Five Words,

Seven Pages
A Preview of 

Librum de Verbis 
(A Book of Words) 

By M. M.

Contained herein are a selection of Words for the ​Godbound Roleplaying Game​, and the
surrounding conceits that have guided their design and creation.

It is my sincere hope that they are of use to players and Game Masters; either to inform new
Words, or in use as they are.

The ​Godbound Roleplaying Game​, and ​The Lexicon of the Throne​ are the product of ​Sine
Nomine Games​ and author Kevin Crawford whose work is an inspiration within the OSR
communities and enjoyed every day across the English-speaking world.

If you have any questions about the Words contained herein, on the functions of any gifts whose
use may be ambiguous, or of any possible use within ​Godbound​'s free-form Miracle system, I
encourage you to the same course of action that Kevin Crawford would:

Ask your GM.


Spirits
At their departure of life the living are meant to fling their bright
essence into what lies beyond; though some battered souls remain
bound to the very ground by the heat of their battered ids. Within
the deep vales of green, and in the forges of ancient vents—the
scraps of once-whole lands come the restless watchers of the living
places. A theurge architects an unliving and eternal essence to pilot
the house which would defend the mage's tomb for all time. These
entities, and even the still-living human's soul, are the purview of
the Word of Spirits. Miracles of the Word may permit the hero
adopt ethereal qualities, or special powers attributed to spirits.
Heroes of the Spirit Word may always perceive the invisible;
penetrating even such invisibility as granted by the Word of
Deception on a successful Power Check (pg. 22 of the ​Godbound
rulebook). They may always commune with spirits, granting them
the ability to perfectly understand and be understood in all the
languages of the living. Animas, Eidolons, and Elementals
understand and may respond with human-level intellect to the
Wordbound hero's queries and conversing.
Lesser Gifts
Slumbering​ — ​Constant
Stir the Slumbering​
You are always aware of any living creature or spirit within 50' per
Godbound level. You may commit Effort to raise a sleeping spirit
into wakefulness, even if they have been given proper burial rites.
Deceased human spirits awaken with all knowledge they had at the
time of their death, although this gift imparts no ability to influence
these spirits. Such deceased typically have but 0 HD—they are
immune to non-magical weapons, but if they are targeted with a
magical attack, they will resume their slumber.
Spirits cannot typically affect the real world unless ferried into
an appropriate shell.
Caul​ — ​Constant
Pneuma Caul​
Your natural armor class is 3, and you may always touch or harm
insubstantial creatures, or targets immune to non-magical weapons
with your attacks. This AC cannot be improved with armor or
shields. You may commit Effort for the scene as an instant action to
become partially immaterial until the beginning of your next turn,
granting you an invincible defence from mundane physical attacks.
Endless​ — ​Constant
Caller of the Endless​
Unbound spirits become drawn to you, and you attract twice your
level in HD of spirits who will obey your commands with human
intelligence, so long as they have not been out of your presence for
24 hours. At the cost of 1 point of Influence, you may create
temporary, albeit appropriate, shells for Elementals or Anima which
may be persisted by expending Dominion instead. Spirits inhabiting
such persistent shells are no longer under this gift's compulsion, and
will soon be replaced with new spirits.
Luminance​ — ​On Turn
Gossamer Luminance​
Commit Effort to become insubstantial, unable to affect the real
world and possessing an invincible defense against non-magical
harms. You may commit an additional Effort for the scene as an On
Turn action to ignore any physical objects or barriers in your path
for the remainder of the round, shunting harmlessly into the nearest
safe space should your movement end inside of a physical object.
Untethered Soul ​— ​Constant
You may levitate into the air at any direction at your normal
movement speed, and if you commit Effort as an On Turn action
you may double all of your movement speeds (if they have not
already been doubled; and any affected by this gift may only be
doubled once). You gain an immunity to being restrained by any
physical or magical effects which would do so, including grappling
attempts from foes.
Other​ — ​Instant
Query the Other​
Commit Effort to attempt to glean chosen knowledge from the
cumulative experience of the spirits in the surrounding area. Ask a
question which can be answered in either a yes-or-no form, or with
a short phrase and commit Effort for the scene. If the local spirits
would not know the answer, or if the answer is decided to be
impertinent by the GM, the spirits are silent and the Effort spent is
refunded.
Greater Gifts
Anima​ —
Effulgent Anima​ ​ ​Constant
When you make Dominion changes to affect or influence
immaterial spirits or a court of such spirits, these are counted as
being one step more towards plausible for the purposes of
determining their cost and any resistance against them is reduced by
2. When you commit Effort for the scene, you may summon up to a
dozen known spirits from any place, although this gift does not
subject the spirits to any compulsion to follow your orders. This gift
may not be used as a miracle.
Walk​ — ​On Turn
Spirit Walk​
Commit Effort. While Effort remains committed, you and your
companions abandon your physical bodies and become
insubstantial, as spirits. While in this form, none can affect or pass
through the real world and physical objects, although they gain an
invincible defense against non-magical physical harms. If you
possess the ​Gossamer Luminance gift in addition to this one, you and
your allies may freely move through physical objects at no
additional Effort cost.
If Effort is reclaimed while you or any of your allies are within
a solid object, you are harmlessly shunted to the nearest safe space.
This gift has no effect as a miracle.
Soul​ — ​Action
Speak to the Soul​
Commit Effort for the day when using this ability. For the
remainder of the scene, your words gain superlative persuasiveness
to foes that possess a soul within earshot. Lesser foes treat your
words as absolute truth, and Worthy foes must succeed a Spirit save
in order to doubt them, but they cannot prove a lie until evidence is
brought before them. Should you wish to persuade these temporary
thralls to an emotion, or persuade them to believe that a fact is true,
they will be further influenced to take according actions on these
things within the limits of their character.
Alternatively, you may command such creatures, influencing
them for up to a scene. They will obey even suicidal orders;
however, worthy foes receive a Spirit save at each repugnant order
and will not obey orders to knowingly harm themselves or those
they love. Lesser foe thralls may be more permanently bound to
your will by committing a point of Influence or Dominion for each.
This gift has no use as a miracle

