Overview: Avatara are the heralds and the harbingers of their faith, the voice of their gods upon Midworld. As such, their word is law to the Chosen of their god and their warnings always are heeded. It is their right as leaders to guide their folk but also to listen to them and when it is necessary, to protect and to heal their Chosen.
For those tasks, the gods of Avatara grant them access to powerful magics. Of all the Priests, they are the most magic oriented. The abilities of the Avatara focus on spell-casting rather than melee or information gathering. Like all Priests, their abilities are influenced by their Sphere of choice, for good or ill. An Avatara with the Fate Sphere possesses capabilities that an Avatara with the Battle Sphere does not.
The Avatara, being the most vocal of a clergy, are also the easiest targets. Thus do aspiring Avatara have to tread carefully, to their pride’s chagrin. After all, Priests cannot serve their god when they die – and the point entire of being an Avatara is to be the harbinger of one’s god.
Role-playing Notes: They call you Herald, Harbinger, Prophet; you are the voice of your god. Do not be unwilling to speak when your counsel is needed and your opinion required.
You are not infallible, however. Beware hubris. Listen and observe everything that happens around you. Take heed of what your Chosen say, for even the most foolish may hold wisdom beneath their tongue – but yours is the final word. You need but speak your command and they shall follow.
SUB-CLASS FEATURES: A first level Avatara automatically receives the following abilities at no cost to build:
-VOICE OF THE HEAVENS
- As Avatara, you serve as your god’s voice upon Midworld. Since all mortals, chosen, unchosen or heretic, cannot help but heed the voice of the heavens, so too is your voice a commanding influence. You learn the Suggestion feat, except that your chosen cannot resist this feat if you use it on them.
-DIVINE MEDIUM
- As a conduit between Mortals and the Divine, the power of the divine is not unnatural to your senses. It flows through you as air in your lungs, as blood in your veins. You gain the Ritual Caster skill.
- Furthermore, when an Avatara is damaged in melee, he may invoke this ability and inflict a 10 second Fear effect upon his assailant via spell packet - sending the fear of the Gods into his foeman. Once this function of Divine Medium is used, it may not be used again until after the Avatara has taken a short rest. This is an ability, not a spell, so it may not be interrupted nor is it subject to the regular rules of spellcasting.
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: Channel the Divine
Requires: Channeling Expertise skill
Once per period, you may place yourself in a state of holy power, connecting your soul with the Overworld. For up to one minute, channeling takes half the amount of time that it should. Channel 10s become Channel 5s. Channel 5s become Channel 3s. However, Channel 3s become Channel 2s. This ability has a duration of one minute and it only affects seven such spells that you cast. While this ability is active, you must raise your holy symbol above your head.
Level 4: Symbol Of Reprisal
Requires: Channeling Mastery skill
When you are attacked in melee while in the midst of spell-casting, you may immediately invoke this ability and send forth a bolt of divine energy that inflicts 5 points of damage upon your assailant. This ability may only be used once every 30 seconds. Using this ability makes your spell fizzle (expendig components or SP if your spell was using those). This is an ability but it benefits from any damage augmenting skills that you might possess that increases the damage of your divine damage spells.
Level 6: Mask of Faith
Requires: Cleric of the Sphere skill
As you progress in faithful worship of your god, you gain the Mask benefit of your chosen Sphere.
Level 8: Divine Wind
Requires: Symbol of Wrath spell and Symbol of Binding spell
Whenever you cast a bolt spell with a single target, such as Symbol of Wrath or Symbol of Binding, you may choose to affect three targets with it instead of one. If you choose to affect multiple targets, the spell becomes a Wave 3 spell instead of a bolt spell, with all the attendant benefits and restrictions of such a change. Preface the throwing of each spell-packet with the word"wave".
Level 10: Aspect of Faith
Requires: Harbinger of the Sphere skill in your primary Sphere of influence
As you progress in faithful worship of your god, you gain the Aspect benefit of your chosen Sphere. Furthermore, the defensive function of Divine Medium may be activated (more than once after every Short Rest) by spending 1 SP.