Alignments
or, things that we bitch a lot about, but are probably best left vauge
Most people tend to
For higher level characters, they may have up to 2 marks per character level, split up between Light or Dark as they wish.
Collecting Marks against your soul
Bullshit about how. You get marks based on your actions according to the list below.
Light Acts
-Honourable combat. +1 Light per scene
-Saving lives/rescuing. +2 Light per person.
-Sparing the life of an enemy. +2 Light per person.
-Helping others. +1 Light per scene.
-Honesty (to your disadvantage). +1 Light per scene.
Grey Acts
-Killing in self-defense. +0 Dark. [No Dark marks can be earned when killing creatures that attacked you first]
-Preparing for a future scene [research, preparing weapons, buying supplies etc.] up to +1 Light or +1 Dark per adventure.
-Execution of enemies that cannot/will not surrender. +1 Light or +1 Dark per enemy
Dark Acts
-Killing. +2 Dark per death.
-Torture. +2 Dark per session, no matter it's length
-Causing pain. +1 Dark per scene.
-Dishonourable combat. +1 Dark per scene.
-Hostages/Kidnaps. +1 Dark per hostage, per scene.
-Theft. +1 Dark per scene.
-Lies (except 'Light lies'; includes Illusions [i.e. only if Illusions fuck up everything and are not handwaved away], use of the Disguise skill, Hiding things or oneself, Magical disguises and Polymorphing/Shapechanging abilities of every kind). +1 Dark per scene.
-Apathy (ignoring the problems of others). +1 Dark per scene.
-Removing freedom of choice for an other creature (slavery, mind control etc.) +2 Dark per creature, per scene
[Yes, Illusion, Shapechanging, Mind-Control and Ambushing are acts that give Dark marks; what did you expect?]
[My big change here. I made many of the Light marks easier to acheive. As they are now granted once per creature, or once per scene, it encourages players to be more Light more often. On the other hand, being dark is ridiculously easy. You just cut people, or scare them, or carry concealed weapons, or lie about one thing about yourself. Many of the more powerful spells are also piled into the 'dark acts' pile.... I guess this creates games where “wizards” are “evil”, while “knights” aren't? .... if this turns into an actual system for trying to replicate medieval tales of chivalry, then that's awesome.]
Determining the shade of your soul
The maximum variation between Light and Dark that a Grey-souled person can have is based on their level. If a character has a greater difference than the indicated values, then they are a Light or Dark souled person, according to whichever they have more marks of.
- Level 1 = 2
- Level 5 = 10
- Level 10 = 20
- Level 15 = 30
- Level 20 = 40
Removing Marks
A character may remove one mark of one type, in order to remove two of an other. Most of the time, marks are removed to activate special abilities or effects.
For other creatures
Assume that a Good creature has a number of Light marks equal to their HD, and an Evil one has a number of Dark marks equal to their HD. Neutral creatures have their total number of marks equal to their HD, half being Light, half being Dark.
Abilities
Light
Come on friend, have a drink on me, and tell me your troubles.
Light Soul: If your Light marks are greater than your Dark marks by at least 2 per character level, then you count as a Light soul.
Light-souled people deeply care about the well-being of others, and will go to lengths to help others in need. They have the greatest amount of sense of self, and can often create change in the world around them simply by acting.
Light Karma: If you have more Light marks than Dark marks, and make a dice roll, you may reroll the dice before knowing the result of the roll. Doing this removes one Light mark from a character.
Additionally, a Light character may elect to expend 1 Light mark per two character levels in order to change any specific dice's roll into it's maximum value, this effect does not threaten a critical hit if used on an attack roll. Thus, an saving throw could be a 20 result on a d20, while a damage roll would only max one of the dice rolled.
Striking Light: If you have more Light marks than Dark marks, and make a damage roll, you may reroll all of the dice, and you then remove one Light mark.
Healing Acupressure(Ex): Light-souled people can heal an other creature with a range of Touch as a standard action. The amount healed is equal to their character level (or 1/2 their HD). This ability only works on currently living creatures, and creatures that are healed by healing effects.
Light Blast[Light](Su): Light-souled people are literally brimming over with energy, and can channel it into brilliant Light beams that drive out the darkness.
Light souled creatures may cast a modified version of Scorching Ray. This effect looks like it is made of brilliant Light light instead of fire, and deals Holy damage instead of Fire damage. Light creatures are unaffected, and Dark and Grey creatures take full damage.
In addition, a struck target gives off illumination as if they were affected by the Light spell. This effect dispells [Dark] effects that have a minimum caster level that are lower than the levels or HD of the character using this ability.
Quick! Take my hand!(Ex): A light souled character may expend a Light mark in order to assume that any spell or effect targeting an other creature now targets themselves. This ability can only work on creatures that the character is adjacent to at least once between when the effect targets the character, and the end of the light-souled character's turn. If the light-souled character declares that they are using this ability, and are unable to reach adjacency with the ally they are trying to assist, they do not lose the Light mark (it is returned), and the ally must still be affected by the original effect. This ability merely re-directs effects away from allies, and cannot be used if an ally failed a saving throw already.
