Divine Souls is launching into Open Beta on Tuesday, December 14th and the people at Outspark want you to have early access to download and install the Beta client! Divine Souls is an action-based MOBA featuring speedy, combo-heavy combat! Set in a world where technology and magic coexist, a unique story and plot building quests await the player. Select from 4 character classes and engage with demons and other players through PvP modes or team up with friends using the Party System.
The Soul and its Salvation according to Lurianic KabbalahThe Soul and its Salvation according to Lurianic KabbalahIn comparison with the, Lurianicteachings regarding the soul were far more elaborate. In one teachingthe formation of the soul recapitulates the process of cosmicand contributes towards theor tikkun. Explains Scholem:'Just as the supernal lights of the partzufim of Atzilut developthrough conjunctions and 'couplings' ( zivvugim) of the parztufim,so are the souls born through a corresponding process. Within theSefirah Malkut of each parztuf are.souls in a potential state that ascend.andare actualised as a result of the 'unions' of the (higher) Sefirot.At the outset these souls exist only in the state of 'female waters' (mayyimnukbin); that is, they are passive potencies that.lack harmony and form.Onlythrough additional 'couplings' of.Ze'er Anpin with its female counterpartor Nukvah do they receieve the actual structure of souls.
With eachnew arousal of the 'female waters' in these parztufim, new opportunitiesarise for the creation of souls. Such a process occurs in all fourworlds., the possible variation in modes of souls being practicallyinfinite. Each of these souls recapitualtes.the structure of theworlds through which it passed (when).being created, so that when itdescends to enter a body in this world it will be able to work towardsthe latter's tikkun.and, to some extent.the uplifting of the higherworlds as well.'
Kabbalah, pp.161-2No mention is made of the doctrine of gilgul or reincarnationin this particular account, although it is important in some other Lurianicand post-Lurianic teachings regarding the soul. Actually, the problemhere is also what is meant by the term 'soul'? Since the Kabbalistsspeak of a number of different 'souls', corresponding to the various worldsor sefirot in the emanation sequence, it may well be that what is beingreferred to here is something qite different to how the word 'soul' isgenerally understood today: as the essential 'I' or self distinct fromthe body - assuming of course that such a simplistic dualistic definitionis even valid at all.
But it seems that what is being referred toin the above doctrine is the origin of the various psychic principles (nowthat's a better term than 'soul') that make up our consciousness.Rather than being simple dualistic beings, we are made up of a number ofdifferent faculties, which existing together in the body make up what welike to call 'consciousness'. These faculties, being different innature (for example, the thinking faculty is not the same as the feelingfaculty), would originate from different worlds or planes or spheres ofexistence, which correspond to or are the cosmic equivelent of those particularindividual faculties.
But the basic dynamic behind the formationof each psychic faculty may be the same, even if it occurs on differentplanes (the old law of correspondence again), and would logically alsorecapitualte the formation of the cosmos as a whole. So Anthropogenesisor Psychogenesis (pick whichever big word you prefer) recapitaltes cosmogenesis.Hence the above Kabbalistic doctrine.Another novel Lurianic idea regarding the soul (that terribleambiguous word again) is that the neshamah or higher soul proper does notactually enter into the body or the lower worlds at all. Instead,it radiates a spark of itself downwards to the mode that we call the 'soul',but strictly speaking can only be called a soul (neshamah) by analogy only.The true soul remains above, hovering over the person, whether from nearor afar, but maintaining a link with its spark below Ibid, pp.148, 162.This interesting idea - that even the individualdivine or spiritual principle does not incarnate, but instead sends downan emanation or irridation - was also taught by the Neoplatonist Iamblichus,regarding the Nous or Divine Mind. Since it is unlikely that Luriawas familiar with the teachings of the classical Neoplatonists, this seemsto be a realisation independently arrived at.
