You spent the early part of your life, dedicated to your temple. But fortune twisted a dagger into your psyche, and exposed too much. For some reasons, the gods showed you nightmares of the future, and you've been attempting to piece the parts together through painful visions that come to you at any time. The clerics of the temple did not know what to do with you, as you disrupted classes and services. They determined that it was time for you to stay elsewhere, while continuing to study the faith. They didn't give up on you, but instead gave you a different path.
Though branded The Heretic, the clergy have not turned their backs on you. Instead, you're treated with respect, but you shuffle through the ranks through mysterious channels. You fight the war that even the champions do not, because it could bring undue negative attention to the faith. They do welcome you to the temples, but much like when you grew up in the faith, you are shuffled to special facilities.
- Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Perception
- Tool Proficiencies: Two of the following as "Underground" Skills: Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, or Thieves Tools
- Equipment: A holy symbol, a prayer book or prayer wheel, 5 sticks of incense, set of travelers clothes, "Underground" tools (one of the following disguise kit, forgery kit, thieves tools), and a pouch containing 15 gp.
As a heretic, you command the respect of some clergy who share your faith. You and your adventuring companions can expect to receive free healing and care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of your faith, though you must provide any material components needed for spells. Those who share your religion will support you (but only you) at a modest lifestyle, but always in hidden quarters within the temple.
You might also have ties to a specific temple dedicated to your chosen deity or pantheon, and you have a special residence there. This could be the temple where you were taught, and remain on good terms with it, or a temple where you have found a new home. While near your temple, you can request some of the priests for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing with your temple.
Suggested Characteristics
Heretics are shaped by their unique experiences in the temples or other religious communities. Their study of the arcana, lore, history and tenets of their faith and their relationships to temples, shrines, or hierarchies affect their mannerisms and ideals. Their flaws might be some hidden resentment for their heretical stance within the faith. Often seen as extremist, the public face of the faith is often to disavow you.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I idolize a particular hero of my faith, and constantly refer to that person’s deeds and example. |
| 2 | I am at odds with secularists within the faith, and feel they're agents of those who would end our temple. |
| 3 | I see omens in every event and action. The gods try to speak to us, we just need to listen. |
| 4 | Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude. |
| 5 | I quote (or misquote) sacred texts and proverbs in almost every situation. |
| 6 | I am intolerant of other faiths and condemn the worship of other gods. |
| 7 | I’ve hate fine food, drink, and high society among my temple’s elite. Rough living, in the name of faith, is for me. |
| 8 | I’ve spent so long in the temple that I have little practical experience dealing with people in the outside world. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tradition. The ancient traditions of worship and sacrifice must be preserved and upheld. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Charity. I always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good) |
| 3 | Change. We must burn down the weak within our temple, and from ashes build a new. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Power. I hope to one day return and rise to the top of my faith’s religious hierarchy. (Lawful) |
| 5 | Faith. I trust that my deity will guide my actions. I have faith that if I work hard, things will go well. (Lawful) |
| 6 | Aspiration. I seek to prove myself worthy of my god’s favor by matching my actions against his or her teachings. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I would die to protect our faith, temple and clerics. |
| 2 | I will someday get revenge on the corrupt temple hierarchy who branded me a heretic and drove me to the faith's underground. |
| 3 | I owe my life to the priest who took me in when my parents died. |
| 4 | Everything I do is for the common people of our faith. |
| 5 | I will do anything to protect the temple where I served. |
| 6 | I seek to preserve a sacred text that my enemies within the faith consider heretical and seek to destroy. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I judge others harshly, and myself even more severely. |
| 2 | I put too much trust in those who wield power within my temple’s hierarchy. |
| 3 | My piety sometimes leads me to blindly trust those that profess faith in my god. |
| 4 | I am inflexible in my thinking. |
| 5 | I am suspicious of strangers and expect the worst of them. |
| 6 | Once I pick a goal, I become obsessed with it to the detriment of everything else in my life. |
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