The Preacher

(Version 1.00 - Last Modified: 05/22/2006)

• Introduction
• Abilities of a Preacher
• Blessing Descriptions
• Curse Descriptions
• Prayer Descriptions
• Miracle Descriptions
• Other Stuff

Introduction

For many centuries there have been extraordinary individuals in the world, blessed or cursed with powers beyond normal beings. Heroes, generals, kings, murderers, and villains, they have had many roles throughout history. Deep within the Roman Catholic church, there was an order of monks that had similar powers. While the church was busy branding most with extraordinary powers as in league with the devil, they had their own secret order with special powers. These men, as woman were not allowed, were a carefully guarded secret and were utterly devoted to God. Some Popes used these to increase their worldly power, while other Popes used them to hunt down and destroy others with special powers, but all Popes recognized the importance and power of these men.

As the modern era approached and super heroes became more public and more known, the secret Vatican order retreated even further into shadow. No more than a whisper of a secret escaped about the order and all texts that referred to them were located and destroyed. The Vatican leadership even began to see their presence as a threat, after all of the claims they continued to make against mutants, experiments, and those with super powers, if it was known that the Vatican had a secret sect of beings with super powers, the Vatican's moral authority would be seriously injured. Talk began of closing the sect, stopping the recruiting and training of new members, of even disavowing its current members, then World War II began.

While officially neutral in the war and under threat of destruction if that changed, the Vatican knew where it would stand against the Axis powers. The current pope saw a new use for the sect and a new calling for its members. Over the course of a few years, the sect was transformed from a relatively small group of unanimous monks to a priestly equivalent of a special forces units. Secretly associated with the Vatican, the sect's members were labeled Preachers by those that knew the secret and they were deployed throughout Europe to fight the Axis whenever possible. Following the war, the Vatican continued this policy, fighting where it felt needed even against it allies when necessary. Always the sect's connection with the Vatican was kept secret, but eventually word leaked.

As the Cold War came to an end, the Vatican's sect of super heroes became public and the valiant struggles of its unanimous members became known for the first time. The existence of the sect, now known as the Orden de la Esperanza, was denied by the Vatican, but the immense security around the sect lessened and the forced isolation of its members ended. The sect was now free to work with other super heroes and to work as public agents of the Vatican and for the first time women were recruited and trained by the order. Although the leadership of the sect and its training and selection methods continued to remain a secret, many of its members became known to governments and powerful super heroes groups.

Abilities of a Preacher

• Blessings and Curses:
  One of the major power of a Preacher is the ability to provide bonuses to allies and penalties to enemies. This is done through Blessings and Curses respectively. The bonus or penalty provided by a Blessing or a Curse is chosen by the Preacher at the moment it is cast, which has a huge effect on how much PPE the Blessing or Curse will cost. Individual blessings can be combined into a single blessing and individual curses can be combined into a single curse, but blessings and curses cannot be combined together. Bonuses and penalties of the same type are not cumulative on the same person, only the highest bonus or penalty applies. For example, if a person received a bonus of +3 to offensive combat rolls and then receives a Blessing that provided a bonus of +5 to offensive combat rolls, that person would have a total bonus of +5, not +8. An example of a combined Blessing would be a Blessing of Resistance, Zeal, and Fortitude that provides the target +2 to all saving throws, +1 attack per melee, and +10 temporary S.D.C., which would cost a Preacher 34 PPE to create (2*2 + 1*1*10 + 10*2 = 4+10+20 = 34). Performing a blessing or a curse requires one melee action and the target must be within 20' (6.1 m) per level of experience and the blessing or curse lasts for 1 melee round per level of experience. A Preacher can be the target of his own Blessings and Curses.
• Prayers and Miracles:
  The other major power of a Preacher is the ability to perform Prayers and Miracles, the primary purpose of which is to temporarily gain super powers. Unlike regular super heroes that always have their super powers, Preachers must expend PPE to gain a super power, and even then, the power is only temporary. The other uses for prayers and miracles focus on healing and protection for the Preacher and those around him or her.
• PPE Base:
  By expending PPE, the Preacher gains access to his powers, so like spell casters, a Preacher has a large reservoir of PPE. The Preacher begins play with a PPE equal to his or her PE attribute * 3 and gains an additional 3D6 PPE per level of experience.
• Starting Powers:
  At first level, a Preacher begins play with six powers chosen from Blessings and Curses and one Prayer.
• Gaining New Powers:
  At each new level of experience, starting at level 2, the Preacher can select an additional Blessing, Curse, or Prayer. At levels 4, 8, 12, and 15, a Preacher can select a Miracle.

