Covenants & Miracles

Performing Miracles

The Zealot does not have a set list of spells they can perform, as in some other games. Rather, they pledge themselves to a Covenant, which may be the cult of a deity or even a philosophy or ideology to which they are entirely devoted.

Every Covenant has three or four eminences: subjects or concepts with which they are associated and over which they hold power. The Covenant of a sun god, for example, may have eminences in light, fire, and growth.

The Zealot can at any time attempt to perform a Miracle, a supernatural acts that is related to their Covenant’s eminences. They may, for example, make the light of their lantern shine brightly enough to blind an enemy, or a tree to grow taller so they can climb to a high spot.

To perform a Miracle, The Zealot rolls a D6 plus an additional D6 for each Relic to which they are attuned, and sum the result. High rolls indicate success, while low rolls presage failure, doom, or even death.

Miracles are broken down into five power levels known as doctrines. The more powerful the Miracle, the higher the doctrine, the higher the roll needed for success.

When The Zealot describes a Miracle they wish to perform, the Guide will determine what doctrine under which it falls. Each doctrine lists examples of Miracles that fit into their power level.

Favour can be used to increase the result of a Miracle roll. By performing actions that please their Covenant, The Zealot may permanently increase their amount of Favour. The Zealot is free to argue their case around whether an action ought to award increased Favour, but the final decision, as always, rests with the Guide.

The Zealot can also attempt to heal their allies by performing beneficence, a specific kind of Miracle that allows them to heal their allies.

The Zealot also receives two blessings specific to their Covenant — special abilities which they can use at will.

The full extent of these blessings, as well as the full rules for performing Miracles and beneficence, are delineated in the testament of their Covenant. One such testament follows.

The Guide may wish to have some Covenants prepared for their players to select from, or they may allow players to create their own Covenants. For the latter option, there is no need to do this before a session and to have a full testament created; simply have the player list the eminences of their Covenant, which should suffice for a session of play, and write up the testament afterwards between sessions.

Graphic: A kneeling zealot grins with unrestrained glee even as they undergo a horrific transformation. They hold their hand aloft as it becomes a cluster of snakes. Snakes emerge also from their pants, and one of their eye sockets. The zealot wears tattered, patched clothing, and three holy symbols hang around their neck: a chicken, a snake, and a bolt of lightning. Their other hand holds a dead chicken, still bleeding. Broken eggs are scattered at the zealot’s feet. A happy little frog leaps through the scene.

Testament of The Blessèd Mother

You have made Covenant with the Blessèd Mother, She Whose Body Was Stolen, Goddess Eminent of Generation, Vision, Time, and Sorrow.

Blessings

The blessings of the Blessèd Mother grant you special abilities, which you can perform at will.

  • Unceasing Sorrow - you connect empathically with an ally, sharing their pain. When either of you take damage, you may divide it between the two of you in any way you wish.
  • Eremitic Eyes - upon observing a subject for a few minutes you can determine, in a general fashion, the cause of their suffering.

Doctrines

Your Covenant grants you the power to perform Miracles, supernatural acts related to the eminences of your Covenant.

When you wish to do so, roll a D6, plus an additional D6 for each Relic to which you are attuned. The amount you must roll depends on which doctrine under which the Miracle falls.

A doctrine is a heuristic for the strength of a Miracle; each lists examples of Miracles that fall under their purview. The higher the doctrine a Miracle falls under, the higher the amount you must roll.

Before rolling, you may choose to offer any amount of Favour and increase your roll by that amount.

Graphic: A four-armed humanoid deity—at once skeletal, insectoid, and arboreal—stands hip-deep in the sea and wreathed by a glowing halo against a twilight sky. Her mask-like face is frozen in an imperious gaze: head tilted downward and over the right shoulder as if to address a wayward child; lips curved in a delicate frown; two white eyes without iris or pupil joined by a third oriented vertically in the center of the forehead, its lids peeled back in a gaping stare. Spiky branch-like growths shoot up from her neck and upper back in sharp curves and angles, while a pair of bony arms sprouts from each shoulder socket, the innermost set bearing wicked spikes at the elbow. Herr chest has no skin, revealing a cavity filled with tangled veins or vines which gradually recede behind a trunk-like abdomen half-hidden in shadow.

