ACKS: Flagellant Redux

The Joy and Purity of Pain

Art by Hannah Saunders

(C) Stellagama Publishing, 2018

I have decided to re-design my Flagellant class to fit the Heroic Fantasy themes of my Elysian Empire campaign setting for ACKS. In this case, the actual priests would be the Monastic ones presented in the Heroic Fantasy Companion. The Flagellant becomes a non-spellcaster. A darker equivalent of the Paladin, a fervent opponent of Chaos, using pain to purify his soul and unleash divine wrath at his enemies.

---


The followers of the Flayed Lady - called St. Maraella by the Bright Church - see pain as the pathway to penitence and spiritual purity. They view martyrdom as the pinnacle of faith a believer can achieve, and wounding of the mortal flesh as a road to clearing one's soul of dark Chaos. Their most devout holy warrior, therefore, is the flagellant - marching through the corrupt mortal world to call the sinful to repent and flogging his own flesh to ward away the bestial call of the carnal body.

An iconoclast, an enemy of slavers, resentful of the haughty, the flagellant fights with zeal. He - or she as is often the case - may lack training in heavy armor or in a wide selection of weapons, but makes up to that in burning religious fervor. A simple robe or a leather armor to his skin, he carries his characteristic flails to rend the flesh of the Chaotic idolater and the mortal tyrant.

Flagellant

Requirement: None

Prime Requisite: CON and WIS

Class Build

(see the ACKS Player's Companion)

Hit Dice 2 (1,000XP): 1d8 hit dice.
Fighting 2 (1,000XP): as a fighter, but:

• Weapon selection reduced to Narrow - bows/crossbows and flails/hammers/maces: 3 powers, 450XP.
• Armor selection reduced from Unrestricted to Restricted - hide armor or lighter: 2 powers, 300XP.

XP for level 2: 2,750XP.
Attacks, Saving Throws, and Magic Item Use: as a Fighter.

Powers: 5, of then 4 at level 1 and an additional 1 traded for powers at levels 5 and 9.

Level 1:

• Flagellation: the character can whip himself into a furious religious zeal. He suffers 1 point of damage per level of experience, but gains a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls and becomes immune to fear. The character may not retreat from combat while this lasts. Furthermore, the Judge may rule that he will have to attack, to the best of her lethal ability, the nearest enemy of his faith, even if the player thinks this is not a prudent choice. The zealous fury lasts until the combat ends (1 Power).

• Stigmata (re-skinned Flesh-Runes): innumerable scars from years of self-flagellation and other forms of self-punishment blessed his wounded flesh with holy protection - an armor of faith. At 1st level, the flagellant gains a +2 bonus to AC and decrease the damage from any non-magical attacks by 1 point per die. At 7th level, this protection increases to +4 AC and 2 points per die. At 13th level, the protection increases to +6 AC and 3 points per die. The damage reduction is applied per die. Damage can be reduced to 0, but not less than 0, on each die. The AC bonus from flesh-runes stacks with potions of invulnerability, rings of protection, and similar effects, but does not stack with armor. Attacks from monsters of 5 HD or more are considered magical attacks due to the monster’s ferocity (3 Powers).

Level 5:

• Martyrdom: upon reaching 0 hit points, the character may choose to remain in full fighting condition, functioning as if he has above-zero hit points, and applying any further damage as negative hit points. He may continue fighting until she reaches a negative number of hit points equal or exceeding his Constitution score, or stays conscious for a number of rounds equal to her level of experience - the sooner between them. Then he falls, unconscious mortally wounded. The price of his sacrifice is that he suffers a penalty of -1 per level of experience to both Mortal Wounds and Tampering with Mortality rolls related to that injury (1 Power).

Level 9:

• Holy Fervor: Any hirelings of the same religion as the character gain a +1 bonus to their morale score whenever she is present (1 Power).