Until very recently, you spent your life in service to a charlatan. Perhaps they were a mortal trickster lusting after money or power. Perhaps they were a dread fiend who exchanged favours for power-enhancing worship. Or perhaps you worshipped some twisted, corrupted variant of one of the good or neutral gods of the existing pantheons - a Pelor turned from fatherly sternness to cruelty, a Bahamut from justice to fanaticism, or an Ioun from cleverness to knowledge-hoarding.
However, for reasons known or unknown to the other members of your party, you left the cult you were raised in to follow a different path. Perhaps that new path has purpose - you serve a different god with the same fervour as before, are sworn to destroy the entity you once served, or protect your fellow victims of the cult. Or your new path may be troubled - one of fear, madness or a lack of direction.
Work with your DM to determine how you came to be raised in the cult, why you left and what effects your experiences have had on you, as well as how much of this your fellow players understand.
- Skill Proficiencies: Religion and one of either Deception or Persuasion
- Languages: Two of your choice
This optional table can help you determine what your character has done since leaving the cult. Have they become a staunch protector, intent on making sure none suffer the same fate they have? Have they dedicated their life to another, more benevolent god, filling the void with more of the same? Or have they been entirely broken by their experiences, and left to wander as an empty husk?
| d6 | Post-Cult Life |
|---|---|
| 1 | Protector. I defend my weak and traumatized fellow ex-members. |
| 2 | Mad wanderer. My mind is broken, and I endlessly wander the wastes in search for a purpose... or an end. |
| 3 | Hedonist. Freed from the oppressive rules and rituals of the cult, I take every opportunity I can to enjoy life in all its myriad forms with little care for my future. |
| 4 | Worshipper. Whether formally attached to a temple or simply never absent from services, I have become a devout follower of a different, less malevolent entity. |
| 5 | Avenger. I seek to destroy the entity that caused me and mine so much suffering. |
| 6 | Scientist. I research the cult and its founding entity, seeking to minimise its effects - or destroy it entirely. |
You command the respect and sympathy of those who share your background, and can expect to receive their hospitality at every turn. Depending on their personal circumstances and any favours you and your party may have performed, your new friends may provide free lodging for the night, a hearty meal or longer-term care at a modest or below lifestyle. They may also aid in your escape from a hostile local force or act as a guide to the area.
Suggested Characteristics
Ex-cultists are shaped by their experience in the cult they grew up in, whether it was through the meddling of sinister otherworldly forces or the greed and oppression of mortals. Their study of the history and tenets of their faith, the making or breaking of relationships post-leaving, or lingering trauma caused by what they saw will affect their personality and ideals, and may perhaps make, break or warp bonds. Their flaws might be some lingering extreme belief, terrible trauma or misplaced emotion.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am far too (un)willing to expound upon any situation I have knowledge of. |
| 2 | A permanent anger boils deep within me, driving me to action. |
| 3 | I speak in parables, with some new revelation from on high couched in exalted metaphor for every. single. situation. |
| 4 | I am strangely placid, unbothered by most horrors. |
| 5 | I exude confidence as I dispense pearls of worldly-wisdom, regardless of their veracity. |
| 6 | I am tolerant (or intolerant) of other faiths and respect (or condemn) the worship of other gods. |
| 7 | I will often speak in furtive but matter-of-fact tones about Them, and what They do to control the world. |
| 8 | I’ve spent so long in the cult that I have little practical experience dealing with people in the outside world. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Freedom. Tyranny and oppression beget unhappiness. (Chaotic) |
| 2 | Mercy. None shall suffer as I suffered, ever again. (Good) |
| 3 | Isolation. If I stay away, I can't harm others and they won't hurt me. (Neutral) |
| 4 | Scrupulousness. All those laws were there for a reason, right? Right? (Lawful) |
| 5 | Knowledge. Asking why is our greatest strength. (Any) |
| 6 | Revenge. I will crush all who oppressed me, and any who stand in my way. (Evil) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | The cult must be destroyed by any means possible. |
| 2 | I left behind a dear friend who I would do anything to get back. |
| 3 | I just want the voices to go away. |
| 4 | There are so many more of us out there, and it is my duty to ensure they can all lead happy, healthy lives far away from the cult's oppressive influence. |
| 5 | I was told I had a sacred destiny. The person who told me is long gone, but the mantle remains. |
| 6 | I seek to rescue those who are still oppressed. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am cripplingly fearful of certain items, experiences or situations, avoiding them where possible and suffering an emotional breakdown where not. |
| 2 | My pain is stronger than yours, and I'll accept no proof of the opposite. |
| 3 | I am naïve and blindly trusting. |
| 4 | I am harsh, inflexible and black-and-white in my thinking. |
| 5 | I am suspicious of strangers and expect the worst of them. |
| 6 | I show contempt for those who (do not) worship a god, determining that something must be wrong with them. |
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