Xefas
2015-03-14, 02:22 AM
Related Threads
Mythos Discussion Thread I (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?323694-Mythos-Inspired-Homebrew-Discussion)
Mythos Discussion Thread II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?364949-Mythos-Homebrew-Discussion-II-Where-Simplicity-Goes-to-Die)
http://i.imgur.com/LWyrHhS.png
"You can destroy planets, but you can never destroy what I am, friend. I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace. I am protector of the innocent. I am the light in the darkness. I am truth. Ally to good. Nightmare to you." ~Goku, Dragonball Z (Funimation Dub)
The Anakitos
The sun is revered by every culture in every land. To some, it is a nurturing star, a source of growth, the great life-giver, plant-grower, a wall against the dark of night and its many terrors. To others, it is a destroyer, an unrelenting orb of flame that cracks and sears the land, bringing desolate earth and burning winds with each new day. And for more still, it is a symbol of power, a perfect idol whose glory reaches from horizon to horizon, whose march across the firmament is both unparalleled in its majesty and inexorable in its regularity.
The children of the sun, whose words and deeds align themselves with the same ancient essential patterns of the golden king now sleeping, can be all these things and more - guarding star, wrathful deva, resolute masters of all they survey. They may never know their father, but they yet know Him all too well, and it is their fate, their priviledge, to fight the darkness as he did on the world's first day, and many days past, and it is their prerogative to define the darkness, as the sun defines the night, and to make righteous what they may, and to make wretched all else.
Hit Die: d10
Skill Points: 6 + Intelligence Modifier
Class Skills: Appraise, Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Any), Listen, Perform, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Tumble
Proficiencies: Anakitos' are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as all light, medium, and heavy armors, and all shields (except tower shields).
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecialMythosExcellencies
1st+1+2+2+2The Sun's Mythos, Mythos Known, Exceptional Mythos, Radiant Excellence, The Fetters of Virtue, Rising Sun Glory I+2+1
2nd+2+3+3+3+0+1
3rd+3+3+3+3Rising Sun Glory II+1+0
4th+4+4+4+4+0+1
5th+5+4+4+4Rising Sun Glory III+1+0
6th+6/+1+5+5+5+0+1
7th+7/+2+5+5+5Fantastic Mythos+1+1
8th+8/+3+6+6+6+0+1
9th+9/+4+6+6+6+1+0
10th+10/+5+7+7+7+0+1
11th+11/+6/+1+7+7+7+1+0
12th+12/+7/+2+8+8+8+0+1
13th+13/+8/+3+8+8+8Legendary Mythos+1+1
14th+14/+9/+4+9+9+9+0+1
15th+15/+10/+5+9+9+9+1+0
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+10+10+0+1
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+10+10+1+0
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+11+11+0+1
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+11+11Exalted Mythos+1+1
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+12+12+1+1
The Sun's Mythos: An Anakitos' power is expressed in terms of one or more "Mythos", the building blocks of the legend that they are, and the stories that they have told and will tell. While any given Mythos varies from the rest, they share some similar traits. They are always Extraordinary abilities, and when they reference a difficulty class for an imposed saving throw, that saving throw is always calculated as (10 + 1/2 class level + Strength modifier, unless otherwise stated). When a Mythos references a "level" that is not clearly defined in some other way, such as "character level", it refers to "class level" as in the number of levels one has in the Anakitos class. When a Mythos references "allies", it specifically does not refer to the Anakitos using it. When a Mythos grants a feat as a bonus feat, it is regardless of whether the character meets the prerequisites for that feat (unless otherwise stated), and if the character already possesses that feat (in some permanent fashion - via the normal allotment gained by leveling up, or through another Mythos, and so on, but not those gained temporarily, such as via a "Heroics" spell), they must replace the prior instance of that feat with another feat that they qualify for.
Every Mythos has a Tier. The Tier of a Mythos ranges from 1 to 4, typically referred to as Exceptional, Fantastic, Legendary, and Exalted. An Anakitos with Exceptional Mythos is a hero cut from greater cloth than any of the mere mortals that surround them. As sheep submit to their shepherd, they will have little trouble being the champion, protector, messiah, or tyrant that they feels the people need of him. At the Fantastic level, an Anakitos' power begins to let on the nature of the returning God-King that they are. It is only by their whim that earthly kings be allowed to kneel and continue their reign, or that they be allowed to burn out their flesh and offer their kingdoms to the rightful heir of the world. A Legendary Anakitos is a living symbol made physical, a force to shape the world in the image of whatever they hold to be True and Right. An Exalted Anakitos is a demigod and more, and their immortal, invincible, ever-ambitious eyes might set themselves on ruling a plane of their liking, or bringing insurrection to one that falls short of their standards.
