The Master of Ropes

This little class came about randomly from a side world building project I’m working on, based around the idea of using knots for magic. As a player who often loves gearomancy making a whole class around a single piece of equipment sounded like a fun challenge. Thus I present to you the master of ropes:

The Master of Ropes

Starting Gear: Two knives, Rope reel, As many inventory slots of rope, cord, and/or fiber as you want.

Skills: Rope making. (1) Sailing, (2) Knitting, (3) Weaving, (4) Mountaineering

A: Rope Friend, Knot Whisperer

B: Rope Lores, Iron Serpent

C: Eye of The Knot

D: Silver Cord

Rope Friend: By concentrating you can control a number of ropes equal to the number of templates in this class you have. These ropes can move as fast a walking person and can maneuver and coil like a serpent, allowing for actions that don’t require dexterity (pull a lever, hold a torch, but not write a letter or dice onions). You can also talk to ropes, threads, string, etc as long as they aren’t made into something like cloth.

Knot Whisperer: The knowledge of knots has soaked deeply into your hands and soul. Nothing is more steadfast than your knots, which can only come undone by other creatures. Ropes you grasp dance to this knot song, and with seven heartbeats will tie or untie themselves in any configuration.

Rope Lores: As an initiate of the Cord Schools, you have been taught to fashion sacred cords. By fashioning each rope as detailed below you gain access to their magics.

Iron Serpent: Ropes have such faith in your command that as long as they are anchored or grasped they can perform impossible feats, such as rising straight into the air like a pole or hovering parallel above the floor. While grasping a rope you can imbue it with your strength, making it as hard and rigid as iron.

Eye of The Knot: Within the knot space and time are twisted, pulled tighter between the coils. When you pull a knot closed around a creature or object you can begin the sacred knot chant for thirty seconds. Upon completion they are sealed into this interdimensional knot space until the knot is undone. You can have a number of such sealing knots active at any time equal to twice the number of templates in this class. Creatures get a save to avoid being pulled into the seal.

Silver Cord: You now understand that the sacred connection between the body and soul is held together by a brilliant silver cord. By loosening this cord your soul can journey beyond while you sleep or meditate, allowing you to explore the great astral dimensions. With instruction you can teach others this ability, allowing them to come along with you on such adventure. Should the silver cord be cut (a very difficult task) your souls are cast adrift across the universe, likely forever lost.

Rope Lore:

1. The Loop of Truth: Over the course of a week you can speak truths into a rope, imbuing it with the virtue of honesty. One fiber of the rope must be a lions hair or saints hair. Anyone looped by this rope can only speak truths, and must save to avoid answering questions.

2. The Endless Coil: By folding at least a kilometer of rope into a single coil or spool you can push the rope density beyond what space-time can handle, collapsing your creation into a rope singularity. This coil of rope is endless, more rope can always be fed out.

3. The Golden Thread: By spinning thread with passion and love in your heart you can create a ball of golden thread in a week. By thinking of something you love you can toss the ball, which will roll and unwind to show you the path there. It’s also a ball of golden thread. Excessive creation of golden thread will often draw the attention of the fair folk, golden thread is kinda their thing.

4. The Trick Rope: Your ropes can find a space between, in the cracks and left over spaces beyond reach. Such a rope must be stolen without being noticed, then unwound and rewound again. By holding onto your rope or climbing it you and others can enter this liminal space. The between spaces are usually abandoned and safe, a place to catch your breath. The trick rope must be kept dangling out into the real world, a tether between dimensions. Should it be cut or pulled away you and your companions will be cast adrift in the spaces between forever.

5. The Noose: This rope is fashioned from a noose used to hang another. By placing the noose around your neck you are both living and dead, with one foot in the world of the living and other in the world of the dead. Phantoms and spirits are often intrigued by your curious state.

6. The Innocent Rope: Taking a rope that children have played with for at least a week you can draw out the innocent and playful nature infused within the cords. As long as you are jumping rope with this particular length of rope other creatures cannot bring themselves to harm you, save for the mindless and most vile of creature.

The above rope lores are only the most common such tricks, it is like there are forgotten or hidden rope lores to discover. The following are two examples of such lores, presented in Delta Template formats:

The Linked Chain:

A heretical lore, you can forge a chain into a loop and invite the traitorous links into your heart.

 As long as this chain hangs around your neck all your rope magics apply to chains as well as metal ropes. The chains always seek bloodshed and can be commanded to whip around in a frenzy, dealing damage as a mace.

 

The Circle of Thread:

Splintering from the Rope Schools three decades ago, followers of The Thread can forge a golden needle, then embroidering the sacred runes into the back of your hand.

For as long as this rune remains intact all rope magic applies to cloth as well. As long as you are wearing clothes you handmade yourself your defense counts as Chain armor.