Thunder
Thunder is the word of the storm-clad harrowing sound and
light-forms which shudder the world, and crack the very ground. Its
miracles wreak destruction and havoc, whether ripping through
buildings and folk with waves of unstoppable, wreathing a locale in
a fatal sound, or breaking objects from afar. Miracles of Thunder
strictly affect the physical world, and typically in the form of
wanton destruction or divine vandalism.
Specialized gifts of the Word of Thunder could, potentially,
exhibit more subtle effects, typically encouraging raucous and
socially unseemly behavior, refreshing targets and infusing them
with energy, or blessing them with incredible strength.
Godbound of the Word of Thunder possess an invincible
defense against injurious sound, electricity, falling, and need not
breathe. They may wield sonic waves, or imbue held weapons with
lightning, treating them as magical weapons with an effective range
of 50 feet and a 1d10 damage die.
Lesser Gifts
Strides​ — ​On Turn
Windstep Strides​
Commit Effort. While Effort remains committed, you and any allies
may walk upon the air as if it were solid ground at your normal
movement speed.
Voice​ — ​Constant
Empyrean Voice​
You may wield injurious sounds; either from your voice or emitted
as bolts in another manner, as a magical weapon which deals 1d10
damage with a range of 200 feet. Foes made primarily of metal,
wood, stone, crystal suffer this damage straight. As an action, you
may create a man-sized hole in material up to six feet deep per
round.
Shackles​ ​— ​Action
Lightning Shackles​
Commit Effort for the scene and choose a point within sight. All
chosen foes within 50 feet of that point are stunned and otherwise
pinned to place by the currents of lightning that course through the
region. Foes must make a successful Hardiness saving throw at the
beginning of their turn to regain their faculties, and if they do not
move outside of the region fully with their action, they fall under
the effect again until they can both succeed in their saving throw,
and leave. Any applicable foes in the area suffer your Fray Die at
end of each of their turns as well. Foes brought to zero hit points in
this way may be unconscious or killed at your discretion.
Word​ — ​Action
The Resounding Word​
Your voice can resound out to a mile, a thunderous boom which is
heard and understood by all those who speak the same language as
you are speaking. As an action, you may radiate a blast of damaging
sound or crackling lightning, each radiating out to 100 feet. If you
chose sound, the damage dealt is 1d6, and unattended man-made
objects no larger than a barrel may be destroyed in a round, objects
larger than a small cart may be destroyed in two rounds, and larger,
unfortified objects still over the course of further rounds. If you
instead chose lightning, the damage dealt is electric in nature, and
deals at least 1 damage to any wet creatures, creatures wearing metal
armor, or creatures made primarily of metal. Once per scene, you
may commit Effort out to the end of the scene to force all lesser
foes in earshot to make an immediate morale check, fleeing on a
failure.
Stride​ — ​Constant
Gatecrashing Stride​
During your movement action, you may blast aside fortifications or
barriers made of mundane materials that are no thicker than six feet
deep with a free action. Restraining your progress is a futile
endeavor, and you automatically succeed on any saving throws to
slow, or otherwise impair you which stem from low magic or
mundane sources. When you commit Effort to automatically save
against movement-related impairments as those which might stem
from a divine source or similar, you may reclaim that Effort at the
end of the scene. Attempts to bind or restrain you are equally futile,
the salient electrical or sound-based emissions radiating off of your
body destroying any mundane material which might restrain you.
Objects larger than a small cart cannot be destroyed so casually, and
may take more than one action of concerted effort. As a guideline,
creatures within buildings or large forms of architecture when it
collapses typically suffer a 1d20 damage die, in addition to any
falling damage they may suffer normally. By committing Effort for
the day, you may share the benefits of this gift with your allies for a
scene.
Rebuke​ —
The Storm God's Rebuke​ ​ ​Constant
When you're struck and harmed in combat, deal your Fray die in
retribution to the foe who struck you, even if they are a worthy foe.
You may additionally commit Effort for the scene as an instant
action to make one such instance of Fray die damage dealt to a foe
damage dealt straight.
Greater Gifts
Heaven​ — ​(Smite) Action
Crack Open the Gates of Heaven​
Commit Effort for the day. The skies crack open and the ground
shakes before the region is flooded with blinding light. All chosen
lesser foes in sight are blinded, unable to make ranged attacks and
typically suffering a -4 penalty to hit rolls on melee attacks. They
remain blinded until such time that you choose to restore their
vision, or until a divine gift or miracle is worked on them to release
this effect. Worthy foes may make a Hardiness save to resist.
Skies​ — ​(Smite) Action
Trumpet of the Skies​
Commit Effort for the scene to unleash a cacophonous wave of
sound which rampages unchecked through a desired area within
sight. This area is roughly circular with a radius no greater than 100',
per three levels of the Godbound, and 100' high. All unreinforced
buildings in the area are laid flat, destroyed by the pervading sonic
wave. Creatures caught up in the wave suffer 1d8 damage per two
levels of the hero, and may further suffer a 1d20 damage die if they
are within, atop, or too near collapsing buildings. Flying creatures
caught in the area begin falling, and may suffer damage for that.
This sound can be shaped in such a way that it only affects targets
chosen by the hero.
Fire​ — A
Fusillade of Celestial Fire​ ​ ction
Commit Effort for the day to harness the sky's lightning. The
lightning passes through you and you may redirect it to any point
within sight, discharging it amongst your foes within 100' of the
chosen point. Foes with equal or less HD than half your level,
rounded up, die immediately. Other lesser foes suffer 1d10 damage
for each of your two levels, rounded up, mobs of lesser foes suffer
this damage straight. Worthy foes instead suffer damage equal to
your level with no saving throw, or three times that amount if
grouped into a mob.

