Members of the Order are staunch comrades, never failing to trust in each other completely. The clerics and paladins strive for excellence in everything they do, and are not afraid to fight evil. It is very uncommon to see a lone member of the Order as they almost always travel in groups. They keep a close eye on any potential threats, and stand ready to stop any aggression.
As a prelude to your adventuring career (and in preparation for it), you served as a member of the Order of the Gauntlet. You might have operated openly or secretly, depending on the faction and its goals, as well as how those goals mesh with your own. Becoming an adventurer doesn’t necessarily require you to relinquish membership in your faction (though you can choose to do so), and it might enhance your status in the faction.
- Skill Proficiencies: Athletics and Religion
- Languages: Two of your choice
- Equipment: An Order of the Gauntlet insignia, a collection of trinkets taken from slain monsters, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp
By gaining renown as a member of the Order of the Gauntlet, you can ascend through an ordered series of ranks within the faction. Promotion always requires the approval of a superior officer. It is a reward for services rendered to the faction, rather than an automatic consequence of increased renown.
In addition, certain positions become available to you when both your renown and your character level reach certain thresholds.
Marcheon
Prerequisite: Renown 3 or higher in the Order of the Gauntlet
At this rank, you gain some authority over lower-ranking soldiers. When you undertake a mission on the factions’s behalf that requires military strength, a squad of 1d4 guards (Basic Rules) accompanies and assists you for the duration of the mission.
Additionally, your salary at this rank is enough to maintain a modest lifestyle, including lodging in the garrisons across the Sword Coast.
Whitehawk
Prerequisite: Renown 10 or higher in the Order of the Gauntlet
As a Whitehawk, you gain a trusted companion in the form of a griffon (Basic Rules). They serve as your mount and ally, that you ride into battle and fight alongside. If your griffon would ever die, you must prove that you are worthy of a replacement.
At this rank, you gain a Sentinel Shield at the start of each mission you undertake on the faction’s behalf, which you must then return upon completion.
Vindicator
Prerequisite: Renown 25 or higher in the Order of the Gauntlet, 11th level
Vindicators stand as righteous warriors, intense figureheads to inspire the troops below them. When you gain this role, you gain your choice of a Flametongue sword (your choice of size), an Armor of Resistance (your choice of resisted damage), or a Ring of the Ram. You keep this item as long as you serve the Order, and may request a replacement if you can prove it's destruction. Additionally, the warriors that join you for your faction missions become 1d4 veterans (Basic Rules).
As a Vindicator, your salary allows you to maintain a comfortable lifestyle between adventures.
Righteous Hand
Prerequisite: Renown 50 or higher in the Order of the Gauntlet
The 5 Righteous Hands act as direct lines of order and vengeance, a circle of 5 holy warriors who command the forces of the Order. You gain control over an entire garrison, acting as their commander, while also communing directly with the other Righteous Hands in matters of ultimate importance.
Enemies and Allies
In general, the Order of the Gauntlet find some common ground with other factions that value order and structure: The Harpers, The Emerald Enclave, and even the sometimes less than reputable Lords Alliance. The legion is dedicated to combating the influence of Zhentarim spies and infiltrators, and keeping the Angelcrest's curiousity in check. But any faction can become an enemy of the Order of the Gauntlet if its aims and activities lead to crime, chaos, injustice, or harm to the innocent.
Conversely, any faction can offer you allies in your quest for justice. Distasteful as they might be, even the Zhentarim can play a part in curtailing threats to the people that also impede their own interests.
A warrior for the gods, you feel justified and vindicated in most every action you take, and are often respected as such by those who worship the gods of good. You can gain lodging for free with any similarly zealous believers, and can gain kits and tools at half price from devout shopkeeps.
Suggested Characteristics
Use the tables for the acolyte background below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a faction agent. (For instance, consider the words “faith” and “faction” to be interchangeable.)
Your bond might be associated with other members of your faction, or a location or an object that is important to your faction. The ideal you strive for is probably in keeping with the tenets and principles of your faction, but might be more personal in nature.
| 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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