#subtype: cultist

[highpricst]

About (Mobile)

This post is here for mobile users. It may not as up-to-date as the desktop page [here]

Status

Development: Complete

Creation: August 2020

Original Universe: Skyrim.

Identity

Full Name: Þórir ‘Tore’ Magnus Skjeggestad 

Occupation: Priest

Nicknames: None.

Aliases: Vith (Dragon Priest Mask)

Sexuality & Gender

Sex at Birth: Male

Gender: Male

Pronouns: He/Him

Romantic Orientation: Panromantic

Sexual Orientation: Greysexual

Libido: Mid

Physicality

Body Type: Lean

Height: 193cm / 6’ 4"

Weight: 90 kg / 14st  2lbs (198lbs)

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Ashen Blond, 1c texture (Mid-coarse Straight)

Piercings: Yes

Scarring: Yes

Tattoos: Yes

BACKGROUND

Social Class: Lower Class

Basic Education: No

Higher Education: Yes

Biological Parents: Gunnar Skjeggestad, Svana Skjeggestad

Siblings: Brynja Skjeggestad, Vigdis Skjeggestad

Adoptive Siblings: Jorunnr Skjeggestad, Oda Skjeggestad

Wife: Sigrid Merian

Pets: Norwegian Forest Cat (Dúnkenndur, meaning ‘fluffy’)

the last thing he remembered before passing out was thinking ‘Gods; am i really going to die like this’? tore’s father rescued him from the ice and his sisters doted on him through the pneumonia that wracked his body. he was ten years old, and had narrowly avoided being buried unknown, unimportant, to be forgotton by the ravages of time. it terrified him. he wanted more.

At thirteen, enthralled, encouraged by the local cultists, tore left home to become an initiate in the dragon cult. his initiation was not an easy one, but once tore had set his mind on something, he refused to let go. he faced almost losing his arm to dragon’s breath - he faced unrequited love - he faced an abusive high priest who enjoyed watching tore suffer for dignity. He pushed himself in every respect: in necromancy, in learning the dragon’s tongue, in meditating on the thu'um, in becoming the very thing that other nords feared.

In the end he was rewarded. an infamous seer declared that she saw him standing alone before alduin, that she saw him on his knees in sovngarde as the firstborn of akatosh bestowed upon him a holy task, and that she saw him sat upon the great throne of bromjunaar that he coveted. Initiate to cultist, acolyte to priest, tore rose the ranks and was given the mask of vith (translated 'serpent’). it was only at the last stumbling block that he faltered.

the dragons demanded his loyalty, which they already had, in the form of a sosmir - an unbreakable blood bond, a vow that would last beyond death. it was the source of the dragon priest’s immortal lifespan. as creatures of time, dragons could provide the power to life everlasting, as long as the priest was not slain in combat or brought low by poison. in short; dragon-backed lichhood. in return - absolute, magically enforced fidelity.

it was too much. for his refusal, tore was shunned and functionally exiled to the reach, to a remote outpost to die. no longer playing by the rules of the dragon cult, tore took on his own apprentice who would rise to become the priest rahgot, defied the reach blades, and turned a dying outpost into a thriving temple. and when nords turned the tide of battle - when alduin was cast out of the stream of time by the elder scrolls - the distance from the capital and the nordic army was to tore’s advantage. he sent rahgot to hide in the mountains in the south of skyrim, and recognising from the seer that his fate lie in alduin’s future, he prepared his own spell to freeze himself in a magic slumber until alduin returned.

four and a half thousand years later, from a decrepit temple in the reach, tore thaws, as a small village called helgen burns, and a hero escapes alduin’s maw.

PERSONALITY PROFILE

BASE PERSONALITY: Self-centered, intelligent, stubborn, persuasive, skeptical, dishonest.

JUNG: ISTJ - Logistician (SI - Te - Fi - Ne - Stabiliser Subtype) MOTIVATORS: pholding long-standing traditions, duty and obligation, group membership, safety and security, and structure and stability. PRIMARY CONTRIBUTION: Support day-to-day continuity. NEEDS/VALUES: The core needs are for group membership and responsibility. People of this temperament need to know they are doing the responsible thing. They value stability, security, and a sense of community. They trust hierarchy and authority and may be surprised when others go against these social structures. People of this temperament prefer cooperative actions with a focus on standards and norms. Their orientation is to their past experiences, and they like things sequenced and structured. They tend to look for the practical applications of what they are learning. TALENTS: People of this temperament are usually talented at logistics and at maintaining useful traditions. They masterfully get the right things in the right place, at the right time, in the right quantity, in the right quality, to the right people, and not to the wrong people. They know how things have always been done, so they anticipate where things can go wrong. They have aknack for attending to rules, procedures, and protocol, including best-practises to ensure change is implemented in a way that maintains stability. They make sure the correct information is assembled and presented to the right people. LEANING/ADAPTATION: Memorise, practise, practise more, and look to authority for guidance and proper form. UNIQUE THEMES Drawing up plans and being prepared. Take responsibility. Getting work done first. Being active in the community. Loyalty to their roles. Cultivating good qualities. Doing the right thing. Bear life’s burdens and overcome adversity. Talented at planning, sequencing, and noticing what’s missing. Having to learn so much in hindsight is painful at times.

