Cultist¶

You are a cultist, the devoted servant of a god, daemon or other cosmic entity distant and inscrutable. You might be a pious priestess, an unflinching inquisitor, or a haunted warlock struggling to avert a terrible doom.

Like all travellers of perilous lands, you are familiar with weapons and armour, mindful that the divine help those who help themselves. Yet in your hour of need, when the flesh fails and the shield splinters, you call upon your goddess for aid. And if you have kept the tenets, and earnt Her favour, She answers.

• Key Attributes: Willpower.
• Hit Points: 1d4+4 (plus Con bonus if any) per level up to 9^th level, then 2 hp/level.
• Armour and Shields: Light, Medium Armour and shields.
• Weapons: Bludgeoning, and any weapons sacred to the cult's ethos (GM's call)
• Skills: Apothecary, Divine Lore, plus 4 of: Arcane Lore, Athletics, Deception, Detection, Gather Information, General Lore, Insight, Persuasion, Sailing, Stealth, Wilderness Lore.

Blessings (1^st Level)¶

As an agent of the gods, cultists may petition their patron for aid in the form of supernatural blessings and miracles (see p.87).

At 1^st level, the cultist knows a number of blessings equal to his Will modifier. Each level thereafter the cultist learns one additional blessing, and if desired, may substitute one known blessing for another. You begin an adventure with one use of this ability per level. Each time you use this ability, choose one of your known blessings to apply. You may regain expended uses by taking short or long rests (p.81).

All cultists may choose to learn the following blessings:

• Blessed Weapon: One weapon the cultist touches counts as magical for 1d6 x 10 minutes (no action).

• Holy Snipe: As part of a melee attack, instead of rolling damage, you cause maximum weapon damage plus your level. The attack counts as magical. This ability may not be used more than once per round.

• Lay on Hands: The cultist may spend an action to heal a touched target 1d4 hp per cultist level, plus the cultist's Will modifier. If the target has zero hp, the wounds mend slowly over 1d3 minutes (the target does not regain hit points or consciousness until the 1d3 minutes passes).
• Mend Injury: as Cure Minor Injury. This ability may not be used more times than half the cultist's level (round up) per adventure.
• Purge Affliction: As Cure Malady. This ability may not be used more times than half the cultist's level (round up) per adventure.
• Sense Abomination: The cultist may spend an action to detect Undead, Demons and Aberrations (including their direction) within 120 ft for 2d6 rounds.
• Spell like Blessing: Each time you choose this ability, gain a blessing that mimics one of the following spell effects: Detect Magic, Light, Dispel Magic or Neutralize Poison.
• Turning: The cultist may spend an action to brandish their holy symbol to turn 1d8 + level Undead, Demons or Aberrations within 60 ft. If a target's HD are less than half the cultist's level they are automatically destroyed. Targets with HD equal to or lower than the cultist's level gain a Luck save to resist fleeing for 1d6 x 10 minutes. Targets with more HD than the cultist are unaffected.
• Watched Over: The cultist and all PC allies within 20 ft gain +1 AC as long as the cultist is above zero hp. Once known, this blessing is always active, and does not require expending a blessing use.

Sacred Lore (1^st level)¶

Cultists gain advantage on all checks relating to Divine Lore, holy or unholy, including deities, undead and demons.

Child of the Gods (2^nd level)¶

The cultist is blessed by their patron, increasing their maximum Luck by 1 point.

Unique Feature (3^rd, 6^th, 9^th and 12^th level)¶

See pages 15, 43.

New Skill (4^th and 8^th level)¶

At 4^th and 8^th level, you gain one new skill (the skill need not be on your class list).

Church Militant (5^th level)¶

By 5^th level, divine providence guides your hand to strike true. Your weapon attacks cause critical hits on a natural 1d20 roll of 19-20.

Second Attack (7^th level)¶

At 7^th level, you may spend a Reroll die to make a second attack that turn (if two weapon fighting, you do not gain a second extra attack).

Temple (10^th level)¶

At 10^th level, the cultist may build or is appointed a temple dedicated to her god, drawing lay worshippers, new initiates, and fervent protectors. As High Priestess, you control the temple and direct the activities of the faithful.

Tenets & Favour¶

Included with each god's description are example duties and strictures consistent with the cult's ethos. Tenets are intended as roleplaying differences between faiths, reasons to adventure, and ways for cultists to earn Favour.

In order to gain Favour, the cultist must take action promoting, enacting or adhering to one or more tenets. The GM determines whether a tenet is met and Favour bestowed. A cultist either has Favour or not. Acting contrary to a tenet generally strips the cultist of Favour if they have it (GM discretion, or a Luck (Cha) save might be called for). Consistently breaking one or more tenets not only strips favour, but may impose penalties on invoking blessings, or prevent any blessings until/if the cultist atones (GM's call).

If labouring under a Divine Rebuke that requires Atonement to absolve, the cultist cannot gain Favour until their atonement is complete.

Because cultists rely on Favour to invoke blessings reliably and without fear of Divine Rebuke (see p.87), it is recommended that GMs give PCs the benefit of the doubt when deciding whether a tenet is satisfied. At the GM's option however, repeatedly using the same tenet to garner Favour may become increasingly difficult over the course of an adventure.