Keep the Faith— but Don’t Forget Devotion (Feature Category)

In which I make the case for making characters of conviction.

Although there are many choices in RISE, ultimately the RISE rules prize coherence: a character’s divergent pieces should coalesce into a believable, decipherable, but nonetheless complex person for whom a player can reasonably make decisions. A potentially underutilized aspect of RISE is the grouping of Features by Feature Categories. Currently there are nine: Challenge, Command, Defensive, Devotion, Precision, Recovery, Skillful, Thaumaturgy, and Offensive. Each of these categories has an associated symbol, and many features will possess a watermark symbol that identifies its feature category. This aides the savvy character designer in picking out those features that enhance his prowess in a given area. Let us consider Devotion. I wish to make a case for how a character’s world view can enhance our appreciation of that character’s…character.

Initially, Devotion may strike you as similar to the Acumen category of Faith, and of course the two are related. The short version is that Faith, an Acumen, represents your devotion to a specific religious tradition or god; Devotion represents the degree of favor that your faith figure has bestowed upon you. Faith is your shield, and Devotion is your deity’s sword on your behalf.

A d20 acumen check using Faith can help you identify various religious practices meaningful to your character, ascertain whether it is safe to approach a sacristy in an abandoned temple, sound out the presence of the deific in a particular area, or allow you to offer a particularly persuasive prayer. I myself once memorably fired off a prayer that allowed an underwater rescue of an ally by that most unusual vessel, the octopus, sent from the Heavens. Do not underestimate the power of Faith, especially when it is truly practiced and thus figures as the North Star of your character’s worldview.

If you play a character who is driven by Faith, it is worth your time to investigate Devotion features. The Devotion Feature Category allows you to access benefits and powers granted due to acts of conviction. Indeed, you can even use acumen checks of Faith towards the pursuit of Devotion-based features.

For example, consider the Paladin, who protects people under the banner of his faith. He may pursue features that involve battle directly, meriting additional effects for wounds suffered for his cause (Templar’s Vows), or for defeating an enemy single-handedly (Pledge of Enmity)— but let us not forget the powerful if quiet strength of Sworn Faith, for which your paladin completes a rite to his deity and remains true to its dogma, receiving a Divine Power, and eventually, with the investment of more points, a +1 bonus to Valor. (Don’t forget to continue investing points in your chosen features—the advantages multiply, offering such varied beauties as damage reduction to allies, mental defense bonuses, and bonuses to auras.)

Of course, you will find that many features involve faith, religion, or deity and are not grouped under Devotion, but a quick study reveals that the features under Devotion all align to indicate a cohesive world-view wherein a benevolent (to your character at least) god rewards your acts of faith. Features indicated as Devotional all pertain to the earnestness of a rite performed to your deity of choice. Devotion, then, is an act of sincerity— and it is important to note that not every “religious” character is truly devoted, and thus, that not every “priestly” character should pursue Devotion-based features.*

I have mentioned in previous posts the necessity of having a plan for your character’s development: pursuing a feature category helps you shape your trajectory, both in terms of leveling up your character formally and in guiding your roleplaying experience, as you will have a certain list of goals that will help you meet the requirements for specific features. Besides providing some contours to direct your gameplay, focusing on a specific feature category grants you additional bonuses when you invest points in multiples of five. So, should you acquire five Devotion features, not only do you enjoy the individual benefits of the features; you are also entitled to a +1 bonus to Devotion, which allows you to choose a +1 bonus to a defense, a check, or an attack role after the roll is made. I believe this is to simulate that little bit of divine grace that kicks in when your own efforts aren’t quite enough to get the job done.

Tapping into the Faith acumen and the Devotion features would suggest that in the universe of RISE, faith is rewarded, and true devotion even more so. Don’t miss out on these benefits as you design your character of faith.

*As you explore more about Faith and Devotion in RISE, consider too the recommendations for combining themes to follow a specific “Path”— the “Priest” paths include Blackguard, Cleric, Druid, Invoker, Paladin, and Shaman. The Monk and the Paladin, often figures of faith, are grouped under “Warrior,” and some themes belong to multiple paths.