[Yes, this creates wierd probablity liches, I'm okay with that, since then there is massive tension to see if the good PC can save the intended target. The awesome thing is that a PC can use on an enemy, and then earn light points as a result. This makes sense. Since the paladin pulling an enemy soldier from an earthquake or living fireball's path did a good thing, and therefore should be encouraged.]
Grey
I am charred, frozen and maimed. You will pay much for me to save you all.
Grey Soul: If you Light and Dark marks are within 2 points of difference per character level you count as a Grey Soul.
Grey-souled people look out for themselves, and will not help others without an incentive. They do not care for risking their neck, nor do they wish to actively harm others, as such they are hard to be affected by the Light or the Dark.
Clouded Karma(Su): Grey souls do whatever they need to survive. A grey character can spend 2 marks (either one of each, or two of one type) in order to re-roll the last dice roll that they have made. This ability can only be used once per round.
Meditation(Ex): With prayer and regulated breathing, a Grey character can heal themself and any adjacent allies with a full-round action. This ability heals an amount of hit points equal to the character's level (or 1/2 the creature's HD). This ability works on living and non-living creatures only, but not on undead creatures.
A clear mind, a clear path(Ex): As a non-action, a Grey character may expend either a Light or Dark mark in order to remove any mind-affecting effects on themself, see through any illusionary effects, gain the benefits of the Freedom of Movement spell, and suppress any Light or Dark power or effect that occurs within a 10 foot radius of the Grey character. These effects last until the start of the Grey character's next round.
Check your six!(Ex): A grey-souled character may expend a Light or Dark mark in order to grant any creature within close range the ability to re-roll a saving throw for an effect that the Grey-souled character is able to observe. This can be done after the creature has already rolled, but before it has been determined if the creature made the save or not.
[i.e. rolls should be called out, so that grey-souled PCs are given a chance to warn someone. This means monsters and NPCs and BBEGs as well. If Bobba Fett can't save Darth Vader, or save Han Solo, then he's not really very grey, is he? He could kill either, but he also needs to be able to save either if it is in his best interest]
Dark
MAIM KILL BURN! MAIM KILL BURN! MAIM KILL BURN! MAIM KILL BURN! MAIM KILL BURN! MAIM KILL BURN! MAIM KILL BURN!
DarkSoul: If your Dark marks are greater than your Light marks by at least 2 per character level, then you count as a Dark soul.
Dark-souled people become that way by harming others for their own benefit. They have the least control of themselves. However, the world has a tendency to reward their karma.
Dark Karma: If you have more Dark marks than Light marks, and fail a dice roll, you may remove one Dark mark, or gain an additional Dark mark.
You may elect to fail a dice roll against a level-appropriate challenge, if you do so you may remove five (5) Dark marks on your character, or gain five (5) Dark marks.
Striking Darkness: If you have more Dark marks than Light marks, and make a damage roll, you may reroll all of the dice, then remove one Dark mark.
Dark Blast[Dark](Su): Dark-souled people are literally brimming over with Dark energy, and can channel it into pitch Dark beams that suck the very light out of the air.
Dark souled creatures may cast a modified version of Scorching Ray. This effect looks like it is made pure darkness instead of fire, and deals Unholy damage instead of Fire damage. Dark creatures are unaffected, and Light and Grey creatures take full damage.
In addition, a struck target gives off illumination as if they were affected by the Darkness spell. This effect dispells [Light] effects that have a minimum caster level that are lower than the levels or HD of the character using this ability.
MAIM! KILL! BURN!(Ex): If a Dark-souled character deals any amount of melee damage, kills a living creature, or sets anything on fire, they may spend a move action to heal themself or an other creature. This ability heals an amount of hit points equal to the character's level (or 1/2 the creature's HD). This ability works on living and undead creatures only.
Rah! Flee now fools!(Ex): A Dark-souled character may expend a Dark mark in order to assume any spell or effect targeting an other creature now targets themselves. This ability can only work on creatures that are within close range of the Dark-souled character using this ability. In addition, any creatures adjacent to the Dark-souled character are also targeted by the effect at the end of their next round if they remained adjacent to the character that used this ability.
This ability merely re-directs effects away from allies, and cannot be used if an ally failed a saving throw already.
[Yes this will lead to weird situations
"I Finger of death the Evil Overlord", "
I use Rah! Flee now fools! to warn him of this."
"WTF man?" "
I charge the Evil Overlord, and all of his adjacent elite bodyguards. Looks like someone just cast a bunch of FoDs in one round. Eh, man?" "Oh. Awesome"
... I don't know if I'm okay with this, or not. It does bring up interesting tactics. The Light and Grey characters can regen Light points by using their abilities, while a Dark character can save an ally, and then potentially use the ability offensively.]
