The Blessed

The Blessed: Warriors of Faith

"Many are called, but few are chosen." —Reverend Victor Harding, Quincy

In a world where the dead walk and horrors lurk in every shadow, faith ain't just a Sunday morning affair—it's a weapon. The blessed are those rare souls whose devotion runs so deep, so true, that Heaven itself takes notice and grants 'em the power to work genuine, honest-to-goodness miracles.

These ain't your everyday churchgoers, mind you. A blessed individual can heal wounds with a touch, turn aside evil with a prayer, or call down righteous fury on the servants of darkness. But such power comes at a price—the blessed are held to higher standards than ordinary folk, and a single serious transgression can cost 'em their divine favor.

What Makes Someone Blessed?

The blessed are Heaven's mortal representatives in the fight against the Reckoning. They stand as beacons of hope in dark times, proving through their deeds and miracles that good hasn't abandoned this world. While many blessed become ordained ministers or priests, plenty of 'em never stand behind a pulpit—they serve the Almighty with a gun in one hand and a prayer on their lips.

Key characteristics of the blessed:

• Unwavering faith in their chosen deity or deities
• The ability to invoke miracles through prayer and devotion
• Adherence to strict moral and religious codes
• Natural resistance to dark magic and evil powers
• A calling to fight the forces of darkness

Becoming Blessed

There's two ways a body becomes blessed:

Born to It: Some folks are chosen from the start. If you're creating a blessed character, you simply take the arcane background: blessed Edge and put at least one level into the faith Aptitude (though you'll want more than that if you plan on doing anything impressive).

Answering the Call: Others hear Heaven's summons later in life. Maybe they survive something they shouldn't have. Maybe they witness horrors that drive 'em to their knees in prayer. Whatever the reason, an existing character can become blessed, but it takes work:

1. The character must have at least 1 level in the faith Aptitude
2. They spend one week (minimum) in meditation, fasting, and prayer, making a Hard (9) faith roll at the end. Each additional week beyond the first grants +2 to this roll
3. If successful, they must undertake a quest or task to prove their sincerity (your Marshal will provide the details—expect 2-3 weeks of hard, dangerous work)
4. Once the quest is complete, they can purchase the arcane background: blessed Edge using Bounty Points
5. They immediately know the protection miracle plus one other miracle for each level in their highest of either faith or professional: theology Aptitudes

The Price of Power

Here's the hard truth about being blessed: Heaven expects more from you than from regular folk. The blessed are held to strict moral and religious codes, and breaking those codes has immediate consequences.

Sin and Faith: Whenever a blessed character commits a sin—whether it's taking the Lord's name in vain, turning away someone in need, or committing murder—they must make a Spirit roll (not a faith roll). The Target Number depends on how serious the transgression was:

If the Spirit roll fails: The blessed loses one point of their faith Aptitude and must choose one of their known miracles or gifts to forget. They don't lose the ability to perform miracles entirely, but their effectiveness is severely hampered.

Atonement: Finding Your Way Back

Lost faith doesn't just magically return. A lamb that's wandered from the flock doesn't find its way home without effort.

If a blessed loses all their faith:

• They can no longer perform any miracles
• The arcane background: blessed Edge becomes useless (though they still have it)
• To regain their first level of faith costs 5 Bounty Points instead of the usual 1
• They must complete a quest for atonement (determined by the Marshal)
• Additional lost levels can be repurchased at normal cost once the first is restored

The Marshal might require special penances, pilgrimages, or acts of service depending on the severity of the character's fall from grace.

Daily Duties & Living Right

Being blessed ain't a part-time job. Every religion has expectations of its spiritual warriors:

• Christians must conduct or attend regular worship services, observe the Sabbath (usually Sunday), and follow the Ten Commandments
• Jews must observe the Sabbath (sundown Friday to sundown Saturday), keep kosher dietary laws, and respect their parents
• Muslims must pray five times daily facing Mecca, fast during Ramadan, and give alms to the poor
• Buddhists and Taoists must seek enlightenment, avoid unnecessary violence, and maintain balance

Not every blessed is a traveling preacher, mind you. Many serve their faith quietly—through good example, kind words, and righteous action. A blessed rancher who treats his hands fairly, helps neighbors in need, and stands against evil is just as valid as a circuit-riding minister.

Invoking Miracles

Calling on Heaven for aid is simple in theory, but getting an answer? That's the hard part.

How It Works:

1. The blessed declares which miracle they're attempting to invoke
2. They make a faith roll against the miracle's Target Number
3. If successful: The deity smiles upon them, and the miracle occurs as described
4. If unsuccessful: Nothing happens—the blessed hasn't convinced their patron they're deserving of aid at this moment (or maybe they're just being tested)

Starting Miracles: A newly blessed character knows:

• The protection miracle (everyone gets this one)
• One additional miracle for each level in the higher of their faith or professional: theology Aptitudes

Learning New Miracles: A blessed can learn a new miracle by spending 5 Bounty Points.

