Holy Champions of Saluwe’ – the Rat Catchers

So with those changes, looks like we have the following:

Initiate:
Requirements: Anointed Priest of Saluwe or Holy Champion of Saluwe
Trained Skills: Tracking and Arcanum(Cants) or 1 Combat Skill
Talents: Weapon Training (Nets) & Weapon Training(Sickle) and Hunter:Vermin or Rebuke Vermin*

Master:
Requirements: Initiate rank
Trained Skills: Mettle and Larceny or Stealth
Talents: Weapon Mastery (Sickle), Learn Exotic Spell: Breath of the Dragon, and Slayer of Vermin* or Smite Infidel (Vermin Foe Type Only)

*Rebuke Vermin (Devout, Limited): When you cast rebuke spell, you can apply to creatures of the Vermin subtype.

*Slayer of Vermin (Combat, Limited)
Requirement: Hunter: Vermin
Benefit: Once per Scene, if you succesfuly attack any minion or common creature of the Vermin Foe Type (including Rat Men), you instantly slay (not Vanquish) that creature despite its Armor Rating, remaining Wounds or Stamina. IF the target attacked is not a minion or common creature, you deal your Passive Insight in addition ot teh attack’s normal damage.
Special (Limitation) : This ability may only be used against creatures of the vermin subtype.

I personally don’t mind the additional talent in the Master Tier as this is a pretty niche path. Thoughts?

I’m fine with that too. If there was a talent to be removed in the Master Tier, that would be the one.

One thing I wanted to call out is that we’re breaking the model here of 2 skills and 2 talents for a Path Tier. My recollection is that the original rulebook didn’t vary from that and I don’t recall if CoH did or not. It’s starting to be power creep which is something we should be careful of otherwise we’re putting original Paths at a disadvantage.

Do we need to add another Tier of the Path?

Also, if possible it might be nice to pick other titles than “Initiate” and “Master” that’s more in keeping with the flavor of the HC. Maybe Tracker / Hunter / Slayer if 3 Tiered, or Hunter / Slayer if 2?

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

None of the rest do. I think the issue with the Rat Catchers is that they simply have too many options. Very few other Paths present as many options as the Rat Catchers. Perhaps we need to tighten them up. As much as I like many of these powers, as Hat was suggesting there is enough stuff for 3 Paths when we should have 2 Paths:

Initiate:
Requirements: Anointed Priest of Saluwe or Holy Champion of Saluwe
Trained Skills: Tracking; and Arcanum(Cants) or 1 Combat Skill
Talents: Weapon Training (Nets and Sickle) and Hunter:Vermin

Master:
Requirements: Initiate rank
Trained Skills: Mettle and Stealth
Talents: Weapon Mastery (Sickle) OR Learn Exotic Spell: Breath of the Dragon; and Slayer of Vermin*

*Slayer of Vermin (Combat, Limited)
Requirement: Hunter: Vermin
Benefit: Once per Scene, if you succesfuly attack any minion or common creature of the Vermin Foe Type (including Rat Men), you instantly slay (not Vanquish) that creature despite its Armor Rating, remaining Wounds or Stamina. IF the target attacked is not a minion or common creature, you deal your Passive Insight in addition ot teh attack’s normal damage.
Special (Limitation) : This ability may only be used against creatures of the vermin subtype.

Joe, I agree with some of your options. I would include another as 3 Tiers for the HC.

I just realized looking over the write-up again that Arcanum: Cants or the choice of 1 Combat Skill is included in Tier 1. If you look at the multi-tiered Paths, those ‘preferred’ skills are given in the second Tier of the Path typically rather than the 1st (Ex. Sword Sage, Grand Master and whatever the Arcane Path is for Eldritch casters as the name escapes me at the moment).

Here’s my suggestion for how to tweak the Path and keep it 2 Tiered:

Initiate:
Requirements: Anointed Priest of Saluwe or Holy Champion of Saluwe, Hunter: Vermin and Weapon Training Nets or Sickle
Trained Skills: Tracking and Larceny or Stealth
Talents: Weapon Training (either Nets or Sickle whichever you don’t have, your choice if you have both) and Rebuke Vermin*

Master:
Requirements: Initiate rank, Weapon Mastery (Sickle)
Trained Skills: Mettle and Arcanum(Cants) or 1 Combat Skill
Talents: Learn Exotic Spell: Breath of the Dragon, and Slayer of Vermin* or Smite Infidel (Vermin Foe Type Only)

I think this keeps the flavor as described. One additional option is to make sure that Slayer of Vermin and Smite Infidel (Vermin Foe Type) aren’t limited once you hit T2 in the Path.

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

There are several Paths in the core book that give more than 2 Talents. hell, Beltinian Exorcist gets 4 at 1 point…

Giving the most flexibility, but putting the nix on the Initiate level Training (really Mastery ) of the Net would give:

Initiate:
Requirements: Anointed Priest of Saluwe or Holy Champion of Saluwe
Trained Skills: Tracking and Arcanum(Cants) or 1 Combat Skill
Talents: Weapon Training(Sickle) and Hunter:Vermin or Rebuke Vermin* (i.e. 2 Talents)

Master:
Requirements: Initiate rank
Trained Skills: Mettle and Larceny or Stealth
Talents: Choose Any 2:Learn Exotic Spell: Breath of the Dragon, Slayer of Vermin*, or Smite Infidel (Vermin Foe Type Only) (i.e. 2 Talents)

I am fine with Matt’s suggestion. Can we call ‘closure’ on the Rat Catchers?

I’m good with it. I had a chance to look over the specialty HCs when I got home and many of them do provide Arcanum at the Initiate level, so that eliminates the concern there and Matt addressed the 2 Talents added.

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul