The Cultist
[D&D Core Class]
The Cultist
Cultists operate on the fringes of mainstream religion, often worshipping beings that other faiths dismiss as unworthy of religious devotion. Often persecuted as heretics and blasphemers by other religions, cultists operate in secrecy and discretion, practicing their unorthodox faith behind concealed doors, secret passwords, and the safety of shadows.
Cultist is a path often chosen by humans and half-orcs.
Cultist Prestige Classes: None.
Adaptation: The cultist is designed to fill the role of worshippers of outlawed, heretical, and unorthodox entities - those beings and non-deities excluded from the cleric and other divine classes. The cultist can cover everything from devil worshippers to philosophers, and serve the role of religious fanatics, primitive shamans, and secretive cabals that fall outside the accepted, mainstream religions in your world.
Game Rule Information
Cultists (Cul) have the following game statistics.
Abilities: The cultist practices her faith with secrecy and fervor. Charisma is vital to the cultist, determining spellcasting potential and influencing many class skills. Wisdom grants the cultist bonus spells and bonuses to several skills. A high Dexterity helps the often lightly armored cultist avoid blows and many spells.
Base Attack Bonus: Average (as a druid).
Hit Die: d8.
Saves: Good Reflex and Will / Poor Fortitude.
Class Skills: The cultist's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis). Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier (x4 at 1st level).
Alignment: Any. [See Idol Worship.]
Starting Age: As a rogue.
Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10gp.
Favored Class: Cultist is favored class for half-elves and humans, and an additional or alternate favored class for half-orcs, at the DM's discretion.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the cultist.
Idol Worship: The cultist reveres and worships a powerful being or icon. Unlike most clerics, the object of her worship is rarely if ever a deity or capable of granting its followers spells. The cultist's fervor and faith, however, grants her mystical access to divine magic in much the same way as druids, paladins, and rangers access divine magic without a patron deity.
The object of the cultist's worship, called her idol, is usually an extremely powerful or legendary being and often unique, such as the tarrasque, a demon lord, a champion angel, an infamous lich, or an ancient dragon. However, cults surrounding a group of creatures – such as unicorn, storm giant, pixie, illithid, and vampire cults – are not unknown, as are the much rarer cults that worship concepts or objects, such as volcano cults, sun cults, and doom cults. The idol need not even be aware of the existence of any cult worshipping it, although many idols employ their cultists as loyal minions to enact their own agendas while still other idols, such as the illithid, often view their cults as simply willing meals.
Regardless of the nature of her idol, the cultist's alignment must correspond to her idol's alignment in the same way a cleric's alignment corresponds to its deity's. Nonsentient or conceptual idols are considered to have a True Neutral alignment unless the DM rules otherwise.
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Cultists are proficient with all simple weapons and either the martial weapon of their choice or the hand crossbow. They are proficient with Light armor and shields (except tower shields).
Clandestine [1st/3rd/6th/11th/18th]
The life of the cultist is one of secrecy and discretion. Often persecuted or demeaned for their nontraditional religious beliefs, the cultist becomes increasingly adept at keeping her motives, thoughts, and actions hidden.
Secret passwords and messages in code becomes essential for the cultist to communicate with her fellow cultists while keeping her message unintelligible to nonbelievers. At 1st level, she learns a secret language exclusive to and known only by other cultists of her particular idol [see Idol Worship]. Similar in secrecy to the druidic language, the cultist never shares her secret language with outsiders.
Generally persecuted by mainstream religions for her beliefs, she learns discretion, concealing her thoughts and motives. At 3rd level, the cultist adds her Charisma bonus (minimum +1) to all Will saves against Divination spells (which does not stack with Heretic) and adds her Wisdom bonus (minimum +1) to all opposing Bluff checks.
Cults often conceal their meeting places and temples behind secret doors and concealed portals. Beginning at 6th level, whenever the cultist passes within 5 feet of a secret door, she is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it. When making Search checks to locate secret doors, the cultist uses either her ranks in Search or makes the check as if she had a number of ranks in Search equal to 1 + half her levels in cultist (whichever is higher). When making Search checks for any other reason, the cultist uses her actual ranks in Search, if any. If the cultist is an elf, the range for her racial ability for secret door detection instead increases to 10 feet. This is extraordinary.
To protect her cult and fellow cultists from location and persecution by their enemies, the cultist learns to move through this world with only memory recording her passage, to avoid being followed and tracked by those who would destroy her. Beginning at 11th level, she enjoys a traceless step and does not leave tracks when traversing her home plane and cannot be tracked unless she so desires. This is extraordinary.
At 18th level, her ability to conceal her presence becomes magical. The cultist is always considered under the effects of nondetection, as cast by a cultist of her caster level. This is supernatural.
The cultist can enhance Clandestine with the Hidden Mind and Sanctuary feats.
