The general idea was to not make it a cliché ranger á la DnD but to give the character a nice toolkit to be more of a "defender of nature"-type, focusing on the nature aspect.
Edit: 06. Aug 2019:
Since the previous version of the Discipline was heavily inspired by the Purifier and Woodsman (both of which will be coming with the Mystic Paths book), most of what this Discipline did became somewhat redundant. I've done a complete rework of the Discipline, taking away much of the Mysticism and focusing more on the defensive aspect and Animal Companion theme.
Edit: 21/02/2020:
A bunch of more playtesting was done, switched around talents & fixed a few descriptions.
EDIT: 20/04/2020: Panda does things better if you want a discipline that lets the animals do all the dirty work
http://pandagaminggrove.blogspot.com/20 ... ne-23.html
http://pandagaminggrove.blogspot.com/20 ... nimal.html
I will cut down the Custodian into a Path for people who just want to give their character animal companion but don't want to commit to an entire discipline. The Discipline still stands as is, but Panda's Master of the Hunt will probably work better if you adopt his Animal Companion rules variant.
Discipline
Spoiler:
Custodian
Discipline Description
Custodians are devoted protectors of Nature who surround themselves with wild animals. Some might live their life as simple Foresters, tending to the trees and maintaining a healthy, balanced wildlife. Others will go about it more aggressively, directly searching out places where the natural balance has been disturbed to hunt down the perpetrators. What all Custodians have in common is their fierce affection for animals and their talent in taming them. The discipline is rumoured to originate from deep within the Liaj Jungle, where a community of Namegivers known as the Tamers reside, isolate from the rest of civilisation.
Main Attributes: Toughness, Willpower, Charisma
Karma Ritual: The Custodian spends 30 minutes meditating to commune with Nature. In a city, they would have to search out an area such as a park. During their meditation, they focus on their surroundings and how everything present is connected. Finally, the Custodian pictures the life cycle of a single year and a day in their current location, starting from the first day of spring. The Ritual ends when the Adept has, in their mind, once again reached the first day of spring and the cycle starts over.
Artisan Skills: Wood Carving, Sculpting, Body Painting
Half-Magic: The custodians Half-Magic includes knowledge of plants and animals. This allows for identification of common characteristics, attributes and natural habitats. They may also use Half-Magic in place of tests to make use of natural resources, such as the use of natural healing remedies or extracting an animal’s poison.
Novice
Novice Talent Options
Anticipate Blow
Avoid Blow
Awareness
Creature Analysis
Climbing
Dominate Beast
Melee Weapons
Stealthy Stride
Tracking
Throwing Weapons
First Circle
Animal Bond
Animal Training
Custodian Weaving
Wilderness Survival
Wood Skin
Abilities
Free Talent: Empathic Sense
Karma: The Adept may spend a Karma Point on any test which involves non-violent interaction with an animal.
Durability 5
Second Circle
Enhance Animal Companion
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Social Defense.
Third Circle
Animal Companion Durability
Abilities
Karma: The Adept may Spend a Karma Point on Recovery tests.
Fourth Circle
Borrow Sense
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Mystic Defense.
Journeyman
Journeyman Talent Options
Animal Possession
Distract
Inspire Others
Iron Constitution
Life Check
Resist Taunt
Safe Path
Sprint
Steel Thought
Tiger Spring
Fifth Circle
Call Animal Companion
Abilities
Journeyman Ability, Safety in Numbers:
Karma: The Adept may spend 1 Karma Point per round on any Action test one of their animal companions is making.
Sixth Circle
Blood Share
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Social Defense.
Seventh Circle
Lion Heart
Abilities
Recovery: The Adept gain 1 additional Recovery test per day.
Eighth Circle
Animal Talk
Abilities
Defense: The Adepts adds +3 to their Social Defense.
Warden
Warden Talent Options
Burning Vigor
Chameleon
Chilling Strike
Cobra Strike
Echolocation
Fluid Movement
Perfect Focus
Rally
Surprise Strike
Relentless Recovery
Vital Strike
Ninth Circle
Goring Attack
Abilities
Warden Ability, Primal Presence:
Karma: The Adept may spend one Karma Point per round on Tests which are powered by a Recovery test.
