Devil

A character gains a level of 1 in a Heritage Art when they undergo a fundamental change to their nature, the Heritage Art representing the effects of that change. Increasing the Devil level of a character represents the maturation process and/or a greater proficiency with the capacities of the new nature.

A character cannot have an Art level higher than their Soul.

Damnation (Devil 1): A mortal soul, fowl in life then tortured twisted until every scrap of mortal sympathy is gone. Only cruelty, avarice and an all too mortal empathy remains. The empathy Hell needs to attract new souls.

System: A Devil has the following Traits.

• Answer The Call: When in Hell, a Devil may roll Awareness + Sixth Sense(difficulty 4) to find an open summoning on the Earthly Realm. Any creature with a Spellcraft level of 2 or higher can roll Intellect + Spellcraft(difficulty 6) to perform a summoning ritual and invite a Devil. An open ritual allows any Devil to answer, and open rituals require acting immediately before another Devil accepts the offer. A Devil can perceive the area around the location they are being summoned to, and may reflexively return to Hell at will.

• Devil’s Deal: Any Devil can accept the willingly given soul of a mortal in exchange for an agreed upon service, provided the Devil upholds their end of the agreement. If the Devil fails to do so, the ownership of the soul defaults back to the mortal.

• Fiendish: All mortal sympathies have been burned away, leaving the Devil with a cruel disdain for mortal life. If they wish to aid a mortal being without direct benefit to themselves, they must roll Soul(difficulty 6). On a Success, they are able to help the mortal.

• Hellish Reformation: While a Devil can be slain, they will reform in Hell at Incapacitated after 11 days minus 1 day per Soul.

• Immortality: As fiends, Tempters never age. They remain eternally.

• Something Wicked: Devil cannot abide purity or substances that represent it. A Devil cannot cross a line of salt, and Spells targeting a creature on the other side of a salt line have their difficulty increased by 2. Weapons blessed by a deity of purity or kindness (the literal concept of helping others) cause them to lose 1 Soul point per damage caused. If they have no Soul points, they instead die.

• Tongues: A Devil can understand and be understood by any sapient creature.

Wishmaster (Devil 2): The lords of Hell stand behind the Devil, offering their diabolical power to uphold otherwise impossible deals.

System: When the Devil strikes a deal for a mortal’s soul, the Devil can replicate the effects of any Spell as if they had a level in the appropriate Domain equal to their Devil level minus 1. For example, a Devil with a Devil level of 5 could extend a mortal’s life, as if using Set In Stone from the Chronomancy Domain. A Devil level of 10 would allow the Devil to return the dead to life, as if using Raise Dead from the Healing Domain.

The Devil does not need to spend any Resources to create these effects, the power coming directly from their fiendish patrons. However, a Devil who abuses this Trait without providing sufficient souls to their masters quickly suffers the consequences.

Dark Empathy (Devil 3): Devils can do something purely spiritual fiends cannot, they can understand mortals.

System: The Devil reduces the difficulty of Empathy rolls by half their Devil level, rounded down.

By My Name (Devil 4): The Devil can observe anyone who speaks their name aloud.

System: When a mortal speaks the true name of the Devil, the Devil automatically perceives through all the mortal’s senses for a number of minutes equal to their Devil level. This has no effect on the Devils ability to perceive their own surroundings.

Veilwalk (Devil 5): A sufficiently experienced Devil can travel to the Earthly Realm without an invitation.

System: This functions identically to the Spirit Travel Spell, but requires 1 Soul rather than 1 Magic Resource. If the Devil has Spirit 3 or higher, the difficulty is reduced by 2. In addition, the Devil can travel directly to the location of a creature under the effects of By My Name, even if they are not in the Reflection.

Fiendish Vitality (Devil 6): As a Devil proves their value to Hell, the infernal power of the realm works to preserve them.

System: The difficulty of Resist rolls is reduced by 1.

At Devil level 8 or higher, the Devil can choose to reflexively spend 1 Soul. For the next hour, when an external effect would reduce their Soul points, they can reflexively roll Fortitude(difficulty 4). For each Success 1 less Soul point is lost. If they have a Toughness level of 8 or more, the difficulty is reduced by 1.

Reaper (Devil 7): Devils exist to harvest souls for their infernal masters. That gives them a purpose and determination that few mortals enjoy.

System: When a Devil successfully completes a deal and acquires ownership of a mortal’s soul, they gain Soul points equal to the mortal’s Soul.

Rapid Reformation (Devil 8): The Devil has a deeper connection to Hell, reforming more quickly than their lesser kin.

System: The Devil reforms in Hell at Incapacitated after 11 hours minus 1 hour per Soul, rather than days.

Mortal Guise (Devil 9): The Devil can take on the appearance of a mortal being, hiding their true nature.

System: Spend 1 Soul and roll Intellect + Spellcraft(difficulty 3). On a Success, the Devil takes on the form and physical Heritage Traits of the desired sapient Species.

If the Devil attempts to mimic the form of a specific individual, each Success gives +1 difficulty to any roll to identify them as an imposter.

Drain Soul (Devil 10): The Devil devours the spiritual strength gathered by a soul in their possession.

System: The Devil may reflexively drain a soul they own, reducing the soul’s Soul level to 1, and the Devil gains a number of Resource points of their choice equal to 10 x the reduction in the soul’s Soul levell. These points can go above their Resource levels, but do not change their levels in those Resources.

The soul effectively reduces its Art or Domain levels to its new Soul level (except for levels that were already equal or lower). However, its levels increase if it raises its Soul, to a maximum of the original levels.