MORALITY/PHILOSOPHY: Path of Ascendency (Neutral/Lawful Evil) Based on here - easydamus’ [‘Real’ Alignments] egoistic consequentialism. people should behave egoistically and embrace any social order that allows them to gain the most power act egoism. people should do whatever benefits them but have no obligation to control what others do personal ethical egoism. it is held that it is always moral to promote one’s own self-interest. social darwinism. certain people become powerful in society because they are innately better soft determinism: determinism and free will are compatible - one can have a destiny and a choice in how to approach that destiny. pragmatism: an approach that evaluates theories or beliefs in terms of the success of their practical application. conventionalism: fundamental principles of a certain kind are grounded on (explicit or implicit) agreements in society, rather than on external reality instrumentalism: ideas are useful instruments, and that the worth of an idea is based on how effective it is in explaining and predicting natural phenomena

[creature-catalogue]

Himuro Family Master (Alive Form) is a Cultist Human from Fatal Frame.

As the head of the Himuro family, he acted as Ceremony Master to various Shinto rituals involving mutilation and human sacrifice, such as the Blinding Ritual and Strangling Ritual. The mask on his face reflects the nature of the wearer, and in this case it has transformed into a Hannya to symbolize his evil nature. He died and became a Vengeful Spirit on December 13, 1837.

[lichennthropy]

Once more, my doctors have gone “yeah you have all the classic symptoms of x and most likely have it” and then don’t give me an actual diagnosis on my chart ✨💚

[tanadrin]

@zul-gurub

That's a tough one. Personally, I can't imagine anyone other than Velarie being the first to make a sentient species, and it seems like Haebarik is more than capable of land-shaping. That said, I don't believe there's any rush. If you were to make a species, what do you think they'd be like: something primordial and odd like the Carapace Cross from Cultist Simulator or something more conventional like elves or men?

that’s the crux of the question, isn’t it? feels like there are a couple super interesting directions to go in. sentient shards of light a la the naaru from WoW would be pretty cool. or some kind of living rock-creature, like the gorons. i guess tolkien’s elves are technically the first mortal race in his world, but they’re preceded by the maiar which are kind of in between gods and mortals, even if technically they’re a subtype of ainur.

really torn between the urge toward exoticism vs the urge toward something with humanlike social structures that you can easily imagine the viewpoint of, but that is my perennial dilemma when thinking about fantasy worlds

[pathfinderunlocked]

Dark Barrier Cultist - CR4 Humanoid

A unique enemy humanoid that focuses on healing and shielding spells.

Artwork is official art from Tactics Ogre, copyright Quest Corporation and Square Enix.

Healing in Pathfinder is generally extremely straightforward when used by players and extremely frustrating when used by enemies.  This is an attempt to create a different kind of enemy healer that allows players to interact with its abilities more, by using barriers that effectively telegraph who will be healed next.  It’s also an attempt to create a healer that is thematically linked to darker magic instead of only life, positive energy, and nature.

Obviously, it’s unusual for a regular humanoid elf enemy to use unique abilities that are not from a player class.  To which I say deal with it.  Conceptually, this creature is a unique oracle archetype that trades the Spellcasting feature for a unique mystery that grants some spell-like abilities in addition to revelations.

I intend to release several versions of this creature at different challenge ratings.  This is the second one, which has two different ways to grant dark barriers, and stronger spell-like abilities.

Dark Barrier Cultist - CR 4

The heavy robes of the elf cover all but the edges of its jangling chainmail.  The brass head of the mystical staff it carries is formed into the symbol of a dark god.

XP 1,200 Elf dark barrier oracle 5 LE Medium humanoid (elf) Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect magic, low-light vision; Perception +5

DEFENSE

AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor, +2 Dex) hp 31 (5d8+5) plus 10 temp hp Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +6; +4 vs. disease, +2 vs. enchantment Immune magical sleep, sickened

OFFENSE

Speed 25 ft. Melee longsword +4 (1d8/19-20) or quarterstaff +3 (1d6)

Elven Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +8)    Constant—detect magic

Oracle Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +8)     At will—dark barrier (see text), death knell (DC 15), enveloping darkness (DC 17, see text)     3/day—sacrificial pact (see text)     1/day—false life (already cast)

STATISTICS

Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 16 Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 15 Feats Fleet, Iron Will, Spell Focus (abjuration) Skills Bluff -1, Diplomacy -1, Disguise +5, Handle Animal -1, Heal +6, Intimidate +3, Knowledge (religion) +8, Knowledge (planes) +8, Perception +5, Spellcraft +8 (+10 to identify magic items); Racial Bonuses +2 Perception Languages Common, Elven SQ elven weapon familiarity, fey-sighted, mystery (dark barrier), oracle’s curse (wasting), revelation (pierce the veil), revelation (safe curing) Gear chainmail, mwk longsword, quarterstaff (counts as holy symbol), cloak of resistance +1, potion of remove blindness/deafness, 140 gp

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Mystery: Dark Barrier A dark barrier cultist’s oracle mystery is the dark barrier.  It adds Disguise, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Linguistics, and Use Magic Device to its list of class skill.  A creature with the dark barrier mystery can select revelations from both the dark tapestry mystery and the life mystery.

Dark Barrier (Sp) At will, as a standard action, a dark barrier cultist can grant a dark barrier to a willing creature within close range (typically 35 ft.).  While the target is affected by this dark barrier, it has DR 2/— and gains 5 temporary hit points.  This barrier lasts for 1 minute.  A dark barrier cultist can grant a dark barrier to up to two creatures at a time.   The dark barrier is visible but translucent.

This is considered a 2nd-level abjuration spell.  Although a spell-like ability, Dark Barrier has verbal and divine focus components.  Spell resistance applies.

Enveloping Darkness (Sp) At will, as a standard action, a dark barrier cultist can grant itself a dark barrier and blast an enemy within close range (typically 35 ft.) with dark magic.  The enemy must succeed on a DC 17 Reflex saving throw or take 2d6 damage; creatures of the good subtype instead take 5d6 damage.  The save DC is Charisma-based.

While the dark barrier cultist is affected by this dark barrier, it has DR 2/— and gains 5 temporary hit points.  This barrier lasts for 1 minute.  A dark barrier cultist can grant a dark barrier to up to two creatures at a time.   The dark barrier is visible but translucent.

This is considered a 3rd-level abjuration spell.  Although a spell-like ability, Enveloping Darkness has verbal and divine focus components.  Spell resistance applies.

Sacrificial Pact (Sp) Three times per day, as a standard action, a dark barrier cultist can expend a willing creature’s dark barrier to heal the target for 2d8+5 hit points, ending the target’s dark barrier early.  The target must be affected by a dark barrier.  The target must be within close range (typically 35 ft.).  Both living and undead targets are healed by this ability.

This is considered a 2nd-level abjuration spell.  Although a spell-like ability, Sacrificial Pact has verbal and divine focus components.  Spell resistance applies.

Oracle’s Curse: Wasting (Ex) A dark barrier cultist takes a –4 penalty on Charisma-based skill checks, except for Intimidate.  It gains immunity to the sickened condition and a +4 competence bonus on saves made against disease.  These modifiers are already included in its statistics.

Revelation: Pierce the Veil (Su) A dark barrier cultist has darkvision out to 60 ft.  This is already included in its statistics.

Revelation: Safe Curing (Su) Whenever a dark barrier cultist casts a spell that cures the target of hit point damage, it does not provoke attacks of opportunity for spellcasting.

[monstersdownthepath]

Spiritual Spotlight: Irez, Lady of Inscribed Wonder

Neutral Good Agathion Empyreal Lord of Cards, Scribes, and Spells

Domains: Good, Luck, Magic, Rune Subdomains: Agathion, Fate, Language, Wards

Chronicles of the Righteous, pg. 15

Obedience: Neatly inscribe six identical pairs of runes on 12 separate cards or squares of paper. Shuffle the cards facedown and draw two. Alternatively, carefully shuffle a Harrow deck for the majority of an hour, then draw two cards. Benefit: If the drawn cards match (or the Harrow cards have matching suits), gain a +4 sacred bonus on saves against spells cast from two schools of magic of your choice. On a mismatch, gain a +4 sacred bonus on saves against spells cast from scrolls.

A single sheet of paper cut to twelve pieces and a bit of ink a day is basically nothing for an adventurer, making this one of the simplest, cheapest, and easiest Obediences to commit to among all of Pathfinder’s myriad deities. If anyone raises an eyebrow (such as if you’re the only Good character among Evil, or if you’re somewhere Evil), you can claim to be practicing your calligraphy. Or, you know, just your memorization skills. A game of chance. Testing your luck. Any number of things!

Having a good old Harrow deck makes this Obedience so easy to do that it’s effectively a non-issue, though it does require the one-time investment of at least 100gp (or a small sidequest) to obtain a full Harrow deck. This Obedience is adorable through and through! And that BENEFIT, though! Having a +4 to resist two entire schools of magic is HUGE, and the ability to pick and choose which ones you gain is INCREDIBLY powerful when compared to benefits which usually give you resistance to a single school you cannot choose. If you have methods of gauging what sorts of spells your enemies will use, all the better! You can also safely call Necromancy, Enchantment, or Transmutation as your schools and have additional protection from most common Save-or-Sucks.

Mmmbut it does have one rather significant downside: There’s a very large chance it will be useless throughout the day. Only your first attempt at a match determines what your benefit is during the day, and mucking that up essentially lands you with a blank feat. Yes, yes, there IS a small chance that your enemy will lash out at you with a scroll, but I’ve personally never experienced an enemy who used scrolls offensively rather than simply gearing all their spell slots for combat and using scrolls to shore up their defense or escape. It’s rare you’ll ever have to make a save against a scroll, making the benefit essentially nonexistent. Hell of a coin flip, if you ask me.

Boons are gained slowly, typically achieved once you reach 12, 16, and 20 Hit Dice. Followers of the Empyreal Lords, however, can enter the Mystery Cultist Prestige Class at level 8, which grants them their Boons much quicker! Entered as early as possible, you gain the Boons at levels 10, 13, and 16 instead. Mystery Cultists MUST take the Celestial Obedience feat, NOT Deific Obedience.