Tenth Circle
Lifesight
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Mystic Defense.
Initiative: The Adept adds +1 to their base Initiative Step.
Eleventh Circle
Lion Spirit
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Physical Defense.
Karma: The Adept may spend Karma in tests affecting their Animal Companions
Twelfth Circle
Vine Armor
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +4 to their Social Defense.
Recovery: The Adept gains 2 additional Recovery tests per day.
Master
Master Talent Options
Blood Insight
Critical Hit
Howl
Second Chance
Soul Aegis
Spirit Strike
Unflinching Fortitude
Vital Ward
Thirteenth Circle
Animal Leadership
Abilities
Master Ability, Blood-Bound Bestiary:
Defense: The Adept adds +3 to their Mystic Defense.
Mystic Armor: The Adept adds +1 to their Mystic Armor.
Karma: The Adept increases their Karma +1 Step to a d8.
Fourteenth Circle
Boodhound Form
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +5 to their Social Defense.
Initiative: The Adept adds +2 to their Base initiative.
Fifteenth Circle
Exalt Animal Companion
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Physical Defense.
Recovery: The Adept gains 3 additional Recovery tests per day.
New Talents
Knacks
Additionally, they have access to the following Knacks, with (x) marking the circle requirement:
Ambush Tactics (8), Exposure Resistance (7), Hidden Allies (3), Hunter’s Strike (5), Lay of the Land (5), Light as a Leaf (8), Race Through the Canopy (6), Take the Hit (5), Wastelander (6)
Discipline Description
Custodians are devoted protectors of Nature who surround themselves with wild animals. Some might live their life as simple Foresters, tending to the trees and maintaining a healthy, balanced wildlife. Others will go about it more aggressively, directly searching out places where the natural balance has been disturbed to hunt down the perpetrators. What all Custodians have in common is their fierce affection for animals and their talent in taming them. The discipline is rumoured to originate from deep within the Liaj Jungle, where a community of Namegivers known as the Tamers reside, isolate from the rest of civilisation.
Main Attributes: Toughness, Willpower, Charisma
Karma Ritual: The Custodian spends 30 minutes meditating to commune with Nature. In a city, they would have to search out an area such as a park. During their meditation, they focus on their surroundings and how everything present is connected. Finally, the Custodian pictures the life cycle of a single year and a day in their current location, starting from the first day of spring. The Ritual ends when the Adept has, in their mind, once again reached the first day of spring and the cycle starts over.
Artisan Skills: Wood Carving, Sculpting, Body Painting
Half-Magic: The custodians Half-Magic includes knowledge of plants and animals. This allows for identification of common characteristics, attributes and natural habitats. They may also use Half-Magic in place of tests to make use of natural resources, such as the use of natural healing remedies or extracting an animal’s poison.
Spoiler:
Novice
Novice Talent Options
Anticipate Blow
Avoid Blow
Awareness
Creature Analysis
Climbing
Dominate Beast
Melee Weapons
Stealthy Stride
Tracking
Throwing Weapons
First Circle
Animal Bond
Animal Training
Custodian Weaving
Wilderness Survival
Wood Skin
Abilities
Free Talent: Empathic Sense
Karma: The Adept may spend a Karma Point on any test which involves non-violent interaction with an animal.
Durability 5
Second Circle
Enhance Animal Companion
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Social Defense.
Third Circle
Animal Companion Durability
Abilities
Karma: The Adept may Spend a Karma Point on Recovery tests.
Fourth Circle
Borrow Sense
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Mystic Defense.
Journeyman
Journeyman Talent Options
Animal Possession
Distract
Inspire Others
Iron Constitution
Life Check
Resist Taunt
Safe Path
Sprint
Steel Thought
Tiger Spring
Fifth Circle
Call Animal Companion
Abilities
Journeyman Ability, Safety in Numbers:
Spoiler:
When fighting among allies, the Adept reduces the penalty incurred by Defensive Stance by 1. The player should describe how they are coordinating with their ally to achieve this.