Some Mythos, in addition to their initial stated effect, have Basic and Advanced manifestations. When an Anakitos gains access to a Mythos with a list of Basic manifestations, they may choose one such manifestation, and they gain that benefit immediately as well. This choice may not be changed later. When an Anakitos gains access to a Mythos with a list of Advanced manifestations, they may choose one such manifestation, and they gain that benefit upon achieving their next level of Anakitos. This choice may be changed at any point before receiving the chosen manifestation itself, but not after (choosing beforehand is just an easy way to mark it down on your character sheet so you don't forget that you'll be getting something later).
Mythos Known: A 1st level Anakitos begins play with two Exceptional Mythos that he qualifies for if this is his first level in a PC character class. At higher levels, he gains additional Mythos as noted on the Anakitos class table.
For characters that multiclass into Anakitos after having taken levels in another PC character class, the 1st level of Anakitos grants only a single Exceptional Mythos, rather than two.
An Anakitos also has the ability to learn more Mythos, above the ones automatically allotted to him by leveling up. By meditating for 24 hours, they may draw in and consume the magic of any magical items that they have been in contact with for the entire duration of the ritual. Acting as kindling for the divine fire of the God-King's soul, the value of the enchantments on these items in gold pieces is refunded to the Anakitos as a likewise number of Mythos Points. Afterwards, the items are left wholly mundane.
By spending 1,000 Mythos Points, and 250xp, he may learn an Exceptional Mythos. A Fantastic Mythos requires 5,000 Mythos Points and 500xp. A Legendary Mythos takes 10,000 Mythos Points, and 1,000xp. And an Exalted Mythos takes 20,000 Mythos Points and 2,000xp.
For half the listed price for a given Tier, an Anakitos may learn a Basic or Advanced manifestation of a Mythos they already know of that Tier.
Learning Mythos above the standard amount requires astounding, nearly single-minded devotion to the story of the Anakitos. One may only utilize this ability while more than half of his effective character level (ECL) is devoted to levels in the Anakitos class.
Radiant Excellence: As denoted on their class table, an Anakitos gains a certain number of abilities known as "Excellencies". These tend to be more general, generic, and passive than a Mythos, but are useful nonetheless, and are drawn from their own separate list, unsegregated by Tiers. Like a Mythos, an Anakitos may learn more Excellencies above their allotted amount. Each one costs 1,000 Mythos Points and 100xp, plus an additional 1,000 Mythos Points and 100xp for each time a new Excellency is innovated beyond the first. (So, 2,000mp and 200xp for the second, 3,000mp and 300xp for the third, etc.)
The Fetters Of Virtue: An Anakitos is shackled by the same lofty principles that the Sun's power rests upon. Many of their Mythos are marked with a descriptor denoting which of the fetters maintains its power, [Purity], [Conviction], or [Courage]. An Anakitos has three statistics that correspond, one to each fetter, that they must uphold to realize their full strength. They come in three ranks, Shining, Waning, and Broken. Each fetter has its own means by which it raises and lowers from one level to another, but one may assume that an Anakitos begins the game with all of them Shining. If an Anakitos possesses no Mythos with a descriptor corresponding to a particular fetter, then that fetter is always considered to be Shining, and they need not worry about it. Once they learn a Mythos was a particular fetter's descriptor, they are forevermore beholden to it.
Purity is a measure of what lengths the Anakitos goes to maintaining their physical integrity. Taking ability damage or drain (but not burn), being rendered blinded, deafened, confused, sickened, nauseated, or paralyzed, or taking more than 1/3 of your maximum hit points in damage from one attack causes your Purity to go down one rank. In addition, when you end your turn within a zone of magical darkness, you must make an opposed level check (d20 + your character level, vs d20 + the effect's caster level) or lower your Purity one rank. You cannot go down more than one rank per round through these methods. One minute of continuous physical torture or self-mutilation, even if it does not qualify for any of the above, immediately breaks your Purity.
