CREDO
“There’s always a helping hand.”
WHO THEY ARE
Hope is hard. Hope is a skill. Sometimes all you need to get through tough times is support from people like you. Or other versions of you.
Cheerleaders can summon clones – genetically identical copies of themselves – to help the team out for a short time. They’re the ultimate all-rounders, able to fill any niche – at least once. What matters isn’t how you do it, but that you do it together. The Guild hails from Bax, where most folks are used to being several people, and the perspective of “I am we,” can take Cheerleaders from other Worlds some time to adjust to. The secret to their power is attuning to the blind spots of their team and summoning clones who have the greatest chance of success. After using their powers, the summoned clones collapse and vanish, and no matter how many times the power gets used, the same copy is never summoned twice.
Cheerleaders tend to be warm and likable, which helps considering how off-putting many find their abilities, and even when not using their powers, try to find ways to help out. When the going gets tough, hope grits its teeth and keeps going.
Wait a minute…clones?
Whether these are truly clones is up for debate; they have different lives and skills from the original. You can talk with these clones as long as they persist and they all report full and disparate lives before they were summoned. To a one, they all mention ‘responding to the call’ – helping out is a choice they make.
So no, they technically aren’t clones, but clones is a nice, short word and that’s what people settled on using.
JOINING
Every prospective Cheerleader is interviewed by the Guildmaster. Sometimes, no words are exchanged at all – the applicant is either admitted or turned away with no reasoning. Cheerleaders hail from all Worlds and all temperaments, so it’s not obvious what the Guildmaster is looking for. When asked, their only response has been, “We walk on silk over the sea.”
POWERS
All powers are once between Rests and take an Action to activate unless otherwise stated. When a Cheerleader uses their power, they may summon a number of clones equal or up to their current level. For some powers, this is merely flavor. Additional clones for I WOULDN’T IF I WERE YOU merely make it a livelier discussion – not provide more insight. A Cheerleader may always summon fewer than their total possible number of clones.
I WOULDN’T IF I WERE YOU (LEVEL 1)
When faced with a problem, the Cheerleader can summon clones who succeeded in a similar (but not identical) situation and ask how they did it. There is no roll for this – the GM can provide as much additional help as they wish, but MUST provide at least a hint.
HOW IT GOES DOWN (LEVEL 3)
A clone (or set of) can be summoned to perform one Skill roll of the Cheerleader’s choice. This Skill does not have to be possessed by anyone on the team and will be rolled at the highest STAT + Skill value across any possible combination within the team.
A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS (LEVEL 5)
Make success out of almost success. The clones convert any roll that was one less than the required number to succeed to the minimum success threshold. This can only be done for a roll that was one less than the number of successes required (for a non-contested roll) or a tie (for a contested roll).
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED (LEVEL 7)
If the team fails three rolls in a row (no assists or repeats), the clones will manifest and guarantee a success on the fourth roll, whatever it is. Unlike other powers, this one cannot be controlled by the Cheerleader and happens automatically. There is no limit to the number of times between rests this can occur. Attempts to game this power by making rolls that weren’t called for will fail, but clever players may order called-for rolls to ensure a success at the right time.
EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY (LEVEL 9)
The Cheerleader summons up to their level number of clones and places them freely on the map. They cannot exist in the same space as another clone or being, cannot be targeted or attacked, and do not move. All allies (except the Cheerleader) within LEVEL/2 spaces of a clone gains +1 to all attacks and combat Skill rolls PER CLONE until end of the Cheerleader’s next turn. This bonus stacks with all other possible bonuses.
GOALS
If we’re going to save the universe, we have to do it together. Hope is a hard-won skill, one we’ve mastered, one we share freely with our allies and those in need. This desire for a better tomorrow is bigger than any one body can hold, so here we are: all of us at your side. Nothing less than victory will do and we will make it happen.
REALITY PHILOSOPHY: CONQUER
If perspective dictates reality, then convincing everyone they can and will get through this and save their Worlds can get them there – but it’s up to the Cheerleaders to pass that perspective on. This tenacity is powerful but also single-minded. Even in a collective, all the voices are you. They’re not forceful about it the way Vanquishers are, but their views are infectious, and isn’t it good to belong to a crowd doing the right thing?
STRUCTURE
Cheerleaders spend so much of their energy supporting others that they often don’t have time enough for their own. Perpetually behind on paperwork, slow to process new recruits, their only logistical virtue is being lightning fast at signing up to help out. Cheerleaders are notorious for biting off more than they can chew – their view that everything will turn out fine also extends to their work. Considering they can change the hand that fate deals, perhaps they’re not wrong.
GUILDMASTER
Coeli di Coeli, UH10
The Coeli collective is made of an astounding ten individuals, favouring a stout and stately amethyst centaur body. Coeli is a radiantly charismatic person, empathetic and exceedingly impulsive. They want everyone to love the Universe as much as they do and can sometimes sweep others along in their plans without realizing. It’s not hard to see why Coeli works so hard to be happy; they light up a room when they walk in and everyone has a good story to tell about the Cheerleader Guildmaster.
Communicating with Coeli is another thing entirely. The Guildmaster speaks exclusively in riddles, quotes, and snippets of poetry, assuming everyone will understand their lesson and intent. Even with as kind and appealing as Coeli is, this can be really fucking annoying. Even amongst their own clones, Coeli talks like this and those more familiar with Baxen collectives suspect the psychic effort of melding ten minds into one has altered how the Guildmaster thinks and acts.
BENEFITS
People give Cheerleaders stuff all the time. Alchemical materials, food, trinkets, offers of assistance – being there for everyone means everyone tends to be there for you and assume you’re doing everything you can. Because you are. Put some challenges down, please.
TITHES
How a Cheerleader presents themselves is important to their philosophy and mission; it’s not done to be cynical or curmudgeonly. Cheerleaders are certainly allowed to be angry or sad or violent or realistic, but pessimistic Cheerleaders get a talking-to. Can’t save the universe if you don’t act like it should be saved.
ACCORDS/TABOOS
BELL, TABLE, WATER
ACCORD: The Cheerleader critically succeeds at a roll.
TABOO: They cannot attempt the same activity that prompted the roll until their next Rest.
CANDLE BURNING TO THE PALMS
ACCORD: The Cheerleader meditates on their reflection for at least ten minutes while touching the reflective surface.
TABOO: They must avoid reflective surfaces until their next rest. Accidental glances are fine, but intentional ones are not.
WOLFSPIDER’S GAME
ACCORD: The Cheerleader knots a length of thread or cord around themselves and spits on the knot.
TABOO: If the cord is cut or untied before their next rest, lose the point of Luck.