Philosophy: Spirits and Thunder
The incorporeal word of Spirits and the indomitable word of
Thunder express concepts as disparate as any two words could
present themselves, in both effect and thematics—the former,
through its gifts, bridges the gaps between the material and
immaterial—while the latter uses the immaterial (sound and energy)
to affect the real. The former word directly empowers the
socially-geared and the follower-forward Hero, while the latter
empowers the hero by making them into an unstoppable machine of
destruction.
When writhing in the artistic agony from which these Words
were born, I was forced to consider many interactions between
these gifts, and gifts or powers present in both ​The Lexicon of the
Throne​, and the ​Godbound: Deluxe Edition ​books. For Spirit, I
had to consider that Eidolons fall also under the purview of the
word of Death, Elementals in their respective Elemental Words
(Sea, Fire, Sky, Earth, etc.) and I had outright stolen a few things
out of Night and the Faerie Queen concept word. I concede that,
for Thunder, most of its abilities would be duplicable with Sky.
On the specific notes; regarding gift interaction, ​Spirit Walk
and ​Gossamer Luminance produce an effort-cheap method of
producing the same effect as one gift in the Word of Dance, present
in ​The Lexicon of the Throne at a cost of Gift points. Effulgent
Anima is a much more empowered version of a Command Gift,
when the factions concerned are a specific type of creature.
Thunder's first gift, ​Windstep Strides immediately acts with the Strife
of the Falling Sky, presented in the ​Godbound: Deluxe Edition​,
while ​The Storm God's Rebuke additively interacts with other such
retributive damage as present in the Strife of the Drowning Tide, in
the Fire Word, and in the Word of Vengeance. In truth, all of these
interactions are ​intentional​; but others you may find between these
words and others may not be. As always, leave it to your GM's
judgement when you see such a combination. It is always worthwhile
to ask, at the very least.
Concerning Spirits,
Spirits was once known as ​Essence,​ and in truth: I didn't have a very
clear idea of how I wanted to progress the development. I didn't
take into consideration how ​Godbound treats Spirits in the original
version, and I made a lot of mistakes. Now; I've taken it into
greater consideration, but I attempted to permit at least ​some
subjectivity in how a given setting may handle the treatment of the
word's oft-referenced subjects. For the most part, the way
Godbound treats Spirits as default is considered to be the golden
standard. They are immune to non-magical weapon attacks, they
cannot affect the material, and furthermore—they cannot be sensed
without senses that can also detect magic. If some portions were to
change in this treatment, few gifts would need to be changed.
Should they be visible: the spycraft permissible in ​Caller of the Endless
is immediately curtailed—should they become subject to attacks
made with Iron weapons: nothing need change; however, were they
able to affect the ​Real,​ while being insubstantial? Invincible armies
would prevail against most mortal armies, sweeping them aside as if
dust.
For ​Godbound,​ that's generally acceptable.
To bring Spirits together, I open up the air with ​Untethered
Spirit​, added some impressive subterfuge and spycraft with ​Caller of
the Endless ​and ​Query the Other.
The decision to also allow some handling of the matter to
affect living targets was a difficult one. It allows ​Stir the Slumbering,
Caller of the Endless, a​ nd ​Query the Other to act in radically
unpredictable manners, and brings ensouled mortals under the
purview of Spirits.
Once again, for ​Godbound?​ That's generally acceptable.
I didn't get to ​all of the gifts I would have liked to; for instance
I cut one ​Shear the Soul​, which would permit the Godbound to strike
at a foe's ​very essence​; slaying mortals outright. Furthermore, I had
wanted to include a gift that would allow empowerment of Spirits to
affect the material. For completeness' sake, I'll include these below.
On Thunder,
Thunder came to me in a fevered rush. I had a very clear vision of
what I wanted to accomplish and how I wanted to distinguish it
from Sky. I wanted a more ​personal Sky; one that transforms a hero
into an unstoppable machine of ​destruction. A more ​relatable s​ torm.
I'm a big fan of Sky however—it brings to bear torrential
downpours, hurricane winds, bolts of ​divine lightning to bestow some
of the most venerable divine powers found in myth.
By necessity Thunder is a less broad Word when compared with
Sky; however, that does not mean it is strictly limited. Thunder can
be taken as a metaphor as well, granting those good things which
could be attained through bombastic exuberance as well.
Adaptation,
The gifts of the Words of Spirits and Thunder are relatively
thematically restrictive, but there is still some wiggle-room. Spirits
can be retooled to represented archetypes ​of the Spirits it pertains to
and in that way further slimmed down. You may find it a worthy
starting point to create the ​Primal Elemental,​ or the ​Arcane Wraith
concept words by adding gifts from Fire, Earth, Sea, or Sky, and
gifts of Lich King, or Death. As so many of its gifts focus around
immateriality, I would not recommend trying to change it in order
to affect a category of creatures that could not become immaterial.
Thunder is nearly as restrictive, and use as-is would be arduous
with another theme, to me. It's an energy-use Word, much like
others; but I can see a ​Storm or ​Lightning Word spawning out of it,
though little else.
Shear the Soul ​— ​On Turn (Lesser Gift; ​Spirits
Spirits)​
Commit Effort choosing a spirit or ensouled target. While
committed, attacks you make harm the very essence of their being.
Reroll all attacks against them, using the better result and all attacks
you make against them deal at least 1 damage, even on a miss.
Infinity​ — ​Action (Lesser Gift; ​Spirits
The Edge of Infinity​ Spirits)​
Commit Effort for the scene, choosing up to a Vast Mob of
ensouled lesser foes or lesser foe spirits, or a single worthy foe of
the same cloth. These creatures may now affect insubstantial or
substantial objects and creatures as if they were the other kind for
the remainder of the scene.
Riders on the Storm ​— ​Constant (Lesser Gift; Thunder
​ hunder)​
T
NPCs who follow you into battle do so with +1 hit die and +1 to
attack. Lesser foes must succeed on a morale save each time you or
your troops charge into the fray.
Visage​— ​Constant (Greater Gift; Thunder
The Storm King's Visage​ ​ hunder​)
T
Commit Effort. While Effort is committed, lesser foes subject to
any kind of fear will not willingly fight against you, fleeing readily
if attacked by you or your companions. Alternatively, you may
commit Effort for the scene to target up to a Small Mob of Worthy
Foes or a Vast Mob of lesser ones. They may not attack or fight
against you this scene, unless they commit a point of Effort to do
so.

