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Does Calistria have oracles?
I'm wondering because she is the only major deity without any associated oracle mysteries.
They probably just haven't done an appropriate Mystery (like Vengeance, Trickery, or Lust) as of yet. Though I'd allow an Oracle of Lore as a Calistrian (since she has the Knowledge Domain).
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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New Oracle Mystery: Vengeance
Class Skills: An oracle with the vengeance mystery adds Bluff, Intimidate, Sense Motive, and Survival to her list of class skills.
Bonus Spells: divine favor (2nd), summon swarm (4th), haste (6th), wall of fire (8th), symbol of pain (10th), flesh to stone (12th), destruction (14th), horrid wilting (16th), storm of vengeance (18th).
Revelations: An oracle with the vengeance mystery can choose from any of the following revelations.
Bloody Vengeance (Ex): Whenever you are struck in melee, your next successful melee attack against the opponent who struck you inflicts bleed damage equal to your Charisma modifier. This bleed does not stack with itself, but it can stack with other bleed effects. A DC 15 Heal check or any magical healing ends this effect. You must be at least 11th level to select this revelation.
Blood Hunter (Ex): You gain the Scent ability, but may only use this ability to detect living creatures who are currently injured. You also gain a +4 bonus on Survival checks to track wounded creatures. At 7th level, you gain Blindsense 60 ft. (but can only use it against wounded creatures). At 11th level, this upgrades to Blindsight with the same provisions.
Dark Harvest (Sp): This ability functions as the death knell spell and may be used a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier. At 11th level, this ability may be used as a swift action. At 15th level, it may be used at a range of 30 feet. You must be at least 7th level to select this revelation.
Eye for an Eye (Ex): Whenever an enemy confirms a critical hit against you, your next successful attack against that enemy automatically threatens a critical hit if made before the end of your next turn (you must still roll to confirm this critical). This ability cannot be used more than once per round.
Furious Victory (Ex): Whenever you or an ally within 30 feet reduces an enemy below 0 HP, you may make an Intimidate check to demoralize any target you threaten as an immediate action once per round. At 7th level, you may use this ability against any target within 30 feet. At 15th level, you may increase the DC of the check by 10 to frighten the target instead (they are not shaken if you fail).
Mark of Vengeance (Su): Once per day, you may mark an enemy that has dealt damage to yourself or an ally within the last 24 hours as a swift action. Against the target of this ability, you may add your Charisma modifier as a bonus on all attack rolls and deal additional damage equal to your oracle level on all damage rolls (even if the source of that damage is a spell or ability). The mark persists until the target is slain or you choose a new target (by expending another use of the ability). You can use this ability one additional time per day at 7th and 15th level.
Revenance (Su): Once per day, you may target an ally within 30 feet who is currently below 0 HP and infuse them with a spirit of wrath as a swift action. The target gains a number of temporary hit points equal to three times your oracle level. For as long as these temporary hit points remain, the target gains a morale bonus to attack and damage rolls as well as a sacred (or profane, if you are evil) bonus to AC and saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier. While under the effects of this ability, the target is incapable of recovering hit points in any way or benefiting from other sources of temporary hit points. These temporary hit points fade after 1 minute (unless depleted sooner). At 11th level, the subject of this ability is also immune to all mind-affecting spells and effects for the duration. At 15th level, you may use this ability twice per day. You must be at least 7th level to select this revelation.
Spiteful Spells (Ex): Spells you cast which target enemies who have injured your allies in the last round (or include such enemies within their area of effect) have their save DCs and caster level increased by 1. Against enemies who have injured you personally, they are increased by 2. At 11th level, these bonuses increase to +2 and +4 respectively.
Surge of Vengeance (Su): Once per day, when you reduce an enemy who has dealt damage to you within the last 24 hours below 0 hit points or slay them with a spell or effect, you may heal yourself for a number of hit points equal to your oracle level as an immediate action. At 7th level and every six levels thereafter, you may use this ability an additional time per day.
Vengeful Sting (Su): You may secrete a single dose of poison onto your weapon as a swift action a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier. Treat this as the poison of a giant wasp, though the save DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 your oracle level + CHA modifier. At 7th level, the poison improves, increasing the Dexterity damage to 1d4. At 11th level, the poison intensifies again, increasing the Dexterity damage to 1d6. You may also choose to secrete the poison into a container, to be delivered through other methods or given to allies for use, though you can have only one dose of poison in existence at a time.
Final Revelation: Upon reaching 20th level, you become an avatar of vengeance. Any creature striking you with a melee attack provokes an attack of opportunity from you. When you are reduced below 0 hit points or are slain by any means, you may transform into a blood-red spirit of vengeance. You become incorporeal, but may strike into both realms as though your weapons possessed the ghost touch property but you may no longer cast spells. You gain a fly speed equal to your current land speed (perfect maneuverability) and gain a +4 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls. While in this form, you are impervious to all damage and all healing, though you are treated as an undead spirit (and can be affected by spells and abilities that target such creatures). The transformation lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifer. At the end of this duration, you die, even if your hit points are above the normal threshold for death. This ability may not be used more than once in a 24 hour period.
Individual gods aren't really served by oracles, really. Oracles instead serve groups of gods or, more commonly, ideas or philosophies or things like that.
I understand that about the concept of the Oracle, but from a design standpoint a lot of the Mysteries and their associated philosophies overlap nicely with a number of deities.
Like the OP, I was kind of disappointed that there's been no Mystery that overlaps with the philosophies of Calistria's church. I've been batting around the idea of playing an Oracle that served as a Calistrian prostitute before coming into his Oracle abilities. I was hoping for a Mystery of Love, Lust, Treachery, Vengeance, Deceit, or something on those lines in UM. I'm not opposed to taking another Mystery, they all have fun aspects, but they don't quite have the same flavour I was looking for.
