Cultist (3.5e NPC Class)

Author: Paleomancer (talk) Date Created: 18 September 2012 Status: Complete Editing: Balance issues on talk page.

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Cultist

“

Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places. ~H. P. Lovecraft.

”

Cultists are the nameless followers of powerful and usually malevolent entities. They are the numerous, easily manipulated minions of Lovecraftian Old Ones, powerful Demon lords, ascendant Liches, or mighty great wyrm dragons. People who join a cult do so for many reasons, be it a desire for power, thirst for revenge, or simply a desire to belong, but in the end, it is a decision that destroys their sanity and their free will, assuming PCs don't simply kill them first.

Cultists in the Game: Cultists are not intended for use as player characters. Their options are too narrow, and their weaknesses too glaring, for them to be a valid option. However, as minions of player characters, cultists do have some utility, with their utter devotion to their figure of worship, and it is not unknown for those of a sinister or unscrupulous mindset to create cults for the purpose of raising themselves or something else to godhood, or to summon a long-banished horror back into the mortal realm.

Abilities: Generally cultists are not bestowed with great physical or mental talents, and most tend to be weak-willed or easily deceived. However, a good Dexterity score improves attacks with eldritch bolt, and higher-up cultists tend to have good Charisma scores, the better to use circle magic.

Races: Generally, only humanoids become cultists in any great numbers.

Alignment: Many cultists are evil or chaotic or both, but a fair few are true neutral.

Starting Age: Simple.

Table: The Cultist

Hit Die: d4

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Eldritch Bolt, Insanity, Object of Worship
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Circle Magic
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Fanaticism
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Eldritch Blessing
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Circle Leader

Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level)
Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Control Shape (Wis), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int) Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int) Knowledge (history) (Int) Knowledge (religion) (Int) Knowledge (the planes) (Int) Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Cultist:

Goon Rules: As an NPC guard, a cultist gets no feats, unless they are specific bonus feats (i.e. Alertness). Humans instead get a +1 bonus on Eldritch Bolt damage.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A cultist is proficient with all simple weapons and light armor.

Object of Worship: A cultist is one of the numerous servants of would-be gods or banished horrors. Many cultist abilities are related to their patron/manipulator, and must be performed for the benefit of that patron in some way. Each cult has its own secret signs and a secret language (much like Druids have Druidic). Each cult also has a single Cleric domain associated with their master's general agenda or nature that comes into play through the Circle Magic ability.

Eldritch Bolt (Sp): A cultist can, as a standard action, unleash a bolt of dark mystical energy at a target, which deals 1d6 untyped damage, plus the cultist's insanity score (see below). This is a ranged touch attack, with a range of 60 ft., and which has verbal, somatic, and focus components, but no arcane spell failure chance.

Insanity (Su): At 1st level, the cultist gains an Insanity score equal to his or her class level. For determining the save DCs of cultist spell-like abilities, the character uses his or her Insanity score + 10, and the score is also added to Eldritch Bolt damage. However, the insanity score is inflicted as a penalty on the cultist's Wisdom score. Since he or she is already insane, the cultist is also immune to effects that cause confusion, but not other mind-affecting effects.

Circle Magic (Sp): A 2nd level cultist may participate in circle magic, a form of casting that requires at least one 5th level cultist as the leader, and at least two other cultists of at least 2nd level. Each cultist participating in the spell circle contributes an effective number of spell levels equal to 1/2 their cultist level (round down), which are expended by the circle leader to cast a spell. Spells come from one domain, and only spells of 1st thru 3rd level may be cast. All participants must be within 30 ft. of each other, and normal spellcasting procedures and mechanics apply; the insanity score of the most powerful cultist is used as the basis for all save DCs.

Fanaticism: A 3rd level cultist recieves a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls to defend his or her object of worship (but only towards that specific cause directly).

Eldritch Blessing: A 4th level cultist is repaid with defensive powers for their devotion. They receive a +2 resistance bonus to saves and a +2 deflection bonus to AC.

Circle Leader: 5th level cultists can lead circles of other cultists to cast spells, as described under Circle Magic. They also gain immunity to fear effects. A cultist who survives this long usually becomes a true sorcerer.

Employing Cultists

Cultists are fairly effective minions, weak alone, but skilled when coordinated by a greater being or in great numbers.

Sample Cultists

Cultist of Chochkey

CR 1

	Male/Female Human Cultist 2
	Usually CE Medium Humanoid
Init/Senses	+1/Listen +3, Spot +3
Languages	Chochkey Cult, Common
AC	12, touch 11, flat-footed 11 (+1 Dex, +1 padded armor)
hp	7 (2d4+2 HD)
Immune	insanity
Fort/Ref/Will	+3/+2/-1
Speed	30 ft.
Melee	Club +2 melee (1d6)
Ranged	Eldritch bolt +3 ranged (1d6+3)
Space/Reach	5ft./5ft.
Base Atk/Grp	+2/+2
Special Actions	Circle Magic, Eldritch Bolt
Abilities	Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 6, Cha 10
SQ	Insanity 2, Object of Worship (Chochkey the Hoarder)
Feats	-
Skills	Concentration +5, Listen +1, Spot +1
Possessions	Padded armor, club, gaudy cultist robes and cheap paper mask, tacky icon of Chochkey
Circle Magic	This cultist gains an Insanity score of 2. For determining the save DCs of cultist spell-like abilities, the character uses his or her Insanity score + 10, and the score is also added to Eldritch Bolt damage. However, the insanity score is inflicted as a penalty on the cultist's Wisdom score. Since he or she is already insane, the cultist is also immune to effects that cause insanity, but not other mind-affecting effects.
Insanity

This is a typical cultist of Chochkey the Hoarder, a minor Outer God of doorknobs and useless bric-a-brac. Servants of Chochkey seek to summon the dreaded entity to the material plane, where it will destroy the souls of the masses with an inundation of useless, soul-sucking junk.

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