As all Gunslingers know, there are times when a criminal cannot be rehabilitated and must be forced to act in an orderly and lawful manner for the good of society. This power offers a solution to stop even the most troublesome people.
When invoking this power, the Gunslinger draws a series of runes upon the lawbreaker’s forehead and wrists. Because it takes 10 minutes to complete the runes using ink blessed by clergy of Structured alignment (Saintly, Ordered, or Despotic) it can only be used in non-combat situations on those who are un-able to resist (such as a criminal in shackles.)
Once the runes are completed, the Gunslinger states the illegal behavior that would trigger the power of the Mark. When activated, the Mark activates and the victim is struck with a curse of the Gunslinger’s choice – the GM has the final decision on the acceptability of all suggested curses. But certainly a criminal could be struck blind, deaf, or mute; a criminal could lose 1d6 points in a primary attribute. A Gunslinger could also be creative in the curse, so long as the GM agrees.
The triggering behavior must be both lawful and just. For example, a criminal convicted of stealing would have his Mark triggered if he committed robbery, but it would not trigger if the criminal became so impoverished that he had to steal food to survive. A murderer’s Mark would trigger if she killed in cold blood, but if she were conscripted in wartime and killed on the battlefield, the Mark would not trigger.
The Mark of Law or its resulting curse can only be removed by the following conditions:
· Any Gunslinger of a level higher than the one who bestowed the Mark upon the target,
· Any Priest or Shaman using a spell such as Dispel Magic or Remove Curse (provided the target has reformed his ways and is truly repentant.)
· The original Gunslinger who placed the Mark upon the target.
It costs 30 Spirit Points for a Gunslinger to remove the Mark, regardless of method.
This power can also remove a Ranger's Foe Mark (the Gunslinger functions at a -1 level penalty for removal), as well as a Necromancer's Spiritual Marker (the Gunslinger functions at a -2 level penalty for removal).