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Here are a trio of Templar Martyrs I've
developed (You might recognise one if you play Weird West!). Feedback is very
much appreciated as I haven't used any and I have no idea if they are over- or
under-powered or useful. Anyway here they are. Enjoy!
Lacy O’Malley, Saint of Truth As a reporter for the infamous Tombstone Epitaph, Lacy O’Malley dealt with the darkness of the Reckoning on a regular basis, and more than anyone else he attempted to draw the attention of the sceptical people to the truth. Almost always his reports were laughed off as fabrications but he often hit the most dangerous weapon that could have been used against the Reckoners; the simple truth. Saint O’Malley went to great lengths to discover the truth of the Reckoning, often throwing himself into mortal danger (He once allowed himself to be captured by a cult of Rattler worshippers in order to do a story on them). He disappeared in the mid 1880s and his final fate is unknown. The Deed Saint O’Malley has so far only appeared to one templar, who discovered the truth as to how Wormlings are created on an expedition to save some villagers that had been kidnapped from a settlement. He attempted to warn the settlement but it was dismissed as crazy talk and he nearly got hanged by the villagers for failing to rescue the kidnapped people. Soon after fleeing he was visited by Saint O’Malley. The templar has reported being able to make even the most sceptical people believe what he tells them. Lacy O’Malley, Saint of Truth Deed: Saint O’Malley appears to those who discover some unknown truth that is related to the Reckoning and then tries to tell it to people. It doesn’t matter if people believe him or not, as long as he attempts to make people believe him. By people we mean at least a small settlement. White: The templar gains +2 to a single Persuasion, Tale Tellin’ or Bluff roll. The chip can be spent after the total is otherwise determined. Red: By spending a red chip the Templar can force a person to tell the truth. After spending the chip, the answer to the next question asked by the Templar will be the truth as the person asked knows it. The person being asked doesn’t get a roll to resist or anything like that, he just accidentally blurts the truth. Blue: The templar can make someone believe the next thing he tells them as being the truth. It doesn’t matter how sceptical the person is, he just believes the Templar. The limitation with this is that what the Templar says has to be at least partially true. He could tell the town mayor that a biker gang was going to attack the town as opposed to the Black Hats who were actually going to attack but he couldn’t say a biker gang were going to attack when no-one was. Legend: This one is a real game of chance. Saint O’Malley will provide the answer to any question the Templar asks him. It doesn’t matter what the question is. It could be, what is Throckmorton’s immediate plans or what is the weakness of the Bishop, Saint O’Malley will provide the truthful answer. The only questions he can’t answer are ones involving the Reckoners like where are they or how do we defeat them. He is not allowed to answer those ones. Here is where the chance factor comes in. Due to cosmic rules, O’Malley is also obligated to give a second answer that isn’t true. It won’t necessarily be the opposite of the true answer but it is a wrong answer. The templar has to puzzle out which answer is the right one. Vexation: Saint O’Malley will withdraw his Blessing if the Templar does not attempt to investigate an event that appears to have Supernatural elements. Yuri Reikov, Saint of Redemption Yuri Reikov was one of the first people Modeen attracted to the anti-templars when he founded them. A stranded soldier of the Warsaw Pact, Reikov’s first experience with the Templar’s was a bad one and he believed in what Modeen preached. When Modeen told the other Anti-Templars of the wisdom of using the Reckoner’s power against them, Reikov objected loudly. It could never be good or right to use the powers of ultimate evil even with good intentions. He tore off his black tabard and began to walk to Boise with the intention of joining the Templars. He might have disagreed with some of what the Templars believed in but they would never consort with the Reckoners. On the way to Boise Modeen ambushed him and killed him. However due to that Reikov became a Martyr. We revere Saint Reikov because he turned away from a dark path and attempted to walk a path of righteousness. In doing so he redeemed himself. The Deed Reikov appears to Templars who find themselves blackballed for whatever reason but who seek forgiveness for their deeds. He reminds them of the Oaths and the Path of the Templar. Any templar who returns to Boise with Saint Reikov as a Patron is immediately forgiven. Reikov has also strangely appeared before an Anti-Templar who like himself was repulsed by how evil the Anti-Templars became over time. He showed this man the path