Fanatical Fervor [1st/7th/13th/19th level]
So fervent and powerful is her faith that the cultist can enter a fanatical fervor once per day at 1st level and every six levels thereafter. While in a fervor, she temporarily gains a +2 bonus to Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity; a +2 morale bonus on Will saves; and can make one additional melee attack each round at her highest BAB but with all attacks that round suffering a –3 penalty to attack rolls. The boost in Constitution increases her hit points by 1 point per level, but these hit points disappear at the end of the fervor when her Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are.)
When specifically fighting in defense of her faith or against an Enemy of the Faith, the ability gains and Will bonus increase by an additional +2, which increases the temporary hit points gained to 2 per level, and the cultist gains temporary immunity to fear spells and effects. Examples of fighting in defense of the faith include defending a cult temple from destruction or invasion, fighting against an order of paladins sent to eradicate the cult, or battling a rival cult whose idol is the sworn enemy of the cultist's idol. The DM always has final say on what circumstances qualify as defending the faith.
While in a fanatical fervor, the cultist cannot use any Wisdom-based or Intelligence-based skills, the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can she cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. She can use any feat she has except Combat Expertise, Item Creation feats, and Metamagic feats.
A fanatical fervor can be initiated as a free action on her turn and lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier (if positive). The cultist may prematurely end her fervor at any time. At the end of the fervor, she loses modifiers and restrictions and becomes shaken for a number of rounds equal to twice the length of the fervor. She may only enter a fanatical fervor once per encounter.
Heretic
Often condemned by traditional religions as a heretic, the cultist learns to resist the powers of her persecutors. She adds her Charisma bonus to all saves against divine magic and against the spell-like abilities of outsiders.
Spellcasting
The cultist casts divine spells as a bard casts arcane spells, using her Charisma score to determine maximum spell level and Difficulty Class and her Wisdom score to determine bonus spells. The cultist chooses spells from the following list:
Spell Notes: At 4th level and every two levels thereafter, the cultist can upgrade one of her Spells Known to a more powerful version of that spell effect - in effect forgetting the weaker spell while learning the higher-level counterpart, such as replacing cure light wounds with cure serious wounds or glyph of warding with greater glyph of warding. Both spells must appear on the cultist spell list.
Cult Domain [2nd/16th level]
At the indicated levels, the cultist selects either a Cult Domain [see below] or standard Domain relating to her idol, such as Evil for an idolater of a fiend, Death for a cultist of a lich, or Kraken for a kraken cultist. She adopts the domains' granted power and gains the listed spells (up to 6th-level only for standard domains) as bonus Spells Known.
Kindred [4th/8th/12th/16th/20th level]
Her connection to her idol grants the cultist unspoken empathy with related beings. Against creatures of the same type as her idol (Giant, Dragon, etc.), she receives a +1 bonus to all Charisma checks for every four cultist levels (rounded down); if her idol is a elemental, humanoid, or outsider, she only receives this bonus against creatures of her idol's specific subtype. For example, a unicorn cultist receives her Charisma bonus against Magical Beasts while a cultist of Asmodeus receives her bonus against Outsiders [Evil].
Cultists who worship idols without a type do not benefit from Kindred unless the DM allows otherwise. For example, a volcano cultist may, with her DM's permission, apply her Kindred bonus to magmen, magma paraelementals, and similar creatures associated with lava and volcanoes.
Enemy of the Faith [5th/10th/15th/20th level]
A life of persecution has fanned the cultist's resentment of mainstream religions and taught her that it is better to be the hunter than the hunted. At 5th level, she designates one deity, religious organization or order, or idol as an enemy of her faith. Against those who call the named deity their patron, against members of the named organization or order, or against rival cultists of the designated idol, she receives a +2 bonus to Bluff, Hide, Intimidate, Sense Motive, and Spot checks and a +1 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls.
At 10th level and every five levels thereafter, she designates an additional enemy of the faith. In addition, at each such interval, the skill bonuses against any one enemy of the faith increase by +2 and the attack and damage bonuses increase by +1.
Epic Cultist: The epic-level cultist continues her Hit Die, skill point, Enemy of the Faith, Fanatical Fervor, and Kindred progressions. In addition, she receives bonus epic feats at 23rd level and every three levels thereafter (23rd, 26th, 29th, 32nd, etc.).
Cult Domains
The following Cult Domains can only be chosen by cultists or those with the Cult Domain class feature.
ABERRATION Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 5 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 5 minutes), you enjoy the benefit of the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 lesser confusion, 2 alter self, 3 confusion, 4 Evard's black tentacles, 5 polymorph, 6 insanity
ANGEL Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 10 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 10 minutes), you grow large feathery wings and are capable of flight, as if via the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 remove fear, 2 continual flame, 3 remove curse, 4 holy smite, 5 summon monster V (good outsider), 6 blade barrier
BALOR Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 10 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 10 minutes), you grow large batlike wings and are capable of flight, as if via the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 mage hand, 2 bull's strength, 3 summon monster III (dretch), 4 fire shield (warm), 5 greater dispel magic, 6 blasphemy
BEAR Cult Domain
Granted Power: Wild Empathy.
