Serving the insular cult of a Great Old One or Outer God was a defining feature of your life before adventuring, regardless of whether you remain involved with the group. As a cultist, you served the interests of a cult leader or the greater power that the leader served and might have little apprehension of the true nature of the religion. Due to the social rejection or at least suspicion surrounding their cult, your fellow cultists were secretive and inducted only those they felt they could trust or readily eliminate. You might have willingly served in exchange for gifts from the cult, or you might have been coerced into service. You may have been raised in the cult or joined as a youth, but you’ve escaped as an adult.
Perhaps you left the cult after you glimpsed true horrors lurking under the surface of a group that at first seemed strange but sympathetic. Alternatively, you might have simply fled from the awful acts without ever understanding why your fellow cultists did the deeds. Finally, you might have been a lonely survivor of a cult broken up by the authorities or adventurers who spared you due to your youth or ignorance. Leaving makes you a target for your former fellows to kill or at least blackmail if they remain at large.
When you choose this background, work with your GM to determine what cult you were or are affiliated with and whether they remain active. If you did not sever all ties with the cult, talk with your GM about what contact you still have and how the cult’s interests can contribute to the story without putting you unduly at odds with the other players. For example, a cult that placates a monstrous force out of fear or that doesn’t truly understand the danger of its patron might include members who are not villains but rather sympathetic characters who might be helped out of a difficult situation.
- Skill Proficiencies: Deception, [
- Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, Forgery kit
- Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, tools of the con of your choice (ten stoppered bottles filled with colored liquid, a set of weighted dice, a deck of marked cards, or a signet ring of an imaginary duke), and a pouch containing 50 gp
Every charlatan has an angle he or she uses in preference to other schemes. Choose a favorite scam or roll on the table below.
As a Mythos cultist, you were initiated into some secret beyond normal humanoid experience. You might have deduced the secret yourself before the cult was willing or able to initiate you formally, or you might have earned the trust of a high priest or alien entity and been deemed worthy of the secret. The nature of the secret reflects how the object of the cult defies known reality. It might be a revelation about the origin of your people, the fate of the world, the laws of nature, looming threats to known life, or the details about an Elder Influence’s current fate and disposition. You might have found evidence that disproves common understanding of the planes of existence, the movement of the stars, or the course of history. You might have learned to use alien technology or even the location of a cache of such treasures hidden in a dangerous and hard-to-reach place.
Work with your GM to determine the nature of your revelation and its impact on your adventures.
Suggested Characteristics
Charlatans are colorful characters who conceal their true selves behind the masks they construct. They reflect what people want to see, what they want to believe, and how they see the world. But their true selves are sometimes plagued by an uneasy conscience, an old enemy, or deep-seated trust issues.
| d4 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. |
| 2 | Sarcasm and insults are my weapons of choice. |
| 3 | I keep multiple holy symbols on me and invoke whatever deity might come in useful at any given moment. |
| 4 | I pocket anything I see that might have some value. |
| d5 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Independence. I am a free spirit—no one tells me what to do. (Chaotic) |
| 2 | Fairness. I never target people who can’t afford to lose a few coins. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Charity. I distribute the money I acquire to the people who really need it. (Good) |
| 4 | Creativity. I never run the same con twice. (Chaotic) |
| 5 | Friendship. Material goods come and go. Bonds of friendship last forever. (Good) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I fleeced the wrong person and must work to ensure that this individual never crosses paths with me or those I care about. |
| 2 | I owe everything to my mentor—a horrible person who’s probably rotting in jail somewhere. |
| 3 | Somewhere out there, I have a child who doesn’t know me. I’m making the world better for him or her. |
| 4 | I come from a noble family, and one day I’ll reclaim my lands and title from those who stole them from me. |
| 5 | A powerful person killed someone I love. Some day soon, I’ll have my revenge. |
| 6 | I swindled and ruined a person who didn’t deserve it. I seek to atone for my misdeeds but might never be able to forgive myself. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I can’t resist a pretty face. |
| 2 | I’m always in debt. I spend my ill-gotten gains on decadent luxuries faster than I bring them in... |
| 3 | I’m convinced that no one could ever fool me the way I fool others. |
| 4 | I’m too greedy for my own good. I can’t resist taking a risk if there’s money involved. |
| 5 | I can’t resist swindling people who are more powerful than me. |
| 6 | I hate to admit it and will hate myself for it, but I’ll run and preserve my own hide if the going gets tough. |