Overview: The first Mystics have their origins with the Obsidian Kingdom of Kenrei and their philosophers. The tale goes that a Kichi-gaari named Shin found renown in battle but wrought only tragedy in his home. Sorrowed and repentant, he built a place of refuge for those of his brethren that grew tired of a life of rage and wrath and wanted only contemplation and quiet. Shin gathered followers slowly but steadily among the other Adepts who feared that their powers would one day overwhelm their will.
Shin’s philosophy spread quickly across Midworld and even the Silver Elves attribute their order of Mystics to Shin the Repentant. So it is in the modern age that the Mystic is the placid pond and the windless plain – an Adept that controls the power of his Totem and channels it with discipline and meditation. Whereas Berserkers and Zephyrs prize passion and movement, the Mystic finds strength in willpower and stillness. To a Mystic, control is of the utmost concern – it is the mortal that must control the Totem and not the other way around.
Role-playing Notes: Shin taught his disciples control and restraint, so must you maintain a life that reflects these values, Kenrei or not. Primary among these values is the concept of silence.
“The central tenet of the Mystic orders is self-control.
Silence: He who controls his words, can control his thoughts.
Discipline: He who controls his thoughts, can control his soul.
Power: He who controls his soul, can control the world”
- The Riddle of the Repentant
This primary tenet does not mean that the Mystic never speaks a word – it means that a Mystic, in order to achieve the necessary spiritual order required to channel elemental energy, must learn to speak only when he needs to. Many Mystics follow the letter of the primary tenet: speaking only when absolutely required. Some Mystics only speak in riddles or rhyme. But there are those who follow the spirit of Silence: they speak freely, but everything they say has a hidden purpose, whether it is to befriend, deceive, or disarm.
SUB-CLASS FEATURES: A first level Mystic automatically receives the following abilities at no cost to build:
-CLEAR MIND, IRON HANDS
You gain the Sense Deception feat. In addition, you may invoke a “retain” without cost to SP when someone attempts to use a disarm effect upon you, as if you had the Iron Fist skill.
-TOTEMIC SHIFT
Once per period, you may enter a Mystic Trance. In addition, you learn the Parry feat and you may invoke an “expert parry” to protect yourself against a ranged weapon strike (something the parry feat could not normally do) when using a pole-arm or a staff. This ability’s actual name is dependent on the type of Riddle you choose.
TYPES OF RIDDLES:
The Riddle of the Lion
Totem: Earth
The Riddle of the Lion was one of the first Riddles to be posed. The philosopher King Moto Sashi answered this Riddle when his bride’s father sent assassins to slay him. “I stand alone but I strike as many.”
Benefit: While you are in a mystic trance, you inflict 2 more points of damage when striking with a melee weapon.
The Riddle of the Viper
Totem: Moon
The Riddle of the Viper was developed when the Kenrei philosopher known as the Sage of Sands was tasked by the king to determine whether a clever man can slay 20 sand trolls in a single night. “In such circumstance, my king, no man but a clever man may accomplish this task.”
Benefit: While you are in a mystic trance, your Totem Strikes inflict 2 more points of damage. Furthermore, you inflict 2 more points of damage when striking with a melee weapon from behind the target. Your strikes must hit the area between the target’s shoulder blades to gain the benefit of this ability. Preface the invocation of damage with the word “Backstab."
The Riddle of the Sirocco
Totem: Storm
The Riddle of the Sirocco was pondered by the Kenrei philosopher, the Sage of Flowers, who wondered how something as weightless as the wind can bring ruin to cities and armies alike. “If the wind is without weight, then it is utterly unburdened by weakness or hesitation. Such must a man be, to unburden himself of all flaw to gain the strength of the wind.”
Benefit: While you are in a mystic trance, the Knockback feat costs only 1 SP. Furthermore, when you use Totem Strike, you inflict 2 more points of damage. Lastly, you are free to move as fast as you wish while in a Mystic Trance.
The Riddle of the Sun
Totem: Sun
Legend speaks of the Riddle of the Sun, which was posed to an ancient Kenrei king by a Phoenix. The Phoenix asked the King this question: “It does not burn but it illuminates. It flickers but it not falter. It holds truth but spreads it. What is it?” The King gazed upon the Sun-hawk and spoke three words. The Phoenix then gifted him with this Riddle.
Benefit: While you are in a mystic trance, your Totem Strikes inflict 2 more points of damage. If you miss with a Totem Strike (or the Totem Strike is defended against) while you are in a Mystic Trance, you make the attack again prefacing the attack with the word "Flickering". If using the Elemental Communion ability, you may only retry one of the attacks.
The Riddle of the Snowflake
Totem: Winter
The Riddle of the Snowflake was created by the Silver Elves in their quest for knowledge after interacting with the Obsidian Kingdom. Following the principles of the Kenrei, they developed their own style of Mysticism and posed this question “Does a single snowflake herald the coming of winter or does it herald the coming of spring?”
