Extra Cultism Information
Cultism Stages
Unlike most magic, a cultist's power is not measured by the traditional ranks. Rather than being considered a "paige" or a "mage", a cultist's progress is tracked by the different stages of transformation that occur to their minds, bodies, and souls as their devotion is converted into magical energy. Each stage represents a new tier of strength and influence, awarding them with extra abilities and godly gifts.
Stage One: Initiate (Free)
An Initiate is more or less unchanged from their natural self prior to becoming a devoted follower of a particular God. This is the entry level of those who wish to seek favor from their deities, and they must begin by crafting or acquiring an effigy. An effigy is the catalyst of a cultist's magic; without it they are unable to cast any of their spells at all, as it exists as the method of communication between God and follower. Effigy's are typically steel grade toughness and no smaller than something that could fit in an average human palm.
(At this stage you unlock a free effigy to be pitched, as well as 3 spell slots. If an effigy is destroyed, it must be re-purchased for points).
Stage Two: Follower (300 points)
Followers are fully realized cultists. Though their transformation has not fully begun on a physical level, the rapport they possess with their deity has become far more developed, and their magical prowess has increased because of this.
(At this stage you are awarded five spell slots)
Stage Three: Devote (400 points)
Upon becoming a Devote, the physical transformative process finally begins. Devotees are exceptionally well versed in the art of converting their worship into power, and it has slowly begun to shift the very makeup of their bodies.
(At this stage you are awarded three spell slots, as well as three unique racials. These racials may be slight upgrades of pre-existing ones, or entirely new abilities. They are capable of slightly mixing with your magic, but still cannot be very outwardly strong.)
Stage Four: Reborn (600)
A reborn cultist has reached the zenith of the power obtainable from their particular relationship with a God. As such they are awarded an upgrade to their effigy, increasing its power and allowing it to become linked with their body, forever changing them.
(At this stage you may pitch an enhancement for your Effigy, making it similar in power and versatility as a high mage medium. Due to the fact that it may now become linked with the body, this means that slight racial abilities are also par for the course in your pitch. Keep in mind that this does not mean it is now inside of your character; it still exists as an object, but it maintains a connection to your being in some way shape or form)
Stage One: Initiate (Free)
An Initiate is more or less unchanged from their natural self prior to becoming a devoted follower of a particular God. This is the entry level of those who wish to seek favor from their deities, and they must begin by crafting or acquiring an effigy. An effigy is the catalyst of a cultist's magic; without it they are unable to cast any of their spells at all, as it exists as the method of communication between God and follower. Effigy's are typically steel grade toughness and no smaller than something that could fit in an average human palm.
(At this stage you unlock a free effigy to be pitched, as well as 3 spell slots. If an effigy is destroyed, it must be re-purchased for points).
Stage Two: Follower (300 points)
Followers are fully realized cultists. Though their transformation has not fully begun on a physical level, the rapport they possess with their deity has become far more developed, and their magical prowess has increased because of this.
(At this stage you are awarded five spell slots)
Stage Three: Devote (400 points)
Upon becoming a Devote, the physical transformative process finally begins. Devotees are exceptionally well versed in the art of converting their worship into power, and it has slowly begun to shift the very makeup of their bodies.
(At this stage you are awarded three spell slots, as well as three unique racials. These racials may be slight upgrades of pre-existing ones, or entirely new abilities. They are capable of slightly mixing with your magic, but still cannot be very outwardly strong.)
Stage Four: Reborn (600)
A reborn cultist has reached the zenith of the power obtainable from their particular relationship with a God. As such they are awarded an upgrade to their effigy, increasing its power and allowing it to become linked with their body, forever changing them.
(At this stage you may pitch an enhancement for your Effigy, making it similar in power and versatility as a high mage medium. Due to the fact that it may now become linked with the body, this means that slight racial abilities are also par for the course in your pitch. Keep in mind that this does not mean it is now inside of your character; it still exists as an object, but it maintains a connection to your being in some way shape or form)
Further Devotion
Although a Reborn cultist has obtained the highest stage of power possible from their God through regular worship, those who are considered to be worthy may ascend beyond the traditional relationship with their deity and become a direct agent of their will. There are four different types of ascension, each modeled after the followers purpose, with their own unique styles of magic.
The Eye Of GodEikon (1500): The purest and most base form of ascension possible. Becoming an Eikon requires the ultimate sacrifice; the cultist must put their entire being at the mercy of their deity, giving their god the potential for full and complete control at all times. Whether or not this control causes a person to lose their normal self entirely or if they retain most or some of their old personality is dependent on the God themself. Most malevolent gods may completely enthrall their Eikon, whereas more neutral or benevolent deities may only take full control during periods of intense magic use if at all. In exchange for their risked freedom they will gain powers beyond imagining, their body fully transforming into a physical representation of their deity’s strength.
