, nudging Favoured Souls slightly towards chaos over law. Typically, a Favoured Soul's alignment aligns with that of their deity.

Favoured Souls may hail from any religious background. Among human Favoured Souls in civilized lands, worship of Pelor, the sun god, is prevalent. Nonhuman Favoured Souls commonly venerate the chief deity of their racial pantheon.

Realizing their connection to the divine at a young age, Favoured Souls eventually grasp the power they've unwittingly wielded. As naturally inclined conduits of divine energy, they tend towards solitude. Unlike Priests within temple confines, they gain little from sharing knowledge and lack strong incentives for collaboration.

The innate talent for spontaneously channeling divine power is unpredictable, manifesting in individuals across common races. Divine spellcasters from untamed lands or among savage humanoid tribes, such as orcs or half-orcs, are more likely to be Favoured Souls than Priests.

Favoured Souls share common ground with other self-taught classes, particularly sorcerers, druids, and rogues. They may find themselves at odds with members of more disciplined classes, particularly Priests, whom they perceive as excessively entrenched in doctrine and rigid attitudes.

Within a group, Favoured Souls serve as secondary healers and specialists in defensive magic. Capable combatants, they hold their own in battle, especially if they focus on augmenting their combat abilities with divine powers.

Spell Casting

Favoured Souls gain their spell abilities directly from their deity. It is not a learned nor practiced skill. They know nothing about the ways of magic. They are not envoked by prayer like a Priest, they are just there.

Unlike a Priest, a favored soul's selection of spells is limited. Spells may only be selected from the Divine Spell List and the Paladin Divine Spell list. A Favoured Soul begins to acquire spells starting with first level along with most other abilities. At first level, the Favoured Soul automatically gets the spell of tongues and 6 additional spells selection from the priest level 0 or 1. For each subsequent new level of experience, one additional spell can be selected from levels equal to their character level (ie. a 2nd level priest can select from levels 0-2, a third from levels 0-3 etc.). The Favoured Soul cannot be taught nor purchase additional spell knowledge.

Note: Each particular Diety is likely to have its own laws, practices, dogma and rituals. Only a handful require celibacy, most allow its priests to wed and have a family.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:

Favored souls are proficient with all simple weapons, with light and medium armor, and with shields (except tower shields). A favored soul is also proficient with her deity's favored weapon. Although a favored soul is not proficient with heavy armor (save for those worshipping a God of War), wearing it does not interfere with her spellcasting.

Special Abilities:

Supernatural Resilience: At 1st level, the blessing of the gods grants you enhanced durability. Your hit point maximum increases by 1D4/level.
Favoured Soul Abilities: At 2nd level and every three levels thereafter (5th, 8th, 11th, and 14th), a Favoured Soul gains special abilities from their deity. These abilities can vary widely based on the deity chosen and the alignment of the character. Examples include healing powers, enhanced combat abilities, elemental resistances, and more. also at Level 2 the Favoured Soul can Turn Undead, allowing them to turn or destroy undead creatures as per the Palladium RPG rules.
Divine Aura: At 3rd level, the Favoured Soul gains a divine aura that protects them from evil. They are immune to possession, mind control, and similar effects from evil beings or entities. The aura that further grants additional Armor Rating or defense against specific types of attacks, reflecting the favor of their deity. (G.M. Descretion)
Divine power guards your destiny: At Level 4. Once per day, If you fail a saving throw or miss with an attack roll, you can roll 1d4 and add it to the total, possibly changing the outcome.
Blessed Weapon: At 5th level, the Favoured Soul's weapon(s) become blessed by their deity, dealing additional damage to evil creatures equal to their level.
Blessed Countenance: At 6th level, your divine essence causes you to undergo a minor physical transformation. Your appearance takes on an otherworldly version of one of the following qualities (your choice): beautiful (P.B. +4) , youthful (Age is Halfed. No lover then Young Adult), kind (M.A. +4), or imposing (Horror/Awe Factor of 6).
Divine Intervention: Once per week, starting at 7th level, the Favoured Soul can call upon their deity for aid in times of need. The exact nature of this intervention is up to the Game Master and should be appropriate to the situation and the deity's portfolio.
Divine Purity: At 9th level, you become immune to disease, poison damage, and the poisoned condition.
Unearthly Recovery: At 12th level, 1/day you gain the ability to overcome grievous injuries. As a bonus action when you have less than half of your hit points remaining, you can regain a number of hit points equal to half your hit point maximum.

Favoured Soul O.C.C.

Attribute Requirements: High M.A. and M.E. recommended.
Alignment:Same as Diety
Gender: Male or Female
Race: Any (95% of Favoured Souls are from racially pure family Lines)
S.D.C.: Bonus 2D6
P.P.E.: 3D6x10 + P.E. attribute number
O.C.C. Bonuses: +1 on initiative, +1 to save vs. magic, and +1 to save vs. horror factor at levels 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12.
O.C.C. Skills:

Language: Native at 98%, plus 2 others of choice (+20% each)
Literacy: Native (+15%)
Lore: Religion (+25%)(Their Specific Diety and Pantheon if part of one)
Lore: Demons & Devils (+15%)
Lore: Undead/Darklife (+15%)
Lore: Creatures and Monsters (+10%)
Land Navigation and Wilderness Survival (for a traveling Favoured Soul) or 2 Scholar/Noble/Technical Skills of choice (for a more scholarly Favoured Soul)
One Weapon proficiency of choice, reflecting the preferences of their patron deity.
Hand to Hand: Basic (may be changed to Hand to Hand Expert for the cost of 2 related skills or to Martial Arts for the cost of 3)

O.C.C. Related Skills: Choose 5 other skills at level 1, plus 1 per level starting at level 2. All new skills start at Level 1 proficiency.

Secondary Skills: Choose 4 at level 1, plus 1 per level starting at level 2. All new skills start at Lvl. one proficiency. These are additional areas of knowledge that don't get the O.C.C. bonus.

Starting Equipment: A set of travelling clothes, a travelling robe or cloak with a hood, a cerimonial robe, boots, belt, bedroll, backpack, a medium-sized satchel, four small sacks, water skin, holy symbol, weapon of choice, 150 gold pieces.

Magic Combat:

Level Magic Combat Spell Use/level Experience
1 +1 vs. Spell Magic 4 0-1,930
2 +1 vs. Circles/Wards 6 1,931-3,860
3 +1 Spell Strength 8 3,861-7,720
4 Sence Good/Evil 40% 10 7,721-15,200
5 2 Spell Att/Melee 12 15,201-23,300
6 Recognize Enchantment 30% 14 23,301-36,666
7 +2 vs. Spell Magic 16 36,667-56,666
8 +2 Spell Strength 18 56,667-86,666
9 +2 vs. Circles/Wards 20 86,667-111,666
10 Sence Good/Evil 65% 22 111,667-135,666
11 +2 vs. Circle/Wards 24 135,667-166,666
12 Recognise Enchantment 50% 26 166,667-216,666
13 +3 vs. Spell Magic 28 216,667-266,666
14 Recognize Enchantment 71% 30 266,667-316,666
15 +3 vs. Circle/Wards 32 316,667-386,666

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