Spells: 1 magic fang, 2 bear's endurance, 3 summon nature's ally II (black bear), 4 summon nature's ally IV (brown bear), 5 mass bear's endurance, 6 summon nature's ally VI (dire bear)
BEHOLDER Cult Domain
Granted Power: Spot is always a class skill, and you receive a +2 bonus to all Spot checks.
Spells: 1 magic fang, 2 levitate, 3 dispel magic, 4 prying eyes, 5 telekinesis, 6 disintegrate
CONSTRUCT Cult Domain
Granted Power: Gain Craft Wondrous Item feat for free.
Spells: 1 grease, 2 make whole, 3 stone shape, 4 fabricate, 5 animate objects, 6 wall of iron
CTHULU Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day, you can spontaneously cast any summon monster spell to summon an evil outsider by sacrificing a spells per day slot of equal level.
Spells: 1 cause fear, 2 darkness, 3 confusion, 4 feedblemind, 5 contact other plane, 6 insanity
DINOSAUR Cult Domain
Granted Power: Wild Empathy.
Spells: 1 enlarge person, 2 bull's strength, 3 greater magic fang, 4 summon nature's ally IV (dinosaur), 5 summon nature's ally V (dinosaur), 6 summon nature's ally VI (dinosaur)
DOOM Cult Domain
Granted Power: Spells or effects that negatively affect morale, such as doom, have the opposite effect on you, granting morale bonuses instead of penalties.
Spells: 1 doom, 2 darkness, 3 crushing despair, 4 divination, 5 nightmare, 6 eyebite
DOPPLEGANGER Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 5 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 5 minutes), you enjoy the benefit of the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 disguise self, 2 alter self, 3 detect thoughts, 4 polymorph, 5 seeming, 6 veil
DRAGON Cult Domain
Granted Power: +1 natural AC; Draconic is a bonus language.
Spells: 1 magic fang, 2 bull's strength, 3 fear, 4 divine power, 5 spell resistance, 6 mass bull's strength
ELEMENTAL Cult Domain
Granted Power: Augment Summoning feat.
Spells: 1 endure elements, 2 summon nature's ally II (elemental), 3 protection from energy, 4 summon nature's ally IV (elemental), 5 summon nature's ally V (elemental), 6 summon nature's ally VI (elemental)
FEY Cult Domain
Granted Power: +4 to saves against spells and spell-like abilities of Fey; Sylvan is a bonus language.
Spells: 1 faerie fire, 2 glitterdust, 3 summon nature's ally III, 4 summon nature's ally IV, 5 commune with nature, 6 transport via plants
GENIE Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 round), you can assume gaseous form.
Spells: 1 create water, 2 invisibility, 3 gaseous form, 4 wall of fire, 5 major creation, 6 summon monster VI (janni)
GIANT Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 round), you enjoy the benefit of the enlarge person spell; Giant is a bonus language.
Spells: 1 enlarge person, 2 bull's strength, 3 giant vermin, 4 mass enlarge person, 5 righteous might, 6 mass bull's strength
HUMANOID Cult Domain
Granted Power: All person spells are cast with +1 DC or +1 caster level.
Spells: 1 charm person, 2 hold person, 3 mass reduce person, 4 mass enlarge person, 5 dominate person, 6 mass hold person
ILLITHID Cult Domain
Granted Power: A number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1), you can send a soundless mental message to any creature you can see within Medium range or any creature that you personally know within 1 mile and receive a single mental message from that creature in return, granted that both messages occupy no more time than 1 round; otherwise as the spell.
Spells: 1 lesser confusion, 2 detect thoughts, 3 charm monster, 4 Evard's black tentacles, 5 Rary's telepathic bond, 6 plane shift
KRAKEN Cult Domain
Granted Power: Swim is always a class skill; +2 bonus to Swim checks; Aquan is a bonus language.
Spells: 1 summon nature's ally II (squid), 2 water breathing, 3 dominate animal, 4 Evard's black tentacles, 5 control winds, 6 summon nature's ally VII (giant squid)
MOUNTAIN Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 round), you enjoy the benefit of the enlarge person spell.
Spells: 1 enlarge person, 2 bear's endurance, 3 meld into stone, 4 mass enlarge person, 5 wall of stone, 6 mass bull's strength
NIGHT Cult Domain
Granted Power: Low-Light Vision.
Spells: 1 faerie fire, 2 darkness, 3 deep slumber, 4 fear, 5 nightmare, 6 mass owl's wisdom
OOZE Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 5 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 5 minutes), you enjoy the benefit of the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 grease, 2 alter self, 3 Melf's acid arrow, 4 stone shape, 5 transmute rock to mud, 6 control water
OUTSIDER Cult Domain
Granted Power: Augment Summoning feat.
Spells: 1 summon monster I, 2 summon monster II, 3 dismissal, 4 lesser planar ally, 5 contact other plane, 6 plane shift
PHEONIX Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 10 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 10 minutes), you grow large red feathery wings and are capable of flight, as if via the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 produce flame, 2 blur, 3 summon nature's ally III (giant eagle), 4 wall of fire, 5 Rary's telepathic bond, 6 fire seeds
PIT FIEND Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 10 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 10 minutes), you grow large batlike wings and are capable of flight, as if via the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 cause fear, 2 summon monster II (lemure), 3 protection from energy, 4 contagion, 5 telekinesis, 6 blasphemy
SPIRIT OF THE LAND Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 round), you can enjoy invisibility.
