THE GIOVANNI LANZA

Edited by Chris Bennett

CHAMPION Illustration by Giovanni Lanza

The gods are fickle creatures by nature, always fighting and

feuding with one another. Sometimes mortals get caught up in Avatar Form
these conflicts; clerics and priests heal the sick, while paladins When you take on the form granted to you by your god,
and the like smite the wicked and uphold law and good. You roll+CHA. On a 10+, you transform into your avatar form. On
however, were chosen. a 7–9, you transform, but you must choose one of the following
The gods chose you, whether you wanted to be chosen or not, complications:
to be their voice in the mortal realm. Nevermind that you were • Your connection to your deity is weak, take -1 ongoing
on your way to becoming something else. They have bestowed in avatar form until you make camp.
upon you powers beyond imagining. With a single word, you • The transformation is unstable, you’ll have to change
can transform into an avatar of your god’s will. You can soar back to normal soon.
through the sky, shrug off blows that would kill a mortal man, • The transformation puts stress on your mortal form,
and more. You are more than just a hero. No, that word no take a debility of the GM’s choice when you change back.
longer describes you.
In either case, once the task you called upon your deity for is
You are a superhero. completed, you change back to normal. When in avatar form, you
gain hit points equal to your level, and you have a rearranged
set of stats. In addition, you have 3 power points to be divided
NAMES amongst the following powers, chosen at character creation
Favored Soul (if you put 2 power points into a power, you gain the power in
parentheses):
Choose a name from the class that you take a move from.
• Divine Might: When using hack and slash, roll one die
step higher on damage. (When using hack and slash, roll
LOOK two steps higher on damage.)
• Supernatural Resilience: You gain 2 armor. (You gain 3
Choose one for each:
armor.)
• Bright Eyes, Dark Eyes, or Eager Eyes
• Deific Influence: You gain influence of something related
• Styled Hair, Shaved Head, or Shaggy Hair to your god’s domain. (You are immune to something
• Fancy Clothes, Peasant Garb, or Ornate Robes related to your god’s domain.)
• Fit Body, Thin Body, or Bulky Body • Up, Up, and Away: You can leap, hover, and glide. (You
can fly, whether it be with or without wings.)
STATS • Weapon of God: You gain a weapon that has two of the
following tags: forceful, ignores armor, messy, or precise.
Your maximum HP is 8+Constitution. (Your weapon has three of the tags.)
Your base damage is d6.
Apprentice Champion
START I N G M O V E S Choose one class that is not being played. Gain one starting
Choose a race and gain the corresponding move: move from that class.

Favored Soul Nemesis

You may be a dwarf, elf, human, or something else, but you have Your faith as enemies and you are sworn to fight them. Define
been touched by your deity. You maintain one of your avatar a major threat to your faith. When you oppose this threat, its
powers even in champion form, but you have a tell while using it. machinations, or its minions, reroll any 1s. You must keep the
second roll. You also cannot hide from your enemies in your
You start with these moves: avatar form.

GRIM P O R T E N T S # 2 37
ALIGN M E N T
Choose an alignment:
• Good: Protect an innocent in the name of your deity.
• Evil: Kill an innocent in the name of your deity.

GEAR
Your Load is 8+STR. You have dungeon rations (5 uses, 1 weight).
Choose one:
• Chainmail (1 armor, 1 weight)
• Adventuring gear (5 uses, 1 weight)
Choose your armament:
• Blessed blade (close, +1 damage, 2 weight)
• Traveler’s staff (close, two-handed, 1 weight)
• Sacrificial dagger (hand, 1 weight)
Choose one:
• Adventuring gear (5 uses, 1 weight)
• Shield (+1 armor, 2 weight)
• 2 healing potions (0 weight)

BONDS
Fill in the name of one of your companions in at least one:
• ____________ is a devout servant of the gods; I trust them
completely.
• ____________ works with dangerous forces, I must try to
protect them from themselves.
• I will convert ____________ over to my faith.
• ____________ has proved their loyalty to me.

ADVAN C E D M O V E S
When you gain a level from 2–5, choose from these moves.
Journeyman Champion
You gain another move from the class that you chose at first
Heroic Avatar level.
You gain another power point to spend on a power you already
have. In addition, you can choose from these powers if you put
a third point in a power: Inspirational Speech
• Divine Might: You gain the bend bars, lift gates move When you give an inspirational speech to your allies, roll+CHA.
from the fighter. On a hit, your allies gain a temporary bond with you until the
• Supernatural Resilience: You take +1 to defy danger. end of the battle. On a 10+, they also gain +1 Forward.
• Deific Influence: You can grant blessings in accordance
to your deity’s domain.
• Up, Up, and Away: You can speed through the air, carrying
Luck of the Gods
a great weight behind you. Dedicate yourself to a deity (name a new one or choose one
• Weapon of God: Your weapon has one of the following that’s already been established). When you trigger Nemesis,
tags: empowered with good or evil, surrounded by holy/ call a number from 1 to 6. If that number appears, you may
unholy fire, or bane to your arch nemesis. use divine guidance.

Arch Nemesis By the Power of Greyskull!

When you roll a 1 when opposing your nemesis, you can reroll When you transform into your avatar form, it’s a spectacular
that die twice, even if the second roll wasn’t a 1. affair, with energy flying out. Enemies within near range take
your normal form’s class damage. In addition, on a 7–9, you
can choose the following complication:
• Your allies are struck with divine energy and also take
your class damage.

GRIM P O R T E N T S # 2 38
Save the Day Fight My Battle
When you rush forward to save someone or something, roll+DEX. Requires: Inspirational Speech
On a 10+, you get there just in time, no matter how improbable.
When you give your allies an inspirational speech before fighting
On a 7–9, you get there, but not before the danger surrounding
a battle in line with your cause, they can resolve their bond
the victim escalates.
with you to roll 3d6 and take the better two on a single move.
When you gain a level from 6–10, choose from these moves
or the level 2–5 moves.

Superheroic Avatar
Requires: Heroic Avatar
You gain another power point.

Ack! Kryptonite!
Name something you are immune to. Then name your weakness,
and explain why it inhibits your connection to your deity. When
you come into contact with your weakness, roll+CON. On a 10+,
you resist the effects of your weakness. On a 7–9, choose one:
• Its touch burns you, take 1d6 damage.
• You feel your power slipping away, choose one power. You
no longer can use this power as long as your weakness
is near.
• You feel your connection to your deity weakening, you’ll
change back into your champion form soon.

Shazam!
Replaces: By the Power of Greyskull!
When you transform into your avatar form, it’s a spectacular
affair, with energy flying out. Enemies within far range take
your avatar form’s class damage. In addition, on a 7–9, you can
choose the following complication:
• Your allies are struck with divine energy and also take
your normal form’s class damage.

Divine Expertise
Requires: Luck of the Gods
You gain the commune and cast a spell cleric moves. When you
select this move, treat yourself as a cleric of level 1 for using
spells. Every time you gain a level thereafter, increase your
effective cleric level by 1.

Master Champion
Requires: Journeyman Champion
You gain another move from the class that you chose at first
level.

Pep Talk
Replaces: Inspirational Speech
When you give an inspirational speech to your allies, roll+CHA.
On a hit, your allies gain a temporary bond with you, and you
with them, until the end of the battle. On a 10+, they also gain
+1 forward.

GRIM P O R T E N T S # 2 39