Empyreal Lords do not grant the typical Evangelist/Exalted/Sentinel spread (and cannot enter those classes), instead having only one set of Boons granted to their followers regardless of their class.

Boon 1: Calligrapher's Talent. Gain Divine Favor 3/day, Augury 2/day, or Glyph of Warding 1/day.

If you’re a martial type character, Divine Favor is a spell that’s always nice to have. It lasts only a minute but grants a +3 luck bonus to attack and damage rolls, with luck bonuses being valuable due to their rarity and the fact they stack with everything. Due to their rarity, it’s unlikely enemies will be able to cancel them out, too! The biggest problem, however, is that it still only lasts for 1 minute and takes a standard action to apply, so you’ve got a very small window in which to use it before combat begins.

Which makes Augury and Glyph of Warding good for their own reasons. Augury is... not a very good spell, possessing a 1/5 chance of failing outright and giving only vague answers about events occurring within 30 minutes. However, if you have a minute to spare and you’re in a situation where you need the universe’s (the DM) guidance, it’s a decent way to get an answer to guide you down a path you can take Right Now Immediately, long-term consequences be damned. If you’re stuck and unsure where to go, it’ll point in A direction.

Glyph of Warding as a non-caster is more or less just a quick blast of damage, but without the need for its material components, you can scrawl Glyphs on every surface in your home base to your hearts content... provided you have a home base. While many campaigns nowadays have locations a party can return to, most adventurers are nomadic by nature, and a Glyph is less useful in those cases. Despite this, the Glyph’s ability to sort through creatures by alignment or creature type and even maintain the ability to detect the invisible, means that using it as an especially deadly alarm or ward against infiltrating fiends is but one of its functions.

Boon 2: Divine Inscription. 3/day when using a scroll to cast a spell that deals hit point damage, you can change half the spell’s damage to holy damage. If you lack the ability to cast a particular spell from a scroll, you may attempt a Use Magic Device check with a bonus equal to your HD plus your Charisma modifier (or your regular Use Magic Device bonus, whichever is better).

Unless you find yourself up against misguided Good creatures, this ability allows you to bypass all forms of Resistance and Immunity a creature may have to whatever form of energy you’re blasting them with. Holy damage is not an officially recognized damage type, but unholy damage IS described several times as “dealing no damage to Evil creatures or creatures with the Evil subtype, but dealing double damage to Good creatures or creatures with the Good subtype.” If your DM agrees that holy and unholy damage work in the same way, that means your scroll spells deal 150% damage to Evil creatures, which makes this ability crushing if used on high-damage spells that are already difficult to resist or dodge, such as Fireball, Disintegrate, or Heal/Harm.

Even if your DM rejects the double-damage interpretation, it still means half of the spell becomes impossible to resist, which is still decent and lets you pry just a bit more use out of your scroll-based offense... Which, as I mentioned before, is not what most casters will be doing with their scrolls. Most casters I know (myself included) spend their time on emergency defensive or healing scrolls, with offensive magic left to their spell slots. This ability gears you towards using offensive scrolls, which cost time and money to produce or procure, and thus this power wanes in use if you don’t actively keep creating scrolls (or ask the DM nicely to include more of them in the loot piles), draining party resources.

I do appreciate that because Use Magic Device isn’t a class skill for Mystery Cultist (or Cleric, or most Divine casters for that matter), Irez gives you a way to use scrolls that aren’t in your spell list. The way the ability is written implies that the UMD cheat only applies to the 3/day times you use the ability, which in my opinion is a needless restriction that only makes this ability weaker; I’d say you’re allowed to use the bolstered UMD at any time you use a scroll you’d otherwise be unable to.

Boon 3: Lucky Cards. 1/day as a standard action, you can summon 2d6 shimmering cards that trail in your wake. The cards dart around you during combat, intercepting deadly attacks. At your discretion, each card can absorb a single damage die from either a sneak attack or a critical hit that would normally hit you. For example, if you would be hit by a sneak attack dealing an extra 3d6 points of damage and you had two cards remaining, you could reduce the sneak attack damage to 1d6 (these dice are removed before being rolled). Once a card absorbs a damage die, it disappears. Unused cards disappear at the end of each day.

Having a card cape is cool, but what they do is not. Blocking the damage dice of a critical hit is usually less useful than blocking the flat damage they get from enchantments and modifiers, which is where the real beef is more often than not. It CAN also help against natural attacks--which usually rely on larger dice, rather than larger modifiers--but being critically hit in the first place means you’re in for a world of hurt... And you can’t even block all of it. 2d6 averages out to 6~7, and while blocking 7 dice worth of damage SOUNDS nice, there’s no way to know if the incoming 7d6 Sneak Attack would have done 7 damage or 42 and thus you’ll likely end up blowing all of them on the first critical hit or Sneak Attack you would have taken and leaving you with an empty Boon.

And then there’s the utter disappointment with the possibility you’ll roll 2. Perhaps once in a blue moon you’ll get the lucky 12, but you’re just as likely to roll snake-eyes. The ability may as well read “you gain 10 temporary hitpoints” at that point, below par for the 1st level False Life, let alone a final divine Boon.

Yes, it can potentially block a good portion of an otherwise fatal attack, but it only works once and isn’t even guaranteed to stop all of it. At least the aesthetic is cool!