Side Note: I like that Mystery, Fatespinner! A little more aggressive than what I had in mind for my character, but the closest to the mark I've seen!
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New Oracle Mystery: Vengeance
This is a cool idea. Vengeance, retribution, revenge or even justice (of a particularly harsh bent) could all be the focus of this sort of Mystery, and Asmodeus, Calistria, Iomedae, Achaekek and Gyronna could all be valid 'patrons' for an Oracle of this Mystery, with some more focused on the 'justice' side of the equation and others more focused on the 'revenge' side.
Removing it from the more 'lawful' Justice and the more 'chaotic' Vengance theme, it could even be seen as comeuppance or balance or fate, in which case it might also be well suited to Pharasma, who seems to be all about balancing of scales.
Other themes;
An Oracle of Passion (encompassing love and lust, but also going in one direction to include art and beauty, and in the other direction to include other strong emotions, such as lust for battle) could be a suitable Mystery for Calistria, Gorum, Iomedae and Shelyn (among others).
An Oracle of Mischief, all tricksey and duplicitious (lots of illusions, personal transformations and enchantments), could be fun for a Mystery sponsored by Asmodeus, Calistria, Norgorber, Sivanah and other Trickery-loving gods.
I would say I would 1000% perfer the ones Set suggested than the ones we are getting in Magic of the Inner Sea book.
Previous Shelyn/Calistria mystery thread.
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Previous Shelyn/Calistria mystery thread.
Ooh, good find! I'd probably extend it more into including 'passions' like rage, to make it more suitable to a larger range of dieties (like the battle-lust of Gorum or the righteous zeal of Iomedae), just because I like Oracle Mysteries to be relevant to at least four divine patrons, but otherwise, it's totally cool!
Individual gods aren't really served by oracles, really. Oracles instead serve groups of gods or, more commonly, ideas or philosophies or things like that.I find it surprising that many Oracle players ignore that bit to worship a particular god.
It doesn't help that the APG oracle class lists deities associated with various mysteries. :/
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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It doesn't help that the APG oracle class lists deities associated with various mysteries. :/Individual gods aren't really served by oracles, really. Oracles instead serve groups of gods or, more commonly, ideas or philosophies or things like that.I find it surprising that many Oracle players ignore that bit to worship a particular god.
I think, also, that people tend to have this hardwired notion that divine casters = deities. While you CAN play a cleric or paladin devoted to a philosophy or set of ideals according to the rules, these types of characters are far-and-away the minority. Many people like to use the deity as a source of flavor for their character, allowing the styles and ideals of that deity influence their concept (and there's nothing wrong with that, a lot of the deities are really cool).
The problem is that a lot of people also come up with some vague notion for a concept ("I want to play a cleric who kills people") and then start scouring for deities that will indulge that concept ("Hey, Gorum works!"), finally adding the 'flavor' to their character based on their deity as an afterthought ("Sure, yeah, spiked armor sounds good. And greatswords aren't bad.").
In all reality, they could just as easily play a cleric devoted to the idea of WAR ITSELF and use whatever weapon/armor/tenets they felt like. The deity just provides a quick-and-easy "package deal" for those so inclined. Of course, on the flip side, maybe the player decides Gorum is really cool FIRST, and builds the character in the opposite direction, finally ending up with a flavor-heavy version of "cleric who kills people."
It doesn't help that the APG oracle class lists deities associated with various mysteries. :/
Yep, I saw that, then had to have it explained to me later that oracles don't serve deities, at least not in the direct way that a paladin or cleric would. It is a little on the misleading side.
The other aspect is a lot of what Fatespinner has just said. Deities/religion make for easy packages for the philosophically driven character, and divine characters tend to be driven by one philosophy or another. It doesn't have to be a deity, but being able to put a name, face, symbol, and even personality on the object of your devotion kind of humanizes the act of faith. Ideals can be a little cold and impersonal. It's also very hard to demand of Valour or Beauty why bad things happen to good people, but lamenting to Iomedae or Shelyn-- even if no answer is forthcoming-- seems a bit easier to rationalize.
Personally, I like orienting an Oracle towards a particular deity because I really like the pantheon in Golarion, I like how religion is treated, and typically, most of my characters, divine or no, pay their respects to one god, goddess, devil, or what have you. The deities are complex, interesting figures. Philosophies are abstract and impersonal. At least, that's how I approach my divine characters. To each their own.
Thanks for the Passion Mystery link! I saw that one when I first came up with the concept for my oracle. Feels a little bit weighted towards the Good-aligned, but I should be able to tweak it to fit my needs.
I am starting to kick around a debate whether my bard should ma-ma-multi class passion oracle. after a certain point (about level 10 and jack of all trades, thanks) if you have built correctly, versatile performance is no longer a draw. UM came out with some pretty wicked social spells, but my GM has already established that there are magician-hunting secret police crawling around my character's objective...
I believe that ultimately it will come down to whether or not I would like my bard to cast specific spells on the off chance that she is not being observed by an enemy, or severely inhibiting my character's effectiveness overall.
My husband and GM already jokingly stated that we weren't going to work out together if I went Bard/Oracle/Mystic Thurge.
Recently played a pyromaniac gnome Oracle of Flames. He didnt worship any deities but revered both Asmodeus ( as Lord of the Destroying and Punishing Flames) and Sarenrae (as Lady of Illuminating and Purifying Flames). he revered them for providing their power to the Flames (and as the ultimate wielders of the flames). Even wore a medallion with a half sunburst on the right half and half of a pentagram on the left. It made for some interesting conversations and interactions with other PCs and NPCs.