Epic Blessings

When an elohim is promoted in Tier to Second Heaven, you may choose an Epic Blessing for them. You may choose a second Epic Blessing when they are promoted to Third Heaven, and then one final Epic Blessing when they are promoted to Archangel. This choice gives you, the Player, an opportunity to further express your elohim’s uniqueness as compared to other characters. While elohim serve the the Most High selflessly, they are still individuals and the Most High loves them each uniquely. Elohim do not feel a need for individual expression in the way that 21st century western culture understands. For elohim, being some quality comes first and that naturally leads to the expression of being that quality, without making special effort to do so. The expression is a consequence of being, rather than a means of being. 

Epic Blessings are either Accelerated Growth, a Covenant Item, or a Horse (or Horse and Chariot). There are also Epic Blessings that are only available when becoming an Archangel. Those options are Improved Balance, Ability Boost, and, if your elohim has chosen a Horse and then a Chariot, at Two-Horse Chariot. 

Accelerated Growth 

Accelerated Growth further enhances a choice you made when you created your elohim character. This choice was which Basic Attributes best described your elohim character. If you choose Accelerated Growth, your elohim will gain a one time increase of 40 points to their Primary Attribute and 24 points to their Secondary Attribute. 

Accelerated Growth can be chosen no more than twice. 

Balancing Increase 

Balancing Increase helps to strengthen your elohim’s weaker areas by providing a one time increase of 24 points to their lowest two Basic Attributes and 12 points to their middle two Basic Attributes. 

Balancing Increase can only be chosen as an Archangel Epic Blessing. 

Inspired (Player Character Only) 

Inspired gives your elohim 7 additional Inspiration Tokens at the start of each War. It also increases your maximum Tokens to 21. 

Inspired can only be chosen as an Archangel Epic Blessing. 

Covenant Item 

A Covenant Item is a powerful object that the Most High blesses an elohim with, along with the agreement to use that item in service to Him. Covenant Items are created in a tangible form rather than being symbolically manifested. A Covenant Item could be a weapon, armor, shield, piece of jewelry, instrument, or almost anything else. 

Covenant Items are the most complicated Epic Blessings, but also allow for the most unique results. When choosing a Covenant Item, you must tell a Host (other than yourself) that you would like to make a Covenant Item. That Host will then begin to think of rough ideas and share them with you for your feedback. If you like the idea, the Host will develop it further. If you don’t like the idea, the Host will scrap it and try another idea. Once you and the Host can agree on the details, you will have a Covenant Item. 

The reason for involving a Host is to provide game balance and reflect that fact that this item is created for your elohim, not crafted by them. You will never be forced to accept a Covenant Item you do not like. If you tire of the process before you agree upon a Covenant Item, you can choose to take a different Epic Blessing instead. 

While there is great flexibility in designing a Covenant Item, there are guidelines to help prevent the Covenant Item from being either too weak or too strong. These are only guidelines and are not rigid rules if the Host and Player agree that the Covenant Item makes sense and is balanced. 

The following is the Bonus Point system for Items. Covenant Items should have approximately 12 total Bonus Points worth of benefits. All the listed examples of qualities are positive, but it is possible (yet rare) that a Covenant Item could have negative qualities that would subtract BP from the total rather than add to it, making room for other benefits. Some examples of benefits include: 

• +7 to a Basic Attribute = 1 BP 
• +1 Speed, Precision, Guard, Force, Magnitude = 1.5 BP
  
• +1 Stamina = 0.5 BP 
• +3 Precision, Guard, or Force (usable on 3/Day) = 1 BP (must be declared before the Strike Roll) 
• Makes one Maneuver usable = 2 BP
• Boost one Maneuver by 1 Level = 2 BP 
• Makes a Spiritual Effect or Song usable = 3 BP 
• +1 Tier to a Spiritual Effect/Song = 4 BP
• 21 Resolve or 1 SPP to invest (in specific SpEff/Song) = 2 BP 
• 2 Adjustments to Perceiving = 1.5 BP
• 2 Adjustments to being Perceived = 1.5 BP 
• +1 Social Attribute Skill or Composure = 1 BP 

These examples are just a starting point to help you get ideas. In the end, the more creative the Covenant Item, the more enjoyable it often is for everyone. Also, look for ways in which the Covenant Item is advantageous, but doesn’t make the elohim nigh invulnerable. While that may sound fun, it will most often greatly reduce the fun for everyone. 

