Cultist

At some point in your life, you were inducted into a secret or not-so-secret cult; your whole family might’ve been members, or perhaps you were recruited later on in life. Through studying forbidden texts and performing dark rituals, your cult works to further the goals and ideals of the entities you worship — whether they be eldritch beings of the Far Realm, fiends of the Lower Planes, or something else entirely.

You might be as fanatical as the rest of them, more than willing to dive headfirst into the incomprehensible madness — or perhaps you’ve lost your faith, having seen the true nature of the cult and the entities it worships, and are seeking to undermine its efforts. Regardless, you possess intimate knowledge of the goals and practices of the cult, and have terrifying insight into realms beyond our own.

Skill Proficiencies: Religion and your choice between Intimidation or Deception

Languages: Two of your choice

Equipment: An amulet or similar accessory bearing the symbol of the cult or the entity you worship, a ritual dagger, 5 sticks of incense, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 5 gp.

Suggested Characteristics

As the faiths and practices of cultists are rarely welcome in broader society, members often lead lives of secrecy and social deception. When they meet up with like-minded individuals, it is almost always under the cover of night, in remote, private locales.

However, mortals who deal with eldritch gods and otherworldly entities often become changed by the experience; perhaps behaving strangely and exhibiting odd changes in their personalities.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I’ve spent so much time in the cult that I have very little experience dealing with people outside it.
2	I often drift off into trance-like daydreams.
3	I distrust any kind of organized faith and those who follow them.
4	I obsess over esoteric or occult knowledge that others may deem vague, inconsequential or apocryphal.
5	I am quick to conform to the wishes of others.
6	Large crowds frighten me, I much prefer the quiet solace of a library or dark dungeon.
7	I look for hidden meanings in everything.
8	When things are quiet, I chant in a strange, alien language over and over again.

d6	Ideal
1	Atonement. I have abandoned the cult and wish to make things right. (Good)
2	Truth. Through my worship of eldritch entities, I will unlock the secrets of the universe. (Neutral)
3	Chaos. The boundless and incomprehensible nature of the Far Realm is the true state of existence; ours is merely an anomaly. (Chaotic)
4	Power. My god will grant me great power when they enter our realm, and crush my enemies like the bugs they are. (Evil)
5	Freedom. Now that I’m free from the cult, no one will ever control me again. (Chaotic)
6	Secrecy. We must operate in secret; the fools of this world do not understand the importance of our work. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	I am being hunted by members of the cult I left behind.
2	Members of my cult are secretly rising to power across the nation. One day we will rule.
3	The leader of the cult used me; I will see them brought to justice.
4	The final component of a powerful ritual lies inside of me. I fear that unlocking it will drive me mad.
5	I have lost my faith, but there's a friend who remains in the clutches of the cult that I must save.
6	I hold no greater wish than to open a portal to the Far Realm and see it with my own eyes.

d6	Flaw
1	I judge others harshly, and myself even more severely.
2	Otherworldly entities haunt my dreams.
3	I quickly latch onto terrible and dangerous schemes without a single thought of consequences.
4	I am inflexible in my thinking.
5	My god demands dark and sinister tributes. I take great pleasure in appeasing them.
6	I fear that I am losing my grip on reality.