And this same ideaof an overshadowing individual spiritual principle was to reappear in H.P.Blavatsky'sdoctrine of the Higher Manas or Ego (which inspired later theosophicalwriters like Alice Bailey), as well as Qabalistic occultists like AleisterCrowley with his doctrine of the Holy Guardian Angel.A third Lurianic teaching on the nature of the soul regards thesoul of Adam; that is, the human biblical Adam, as opposed to the AdamKadmon Godhead. But even here in Sunday School land things are notas they seem. For the Lurianic Adam did not contain just a singlesoul, like the conventional Christian Adam. Rather, he was also asort of cosmic figure, containing all the souls of everyone who would beborn, in a single mass in the breath (neshamah; as with the Indian Atmaand the Latin Spiritus, the individual spiritual principle was originallyidentified with the breath) God breathed into his nostrils see e.g. RabbiYehuda Ashlag, An Entrance to the Tree of Life, p.115.
As the inimitableGershom Scholem explains:'The soul of Adam was composed of all the worlds andwas destined to uplift and reintigrate all the sparks of holiness.leftin the klippot.It had 613 limbs, one for each of the commandments inthe Torah.Each of these limbs formed a complete partzuf in itself knownas a 'great root' (shoresh gadol), which in turn contained 613, or accordingto other versions, up to 600,000 'small roots'. Each 'small roots',which was also referred to as a 'great soul' (neshamah gadolah), concealedwithin it 600,000 sparks or individual souls. These sparks too wereapt to fission still further, but there remained a special affinity andpower of attraction between all the sparks that descended from a commonroot. Each of these sparks formed a complete structure or komah initself.' Gershom Scholem, Kabbalah, p.162So, what we have here is a very interesting idea. Ignore the religiousstuff about Adam; that's just the way the revelation appeared, throughIsaac Luria who had a particular cultural and religious understanding andnaturally interpreted things along those lines.
But we want to understandthe essence of things, independent of religious or cultural or personaldistortion. So we have to extract the wheat from the chaff.So, what is being described here is a sort of psychogenesis - a theoryof the origin of the souls. We have the idea that all the souls originatedfrom a primordial anthropos, to use the Gnostic term.
This Adamicanthropos, being a divine being, was organised in a particular archetypal,mandalic manner, hence the refence to '613 limbs'. Of course, itdoesn't have to be 613; it could be any number. 613 is chosen onpurely theolotgical grounds (the number of positive and negative observencesor precepts ( mtzvahs) in Judaism.
The derived divine soulsor sparks still retain their connection with kindred souls of the same'root'. Hence we have 'kindred spirits'; souls bound together by a commonpurpose, because they originated from the same archetype-aspect of theoriginal anthropos. Their purpose therefore is the purpose definedby that particular aspect; a particular role to be played in the DivinePlan of cosmic evolution and unfolding. So perhaps a lot of hastlesin this world come from souls with different missions that have been throwntogether and are clashing, because of mutual incompatability: he/she/theydon't understand me. People with totally different destinies maybe stuck together in mutually frustrating relationships, and they haveto work out all that personal karma before they can get on with their truespiritual mission, the mission represented by that particular aspect ofthe original anthropos from which their divine soul derives.The question is, how did all the souls get separated in the first place?Luria relies on his favorite and very dramatic explanation;the Fall. And here he combines the exoteric biblical doctrine ofAdam's fall with his own esoteric gnostic doctrine of the pre-creationfall.
According to him, if Adam, who had the fully developed powersof Adam Kadmon, had fulfilled his mission through contemplative actionand deep meditation, the living chain between God and creation would havebeen completed, and the power of the evil Klippah totally overcome.But his fall caused the cosmos - already in bad straights after the 'breakingof the vessels' - to fall even further. The world of Asiyah, whichhad previously stood firmly, was now immersed in the realm of the Klippot.As a result of this admixture of the world of Asiyah with the klippot,Adam assumed a material body and the unity of his soul was shattered.The fate of the fragments had either of three possible outcomes, dependingon their purity.Those soul-elements of high rank, called the 'upper light' ( ziharaila'ah) which refused to participate in his sin departed for above,and will not return to the world until the time of redemption.