When your Purity is Broken, you lose the benefits of all [Purity] Mythos you possess, as well as any other features that require the benefits of one of those Mythos as a prerequisite (for example, a feat that you qualify for with a bonus feat granted by a [Purity] Mythos) until your Purity is no longer Broken. Furthermore, you are automatically Dazzled in light brighter than Shadowy Illumination, and you cannot regain hit points through any non-magical means while in such conditions (being exposed to light brighter than Shadowy Illumination interrupts natural healing). Finally, while in Shadowy Illumination or darker, you gain a bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks equal to your class level.
To regain ranks of Purity, you must meditate for one hour per rank. You cannot restore Purity ranks if you are suffering from poison, disease, or are drunk or otherwise intoxicated.
Conviction is a measure of your dedication to a particular set of ethics that you hold sacred. Typically, an Anakitos forms a two-part code based on the alignment they strive to be. On the Law-Chaos axis, an Anakitos that upholds Law usually begins the first part of their code with "The needs of the group outweigh the needs of the individual because..." and fill in the rest of the sentence with their reasoning. One leaning towards Chaos will start with "Individual freedoms must be protected above the collective desires of a group because...". Neutrally-defined Anakitos begin with "Matters of freedom or obedience are irrelevant because...". On the Good-Evil axis, an Anakitos upholding Good begins the second part of their code with "It is a person's obligation to alleviate the suffering of others because...", while an Anakitos of Evil begins with "The suffering of others is inconsequential because...". Morally neutral-leaning Anakitos finish their code with "Great acts of self-sacrifice or the selfish abuse of others are both unnecessary because..."
These are intended as guidelines, but the exact wording of one's code can be as unique as one wishes, so long as it touches upon the moral and ethical anchors upon which the Great Wheel revolves. You lose one rank of Conviction whenever you deliberately and directly act against your code, or convince someone else to do so. You regain one lost rank whenever you act in accordance with your beliefs, or convince another to act in accordance with your beliefs when they otherwise wouldn't, when doing so would be more difficult and inconvenient for you than acting differently would be.
When your Conviction is Broken, you lose the benefits of all [Conviction] Mythos you possess, as well as any other features that require the benefits of one of those Mythos as a prerequisite until your Conviction is no longer Broken. Furthermore, you suffer one of the following effects for the next 24 hours after the initial break. The effect you suffer is based on which alignment was violated most grievously (if both of your alignment aspects were violated to more or less the same degree, choose whichever is most dramatically appropriate).
Rage: This is the effect felt by those Good Anakitos who strayed from their path, or morally Neutral Anakitos that broke their tenets by acting too strongly in favor of Evil.
Overwhelmed by the world's inability to meet your high standards, and its infuriating propensity to drag your shining and blameless self down into the morally ambiguous muck, you decide to give all those unworthy plebians that you have selflessly tried to protect and serve exactly what they seem to want - your anger.
While so degenerated, every time you witness someone intentionally endangering or harming, physically or emotionally, an ally, or someone who you've never witnessed intending to harm another, you must react with anger and attempt to stop the offending act and reprimand the offender. If non-violence does not suffice, you must then resort to violence. The nature of the offender has no relevance; a knighted Anakitos would strike down his liege after witnessing him beating a servant, or burn his own god's temple to the ground should the god evoke his ire.
Guilt: This is the effect felt by those Evil Anakitos whose hearts have wavered, or morally Neutral Anakitos that broke their tenets by acting too strongly in favor of Good.
In a moment of weakness, a splinter of doubt sinks into your otherwise impervious iron fist. Maybe all the children you've flayed really did have feelings. Perhaps your otherwise noble end did not justify burning down all those convalescent orphan hospitals. Indeed, even the crunch of puppies under your chariot-wheels seems somehow less funny in retrospect, even... distasteful? Oh gods - what if your whole life has been a lie?
While stricken with these doubts, you will not resort to violence in any situaton, except in absolutely necessary self-defense if your life is in danger, and all feasible non-violent options have been exhausted (danger that is merely humiliating and not life-threatening, such as being mildly publicly flogged, is not a good enough reason for violence). In addition, you will not actively perform further acts of evil, although you may still allow ongoing evilnesses to progress (you don't have to instantly release all your slaves, or immediately lower the extravagant taxes that keep your people in abject poverty, although you can if you want). You must also make an attempt to non-violently dissuade your allies and associates from taking evil actions, although you may do so indirectly - for example, you could give the royal executioner the day off, postponing the deaths of all the innocent dissidents you had planned to kill for questioning your authority, at least until tomorrow when your guilt recedes.
