You have spent your life in the service of a Circle of Druids, a Singular Druid or a Shaman. You act as an instrument for your elder(s), performing duties involving everything from common tasks such as cooking and cleaning, to playing music, invoking sacred rites and/or offering sacrifices. You are not necessarily a Druid or Shaman—performing sacred rites is not the same thing as channeling natural or spiritual power.
Choose a spirit, animal, elemental, Druid Circle, Shaman, or other Druid/Shaman object of worship, such as a location or item(s), or some other quasi-divine being, and work with your DM to detail the nature of your religious service. Were you a lesser functionary in a Circle or Tribe, raised from childhood to assist the elders in the sacred rites? Or were you a Druid or Shaman who suddenly experienced a call to serve your object of worship in a different way? Perhaps you were the leader of a small tribe outside of any established structure, or even an acolyte to an occult group that served a fiendish master that you now deny.
- Skill Proficiencies: Pick either Medicine or Survival and Religion or Nature
- Tool Proficiencies: Pick a tool proficiency from among the following: Alchemist's Supplies, Calligrapher's Supplies, Cook's Utensils, Herbalism Kit, Poisoner's Kit, Lute, Horn, Drum, Flute, Lyre, Pan Flute
- Languages: Choose a language related to your area of service. Those in service of a druid pick either Draconic, Sylvan, or Undercommon, and those in service of a shaman can pick either Primordial or Sylvan, or Undercommon.
Do you serve an elemental? Choose Primordial.
Do you serve a dragon, dragonborn, or kobold focused druid circle? Choose Draconic.
Do you serve the Fey? Pick Sylvan.
Were you in service to something of the Underdark? Choose Undercommon.
- Equipment: A holy symbol (a gift to you when you entered the service of your master), a prayer book or prayer wheel, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp.
As a trusted trainee of a Druid or Shaman, you command the respect of your tribe and/or those who share your beliefs, and you can perform the religious ceremonies of your master(s). You can expect to receive welcome treatment from adherents of your order, but understand that shamans will not welcome druids and vice versa.
You might also have ties to a specific Circle, Shaman, Druid, or Location dedicated to your spiritual or natural beliefs, and you have a residence there. This could be the tribe where you grew up or the master you used to serve, if you remain on good terms with them; or a place where you have found a new home. While near your Circle, Shaman, Druid, or Location you can call upon other adherents for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing with them.
Suggested Characteristics
Acolytes are shaped by their experience in their tribes, circles, or other religious communities. Their study of the 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 hypocrisy or heretical idea, or an ideal or bond taken to an extreme.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I idolize a particular hero of my faith, and constantly refer to that person’s deeds and example. |
| 2 | I can find common ground between the fiercest enemies, empathizing with them and always working toward peace. |
| 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 tolerant (or intolerant) of other faiths and respect (or condemn) the worship of other gods. |
| 7 | I’ve enjoyed fine food, drink, and high society among my temple’s elite. Rough living grates on 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 help bring about the changes the gods are constantly working in the world. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Power. I hope to one day 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 recover an ancient relic of my faith that was lost long ago. |
| 2 | I will someday get revenge on the corrupt temple hierarchy who branded me a heretic. |
| 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. |
| 5 | I will do anything to protect the temple where I served. |
| 6 | I seek to preserve a sacred text that my enemies 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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