Divine SoulIf there is one thing that gods have in common, it is that they move in mysterious ways. Their full depths transcend mortal understanding, and sometimes the strictures of religion that mortals have built around their worship will fail to fulfill the deity's needs from its mortal agents.
It is then, or so scholars believe, that divine souls are created. Divine souls are mortals who have been empowered by the gods for their own mysterious reasons.
While they are usually at least lay worshippers of the god who has empowered them, they often have beliefs or understanding of the deity that are somewhat askew of the orthodox teachings, and sometimes they are chosen from among those who did not previously worship that deity at all. It is presumed that the divine soul's empowerment is intended to inspire it to deeds or conclusions that the deity's normal worshippers might not reach on their own, and the acts of such individuals often spark schisms or new understandings of their patron deity.Divine souls often possess powers that the deity does not grant to most of its worshippers, but these strange talents come with their own disadvantage; the divine soul might, in turn, lack miracles that are granted commonly to other worshippers. They represent an unusual position within the relationship of mortals and divinities, and no two are entirely alike.Class SkillsThe divine soul's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + intAlignment: A divine soul's alignment must not be opposed to her patron deity's. Alternate Class FeaturesPlanar Soul: Some divine souls are infused with the power of the outer planes by their deity.
A first-level divine soul may choose this class feature. Instead of choosing three domains at first level, she chooses one domain and one planar domain ( Spell Compendium). The divine soul does not have to meet the usual alignment requirement for the planar domain.
However, domains with a requirement of an alignment opposed to the divine soul's deity's alignment are considered anathema.Exorcist Soul: Occasionally, a divine soul is empowered to fight the undead in particular. A first-level divine soul may choose this class feature. The divine soul gains Turn Undead (as the cleric class feature) instead of Divine Channel.Ascetic Soul: There are some divine souls who work their deity's will through their own two fists rather than a mortal-made weapon. A first-level divine soul may choose this class feature. The divine soul does not gain proficiency with light or medium armor. The divine soul gains Improved Unarmed Strike and gains the unarmed damage and armor class bonus of a monk of her divine soul level, using Charisma rather than Wisdom to calculate her armor class bonus. A divine soul with this class feature treats her unarmed strike as her Deity's Weapon rather than choosing her deity's favored weapon or an alignment-based weapon.
A divine soul with this class feature may multiclass divine soul and monk freely, and her levels in the two classes stack for calculating unarmed damage and armor class bonus. Overall, I'm really impressed with the elegant simplicity of the class. The choice of domains automatically injects a specific flavor and style into each divine soul.
The new domain powers provide a steady stream of bonus feats or interesting class features. The additional spells known vs. A sorcerer or favored soul is offset by the reduced flexibility you have in choosing spells. There's even a tension between choosing X domain for its useful domain power or Y domain to gain access to its spells. And yet the class has very few decisions to make, creating an effective option for players who don't want a complicated class with five pages of features (like mine tend to be).This is really, really good. I like it a lot.A couple of points of concern:. I don't often say this, but it needs fewer skill points.
You don't have enough class skills to really offer the kind of choices that 4 skill points per level needs, and as a full caster with more spells known than either a sorcerer or a favored soul, you really don't need the extra skill points anyhow. Let the guys who don't have spells play with skills. The first level is extremely dippable, granting three domains, proficiency with a broad set of weapons and armor, three domains, a feature that grants free critical hits and powers divine feats, and three domains.
You might want to defer Divine Channeling or the third domain until level 2. A capstone feature at level 20 would be a nice ornament on top of the tree, although it's not necessary. You imply, but do not explicitly state, that the divine soul must have a patron deity and cannot simply worship a philosophy like a cleric can. If this is the case, you should explicitly state it.
