Special Abilities:
Proselytize +X: A philosopher may use their speak action, or a number of speak actions, in an area where at least 10 people are able to listen to attempt to temporarily raise the faith level of an area a mile in radius centered around the philosopher. When a philosopher chooses to use this ability, they first must choose how many levels they are attempting to raise the faith by. This is the primary factor by which the difficulty of raising the faith is determined. At its base, the difficulty to raise the faith level of an area is equal to 5 for each level they are increasing the faith, plus triple the current faith level. By speaking for longer than a single action, the philosopher may lower the difficulty. Speaking for a minute lowers the difficulty by 1, speaking for ten minutes lowers the difficulty by 2, and speaking for an hour lowers the difficulty by 3. Depending on the area they choose, the GM may determine that someone has decided to speak against them(or another player's character may decide to do it). If this happens, the difficulty instead changes to the higher of the original difficulty and any opponent's own intelligence roll, with their proselytize bonus added. The philosopher makes their roll, an intelligence roll with a bonus equal to X, at the end of the attempt, and if they succeed, the faith level of an area raises by the chosen amount for one hour. For every 5 points by which the philosopher beats the difficulty, an additional hour is added to the time of the faith level boost. If the philosopher fails the roll by 5 or more, the faith level of the area drops by 1 for an hour and any attempts made by that philosopher to raise the faith level within the area automatically fail during that time.
X Ideology Points: A philosopher has X points that they may distribute between different deities or aspects of deities. When a deity has multiple elemental types or assumed elemental types(if the actual deity has not been identified), a philosopher may assign different sets of points toward different elemental aspects of that deity, but each time they do so(even if they only do this once), they must place the points in a different elemental aspect. A philosopher may only choose a single deity or aspect for each element. For example, a level 5 philosopher who studies a sun god with the purity, fire, and light elements may choose to place five points in fire, three in purity, and two in light. If the philosopher wishes to add a new god when they gain their sixth level, this time a healing deity with purity and body as its elements, the philosopher must either place their points in the deity's body aspect or "forget" the purity element of their sun god in order to place points in it. A philosopher may not place more than their philosopher level in points(or half their total ideology points) in a single aspect.
Philosophers require a week of pondering, using at least 10 hours of time in the process, to understand the workings of a new deity aspect. A philosopher may also erase an unneeded deity aspect from their repertoire, but this requires an additional week of philosophizing and 10 hours of time spent during that week.
A philosopher who places his study in various ideologies gains abilities that become strengthened in an area where the deity in question has believers or where a zone of faith otherwise exists. A philosopher's own belief does not affect the zone of faith around them as a normal character's does, regardless of the fervency with which they hold those beliefs. See the page on Faith for more information on Faith zones, and see the abilities they gain in these zones below.
For each aspect a philosopher places ideology points in, they must choose whether those points represent a belief in that aspect or denial of that aspect. A philosopher does not need to actually believe in that deity to place points in the belief path, nor do they need to assert a deity's nonexistence to place points in the denial path. In roleplaying terms, a character may simply argue about the specific nature of a deity, with belief in some aspects and denial in another. All of a philosopher's points in a specific aspect must be all one or the other. Thus, a philosopher may not choose to have 2 points of belief and 3 points of denial in the same fire aspect of a sun god.
In order to have access to any of the powers listed below, three conditions must be met. First, the philosopher must have points in that path for the aspect in question. Secondly, they must have at least as many points in that aspect as the power's level. Thirdly, the philosopher must be in an area where the faith level is at least equal to the power's level. Some powers have variables that depend on the current faith level. For example, if a power may be used a number of times per day equal to the faith level, it refers to the faith level of that aspect(belief in most deities applies the full faith level to all their aspects) at the current time, so if the faith level is 4, the character may use the ability up to 4 times. If the character moves to a place where the faith level is higher, they gain an appropriate amount of additional uses so long as they stay in that zone. If that character used the ability twice in a level 4 faith zone then moved to a level 2 faith zone, they have still used it twice that day and may not use it again until they move to a higher-faith area(or otherwise raise the faith in that area)
Belief Path:
Level 1, Empowerment: This grants the philosopher the ability to cast spells of the element specified by the aspect of their belief. They may cast any spell they know of the appropriate element with a cost up to 15 MP times the number of points in that aspect, so long as there is at least one point of faith in the area. Using philosopher spells is described in the Philosophy Casting section.
Level 2, Bolster Faith: A number of times per day equal to the area's faith level, by spending their speak action a philosopher may create an area centered on the philosopher with a 60' radius in which spells which share an element opposed to the aspect's element deal significantly less damage. For a number of rounds equal to half the philosopher's accuracy, spells with the element specified that deal damage have their damage dice reduced by two types, down to a minimum of d4s.
