Aberrant humans sensitive to psionics and emotions
Awakened Heritage Traits
Average Height: 165 – 188cm (5’5” – 6’2”)
Average Weight: 59 – 86kg (130-190 lb.)
Ability Scores: +2 Charisma, +2 Wisdom or Intelligence
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal
Languages: Common plus any one.
Skill Bonuses: +2 Insight, +2 Perception
Aberrant Soul: Something in you is not of this world, so you are considered an aberrant creature for the purpose of effects that relate to creature origin.
Familiar Blood: For all race-based effects and requirements, you are considered to be a human as well as awakened.
Psionic Endowment: You gain one power point, which you can use to augment psionic powers and feats with the augmentable keyword, as if you had the psionic augmentation class feature. You are considered to have the psionic augmentation class feature for the sake of feats, paragon paths and other requirements.
Awakened Awe: You have the awakened awe background power.
| Awakened Awe | Awakened Heritage Power |
|---|---|
| You use your psionic sensitivity to turn your own suffering into your enemies’ pain. | |
| Encounter ✦ Psionic, Augmentable | |
| No Action Personal | |
| Trigger: You would spend a healing surge and regain hit points. | |
| Effect: You do not regain any hit points. Instead, you can deal psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier to one adjacent enemy. | |
| Augment 1: | |
| Effect: You do not regain any hit points. Instead, you or one ally who can see you can make a basic attack as a free action. | |
The key to humanity’s freedom, the awakened began to appear seemingly at random during the last century, bringing with them the gift of psionic power. It was these individuals who heard the mysterious voices beckoning them to the lands of Alm, and led their people across the seas. Although other humans later came to find the power of the soul within themselves, the inherent psionic nature of the awakened still sets them apart.
The true nature of the awakened is a subject of controversy; some consider the awakened to be the logical progression of human evolution. Others wonder if the awakened were created by outside interference—if an existing psionic race could have gifted their powers to humanity—or suspect that they are the result of an ill-conceived Overseer experiment. Some even hold them as divine beings, shepherds sent to guide humanity’s path.
Play an awakened if you want…
- to have native empathic powers.
- to be revered by your people, but kept at arm’s length.
- to receive visions of the past, and the future.
Physical Qualities
Awakened come from various human stock, but beyond that they don’t share any unique physical traits. They tend to be visually striking, but not necessarily beautiful—rather unusual and interesting, compelling in ways which are difficult to describe. Most are marked in some unnatural but minor way, such as strange eye or hair colours, tattoo-like birthmarks, strangely-shaped pupils, or other quirks.
Playing an Awakened
Most awakened have in common a somewhat introspective nature. It’s difficult to grow up awakened without an acute awareness of being different; even as children, they are usually quiet and thoughtful individuals. Their psionic nature seems to grant them a kind of unnatural magnetism which is difficult to explain, but most view this as a weapon, so it rarely leads to them becoming socially adept.
Having a great sense of the emotions around them, awakened often have difficulty being at peace. A good number seek solitude even when they are well-liked, preferring the “quiet” of keeping their own company. Nonetheless, most are held by their home communities as a sign of good fortune, or at least as special being who must be treated well.
Due to this well-intentioned othering, many awakened never feel truly at home in the place of their birth. For many, the life of an adventurer is simply the natural choice. However, some also believe they feel the call that caused their ancestors to lead humanity out of Parosea. These individuals are driven and determined adventurers, striving to discover new ways to help others.
Awakened are perceived as… Ethereal, bizarre, rare, visionary, emotional, sensitive, introspective, intriguing, restless, lonely, treasured.
Names: As the human, though they may also be given a title by their community, such as “dreamwalker” or “farseer”.
Awakened Backgrounds
Gifted Recluse
“I never asked for this!”
Although the awakened are normally celebrated by their communities, you have instead fallen into the role of the outcast. Perhaps you have hidden your true powers, feeling you are unworthy of adoration—or fearing responsibility. Perhaps your empathy is too strong for comfort, forcing you away from company just to hear yourself think. For whatever reason, you have secluded yourself until falling in with your current group. How and why did you join them, and was it against your own wishes?
Associated Skills: Stealth, nature
Associated ritual: Seek rumour (FRPG)
Village Mystic
“All big problems are made up of small things.”
While most awakened feel themselves destined for grand purposes, your concerns are for more immediate things—for the people around you and the community they form. The problems you solve may seem trivial to others, but you know that by dealing with them, you tend your community like a garden, keeping fear and hatred from ever taking root. Are you seen as a benevolent oracle, or a mysterious soothsayer? Perhaps even an imperious prophet, levying your aid for status and renown? And what has motivated you to leave the home you care so much for?
Associated Skills: Insight, streetwise
Associated ritual: Object reading (AP)
Messiah
“I have a duty—I must show my people the path.”
Like the visionaries who led humanity out of Parosea, you have a duty. Blessed with the ability to glimpse the road ahead, you must guide and protect your people as they seek their destiny. You recognise and accept this duty—but is regret also there in your heart? Do you doubt your own abilities, or is your resolve firm and unyielding? Do you worry for a home or family you left behind, or has your calling kept you from forming such bonds? And what, then, of your current companions?
Associated Skills: Diplomacy, intimidate
Associated ritual: Battlefield Elocution (D366)
Awakened Feats
The following feats include this heritage as a prerequisite.
Circle of Fate
Prerequisite: Abilen, Awakened or Gremblin
Benefit: When you or one of your allies misses all targets with an attack power, the next creature to attack one of those targets gains a +1 bonus to hit with that attack.
Fates Intertwined
Prerequisites: Awakened or Rahbe
Benefit: As long as you have at least 1 power point remaining, you ignore partial concealment, and treat full concealment as partial concealment.
Independent Thought
Prerequisite: Awakened or Rahbe
Benefit: You can still take minor actions while stunned.
Lion of War
Prerequisite: Awakened
Benefit: You may use your Wisdom modifier instead of your Strength modifier to determine attack and damage rolls for warlord powers.
Memory of Flame
Prerequisite: Awakened or Felbraug
Benefit: When you deal fire damage to an enemy not marked by you, that enemy cannot move closer to you until the end of its next turn.
Memory of Pain
Prerequisite: Awakened or Rahbe
Benefit: When you cause an enemy to take ongoing damage with a psionic or psychic power, the ongoing damage is increased by 1 per tier.
Memory of the Void
Prerequisite: Awakened or Rahbe
Benefit: Enemies take a -2 penalty to saving throws against fear effects caused by you.
Mindshield
Prerequisite: Awakened or Rahbe
Benefit: As long as you have at least one power point remaining, when an enemy makes an opportunity attack against you, they must make the attack roll twice and use the lower result.
- 5 years ago Add Initial publication
- 9 months ago Update Effect updated from static bonus to “disadvantage” style effect