Anxiety: This is the effect felt by those Chaotic Anakitos who have lost their way, or ethically Neutral Anakitos that broke their tenets by acting too strongly in favor of Law.
Your reliance on others has caused you to temporarily lose a measure of confidence in yourself. And, well, maybe that's okay. Maybe it would be nice, for once, to let your guard down and let someone else take the lead, to follow for a little while, to trust, to not be responsible. It does get tiresome, sometimes, being the constant and absolute arbiter of your own fate.
While you languish so, you never take the lead in any situation where there's someone else present who you have reason to trust. You don't have to trust that they'll do as good a job as you, just that they'll not screw up horrifically. In a fight, you'll ask what the plan is, without suggesting one. In a social encounter, you'll give advice and perspective if asked, but you won't take center stage and make the big points. If your significant other asks where you want to go for dinner, you'll say wherever they want to go is fine.
If you are caught in a situation where you're completely alone with no one else to rely on, and no way to disengage from the situation and find someone else to rely on, you must roll any attack roll or skill check twice and take the worse result.
Caprice: This is the effect felt by those Lawful Anakitos who have deviated, or ethically Neutral Anakitos that broke their tenets by acting too strongly in favor of Chaos.
You've become fed up with chains of command, society, civility, leadership, servitude and all the constructs of civilization that serve to tie people down, to restrict them from doing what it is that they want to do, in the name of some greater good; health, security, morality, whatever it is. Who needs them? Life just isn't worth living if you can't live it as hard and fast and as immediately as possible.
While overcome with a love of personal freedom, you cannot dissuade yourself in your own mind from doing something that feels good to you. If you don't feel like fighting evil today, maybe you'll just hit the markets and eat a thousand pastries instead. Or maybe you'll drink and whore yourself across town until your money runs out or you lose consciousness. Or maybe you decide sleep is for the weak and spend all night organizing an illegal underground bareknuckle halfling fight club, only to be exhausted the next day. Or maybe you've decided that petty mortal laws no longer apply to you, and you're going to publicly urinate in front of the constabulary as frequently as is physically possible for your body to do so today.
In general, no matter how compelling a reason is given, if something is a drag to you, you won't do it.
Courage is a measure of your willingness to accept challenges and threats, and attempt to overcome them even when it is inconvenient or dangerous. Whenever you choose not to engage an enemy or obstacle directly with overwhelming force, your Courage moves down one rank, unless the challenge was indeed nearly impossible for you to overcome in the first place (such as an 'Overpowering' encounter, with an EL of four over the party's level, or a natural disaster for which you have no tools to combat). Furthermore, whenever you acquire the Shaken, Frightened, Terrified, or Cowering condition, your Courage loses a rank.
You regain one lost rank of Courage by simply and directly overcoming a challenge of some kind. This could be surviving a sprint through a trap-filled hallway, waking up a camp full of sleeping orcs and telling them to ready their weapons because you're about to relocate them to the underworld, solving a riddle-locked door by punching the door down, helping put out a fire by hefting a two-ton basin of water onto your shoulders and sprinting a mile to the nearest lake and back, and so on.
When your Courage is Broken, you lose the benefits of all [Courage] Mythos you possess, as well as any other features that require the benefits of one of those Mythos as a prerequisite until your Courage is no longer Broken. What's more, you lose some confidence in yourself, inflicting a morale penalty on you Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate checks equal to your class level, and reducing your Base Attack Bonus by half. Your commitment to cowardliness does, however, increase your movement speed by 10ft, and grant you a +4 bonus to your Armor Class against Attacks of Opportunity, but only when you are currently moving away from any and all threats and responsbilities you might have.
Rising Sun Glory: At 1st level, an Anakitos gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. Like a Monk, they may make unarmed attacks with any part of their body, even if their hands are otherwise occupied.
At 3rd level, they may substitute their Charisma modifier in place of their Dexterity modifier for the purposes of rolling initiative.
At 5th level, they gain Force of Personality (PHBII) as a bonus feat.
To-Do List
-Rulership Mythos
-Crafting Mythos
-More Exalted Mythos
-More Excellencies
-Try to add a touch more flavor to some of the Mythos, other than "I'm just the best, nahnahnahnahnah".