There are four possible results of a Miracle roll:

  • Boon - your Miracle is successful.
  • Pact - you must agree to form a pact with your Covenant in order for the Miracle to be successful. This may require a sacrifice, offerings, completion of a task, or some other undertaking commensurate to the power of the Miracle performed. While you are bound to a pact with your Covenant, you may not form another pact.
  • Woe - your Miracle is unsuccessful. Something has gone awry. Very awry. The Guide will roll upon the table of woe.
  • Apotheosis - your Miracle is unsuccessful. Your body erupts, giving birth to a physical manifestation of your Covenant; an avatar of a deity or belief otherwise made manifest. You are dead.

Graphic: A smiling cultist in a hooded robe holds a burning skull aloft in one hand, and a match in the other. The match, the cultist’s own head, and the skull form a vertical line in what is presumably a ritual posture. The cultist wears a toque around their neck, a chain at their wrist, and a tattered stole marked with strange runes.

The First Doctrine

   
10+ Boon
7-9 Pact
4-6 Woe
1-3 Apotheosis

Miracles in the manner of communication with flora and herbivores, the seeing of great distances, and sympathy.

The Second Doctrine

   
11+ Boon
8-10 Pact
4-7 Woe
1-3 Apotheosis

Miracles in the manner of fertility and fecundity, growth and decay, the evocation of sorrow, and invoking minor aspects of the Blessèd Mother.

The Third Doctrine

   
16+ Boon
12-15 Pact
5-11 Woe
1-4 Apotheosis

Miracles in the manner of the resurrection of those recently fallen, true sight, and the bestowal of a major aspect of Blessèd Mother.

The Fourth Doctrine

   
17+ Boon
13-16 Pact
5-12 Woe
1-4 Apotheosis

Miracles in the manner of true resurrection, manipulation of time, and the complete alteration of personality.

The Fifth Doctrine

   
20+ Boon
15-19 Pact
6-14 Woe
1-5 Apotheosis

Miracles in the manner of summoning a divine agent of the Blessèd Mother, time travel.

Graphic: A topless woman wearing a crown and a grimace plays an instrument very similar to a violin. Her hands appear to have fused with the instrument. The bow sprouts directly from the wrist of one arm, while the strings of the instrument are attached to the remains of fingers on her other hand.

Beneficence - Your Covenant blesses you with the power of beneficence, allowing you to heal injuries and cure ailments. When you wish to do so, roll a D6 plus an additional D6 for each Relic to which you are attuned.

Before rolling, you may choose to offer any amount of Favour and increase your roll by that amount.

There are four possible results of a beneficence roll:

  • Boon - your beneficence is successful.
  • Mark - your Covenant’s influence manifests as a mutation or phantasm attached to the target. The mark lasts until the end of the next Downtime Turn. If you used Favour for the roll the mark is permanent. You cannot perform beneficence on one marked by your Covenant.
  • Woe - something has gone awry. Very awry. The Guide will roll upon the table of woe.
  • Apotheosis - the target’s body erupts, giving birth to a physical manifestation of your Covenant; an avatar of a deity, or belief otherwise made manifest. They are dead.

You heal a number of HP equal to the amount rolled, regardless of the result of the roll.

You may reduce the amount healed by 10 in order to cure a Status. You may reduce the amount healed by 20 in order to cure a wound.

Those who are enemies of your Covenant ought not to receive beneficence, for fear of retribution.

   
10+ Boon
7-9 Mark
4-6 Woe
1-3 Apotheosis

Gaining favour

By performing tasks that please your Covenant or further their goals, you may permanently increase your amount of Favour. Your Favour only increases the first time a given task is performed. The completion of a pact cannot increase Favour. Some examples follow:

1 Favour

  • Convert, through your word directly, a follower to your cult.
  • Make pilgrimage to the Beach of the Blessèd Mother.
  • Solve the plight of a stranger.

5 Favour

  • Give birth to new life.
  • The founding of a new temple or place of worship
  • Uncover great deception for all to see.

15 Favour

  • Alter the course of history.
  • Bring endless misery upon the Carrion Queen.

Favour eternal

  • Restore the Blessèd Mother’s body to her.

Table of Woe

If the result of a Miracle roll is woe, the Guide will roll on the table of woe for the Covenant. Tables of woe should not be included in the testament for a Covenant, but the Guide should have them on hand.