Core Miracles: The Basics

Here are the essential miracles every blessed should know about. These are the tools of the trade for Heaven's warriors.

Protection

TN: Opposed | Speed: 1 | Duration: 1 round | Range: Self

This is the bread-and-butter miracle of the blessed—every blessed knows it automatically. By presenting their holy symbol or declaring the power of their deity, the blessed creates a spiritual barrier against supernatural evil.

How it works: The blessed makes a faith roll opposed by the evil creature's Spirit. If the blessed wins, the creature cannot directly harm them—no attacks, no hexes, no special abilities. The creature could still push over a bookshelf the blessed is standing under, but it can't shoot, claw, bite, or target them with powers.

The catch: This only protects you. Your companions are still fair game. Brave blessed often put themselves between monsters and their friends—which can be a mighty awkward place to be if the miracle suddenly fails. The protection lasts only one round, and the contest can shift back and forth turn by turn.

Lay On Hands

TN: Special | Speed: 1 minute | Duration: Permanent | Range: Touch

The miracle of healing is one of the most valued powers of the blessed. By touching a wounded person and calling on their deity, they can cure injuries, diseases, even restore severed limbs (though not maimed vital organs like the heart or brain—once those are gone, only death follows).

The Target Number:

Important Rules:

• The blessed cannot heal themselves—this power is for others only
• The blessed must subtract the patient's total wound modifiers from their faith roll (they feel the victim's pain)
• If the patient is of the same basic religion, add the patient's faith level to the roll
• If the patient is of a different or opposing religion, subtract their faith level
• If successful: The victim is completely healed in all wound locations, though wound modifiers persist for the next hour
• If failed: The patient isn't healed, and the blessed takes on the victim's wounds in their own guts location
• The blessed cannot bring back the truly dead (though see the Resurrection miracle in advanced texts)

Smite

TN: 5 | Speed: 1 | Duration: 12 rounds | Range: Touch

Sometimes the righteous need to lay a holy beating on the forces of evil. This miracle fills the blessed (or a touched ally) with divine power, increasing their Strength by one die type for every success and raise.

How it works:

• The blessed makes a TN 5 faith roll
• For every success and raise, increase the target's Strength by one die type
• Lasts for 12 rounds (about 2 minutes)
• Can be cast on yourself or an ally you can touch

Example: A blessed with Strength 2d8 invokes smite and gets two raises. Their Strength increases by three die types: 2d8 → 2d10 → 2d12 → 3d12. For the next 12 rounds, they hit like a locomotive.

Succor

TN: 5 | Speed: 1 | Duration: Permanent | Range: Touch

This is the quick-and-dirty healing miracle. When someone's been knocked silly but isn't seriously wounded, succor brings 'em back fast.

How it works:

• Instantly restores 1d6 Wind per success and raise
• Can only be used on others, never on the blessed themselves
• Doesn't heal actual wounds, just gets people back on their feet

This miracle's a lifesaver when your friend's been buffaloed and is seeing stars but isn't bleeding. A quick touch and prayer, and they're back in the fight.

Exorcism

TN: Special | Speed: 8 hours | Duration: Permanent | Range: 1 yard

Driving evil spirits from a possessed body is slow, exhausting, and downright horrifying work. During the 8-hour ritual, the spirit writhes, vomits, speaks in tongues, and curses up a blue streak. It ain't pretty.

How it works:

• The ritual takes a full 8 hours of prayer and spiritual combat
• At the end, both the blessed and the possessing spirit (manitou) roll
• The blessed rolls their faith
• The manitou's Spirit is determined by a card draw (like character creation)
• If the blessed wins: The manitou is banished, and the host body is freed
• If the manitou wins: It gets +2 to resist all future exorcism attempts by that same blessed
• If used on a Harrowed, successfully banishing the manitou puts the Harrowed to rest permanently (they die)

Sanctify

TN: 11 | Speed: 1 week | Duration: Permanent | Range: Touch

Creating consecrated ground—ground that burns evil creatures who walk upon it—requires a blessed to remain in one place for an entire week, praying and performing rituals.

How it works:

• The blessed must stay in the location for one full week
• After the week, make a TN 11 faith roll
• If successful: A circle with radius equal to 10 yards × faith level becomes sanctified
• Evil creatures entering sanctified ground must make an Incredible (11) Spirit roll every round
• If they fail, they take Wind damage equal to the difference and visibly smoke/steam as if burning
• This damage is spiritual and affects even undead

Example: A blessed with faith 3d10 sanctifies a graveyard. The sanctified area has a 30-yard radius (10 × 3). A walking dead stumbles onto the holy ground and must make a TN 11 Spirit roll. It rolls a 7 and fails by 4—it takes 4 Wind and begins smoking like it's on fire.

