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<blockquote data-quote="CleverNickName" data-source="post: 9294571" data-attributes="member: 50987"><p>You might like my "Former Cultist" background that I wrote for a player in my group:</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">NEW BACKGROUND: FORMER CULTIST</span></strong></p><p>Once, you were an obedient member of a religious cult. You may have been a dragon-worshiping follower of Tiamat, working tirelessly to loosen the bonds that hold the Dragon Queen within her prison. Or maybe you were a cultist of Nerull, spreading death and plague to crowded communities. But all of that is behind you now. Perhaps you saw something in yourself or your fellow cultists that frightened you, or perhaps an evangelist of the Order of Dawn showed you the true path of righteousness? What made you see through the veil of evil indoctrination? How did you escape?</p><p></p><p><strong>Skill Proficiencies: </strong>History, Religion</p><p><strong>Tool Proficiencies:</strong> Poisoner’s Kit</p><p><strong>Languages:</strong> You can read, write, and speak your choice of Abyssal, Draconic, or Infernal.</p><p><strong>Equipment: </strong>You’ve held on to a few items of your past life: a poisoner’s kit, a set of priest’s robes, an unholy symbol, a ceremonial dagger, a priest’s pack, and a pouch containing 10gp.</p><p></p><p><strong>FEATURE: DEVOTEE OF THE FALLEN </strong></p><p>Choose the belief that once defined you as a heretic, or choose one at random:</p><p></p><table style='width: 100%'><tr><td><strong>1</strong></td><td><strong>Erythnul. </strong> This doctrine teaches that only the cunning and merciless deserve to survive. Devotees believe that Erythnul and Kord are actually the same god.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>2</strong></td><td><strong>Gruumsh.</strong> A very old faith that emphasizes strength and power over all other attributes, and teaches the supremacy of orcs over all living things. They train rigorously for a great battle that will end all humanity, where they will win their rightful place as rulers of all.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>3</strong></td><td><strong>Hextor.</strong> Followers of Hextor are your classic devil-worshippers. They would see the world returned to the Dukes of Hell, from whom they believe it was stolen.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>4</strong></td><td><strong>Lolth. </strong> The followers of Lolth believe that the drow bloodline is the purest and most divine among the elves. To the followers of Lolth, there are only two groups of people: the devout, and the doomed.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>5</strong></td><td><strong>Nerull. </strong> The stereotypical “death cult” that teaches life’s only certainty as both a philosophy and a divine mandate. Their dogma encourages believers to spread death as far and wide as possible through plague, war, murder, even ritual suicide.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>6</strong></td><td><strong>Olidammara. </strong>Cultists of the Laughing Rogue believe that luck is made, not given or found. They teach that fate, destiny, and divine intervention are all just wishful thinking, and believe that organized religion is history’s greatest con job.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>7</strong></td><td><strong>Tiamat. </strong>Your classic “dragon worshippers,” who believe that one day she will be released from her prison. And on that day, she will reward all who were loyal and consume all others–so they intend to stay on her good side.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>8</strong></td><td><strong>Vecna. </strong> This cult teaches that all secrets must be revealed. According to them, the concept of forbidden knowledge is the weak excuse of intellectual cowards.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>9</strong></td><td><strong>Wee Jas.</strong> The cultists of Wee Jas are your stereotypical “rich goth kids.” They are all about death and magic and ceremony, and they are known for their complicated rituals, antiquated outfits and makeup, and their vast tomes of spells and written dogma.</td></tr></table><p></p><p><strong>FEATURE: HERETICAL CONTACTS </strong></p><p>Thanks to your long affiliation with a cult community, you can easily identify others who are devoted to the Fell Gods. You know where to find heretics in settlements where your old cult was represented, and you can read the subtle shadow marks and coded messages that direct their followers to safehouses, meetings, and dead-drops.</p><p></p><p><strong>SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS</strong></p><p><strong>d8 Personality Trait</strong></p><p><strong>1</strong> My past still haunts me in my dreams. I barely sleep, and I often wake up screaming.</p><p><strong>2 </strong> I’m prone to violent tantrums when someone tries to control me. <em>Never again.