In mythology, the Valkyrie are heralds of the gods, and scour battlefields looking for worthy souls to recruit to the service of their gods.
These tales have been passed down four countless centuries, and are still celebrated today among the folk of the northern regions and their allies.
However, there are other lesser-known tales, which tell of the rare occasion when the essence of a Valkyrie is reborn in the body of a mortal.
In some of these tales, the Valkyrie was slain in a great battle and is reborn as part of the cosmic cycle of reincarnation.
In others, their spirit was exiled and imprisoned in a type of hybernation as punishment for rebelling against the deities they once served.
Regardless of the reason, their essence can remain dormant for generations,
passing from one life to the next without ever knowing the legacy they carry with them.
However, over time, their essense regains its lost power, and the mortals they are born into begin manifesting signs.
They find themselves impulsively drawn to conflict and acts of bravery,
while others experience whispers which guide them and alert them to hidden dangers.
And then there are a very few who find they are able to directly communicate with and channel this inner presence.
While all who manifest these signs usually go on to become great warriors in their own right,
only those in the latter category are able to connect with their past life,
and unlock the unique abilities of their legacy upon reaching adolescence.
In combat, these lucky few are blessed with a combination of strength and grace,
favoring precise strikes and tactics which capitalize on openings created by their previous attacks.
Though skilled in all manner of weaponry, they naturally favor the use of shields, spears, hammers, polearms, and bows.
Over the course of their journey, they eventually reach a point where they are able to fully connect with who they once were, an event known as "Awakening".
It is at this point that they can choose to embrace their talents in service of a deity, or forge a new path independent of the machinations of the Outer Planes.
Valkyries can be of any race, but they are always female.
They can also be of any alignment or ethos, but they tend to favor the chaotic tendencies of their Aesir heritage.
The following are the initial stats and proficiencies of the Valkyrie:
Hitpoints
10 + CON modifier
Attacks / Magic
Trained in Simple Weapons
Trained in Martial Weapons
Trained in Unarmed Attacks
Trained in Divine spellcasting (CHA)
Defenses
Trained in Light Armor
Trained in Medium Armor
Trained in Unarmored Defense
Skills
Trained in Valkyrie class DC
Expert in Perception
Trained in Athletics or Acrobatics
3 + INT modifier
Saves
Expert in Fortitude
Expert in Will
Trained in Reflex
The following are the base abilities of the Valkyrie:
You have the benefits of your selected Ancestry and Background.
See the Ancestries and Backgrounds section of the Core Rulebook for more info.
In addition to what you get from your Key Ability, Ancestry, and Background, you have four free boosts to different attribute modifiers.
At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, you get four free boosts to different attribute modifiers.
If an attribute modifier is already +4 or higher, it takes two boosts to increase it;
you get a partial boost and must boost that attribute again at a later level to increase it by 1.
After succeeding on an action with the Attack trait, you enter a state of Grace.
While in a state of Grace, your Multiple Attack Penalty is reduced by 1 for each successful attack you have made that turn.
You remain in a state of Grace until the start of your next turn, or until you critically fail on a Strike, skill check, or saving throw.
Abilities with this trait may only be used immediately following a successful attack.
You may only use one Exalted ability each turn.
If the triggering attack was a critical success, the Exalted ability produces an additional effect listed in its description.
At 1st level and every even-numbered level, you may select a
Valkyrie Class Feat.
Choose one of the following specializations listed below:
ShieldMaiden
- You gain the Shield Block feat.
- You gain Shields as your Signature Weapon group.
- The HP and BT of your equipped shield is increased by 25%, and its hardness by 1.
Vanguard
- You gain the Fleet feat.
- Choose either Hammers, Spears, or Polearms as your Signature Weapon group.
-
When you draw a weapon from the chosen group, you may treat it as though it had either the Trip, Disarm, or Shove trait.
You may change the selected trait by using an Interact action to change your grip.
Huntress
- You gain the Point Blank Stance feat.
- Choose either Bows or Crossbows as your Signature Weapon group.