Gourmet
Where there is life, there is also hunger. Where there is hunger,
there is food. Gourmet is the Word concerning food, its
preparation, its presentation, its ingredients, its effect, and all other
things to do with food. Its miracles can make anything into some
form of edible foodstuff, and render foodstuff even from nothing.
They may also affect hunger, in some ways—permitting a man to
safely glut to a level not possible without supernatural interference,
or making a single pea as filling as a five-course dinner.
Other gifts or miracles of the Word may benefit a nation by
blessing them with abundant food at the large scale, or at the small
scale assign new usefulness to common foodstuffs, allowing them to
be used as construction materials, tools, or even animating them to a
semblance of life, or un-life as it were.
Godbound of the Word of Gourmet raise their Constitution to
16, or 18 if it's already that high. Furthermore, they are immune to
poisons and mortal diseases, have no need to eat or drink, and can
prepare food at a tenth the normal time. When they wish to
accommodate a feast for a hundred seats, it takes only an hour's
preparation. In addition, they can perfectly sense the composition
of anything they taste.
Repast​ — ​Action
Bacchanalian Repast​
Commit Effort when you create a meal or feast to infuse it with a
potent compulsion. All NPCs who partake in even a small part of
your feast are compelled to feel a powerful emotion of your choice,
toward a target subject. Worthy foes receive a Spirit saving throw
each round to resist this compulsion. This emotion will make them
act to the limits of their character and will last a day or longer after
the Effort is reclaimed.
Bounty​ — ​Action
Divine Bounty​
By spending an action, you can recreate any dish you have seen
before, from nothing if need be. If you commit Effort for the
scene, you can conjure a feast fit for one hundred guests per hero
level. Additionally, you may create meals from anything, even
unusual, albeit, non-magical materials with complete control over
the temperature and flavor profile of the dish, allowing you to
create exotic dishes such as a pastry made of smoke and the scent of
iron, or a meal recalled from a thinking individual's dreams from the
memories of it.
Greater Gifts