Spells: 1 resist elements, 2 soften earth and stone, 3 sleet storm, 4 wall of fire, 5 commune with nature, 6 control weather
SUN Cult Domain
Granted Power: Turn/Destroy Undead as a good cleric of equal level 3/day.
Spells: 1 faerie fire, 2 daylight, 3 searing light, 4 fire shield (warm), 5 blight, 6 sunbeam
TARRASQUE Cult Domain
Granted Power: +1 natural AC.
Spells: 1 magic fang, 2 bull's strength, 3 fear, 4 mass enlarge person, 5 spell resistance, 6 mass bear's endurance
TITAN Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 round), you enjoy the benefit of the enlarge person spell.
Spells: 1 enlarge person, 2 bull's strength, 3 charm monster, 4 mass enlarge person, 5 hold monster, 6 mass bull's strength
TREE Cult Domain
Granted Power: Rebuke/Command Plants as an evil cleric of equal level 3/day.
Spells: 1 enlarge person, 2 barkskin, 3 speak with plants, 4 tree stride, 5 ironwood, 6 liveoak
UNDEAD Cult Domain
Granted Power: Rebuke/Command Undead as an evil cleric of equal level 3/day.
Spells: 1 detect undead, 2 ghoul touch, 3 animate dead, 4 death ward, 5 control undead, 6 create undead
UNICORN Cult Domain
Granted Power: Wild Empathy.
Spells: 1 detect evil, 2 cure moderate wounds, 3 magic circle against evil, 4 summon nature's ally IV, 5 commune with nature, 6 greater teleport
VERMIN Cult Domain
Granted Power: Rebuke/Command Vermin as an evil cleric of equal level 3/day.
Spells: 1 spider climb, 2 summon swarm, 3 repel vermin, 4 giant vermin, 5 insect plague, 6 creeping doom
VOLCANO Cult Domain
Granted Power: Fire Resistance 5.
Spells: 1 produce flame, 2 soften earth and stone, 3 stinking cloud, 4 wall of fire, 5 transmute rock to mud, 6 flame strike
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Cultists operate on the fringes of mainstream religion, often worshipping beings that other faiths dismiss as unworthy of religious devotion. Often persecuted as heretics and blasphemers by other religions, cultists operate in secrecy and discretion, practicing their unorthodox faith behind concealed doors, secret passwords, and the safety of shadows.
Cultist is a path often chosen by humans and half-orcs.
Cultist Prestige Classes: None.
Adaptation: The cultist is designed to fill the role of worshippers of outlawed, heretical, and unorthodox entities - those beings and non-deities excluded from the cleric and other divine classes. The cultist can cover everything from devil worshippers to philosophers, and serve the role of religious fanatics, primitive shamans, and secretive cabals that fall outside the accepted, mainstream religions in your world.
Game Rule Information
Cultists (Cul) have the following game statistics.
Abilities: The cultist practices her faith with secrecy and fervor. Charisma is vital to the cultist, determining spellcasting potential and influencing many class skills. Wisdom grants the cultist bonus spells and bonuses to several skills. A high Dexterity helps the often lightly armored cultist avoid blows and many spells.
Base Attack Bonus: Average (as a druid).
Hit Die: d8.
Saves: Good Reflex and Will / Poor Fortitude.
Class Skills: The cultist's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis). Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier (x4 at 1st level).
Alignment: Any. [See Idol Worship.]
Starting Age: As a rogue.
Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10gp.
Favored Class: Cultist is favored class for half-elves and humans, and an additional or alternate favored class for half-orcs, at the DM's discretion.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the cultist.
Idol Worship: The cultist reveres and worships a powerful being or icon. Unlike most clerics, the object of her worship is rarely if ever a deity or capable of granting its followers spells. The cultist's fervor and faith, however, grants her mystical access to divine magic in much the same way as druids, paladins, and rangers access divine magic without a patron deity.
The object of the cultist's worship, called her idol, is usually an extremely powerful or legendary being and often unique, such as the tarrasque, a demon lord, a champion angel, an infamous lich, or an ancient dragon. However, cults surrounding a group of creatures – such as unicorn, storm giant, pixie, illithid, and vampire cults – are not unknown, as are the much rarer cults that worship concepts or objects, such as volcano cults, sun cults, and doom cults. The idol need not even be aware of the existence of any cult worshipping it, although many idols employ their cultists as loyal minions to enact their own agendas while still other idols, such as the illithid, often view their cults as simply willing meals.
Regardless of the nature of her idol, the cultist's alignment must correspond to her idol's alignment in the same way a cleric's alignment corresponds to its deity's. Nonsentient or conceptual idols are considered to have a True Neutral alignment unless the DM rules otherwise.
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Cultists are proficient with all simple weapons and either the martial weapon of their choice or the hand crossbow. They are proficient with Light armor and shields (except tower shields).