Level 3, Inquisition: Once per encounter, the philosopher may spend their speak action to call down divine wrath and deal damage to a single nonbeliever. To affect a target, the philosopher's speak action must be heard by that target, after which the philosopher makes an intelligence roll with a bonus equal to the area's faith level and the target makes a personality roll. If the philosopher wins this roll, they deal an amount of damage of the aspect's element equal to the area's faith level of added d10s. The target soaks this damage as normal.
Level 4, Fervency: A number of times per day equal to the area's faith level, the philosopher may spend their speak action to attempt to restore the HP of any believers in the chosen aspect. The philosopher does not choose targets, anyone who is a believer and within vocal range is affected. Any believers who hear the philosopher's speak action instantly restore a number of HP equal to their threat level plus the area's faith level.
Level 5, Deific Intervention: Once per day, the philosopher may become an avatar-like being under their chosen aspect by spending all of their actions. This form lasts for 10 minutes, and does not dissipate if the philosopher moves into an area of lesser faith. For the duration of this ability, the philosopher gains a bonus to their base stats equal to the area's faith level, divided as they wish between their stats.
Denial Path:
Level 1, Rationalize: This grants the philosopher the ability to cast spells of the element specified by the aspect of their belief. They may cast any spell they know of the appropriate element with a cost up to 15 MP times the number of points in that aspect, so long as there is at least one point of faith in the area. Using philosopher spells is described in the Philosophy Casting section.
Level 2, Debate: A number of times per encounter equal to the area's faith level, a philosopher may spend their speak action to attempt to cost an opponent within vocal range an action of the philosopher's choice. The philosopher makes an intelligence roll against his target's intelligence, with a bonus to the philosopher's roll equal to the area's faith level. Success means that the philosopher may choose a single action of the opponent's, and they lose that action for the turn. They may regain that action later, through ways such as special abilities or partial turns from high initiative.
Level 3, Deny: Once per encounter by spending their speak action, a philosopher may create an area centered on the philosopher with a 60' radius in which spells which share an element with the aspect become much more difficult to cast. For a number of rounds equal to half the philosopher's accuracy, spells of the element specified have their casting difficulty increased by +6. This includes the philosopher's own spells.
Level 4, Debunk: A number of times per day equal to the area's faith level, the philosopher may spend their speak action to attempt to drain the MP of any believers in the chosen aspect. The philosopher does not choose targets, anyone who is a believer and within vocal range is affected. The philosopher makes an intelligence roll, with a bonus equal to the area's faith level, and each target makes a personality roll. The difference between the philosopher's roll and the target's roll is taken as MP damage, with no soak. If the difference is negative, no MP damage is dealt, nor does MP recharge.
Level 5, Transcendent Understanding: Once per day, the philosopher may enter into a transcendent form by spending all of their actions. This form lasts for 10 minutes, and does not dissipate if the philosopher moves into an area of lesser faith. For the duration of this ability, the philosopher may for free boost any spells they cast up to an amount equal to +5% times the area's faith level. The spells' MP costs are considered to be their original cost when they are cast this way.
Philosophy Casting:
Restrictions: Philosophers' spellcasting power depends on how they have spent their ideology points, as described in the Ideology Point power. These ideology points also determine which elements the philosopher may use when casting spells.
Casting Cost: None. Philosophers do not pay material costs for the spells they cast.
Alterations: Philosopher spells are not altered in any way.
Casting Actions/Stat/Skill: Philosopher spells take two speak actions to cast. These speak actions can(and usually must) be spread out over multiple turns, but the philosopher may not use any other speak actions between the casting speak actions, or the first speak action is wasted. Philosophers use the history skill to cast, with their intelligence stat. A philosopher may hold a book in one hand from which they reference their spells, which uses that hand's action but provides a +4 bonus to their casting rolls.
Learning Spells: Philosophers gain the knowledge of specific spells through intense debate with adherents to a particular faith, or those who deny that faith. In order to learn a spell, a philosopher must engage either a believer or a nonbeliever(that is, someone who expresses a specific belief in the non-existence of a deity) in the deity whose aspect controls the element of the spell the philosopher wishes to learn. A philosopher may argue with either side, regardless of their own ideology. For every minute a philosopher has spent in such a debate, they may learn 1 dollar worth of spells from the aspects of the deity they were debating about, assuming that they have the appropriate spellcasting capacity to cast that spell. They do not need to be in a zone of faith to learn spells, but they must be in a zone of faith to cast them.