It should be noted that a Covenant Item is intended to be slightly more beneficial than other Epic Blessings. This is because the elohim can temporarily lose possession of the Covenant Item. This inherent risk also comes with greater reward. No one can use a Covenant Item except the elohim for whom it was created. Still, if the elohim and their group are Defeated, the victorious fallen elohim will likely take the Covenant Item to prevent the elohim from using it. This could lead to new missions trying to recover it, or it could eventually be recovered by other elohim (or NPC’s). While a fallen elohim may choose to keep the Covenant Item as a trophy, it is more likely that the fallen elohim will deposit the Item at a nearby Foothold or Stronghold for safer keeping and to prevent needlessly making themself more of a Target for holy elohim. 

You may choose a Covenant Item no more than twice. You may alternatively choose to upgrade your current Covenant Item to a Greater Covenant Item, in lieu of a second Covenant Item.

Sample Covenant Items 

The following are examples of how Covenant Items could be constructed.

Horned Staff of Rallying Rams

• 3 SPP to invest into Battle Cry versions (6 BP)
• 3 SPP to invest into Ram Call versions (6 BP)

Potent Answer
Weapon that can alternate between a Sword wielded in 1 Hand and a 2-Handed Axe. 

• 1 Action Point to transition between Modes
• +21 Might (3 BP)
• +2 Precision (3 BP)
• +1 Mastery Level to Lunge Maneuver (2 BP) 
• Sword Mode
  • +1 Mastery Level to Counter Strike Maneuver (2 BP) 
• Axe Mode
  • +1 Mastery Level to Grand Parry Maneuver (2 BP)

Solid Response (pairs with Potent Answer)
Shield that can be combined with Potent Answer to enhance its 2-Handed Axe mode. 

• 0 Action Points to add to Axe 
• Shield Mode
  • +4 Guard (6 BP)
    • (-2 BP due to limited window of benefit)
  • +1 Mastery Level to Deflect Ranged Maneuver (2 BP)
    
• Axe Mode
  • +4 Force (6 BP)
    • (-2 BP due to limited window of benefit)
  • +1 Mastery Level to Swing Through Maneuver (2 BP)

Horse 

You may choose to give your elohim a Horse that they can ride. This Horse is purely a symbolic manifestation of the elohim’s increased presence and mobility, mostly during War. The Horse is not an independent living being and cannot exist separately from the elohim. 

Riding a Horse gives the elohim several benefits. First, the elohim can move farther, covering 1.5 times the normal distance when Moving. Second, Melee Influence is shifted by 1 in the favor of the elohim when the elohim is Striking or being Struck. Finally, the elohim’s Magnitude is increased by 1. 

Chariot 

A Chariot is a cart that is pulled behind a Horse. A Chariot protects the elohim from the Strikes of others. A Chariot adds +5 Guard to the elohim and also +1 Magnitude in addition to the Magnitude gained by having a Horse. Additionally, the elohim can carry one passenger regardless of relative Might and Endurance. The passenger does not benefit from the Guard bonus. A Chariot may only be chosen as an Epic Blessing if the elohim has previously chosen a Horse. 

Two-Horse Chariot 

The Two-Horse Chariot increases the bonus to distance when Moving to x2 the normal distance covered. It also provides a second Shift to Melee Influence for the elohim. The Two-Horse Chariot also gives and additional +1 Magnitude for a total bonus of +3 Magnitude from the Horse, Chariot, and then Two-Horse Chariot. Additionally, the Chariot is increased in size to allow 2 passengers that each benefit from +3 Guard. 

If your elohim has previously chosen a Horse and then a Chariot, then they may choose a Two-Horse Chariot as their Archangel Epic Blessing.