Blessing Descriptions

1. Concentration:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the bonus.
   • Description: The target receives a bonus to a single skill.
2. Divine Wrath:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the bonus squared multiplied by 2 (bonus * bonus * 2).
   • Description: The target receives a bonus to the damage inflicted by melee attacks he or she makes.
3. Faith:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the bonus squared multiplied by 3 (bonus * bonus * 3).
   • Description: The target receives a bonus to all offensive combat rolls.
4. Fortitude:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the bonus multiplied by 2 (bonus * 2).
   • Description: The target receives an amount of temporary S.D.C. and all damage the target takes removes this temporary S.D.C. before removing the target's regular S.D.C. or hit points. When the duration for the blessing ends, any remaining temporary S.D.C. is lost.
5. Patience:
   • PPE: 5
   • Description: Increase the duration of this Blessing from 1 melee round per level of experience to 1 minute per level of experience.
6. Persistence:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the bonus squared multiplied by 2 (bonus * bonus * 2).
   • Description: The target receives less damage from all attacks equal to the bonus.
7. Piety:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the bonus squared multiplied by 2 (bonus * bonus * 2).
   • Description: The target receives a bonus to all defensive combat rolls.
8. Resistance:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the bonus squared (bonus * bonus).
   • Description: The target receives a bonus to all saving throws.
9. Shared Wealth:
   • PPE: Doubles the cost of the Blessing.
   • Description: This Blessing affects up to 1 target per level of experience of the Preacher.
10. Time:
    • PPE: 20
    • Description: Increase the duration of this Blessing from 1 melee round per level of experience to 1 hour per level of experience.
11. Vigor:
    • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the bonus squared multiplied by 5 (bonus * bonus * 5).
    • Description: The target receives a bonus to a single physical attribute (PS, PP, PE, or Spd)
12. Zeal:
    • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the bonus squared multiplied by 10 (bonus * bonus * 10).
    • Description: The target receives a bonus to the number of attacks per melee the he or she can make.

Curse Descriptions

1. Blasphemy:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the penalty squared (penalty * penalty).
   • Description: The target receives a penalty to all saving throws.
2. Damnation:
   • PPE: 20
   • Description: Increase the duration of this Curse from 1 melee round per level of experience to 1 hour per level of experience.
3. Distraction:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the penalty
   • Description: The target receives a penalty to a single skill.
4. Heresy:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the penalty squared multiplied by 2 (penalty * penalty * 2)
   • Description: The target receives a penalty to all defensive combat rolls.
5. Lethargy:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the penalty squared multiplied by 5 (penalty * penalty * 5)
   • Description: The target receives a penalty to a single physical attribute (PS, PP, PE, or Spd)
6. Pain:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the penalty squared multiplied by 2 (penalty * penalty * 2).
   • Description: The target receives more damage from all attacks equal to the penalty.
7. Shared Discord:
   • PPE: Doubles the cost of the Curse.
   • Description: This Curse affects up to 1 target per level of experience of the Preacher.
8. Sin:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the penalty squared multiplied by 3 (penalty * penalty * 3).
   • Description: The target receives a penalty to all offensive combat rolls.
9. Sloth:
   • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the penalty squared multiplied by 10 (penalty * penalty * 10).
   • Description: The target receives a penalty to the number of attacks per melee the he or she can make.
10. Suffering:
    • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the damage inflicted.
    • Description: The target takes damage equal to the amount of PPE used for the Curse of Suffering.
11. Torment:
    • PPE: 5
    • Description: Increase the duration of this Curse from 1 melee round per level of experience to 1 minute per level of experience.
12. Weakness:
    • PPE: Varies, cost is equal to the penalty squared multiplied by 2 (penalty * penalty * 2).
    • Description: The target receives a penalty to the damage inflicted by melee attacks he or she makes.