- Clandestine [Secret Language], Fanatical Fervor [1/day], Heretic, Spellcasting
- Cult Domain
- Clandestine [Discretion]
- Kindred [+1]
- 1st Enemy of the Faith
- Clandestine [Secret Doors]
- Fanatical Fervor [2/day]
- Kindred [+2]
- 2nd Enemy of the Faith
- Clandestine [Traceless Step]
- Kindred [+3]
- Fanatical Fervor [3/day]
- 3rd Enemy of the Faith
- Cult Domain, Kindred [+3]
- Clandestine [Nondetection]
- Fanatical Fervor [4/day]
- 4th Enemy of the Faith, Kindred [+5]
Clandestine [1st/3rd/6th/11th/18th]
The life of the cultist is one of secrecy and discretion. Often persecuted or demeaned for their nontraditional religious beliefs, the cultist becomes increasingly adept at keeping her motives, thoughts, and actions hidden.
Secret passwords and messages in code becomes essential for the cultist to communicate with her fellow cultists while keeping her message unintelligible to nonbelievers. At 1st level, she learns a secret language exclusive to and known only by other cultists of her particular idol [see Idol Worship]. Similar in secrecy to the druidic language, the cultist never shares her secret language with outsiders.
Generally persecuted by mainstream religions for her beliefs, she learns discretion, concealing her thoughts and motives. At 3rd level, the cultist adds her Charisma bonus (minimum +1) to all Will saves against Divination spells (which does not stack with Heretic) and adds her Wisdom bonus (minimum +1) to all opposing Bluff checks.
Cults often conceal their meeting places and temples behind secret doors and concealed portals. Beginning at 6th level, whenever the cultist passes within 5 feet of a secret door, she is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it. When making Search checks to locate secret doors, the cultist uses either her ranks in Search or makes the check as if she had a number of ranks in Search equal to 1 + half her levels in cultist (whichever is higher). When making Search checks for any other reason, the cultist uses her actual ranks in Search, if any. If the cultist is an elf, the range for her racial ability for secret door detection instead increases to 10 feet. This is extraordinary.
To protect her cult and fellow cultists from location and persecution by their enemies, the cultist learns to move through this world with only memory recording her passage, to avoid being followed and tracked by those who would destroy her. Beginning at 11th level, she enjoys a traceless step and does not leave tracks when traversing her home plane and cannot be tracked unless she so desires. This is extraordinary.
At 18th level, her ability to conceal her presence becomes magical. The cultist is always considered under the effects of nondetection, as cast by a cultist of her caster level. This is supernatural.
The cultist can enhance Clandestine with the Hidden Mind and Sanctuary feats.
Fanatical Fervor [1st/7th/13th/19th level]
So fervent and powerful is her faith that the cultist can enter a fanatical fervor once per day at 1st level and every six levels thereafter. While in a fervor, she temporarily gains a +2 bonus to Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity; a +2 morale bonus on Will saves; and can make one additional melee attack each round at her highest BAB but with all attacks that round suffering a –3 penalty to attack rolls. The boost in Constitution increases her hit points by 1 point per level, but these hit points disappear at the end of the fervor when her Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are.)
When specifically fighting in defense of her faith or against an Enemy of the Faith, the ability gains and Will bonus increase by an additional +2, which increases the temporary hit points gained to 2 per level, and the cultist gains temporary immunity to fear spells and effects. Examples of fighting in defense of the faith include defending a cult temple from destruction or invasion, fighting against an order of paladins sent to eradicate the cult, or battling a rival cult whose idol is the sworn enemy of the cultist's idol. The DM always has final say on what circumstances qualify as defending the faith.
While in a fanatical fervor, the cultist cannot use any Wisdom-based or Intelligence-based skills, the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can she cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. She can use any feat she has except Combat Expertise, Item Creation feats, and Metamagic feats.
A fanatical fervor can be initiated as a free action on her turn and lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier (if positive). The cultist may prematurely end her fervor at any time. At the end of the fervor, she loses modifiers and restrictions and becomes shaken for a number of rounds equal to twice the length of the fervor. She may only enter a fanatical fervor once per encounter.
Heretic
Often condemned by traditional religions as a heretic, the cultist learns to resist the powers of her persecutors. She adds her Charisma bonus to all saves against divine magic and against the spell-like abilities of outsiders.