Mythos Discussion Thread I (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?323694-Mythos-Inspired-Homebrew-Discussion)
Mythos Discussion Thread II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?364949-Mythos-Homebrew-Discussion-II-Where-Simplicity-Goes-to-Die)
http://i.imgur.com/LWyrHhS.png
"You can destroy planets, but you can never destroy what I am, friend. I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace. I am protector of the innocent. I am the light in the darkness. I am truth. Ally to good. Nightmare to you." ~Goku, Dragonball Z (Funimation Dub)
The Anakitos
The sun is revered by every culture in every land. To some, it is a nurturing star, a source of growth, the great life-giver, plant-grower, a wall against the dark of night and its many terrors. To others, it is a destroyer, an unrelenting orb of flame that cracks and sears the land, bringing desolate earth and burning winds with each new day. And for more still, it is a symbol of power, a perfect idol whose glory reaches from horizon to horizon, whose march across the firmament is both unparalleled in its majesty and inexorable in its regularity.
The children of the sun, whose words and deeds align themselves with the same ancient essential patterns of the golden king now sleeping, can be all these things and more - guarding star, wrathful deva, resolute masters of all they survey. They may never know their father, but they yet know Him all too well, and it is their fate, their priviledge, to fight the darkness as he did on the world's first day, and many days past, and it is their prerogative to define the darkness, as the sun defines the night, and to make righteous what they may, and to make wretched all else.
Hit Die: d10
Skill Points: 6 + Intelligence Modifier
Class Skills: Appraise, Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Any), Listen, Perform, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Tumble
Proficiencies: Anakitos' are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as all light, medium, and heavy armors, and all shields (except tower shields).
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecialMythosExcellencies
1st+1+2+2+2The Sun's Mythos, Mythos Known, Exceptional Mythos, Radiant Excellence, The Fetters of Virtue, Rising Sun Glory I+2+1
2nd+2+3+3+3+0+1
3rd+3+3+3+3Rising Sun Glory II+1+0
4th+4+4+4+4+0+1
5th+5+4+4+4Rising Sun Glory III+1+0
6th+6/+1+5+5+5+0+1
7th+7/+2+5+5+5Fantastic Mythos+1+1
8th+8/+3+6+6+6+0+1
9th+9/+4+6+6+6+1+0
10th+10/+5+7+7+7+0+1
11th+11/+6/+1+7+7+7+1+0
12th+12/+7/+2+8+8+8+0+1
13th+13/+8/+3+8+8+8Legendary Mythos+1+1
14th+14/+9/+4+9+9+9+0+1
15th+15/+10/+5+9+9+9+1+0
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+10+10+0+1
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+10+10+1+0
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+11+11+0+1
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+11+11Exalted Mythos+1+1
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+12+12+1+1
The Sun's Mythos: An Anakitos' power is expressed in terms of one or more "Mythos", the building blocks of the legend that they are, and the stories that they have told and will tell. While any given Mythos varies from the rest, they share some similar traits. They are always Extraordinary abilities, and when they reference a difficulty class for an imposed saving throw, that saving throw is always calculated as (10 + 1/2 class level + Strength modifier, unless otherwise stated). When a Mythos references a "level" that is not clearly defined in some other way, such as "character level", it refers to "class level" as in the number of levels one has in the Anakitos class. When a Mythos references "allies", it specifically does not refer to the Anakitos using it. When a Mythos grants a feat as a bonus feat, it is regardless of whether the character meets the prerequisites for that feat (unless otherwise stated), and if the character already possesses that feat (in some permanent fashion - via the normal allotment gained by leveling up, or through another Mythos, and so on, but not those gained temporarily, such as via a "Heroics" spell), they must replace the prior instance of that feat with another feat that they qualify for.
Every Mythos has a Tier. The Tier of a Mythos ranges from 1 to 4, typically referred to as Exceptional, Fantastic, Legendary, and Exalted. An Anakitos with Exceptional Mythos is a hero cut from greater cloth than any of the mere mortals that surround them. As sheep submit to their shepherd, they will have little trouble being the champion, protector, messiah, or tyrant that they feels the people need of him. At the Fantastic level, an Anakitos' power begins to let on the nature of the returning God-King that they are. It is only by their whim that earthly kings be allowed to kneel and continue their reign, or that they be allowed to burn out their flesh and offer their kingdoms to the rightful heir of the world. A Legendary Anakitos is a living symbol made physical, a force to shape the world in the image of whatever they hold to be True and Right. An Exalted Anakitos is a demigod and more, and their immortal, invincible, ever-ambitious eyes might set themselves on ruling a plane of their liking, or bringing insurrection to one that falls short of their standards.
