Theurgy (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

You harness divine magic through the invocation of ancient secrets that compel divine powers to aid you, or through the meticulous study of divine beings and their servants that allows you to replicate their miracles. While many theurgists align themselves with a patron deity and strive to emulate the deeds of the Chosen, such devotion is not for all.

Theurgy is inherently conservative, based or recreating the circumstances in the past when miracles occurred. Theurgists often control a church, facing opposition from zealous Chosen striving for change. For theurgists, their affiliation with a church is a profession rather than a calling, enabling them to switch institutions and patrons across their career without risking the loss of their powers. However, deviations from religious doctrine can spark significant unrest and potential schisms within hierarchies.

Trauma Condition—Enactment You are invoking divine power through lore and ritual. You need to quote scriptures in a liturgical language and use ritual gestures to use powers. This does not require faith, but using divine powers creates expectations, both within yourself and others. Failing external expectations can lead to persecution, failing inner expectations can lead to temporary loss of powers.

Special Abilities

1. Community: Gain +1d on all insight and resolve action checks when dealing with people that share your faith or +1d using any power in the presence of a congregation of people who share your system of belief, even if they belong to a different faction or sect.
2. Loremaster You may always use study for a set up action for yourself, either in the moment or as a flashback. On a partial success, improve position. On a full success, improve position or increase effect. On a critical success, improve position and increase effect.
3. Ritual: You can Study an occult ritual (or create a new one) to summon a supernatural effect or being. You know the arcane methods to perform ritual sorcery. You begin with one ritual already learned. See p 222.
4. Shepherd's Wisdom: Choose one of your actions you have a rating of two or more in when you learn this ability. When you lead a group action using that action, you can suffer only 1 stress at most regardless of the number of failed rolls. You may take this again for additional actions.
5. Spirit Ward: You know how to sanctify an area with arcane substances and methods so it is anathema to undead, angels, or devils (your choice). This takes a minute and you can do it again to ward a larger area or against multiple powers.
6. Studied Domains You can now learn any power and use them with theurgy.
7. Warded: You may expend your special armor to resist a magical or spiritual consequence, or to push yourself when you deal with spiritual forces.
8. Powers: Air, Animal, Barrier, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, Water.

Divine Associates and Adversaries

˄ ˅ Halim, a monastic.

˄ ˅ Kavi, a politician.

˄ ˅ Lenar, a theurgist.

˄ ˅ Majan, one of the chosen.

˄ ˅ Solen, a sage layperson.

Items

☐, ☐, ☐ Blessed oil to anoint a weapon, imbuing it with potency for the duration of the score. One use.

☐-☐-☐ Elaborate sacred vestments that improve your position when using theurge powers.

☐, ☐, ☐ Ritual supplies that reduce the stress cost of a power by one. One use each.

☐-☐-☐ Sacred item that requires both hands to use. Reduces the stress of using theurge powers by 1.

☐ Scroll granting one-time use of a power you do not know but that is available for you to choose.

XP

• Every time you roll a desperate action, mark xp in that action's attribute.

At the end of each session, for each item below, mark 1 xp (in your playbook or an attribute) or 2 xp if that item occurred multiple times.

• You addressed a challenge using theurgy powers or diplomacy.
• You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background.
• You struggled with issues from your vice or traumas during the session.

Starting Actions

Command 1

Study 2

4 points by choice, no higher than 2 in any one