</em></p><p><strong>3 </strong> Being a pawn for years has left me indecisive. It's hard to make decisions on my own.</p><p><strong>4 </strong> I worry that I will fall back to my old ways, given the right circumstances.</p><p><strong>5</strong> I'm uncomfortable around religious folk, and avoid temples.</p><p><strong>6 </strong> I feel very proud of how far I’ve come since my escape. I wish to help others like me.</p><p><strong>7 </strong> I live in fear. I’m always looking over my shoulder and the slightest things startle me.</p><p><strong>8 </strong> I know I'm still hunted by my cult. Every day I expect their templars to catch up to me.</p><p></p><p><strong>d6 Ideal</strong></p><p><strong>1 Protective. </strong>Cultists trifle with dark and dangerous powers. They must be stopped! (Lawful)</p><p><strong>2 Honesty. </strong> I’ve been lied to so many times, I can no longer bear it. I've sworn to always be truthful. (Good)</p><p><strong>3 Repentant. </strong> I can't undo the terrible things I’ve done, but I can still try to atone. (Good)</p><p><strong>4 Anarchist. </strong> Our lives should not be ruled by anyone. No gods, no masters! (Chaotic)</p><p><strong>5 Nihilist. </strong> What’s the point? We are all insignificant, and our struggles are futile. (Neutral)</p><p><strong>6 Knowledge.</strong> They lie and they deceive, but I will unravel their words with knowledge. (Neutral)</p><p></p><p><strong>d6 Bond</strong></p><p><strong>1 </strong> When I left the cult, I took one of its relics with me. For some reason, I can’t part with it.</p><p><strong>2</strong> Belief in my old faith still nags at me. Even now, I still question if I have chosen the right path.</p><p><strong>3 </strong> I used to be friends with a powerful member of the cult. Now they are hunting me.</p><p><strong>4 </strong> When I was in the cult, I was sent on a special mission. No one must ever know what I've done.</p><p><strong>5 </strong> I cannot stand idly by and watch my former cult prey on impressionable youths.</p><p><strong>6 </strong> One of my underworld contacts still tracks me, and reports my movements to my former cult.</p><p></p><p><strong>d6 Flaw</strong></p><p><strong>1 </strong> I still hear voices in my head that command me to do terrible things.</p><p><strong>2 </strong> I sometimes lose touch with reality, and “zone out” for several minutes.</p><p><strong>3 </strong> I’m deeply superstitious, and I have many rituals to avoid bad luck.</p><p><strong>4 </strong> I tend to misjudge the devotion of others.</p><p><strong>5 </strong> I dread having to kill others, even in self defense. I’ve already spilled too much blood.</p><p><strong>6 </strong> I’m deeply mistrustful of charismatic people…especially the ones in positions of power.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CleverNickName, post: 9294571, member: 50987"] You might like my "Former Cultist" background that I wrote for a player in my group: [B][SIZE=5]NEW BACKGROUND: FORMER CULTIST[/SIZE][/B] Once, you were an obedient member of a religious cult. You may have been a dragon-worshiping follower of Tiamat, working tirelessly to loosen the bonds that hold the Dragon Queen within her prison. Or maybe you were a cultist of Nerull, spreading death and plague to crowded communities. But all of that is behind you now. Perhaps you saw something in yourself or your fellow cultists that frightened you, or perhaps an evangelist of the Order of Dawn showed you the true path of righteousness? What made you see through the veil of evil indoctrination? How did you escape? [B]Skill Proficiencies: [/B]History, Religion [B]Tool Proficiencies:[/B] Poisoner’s Kit [B]Languages:[/B] You can read, write, and speak your choice of Abyssal, Draconic, or Infernal. [B]Equipment: [/B]You’ve held on to a few items of your past life: a poisoner’s kit, a set of priest’s robes, an unholy symbol, a ceremonial dagger, a priest’s pack, and a pouch containing 10gp. [B]FEATURE: DEVOTEE OF THE FALLEN [/B] Choose the belief that once defined you as a heretic, or choose one at random: [TABLE] [TR] [TD][B]1[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Erythnul. [/B] This doctrine teaches that only the cunning and merciless deserve to survive. Devotees believe that Erythnul and Kord are actually the same god.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][B]2[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Gruumsh.[/B] A very old faith that emphasizes strength and power over all other attributes, and teaches the supremacy of orcs over all living things. They train rigorously for a great battle that will end all humanity, where they will win their rightful place as rulers of all.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][B]3[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Hextor.[/B] Followers of Hextor are your classic devil-worshippers. They would see the world returned to the Dukes of Hell, from whom they believe it was stolen.