Sixth Circle
Blood Share
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Social Defense.
Seventh Circle
Lion Heart
Abilities
Recovery: The Adept gain 1 additional Recovery test per day.
Eighth Circle
Animal Talk
Abilities
Defense: The Adepts adds +3 to their Social Defense.
Warden
Warden Talent Options
Burning Vigor
Chameleon
Chilling Strike
Cobra Strike
Echolocation
Fluid Movement
Perfect Focus
Rally
Surprise Strike
Relentless Recovery
Vital Strike
Ninth Circle
Goring Attack
Abilities
Warden Ability, Primal Presence:
Spoiler:
The Adept is surrounded by a primal aura that affects even the most territorial of animals, improving the attitude of any wild animal they meet for the first time by one degree – but not beyond neutral and only towards themselves. Wild animals will always choose to attack someone other than the Custodian, unless they have already been attacked by them. Additionally, the Adept’s presence will make even the most stubborn animals comply, allowing them to ignore one Rank in Willful.
Karma: The Adept may spend one Karma Point per round on Tests which are powered by a Recovery test.
Tenth Circle
Lifesight
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Mystic Defense.
Initiative: The Adept adds +1 to their base Initiative Step.
Eleventh Circle
Lion Spirit
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +1 to their Physical Defense.
Karma: The Adept may spend Karma in tests affecting their Animal Companions
Twelfth Circle
Vine Armor
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +4 to their Social Defense.
Recovery: The Adept gains 2 additional Recovery tests per day.
Master
Master Talent Options
Blood Insight
Critical Hit
Howl
Second Chance
Soul Aegis
Spirit Strike
Unflinching Fortitude
Vital Ward
Thirteenth Circle
Animal Leadership
Abilities
Master Ability, Blood-Bound Bestiary:
Spoiler:
The adept performs an eight-hour ritual to connect their pattern to one of their Animal Companions. Once formed, the connection cannot be severed except through death - the adept should therefore choose carefully, which animals to form this powerful bond with. When performing the ritual, the adept takes 4 points of blood damage and the animal becomes deeply connected to the adept’s pattern. The ritual can only be performed on 4 animals, each bond representing one of the advancements in their journey (Novice, Journeyman, Warden, Master).
If an affected Animal Companion dies, the adept must wait a year and a day to heal the blood damage caused by the ritual and cannot initiate a new animal to take the former’s place until the damage has been healed.
After the ritual has been performed on an animal, the adept can share up to three of their talents with all affected Animal Companions, by taking 3 Strain per talent before initiative is determined. Each use of this ability lasts until the end of the round and is limited to talents that provide a direct bonus to tests or replace another attribute, without requiring a test of their own (e.g. the defense bonus from Lion Spirit, the damage bonus from Surprise Strike, or the initiative bonus from Tiger Spring). Each Animal Companion pays the cost for the use of the shared talents during this time, while the adept themselves loses access to the shared talents that round.
If an affected Animal Companion dies, the adept must wait a year and a day to heal the blood damage caused by the ritual and cannot initiate a new animal to take the former’s place until the damage has been healed.
After the ritual has been performed on an animal, the adept can share up to three of their talents with all affected Animal Companions, by taking 3 Strain per talent before initiative is determined. Each use of this ability lasts until the end of the round and is limited to talents that provide a direct bonus to tests or replace another attribute, without requiring a test of their own (e.g. the defense bonus from Lion Spirit, the damage bonus from Surprise Strike, or the initiative bonus from Tiger Spring). Each Animal Companion pays the cost for the use of the shared talents during this time, while the adept themselves loses access to the shared talents that round.
Mystic Armor: The Adept adds +1 to their Mystic Armor.
Karma: The Adept increases their Karma +1 Step to a d8.
Fourteenth Circle
Boodhound Form
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +5 to their Social Defense.
