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 individuals 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. There is a 40% chance that a member of the Church of the Favoured Soul's Diety will recognise the godly aura surrounding the Favoured Soul within a 10' radius.

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 Ra, 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. Favoured Souls

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. Favoured Soul

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.

Favoured Souls and Their Divine Magic

Favoured Souls, like Priests and Clerics are distinct from wizards and sorcerers when it comes to the source and acquisition of their magical abilities. While wizards often gain their powers through study, research, and practice, Favoured Souls derive their abilities directly from their faith and their connection to their deity. This distinction lies primarily in how the magic is obtained, not necessarily in how it functions.

Source of Power

Unlike wizards, who rely on the manipulation of arcane forces and complex formulas to cast spells, Favoured Souls' powers come as a divine gift from the god or gods they serve. The deity bestows these powers upon the Favoured Soul as a reflection of his faith, devotion, and spiritual alignment. The Favoured Soul does not "learn" spells in the traditional sense but receives them as a form of divine favor. Their magic is seen as a manifestation of their god's will and the strength of their belief.

Invocation of Spells

Priests do not need to study arcane texts or practice ritual incantations the way wizards do. Instead, they invoke their divine spells through prayer and by calling upon the name of their god, asking for assistance in their moment of need. The spell is activated by chanting the god's name and focusing on the nature of the spell required (e.g., healing, protection, or banishment of evil). In this sense, the act of spellcasting for a priest is less about the intellectual manipulation of magical forces and more about aligning with their god's will.

Spells and Their Effects

The actual magical effects of priest spells are identical to those of wizardry spells. For example, a healing spell cast by a Favoured Soul works the same way as a healing spell cast by a priest (in terms of game mechanics), but the priest's casting is fueled by divine intervention

Acquiring Spells

A priest's spellcasting abilities are determined by their level of devotion and experience, rather than by study or the acquisition of new magical knowledge. When a priest reaches a new level of experience, they automatically gain new divine spells. For example:

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.

However, the Favoured Soul is limited in their spell acquisition. They do not have access to magical libraries or universities, and cannot purchase or learn additional spells beyond those granted by their deity. This reinforces the idea that Divine magic is granted as a gift rather than something that can be earned through study or gold.

Permanent Personal Power (P.P.E.)

P.P.E. (Power Points or Magical Energy) is the resource used to fuel magical spells. While wizards and other arcane spellcasters draw upon their personal P.P.E., a priest's access to P.P.E. is somewhat more limited, as they are not trained or inherently skilled in the manipulation of magical energy. A Favoured Soul's personal P.P.E. is determined by rolling 6D6, adding their Physical Endurance (P.E.) attribute, and gaining an additional 1D8 per level of experience. This represents the Favoured Soul"s connection to their divine source and their spiritual reserves of power.

However, Favoured Souls are not entirely constrained by their personal P.P.E. pool. Although they have a limited capacity for personal magical energy, they can participate in or lead rituals involving multiple priests and individuals, pooling their combined P.P.E. for larger, more powerful spells. This allows Favoured Souls to cast spells that require more P.P.E. than one individual might possess.

For example, in a large-scale divine ritual, several Favoured Soul and several people may work together to invoke a potent spell, drawing upon the combined spiritual energy of the group. This is one of the unique ways in which priDivineest magic operates differently from wizardry, Favoured Souls are more dependent on their community and the support of their faith-based peers when casting powerful spells.

Limits of Divine Magic

One significant limitation of Divine magic is that a Favoured Soul's spellcasting abilities are tied strictly to their god's will and their faith. As a result, a Favoured Soul is bound by their divine relationship and the doctrines of their faith. This means that:

Favoured Souls cannot study magic or learn new spells beyond what their god deems appropriate for them.
They cannot "learn" spells from other magic traditions (e.g., wizard magic) unless they worship a god that is also a user of other magic types, nor can they purchase spell scrolls to learn from, as their abilities are not a matter of study, but of divine grace.
They must follow the spiritual guidance of their deity, which might mean limitations on the types of spells they can cast depending on their god's domain (e.g., a god of war may not allow healing spells to be cast).

Thus, while Favoured Souls can wield magic as powerful as any wizard, their magic is not a tool to be wielded freely, but a divine calling to be used in service of their god and their faith.

Favoured Souls know nothing about the ways of magic. They are not envoked by prayer like a Priest, they are just there.
Spell Strength: Starts at +3 at 2rd level and is +1 at levels 6, 10 and 14.
Note: Each particular church, religion and/or god 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. Only about 50% are gender specific (male or female).

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 an enhanced durability. 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 they fail a saving throw or miss with an attack roll, they 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, their divine essence causes them 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 lower 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, they become immune to disease and poison damage.
Unearthly Recovery: At 12th level, 1/day they gain the ability to overcome grievous injuries. As a bonus action when they have less than half of their hit points remaining, they can regain a number of hit points equal to half their 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 Experience

1 +1 vs. Spell Magic 0-1,930

2 +1 vs. Circles/Wards 1,931-3,860

3 +1 Spell Strength 3,861-7,720

4 Sence Good/Evil 40% 7,721-15,200

5 2 Spell Att/Melee 15,201-23,300

6 Recognize Enchantment 30% 23,301-36,666

7 +2 vs. Spell Magic 36,667-56,666

8 +2 Spell Strength 56,667-86,666

9 +2 vs. Circles/Wards 86,667-111,666

10 Sence Good/Evil 65% 111,667-135,666

11 +2 vs. Circle/Wards 135,667-166,666

12 Recognise Enchantment 50% 166,667-216,666

13 +3 vs. Spell Magic 216,667-266,666

14 Recognize Enchantment 71% 266,667-316,666

15 +3 vs. Circle/Wards 316,667-386,666

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