The Devoted
The Devoted is a selfless protector, committed to a person or a cause.
Their central conflict lies in pitting this devotion against self-care.
Example Archetypes:
- Sidekick
- Champion
- Protective Friend
Aesthetics
(circle or invent one for each)
- Hard demeanor, affectionate demeanor, alert demeanor
- Armor, uniform, sturdy clothes
- A bestowed sword, a well-worn sword, a defensive sword
Stats
Choose one column of stats, then add 1 each to two different stats.
| Stat | Set 1 | Set 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Daring | +1 | +1 |
| Grace | +0 | +1 |
| Heart | +0 | -1 |
| Wit | -1 | +0 |
| Spirit | +1 | +0 |
Devotion
(choose one or invent your own)
To a cause: Freedom, vengeance, justice, love, the gay agenda
To a person: A PC, a liege, an idol
To a higher power: A god, a sexy dragon, a sentient planet
What three tenets of your Devotion have you found yourself tempted to violate?
Mark a Condition if you act contrary to your Devotion, for instance by violating its tenets or disobeying a superior.
When you Defy Disaster, you may bring a subject of your Devotion with you safely.
Non-Devoteds cannot take these moves with Advances.
Last Stand: When you face a superior foe on behalf of your Devotion, you may roll +Conditions (the number of Conditions you have marked) instead of the normal stat to Fight or to Defy Disaster that’s about to befall someone else.
What’s Best for Them: When you’re Smitten with someone, you may treat them as a subject of your Devotion. Also, when you take action to help them be romantic with someone other than you, mark XP.
Playbook Moves
(start with the move marked and choose two more)
Fanatical Self-Sacrifice: You may mark a Condition to prevent a Condition being inflicted on another. When you do, mark XP, and you may only clear that Condition by taking the associated destructive action. Mark it with an asterisk to remind yourself. Also, your Conditions only cause a -1 penalty to the associated basic moves (instead of -2).
For the Cause!: When you Fight the enemy of your Devotion, you can suffer a Condition to choose an additional option from the Fight move, even if you roll a 6-. You can inflict a Condition a second time within a single Fight move this way.
Gallant Rescue: When you Defy Disaster that’s about to befall someone else, you can either gain a String on them or ask one of the following questions, even if you roll a 6-. You can only gain one String per scene in this way on any given person.
- How do you feel about my Devotion?
- What secret pain lies in your heart?
Power of Conviction: When you Entice someone while extolling the virtues of your Devotion or invoking its authority, you may roll +Spirit instead of +Heart. A superior in your Devotion gains a String on you, representing your dependence.
Lay on Hands: When you touch someone as part of Emotional Support, you heal their physical ailments. Tell them how your Devotion sustains you; they mark an XP if they validate your Devotion, and you gain a String on them if they criticize it.
Loyal Steed: Name your steed and detail two strengths and two weaknesses from the following list. When riding your steed, you may roll +Spirit instead of +Daring to Fight and may take a person with you whenever you Defy Disaster.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Unthreatening | Unusual diet |
| Fast and agile | Conspicuous |
| Dangerous attack | Plodding |
| Hardy | Harmless |
| Stealthy | Stubborn |
| Mental bond | Collateral damage |
| Flying (counts as both strength choices unless flight is common) | Vulnerable to something common |
Toxic Devotion: Once per scene, when you forgive your Devotion for abusing you or make excuses for obvious problems with your Devotion, take +1 forward or mark XP. Also, once per scene, when you learn that another PC thinks your Devotion is problematic and you don’t defend it, mark a Condition and give them a String on you.
Truths of Heart and Blade
My Heart is Not Mine to Give: When you become Smitten with someone, say why, give them a String, and answer this question:
- How does pursuing them conflict with your Devotion?
What Will You Fight For?: When you Figure Out a Person during a physical conflict, you may additionally ask one of these questions, even on a 6-:
- What are you willing to risk death for?
- What kind of deeds earn your loyalty?
Playing the Devoted
The Devoted explores the concept of self-sacrifice and takes it to an extreme. Does your Devotion leave room for you to care for yourself? Does it make you confuse suffering with love? The best Devotions are sympathetic but flawed. Your Devotion should make sense, but it should also make demands on you—or inspire you to make demands of yourself—that are beyond what is healthy or sustainable.
If you approach the Devoted as if you’re the party “tank,” tough enough to throw yourself in front of every blow to protect your comrades, you’ll be heroic and powerful for a time, but then learn that everyone has limits. The more Conditions you have, the more powerful Last Stand becomes, but the more costly it is to defy those inconvenient tenets or push the attack with For the Cause! Your friends will have to be there for you, as well.
With Loyal Steed, you can only substitute Spirit for Daring. If you’re using the expanded Fight rules (page 219), this means that you can Lunge using Spirit, but you can’t use Spirit for Fight moves that don’t ordinarily use Daring.
If you free yourself from a toxic Devotion, but still want to explore its influence on you, consider advancing into the Seeker playbook. The Devotion shapes your Commandments, and you can play through the process of rejecting them and developing your own convictions. If you fear how society will see you, consider the Beast. If you’ve opened your awareness to a larger world but fear how you will be judged, consider becoming a Spooky Witch.