- Your ranged attacks with weapons from the chosen group gain a +1 circumstance bonus vs targets with any type of Cover.
At 2nd level and every even level afterwards, you gain a skill feat.
At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you may train one Untrained skill or increase a Trained skill to Expert.
At 7th level, you may instead become a Master in a skill in which you're already an Expert.
At 15th level, you may instead become Legendary in a skill in which you're already a Master.
Your proficiency in Reflex saves increases to Expert.
While in a state of Grace, you gain a 5' cirucmstance bonus to your movement speed.
Your procifiency with Unarmed, Simple, and Martial weapons increase to Expert.
You gain the Critical Specialization effects for all weapons you are an Expert in.
While in a state of Grace, you gain the following benefits:
-
If Shields are your Signature Weapon group, the hardness of your equipped shield increases by 1.
It increases by another 1 at 9th, 13th, and 17th levels.
- For all other Signature Weapon groups, the damage die size of your weapons in that group increases by 1 step (up to 1d12).
This does not stack with other effects that increase damage die size.
Weapon Specialization
Level 7
Weapons you are an Expert in gain +2 damage, +3 if Master, and +4 if Legendary.
Proficiency in Fortitude saves increases to Master.
When you succeed on a Fortitude save, you get a critical success instead.
You gain Electrical Resistance 5.
Proficiency in Valykrie Class DC and Divine spellcasting increases to Expert.
Critical failures on Strikes no longer end your state of Grace.
Proficiency in Perception increases to Master.
While in a state of Grace, you aren't off-guard to hidden, undetected, or flanking opponents of your level or lower.
Those opponents can still help their allies flank.
Profiency in Unarmored Defense, Light Armor, and Medium Armor increases to Expert.
Proficiency in Will saves increases to Master.
When you roll a success on a Will save, you get a critical success instead.
Critical failures on skill checks no longer end your state of Grace.
Your proficiency in Unarmed Attacks, Simple Weapons, and Martial Weapons increases to Master.
Gift of the Aesir
Level 13
1 Action
Divine
Focus 1
You manifest a bright pair of wings, granting you the ability to fly at your base movement speed.
While in a state of Grace, you are able to Step and Stride while in mid-air.
Lasts 1 minute.
Greater Weapon Specialization
Level 15
Weapons you are an Expert in now gain +4 damage, +6 if Master, and +8 if Legendary.
You may choose to enter the service of a deity that shares your alignment or ethos.
If you do, you are also subject to that deity's Edicts and Anathema, and may gain the benefits of your chosen deity's Minor Boon once per day*.
Impressive actions which promote your deity's Edicts may grant you their Moderate Boon (at GM's discretion) for 1 day or up to a single adventure.
If you violate that deity's Edicts or Anathema, you lose any boons and are afflicted with that deity's Minor Curse for 1d8 days.
Further violations will increase the curse by one step and increase the duration by 1 week.
You are not required to follow a specific deity. You may instead devote yourself to a general ethos.
You can perform an act of service to any deity which shares your alignment or ethos, which grants you one use of a Minor Boon during your next adventure.
Unless otherwise determined by the GM, you may only have one Minor Boon at a time.
* At the GM's discretion, some boons may only be used once per adventure or once per week.
You can now understand any spoken words you hear, and can speak to that creature in their native language.
Critital failures on saving throws no longer end your state of Grace.
Your proficiency in Unarmored Defense, Light Armor, and Medium Armor increases to Master.
Your proficiency in Valkyrie class DC and Divine spellcasting increase to Master.
While in a state of Grace:
| Shieldmaiden: |
While your shield is raised, you cannot be flanked by less than 3 creatures.
|
| Vanguard: |
You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to all Disarm, Shove, and Trip attempts. |
| Huntress: |
Attacking with your Bow or Crossbow in melee does not trigger reactions. |
You are now permanently in a state of Grace.
Gift of the Aesir now lasts 1 hour per use.
It instead becomes a permanent effect if you have the
Divine Herald feat.
You gain up to two creature traits from the Outer Planes, as appropriate to your alignment, ethos, and/or deity (GM's discretion).
