What is your favorite evil cult?

[TerraDave]

Asmodeus and the devils are good for well connected infernal schemers.

Vecna is nice for arcanist seeking secrets.

Orcus gives you all sorts of undead and the necromancers that love them.

Lolth has spiders and drow, if you like that kind of thing.

Hades, Hectate and Hell work for covens of cosmic witches.

The Elder Elemental Eye has both demons and elemental powers...

...and Tharizdun can be an add on, or his own lost god.

Factions are always fun.

But I do think there is one cult to sacrifice them all....

 

[saskganesh]

Set is always good. The jackal head god, he-who-shall-not-be-named, and also heavily associated with snakes for that classic Shemite/Hyborian feel.

 

[SkidAce]

The cult that my PCs spent the most time and motivations against was the "Temple of the Wand".

A child/orphan stealing Orcus cult.

a quote: "Eradication isn't good enough for them" said the wizard/cleric,

"Yeah!" said the paladin.

 

[Kinak]

The various Khyber cults from Eberron have a nice feel to them. You get to toss mind flayers and beholders in as cult leaders, plus horrific grafts.

In Planescape, you could probably tie them too... the illithid god under the Outlands. I'm blanking on the name.

Set and Cthulhu are also always good.

Set has the advantage of Ra being a complete jerk in some myths. It's easy to see how someone might side with "evil" when "good" doesn't even want them to exist, let alone want their worship.

Cthulhu's just a classic and can't really be stopped. Since his cultists are individually inspired through their dreams, it's like fighting the hydra (not Mother, the other one). If you want a cult that can only really be stopped by killing their god, Cthulhu's your man... errr, eldritch abomination.

Cheers!
Kinak

 

[Grogg of the North]

I had the party run into a "cult" of Pelor once. They were some old, backwards sect that believed they needed to make sacrifices so that Pelor would "live". If they didn't make the sacrifice then the sun wouldn't come up. Drove the party's cleric nuts.

I've always wanted to run a cult based off of Happy Happyism from Earthbound. They're not really evil, they just want to paint everything blue.

 

[Ragmon]

I would say Wecna's folowers tend to be fun, but since they have great numbers its not a cult but a religion. But I love 'em, always fun, "The Head of Vecna" increases the fun factor when your around 'em.

 

[Oryan77]

I think I'm going to use a cult of Vecna since I've always been intrigued with Vecna. I can do a lot with his followers to make things interesting.

I'm having a difficult time figuring out how to work them into the plot. I'm trying to run a Rod of Seven parts scenario where the party is looking for each segment of the rod. I wanted to use a cult as the antagonists that get in their way. I can't come up with a reason why a cult of Vecna would be interested in the rod. Maybe Vecna would be interested in it in order to destroy both chaotic and lawful powers? I don't really see how it can help him with that, and it is still a flimsy agenda. Something to do with Revenge on Kas?

Any ideas?

 

[tuxgeo]

Make up your own evil cult!
Just as "Vecna" was an anagram of (Jack) "Vance," you could use an anagram of "Niven" (as in Sci-Fi author Larry Niven) -- and you could call him Vinne. (I'm thinking particularly about Count Vinny of the Kingdom of Transylvito in Erfworld.)

A cult following "Count Vinne" would be cool, ne?

 

[LostSoul]

Snake men.

For some reason that works for me.

 

[Stormonu]

I think I'm going to use a cult of Vecna since I've always been intrigued with Vecna. I can do a lot with his followers to make things interesting.

I'm having a difficult time figuring out how to work them into the plot. I'm trying to run a Rod of Seven parts scenario where the party is looking for each segment of the rod. I wanted to use a cult as the antagonists that get in their way. I can't come up with a reason why a cult of Vecna would be interested in the rod. Maybe Vecna would be interested in it in order to destroy both chaotic and lawful powers? I don't really see how it can help him with that, and it is still a flimsy agenda. Something to do with Revenge on Kas?

Any ideas?

Well, before being elevated to godhood, Vecna did control a vast kingdom, and rods are often associated as items of kingship and rulers. Perhaps Vecna has become interested in resurrecting his Oerth-bound kingdom and is seeking the Rod to prevent another Kas-like betrayal once it is established. Or perhaps the Secret Kingdom is already established and Vecna wants his followers to find the rod before he ascends the throne and they reveal themselves to start their overt conquests?

I mean, Iuz did something similar and almost pulled it off? Wouldn't the King of Secrets do one better?