Some Mythos, in addition to their initial stated effect, have Basic and Advanced manifestations. When an Anakitos gains access to a Mythos with a list of Basic manifestations, they may choose one such manifestation, and they gain that benefit immediately as well. This choice may not be changed later. When an Anakitos gains access to a Mythos with a list of Advanced manifestations, they may choose one such manifestation, and they gain that benefit upon achieving their next level of Anakitos. This choice may be changed at any point before receiving the chosen manifestation itself, but not after (choosing beforehand is just an easy way to mark it down on your character sheet so you don't forget that you'll be getting something later).
Mythos Known: A 1st level Anakitos begins play with two Exceptional Mythos that he qualifies for if this is his first level in a PC character class. At higher levels, he gains additional Mythos as noted on the Anakitos class table.
For characters that multiclass into Anakitos after having taken levels in another PC character class, the 1st level of Anakitos grants only a single Exceptional Mythos, rather than two.
An Anakitos also has the ability to learn more Mythos, above the ones automatically allotted to him by leveling up. By meditating for 24 hours, they may draw in and consume the magic of any magical items that they have been in contact with for the entire duration of the ritual. Acting as kindling for the divine fire of the God-King's soul, the value of the enchantments on these items in gold pieces is refunded to the Anakitos as a likewise number of Mythos Points. Afterwards, the items are left wholly mundane.
By spending 1,000 Mythos Points, and 250xp, he may learn an Exceptional Mythos. A Fantastic Mythos requires 5,000 Mythos Points and 500xp. A Legendary Mythos takes 10,000 Mythos Points, and 1,000xp. And an Exalted Mythos takes 20,000 Mythos Points and 2,000xp.
For half the listed price for a given Tier, an Anakitos may learn a Basic or Advanced manifestation of a Mythos they already know of that Tier.
Learning Mythos above the standard amount requires astounding, nearly single-minded devotion to the story of the Anakitos. One may only utilize this ability while more than half of his effective character level (ECL) is devoted to levels in the Anakitos class.
Radiant Excellence: As denoted on their class table, an Anakitos gains a certain number of abilities known as "Excellencies". These tend to be more general, generic, and passive than a Mythos, but are useful nonetheless, and are drawn from their own separate list, unsegregated by Tiers. Like a Mythos, an Anakitos may learn more Excellencies above their allotted amount. Each one costs 1,000 Mythos Points and 100xp, plus an additional 1,000 Mythos Points and 100xp for each time a new Excellency is innovated beyond the first. (So, 2,000mp and 200xp for the second, 3,000mp and 300xp for the third, etc.)
The Fetters Of Virtue: An Anakitos is shackled by the same lofty principles that the Sun's power rests upon. Many of their Mythos are marked with a descriptor denoting which of the fetters maintains its power, [Purity], [Conviction], or [Courage]. An Anakitos has three statistics that correspond, one to each fetter, that they must uphold to realize their full strength. They come in three ranks, Shining, Waning, and Broken. Each fetter has its own means by which it raises and lowers from one level to another, but one may assume that an Anakitos begins the game with all of them Shining. If an Anakitos possesses no Mythos with a descriptor corresponding to a particular fetter, then that fetter is always considered to be Shining, and they need not worry about it. Once they learn a Mythos was a particular fetter's descriptor, they are forevermore beholden to it.
Purity is a measure of what lengths the Anakitos goes to maintaining their physical integrity. Taking ability damage or drain (but not burn), being rendered blinded, deafened, confused, sickened, nauseated, or paralyzed, or taking more than 1/3 of your maximum hit points in damage from one attack causes your Purity to go down one rank. In addition, when you end your turn within a zone of magical darkness, you must make an opposed level check (d20 + your character level, vs d20 + the effect's caster level) or lower your Purity one rank. You cannot go down more than one rank per round through these methods. One minute of continuous physical torture or self-mutilation, even if it does not qualify for any of the above, immediately breaks your Purity.