You can read more about Irez here.

[thearcanacheck]

Fifteen Vampire Subtypes (In No Particular Order)

Pictured above are the Fruit Bat Cultist, Pincushion, and Hermit, left to right

Nosferachoo: When infected with vampirism, some creatures react to it like an allergen.  This is the only situation an undead creature might exhibit something close to an immune system, but this allows for vampirism to spread like a disease (Nosferachoo are not known to cover their mouths). The only relief these sickly fiends might find are in strong sedatives and cough medicine to help them sleep. As a rule of thumb, the weaker a Nosferachoo is, the more dangerous they are.

Fruit Bat Cultists: Whenever religion arises in vampire communities, they often revolve around Blights! (plants that turn evil when watered with vampire blood). Instead of drinking blood, these cultists exclusively eat fruit grown from these terrible plants. Although they have many healing spells to service fellow vampires in battle, these cultists see non-devout vampires as walking watering cans. The most esteemed members of these cults allow blights to grow around them, becoming Blight Tree Cultists. They get much stronger when a nearby vampire dies...

Vampire Hunters: No not that kind. When vampires assemble themselves into groups, a select few are tasked with prowling the night in search of blood to return to the host with. Typically they just bully local villages into handing over their juiciest livestock/citizens. Some Vampire Hunters get so great at hunting, that they hunt down those who hunt vampires! They are known as Vampire-Hunter-Hunters and that isn’t confusing at all.

More Under the Cut!

Bloodless: Whether driven by a hunger for blood or an urge for needless cruelty, vampires sometimes drink the blood of other vampires. These poor, twice-drained souls are so consumed by their bloodlust that they have forgotten their former powers and personality. They function like frogs in combat -- weakly hurling their mouths at anything that moves. Sometimes, however, a vampire biting another creates a Double Vampire. Double Vampires are very scary to everyone.

Dragulas: Just as evil as your typical vampire, but far more cosmopolitan. These Transylvanian Transvestites stroll through haunted catacombs and fraternize with the wide variety of creatures that are drawn to such a place. They live to insult the clothes of other creatures, but they have a special fondness for protective clothing. They often blow all their bard slots casting “Suggestion,” trying to get adventurers to hand over their armor, shoes, magical cloaks, etc.

Impalers: Thanks to their supernatural strength, these warriors are able to skillfully wield every vampires favorite weapon (the pike). These soldiers train day-and-night in miniature phalanx formations and are eager to turn the dreaded Sentinel + Polearm Master combination against adventurers. Elite Hoplites serve as solitary bodyguards to other vampires and carry mirrored shields to deflect deadly sunlight/moonlight.

Vampire Batters/Catchers. See what I did there? These vampires have developed a host of strange powers they showcase in a bizarre sport they invented: American Baseball. Batters attack adventurers head-on with spiked clubs, hoping to bloody their enemies and frenzy fellow vampires. Their practice with “stealing bases” allow them to avoid opportunity attacks. Catchers hurl spectral bats (the animal) at foes from a distance and “Tag Out” enemies that get too close. Both Batters and Catchers are able to “Deflect Missiles” like a monk.

Werebats: Lycanthropes who are warmly accepted among vampires. All lycanthropes need adequate food/shelter/safety to avoid turning "feral," which vampire covens are able to provide (unless the vampires decide that a Feral Werebat would be useful in a battle; in which case, the werebat is chained up and starved). 

Draftees: Vampires who have been conditioned to resist one of their many weaknesses.

Vampyres: Vampires who’ve been conditioned to love sunlight and all the pain it inflicts. Thanks to all the vitamin D they get, they’re generally more well-adjusted than their peers. That being said, any personality a Vampyre might have is hidden behind pyromania and rapturous agony.

Puncushions: Vampires who’ve been innoculated against... getting stabbed to death. Scar tissue has completely destroyed their mental faculties -- but endowed them with a superhuman tolerance for wooden stakes. They often serve as speed bumps, thrown at enemies who are advancing too quickly.

Waterlogged: Running water may be one of the many weaknesses of vampires, but it’s also really good at killing adventurers, historically. Therefore, having deadly rapids and waterfalls are a non-negotiable part of any dungeon. These vampires serve as prune-y lifeguards to their kin -- but their rotting bodies contaminate water as badly as you’d think.

Hermit: By surgically grafting a house onto a vampire, they may enter and exit any house without asking permission (since they’re technically always inside a house). Hermits cannot feed normally, so they must return to their masters to be fed blood through a thin tube. They are known for cat-burglar-ing and a fondness for household gardening.

Iconoclast: Vampires with miscellaneous body parts of saints grafted onto their bodies. After a great deal of mental conditioning, these “priests” are willing and able to smite the devout who would otherwise threaten their undead brethren. Similar to how a cleric can “Turn Undead,” Iconoclasts can “Turn the Living.”

Stinker: Creatures who are conditioned to love garlic. Social isolation has reduced them to goblin-like misanthropes, but a Garlic-heavy diet has improved their immune system, at the very least. Rations that are not kept in air-tight conditions around Stinkers are rendered near-inedible.