Lesser Gifts Succulenc​e​ — ​On Turn

Ensorcelling Succulenc​
Commit Effort for the day when a target has consumed your
cuisine. That target becomes enthralled to your will indefinitely,
Meal​ — ​Action
A Last Meal​
until at least a week has passed since they had last consumed any
You may commit Effort for the day, imbuing a meal or drink with
food prepared by you. Lesser foes immediately succumb to your
deadly intent. At some chosen point within that day, a single
desires, but Worthy foes who succeed a Hardiness save shake off the
consumer of aforementioned meal suffers a 1d10 damage die per
initial effects, and may be granted one attempt each successive day
your Godbound level. The eater cannot suffer further harm from
thereafter.
this gift until new, specifically prepared fare is eaten. Meals so
prepared lose their deadly potency after one day. If this fare is split
Victuals​ — ​Action
Restorative Victuals​
between multiple individuals, the damage is split proportionally to
Commit Effort to store it in a single serving of food or drink. When
the food eaten, after damage is rolled.
the foodstuff is consumed by you or an ally, they may commit this
Effort, returning it to you only when it would normally be returned
Cooking​ — ​On Turn
Hands of the God of Cooking​
to them. No benefits are obtained if the serving is split among
Commit Effort. You no longer need tools to prepare food, your
multiple parties.
bare hands can slice or mince ingredients and the heat of your
Alternatively, you may commit Effort to instead imbue a
breath can sear meat. You never risk contaminating your food from
specific consumable with the effects of a low magic spell, theurgic
the environ, even if you prepare it on open soil. While Effort
invocation, or a lesser gift you possess. This Effort can be reclaimed
remains committed, your unarmed attacks or fiery breath become
at any time, but it immediately ends ongoing effects produced by
magical weapons that deal a 1d10 damage die with a range of 200
this gift, or prevents the use of imbued abilities in the existing fare.
feet and your inner heat burns nearby foes, dealing a 1d4 damage
An individual who consumes the imbued food stuffs can wield
die to enemies within melee range at the beginning of your turn.
gifts imbued or benefit from invocations and lesser magic spells
upon consumption. Powers so imbued can only be used for the
Senses​ — ​Constant
Epicure's Discerning Senses​ duration of the scene in which the food was consumed. The
You develop a keen sense of smell, allowing you to track by scent, consumer ignores the first Effort surcharge this gift's benefits
sense fouled water or food within 100 yards, sense poisons, and would cause, though they must commit Effort as normal thereafter.
discern the composition and ingredients in any prepared meal or No parts of this gift can be replicated with a miracle.
concoction within sight.
By spending an action in observation of a chosen NPC target, Ration​ — ​Special
Iron Ration​
you may discern their preferences. You may ask the GM up to six
Commit Effort for the day. Any food you prepare during this day
questions regarding the NPC's tastes, desires, vices, or secret habits.
grants all who consume it an ablative pool of life equal to your level.
If the target is a worthy foe, you must commit Effort for the day to
Whenever the affected would normally take harm throughout the
affect them, and they receive a Spirit saving throw to hide their
day, they may elect to subtract the damage from this ablative pool
wants.
of health instead. These additional hit dice or hit points may be
healed as normal and at normal cost; however, they only last for the
Need​ — ​Constant
Abatement of Need​ same day that this gift has been used. Multiple instances of this gift
Allies within sight do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. If do not stack in effect, even if two Godbound possess the Gourmet
you commit Effort, you may also shield them from cold or hot Word and act in concert, only the highest pool would be used.
weather effects so long as Effort remains committed.
Hearth
In the warmest haze of mortal memory, there exists a promised
place with a blaze crackling jovially with dripping fat once their
work is concluded. The Word of Hearth relates to inner ease,
warmth, homesteads, and safety. Miracles of the word can produce
effects from healing, to protection of danger, and even abundance
(when used to produce such goods as would be common household
items or minor trade goods).
Heroes bound to the Word of the Hearth have an invincible
defense against inclement weather, fire, and possess an instinctual
knowing of a direction which will lead them to the nearest available
safety or shelter. They can always supply their companions with
food or drinks from ingredients they may summon from nothing if
need be, and may infuse willing companions with a warming sense
of ease, granting them immunity to the effects of cold weather.
Lesser Gifts
Cindersnips​​ — ​Action
Cindersnips
Commit Effort. The space around you becomes flooded with small
motes of light which you may control or place, out to a range of 50
feet per your Godbound level. Desired lesser foes cannot cross the
twilight barrier between the light and shadows, becoming either
entrapped by them, or repelled. Worthy foes must succeed on a