Prayer Descriptions

1. Cure Affliction:
   • Range: 10' (3.1 m) per level of experience
   • Duration: Instant
   • PPE: 5
   • Description: This prayer will cure a single person of all poisons and diseases, normal, magical, or supernatural.
2. Heal Wounds:
   • Range: Touch
   • Duration: Instant
   • PPE: Varies
   • Description: For every 2 PPE spent when this prayer is activated, the touched target, which can include the Preacher, is healed 1D4 points of damage.
3. Prayer of Power:
   • Range: Self only
   • Duration: 1 melee round per level of experience
   • PPE: 20
   • Description: With this prayer, the preacher can temporarily gain a single Minor Super Power. Each time a Prayer of Power is chosen, it represents a different Minor Super Power and once chosen, the power cannot be changed. Some minor powers may be excluded at the GM's discretion.
4. Remove Curse:
   • Range: 10' (3.1 m) per level of experience
   • Duration: Instant
   • PPE: 15
   • Description: All curses on the target of this prayer, including the Curses created by other preachers are immediately removed from the target.

Miracle Descriptions

1. Miracle of Power:
   • Range: Self only
   • Duration: 1 melee round per level of experience
   • PPE: 50
   • Description: With this prayer, the preacher can temporarily gain a single Major Super Power. Each time a Miracle of Power is chosen, it represents a different Major Super Power and once chosen, the power cannot be changed. Some major powers may be excluded at the GM's discretion and others, such as Immortality are not good choices.
2. Resurrection:
   • Range: Touch
   • Duration: Instant
   • PPE: Varies
   • Description: This miracle can bring someone back from the dead, but the amount of effort required depends on how long the target has been dead. It costs 50 PPE to resurrect someone killed within the last melee round, 150 PPE for within the last day, 250 PPE for within the last week, or 750 PPE for anyone dead longer than a week. The person Resurrected is brought back fully restored and any severed limbs or missing organs are restored.
3. Summon Guardian Angel:
   • Range: Self only
   • Duration: 1 hour per level of experience
   • PPE: 20
   • Description: Once a preacher's guardian angel has been summoned, the preacher gains a powerful ally that will assist them and protect them. While this miracle is active, the preacher can use the Sixth Sense psionic power without cost, can see the invisible, gains nightvision with a range of 100' (30.5 m), and can ignore the damage from a single attack once per melee round after hearing how much damage that attack will inflict. The guardian angel acts as a presence in the preacher's mind and is not physically present, nor can it be hurt or banished.

Other Stuff

• Alignment:
  Any alignment can be chosen, but heroes should generally be of a good alignment.
• Insanities:
  Preachers are extremely dedicated individuals, even those that have left the Vatican. They perform elaborate ceremonies and rituals during training and often during daily routines. This, coupled with the stress of their powers, make Preachers prone to obsessive compulsive behavior. There is a 01-60% chance that a Preacher will develop an Obsession / Compulsion. Roll at the beginning of each level of experience, including first level, until the character has developed at least two Obsessions.
• Level of Education and Skill Selection:
  Standard, a preacher can come from any walk of life before being trained by the Vatican. Some continue their education within the Vatican and are able to receive any level of education, but it is not mandatory.
• Hand-to-Hand Combat:
  Combat skills are not automatic. They must be selected as a learned skill.
• Attacks Per Melee (Hand-to-Hand):
  As with all super beings, the character automatically gets two attacks per melee round. Any additional attacks must be developed through combat skills.
• Weapons and Armor:
  Unless the character is extremely wealthy, only conventional weaponry and body armor would be available.
• Structural Damage Capacity (S.D.C.):
  All preacher characters have a base S.D.C. of 30, which can be increased by selecting certain physical skills.
• Available Financial Resources:
  Unless the preacher has left the service of the Vatican, the character will have 4D6x100 dollars available in ready cash and will receive a bi-weekly salary of $1000 at first level and an additional $250 with each additional level of experience starting at level 2. This is in addition to a possible life savings (see optional rules in the Heroes Unlimited 2nd Edition Main Book). There is a 01-60% likelihood that the character owns his or her own car; 1D6 years old and in good condition.