[FOCI]
Planar Character Options
"Anyone can study the Language of Signs. But it takes a contrary nature for someone to learn and use it if they've previously made it their life's work to engage the world through music and song. Am I wrong?" —Savva Kresh, Crossplane Cantina proprietor
Deaf people, people with hearing loss, and nonverbal people, even ones without a "contrary nature," would find the Language of Signs ideal for their path to continued growth and success.
A signer needs only their hands and body to communicate. But many have a hobby that absorbs them and are given to dance and elegant movement-based meditations and performances. Other signers enjoy drawing or painting. Because some number of signers are deaf or hard of hearing, even those who are not eschew musical instruments or vocal performance. When a character chooses this focus, they gain the following.
A set of tools, painter's supplies, dancer's shoes, or a similar object that speaks to the signer's pursuit or hobby. A signer may also have a set of earplugs, especially if they don't have hearing loss but want to isolate themselves from the audible world. People who study the Language of Signs prefer to interact with the world around them using a unique language of visually observable signs and symbols; they disdain audible means of communication and entertainment. This lends them a solemn sort of dignity that others who see it sometimes wish to emulate. And why wouldn't they? The Language of Signs is an inherently magical language and anyone proficient in signing can choose who can understand it.
Philosophically, those who routinely use the Language of Signs seek to demonstrate that many paths are possible in life, whether that's to achieve a particular goal, to gain a rarified and high-level understanding of a concept, or simply to be happy. To a signer of this magical language, there is no such thing as yes or no. It is always "Yes, andÉ" or "No, butÉ" because all things lie along a continuum. Absolutes are few and far between, despite how some people toss around concepts of "always" or "never." Instead, certainty about anything exists as a smear of potential, which is best apprehended silently.
Signers sometimes congregate to discuss topics related to the many-stranded nature of the multiverse and other hard-to-understand topics. A true conference of signers doesn't host debates so much as conclaves for the sharing and dissemination of new information related to a particular signer's unique insights with their fellows.
You know a magical language called the Language of Signs. It allows you to use special signs to accompany anything you to use special signs to accompany anything that would normally require sound, music, or a command word or similar to activate or use, such as speaking a password to open a magical door, producing the proper musical tone to bypass a trap, and so on.
In addition, any creature you choose within short range that sees you signing can fluently understand you, assuming they have a language or the ability to understand language.
You trace a magical sign that partially blinds a foe that can see you within short range, hindering all their tasks for one minute. Action.
Using the Language of Signs, you fashion an eloquent hand gesture that draws all attention to you, but especially the attention of one target you choose within short range. Your Intellect-based attack is eased if the target has no reason to be suspicious of you. If you successfully gain the target’s attention, they can do nothing other than watch you, losing their next turn. If the creature is attacked or violently shaken before they take their next turn, you can try to keep their attention so that they still lose their turn, but your Intellect task to succeed is hindered. Action.
Ability Choice: Choose either Burning Sign of Anguish or Shining Sign of Hope as your tier 3 ability.
Using the Language of Signs, you trace a horrible, burning magical symbol that scours the minds of up to three targets within short range. Make an Intellect attack against each target. An affected target takes 3 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor). For each level of Effort you apply, you can make an Intellect attack roll against an additional target.
Using the Language of Signs, you trace an elegant, shining magical symbol that hangs in the air for up to one hour. The symbol provides bright light within short range, and if any of this initial area overlaps with an area of magical darkness, that darkness is dispelled. Up to three creatures you choose within the radius of this light gain one free one-action recovery roll that they can use whenever they wish while the light shines and they remain within it. Once a creature benefits from this healing effect, they can't benefit from it again until after a ten-hour recovery.
Action to initiate.
Using the Language of Signs, you construct a symbol that infuses a target within short range with a suggestion of your choosing. If you are successful, the target attempts to take the action you specified on their next turn. If the action you wish the target to take would cause direct harm to themself or their allies, your mental attack is hindered.
Using the Language of Signs, you trace an undulating, evolving magical symbol. Up to three targets within short range that you choose are overwhelmed with questions about the choices they have made and the truths they have accepted
that led them to their current circumstance (make a separate Intellect-based attack against each). While so absorbed, affected targets are stunned and can't take their next turn, unless they are attacked before that, which ends this effect. If you choose, you can use your subsequent actions to keep affected targets mulling on the ultimate meaninglessness of everything, so they lose their subsequent turns each round. You don't have to succeed on additional Intellect tasks or spend additional Intellect points to keep the effect active once a target has succumbed, but if you stop using your actions to sign, the effect ends. Once the effect ends, the target may still have questions on their next turn, but they can act normally. You can affect one additional target for each level of Effort you apply.
Action to initiate.
Ability Choice: Choose either Portal Sign or Sign of a Life Not Lived as your tier 6 ability.
Using the Language of Signs, you trace a symbol that opens a portal that only you can use to another planet, dimension, plane, or level of reality that you know to exist. For each level of Effort applied, you key the portal to transport up to three additional targets you choose. The portal collapses after you use it or after one minute, whichever happens first.
Using the Language of Signs, you trace a symbol that opens a portal in the mind of a target to another dimension containing an alternate version of themself. For instance, they might suddenly experience a version of themself that has two heads, is a fish person, or has died. The vision lasts for one minute or until the target takes damage. During this period, the target can't take actions, sees only an alternate reality no one else can, and speaks as if responding to unlikely scenarios playing out in their mind. The GM controls their movement, which is erratic. In addition, the experience inflicts 2 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) each round to the affected target. You don't need to use your action to maintain this effect.
Action to initiate.
GM Intrusions: An old injury, an intrusive enemy, or some other element of the environment could hamper the movements of a signer.