Initiative: The Adept adds +2 to their Base initiative.
Fifteenth Circle
Exalt Animal Companion
Abilities
Defense: The Adept adds +2 to their Physical Defense.
Recovery: The Adept gains 3 additional Recovery tests per day.
New Talents
Spoiler:
Exalt Animal Companion
Step: Rank+WIL Action: Sustained
Strain: 0 Skill Use: No
The adept empowers one of their Blood Bound Animal Companions, strengthening their innate powers. They spend a week in meditation with the Animal Companion, then make an Exalt Animal Companion test against the animal’s natural Mystic Defense. For each success scored, the adept can increase the rank of a creature’s innate power by one (including those gained from applied Masks), or raise an Attribute by one step. The maximum total bonus that an individual Animal Companion can have is equal to the adept’s rank in Animal Bond – the stronger the bond an adept has to an Animal Companion, the more it can be empowered. However, no power may be enhanced beyond the talent Rank and attributes may receive a maximum of 3 increases.
In addition to strengthening an animal’s innate powers, usage of this talent can also grant the Karma ability equal to the Adept’s Exalt Animal Companion rank divided by 5, rounded down. In order to refill this pool, the Adept will have to actively involve the animal in their own Karma ritual. They must describe how this is done when first performing this talent. At the gamemaster’s discretion, the adept will only be able to include a limited number of animals per Karma Ritual.
When using this talent, the adept can also choose to move a point granted by a prior use of the talent to another power. Moving a point in this way uses one of the adept’s successes from the test. Creature powers with a negative effect, such as Willful, may also be raised but not lowered.
If an Animal Companion’s attitude drops below Loyal, they gradually lose the magical bonuses granted by this talent, losing one point per week from their bonus. If the adept restores their bond with the Animal Companion, they can use this talent to restore the bonus points, but the bonus points are otherwise lost.
Beispiel’s Animal Companion is a Snow Badger and they want to further raise the rank of the creature’s Freezing Aura power. Beispiel has the Exalt Animal Companion talent at rank 6 and a previous test has already resulted in a +2 bonus to this power.
After spending another week with the animal, Beispiel rolls a 37 on their test, resulting in a total of 6 successes against the animal’s mystic defense. They can now increase the bonus to Freezing Aura to the maximum of +6 (based on the talent Rank), and distribute the 2 points left to another power, for example its Enhance Sense [Smell].
Note, Beispiel ignores the Snow Badger’s Willful(1) due to their Warden ability, otherwise they would only have 5 successes to distribute.
Step: Rank+WIL Action: Sustained
Strain: 0 Skill Use: No
The adept empowers one of their Blood Bound Animal Companions, strengthening their innate powers. They spend a week in meditation with the Animal Companion, then make an Exalt Animal Companion test against the animal’s natural Mystic Defense. For each success scored, the adept can increase the rank of a creature’s innate power by one (including those gained from applied Masks), or raise an Attribute by one step. The maximum total bonus that an individual Animal Companion can have is equal to the adept’s rank in Animal Bond – the stronger the bond an adept has to an Animal Companion, the more it can be empowered. However, no power may be enhanced beyond the talent Rank and attributes may receive a maximum of 3 increases.
In addition to strengthening an animal’s innate powers, usage of this talent can also grant the Karma ability equal to the Adept’s Exalt Animal Companion rank divided by 5, rounded down. In order to refill this pool, the Adept will have to actively involve the animal in their own Karma ritual. They must describe how this is done when first performing this talent. At the gamemaster’s discretion, the adept will only be able to include a limited number of animals per Karma Ritual.
When using this talent, the adept can also choose to move a point granted by a prior use of the talent to another power. Moving a point in this way uses one of the adept’s successes from the test. Creature powers with a negative effect, such as Willful, may also be raised but not lowered.
If an Animal Companion’s attitude drops below Loyal, they gradually lose the magical bonuses granted by this talent, losing one point per week from their bonus. If the adept restores their bond with the Animal Companion, they can use this talent to restore the bonus points, but the bonus points are otherwise lost.
