Tempus - Piety System Page

God of Battle

Battle will temper your soul, and struggle will reforge your spirit.

Tempus is the god of battle. He cares not for principles or rhetoric, only that blood should be shed and that one side should emerge victorious.

Tempus’ Champions

Alignment: Usually chaotic
Suggested Classes: Fighter, Paladin, Barbarian
Suggested Cleric Domains: War
Suggested Backgrounds: Soldier, Knight, Gladiator

Champions of Tempus are battle hardened warriors who find purpose and meaning in the clash of weapons.

Tempus’s Favor

Tempus gives his blessings mercurially, and is amongst the most chaotic and unpredictable of his peers. He grants power and prowess to those skilled in combat, often favouring those who exercise honour and skill over mayhem and skulduggery.

Tempus’s scions are therefore more commonly found in organized military forces with a code of conduct than elsewhere, but in truth the favour of Tempus can fall on anyone who picks up a weapon.

Why did Tempus seek you out as a champion? The following table offers a few suggestions.

d6	Circumstance
1	You were a high ranking military official before you fell from grace in a coup.
2	You were almost killed and left for dead on the battlefield, awakening on a field of corpses.
3	You single handedly turned the tide of a battle with your leadership.
4	You pioneered a new revolutionary battle technique.
5	You laid siege to and conquered a fortress said to be utterly untakeable.
6	You won a well known tournament of arms.

Devotion to Tempus

Following Tempus means dedicating your life to battle. As a follower of Tempus, consider the ideals below as alternatives to those suggested for your background.

d6	Ideals
1	Devotion. My devotion to my god is more important to me than what they stand for. (Any)
2	Heroism. I want the world to worship me as a living god.
3	Community. There are no bonds like those of soldiers in arms.
4	Excellence. Battle is the best way to hone my skills.
5	Luck. Each battle is a huge gamble with my life and it makes me come alive again inside.
6	Patriotism. I fight for the land of my birth, and I don’t moralise over it.

Earning and Losing Piety

You increase your piety score to Tempus when you expand the god’s influence in the world in a concrete way through acts such as these: Engaging in melee battle with an enemy of your strength Emerging victorious from battle having learned something new about yourself Losing a battle and taking on board what you did wrong that led to your defeat Your piety score to Tempus decreases if you diminish Tempus’s influence in the world or contradict her ideals through acts such as these:

• Dishonourable combat such as poisoning the food of an opposing army
• Engaging in extracurricular violence where the enemy is defenceless, such as torture

Deity Traits

Favoured God: Tempus

Piety 3+ Tempus trait
You gain inspiration when you drop an enemy to 0 hit points.

Tactical Thinking

Piety 10+ Tempus trait
At the start of each combat, after rolling initiative, you may choose an allied creature you can see. That creature may switch its Initiative score with you, if you choose.

To The Bitter End

Piety 25+ Tempus trait
Enemies within 5 feet of you may not take the Disengage action.

Chosen of Tempus

Piety 50+ Tempus trait
You may use an action to spend an inspiration die and rally your allies. Each ally within 30 feet of you gains a number of temporary hit points equal to your level, and ceases to be Frightened, Charmed or Paralysed.