What Are Powers?

If you've traveled enough you've probably seen a pilgrim's ship surrounded by the bright blue glow of a Sustain shield. Perhaps you're even lucky enough to have seen a pilgrim fend off a swarm of pirates with a Circle of Wrath. Domina grants such powers to pilgrims who establish a strong relationship with her.

There are nine known powers of Domina. The powers are categorized into five different tiers of increasing strength. A power of the first tier, such as Sustain, is useful but certainly not spectacular. In contrast, powers of the fifth tier, such as Shatter, can overcome all but the most powerful opponents.

All pilgrims have access to Sustain, the only first-tier power. As their relationship to Domina increases, they will gain access to higher tiers.

Note: Only pilgrims have access to these powers. In the core adventure, The Stars of the Pilgrim, you play a pilgrim called by Domina and have access to these powers. In other adventures, however, you may play a different character.

Gaining Powers

To gain access to the higher tiers, a pilgrim must visit a temple of the Sisters of Domina and offer up one or more items in tribute.

All items are accepted and some (like food and medicine) are appreciated by the Sisters. But Domina values certain special items and if you offer those you will strengthen your relationship to her.

For example, offering a carved prayer stone, a jewel of contemplation, or a hierolith crystal is bound to increase your relationship.

The rarer and more powerful the item, the greater the increase in relationship. Domina particularly values halo gems, CDM archives, and death cubes.

In all cases, however, the increase in relationship is cumulative. The more items you donate, the more your relationship will strengthen.

Powers of Domina

Sustain

First-Tier Power

Sustain surrounds your ship with an energy shield, protecting it against all attacks. While the Sustain is up, no projectile or energy beam can harm you. Your weapons are, unfortunately, also blocked by the impenetrable shield.

Sustain lasts for a little over 16 seconds of real time.

Restore

Second-Tier Power

Restore immediately replenishes your shields to full power, regardless of their current state.

If you have no shields, Restore will instead repair your armor.

Strengthen

Second-Tier Power

Strengthen doubles the damage inflicted by all your weapons. Strengthen lasts for 20 seconds of real time.

Defend

Third-Tier Power

Defend creates an impenetrable shield that protects your ship against any attack. Unlike Sustain, however, Defend allows your own weapon fire to pass through the shield.

Defend lasts for 5 seconds if you're at the third tier. Defend lasts 8 seconds at the fourth tier and almost 12 seconds at the fifth tier.

Nebular Sight

Third-Tier Power

When invoked, Nebular Sight reveals all friendly and enemy stations in the system that are hidden by nebula.

Circle of Wrath

Fourth-Tier Power

Circle of Wrath creates an expanding ring of dark lightning that damages all ships in its path. Circle of Wrath does an average of 21 hit points of damage per hit.

Ingenuity

Fourth-Tier Power

Ingenuity temporarily grants you a fragment of Domina's vast intelligence, allowing you to improve the technology of your ship.

When invoked, you will be able to improve a random armor segment or device on your ship:

• 10% of the time, the connection fails and nothing is revealed.
• 40% of the time, you upgrade an armor segment.
• 25% of the time, you upgrade your shield generator.
• 15% of the time, you upgrade a weapon.
• 10% of the time, you upgrade a reactor or drive device.

Desperate Escape

Fifth-Tier Power

Unlike other powers, Desperate Escape need not be explicitly invoked. Whenever your ship is about to be destroyed, Desperate Escape automatically invokes a Sustain shield, giving you enough time to retreat.

Shatter

Fifth-Tier Power

Few have witnessed the awesome power of Shatter. When invoked, Shatter deploys an expanding shockwave of dark steel energy. All ships caught in its path, friendly and enemy, suffer an average of 52 hit points of damage.

Shatter is so powerful that it often pulverizes its targets, leaving no wreck behind to loot. Use this power carefully.