Holy Champions Homebrew draft 1

Holy Champions Homebrew draft 1
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Character Creation

You're a Champion of one of the many gods. Congratulations! This means that you're competent (in some field, at least) and have been chosen as a defender of civilization against corrupting forces which would turn mankind into wanton hedonists. With some luck, you probably won't be taking it up the butt from a tainted werewolf (soon).


Step 1: Stats

The first step is to assign your stat dice. You start with six d6, for a total of 36 dice points. There's no upper limit to a dice size, but the lower limit is d4. You can only give yourself even-numbered dice.
(If you intend to stack dice on a stat, it is better to give that stat multiple smaller dice than one large die.)

Your core stats include:
	-Strength: physical power, toughness, and stamina.
	-Dexterity: agility and coordination; skill with your hands.
	-Intelligence: cleverness and quickness of thought.
	-Spirit: conviction and mental tenacity.


Step 2: Traits

Next, personalize your Champion by giving them a few traits. Traits are extremely versatile, and their versatility depends on your framing. You can phrase them as bits of your Champion's history: "I used to fix cars with my dad." You can phrase them as facts about your Champion: "I've worked with cars and understand them well." You can phrase them as skills: "Auto repair." You can phrase them as attitudes: "I'm comfortable working with cars."

You get 4d6 (24 dice points) for traits to start with. Like with stat dice, you can reduce a die by even numbers to add to another die, and the lowest you can go is still 1d4. You can give multiple dice to one trait, e.g. "I know a lot about monsters, 1d6+1d8," or "I'm a great sweet-talker, 2d6."

1d6 is average for a trait, so the most straightforward way to use d4s is to take them as disadvantages, since you'll probably roll worse than normal with a d4. For instance, "I'm bad at driving in rain," or "I'm a bad liar." But you can still take them as apparent strengths. "I'm good in a brawl, 2d4" means that yeah, you're good in a fight, but things get complicated whenever you put up your dukes.


Step 3: Belongings

Belongings are important items that are important to your Champion; don't worry about minor things like your socks, unless those are important to your Champion. A normal item is 1d4, a good item is 1d6, and a bad item is 1d2. Add as many Belongings to your Champion as you like.

If you use an item for something it's not intended, you might damage it, reducing its dice size (e.g. from d6 to d4) until it's repaired. With continued misuse, damage will stack. A d2 item will break when damaged, and become unusable until repaired.


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Conflict and Resolution

You'll use dice to resolve conflicts between your Champion and the other characters. All actors in a conflict roll their own dice, which represent their leverage in the conflict. The more dice you roll, the more you dictate how conflict goes. Your dice give your character's actions and reactions consequence. If you throw a punch, the dice determine how that goes.

When a conflict starts, stakes are determined, then appropriate stat, trait, and item dice are rolled. If you can't overcome your opponent with relevant stats, traits, and items, you can escalate (or de-escalate) the conflict to bring in other stats, traits and items. An actor who doesn't feel like escalating can drop out of the conflict. After any and all escalation has happened, whoever has the top dice decides what is done with the stakes.


Corruption

As a Champion, you're bound to encounter the influences you've been appointed to keep at bay. Pacifying the corrupt will always result in a Champion being corrupted themselves, moreso if it doesn't occur on the Champion's terms. When a Champion triumphs over a corrupt creature, they incur a penalty of one dice size (two dice points) to their Spirit.

When the corrupt creature has their way with a Champion, the Champion must roll their Spirit. The result is rounded down to an even number, and this number becomes the value of all dice for one of the Champion's stats, in addition to the Spirit penalty that occurs when the Champion wins.

Stat dice reduced to d2 can still be used in conflict, but if a Champion's Spirit is reduced to d0, they cannot participate in conflict, and must seek purification at a holy site. Purification will restore all stats to their normal state.