Immaculate: “A Vampire without weaknesses.” This frankenstein-like creature can wield all of the most potent vampire-killing weapons (sunlight lanterns, garlic grenades, cross-bows, stake-knives, super-soakers, mobile homes, etc). This makes the Immaculate an ideal vamp-killing machine, as many “Problem-Vampires” need to be kept in line by their superiors.

An immaculate’s favorite weapon is a sentient torch -- the Flame of Undeath. This weapon acts on its own initiative and casts various restorative/offensive spells. If the Immaculate ever falls in combat, the flame (if still burning) ignites the Immaculate’s corpse and slowly begins reviving it...

[ghoulcaclulator64]

Name: White Abishai

Challenge Rating: 6 (worth 2,300 XP)

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Signature Plane(s): The Nine Hells

Legendary Status: False

Lair Status: False

Subtype(s): Devil

Sourcebook: Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

Lore Entry:

Each abishai was once a mortal who somehow won Tiamat’s favor before death and, as a reward, found its soul transformed into a hideous devil to serve at her pleasure in the Nine Hells.

Emissaries of Doom. Tiamat deploys abishais as emissaries, sending them to represent her interests in the Hells and across the multiverse. Some have simple tasks, such as delivering a message to cultists or taking charge of worshipers to carry out a sensitive mission. Others have greater responsibilities, such as leading large groups, assassinating targets, and serving in armies. In all cases, abishais are fanatically loyalty to Tiamat, ready to lay down their lives if needed.

Outsiders in Hell. Abishais stand outside the normal hierarchy of the Nine Hells, having their own chain of command and ultimately answering to Tiamat (and Asmodeus, when the dark lord chooses to use them). Other archdevils can command abishais to work for them, but most archdevils do so rarely, since it is never clear whether an abishai follows Tiamat’s orders or Asmodeus’s. There is inherent risk in countermanding an order given by Tiamat, but interfering with Asmodeus’s plans invites certain destruction.

White Abishais. Though they are the least of their kind, white abishais fight with a reckless fury, making them ideally suited for bolstering the ranks of Tiamat’s armies. White abishais fight without fear, becoming whirlwinds of destruction on the battlefield.

-Mordenkain’s Tome of Foes, Chapter 6: Bestiary

[thecreaturecodex]

Libéluleth

“Dragonfly Dragon” by Hye-yang Ji, ©Wemadeio Inc. Accessed at Artstation here

[Commissioned by @wannabedemonlord, as one of their Spanish mythology set. This is inspired by the Caballucos del Diablu, a Cantabrian story about dragonflies as “little horses of the demons”. Of course, since demons in Pathfinder are man-sized or larger, they had to get substantially less little. The name derives from libélula, a Spanish word for dragonfly, plus the all-purpose demon suffix in D&D/PFRPG -leth]

Libéluleth Holding itself aloft on shimmering wings is a dragonfly the size of a horse, its limbs tipped with jagged claws and its jaws agape. Its long tail ends in an enormous stinger.

The libéluleths are one of many forms of Abyssal life that is not quite demon but still born of the fabric of that plane. It is believed that a libéluleth is created whenever a truly penitent mortal burns the remains of their wicked life. The smoke from this fire travels all the way to the Abyss, where it collects into a monstrous, dragonfly-like creature. All libéluleths are dramatically colored, some in patches and some over the whole body, and demons claim they can tell the sins that spawned a libéluleth based on its colors. Libéluleths hate mortals, and look to more intelligent evil outsiders or foolish summoners to open the way to the Material Plane so they can vent their wrath.

In combat, a libéluleth is effective, if not terribly creative. They are adept in maneuvering around a battlefield, and their flight is incredibly precise. When a libéluleth charges, it briefly projects an illusion that makes it seem as if it is standing still until it strikes. Its sting carries a potent curse of misfortune and their bellies burn with the fires that created them, capable of bursting forth in a breath weapon.

Libéluleths are occasionally found acting as steeds for demons, and they are usually willing to play the role. Babau, incubi, succubi and kalavakus are all common demons that may choose to ride a libéluleth, but others are certainly possible. Some demon cultists or conjurers call upon libéluleths to act as steeds as well, but mortals must always be on their guard lest the libéluleth turn on and consume its master.

Libéluleth           CR 8 XP 4,800 CE Large outsider (chaos, evil, extraplanar) Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +15 Defense AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 17 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +8 natural) hp 95 (10d10+40) Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +5 DR 10/cold iron or good; Immune acid, fire Defensive Abilities evasion Offense Speed 20 ft., fly 80 ft. (perfect) Melee bite +13 (1d8+4), 2 claws +13 (1d6+4 plus grab), sting +13 (2d4+4 plus unluck) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with sting) Special Attacks breath weapon (line, 40 ft., 8d6 fire, Ref DC 19 half), phantom charge Statistics Str 19, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 16 Base Atk +10; CMB +15 (+19 grapple); CMD 30 (34 vs. trip) Feats Acrobatic, Blind-fight, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Power Attack Skills Acrobatics +21, Fly +27, Perception +15, Stealth +13, Survival +15 Languages Abyssal SQ tagalong Ecology Environment any land or underground (the Abyss) Organization solitary, pair, flight (3-8) or swarm (9-24) Treasure incidental Special Abilities Breath Weapon (Su) A libéluleth can only use its breath weapon three times per day. Phantom Charge (Su) A creature charged by a libéluleth must succeed a DC 18 Will save or be rendered flat-footed against its charge attack. If the libéluleth is being ridden and its rider is making a charge attack, the libéluleth can still use this ability to benefit its rider’s attack. This is a visual glamer effect and the save DC is Charisma based. Tagalong (Ex) A libéluleth can be teleported by an outsider with the evil subtype using a spell-like ability, even if the spell-like ability normally allows the outsider to teleport only itself. Unluck (Su) A creature stung by a libéluleth must succeed a DC 18 Will save or be cursed for one minute. Any time the cursed creature makes an attack roll, skill and ability check or saving throw, it must roll twice and take the worse result. A creature that saves successfully cannot be affected by that libéluleth’s unluck for the next 24 hours. This is a curse effect, and the save DC is Charisma based.

