The Hooded Figure

### God of

writing, stories, hope, death, rebirth, afterlives, fire, cards, holistics, improbability, the East

## Meta information

### Creator

Olivia

The Hooded Figure is the patron goddess/god/goddex of games and stories. They are most well-known for the creation of the Hallow Deck of Many Things, a sacred divining tool of great magical power. The Hooded Figure has a shifting appearance and personality that changes in seemingly every campaign.

## Overview

The origins of the Hooded Figure are not fully understood. Some sacred texts suggest that the Hooded Figure was present with Ora at the genesis of Musea. As the story goes, Ora was having trouble figuring out where to start making Musea. They encountered the Hooded Figure and asked for help, but the Hooded Figure refused, claiming they would ruin it. Ora tricked the Hooded Figure by asking them to tell a story. While the Figure told the tale, Ora secretly wove it into reality behind their back.

The above story is in direct contradiction with most canonized religious texts, which make no reference to the Hooded Figure. It is for this reason that some people consider worship of the Figure as somewhat taboo, and it is popularly performed by rebels and outcasts. Street art and graffiti are popular forms of worship.

The Hooded Figure has power over storytelling, the written and spoken word, and the Hallow deck. They are also aware of the fourth wall. How the Figure’s powers actually function is largely unknown, and some believe they may be entirely nonexistent.

## Obedience 1

Wear gloves or a veil at all times. As long as you have followed this stricture for the last 24 hours, you gain a +4 sacred or profane bonus on saving throws against effects that damage, drain, or penalize ability scores.

The type of bonus depends on your alignment—if you’re neither good nor evil, you must choose either sacred or profane the first time you perform your obedience, and this choice can’t be changed.

### Boons

1. **Pass Freely (Sp):** *produce flame* 3/day, *invisibility* 2/day, or *harrowing* 1/day
2. **Enkindler (Su):** For a number of minutes per day equal to your Hit Dice, you can gaze through a fire at least the size of a torch in order to perceive the surroundings of another flame of equal or greater size within line of sight, as if using *clairaudience/clairvoyance*. While doing so, you can cause your voice to emanate from that flame, either as your normal voice or as a crackling, inhuman one. Once per day while using this ability, you can cast *mass suggestion* as a spell-like ability, but the spell originates from the distant flame rather than from you.
3. **Home at the Crossroads (Sp):** Once per day, you can cast *maze*—the resulting extradimensional labyrinth takes the form of an endless network of empty roads running through a lonely forest. Conversely, you can also choose to target yourself with this ability, in which case you travel to the same extradimensional crossroads yourself, along with any willing targets within 100 feet, and can stay there indefinitely without needing food or drink. Anyone brought there by this second method can leave the crossroads at any time by willing it, but cannot return without another use of this ability.

## Obedience 2

Neatly inscribe six identical pairs of runes on 12 separate cards or squares of paper. Shuffle the cards facedown and draw two. On a match, gain a +4 sacred or profane bonus on saves against spells cast from two schools of magic of your choice. On a mismatch, gain a +4 sacred or profane bonus on saves against spells cast from scrolls. (Alternatively, draw two cards from a harrow deck, gaining one benefit for matching suits and the other if not.)

The type of bonus depends on your alignment—if you’re neither good nor evil, you must choose either sacred or profane the first time you perform your obedience, and this choice can’t be changed.

### Boons

1. **Calligrapher's Talent (Sp):** *produce flame* 3/day, *augury* 2/day, or *harrowing* 1/day
2. **Enkindler (Su):** For a number of minutes per day equal to your Hit Dice, you can gaze through a fire at least the size of a torch in order to perceive the surroundings of another flame of equal or greater size within line of sight, as if using *clairaudience/clairvoyance*. While doing so, you can cause your voice to emanate from that flame, either as your normal voice or as a crackling, inhuman one. Once per day while using this ability, you can cast *mass suggestion* as a spell-like ability, but the spell originates from the distant flame rather than from you.
3. **Lucky Cards (Su):** Once per day, you can summon 2d6 shimmering cards that trail in your wake. The cards dart around you during combat, intercepting deadly attacks. At your discretion, each card can absorb a single damage die from either a sneak attack or a critical hit that would normally hit you. For example, if you would be hit by a sneak attack dealing an extra 3d6 points of damage and you had two cards remaining, you could reduce the sneak attack damage to 1d6 (these dice are removed before being rolled). Once a card absorbs a damage die, it disappears. Unused cards disappear at the end of each day.