Benefit: While you are in a mystic trance, your Totem Strikes inflict 3 more points of damage. Furthermore, whenever you perform a Totem Strike while in a Mystic Trance, you gain 5 AP that does not stack with any other sources of AP.
The following Sub-class features can only be gained when the character reaches the required level and has learned the required feats, skills and/or spells.
Level 2: Empty the Soul
Requires: Resist Charm and Spurn Death
By mastering certain meditative techniques that allow you to purge distractions from your thoughts, you gain the ability to completely purge your mind of all afflictions. Once per period, you may invoke this feat when affected by an Incapacitate, Force, Charm, Mortal, or Pain effect. You negate the effect.
Level 4: Totemic Communion
Requires: Totemic Ascendance
You no longer need to be in a Mystic Trance to deliver a Totem Strike from a distance. Furthermore, while you are in a Mystic Trance, you may invoke this ability and perform a Totem Strike to throw up to three spell packets instead of one. Each spell packet must have a different target, effectively allowing you to strike three enemies with a Totem Strike. Preface each invocation of damage with the word "wave". After invoking the name of the feat, you must not move from your location while you throw the spell packets. You have 10 seconds to throw these spell packets.
Level 6: Elemental Wave
Requires: Totem Strike and Knock back
Once per period, a Mystic may invoke this ability to perform up to five expert Totem Strikes (ranged or melee).
Level 8: Snatch the Sky
Requires: The Parry feat, the Resist Charm feat, the Scorn Death feat and the Endure Pain feat
Whenever you use the Parry feat, the Resist Charm feat, the Spurn Death feat or the Endure Pain feat to negate an attack, you may perform an Expert Totem Strike upon your assailant. Furthermore, you gain the Riddle specific abilities of your Trance even when you are not in a Mystic Trance.
Level 10: One With All and Nothing
Requires: Superior Totemic Ascendance and Superior Totemic Relentlessness
Once per moon, you may invoke this ability after 5 seconds of channeling (Channel 1, Channel 2… Channel 5) to bring you to full HP. In addition, you regain 10 SP. All depleted AP remain depleted. If you are interrupted during the 10 seconds of channeling, you lose the use of this ability until the next moon.
Furthermore, you gain a bonus to damage based upon the type of Trance you use. This bonus to damage applies whether only while you are in a Trance.
- The Riddle of the Lion: You have mastered the ability to apply massive amounts of force against your foes, striking as though you were 10 men. You inflict 2 more points of damage when striking with a melee weapon.
- The Riddle of the Viper: Your enemy's weakness is your strength and you have enthroned this lesson in the court of your mind. When striking from behind a target, at the target's back torso, you may invoke "Viper Strike! Stun 5!", inflicting a Stun effect upon the target for 5 seconds.This ability costs 1 SP but if the effect is defended against, you get the SP back.
- The Riddle of the Sirocco: You have cast your weaknesses to the seven gales, embracing the winds' power, grace and cruelty. The Evade feat only costs 1 SP to use. Furthermore, you may spend 5 seconds of channeling to use a Ranged Totem Strike without SP cost.
- The Riddle of the Sun: The radiance of the Sun blinds those who are look upon it, so too can you burn those who harm you. When you are injured or use a defense feat against an assailant's attack, you may spend 1 SP to throw a spell-packet at them and invoke "Riddle of the Sun! Blind 10", blinding them for 10 seconds if you hit.
- The Riddle of the Snowflake: You have grasped the concept of winter as a herald of destruction and of rebirth. When you perform a killing blow upon an enemy or lay one low with an attack, you may channel for 5 seconds to gain 15 AP that does not stack with any other sources of AP.
MYSTIC TRANCE
Once per period, a Mystic may enter a Mystic Trance, a state of meditative focus and concentration that allows the Mystic to channel his Totem into feats and exploits of supernatural prowess.
TRANCE BENEFITS:
o While you are in a Mystic Trance, you may use a spell-packet to deliver a Totem Strike over a distance- the Totem Strike inflicts 5 points of elemental damage (7 points of normal damage if you use the Riddle of the Lion). When you do this, invoke the name of the feat before throwing the spell-packet.
o While in a Mystic Trance, you are considered to have the Blind Fighting feat.
TRANCE LIMITATIONS:
o While in a Mystic Trance, you may not move faster than a fast walk unless you are currently engaged with an enemy (and thus have to duck, weave and dodge). Breaking into a run ends the Mystic Trance.
o You cannot enter a Mystic Trance if you are wearing any metallic armor such as Plate, Scale or Chain.
TRANCE ENDS:
o Five minutes after it is invoked.
o If the Mystic reaches 0 HP or 0 SP.
o If an Exorcism effect is successfully placed upon the Mystic.
o If the Mystic is affected by (i.e. does not protect herself against) a Charm, Mortal or Pain effect. The distraction shakes her out of her Trance.