Dwarfs live in the shadow cast by their ancestors, silent spectators who watch over their descendants until the time comes for them to return to the world once more in the bodies of newborn dwarfs. The faith devoted to the Honored Dead preserves their histories, ensures dwarfs live and act as their ancestors expect, and inspires them through the old tales to reach for heroic heights in all that they do.
Priests hold an important place within dwarf culture, and when they speak, their authority equals that of the kings and queens.
Chroniclers emerge from the ranks of the Honored Dead’s priesthood as the keepers of the old lore and commit to memory all the old tales and stories of their kind. They tattoo their flesh with their family’s history, using every available place on their bodies to preserve the lore. This act of devotion earns them esteem from their ancestors and, when chroniclers call upon them for aid, the runic script covering their bodies flares to life, protecting, inspiring, and sustaining them.
While the chronicler expert path is intended for dwarfs who adhere to the tenets of the Honored Dead, you can adapt the path to any people who might venerate their ancestors.
Level 3 Chronicler
Attributes. Increase two by 1
Characteristics. Health +4, Power +1
Languages and Profession. Add the history area of scholarship to your list of professions. If you have this area of scholarship already, add a different one.
Magic Choose one of the following options:
- Discover the Battle, Life, or Rune tradition
- Learn one Battle, Life, or Rune spell
Faultless Memory You make Intellect challenge rolls to recall useful information with 1 boon.
Runescribed You record your story and the story of your people in the runes covering your body. The runes grant you a +1 bonus to Defense.
Level 6 Chronicler
Characteristics. Health +4
Magic You learn one spell.
Runic Might You can use an action and expend the casting of a spell you have learned to imbue the runes covering your body with power.
- If you expend a casting of a Battle spell, you can move a number of yards equal to twice the spell’s rank (minimum 1 yard) and make an attack with a weapon you are wielding. You can substitute Intellect for the attribute you would normally use, you make the attack roll with 1 boon, and the attack deals 1d6 extra damage per rank of the spell expended (a rank 0 spell confers no extra damage).
- You can use an action or a triggered action on your turn to expend a casting of a Life spell, you heal 1d6 damage per rank of the spell expended (a rank 0 spell lets you heal 1d3 damage).
- If you expend a casting of a Rune spell, you impose a number of banes on attack rolls made against you equal to the rank of the spell expended (minimum 1 bane) for 1 round.
- If you expend a casting of a spell from any other tradition, you regain the casting of a Battle, Life, or Rune spell of the same or lower rank.
Level 9 Master Chronicler
Characteristics. Health +4, Power +1
Magic You learn one spell.
Swift Runic Might On your turn, you can use a triggered action to use your Runic Might talent.