Spellcasting
The cultist casts divine spells as a bard casts arcane spells, using her Charisma score to determine maximum spell level and Difficulty Class and her Wisdom score to determine bonus spells. The cultist chooses spells from the following list:
- 0 Level: comprehend writing, cure minor wounds, dancing lights, detect magic, detect poison, divine symbol, ghost sound, gothic, inflict minor wounds, internal sundial, light, mending, message, project thought, read magic, resistance, virtue
- 1st Level: alarm, bane, bless, cause fear, command, comprehend languages, cure light wounds, deathwatch, detect chaos/evil/good/law, detect secret doors, disguise self, doom, doubt, endure elements, erase, expeditious retreat, fury eyes, hold portal, hush, hypnotism, identify, inflict light wounds, lesser cat's grace, lesser eagle's splendor, lesser enlightenment, lesser haste, lesser owl's wisdom, magic mouth, magic weapon, obscure object, obscuring mist, optimism, pass without trace, protection from chaos/evil/good/law, remove fear, sanctuary, shield of faith, summon monster I, true strike, undetectable alignment
- 2nd Level: aid, animal messenger, augury, brand new day, calm emotions, cat's grace, continual flame, cure minor wounds: mass, cure moderate wounds, darkness, death knell, delay poison, detect thoughts, eagle's splendor, enlightenment, enthrall, find traps, fog cloud, hold person, inflict minor wounds: mass, inflict moderate wounds, invisibility, jinx, lesser danger sense, lesser restoration, locate object, misdirection, Neville's switch, Nikadema's second chance, owl's wisdom, remove paralysis, scare, shield other, shriek, silence, status, summon monster II, true shot
- 3rd Level: bestow curse, blindness/deafness, cease to be, combat intuition, confusion, contagion, crushing despair, cure serious wounds, daylight, deeper darkness, dire charge, dispel magic, displacement, fear, glibness, glyph of warding, good hope, greater erase, haste, invisibility sphere, inflict serious wounds, invisibility purge, lesser geas, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law, magic vestment, martyr's touch, neutralize poison, nondetection, poison, quickstep, remove curse, remove disease, scrying, speak with dead, suggestion, summon monster III, true warrior
- 4th Level: bloodcurdling scream, break enchantment, cure critical wounds, danger sense, detect scrying, dimensional anchor, discern lies, dismissal, divination, dominate person, freedom of movement, greater cat's grace, greater eagle's splendor, greater enlightenment, greater invisibility, greater magic weapon, greater owl's wisdom, hallucinatory terrain, hold monster, illusory wall, improved cat's grace, improved eagle's splendor, improved karma, improved owl's wisdom, inflict critical wounds, locate creature, restoration, sending, summon monster IV, tongues, wall of fire, wizen
- 5th Level: aim of Sagittarius, contact other plane, false vision, greater command, greater dispel magic, juxtaposition, Kordrah's orders, legend lore, Leomund's secret chest, mass cure light wounds, mass inflict light wounds, mind fog, mislead, Mordenkainen's faithful hound, Neville's jaunt, Nikadema's sudden nonexistance, Rary's telepathic bond, righteous might, seeming, shadow walk, summon monster V, symbol of pain, symbol of sleep, true seeing
- 6th Level: angel's wisdom, arm of fate, banishment, eyebite, find the path, forbiddance, geas/quest, greater danger sense, greater glyph of warding, greater haste, greater jinx, greater scrying, guards and wards, heroes' feast, mass cat's grace, mass eagle's splendor, mass hold person, mass invisibility, mass enlightenment, mass owl's wisdom, power word: deafen, prophecy, quickling's grace, screen, sequester, summon monster VI, symbol of fear, symbol of life, symbol of persuasion, tempus fugit, unicorn's splendor, unwavering certitute, utter hopelessness, veil, visage of horror, word of recall, xenomorphosis, yogi's enlightenment
- 1st Level: alarm, bane, bless, cause fear, command, comprehend languages, cure light wounds, deathwatch, detect chaos/evil/good/law, detect secret doors, disguise self, doom, doubt, endure elements, erase, expeditious retreat, fury eyes, hold portal, hush, hypnotism, identify, inflict light wounds, lesser cat's grace, lesser eagle's splendor, lesser enlightenment, lesser haste, lesser owl's wisdom, magic mouth, magic weapon, obscure object, obscuring mist, optimism, pass without trace, protection from chaos/evil/good/law, remove fear, sanctuary, shield of faith, summon monster I, true strike, undetectable alignment
Spell Notes: At 4th level and every two levels thereafter, the cultist can upgrade one of her Spells Known to a more powerful version of that spell effect - in effect forgetting the weaker spell while learning the higher-level counterpart, such as replacing cure light wounds with cure serious wounds or glyph of warding with greater glyph of warding. Both spells must appear on the cultist spell list.
Cult Domain [2nd/16th level]
At the indicated levels, the cultist selects either a Cult Domain [see below] or standard Domain relating to her idol, such as Evil for an idolater of a fiend, Death for a cultist of a lich, or Kraken for a kraken cultist. She adopts the domains' granted power and gains the listed spells (up to 6th-level only for standard domains) as bonus Spells Known.
Kindred [4th/8th/12th/16th/20th level]
Her connection to her idol grants the cultist unspoken empathy with related beings. Against creatures of the same type as her idol (Giant, Dragon, etc.), she receives a +1 bonus to all Charisma checks for every four cultist levels (rounded down); if her idol is a elemental, humanoid, or outsider, she only receives this bonus against creatures of her idol's specific subtype. For example, a unicorn cultist receives her Charisma bonus against Magical Beasts while a cultist of Asmodeus receives her bonus against Outsiders [Evil].
