#desecrator

From Captain Marvel: Dark Past #002

Art by Lucas Werneck and Rod Fernandes

(art by Krodzreborn on DeviantArt)

And so we get to champion, one of the classes that has changed the most with the remastered revision, so much so that despite being generally considered a “core” class, we had to wait for the second Player Core book to see how they changed it.

Conceptually, the champion remains the same, being a divine warrior that seeks to see their beliefs manifest in the world, from the duty of paladins to the anarchic self-serving nature of antipaladins.

However, in the remastered version of Second Edition, alignment is a thing of the past, and so with it’s passing, the oaths and causes have changed. No longer are they bound by specific morality, but rather, the exact value they uphold instead defines their base morals instead. For the most part many of the causes remain the same, though they no longer have special names. However, they are no longer tied to specific alignments, and some that were previously holy or unholy in nature are now more neutral, such as the justice cause (formerly paladins) being available to both traditional holy warriors and those that are morally neutral but value law and righteousness nevertheless.

And so for the most part these entries will continue unabated, with only totally new causes getting new entries if they need it, since mechanically they mostly remain the same.

In any case, I present the Desecrator/Desecration cause!

Formerly neutral evil, the cause of desecration gives us a champion that not only seeks their own unholy and selfish power, but is also defined by their spite and cruelty. Desecrators do exactly as their namesake suggests and delight in bringing suffering and fouling that which is beloved. This makes sense, as their closest moral counterparts are daemons and divs, the former of which seek to destroy all out of spite and hatefulness, and the latter who specifically hate mortals above all else. Heck, the vengefulness of most asura also lends itself well to patroning desecrators as well.

How any mortal becomes this spiteful is no doubt the subject of many stories, ranging from a blooming hatred of a specific group that later spreads to hatred of many others, or it may start as revenge that loses purpose. Regardless, these warriors have lost themselves to the promises of a dark power that offers them the power to tear down anyone and anything that offends their sensibilities, which is typically everyone and everything that isn’t as cruel as they have become. So let’s see what power this twisted beings have to offer.

The core ability of any champion is their divinely-blessed reactions, which in this case manifest as a reflexive defensive ward that protects them and only them, as well as blessing their own attacks made in retaliation for a short while.

As they grow in power, the protection of this ward only increases, allowing them to endure much greater blows.

It’s exalted form their aura also overwhelms nearby foes for a short while, making further attacks more difficult as they hesitate and flounder under such overwhelming hate.

Naturally, there are feats tied to this specific cause, such as Ongoing Selfishness to extend their personal protection against those that harm them, Conceited Mindset, which wards their minds against influence, Lightslayer Oath to strike down high and mighty celestials, Corrupted Shield to turn even tools of defense into weapons, Gruesome Strike to punish those that harm you, and Instrument of Slaughter to leave bleeding wounds.

Of course, there are other feat options that work quite well, such as Cruelty, Smite, Greater Cruelty, Litany of Self-Interest, Pale Horse, Litany of Depravity, Fiendish Form, as well as others according to your build.

It can seem oxymoronic to use ally-buffing abilities like those of the champion class with a cause that is so thoroughly defined by self-interest, but remember that the wicked and cruel are quite happy to exploit the devotion of those foolish enough to aid them, rescinding their protection and blessings the moment it no longer becomes useful to do so.

While some may seek control and others may simply seek their own selfish pleasures at all times, these desecrators are specifically out to ruin things for everyone else, so it’s safe to say that no matter what their original motivations were, these spiteful warriors are instead defined by the urge to spread misery. Are they miserable themselves? Do they simply derive pleasure from bringing suffering to their enemies? Is there a difference?

Normally, mainline hobgoblin society focuses on seeking mastery over other peoples, but not Kolgakax. So great is his cruelty that he does not seek control or order at all, only the ruination of all other cultures, and something dark has answered his bitter and cruel heart.

Desecration is a common cause among the urdefhan, and those that show a talent for it are taken aside by the priests and blood mages of their kind to train into lethal warriors of death in the name of the final end of the universe.

- thrash metal álbuns

- Enemynside - Chaos Machine

- Whipstriker - Merciless Artillery

- Desecrator - To The Gallows

- Chemicaust - Unleashed Upon This World

- ThrashWall - ThrashWall