[rainbowtoyz]

The first Great Old One has arrived ! Okay, it’s not the most famous one but... Still... I like it !

The idea to make a Gla’Aki card came directly from the illustration. It was made by Loneanimator. You can see this illustration here, or check his website !

It have the slug subtype but I don’t think this is a key part of the card, it’s more like a lore thing. Gla’Aki past his time gathering cultist around him, by poisoning them. The poison kills everybody touched by his spike and turn them into zombies. He does the exact same thing with people volonteer to worship him.

So, basically : Make contact with people -> poison them -> kill them -> turn them into cultist and zombies

I was wondering if I should give hil deathtouch, or something like “at the end of your turn, destroy all creatures with a fluid counter on it” to represent the poisonous thing...

I’m still looking for some artist who want to collaborate in this project to add wonderful illustrations to the cards. All artists will of course be credited, and I’ll post link to their work as soon as I post a card with one of their work. If you want to participate, please contact me. I will be really happy!

You can use all the cards I’m creating for free. If you do so, please send me a feedback about your fun playing the cards or balancing tip etc.

[myth-lord]

Meet the Humanoids of Mythika.

Meet the Humanoids of Mythika.

In these upcoming weeks I’m going to post all the main-groups of creatures from Mythika in the group they belong to, with all the information about them I have made up so far.   NOTE that this about the creatures in Mythika and they change a lot with the real mythology, mostly their appearance is the same, but the abilities and behavior is changed. I keep saying this to avoid complications.

The second group is my least favorite, the Humanoids, they are much like humans, and most have two legs and two arms, but stranger varieties are also possible, with the lower bodies of beasts or with fins instead of legs, those beasty humans mostly have the Beastman subtype. This group is a bit of a leftover place, with humanoids that don’t suit into any other group. While humans and dwarves are humanoids, Gnomes and Elves are Fae Humanoids.

NOTE: I left out the Humanoid Bosses, I will do the bosses at another time so the list won’t be too long.

Adaro (Solomon Island) – Humanoid / Beastman / Fish - Half marlin fish and half humanoid, Adaro have a swordfish-like horn in the middle of their face which they use as weapons. - Adaro become more aggressive and powerful during monsoons and storms. - They are very swift swimmers, like the real marlin they cut themselves through the water with their “swords” - Adaro use poisonous fish and dried starfish as melee and throwing weapons, they are often followed around by carnivorous flying fish that feed on the scraps they leave behind. - They always attack ships during storms, mostly they are helped by other sea creatures such as Scylla and Charybdis, and they herd Echeneis to slow ships down.

Berserker (Norse) – Humanoid / Human / Shifter   - A race of humans bred for war, they can summon the spirits of bears, boars and wolves into their own souls to become more powerful. - Ulfhednar withdraw their rage from the spirits of wolves, they are most numerous and the weakest of the Berserkers, they tend to raid in great groups like a pack of rabid wolves. - Otshednar withdraw their rage from the spirits of bears, they are solitary raiders and often want to prove their strength to their Gods. - Svinfylking are the most powerful Berserkers, they withdraw their rage from wild boars, they often function as the warlords of Ulfhednar. - Svinfylking ride wild beasts, mostly monstrous boars, Ypotryll or Reptilians, into battle, using their spiky boots to cause the beasts pain and rage. - From birth on Berserkers are put though rough and harsh rituals so their spirit becomes more powerful and they find their inner rage around the age of 15. - Berserkers are often hired by cruel leaders to act as raiders in cruel wars, they function as fleshy shield for the more serious ranks in the army. - When a Berserker becomes angry their appearance shifts a bit, gaining sharp teeth and claws, their eyes become blood-red and their rage causes most creatures to flee in terror. - Berserkers love to use axes of all types in battle, but they can also fight without weapons using their fangs and claws. - Female Berserkers are known as Maenad, they are more rare but in their rage they can turn into ugly ogre-like monstrosities. - When they not fight in wars, Berserkers fight each other to secure that only the most powerful and fit survive. - Berserkers are mostly found in the armies of the Horseman of War, who loves their rage and love for battle. - It is believed that the most diehard Berserkers keep fighting as spirits after they died, these are known as Einherjar.

