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 Attribute** Willpower **Hit Points** Equal to Con score + (Level x2). **Weapons** Bludgeoning, and any [[weapons]] sacred to the cult’s ethos (GM’s call). **Armour & Shields** Light, Medium [[armour]], and shields. **Class Starting Gear** Heavy Mace (1d8), Chain shirt (+3 AC). Holy symbol. **Skills** Apothecary, Divine Lore plus roll **1d10** three times: (i) Arcane Lore, (ii) Athletics, (iii) Deception, (iv) Detection, (v) Gather Info, (vi) General Lore, (vii) Persuasion, (viii) Watercraft, (ix) Stealth, (x) Wilderness Lore. | Level | AB | Ability | | ----- | -- | ---------------------------- | | 1 | 0 | Blessings, Sacred Lore | | 2 | +1 | Child of the Gods, New Skill | | 3 | +2 | Unique Feature | | 4 | +2 | +1 AC | | 5 | +3 | New Skill, Second Attack | | 6 | +4 | Unique Feature | | 7 | +5 | Church Militant | | 8 | +5 | +1 AC, New Skill | | 9 | +6 | Unique Feature | ## Blessings Choose the deity you serve and apply the relevant **Patron Benefit.** As an agent of the gods, you may petition your patron for aid in the form of supernatural blessings. At 1st level, you know a number of blessings equal to your Will modifier; **roll** **1d12** and see below to determine which. With each new level, learn one additional blessing of your choice. You begin an adventure with **one use of this ability per level.** Unless noted otherwise, attempting to invoke a blessing is similar to casting a spell; see [[Divine Blessings and Rebukes]] p.96 (generally requires an action, and possibly a Will check). You may regain expended uses by taking Short or Long Rests. All cultists may learn the following blessings: | 1d12 | Blessings | | ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Blessed Weapon.** One weapon you touch counts as magical and gains +1 to attack rolls for 1d6 x 10 minutes (no action). | | 2 | **Holy Smite.** When you hit with a melee attack, instead of rolling damage you cause maximum weapon damage + your level (no action). The attack is magical. This ability may not be used more than once per combat. | | 3 | **Sense Abomination.** You detect *Undead, Demons* and *Aberrant Terrors* (including their direction) within Far range for 2d6 minutes. | | 4 | **Turning.** You brandish your holy symbol to turn 1d8 + level *Undead*, Aberrations or *Demons* within Far range. If a target’s HD are less than half your level they are destroyed. Targets with HD equal to or lower than your level gain a *[[Luck]]* (Will) save to resist fleeing for 1d6 x 10 minutes. Targets with more HD than you are unaffected. | | 5 | **Watched Over.** You and all PC allies within Close range gain +1 AC as long as you are above zero hp and do not require atonement. Once known, this blessing is always active, and doesn’t require expending a blessing use. | | 6 | **Divine Word.** You command a creature within Close range to carry out an act for up to one round. The command must be three words or less (eg flee, drop your sword, release me) and cannot directly incapacitate or kill the target. A *[[Luck]]* (Will) save negates. | | 7-12 | **Spell like Blessing.** Each time you choose this ability, gain a blessing that mimics one of the following spell effects. You cannot use the same *Spell like Blessing* more times than your Will mod per day. <br><br><table><thead><tr><th>7-12</th><th>Spell Like Blessings</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>7</td><td>*[[Mend Flesh]]*</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>*[[Cleansing Charm]]*</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>*[[Light of Soliri]]*</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>*[[Pierce The Veil]]*</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>*[[Sever Arcanum]]*</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>*[[Abjure the Unnatural]]*</td></tr></tbody></table> | ## Sacred Lore At 1st level you have a detailed knowledge of religions. You may roll against Will rather than Int on checks relating to Divine Lore, holy or unholy, including deities, undead, and demons. ## Child Of the Gods At 2nd level you are blessed by your patron, increasing your maximum *Luck* by 1 point. ## Unique Feature At 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels, you gain a Unique Feature. See p.15 and 45. ## New Skill At 2nd, 5th, and 8th level, you gain one new skill (the skill need not be on your class list). ## Second Attack At 5th level, when you use an action to attack, you make two attacks instead of one. If Two Weapon Fighting, you don’t get a second Extra attack (p.80). ## Church Militant By 7th level, divine providence guides your hand to strike true, expanding your crit range to 19-20. ## Beyond 9th Level If you survive this long, you retire as High Priestess at a temple dedicated to your god, attracting new worshippers and fervent protectors to the fold. ## 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**, you must take action promoting, enacting or adhering to one or more tenets. The **GM determines whether a tenet is met** and Favour bestowed. You either have Favour or not. Acting contrary to a tenet generally strips the cultist of Favour if they have it (GM’s call, or a *Luck* (Cha) save may be called for). Consistently breaking 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 Blessings and Rebukes|Divine Rebuke]]* (p.96) that requires **[[Divine Blessings and Rebukes|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 Blessings and Rebukes|Divine Rebuke]]*, 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. > At dawn a Priestess of Argona obtains Favour by bolstering her allies’ spirits with an inspiring hymn (*Foster hope*). An hour later she regains Favour by healing the wounds of an ally mid combat (*Aid the sick and injured*). As dusk falls, the priestess again tries to Foster hope, but this time the GM requires a ceremony of several hours and a small offering instead of a short prayer. ### Example God **Argona (the Starmaiden)** Argona is the goddess of health, wealth, happiness, and hope. In addition, she is venerated as a fierce protector of families, especially children, elderly and other vulnerable. She is usually depicted as a beautiful, raven haired woman with stars for eyes and a comet like tail in lieu of legs. - **Related Activities:** Weddings, births, carousing, trade deals, healing and illness recovery, defending kith and kin. Her feast day is Thanksgiving. - **Common Phrases:** Argona protects. Starmaiden keep you. Health and happiness. - **Icons:** A star or stars. Shield with a star motif. - **Tenets:** - Foster hope. - Aid the sick and injured. - Fight for those who cannot - fight for themselves. - Embrace toil and prosper. - Celebrate good works. - **Patron Benefits:** - You may roll against Will on Apothecary checks. - Add the following to Spell like Blessings: *[[Elemental Ward]], [[None Shall Pass]].*