It would be extremely helpful if you would provide a list of suggested anathema domains for each of the deities in the default D&D pantheon in the Player's Handbook. This would save many DMs some legwork, and would provide a good jumping-off point for DMs who use other deities. Overall, I'm really impressed with the elegant simplicity of the class. The choice of domains automatically injects a specific flavor and style into each divine soul. The new domain powers provide a steady stream of bonus feats or interesting class features. The additional spells known vs.
A sorcerer or favored soul is offset by the reduced flexibility you have in choosing spells. There's even a tension between choosing X domain for its useful domain power or Y domain to gain access to its spells. And yet the class has very few decisions to make, creating an effective option for players who don't want a complicated class with five pages of features (like mine tend to be).This is really, really good. I like it a lot.Thanks!
I'm glad you like it. I don't often say this, but it needs fewer skill points. You don't have enough class skills to really offer the kind of choices that 4 skill points per level needs, and as a full caster with more spells known than either a sorcerer or a favored soul, you really don't need the extra skill points anyhow. Let the guys who don't have spells play with skills.This is actually something I waffled on for a while. The main concern is that there are a lot of domains that add extra class skills as their domain ability, and 2 skill points per level is just not enough to make any of those domain abilities worthwhile.
One of my design goals with the Divine Soul is to make any domain ability function properly, even ones I've never heard of (even if some of them aren't actually good) and something like, say, Kobold domain doesn't work properly without a few skill points to throw around (Concentration being effectively mandatory for 3.5 spellcasters). My hope is that the short skill list means that skills will still be rather restricted without using domains to expand the list, while the skill points per level mean that such domains won't be wasted.
The first level is extremely dippable, granting three domains, proficiency with a broad set of weapons and armor, three domains, a feature that grants free critical hits and powers divine feats, and three domains. You might want to defer Divine Channeling or the third domain until level 2.Moving Divine Channeling to 2 might work. The three domains at first level is to give them the same number of spells as a sorcerer (without the same versatility of selection).(I wouldn't call it a 'broad set of weapons and armor', though. Simple weapons are granted by dang near every class, so what you're getting is the Deity's Weapon proficiency and light/medium armor - the latter of which are also granted by pretty much every class that isn't severely penalized for using them.). It would be extremely helpful if you would provide a list of suggested anathema domains for each of the deities in the default D&D pantheon in the Player's Handbook. This would save many DMs some legwork, and would provide a good jumping-off point for DMs who use other deities.That's probably worth considering. I'll give such a list some thought.Edit: After some consideration, I moved Divine Channel back to 1.
Without it, a number of domains become nonfunctional. However, I've made it so that domains can't be traded out for devotion feats, meaning the classic 'cloistered cleric, trade out for Knowledge Devotion and Travel Devotion' dip option is blocked.
The class is still potentially a pretty decent dip, but I think I'm okay with that. At last, someone who really appreciates cleric domains.At higher levels I'd worry that the you'd have an unbalanced variety of spells- some blasting, some healing, some buffing, some utility- that a cleric or wizard couldn't achieve. But I suppose limiting domains to one deity's portfolio would limit that.Domains are deliberately not limited to one deity's portfolio. This is explicitly stated in the class.You will never have a cleric or wizard's versatility.
You can have spells that aren't on one list or the other by way of domains, but they have access to literally hundreds of spells that are impossible for a divine soul to add to her list. I disagree that spells alone means it shouldn't get a capstone. Having more domains is all well and good, but after a certain point some people might just jump out to a PrC because they feel they have enough spells known (or into a PrC that grants extra domains anyhow). If nothing else, perhaps an ability that allows you to change one of your domains after 24 hours of meditation? Or maybe grant additional uses of limited use domain granted powers (ie, ones usable 1/day)? It's not an earth shattering ability, but its something mighty tasty at the end of the day.Though, on that note, are alternate class features printed in official sources that change how some domains work applicable?
I can't recall them all off the top of my head, but I think there is one that lets you chose one wizard spell of each level and one that lets you swap domains 1/day, and whatnot. Its been a while since I went trawling through books for domains and cleric ACFs. I'm doing something similar to this in my Cleric revision, actually.Oh, the headache that it will be to pick the right domains.
