Faith in the God-Emperor can inspire acts of heroic scale. Those inspired by the Imperial Creed have accomplished great feats, their hearts filled with fervor and righteous zeal. They may run faster, strike harder, focus their hand and eye upon a hated foe, or even ignore potentially deadly injuries.
The first time you select this Talent, you gain 3 Faith and you gain access to the 'Lesser Acts of Faith' listed below. To gain access to 'Greater Acts of Faith', you must purchase this Talent a second time. Your second purchase also grants you an additional 2 Faith, for a total of 5. You may use this talent only once per round, and unless otherwise noted, spending Faith is a free action.
Lesser Acts of Faith
● Righteous Charge - Spend 1 Faith to move up to your [Speed + 1] towards an enemy you designate. If you make a melee attack against that enemy this turn you gain +1 ED on your attack. While you are permitted to circumnavigate hazards and impassable terrain, generally each square of movement must bring you closer to your foe (as always, the GM has the final say). Alternatively, you may spend 1 Faith to grant this effect to an ally who can see and hear you, with the same rules for movement applying.
● Holy Smite - Spend 1 Faith to gain a +2 bonus to hit, damage, and AP against a foe with the Chaos Keyword (at the GM's discretion, enemies directly in service to the forces of Chaos may also be valid targets for Holy Smite, even if they do not possess the Chaos Keyword). Additionally, allies who can see and hear you gain a +1 bonus to hit, damage, and AP on their next attack against that foe. These bonuses do not stack, and they fade at the end of combat. Holy Smite's bonus increases to 3 at Tier 4, and to 4 at Tier 5.
● Glorious Champion - Spend 1 Faith. You may spend up to your [Rank] in Glory without draining the Glory Pool - though you may not spend more Glory than currently exists in the pool. Additionally, the next time an ally who can see and hear you spends Glory during this combat or scene, they gain dice equal to [Glory Spent + 1] instead of the normal bonus. If your party's Glory Pool is empty, instead of spending Glory, you may activate Glorious Champion to add your [Rank] in Glory to it. At Tier 4, this bonus increases to your [Rank + 1], and at Tier 5 this bonus increases to your [Rank + 2].
Greater Acts of Faith
● Stand Against Darkness - Spend 1 Faith. You gain a +2 bonus to Defense and Resilience. Allies who can see and hear you gain a +1 bonus to Defense and Resilience. These bonuses last until the end of the scene or combat.
● Lay on Hands - Spend 1 Faith. You may restore a number of Wounds equal to your total permanent Wounds, with this healing split up however you choose among targets you touch. Unlike other Acts of Faith, Lay on Hands requires an action, and you may use it only once per day.
● Beacon of Power - Spend 1 Faith. All allies (this effect includes you) who can see and hear you are fill with righteous fury. They gain a critical effect the next time their Wrath Die shows [5 - 6]. Additionally, if any enemies can see and hear you when you activate this power, the first time their Wrath die shows a [6], they gain no bonus effect. These bonuses fade at the end of a scene or combat.
What the heck is 'Stunting'?
Stunting is when you describe what your character is doing, only way cooler. Instead of saying, 'I hit him with my sword', you say something like, 'I lock eyes with my opponent and streak across the battlefield, my powersword trailing blue light as I aim for his heart'. Stunts are rated at 1, 2, or 3 points and give you a +10, +20, or +30 bonus, respectively. The example given above would be considered a 1-point stunt. 2-point stunts should incorporate the environment, the character's relationships and/or goals, or make use of the scene in some exciting way. There is no clear guide for 3-point stunts, save that they should be impressive and rare. If everyone at the table (or in the chat!) is wowed, it's probably a 3-point stunt.
Is stunting exclusive to the Emperor's Children?
No, everyone is free to compose overly dramatic descriptions and make an ass of themselves. The Emperor's Children just took it to a whole other level.
Why did Daymiar come up with those names?
Because he was Emperor’s Children and that’s what they do.