Spirit saving throw to become immune to this gift's hedging effects
for the remainder of the scene.
Winter​ — ​Action
Warmth in Winter​
Commit Effort for the day to produce a livable dwelling of some
size. This structure is no larger than any mundane abode in the
realm fit for common or lesser nobility. It can accommodate you
and any companions you may have with cots, at least one cooking
hearth, and stocks of herbs, bandages, or other things which may be
present in a well-provisioned home. This structure remains as long
as you will it.
Alternatively, you may instead stock an existing abode as such.
Anything left inside the temporary structure remains, and people
may stay while it has been removed; though, they will exit wherever
it had been last conjured.
Home-Knowing​​ — ​Constant
Home-Knowing
While physically occupying your home, temple, or any other
sanctuary that you have spent at least a week in, you gain a keen
sense of foresight. You are aware of anyone within ten miles who
intends to visit it, and in addition, you may extend your senses
remotely through any point within this structure. Furthermore, may
identify any ailments, diseases, or injuries afflicting anyone within
this home by spending an action in concentration on the individual.
Hands​ — ​Action
Reliable Hands​
Commit Effort for the scene. You may animate up to a Small Mob
per three levels you possess of household objects, including dolls,
poppets, or scarecrows. Human-shaped objects may be individually
animated and may possess no more than twice your level in HD.
Most objects without a mouth-shape are unable to speak; however,
they are gifted with a human-like intelligence, and carry out your
orders faithfully. They possess rudimentary emotions, and may
develop as individuals may.
Such animated creations can be preserved indefinitely for 1
Dominion each, although once preserved they are no longer under
any compulsion to serve you.
Soot​ — ​Action
Sweep Away the Soot​
Commit Effort out to the day in order to curse a target who
knowingly wishes you, your companions, or family harm. This
target must either be within your home, or their true name must be
known to you. At your discretion, this curse may manifest itself as
either a failed hit-roll or saving throw at a crucial, pre-determined
moment, or the target may be forced to reroll all such rolls, taking
the worse of the two results. This curse lasts until the target no
longer wishes you ill, until you release it, or until the target has
died.
Embrace​ — A
A Lifting Embrace​ ​ ction
Choose a target within sight and choose: either the target regains
1d6 plus the Godbound's level of damage (committing Effort for
the healing as usual), heal the target of any mundane diseases or
mortal curses, or commit Effort for the day to heal the target of any
supernatural diseases or divine curses and suffer a 1d20 damage die
for each such instance of divine workings unwrought in this manner.
Greater Gifts
Apothecarian Kitchen ​— ​Constant
You gain a number of additional Influence equal to your Godbound
level, and half that in Dominion. The Influence can be used in order
to make changes to your home, or owned properties, with the
distance between counting as the Size Modifier for the purposes of
determining the difficulty of the change, meanwhile, the Dominion
may be spent on single-use magic items. Spent Dominion does not
count towards levelling, and any extra Dominion present at the end
of the month is not kept.
Unwelcoming​​ — ​(Smite) Action
Unwelcoming
You ward off an area which becomes deadly to all desired targets, or
target groups (as established by a short description of their similar
traits). Effort must be committed based on size, chosen at the time
of using this gift: if the radius of the area is fifty feet, you must
commit Effort; if the area has a radius of five hundred feet or less:
Effort must be committed out to the scene; and finally, if the area
has a radius of a miles or less: Effort must be committed out to the
day. This area acts as a Zone of Danger. Targets already present in
the designated area by the time that this gift is used are unaffected
by this gift's effect as the gift only affects those who would cross
the boundaries into its effects.
Night​ — ​(Smite) Action
Push back the Night​
Commit Effort for the scene. Warmth and flickering candlelight
flashes throughout the area around the hero in a 100 foot radius.
Any chosen creatures in the area suffer a 1d6 damage die, while
other chosen unnatural or supernatural creatures (who are neither
wholly human nor wholly animal) suffer instead a 1d10 damage die
per level of the Godbound. This light penetrates mundane obstacles
and is unaffected by line of sight.
House​ — ​On Turn
Master of the House​
Commit Effort while you occupy a man-made building or shelter no larger than a
small castle. While Effort remains committed, your senses extend throughout the
building remotely, as if the walls were your eyes and ears. You may target foes within
the building with attacks or gifts, and any damage the structure would receive is dealt
to you instead.
At your discretion, you may freely change the layout of the building, with
small-scale changes taking place instantly, but larger-scale changes (such as turning a
small shack into a castle) take place over multiple turns.

