Philosophers practice swaying people’s opinions with words, by reshaping how they think about the world. Convince a man that charity is wasting money on people who contribute nothing to society, and he will see a starving child as a beggar. Convince that same man that charity can lift up the poor so they rejoin the workforce, and he’ll see the same child as a potential worker or investment. Great heroism and horrid cruelty can occur when a powerful idea holds sway.

Underlying philosophy is the understanding that some if not all truths are relative. And some philosophers—whether they have grown jaded to the constant ebb and flow of ideologies battling for ascendance, or they have come to realize that even their own beliefs are impermanent and their perceptions inherently faulty—can effect changes in the world through speech alone.

It is said that the second-century Drakran philosopher von Copenhoff learned to yield such power after he discovered a book written by William Miller, a philosopher whose teachings were declared heretical by the Clergy. Perhaps the Clergy was wise, for von Copenhoff nearly took control of an entire nation by declaring to people in power one-by-one that they agreed with him.

Prerequisite:  Expression of Belief feat, proficient in Persuasion and Religion, character level 7th, must have convinced an enemy to surrender without fighting

Features

Hit Dice: 1d8 per logos level.

Hit Points: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per logos level.

Fiat

If opinion can be swayed by rhetoric, so too can behavior. You can impose this certainty upon the world by fiat. As  an action you can state what a creature you can see will do on its next turn. This command must be equivalent to the one-word  commands listed in the command spell—approach, drop, flee, grovel, halt, or something similar—though you state it as a declaration rather than an order, such as, “The red-haired brigand cast his weapons to the ground.”

If the creature fails a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier) it acts as you stated on its next turn if possible, taking no other actions or movement. This feature has no effect if your command is directly harmful to the target, but it can put it in a dangerous situation (standing beneath a teetering boulder, or running past foes and provoking opportunity attacks). This feature does not require the target to understand you, and it can affect undead targets normally. You can use this power at will, but after you use it on a given creature, you cannot use it on the same creature until you finish a long rest .

Pathos of the Inanimate

People can disagree with an argument, but inanimate objects have no power to resist your words. You can manipulate unattended objects by speech alone, causing furniture to move, trees to crack, locks and doors to open or close, and even guns to fire on their own, simply by stating it occurs.

As an action, you can move objects filling up to a 10-ft. square within 30 feet, objects as large as a person as a bonus action, and handheld items without spending an action. You can only manifest something that might happen to the object naturally in time, or that a person could cause the object to do, so you cannot make a tree float, but you could fling a butcher knife or have a wagon roll down the street at a walking pace. If you use this power in a way that might damage a creature, it will typically deal no more than 1d10 damage, with a Dexterity save (DC 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier) to negate.

This cannot affect objects that have been given a name, since doing so imbues them with a fragment of willpower.

Make It So

By framing luck and chance as an argument between possible futures, you can sometimes choose which argument is more convincing. As an action, choose a creature you can see and declare whether its next attack will hit or miss. The next time that creature makes an attack, it either hits or misses as you declared. This effect wears off if the creature takes a short or long rest . You can use this power at will, but after you use it on a given creature, you cannot use it on the same creature until you finish a long rest. If the creature has multiple attacks, you can choose a specific attack you wish to affect, such as, “The manticore’s bite shall miss.”

Ethos of the Unwilling

As a student of behavior and rhetoric, you know that if someone agrees to a small concession, they develop a small measure of trust. Even if they are not conscious of it, it becomes easier for you to get them to agree with you. Whenever you hit a creature with an attack or a creature fails a save against an effect you created, that creature takes a –2 penalty to its first attack roll on its next turn, and the DC of the first saving throw it makes a creature roll next turn is likewise reduced by 2.

Inexplicable Narration

Until one sees a place, that location could contain anything. You just need to convince it to be what you want.

As an action you may choose an area that you are unaware of the details of, no more than 20 feet across, and describe that area. If any creature enters that area within the next  five minutes, it will match the description until you finish a long rest . You can declare mundane objects or minor elements of terrain, but cannot use this feature to deal damage or to create creatures, magical effects, or objects of any noteworthy value.

Simple changes are almost always possible (e.g., the doors down that short hallway are unlocked, and the lever to deactivate any filled with weapons). At the Narrator’s discretion, however, more drastic declarations may cause the ability to simply fail (e.g., the hold of this ship is filled with lava; or a note explaining the villain’s plans just happens to be sitting on a table waiting for us).

After you use this power you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Undeniable Truth

When a creature fails a save against your Fiat feature, you may choose to state a more involved or long-lasting task. If the creature fails another Wisdom save (DC 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier), it follows your direction as it would the suggestion spell, except this feature does not require the creature to understand you.

Prayer books—any specific collection of scriptures which may include sacred stories, wisdom literature, hymns, creeds, codes, and liturgical formulations—are to divine casters as spellbooks are to wizards. You must have spells from the divine school on your class spell list to attune to a prayer book, and you may only be attuned to one prayer book at a time. Each prayer book has a spell list, and once attuned you may cast those spells, even if they are not otherwise prepared or known. You still must have spell slots of an appropriate level to cast those spells, even as a ritual. The more rare the prayer book, the more powerful spells and benefits they bestow. In addition, you may use an attuned prayer book as a spell focus.

  You can use calligraphy tools to copy or compile a prayer book just like creating any other magic item. In addition to quality materials, you must also have sufficient scripture and religious documents (how much is at the Narrator’s discretion). 

  When creating a custom prayer book, work with the Narrator and use the following guidelines. 

• A prayer book exists to help players explore the world and should encourage interaction with in-world faith in a rich way. The prayer book might relate to a church or religious organization, but it should pose questions, allude to mysteries, and include hints about the world.
• Mechanically, prayer books offer a small set of reliable spells. This helps a divine spellcaster prepare other spells, or expand their limited set of known spells.
• The rarity of a spellbook informs its power. A prayer book offers a maximum spell level based on its rarity:
  • Common: 1st-level only.
  • Uncommon: Up to 2nd-level.
  • Rare: Up to 3rd-level, +1 spell attack and save DC when used as a focus.
  • Very Rare: Up to 5th-level, +2 spell attack and save DC when used as a focus.
  • Legendary: Up to 8th-level, +3 spell attack and save DC when used as a focus. 
  • Artifact: Any spell level, +3 spell attack and save DC when used as a focus.
• Ordinary prayer books should offer no more than 5 spells. Artifacts may offer more.

  When creating prayer books, Narrators should consider the following questions:

• What are the various religious groups and people groups in this campaign? Whose story should be told? Whose story is worth knowing more about?
• What are the important time periods in the history of this faith group? What are some of the religious phrases, beliefs, texts, and practices that originate during this time?
• Through the ages, how would this people reflect their beliefs and experiences in art?
• Are there any traditions, powers, or secrets that were suppressed over time? Were they suppressed by the group in question, or by a rival group?