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][B]4[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Lolth. [/B] The followers of Lolth believe that the drow bloodline is the purest and most divine among the elves. To the followers of Lolth, there are only two groups of people: the devout, and the doomed.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][B]5[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Nerull. [/B] The stereotypical “death cult” that teaches life’s only certainty as both a philosophy and a divine mandate. Their dogma encourages believers to spread death as far and wide as possible through plague, war, murder, even ritual suicide.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][B]6[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Olidammara. [/B]Cultists of the Laughing Rogue believe that luck is made, not given or found. They teach that fate, destiny, and divine intervention are all just wishful thinking, and believe that organized religion is history’s greatest con job.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][B]7[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Tiamat. [/B]Your classic “dragon worshippers,” who believe that one day she will be released from her prison. And on that day, she will reward all who were loyal and consume all others–so they intend to stay on her good side.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][B]8[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Vecna. [/B] This cult teaches that all secrets must be revealed. According to them, the concept of forbidden knowledge is the weak excuse of intellectual cowards.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][B]9[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Wee Jas.[/B] The cultists of Wee Jas are your stereotypical “rich goth kids.” They are all about death and magic and ceremony, and they are known for their complicated rituals, antiquated outfits and makeup, and their vast tomes of spells and written dogma.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [B]FEATURE: HERETICAL CONTACTS [/B] Thanks to your long affiliation with a cult community, you can easily identify others who are devoted to the Fell Gods. You know where to find heretics in settlements where your old cult was represented, and you can read the subtle shadow marks and coded messages that direct their followers to safehouses, meetings, and dead-drops. [B]SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS d8 Personality Trait 1[/B] My past still haunts me in my dreams. I barely sleep, and I often wake up screaming. [B]2 [/B] I’m prone to violent tantrums when someone tries to control me. [I]Never again.[/I] [B]3 [/B] Being a pawn for years has left me indecisive. It's hard to make decisions on my own. [B]4 [/B] I worry that I will fall back to my old ways, given the right circumstances. [B]5[/B] I'm uncomfortable around religious folk, and avoid temples. [B]6 [/B] I feel very proud of how far I’ve come since my escape. I wish to help others like me. [B]7 [/B] I live in fear. I’m always looking over my shoulder and the slightest things startle me. [B]8 [/B] I know I'm still hunted by my cult. Every day I expect their templars to catch up to me. [B]d6 Ideal 1 Protective. [/B]Cultists trifle with dark and dangerous powers. They must be stopped! (Lawful) [B]2 Honesty. [/B] I’ve been lied to so many times, I can no longer bear it. I've sworn to always be truthful. (Good) [B]3 Repentant. [/B] I can't undo the terrible things I’ve done, but I can still try to atone. (Good) [B]4 Anarchist. [/B] Our lives should not be ruled by anyone. No gods, no masters! (Chaotic) [B]5 Nihilist. [/B] What’s the point? We are all insignificant, and our struggles are futile. (Neutral) [B]6 Knowledge.[/B] They lie and they deceive, but I will unravel their words with knowledge. (Neutral) [B]d6 Bond 1 [/B] When I left the cult, I took one of its relics with me. For some reason, I can’t part with it. [B]2[/B] Belief in my old faith still nags at me. Even now, I still question if I have chosen the right path. [B]3 [/B] I used to be friends with a powerful member of the cult. Now they are hunting me. [B]4 [/B] When I was in the cult, I was sent on a special mission. No one must ever know what I've done. [B]5 [/B] I cannot stand idly by and watch my former cult prey on impressionable youths. [B]6 [/B] One of my underworld contacts still tracks me, and reports my movements to my former cult. [B]d6 Flaw 1 [/B] I still hear voices in my head that command me to do terrible things. [B]2 [/B] I sometimes lose touch with reality, and “zone out” for several minutes. [B]3 [/B] I’m deeply superstitious, and I have many rituals to avoid bad luck. [B]4 [/B] I tend to misjudge the devotion of others. [B]5 [/B] I dread having to kill others, even in self defense. I’ve already spilled too much blood. [B]6 [/B] I’m deeply mistrustful of charismatic people…especially the ones in positions of power. [/QUOTE]
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