Friday, May 9, 2014

Piercing the Viel: Sneak Peak inside Into the Breach: The Oracle

 Image by juliedillon and taken from www.Deviantart.com

I know this week we have talked quite a bit about the oracle class and the newest offering from TFPC games, Into the Breach: The Oracle.  Yet we haven't mentioned even briefly what is included in this installment of our Into the Breach series. 

I have to admit that when the base classes first released I did not touch the oracle for a long time.  I had only looked at the class quickly and decided that is was just a favored soul from 3.5 with a friggin' curse to boot that paid for this mystery thing.

However I was wrong, and once I bothered to get a deeper understanding of the class I realized it was well worth playing, and writing about.  What follows is a just a quick overview of the many new options for oracles included in, Into the Breach: The Oracle.

Archetypes

Karuna Sattva
A karunā sattva carries no simple curse or affliction; instead she bears  and relieves the ills of others. She is often crowded by those seeking her healing touch.

Diplomatique
Violence is a tool employed by those without the proper means to resolve differences in a more civilized manner. All life is sacred and the diplomatique derives personal strength from that revelation. He can be seen on bloody fields trying to avert further tragedy with calm words and  healing hands, divine power staying most who would raise weapon or spell against him.

Enigma Warden 
A whisper in the wrong ear can cause the downfall of a kingdom or challenge the divinity of a god. There’s a power in secrets, but only if they are kept. An enigma warden wields power in silence, swearing binding oaths with dire consequences if broken.

Ordained Scion 
Sorcerous blood can be granted rather than inherited when the gods will it. Discovering the reasons for this auspicious destiny often consumes those chosen.

Alternate Class

Warlock 
The warlock calls upon power from mysterious sources that are near divine. Occupying a place that has similarities to both the witch and oracle classes yet they differ in a key way, warlocks do not cast spells. They instead counter spells cast by others, call upon revelations, and blast pure magical destructive energy against those that oppose them.

Prestige Class 

Covenborn 
Sacrifices are made when power is one’s quest. A covenborn treads the line of completely losing sanity and racial identity, yet attains the powers of a hag coven as reward.

Mysteries and Curses
Five new mysteries including Intoxicant, Sand, and Volcano
Four new oracle curses including Addled and Ominous (that includes a special simple template)



2 comments:

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  2. I have some questions regarding the Alternate Base Class Warlock found in this book. Can anyone at flying pincushion answer them, sort of as a official ruling or point me into the direction of an Errata?

    The class feature Blast Resistance as written in the book makes little sense to me with the wording given. It says "as a standard action, the warlock may create a sheath of energy around herself granting her energy resistance 5 to the type of energy of her blast. This sheath lasts 1 round per warlock level." So is it only ever Negative Energy Resistance? If so why not just say that, why make it sound like it's a customizable thing? If it is a customizable thing then the wording doesn't reflect that and the mechanic doesn't make since? Can as a free action I pick a blast energy type that I have and then use the standard action to create the new energy resistance based on that? Mind you selecting a essence and form is listed as a free action in the Blast Evolution class feature description.

    Also counter curse is seems a little inconcise, what I mean is the feature says nothing about what happens if the next spell the enemy caster uses doesn't allow for saving throw, or if its a friendly spell they cast on themselves. it seems like a wasted feature since you can't possibly know if the next spell a enemy caster cast will in fact require a saving throw or be something that they'll cast at the party or you.

    any help clarifying this would be appreciated.

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