Beispiel’s Animal Companion is a Snow Badger and they want to further raise the rank of the creature’s Freezing Aura power. Beispiel has the Exalt Animal Companion talent at rank 6 and a previous test has already resulted in a +2 bonus to this power.
After spending another week with the animal, Beispiel rolls a 37 on their test, resulting in a total of 6 successes against the animal’s mystic defense. They can now increase the bonus to Freezing Aura to the maximum of +6 (based on the talent Rank), and distribute the 2 points left to another power, for example its Enhance Sense [Smell].
Note, Beispiel ignores the Snow Badger’s Willful(1) due to their Warden ability, otherwise they would only have 5 successes to distribute.
Spoiler:
Animal Empathy
Talent: Empathic Sense
Requirements: Rank 5
Restrictions: Custodian, Cavalryman
STEP: Rank+CHA
Action: Standard (see original Talent)
Strain: 2 (see original Talent)
Skill Use: No
Allows Empathic Sense to be used on Animals. Extending the talents duration to a year and a day with an animal costs 2 Blood Damage instead of the regular 1.
Animal Wood Skin
Talent: Wood Skin
Requirements: Rank 7
Restrictions: Custodian 8
STEP: Rank+TOU
Action: Standard
Strain: 1
Skill Use: No
The Adept can instead affect an adjacent animal companion with Wood Skin by spending a Karma Point and touching them. The Karma Point is a cost and does not increase the Action test, and the Adept must spend the Recovery Test.
Coalescence
Talent: Animal Possession
Requirements: Rank 8
Restrictions: Custodian 9
STEP: Rank+TWIL
Action: Standard
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
Standard Effects. Instead of leaving their body behind in a coma-like state, the adept’s body instead fuses with the animal. The adept may end the effect whenever they wish as a standard action. Should the animal go unconscious or die, is their body ejected from it.
Custodians also gain access to all animal-related knacks from the Game Master’s Guide:
Animal Handling, Augment Ally’s Form, Beast Summons, Empathic Command, Heal Animal Companion, Mold Ally’s Form, Sculpt Ally’s Form, Tame Animal
The Circle requirements of the existing disciplines are replaced by an equal Rank in Custodian.
Talent: Empathic Sense
Requirements: Rank 5
Restrictions: Custodian, Cavalryman
STEP: Rank+CHA
Action: Standard (see original Talent)
Strain: 2 (see original Talent)
Skill Use: No
Allows Empathic Sense to be used on Animals. Extending the talents duration to a year and a day with an animal costs 2 Blood Damage instead of the regular 1.
Animal Wood Skin
Talent: Wood Skin
Requirements: Rank 7
Restrictions: Custodian 8
STEP: Rank+TOU
Action: Standard
Strain: 1
Skill Use: No
The Adept can instead affect an adjacent animal companion with Wood Skin by spending a Karma Point and touching them. The Karma Point is a cost and does not increase the Action test, and the Adept must spend the Recovery Test.
Coalescence
Talent: Animal Possession
Requirements: Rank 8
Restrictions: Custodian 9
STEP: Rank+TWIL
Action: Standard
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
Standard Effects. Instead of leaving their body behind in a coma-like state, the adept’s body instead fuses with the animal. The adept may end the effect whenever they wish as a standard action. Should the animal go unconscious or die, is their body ejected from it.
Custodians also gain access to all animal-related knacks from the Game Master’s Guide:
Animal Handling, Augment Ally’s Form, Beast Summons, Empathic Command, Heal Animal Companion, Mold Ally’s Form, Sculpt Ally’s Form, Tame Animal
The Circle requirements of the existing disciplines are replaced by an equal Rank in Custodian.
Additionally, they have access to the following Knacks, with (x) marking the circle requirement:
Ambush Tactics (8), Exposure Resistance (7), Hidden Allies (3), Hunter’s Strike (5), Lay of the Land (5), Light as a Leaf (8), Race Through the Canopy (6), Take the Hit (5), Wastelander (6)