When your Purity is Broken, you lose the benefits of all [Purity] Mythos you possess, as well as any other features that require the benefits of one of those Mythos as a prerequisite (for example, a feat that you qualify for with a bonus feat granted by a [Purity] Mythos) until your Purity is no longer Broken. Furthermore, you are automatically Dazzled in light brighter than Shadowy Illumination, and you cannot regain hit points through any non-magical means while in such conditions (being exposed to light brighter than Shadowy Illumination interrupts natural healing). Finally, while in Shadowy Illumination or darker, you gain a bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks equal to your class level.
To regain ranks of Purity, you must meditate for one hour per rank. You cannot restore Purity ranks if you are suffering from poison, disease, or are drunk or otherwise intoxicated.
Conviction is a measure of your dedication to a particular set of ethics that you hold sacred. Typically, an Anakitos forms a two-part code based on the alignment they strive to be. On the Law-Chaos axis, an Anakitos that upholds Law usually begins the first part of their code with "The needs of the group outweigh the needs of the individual because..." and fill in the rest of the sentence with their reasoning. One leaning towards Chaos will start with "Individual freedoms must be protected above the collective desires of a group because...". Neutrally-defined Anakitos begin with "Matters of freedom or obedience are irrelevant because...". On the Good-Evil axis, an Anakitos upholding Good begins the second part of their code with "It is a person's obligation to alleviate the suffering of others because...", while an Anakitos of Evil begins with "The suffering of others is inconsequential because...". Morally neutral-leaning Anakitos finish their code with "Great acts of self-sacrifice or the selfish abuse of others are both unnecessary because..."
These are intended as guidelines, but the exact wording of one's code can be as unique as one wishes, so long as it touches upon the moral and ethical anchors upon which the Great Wheel revolves. You lose one rank of Conviction whenever you deliberately and directly act against your code, or convince someone else to do so. You regain one lost rank whenever you act in accordance with your beliefs, or convince another to act in accordance with your beliefs when they otherwise wouldn't, when doing so would be more difficult and inconvenient for you than acting differently would be.
When your Conviction is Broken, you lose the benefits of all [Conviction] Mythos you possess, as well as any other features that require the benefits of one of those Mythos as a prerequisite until your Conviction is no longer Broken. Furthermore, you suffer one of the following effects for the next 24 hours after the initial break. The effect you suffer is based on which alignment was violated most grievously (if both of your alignment aspects were violated to more or less the same degree, choose whichever is most dramatically appropriate).
Rage: This is the effect felt by those Good Anakitos who strayed from their path, or morally Neutral Anakitos that broke their tenets by acting too strongly in favor of Evil.
Overwhelmed by the world's inability to meet your high standards, and its infuriating propensity to drag your shining and blameless self down into the morally ambiguous muck, you decide to give all those unworthy plebians that you have selflessly tried to protect and serve exactly what they seem to want - your anger.
While so degenerated, every time you witness someone intentionally endangering or harming, physically or emotionally, an ally, or someone who you've never witnessed intending to harm another, you must react with anger and attempt to stop the offending act and reprimand the offender. If non-violence does not suffice, you must then resort to violence. The nature of the offender has no relevance; a knighted Anakitos would strike down his liege after witnessing him beating a servant, or burn his own god's temple to the ground should the god evoke his ire.
Guilt: This is the effect felt by those Evil Anakitos whose hearts have wavered, or morally Neutral Anakitos that broke their tenets by acting too strongly in favor of Good.
In a moment of weakness, a splinter of doubt sinks into your otherwise impervious iron fist. Maybe all the children you've flayed really did have feelings. Perhaps your otherwise noble end did not justify burning down all those convalescent orphan hospitals. Indeed, even the crunch of puppies under your chariot-wheels seems somehow less funny in retrospect, even... distasteful? Oh gods - what if your whole life has been a lie?
While stricken with these doubts, you will not resort to violence in any situaton, except in absolutely necessary self-defense if your life is in danger, and all feasible non-violent options have been exhausted (danger that is merely humiliating and not life-threatening, such as being mildly publicly flogged, is not a good enough reason for violence). In addition, you will not actively perform further acts of evil, although you may still allow ongoing evilnesses to progress (you don't have to instantly release all your slaves, or immediately lower the extravagant taxes that keep your people in abject poverty, although you can if you want). You must also make an attempt to non-violently dissuade your allies and associates from taking evil actions, although you may do so indirectly - for example, you could give the royal executioner the day off, postponing the deaths of all the innocent dissidents you had planned to kill for questioning your authority, at least until tomorrow when your guilt recedes.