to Boise and told him to seek forgiveness from the Templars. The man did so and has actually become a great Templar. This is the only case of any Martyr appearing before an Anti-Templar. Yuri Reikov, Saint of Redemption Deed: Saint Reikov will appear before any Templar who is Blackballed but truly believes what she did to be blackballed was the right thing. Saint Reikov will also appear to any Anti-Templar who actually leaves the Anti-Templars because he believes them to be evil as long as he will instead attempt to join the Templars. White: Templars’ blessed by Saint Reikov can be real lifesavers but they won’t be laughing. By spending a white chip when a companion takes a wound, the Templar takes the injury instead! It doesn’t matter whether this can be explained or not, it just happens. You don’t need to vamoose to use this ability though it will only take one wound if the person suffers more than that from the attack. Red: By spending this red chip the Templar can cancel the Marshal’s chips that are used to negate wounds that a Templar, Squire or Companion dealt. In order to do this the Blessed Templar simply pays the equivalent amount of chips. This ability lasts for the Templar’s faith in hours. Blue: By spending a blue chip, the Templar gains a greater reward of her choice for his faith in hours. She doesn’t have to have the reward at level 5 (or at all for that matter) but can only have this ability once at any one time. Legend: "You haven’t finished walking the path of Redemption yet." When the Templar dies she may spend a Legend Chip to automatically return Harrowed. Not only that but she returns with total Dominion. Vexation: Reikov will forsake any Templar who deliberately harms an innocent even if it is for the "Greater Good". If Reikov blesses an Anti-Templar then he will remove that blessing if the Anti-Templar fails to attempt to join the Templars (Any former Anti-Templar blessed by Reikov is automatically accepted by the Templars. Reikov is a good judge of character.)
Phoenix Rising, Saint of Magic Anna "Phoenix" Rising was an incredible woman. A deadly Huckster and dangerous gunfighter in the 1870s, Rising was one of the infamous "Cleaners" of the Agency, men and women who found supernatural trouble, dealt with it and then covered the whole thing up like a Christmas present. Rising was the best Cleaner of her time but she is most noted in the Agency records for her ability as a Huckster and she was considered the best Huckster of her time. Records tell us that she was killed by the servant of the Reckoners known as Stone in 1879. It is recorded that she struck Stone with a Hex before he fired, resulting in his bullet striking her in the throat instead of the forehead. The Deed Saint Rising is unusual in that she has only appeared to Companions, never Templars. Moreover the Companions she has appeared to have all had Arcane abilities, one being a Syker, the other being a Huckster like her. It is for this reason that she is called the Saint of Magic. Phoenix Rising, Saint of Magic Deed: Any Companion with an Arcane Background apart from Junker is visited by Saint Rising when they increase their key aptitude (Hexslingin’ for Hucksters and Shootists, Faith for Doomsayers and Blessed, Ritual for Shamans and Blastin’ for Sykers) to 6. If it was already 6 before they became a Companion they are visited by her when their key aptitude reaches 8. White: The hero gets +2 to all key aptitude rolls for five minutes Red: Saint Rising was famous for her ability to use her six-shooter in one hand while casting hexes with the other at the same time. By spending a red chip your hero gets blessed with the same ability for one round. Your hero may perform a ranged attack and cast a "spell" on the same action card with no penalties (except for any due to firing a weapon with one hand) Blue: By spending a blue chip your hero can cast any "spell" that is from his Arcane Background. A Shaman who uses this ability is considered to use 8 appeasement points for that specific favour. Legend: By spending a Legend Chip your hero has their key aptitude permanently increased by 1. Vexation: Saint Rising was the epitome of the Agency’s policy of "you never saw or heard anything". She came into town at night, dealt with the problem and left quietly the next day. Any hero blessed by Saint Rising who attempts to Tale-Tell is automatically forsaken for a week regardless of whether the Tale-Tellin’ was successful or not. Saint Rising also received a lot of jabs because of her hair (which was a fiery red except for two streaks that ran through it; one white as snow, the other black as night). If your hero ever insults or discriminates against someone on the basis of personal appearance is automatically forsaken for a week. (No insulting mutants!) There you go. I'm working on three others at the moment (Saint Sitgreaves, Saint Holiday and Saint Rommel) and am open to suggestions for these three (particularly Rommel and Holiday) or others anyone else has made up. Thanks, Alex |