Isomular: Heroic Roles

Specialized Roles of Isomular


Each of the three core roles is common in Isomular, although it is not uncommon for multi-classed Warrior/Adepts and Expert/Adepts to be encountered. At the GM’s discretion characters may begin also as level 2 heroes with two levels in each role. Multi-classed combinations can then work to create some of the following specialized types:

Ascetic
Role Suggestion: Adept, Adept/Expert
Power Suggestion: Psychometabolism Focus
The ascetics of Kalashtam are famous for their dedication to the perfection of mind and sould through psionic oneness. Ascetics are usually devoted to achieving this mastery through the abstinence of all worldly pleasures and goods, as a means of honing their personal focus to the point where some say that the strongest ascetics are able to go without food or water for years, and are able to reach reserves of strength undiscovered by lesser psychics.

Assassin
Role Suggestion: Expert/Adept or Warrior/Adept
Power Suggestion: Psychic Weapon, Drain Vitality, Harm
The assassins of Isomular are well-versed in their trade, relying not only on their physical capacities to slay foes but their mental abilities, as well. Some well-known assassin’s guilds include the Order of the Red Cloak out of Zymvaj, and the Nightblades of Kalashtam.

Assassins are seen as a vital political tool by most cultures of Isomular, a tradition that goes back to the old culture of the isomulii, who felt that a single killer was infinitely superior to a thousand soldiers on the battlefield. The ancient Isomulii tradition of assassination in the arena of diplomacy and intrigue continues in to the present.

Diplomat
Role Suggestion: Expert, Adept
Feat Suggestion: Psychic Linguist
Diplomats are a much-desired resource in Isomular. A good diplomat needs to be experienced in dealing with many distinct and alien cultures, and ready and willing to learn strange languages, customs, and beliefs in order to best work with the diversity of alien life on Isomular. Those few who have the unique talent for psychic linguistics are considered especially valuable. There is even the College of Diplomacy in Kalashtam, where professional diplomats are trained from the elite citizens to work toward furthering peaceful relations throughout the lands.

Explorer
Role Suggestion: any (esp. Expert)
Feat Suggestion: Adapted feat
The explorer can be everything from a lone adventurer and cartographer looking to make a name for himself on down to a trained member of the Imperial Zymvajian Explorer’s Society, in which organized and well-funded expeditions are regularly sent forth at the whim of wealthy Zymvaji nobles looking for ancient relics, hidden mysteries, fabulous treasures and precious resources.

Mindblade
Role Suggestion: Warrior/Adept
Power Suggestion: Psychic Weapon, Supernatural Weapon
The mindblades are a feared and respected collection of highly skilled warriors who maintain a number of hidden monastic enclaves throughout the world. The mindblades seek perfection in the melding of physical and mental prowess, much like ascetics, but do not abstain from physical pleasures and goods to do so, instead seeking to harness their inner strength by embracing the emotional impulses of violence, letting their empathic sense for battle guide their way.

The mindblades of the Bael have formed long established military orders who hold no allegiance to the kingdoms of the world, instead offering dedicated military contracts as mercenaries. Some orders have been under the employ of specific cities and nations for centuries, others only engage in short-term contacts. Known orders of the mindblades include the Silver Thorns, the Fire Scorpions, the Gilded Knives, and the Sword Saints. Not all members of these orders are Bael, as they accept anyone of sufficient skill and worth, but the Bael are certainly most common.

Oracle
Role Suggestion: Adept
Power Suggestion: Vision
Oracles are actually surprisingly rare in a world rife with psychic powers. The power to see the future, and to witness visions of things to come is a rare blessing and curse. Most children who manfest oracular powers are quickly taken to one of the known mountainous enclaves of the land, where oracles gather in designated neutral regions, to offer up their powers of vision to the kingdoms of the land, for a price.

As often as the enclaves of the oracles receive great wealth from kings who seek their wisdom and portents, there have been times when the oracles offend with terrible visions of disaster, and some rulers, unwise and unwilling to accept their visions of doom, have gone on to disaster, then turned around and struck out at the oracles for producing the vision in the first place. As such, many oracle’s compounds are well-protected, either with a garrison of soldiers recruited from dedicated locals, or sometimes hired from a mercenary order of mindblades.

Psychic Apostate
Role Suggestion: Expert or Warrior only
Feat Suggestion: Must have Soulless feat
On certain rare occasions a human is born who lacks the power of psionics, and indeed seems to be utterly resistant to such powers (see the Soulless feat for more.) These people are valued for their strong resistance to psychic powers, and an almost indomitable mind against psychic intrusion. Nobles will pay generously for the services of such an apostate to aid them against dangerous psychics seeking to manipulate their courts and very persons.

Some psychic apostates group together and seek to find a new life away from the greater world. The children of two such psychic apostates usually, though not always prove to be resistant, as well. These communities are usually quite remote and hostile to foreign intrusion.

Psychic Warrior
Role Suggestion: Warrior/Adept
Power Suggestion: Enhance Ability, Combat Sense
The psychic warrior is the most common psionically adept soldier, often elevated to elite rank as a knight for his proficiency in both mental and physical arts. Not unlike the mindblades, psychic warriors are skilled at integrating their total mental and physical skill in to a fine-tuned weapon, but they tend not to belong to any specific order, and are often found as knights in service to the local nobles. Some psychic warriors wander, seeking to make their own way in the world.

Technomancer
Role Suggestion: Adept/Expert with Psychometry Focus
Power Suggestion: Object Reading
Technomancers are valued for their unusual talent for understanding machinery and other objects usually perceived as psychically inert to most. Technomancers are often prone to skills in which they become especially adept at understanding and creating machines, and are fascinated with ancient artifacts. Some become employed for their curious gadgets they can create, and others gain employment by helping to design weapons of war. A few work with antiquarians to unravel the mysteries of ancient artifacts.

Voice
Role Suggestion: Expert/Adept, Eldaram
Power Suggestion: Fascinate feat, Telepathy and Psychometry Foci
The Voices are the enigmatic priesthood, consisting only of the Eldaram, who have not invited any other humanoid or insect sentient to join their elite order. The Voices serve to keep the Coral Ark functioning, and listen to its ancient voice for guidance in the world, and to act upon its wisdom. The Voices are a mixture of priest, scholar, teacher and student. They gather information requested by the Architect, and in turn are sent forth to disseminate information or perform deeds it has decided are important to its children, the descendents of Terra.

The Voice is a great role for characters who want a built-in plot device that insures they will always be given something to do, sooner or later, no matter how bizarre or incomprehensible it may seem!