Anxiety: This is the effect felt by those Chaotic Anakitos who have lost their way, or ethically Neutral Anakitos that broke their tenets by acting too strongly in favor of Law.
Your reliance on others has caused you to temporarily lose a measure of confidence in yourself. And, well, maybe that's okay. Maybe it would be nice, for once, to let your guard down and let someone else take the lead, to follow for a little while, to trust, to not be responsible. It does get tiresome, sometimes, being the constant and absolute arbiter of your own fate.
While you languish so, you never take the lead in any situation where there's someone else present who you have reason to trust. You don't have to trust that they'll do as good a job as you, just that they'll not screw up horrifically. In a fight, you'll ask what the plan is, without suggesting one. In a social encounter, you'll give advice and perspective if asked, but you won't take center stage and make the big points. If your significant other asks where you want to go for dinner, you'll say wherever they want to go is fine.
If you are caught in a situation where you're completely alone with no one else to rely on, and no way to disengage from the situation and find someone else to rely on, you must roll any attack roll or skill check twice and take the worse result.
Caprice: This is the effect felt by those Lawful Anakitos who have deviated, or ethically Neutral Anakitos that broke their tenets by acting too strongly in favor of Chaos.
You've become fed up with chains of command, society, civility, leadership, servitude and all the constructs of civilization that serve to tie people down, to restrict them from doing what it is that they want to do, in the name of some greater good; health, security, morality, whatever it is. Who needs them? Life just isn't worth living if you can't live it as hard and fast and as immediately as possible.
While overcome with a love of personal freedom, you cannot dissuade yourself in your own mind from doing something that feels good to you. If you don't feel like fighting evil today, maybe you'll just hit the markets and eat a thousand pastries instead. Or maybe you'll drink and whore yourself across town until your money runs out or you lose consciousness. Or maybe you decide sleep is for the weak and spend all night organizing an illegal underground bareknuckle halfling fight club, only to be exhausted the next day. Or maybe you've decided that petty mortal laws no longer apply to you, and you're going to publicly urinate in front of the constabulary as frequently as is physically possible for your body to do so today.
In general, no matter how compelling a reason is given, if something is a drag to you, you won't do it.
Courage is a measure of your willingness to accept challenges and threats, and attempt to overcome them even when it is inconvenient or dangerous. Whenever you choose not to engage an enemy or obstacle directly with overwhelming force, your Courage moves down one rank, unless the challenge was indeed nearly impossible for you to overcome in the first place (such as an 'Overpowering' encounter, with an EL of four over the party's level, or a natural disaster for which you have no tools to combat). Furthermore, whenever you acquire the Shaken, Frightened, Terrified, or Cowering condition, your Courage loses a rank.
You regain one lost rank of Courage by simply and directly overcoming a challenge of some kind. This could be surviving a sprint through a trap-filled hallway, waking up a camp full of sleeping orcs and telling them to ready their weapons because you're about to relocate them to the underworld, solving a riddle-locked door by punching the door down, helping put out a fire by hefting a two-ton basin of water onto your shoulders and sprinting a mile to the nearest lake and back, and so on.
When your Courage is Broken, you lose the benefits of all [Courage] Mythos you possess, as well as any other features that require the benefits of one of those Mythos as a prerequisite until your Courage is no longer Broken. What's more, you lose some confidence in yourself, inflicting a morale penalty on you Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate checks equal to your class level, and reducing your Base Attack Bonus by half. Your commitment to cowardliness does, however, increase your movement speed by 10ft, and grant you a +4 bonus to your Armor Class against Attacks of Opportunity, but only when you are currently moving away from any and all threats and responsbilities you might have.
Rising Sun Glory: At 1st level, an Anakitos gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. Like a Monk, they may make unarmed attacks with any part of their body, even if their hands are otherwise occupied.
At 3rd level, they may substitute their Charisma modifier in place of their Dexterity modifier for the purposes of rolling initiative.
At 5th level, they gain Force of Personality (PHBII) as a bonus feat.
To-Do List
-Rulership Mythos
-Crafting Mythos
-More Exalted Mythos
-More Excellencies
-Try to add a touch more flavor to some of the Mythos, other than "I'm just the best, nahnahnahnahnah".