Eagle-Wing Style
Originally created by an Emperor's Children Captain named Leon Daymiar, Eagle-Wing's unquestionable flourish, panache, and usefulness allowed it endure among a Legion in which virtually every Astartes sought to distinguish himself by developing his own school of swordplay. Daymiar was murdered by his brothers on Istavaan III, though his swordmanship techniques and his treatises on melee combat survived him. Eagle-Wing Style is even practiced by some Chapters within the Imperium of Man, albeit always attributed to a different source (typically the Blood Angels).
Eagle Takes Flight
Type: Passive
Prerequisite: --
So long as the character and his allies are outnumbered, he gains a bonus to his Initiative rolls. This bonus is equal to the amount by which he is outnumbered, and cannot equal more than twice his Perception bonus. For example, if he is facing off against three opponents, he gains a +2 bonus.
Should the character find that a social situation (such as a state dinner or while attending an opera) has abruptly turned violent or become an assassination attempt, he gains extra Initiative equal to his Fellowship bonus. This extra Initiative can explicitly stack with any bonuses from Eagle Takes Flight. In addition, he gains a +10 bonus on all rolls to detect ambush or treachery, though again, only in social situations. It’s supremely important to be poised and graceful, even when people are trying to murder you over dinner.
Talon Catching Maneuver
Type: Passive
Prerequisites: Eagle Takes Flight
Whenever the character wins initiative over all other combatants, he gains an extra half-action on each of his turns. This bonus persists for a number of rounds equal to his Agility Bonus.
The swordsman's superior skill has made him a whirlwind of death. When he stunts on a roll, his minimum damage is equal to the rating of the stunt, instead of 0. Stunts based on Emperor's Children combat philosophy or Legion doctrines are explicitly considered one point higher for the purposes of this talent.
Convocation of Eagles Superiority
Type: Passive
Prerequisites: Feather-Flourishing Riposte
Recharge: Perform a 2+ rating stunt or 1 day.
The character's level of finesse and expertise has allowed him to leave behind the childish fumbling of his inferiors, even when tempting the hand of Fate. When the character spends a Fate point to re-roll a failed check, he rolls twice and selects the better result. Once the swordsman has tested Fate in this way, he cannot do so again until he performs a stunt rated 2+ and proves himself worthy once more. Stunts raised to a 2+ rating through Feather-Flourishing Riposte explicitly do not recharge Convocation of Eagles Superiority.
Prey-Seizing Lunge
Type: Active, Half Action
Prerequisites: Talon Catching Maneuver
Recharge: Successfully parry two or more attacks in a round or 2 rounds.
The swordsman makes a swift, faultless attack that leaves no room for error. This attack cannot be parried, and any dodge attempts suffer a -30 penalty.
Downdraft of Feathers Departure
Type: Reaction
Trigger: The character parries a melee attack.
Prerequisites: Prey-Seizing Lunge, Feather-Flourishing Riposte
After successfully parrying a melee attack, the character may immediately take a free Half-Move action. He may travel in any direction, so long as it continuously carries him away from the opponent whose attack he parried. This typically moves him out of range of multiple-attack combos, though some opponents may have Talents that allow them to pursue.
“‘These planets were hells. For generations we have recruited the strong over the weak, in the belief it makes our warriors better. I do not think this is so. Cruel people make cruel warriors make cruel lords. We need to be better. We need to rise over the need for violence and recognise other human qualities in our recruits. Your Chapter has ever understood this. If we do not, then we will fall prey to our worst excesses, the kind of thing that that represents.’ He pointed at Ka’Bandha’s name. ‘It has long been in your capability to transform these worlds. Baal Primus is dead, but you need not let your remaining people suffer unnecessarily. Will they fight any better for dwelling on a world that kills them? By sacrificing their children to the Emperor’s service, they have earned a better life. Once you have torn that blasphemy down, raise up the population of Baal Secundus. Teach them what we are fighting for. A line must be drawn between what is good and what is evil, for if the Great Enemy comes with offers of power to a wretch, what reason does he have to refuse hell if he dwells in it already?’ Guilliman was tense. Dante had not expected that in the Lord of Ultramar. Guilliman was impatient to change things. He was angered by what he had found upon his rebirth, and he was not hiding it.”–The Devastation of Baal