The target of a woe is The Zealot if the woe was the result of a regular Miracle, or the recipient of beneficence if the woe was the result of a beneficence.

If no stated duration is given, a woe lasts until the end of the next Downtime Turn. If Favour was used for the roll the effect is permanent.

An example table of woe for the Blessèd Mother follows, as well as a template table of woe; if the Guide does not wish to devise individualised tables of woe for each Covenant, they may simply use the template table and decide on the specifics as needed.

Table of Woe – The Blessèd Mother

  1. Small thorns grow out of the target’s skin, inflicting D4 damage.
  2. Target begins weeping uncontrollably
  3. Vines begin to grow from the injury, and the target cannot recover HP until the vines flower in 2D8 hours or are destroyed. If the vines flower, they will naturally fall away, the target will be healed of all ailments, and may make a one-time appeal to the Blessèd Mother. If they are intentionally destroyed, the vines will attack whomever is responsible.
  4. An eye opens on target’s forehead. It is able to see the presence of magic.
  5. For the next day, target experiences every moment twice. All damage dealt and received is doubled.
  6. Target becomes unable to tell lies but can also sense when others are lying.
  7. Incisions appear all over target’s body, and pieces of their flesh are cut away. They take D6 damage.
  8. Every month, target will be afflicted with a painful rash. To rid themselves of it, they must lay and cover themselves in soil, as flowers grow and blossom from their skin.
  9. The target ages D6 years.
  10. The skin and flesh of target’s random limb sloughs off, leaving only bone behind.
  11. Target is blinded for the next hour but becomes able to sense the emotions of others.
  12. Target becomes unable to speak until they listen to the plight of D20 strangers.
  13. Half of the flesh on target’s body falls away. Target must make a phys Saving Throw or have their phys halved permanently.
  14. Target’s bones permanently turn into roots, their flesh into tendrils of vine, creepers, and variegated flora sprouting from their body.
  15. Target grows a single horn from the middle of their forehead. Anyone who grasps onto it can commune telepathically with target.
  16. Target’s left eye sees 10 seconds into the future, and target’s right eye sees 10 seconds into the past.
  17. All within 30 feet of the target must make a pres Saving Throw or be assaulted with the weight of all the world’s sorrow, permanently losing 1D4 points of pres.
  18. Target begins to grow musty hair in patches over their body, and two bony nubs can be felt on their skull. Each day after the beneficence, target must make a phys Saving Throw. If the target successfully makes three Saving Throws in a row, the effect ends. If they fail three times in a row, they are turned into a black goat with a third eye upon their forehead.
  19. The next time the target sleeps they must make a pres Saving Throw. If they fail, as they sleep, crows will gather around their body and pick at their flesh till only a skeleton remains, killing them instantly.
  20. Target feels something writhing under their flesh. They must make a pres Saving Throw. If they fail, their body is consumed by wriggling maggots that burst from their skin, killing them instantly.

Graphic: A humanoid figure with a bird’s skull head stands in front of a full moon, resting a flaming long sword over their shoulder. With their other hand they caress the neck of a nondescript figure sitting on their knees and leaning against the standing person’s thigh. There is a mask on the ground between them. The night sky is very starry. The surrounding terrain is a mountainous desert.

Table of Woe – Template

  1. Target takes damage.
  2. Target is subject to an ongoing debilitation.
  3. Target is subject to an ongoing effect or alteration.
  4. Target is subject to a permanent effect or alteration.
  5. Target is subject to an ongoing debilitation.
  6. Target is subject to a permanent effect or alteration.
  7. Target takes damage.
  8. Target is subject to a permanent effect or alteration.
  9. Target takes damage.
  10. Target is subject to a permanent effect or alteration.
  11. Target is subject to an ongoing effect or alteration.
  12. Target is subject to a permanent effect or alteration until they perform a task to remove it.
  13. Target is subject to detrimental alteration, such as loss of HP or attributes.
  14. Target is subject to a major permanent effect or alteration.
  15. Target is subject to a permanent effect or alteration.
  16. Target is subject to a permanent effect or alteration.
  17. Effect that everyone within 30 feet of the target must make a Saving Throw against.
  18. Target is subject to a progressing condition.
  19. Target will die later unless specific action is taken or pres Saving Throw is successful.
  20. Target must make a pres Saving Throw or die.