XDHave you tried building an example character? I have a feeling your spell list is going to look veeeery short at higher levels.Have you decided what to do with Planar Domains?
They are in the spell compendium. For a Cleric, they 'count as both of a cleric's domain choices'.Wording issue: 'she may automatically confirm a critical hit with that weapon' - I believe you mean 'a critical threat'.I have to agree with it being front-loaded. (Cloistered) Cleric 1 is considered one of the best dips available, and this isn't very far behind even with the Domain feat trades unavailable.At the very least, I'd move one of the domains to second level. Isn't much of a headache for those that intend to stick with the class, but it reduces the menu of options for dippers. I have to agree with it being front-loaded. (Cloistered) Cleric 1 is considered one of the best dips available, and this isn't very far behind even with the Domain feat trades unavailable.At the very least, I'd move one of the domains to second level. Isn't much of a headache for those that intend to stick with the class, but it reduces the menu of options for dippers.Having only two spells known at first level on a primarily-casting class really bothers me, is the problem.
I'm not really bothered by it being a pretty good dip for some builds. What would bother me would be if either A: it was so good a dip as to be a no-brainer for a huge number of builds (which it isn't) or B: if it was better as a dip than as a continued class (which it also isn't). I think Divine Channeling can be pushed as far as 5th level.I mean, how often do you encounter opponents with the Alignment subtype prior to 4th level?And if you do, is it really necessary to rob them of their schtick at such early stages of one's character development?Two counterpoints.First, Divine Channeling is used as a stand-in for Turn Undead. I want divine souls to be able to pick domains that interact with Turn Undead even at low levels.Second, enemies with aligned damage resistance already lose their 'schtick' to Magic Missile or any other source of nonweapon damage well before level 5. Human Divine Soul 1 feats:1st level: Persistent SpellHuman: Divine Metamagic (Persistent Spell)Planning: Extend SpellUndeath: Extra TurningRune: Scribe ScrollMulti-class into cleric at levels 2+. Casting progression is delayed by 1 level (although you get extra 1st-level spells), gain 3 useful bonus feats and doubled available number of turn undead uses per day.
Able to persistify one spell by level 1, and two by level 2.Divine soul 1/cleric 1 is dramatically superior to cleric 2. Divine soul 1/cleric (x-1) is arguably superior to cleric x.But, all my nanny-goating aside, if you're happy with it, then it's probably good to go for your own campaign. Human Divine Soul 1 feats:1st level: Persistent SpellHuman: Divine Metamagic (Persistent Spell)Planning: Extend SpellUndeath: Extra TurningRune: Scribe ScrollMulti-class into cleric at levels 2+. Casting progression is delayed by 1 level (although you get extra 1st-level spells), gain 3 useful bonus feats and doubled available number of turn undead uses per day. Able to persistify one spell by level 1, and two by level 2.Divine Channeling and Turn Undead use the same pool if you have both, as noted in the ability description.
Although I should note that the same applies to rebuking.I am aware that a divine soul can use Divine Metamagic at low levels, just as a cleric can. Clerics have been doing the Planning/Undeath stunt for quite a long time now.
My assumption is that if a DM has a problem with Divine Metamagic he will address it by barring or houseruling Divine Metamagic. Changing the divine soul won't fix his problems with DMM, it will just mean that a player who wants to abuse it will have to use a cleric like he always has. Divine soul 1/cleric 1 is dramatically superior to cleric 2. Divine soul 1/cleric (x-1) is arguably superior to cleric x.For a campaign that will only take place at level 2, any multiclass of two distinct primary-caster classes is superior to being single-classed due to the hugely increased number of slots and minimal effect of increased caster level at that level. As for the second claim, see above about the shared uses pool.Edit: However, I should clarify how domains gained from separate base classes interact.
Doing so, which also cuts into the perceived synergy.