Philosophy: Gourmet and Hearth
Where Spirits and Thunder are as different as different could be,
Gourmet and Hearth share readily as family would. Their gifts are
rooted firmly in their thematic ideas, and their miracles are clearly
defined. They are integral to the human condition and relatable
desires of all: Food and Shelter.
Just like the two share their legacies and effects, they also share
similar origins. Hearth was thoroughly inspired by Artifice, and
many of its gifts could be duplicated by the home-focused Artificer,
and much of Gourmet was inspired by the ​gap left by Artifice. They
share also similar ties in the ideas concerning Wealth, and while few
(or none) of Hearth's gifts could be duplicated by Wealth, the
item-creation gifts of Gourmet could.
As if the similarities could end there; both focus on the concept
of the warmth of Fire, to round them both out.
Despite the pleasant, and indeed: almost peaceful concepts that
these Words surround, I wish to most ​emphatically ​impart that these
are not peaceful words. There is nothing saying that a house cannot
be a trap-laden labyrinth, and there is even less saying that a meal
cannot be a foe. Such contemplations remind me that no Word is
inherently good, or evil, but rather it depends on how they are used.
In respect to Gourmet,
Ever since I'd written Gourmet, I've been ​inordinately ​pleased with
myself. I can't help it! It's almost as though I'm getting away with
something, I mean, a Word of ​Gourmet for crying out loud. That
said, I hold to the belief that it stands ​strongly by itself. I start out in
the vein that Artifice does in providing the primary action a
significant boost with the intrinsic power (e.g., building and
cooking respectively), and from there I diversify by affecting what
one can do to both facilitate cooking and what one can do with the
made meals thereafter.
I do; however, go a step above, by granting a Constitution
bonus and granting an immunity to poisons and mortal diseases.
Removing the need to eat or drink isn't entirely ​necessary, but it's so
often ignored in games that it's just a freebie.
In ​A Last Meal​, heroes receive a weapon of assassination that
can quickly take the life out of a fancy party catered by the hero.
Abatement of Need grants some of the best small effects possible to
the hero and companions, opening up swimming, extended
travel-time, and granting immunity to cold or hot water. It is my
conceit that it would pair up well with a Winter-bound hero.
Epicure's Discerning Senses may interact in some as-yet unseen
ways with Desire, and my future release: ​Covenants​, and
additionally it can go so far as to identify the farm the sow used in a
meal of pork chops. When combined with ​Divine Bounty,​ or the
Strife of the Hunger Within, it is intentional that ​all things b
treated as meals for the purposes of ​Epicure's Discerning Senses by
redefining the Gourmet's definition of the idea of a meal​. Even
dream-stuff, if justifying by ​Divine Bounty​. Should, for instance,
those dreams be sent from a Night-bound hero—the Epicure would
be able to sense them in at least some way.
Bacchanalian Repast and ​Hands of the God of Cooking are, to me,
very straight-forward. ​Hands of the God of Cooking is quite potent
against mobs, in an unusual and perhaps sideways sort of way.
Onto the Greater Gifts, ​Ensorcelling Succulence is just the cherry
on top; using the old myth about Fey that: should you eat their fare,
you will be trapped forever within their realm! That's the goal, here.
I originally kept the "Alternatively, ..." clause in ​Iron Ration​, but I
determined it would be better in ​Restorative Victuals​. The gift does a
lot; a ​whole lot, and perhaps too much. You can, in essence, share
your Effort with others, possibly granting them gifts, invocations,
or even petty spells.
When Effort is retracted from ​Restorative Victuals​, it would also
retract ​every effect of the imbued gift, even if the effects would
normally be permanent. For instance, healing can be so revoked;
whether or not that was the intention. I'm sure that there are all
manner of ways that this can be abused, and it is up to the GM to be
a watchdog against such.
Finally, ​Iron Ration is a simple gift meant to bolster allies and
one's self. The ablative HP is meant to work even on Godbound. If
the GM considers it unbalanced, consider halving the provided HP,
or alternatively requiring Effort to be committed for each
applicant. Please note that the hit-dice do not affect saves, hit-rolls,
or any other aspect of a creature's statistics.
Dealing with Hearth,
Hearth has gone through a lot of balance changes. It was the word
of the Witch, of Alchemy, and even Houses for a moment. I didn't
have clear goals with it through no less than three public revisions,
and a dozen or so private revisions. It all culminates to; what I hope,
is the final version of Hearth. Much has changed since the release of
the ​The Lexicon of the Throne​, and frankly? I'm glad to be done
with it... I think.
The first gift made and the last gift changed was ​Cindersnips.​ I
wanted a witchy fox-fire gift and honestly I had no good idea as to
why. Now it's a candlelit vigil of getting foes right out of your face.
Warmth in Winter is the most pertinent Hearth gift, I feel—one that
permits you to just build a house. No questions asked, just a house
where you want and need it. ​Home-Knowing is a gift I always wish I
had, as unexpected visitors are somewhat obnoxious... and I'd never
need to go to the doctor for a diagnosis, which is nice. It's meant to
show the Hearth-bound's role as a caretaker. ​Reliable Hands is a fun
little army-building gift, meant to reenact most of ​Beauty and the
Beast​, w​ hile ​Sweep Away the Soot ​is a less-than-polite way of telling
someone to leave your house. ​Unwelcoming is this, but far ​far more
potent,​ as in: "Don't you come within a mile of my house, or the
literal ground will eat you." If it were previously unobvious, I am
quite fond of both of these gifts.
Not all homeowners need be social, but for those who are: ​A
Lifting Embrace ​and ​Push back the Night are sure to be most welcome
additions. A healing gift, and one to dismiss and slay terrible
monsters of the night, in effect. I had considered using Sun's
definition of summoned creatures, angels, and uncreated but this
description suited me better.
Apothecarian Kitchen really tells you that this home is a witch's
home. The hero can now produce ​dozens of potions and expand their
home in arcane and unusual ways. It's quite blatantly magical, in all.
I was quite pleased to find that I still had some page-length left
​ e
(as I do currently) and I was able to actually include ​Master of the
