Oathbound
⬡ Support / DefenderThe Oath is not a promise. It is a contract with the Essa itself.
Archetype: Oath-bound defender and healer
The Oathbound made a commitment at the moment of Rig activation — a specific, stated, and binding principle. The Essa heard it. The Rig is calibrated to it. Every time you act in alignment with your Oath, the Rig generates Resonance — free fuel for Mend and Defense Techniques. But the Oath is real. Break it and the Rig inverts. Everything that healed now damages.
The Covenant Rig is a Full Rig — complete Essa-integrated armor. The resonance housing visibly pulses when Resonance is generated. Allies can see it. Enemies can see it. The Empire can see it. Licensed Covenant Rigs require Oath disclosure in writing at registration. Many Oathbound do not register. The licensing fee for disclosing a binding moral principle to an imperial bureaucracy is considered by most practitioners to be offensive.
Essa Interaction
Standard vial + Feedback Save for vial-paid Techniques. Resonance-paid Techniques have no Feedback Save. Forge Rig Burn Buffer: 2/SR at Tier 1–2 (Full Rig housing). Oath Inversion at Level 10: breaking the Oath converts Resonance to Dissonance and inverts all Mend/Defense Techniques.
Class Features
Techniques
Level Progression
| Level | Features | Channel Slots | Rig Tier | Resonance Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Covenant Rig, Oath Binding, Resonance Pool, Barrier, Absorb, Restore, Stabilize | 2 | T1 | 6 |
| 5 | Ward, Reinforce, Purge, Leap, Rig Tier 2 | 3 | T2 | 6 |
| 7 | Sense Intent, Root, Oath Fortitude | 3 | T2 | 6 |
| 9 | Rig Tier 3 | 4 | T3 | 6 |
| 10 | Restore Mastery, Oath Inversion | 4 | T3 | 8 |
| 13 | Rig Tier 4, Clear Burn | 5 | T4 | 8 |
| 15 | Pulse Strike (Inversion), Oath Resilience | 5 | T4 | 8 |
| 17 | Rig Tier 5 | 6 | T5 | 10 |
| 18 | Absolute Oath, Apex Calibration | 6 | T5 | 12+ |