(At this stage, you are awarded five spell slots.) Avatar (2500): The absolute limit of a God’s influence on a foriegn realm. To be an Avatar of a deity is to exist with the maximum amount of strength they can carry into other worlds. Rivaling (and even sometimes surpassing) a practitioner in power, Avatars completely absorb their effigy into their being. It is now pitched as a specific part of the body instead of a separate object, and blurs the line between spell and racial. (At this stage, you are awarded five spell slots, and access to an extremely powerful bodily medium that fuses with the caster.) |
The Ear Of GodBishop (1200): Becoming a Bishop offers the most individuality amongst all the other possible paths for a Cultist. Known for their sage council and strict loyalty to their religion, a Bishop is gifted the ability to collect ambient mana from the world around them as a tribute to their god. In return, this excess energy may be filtered through their effigy in order to minorly emulate another magical tree, usually the one that most closely relates to their aforementioned deity.
(At this stage you are awarded five spell slots, and may pitch a unique take on your cultism. A magic tree of your choice is now filtered into your abilities. You may not pitch abilities SOLELY for this magic tree, and you have no access to the tree itself, but you will be given much more leniency on abilities that might encroach the expertise of the aforementioned branch of magic.) Archbishop (1500): The act of paying tribute to their god through ambient forgein mana has forever changed an Archbishop’s effigy, and its link to their soul has resulted in a personal evolution. In addition to becoming even stronger with their unique form of cultist magic, they now instantly gain FULL access to the secondary tree they once emulated. This tree can be used independent of their effigy, allowing them some form of defense in a situation where it might be broken. (At this stage you are awarded three spell slots for your cultism magic. Also, you now gain the actual tree that is used in your combination, already leveled to mage rank. Three spell slots are awarded for this tree as well, and you may pitch an upgrade to your effigy to reflect both of these developments) |
The Hand Of GodCrusader (1400): Crusaders are gifted special powers for the sole purpose of becoming defenders of the faith, and become attuned to two separate entities. Although their original God remains at the highest position of their devotion, Crusaders are able to call upon the aid for other lesser beings: these are usually other gods in their dietiy’s pantheon (Ex: Zeus/Poseidon) or noted champions/prophets (Ex: Jesus/Muhammad), massively expanding the scope of their talents and special skills. In addition, the core physical prowess of a Crusader is massively increased, making them exceptional at warfare and combat.
(At this stage you are awarded two spell slots for your primary deity. You are also now able to pitch a new deity or god to devote yourself to, and gain two spell slots for them as well. Two unique racials may now be pitched also, even stronger than post HM racials. They may achieve abilities and feats that are equal to the rank of your magic) High Crusader (2400): Once a Crusader’s strength reaches its zenith, they gain one final gift from their respective deities. Through the act of sacrificing their original effigy, High Crusaders are bestowed twin god-killers, two unique effigies that take the forms of martial weapons. God killers are extremely powerful and are able to silence enemies for short periods of time. These effects are magnified when utilized against different faiths, cementing Crusaders as the most dangerous threats for other cultists. (At this stage you are awarded three spell slots for both of your deities, as well as two more racial upgrades. You also gain the ability to pitch God-Killer mediums, which can be used to stop mages from casting magic for short periods of time upon being successfully struck. Unlike anti-magic, this does not remove any pre-existing casted abilities, and has a short cooldown between uses. The actual terms of use and length of effectiveness will be determined by your pitch, but these abilities are always stronger when used against other enemy cultists) |
The Mouth Of GodVicar (1400): Vicar’s are gifted with the ability to pass on gifts from their god to others due to their innate talent at converting outsiders to their religion. Their god has awarded them the ability to bestow a gift upon their most trusted disciple, converting them into a fully fledged member of their flock. Not only will their actions, thoughts, and decisions be entirely under their control, they will also gain access to powers in the same vein as their master’s.
(At this stage you are awarded five spell slots. You also gain access to an NPC acolyte with the rank of follower. This acolyte can exist entirely independently from your character, but will lose their ability to use magic if your effigy is destroyed. Any racial abilities that you want for the NPC must be pitched and purchased as if they are spells.) Pontiff (2400): Having grown even stronger in the teachings of their deity, a Pontiff’s steady guidance has increased the power of the right hand of their personal flock as well as their own. They are now ready to add an additional acolyte to their inner circle, and their control over them has caused their souls to become bound to their effigy just as much as the Pontiff’s own. (At this stage you are awarded three spell slots for your own magic. Your secondary acolyte now reaches the Devote stage, and gains an additional three spell slots for their own abilities. You also gain a third acolyte that obtains the rank of Follower, with an additional three spell slots for them as well. Your effigy is now upgraded into a special item with three unique pieces. The central piece directly relates to your own magic -- meaning it's destruction will stop you from casting your abilities -- but the two additional pieces control your acolytes respectively. Their powers are now independent from your own, meaning that as long as one piece of the effigy survives, at least one of you can continue to cast spells) |