House​, which has gone through so many revisions it's dealing with an
identity crisis. Originally, it was a mess and did what it does now
with a far higher word-count. It lets you pilot your house like
nothing short of a Godwalker.
Adaptation,
Most piteously, I find that the idea of adapting Gourmet and
Hearth to be a difficult one. Gifts could certainly be pulled for
these two to make a Word of ​Alchemy o ​ r ​Poisons​, and additionally
they could also be used to fashion a concept Word of The Witch, but
as for wholly changing their thematics and utilizing most of their
gifts as written? I would find it a most arduous endeavour, if it were
forced upon me.
Grace
Miracles of the Word of Grace do not directly facilitate outright
changes, but instead they enhance the natural capabilities of any
they target for finding social resolution, fluid movement, and the
patience to weather hardships. They act as a social lubricant, and can
ease a political change for the people. Solving a Problem affecting a
faction with Grace may manifest as a blessing of stoicism for those
affected to weather out the storm, or it may bless its leaders with
preternatural understanding of the respective needs of their
followers.
Godbound of the Word of Grace must choose if they are
socially graceful, or physically. Dependant on that choice, they may
raise either their Dexterity or their Wisdom to 16, or 18 if that stat is
already that high or better.
Lesser Gifts
Eye​ — ​Action
Courtier's Watchful Eye​
Commit Effort for the scene, while studying a target in sight. You
suggest a course of action you could make, a suggestion, or pose a
question without doing so. You gain a brief description of the
target's likeliest reaction and response from the GM, no longer
than a sentence. This gift cannot be used on the same target twice in
a scene.
Shield of Grace ​— ​Constant
Your natural AC becomes 3 and cannot be improved by shields or
armor. You gain an invincible defense against mundane traps,
falling damage, losing your balance, or being disarmed.
Charm of the Viper ​— ​Action
You may spend an action's time in contemplation of a Mob in sight,
or the faction or social group of any target in sight to gain
understanding into their ways and customs. You may then assume
the mannerisms, accents, and expected habits common to the
chosen group. If you commit Effort, you can find a graceful
welcome within that group, as if you were a fellow member until
this Effort is reclaimed. Worthy foes may save versus Spirit to see
you as an outsider.
Lightning​ ​— ​Constant
Delicacy of Lightning​
Your movement speed is a minimum of 60 feet per movement
action. By committing Effort on turn, you may move freely across
any surface regardless of incline, ignore terrain hazards or stand on
any surface at least the width of a branch which could support a
feather's weight.
With Head Held High ​— ​Instant
Commit Effort to suppress a single hostile power or detrimental
magical effect currently affecting you. Until this Effort is
reclaimed, you suffer none of its ill effects.
Infallible Grace ​— ​Constant
You automatically reroll any natural 1s on rolls modified by either
Dexterity or Wisdom, depending on the ability score modified by
Grace's intrinsic power. You may commit Effort for the scene as an
instant action to automatically succeed on any one check modified
by either Dexterity or Wisdom, or grant an automatic success on
the same to any ally within sight.
Greater Gifts
Gracelessness ​— ​(Smite) Instant
Commit Effort for the day to cause a target in sight to
immediately fail any action that they are currently attempting. If
they had been moving, you may cause them to trip and fall, fail a
saving throw, or miss a foe with an aimed attack. You must commit
Effort for the day instead if that action benefits from a divine gift.
Through the Storm ​— ​On Turn
Commit Effort for the scene to sublime the grace of your
movements. While you take no hostile actions, you can evade the
violence of even the most pitched battlefield. You gain an invincible
defense against physical harms until you take a hostile action
against a creature for the remainder of the scene. This defense is not
applicable to mental effects, or spells that have a non-physical
manifestation. Once this gift's benefits are ended, it cannot be used
again during the same scene.
Scattered Sunlight ​— ​Instant
Commit Effort for the day to take a movement-equivalent
action, instantly. As an Instant gift, this can disrupt attacks, even
after the attack roll has been made. You additionally gain an
invincible defense against any form of paralysis, or being held
against your will as a constant benefit. You can unbind mundane
knots, or slip bounds as a free action, or magical ones by
committing Effort out to the scene.
​Regarding Grace,
Philosophy: Regarding
Grace is truly something of a first love for me. It was the first Word
I'd made for ​Godbound​, and the one which has experienced the
most playtesting. It was for one of my wife's earliest character
concepts, and it has undergone many revisions since.
My goal was to set out a Dextrous companion for Might which
had less of a focus on speed; and what I arrived at is that it should
apply to both social graces as well as physical grace. This, after
many iterations, is my final product, focusing on fluidity, on easing
social interaction, and ultimate the self-empowerment of
effortlessness in action.
Woefully, Grace is bound tightly in its strong ties to its Word's
name. It has low possibility for adaptation, much as Might. I must
leave it to a more creative sort to come up with ideas on doing so.
I set out by determining that I ought to have three lesser gifts
dedicated to social maneuvering, and three lesser gifts relating to
physical grace in action in my final draft. Those are: ​Courtier's
Watchful Eye, Charm of the Viper, ​and ​With Head Held High on the
social side of things, and for physical grace I chose: ​Shield of Grace,
Delicacy of Lightning, a​ nd ​Infallible Grace​. I also wanted sufficient
movement powers, but I rather jumped around on that, in terms of
power rating. ​Scattered Sunlight​, which is a reference to one of my
wife's ​Exalted characters, jumped around from Lesser to Greater
to Lesser and back again. ​Through the Storm, ​I felt, was necessary in
order to compete with jealous barbarians who sought to strike out
against the hero in their jealousy, and Gracelessness was meant to
punish them for their imprudence.
More seriously though, there is a lot that Grace could be used
to cover, but my primary design thoughts the entire time I was
writing this were: ​"What would a proper lady/gentleman do?" ​From
there, it was easy.