Sacrifice

TN: 5 | Speed: 1 | Duration: Permanent | Range: Sight

One of the central tenets of most religions is sacrifice—giving of yourself for others. This miracle allows a blessed to transfer their own fate chips to another character they can see.

How it works:

• The blessed makes a TN 5 faith roll
• If successful: They can give one of their chips to any character in sight
• No need to pay the usual "equal value" cost for trading chips
• Can be used on nonbelievers as well as members of the blessed's religion
• Cannot be used on characters whose beliefs directly oppose the blessed's faith (like an evil cultist)
• If failed: No chips are transferred

This is how the blessed support their allies in the heat of battle—giving them the extra luck they need to survive.

Inspiration

TN: 5 | Speed: 1-minute sermon | Duration: Special | Range: Special

The Reckoners feed on fear. When the blessed survive encounters with evil and tell inspiring tales of their victories, they can actually reduce the supernatural darkness's hold on a place.

How it works:

• After defeating a major evil presence, the blessed can deliver a sermon or tell the tale of victory
• Make a TN 5 faith roll
• Every success and raise adds +2 to the blessed's tale-tellin' roll
• This bonus is used to reduce the area's Fear Level (your Marshal knows the details)
• The tale must be told immediately after the victory—you can't save it up

This is how the blessed fight back against the Reckoning itself—not just with miracles and guns, but with hope and inspiration.

Holy Roller

TN: 5 | Speed: 1 | Duration: Permanent | Range: Self

Sometimes a blessed needs divine power right now, and they're willing to gamble for it. This miracle is called "holy roller" because it's literally a roll of the dice with Heaven.

How it works:

• The blessed can pull a chip from the Fate Pot for their next action only
• Make a TN 5 faith roll
• Success: Gain a white chip
• One raise: Gain a red chip
• Two raises: Gain a blue chip
• Failure: Your patron takes your highest chip as penance (put it back in the pot)

Playing a Blessed Character

Here's some advice for bringing a blessed to life in your Troubleshooters campaign:

Know Your Faith: You don't need to be a theological scholar, but understand the basics of your character's religion. What do they believe? What's forbidden? What's sacred? Your Marshal can help, but it's worth doing a little research.

Lead by Example: The blessed don't need to preach constantly. Sometimes the best sermon is a righteous life lived well. Help those in need. Stand against evil. Show mercy when appropriate and steel when necessary.

Don't Be Holier-Than-Thou: Nobody likes a sanctimonious scold. Your character might be blessed, but they're still human (probably). They'll have doubts, fears, and failings. Play those too.

Work With Your Posse: Not everyone in your group will share your faith—or any faith at all. That's fine. You're all Troubleshooters together. Find common ground in opposing evil and helping folks, not in converting everyone to your religion.

Remember the Cost: Every miracle has a price, even if it's just the responsibility of using divine power wisely. Don't throw miracles around carelessly. Make them matter.

Blessed Archetypes

Here are a few examples of blessed characters you might play as a Troubleshooter:

The Circuit Rider: A traveling preacher who brings the Word to remote frontier towns, backed by genuine miracles when words alone won't do. They've seen enough evil to know prayers and bullets are equally important.

The Repentant Sinner: A former outlaw, gambler, or worse who found redemption in the barrel of a gun pointed at their head. Now they're trying to make up for past sins by doing right—and Heaven has noticed.

The Quiet Faithful: A rancher, shopkeeper, or common laborer who lives their faith through daily kindness and integrity. When evil threatens, they step up with power that surprises everyone—including themselves.

The Missionary: Come from back East to bring civilization and faith to the frontier, only to discover the frontier has horrors the East can't imagine. Their faith will be tested like never before.

The Warrior Priest: Trained in both theology and combat, they're equally comfortable with a Bible or a rifle. They see no contradiction in fighting evil with both prayer and lead.

Blessed and the Troubleshooters

Among Colonel Brennan's Troubleshooters, blessed characters serve a vital role. The Colonel recognizes that some problems can't be solved with steel and gunpowder alone. When a town's plagued by restless spirits, when the dead won't stay buried, when dark cults gather in the night—that's when having a blessed on the team makes all the difference.

The Colonel doesn't much care what religion a Troubleshooter follows, long as they get results. He's employed Catholic priests, Baptist preachers, Jewish rabbis, and even a Buddhist monk once. What matters is their ability to face down evil and protect innocent folks.

Blessed Troubleshooters often find themselves in the unusual position of having to work alongside hucksters (who bargain with manitous) and mad scientists (whose devices defy natural law). This can create interesting tensions—but most blessed recognize that in the fight against the Reckoning, you take allies where you can find 'em.

Next: Hucksters & Hexes – Those card-sharp sons of guns who gamble with manitous for their power...