Cultists who worship idols without a type do not benefit from Kindred unless the DM allows otherwise. For example, a volcano cultist may, with her DM's permission, apply her Kindred bonus to magmen, magma paraelementals, and similar creatures associated with lava and volcanoes.
Enemy of the Faith [5th/10th/15th/20th level]
A life of persecution has fanned the cultist's resentment of mainstream religions and taught her that it is better to be the hunter than the hunted. At 5th level, she designates one deity, religious organization or order, or idol as an enemy of her faith. Against those who call the named deity their patron, against members of the named organization or order, or against rival cultists of the designated idol, she receives a +2 bonus to Bluff, Hide, Intimidate, Sense Motive, and Spot checks and a +1 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls.
At 10th level and every five levels thereafter, she designates an additional enemy of the faith. In addition, at each such interval, the skill bonuses against any one enemy of the faith increase by +2 and the attack and damage bonuses increase by +1.
Epic Cultist: The epic-level cultist continues her Hit Die, skill point, Enemy of the Faith, Fanatical Fervor, and Kindred progressions. In addition, she receives bonus epic feats at 23rd level and every three levels thereafter (23rd, 26th, 29th, 32nd, etc.).
Cult Domains
The following Cult Domains can only be chosen by cultists or those with the Cult Domain class feature.
ABERRATION Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 5 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 5 minutes), you enjoy the benefit of the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 lesser confusion, 2 alter self, 3 confusion, 4 Evard's black tentacles, 5 polymorph, 6 insanity
ANGEL Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 10 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 10 minutes), you grow large feathery wings and are capable of flight, as if via the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 remove fear, 2 continual flame, 3 remove curse, 4 holy smite, 5 summon monster V (good outsider), 6 blade barrier
BALOR Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 10 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 10 minutes), you grow large batlike wings and are capable of flight, as if via the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 mage hand, 2 bull's strength, 3 summon monster III (dretch), 4 fire shield (warm), 5 greater dispel magic, 6 blasphemy
BEAR Cult Domain
Granted Power: Wild Empathy.
Spells: 1 magic fang, 2 bear's endurance, 3 summon nature's ally II (black bear), 4 summon nature's ally IV (brown bear), 5 mass bear's endurance, 6 summon nature's ally VI (dire bear)
BEHOLDER Cult Domain
Granted Power: Spot is always a class skill, and you receive a +2 bonus to all Spot checks.
Spells: 1 magic fang, 2 levitate, 3 dispel magic, 4 prying eyes, 5 telekinesis, 6 disintegrate
CONSTRUCT Cult Domain
Granted Power: Gain Craft Wondrous Item feat for free.
Spells: 1 grease, 2 make whole, 3 stone shape, 4 fabricate, 5 animate objects, 6 wall of iron
CTHULU Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day, you can spontaneously cast any summon monster spell to summon an evil outsider by sacrificing a spells per day slot of equal level.
Spells: 1 cause fear, 2 darkness, 3 confusion, 4 feedblemind, 5 contact other plane, 6 insanity
DINOSAUR Cult Domain
Granted Power: Wild Empathy.
Spells: 1 enlarge person, 2 bull's strength, 3 greater magic fang, 4 summon nature's ally IV (dinosaur), 5 summon nature's ally V (dinosaur), 6 summon nature's ally VI (dinosaur)
DOOM Cult Domain
Granted Power: Spells or effects that negatively affect morale, such as doom, have the opposite effect on you, granting morale bonuses instead of penalties.
Spells: 1 doom, 2 darkness, 3 crushing despair, 4 divination, 5 nightmare, 6 eyebite
DOPPLEGANGER Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 5 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 5 minutes), you enjoy the benefit of the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 disguise self, 2 alter self, 3 detect thoughts, 4 polymorph, 5 seeming, 6 veil
DRAGON Cult Domain
Granted Power: +1 natural AC; Draconic is a bonus language.
Spells: 1 magic fang, 2 bull's strength, 3 fear, 4 divine power, 5 spell resistance, 6 mass bull's strength
ELEMENTAL Cult Domain
Granted Power: Augment Summoning feat.
Spells: 1 endure elements, 2 summon nature's ally II (elemental), 3 protection from energy, 4 summon nature's ally IV (elemental), 5 summon nature's ally V (elemental), 6 summon nature's ally VI (elemental)
FEY Cult Domain
Granted Power: +4 to saves against spells and spell-like abilities of Fey; Sylvan is a bonus language.
Spells: 1 faerie fire, 2 glitterdust, 3 summon nature's ally III, 4 summon nature's ally IV, 5 commune with nature, 6 transport via plants
GENIE Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 round), you can assume gaseous form.
Spells: 1 create water, 2 invisibility, 3 gaseous form, 4 wall of fire, 5 major creation, 6 summon monster VI (janni)
GIANT Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 round), you enjoy the benefit of the enlarge person spell; Giant is a bonus language.
Spells: 1 enlarge person, 2 bull's strength, 3 giant vermin, 4 mass enlarge person, 5 righteous might, 6 mass bull's strength
HUMANOID Cult Domain
Granted Power: All person spells are cast with +1 DC or +1 caster level.
