Body Walker

"Do not fear, my child. As time passes, you will grow to appreciate my presence more and more………..in fact, I wager that you will find it nearly impossible to live without me."
——Unknown source

The Body Walker has been mistaken time and again over millennia as an undead monster or a demon, and even now, few people know the truth. Body Walking is an ancient practice, dating as far back as the arrival of the gods themselves. It is a primitive ritual that aims to relieve the practitioner from the ravages of death and time, forever chasing immortality through the sacrifices of their vessels. With almost all cultures that practice this, to receive a spirit into one’s body is to receive the highest honors, as most Body Walkers are powerful casters, religious leaders and shamans. When the Body Walker and the new thrall leave home, however, the rest of the world is usually not so enamored with this practice, and the suggestion of becoming a vessel for a Body Walker is viewed with contempt and revulsion. For this reason, many Body Walkers are skilled manipulators, easily convincing the young and impressionable to serve them in achieving their sinister goals.

The Body Walker is a three stage Talent.

Body Walker I

In the first stage of a Body Walker’s legacy, they shed their mortal coil, transferring their spirit into a chosen vessel, an inanimate object which can then be used to later transfer their spirit into the willing body of a living creature that touches it. They also learn to communicate through their vessel, and even force their will on a body they have inhabited.

Prerequisites

  • Any Philosophy Rank 8
  • Mental Rank 6
  • Ritual Casting Rank 8
  • Completion of the Essence Transfer ritual, locking your body and spiritual essence within a mundane vessel.
  • Cost: 3 Destiny points.

Features

♦ Vessel
Your body's essence and consciousness are tied to a vessel, a handheld object of your choosing, which you chose to inhabit leaving your mortal form behind. While within the vessel, you can perceive from it with your normal senses (such as sight and hearing), though you do not have any visible means of doing so. You may also communicate Telepathically with any creature within 30ft of the vessel, regardless of language barriers. Otherwise, you cannot perform actions while within the vessel, except for the abilities granted by this Talent.

When the Essence Transfer ritual is first completed, your body disappears, all gear and items in your possession falling to the ground. Your spirit will no longer age or die, as long as your Vessel remains intact. If the vessel is destroyed, you are killed, though you may be brought back through magical means (if the vessel is repaired and a Resurrection performed, or through the use of a Wish, Miracle, or similar effect).

♦ Mind Link
When a creature touches your vessel, you can detect its surface thoughts and feelings. In addition to communicating Telepathically, you can now convey thoughts and emotions and share memories.
♦ Possess Body
With the consent of the creature, you can possess the body of another creature of your race. When you do, you maintain your original statistics (Attributes, Attacks, Defenses, Hitpoints, Saving Throws, Powers, etc), and simply gain use of a body and appearance of the creature whose body you occupy. The original consciousness of the creature you possess is suppressed and effectively Comatose, giving you complete control over the body and its function. You can remain in this body indefinitely, though it will age as normal. If you are killed while possessing a body (either reduced to -½ your hitpoints or through some death affect), your spirit returns to your Vessel and the original creature dies. If you leave a body of your own will, the original creature's consciousness will regain control in 1d4 phases (and you cannot repossess the body within again gaining permission).
♦ Domination
You gain the Domination ability.
Domination
Body Walker Class Feature
Prerequisites: Body Walker I
Focus Action [FT 2, REC 6]
Components: V, S
Cost: 3 Resolve
Requirement: You must be inhabiting a body using the Possess Body ability.
Effect: You attempt to possess the body of another creature, taking control of its actions for a short time. Make an attack:
Range: Touch
Target: One living creature touched.
Melee Attack: Melee vs. Touch
Hit: The target is Dominated [SE, ST 6d10 vs CHA] (or until you leave willingly). The body you are possessing falls to the floor, Unconscious. When the target saves, you return to the body you were possessing. If the body you were possessing is killed while you dominated the target, you return to your Vessel as normal.
Master Augment, Distant Domination
[Body Walker II]
Cost: 2 Resolve Burn
Effect: You may now use this ability at a Range of 30ft. You no longer need to make the Touch attack.
Master Augment, Vessel Domination
[Body Walker III]
Effect: You may now use this ability from within your Vessel, with a creature with whom you have established a Mind Link. The creature must be touching your Vessel (in which case the touch attack automatically hits), or you must use the Distant Domination augment.
Master Augment, Perfect Domination
[Body Walker III]
Effect: The target may be any creature (not just living).

Body Walker II

The Body Walker learns to extend their reach into the minds of others at a great distance, but this power is only able to be used when the victim’s mind is at its most vulnerable: while the creature sleeps. The Body Walker can implant suggestions into the dreams of his victim, influencing the decisions they make once they are conscious.

As the Body Walker becomes more accustomed to being in this immaterial state, they learn that the energies of the universe have their own language. They learn to read and absorb the energies imprinted in the environment by those who came before, simply by entering the area.

Prerequisites

  • Any Philosophy Rank 9
  • Cost: 1 Destiny point.

Features

♦ Dream Walker
You can psychically project yourself into the dreams of any creature within 10 miles. While within the dream, you can make small suggestions that can influence the dream and help direct them to the location of your vessel. While your influence does not provide a strong enough compulsion to force a creature to obey you, most creatures feel a nagging urge to complete the suggestions.
Gain a +5 Talent bonus to any Social Skill checks made to Convince or Influence creatures from within the dream. Additionally, if you exceed the roll on an Influence check by 20 or more, you are awarded a Moderate Social Event, instead of a Minor one.
♦ Psychic Lore
By spending time within a new location, even if briefly traveling through, you gain psychic projections from the world around you, giving detailed history and knowledge about your location.
♦ Mastery of Mind
When you utilize a power with the Mind-Affecting keyword, you may treat your Philosophy Rank as 1 Rank higher. Additionally, increase the difficulty of any Saving Throws imposed by powers with the Mind-Affecting keyword by 1d10 [STP 1d10].

Body Walker III

The Bodywalker can now exert their will over any creature who touches their vessel. With this ability, many Body Walkers have managed to quickly enslave new creatures through compulsion and suggestion, often times with the holder of the vessel completely unaware of the manipulation.

The Bodywalker’s power expands to even control non living objects, the psychic imprints of the past still containing energy to be manipulated and twisted by one who understands it.

Prerequisites

  • Any Philosophy Rank 10
  • Cost: 1 Destiny point.

Features

♦ Suggestion
While utilizing the Mind Link ability to communicate with a creature, you may now exert some measure of will over them. You may make a suggestion that they feel compelled to follow, as with the Suggestion ability.
♦ Animate Object
You gain the Animate Object ability.
Animate Object
Body Walker Class Feature
Cast Action [CT XXX

, REC XXX

]
Cost: XXX
Requirement: You must be inhabiting your Vessel to utilize this ability.
Duration: 1 moment or until dismissed, dispelled, or disrupted.
Upkeep: Spend XXX to increase the duration by 1 moment.
Effect: You animate a medium or smaller sized object with in range, causing it to move and behave according to your will. You may move the object up to 50 ft as a Standard Action [REC 3]. If the object is a Weapon, you may cause it to move up to 50ft and make an attack (as with the Animated Weapon ability). In other ways, the object functions as an Animated Object for purposes of attacks.

You can command the object with particular precision, allowing you to thread needles, write messages, or the like.