Spells: 1 charm person, 2 hold person, 3 mass reduce person, 4 mass enlarge person, 5 dominate person, 6 mass hold person
ILLITHID Cult Domain
Granted Power: A number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1), you can send a soundless mental message to any creature you can see within Medium range or any creature that you personally know within 1 mile and receive a single mental message from that creature in return, granted that both messages occupy no more time than 1 round; otherwise as the spell.
Spells: 1 lesser confusion, 2 detect thoughts, 3 charm monster, 4 Evard's black tentacles, 5 Rary's telepathic bond, 6 plane shift
KRAKEN Cult Domain
Granted Power: Swim is always a class skill; +2 bonus to Swim checks; Aquan is a bonus language.
Spells: 1 summon nature's ally II (squid), 2 water breathing, 3 dominate animal, 4 Evard's black tentacles, 5 control winds, 6 summon nature's ally VII (giant squid)
MOUNTAIN Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 round), you enjoy the benefit of the enlarge person spell.
Spells: 1 enlarge person, 2 bear's endurance, 3 meld into stone, 4 mass enlarge person, 5 wall of stone, 6 mass bull's strength
NIGHT Cult Domain
Granted Power: Low-Light Vision.
Spells: 1 faerie fire, 2 darkness, 3 deep slumber, 4 fear, 5 nightmare, 6 mass owl's wisdom
OOZE Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 5 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 5 minutes), you enjoy the benefit of the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 grease, 2 alter self, 3 Melf's acid arrow, 4 stone shape, 5 transmute rock to mud, 6 control water
OUTSIDER Cult Domain
Granted Power: Augment Summoning feat.
Spells: 1 summon monster I, 2 summon monster II, 3 dismissal, 4 lesser planar ally, 5 contact other plane, 6 plane shift
PHEONIX Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 10 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 10 minutes), you grow large red feathery wings and are capable of flight, as if via the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 produce flame, 2 blur, 3 summon nature's ally III (giant eagle), 4 wall of fire, 5 Rary's telepathic bond, 6 fire seeds
PIT FIEND Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of minutes equal to 10 x your Charisma modifier (minimum of 10 minutes), you grow large batlike wings and are capable of flight, as if via the alter self spell.
Spells: 1 cause fear, 2 summon monster II (lemure), 3 protection from energy, 4 contagion, 5 telekinesis, 6 blasphemy
SPIRIT OF THE LAND Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 round), you can enjoy invisibility.
Spells: 1 resist elements, 2 soften earth and stone, 3 sleet storm, 4 wall of fire, 5 commune with nature, 6 control weather
SUN Cult Domain
Granted Power: Turn/Destroy Undead as a good cleric of equal level 3/day.
Spells: 1 faerie fire, 2 daylight, 3 searing light, 4 fire shield (warm), 5 blight, 6 sunbeam
TARRASQUE Cult Domain
Granted Power: +1 natural AC.
Spells: 1 magic fang, 2 bull's strength, 3 fear, 4 mass enlarge person, 5 spell resistance, 6 mass bear's endurance
TITAN Cult Domain
Granted Power: Once per day for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 round), you enjoy the benefit of the enlarge person spell.
Spells: 1 enlarge person, 2 bull's strength, 3 charm monster, 4 mass enlarge person, 5 hold monster, 6 mass bull's strength
TREE Cult Domain
Granted Power: Rebuke/Command Plants as an evil cleric of equal level 3/day.
Spells: 1 enlarge person, 2 barkskin, 3 speak with plants, 4 tree stride, 5 ironwood, 6 liveoak
UNDEAD Cult Domain
Granted Power: Rebuke/Command Undead as an evil cleric of equal level 3/day.
Spells: 1 detect undead, 2 ghoul touch, 3 animate dead, 4 death ward, 5 control undead, 6 create undead
UNICORN Cult Domain
Granted Power: Wild Empathy.
Spells: 1 detect evil, 2 cure moderate wounds, 3 magic circle against evil, 4 summon nature's ally IV, 5 commune with nature, 6 greater teleport
VERMIN Cult Domain
Granted Power: Rebuke/Command Vermin as an evil cleric of equal level 3/day.
Spells: 1 spider climb, 2 summon swarm, 3 repel vermin, 4 giant vermin, 5 insect plague, 6 creeping doom
VOLCANO Cult Domain
Granted Power: Fire Resistance 5.
Spells: 1 produce flame, 2 soften earth and stone, 3 stinking cloud, 4 wall of fire, 5 transmute rock to mud, 6 flame strike
Board Link: To feedback on this class posted on the Wizards of the Coast message boards.
posted by Darren at 9:30:00 PM
what the Great Conjunction is. 'What's the Great Conjunction?' 
A Is for Androids
B Is for Boba
C Is for Calvin
D Is for Dragons
E Is for Elric
F Is for Futures
G Is for Genie
H Is for Hobbits
I Is for Iceman
J Is for Jedi
K Is for Kraken
1 Comments:
So does this mean they have the same spells per day/known as bards?
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