Buckrider (Dutch) – Humanoid / Human - Human cultists which ride on possessed goats through the night and which rob and kill anyone they find. - To join the cult, a human must prove himself by bleeding himself out while praying to a random demon lord. - When the Demon Lord approves of the new member it will replace the members human blood with that of a demon. - From the new members old blood a goat is formed which will become his steed and companion. - Buckriders share their lifeforce with that of their goat, if their goat is killed they will die as well, and if they are killed their goats instantly turn into a bloody puddle. - All Buckriders are male, females are not welcome in their cult, they are instantly sacrificed to a Demon Lord if they try to join. - Buckriders evolve over time, become more demonic in the progress, growing hooves, fangs, claws and even horns. - Buckrider Elders are almost fully demonic, their goats gain the ability to levitate, they often are the leaders of the cult. - All Buckriders must offer and collect their stolen treasures and relics in the same villa which is said to be a portal to hell.

Dactyl (Greek) – Humanoid / Dwarf - Dactyl are very crafty, far more crafty than normal Mountain Dwarves, there are few things they can’t do with metal and minerals. - The best weapons and armor in the world is crafted by the Dactyl, they are sought out by many other races and monsters for this reason. - Dactyl live deep underground or in caves high on top mountains, they are rarely seen on the surface. - These evil dwarves are obsessed with replacing their own flesh with metallic parts, replacing their arms and legs for iron or even adamantium parts. - Some Dactyl go so far with replacing their own flesh with metallic parts, that they become a construct all together, having almost no flesh left spare for their brains. - Dactyl are the only creatures that can craft Adamantium weapons, the most powerful metal in Mythika. - Dactyl Ferromancers can turn metal into mercury with a thought, and they can create anything from this mercury with their minds, they often use it as throwing weapons when surprised by enemies, they are almost fully covered in a shield of liquid metal. - They are also responsible for the creation of the most powerful weapons of war, the best battering rams and catapults wear their name and price tag on it. - They hate the Dokkalfar Elves with passion, as Dokkalfar often raid Dactyl cities to kidnap youngsters for later use and slave labor.

Gegenees (Greek) – Humanoid / Giant - Twice the height of a full grown human male, these six-armed giants or ogres are as intelligent as they are strong. - Unlike most other giants, the Gegenees are intelligent and can be open for discussion, they are still very cruel and greedy though. - Male Gegenees use their six arms mostly for throwing multiple rocks at the same time, they also love melee combat and sometimes decorate their hands with claw or cruel knuckle weapons. - Female Gegenees are beautiful and slender, they dance into combat with their six unique and magical weapons they took from the corpses of humanoids and monsters they have slain.   - Sometimes unfortunate humanoids confuse a female Gegenees with the Goddess Shiva, they will find out the hard way that this isn’t the case. - Gegenees serve no one but themselves, but the Horseman of War got their respect and they sometimes join his massive armies.

Girtablilu (Mesopotamian) – Humanoid / Beastman / Vermin - Half monstrous humanoid, and half scorpion, their upper body looks like a humanoid but their lower body is a giant scorpion. - In Girtablilu society, if that even exists, the females are rare and always the leaders, females are much bigger and stronger than the males. - Male Girtablilu lack humanoid hands, they have scorpion-like pincers instead, females have both pincers and hands to hold weapons with. - Males form raiding parties which destroy caravans that dare to cross their desert homes, while females decorate their immense underground dens with treasures. - When the female is killed, the male Girtablilu scatter out of fear, they always leave their dens when this happens. - Girtablilu are very xenophobic, they hate every other race spare for their own, they will never hurt one of their own. - The poison in their stingers will affect the muscles of their victims, paralyzing them with agonizing pain.

Goblin (M-European) – Humanoid - Small green and yellow-skinned humanoids that are mostly ignored by other races, until their numbers become too big of a problem. - Goblin Sneaks are the most common Goblins in Mythika, they use small knives to backstab their victims. - Goblin Trappers use all types of traps to take their opponents down, they wear a bear-trap around their neck as decoration. - Goblin Warlords often cause Goblin communities to become more daring and brutal, they ride Grey Wolves into battle.   - Goblins are the first enemies you encounter in the game.

Gorgon (Greek) – Humanoid / Beastman / Reptilian - Vain women who got cursed to become unable to look at anyone, not even at themselves in the mirror. - Everything alive that meets their gaze instantly turns into a fossilized statue, undead, titans and constructs are immune to this effect. - While their gaze is their most powerful weapon, it is also their greatest weakness. - Instead of hair the gorgons have poisonous snakes, being bitten by these snakes is difficult as most creatures don’t make it that far. - Lesser Gorgons, sometimes known as Medusea, named after the first mortal Gorgon have humanoid legs.. - Greater Gorgons, sometimes known as Stheno’s, named after the first immortal Gorgon have the lower body of a serpent and they are immortal. - All types of Gorgons are aggressive and nasty creatures as their vanity can’t be satisfied.   - Both species of Gorgons collect the statues of their victims to decorate their underground or above-ground gardens. - The longer a Gorgon looks into the victims eyes, the older and crumblier the statue becomes, eventually they turn to dust. - Statues can be returned to life, but the only way to do this is by killing the Gorgon responsible and using her blood.

Harpy (Greek) – Humanoid / Beastman / Avian - Half bird and half woman, Harpies come in many varieties, but all are hateful creatures. - Any combination of female humanoid and every bird species are possible, like owls, eagles, vultures and even songbirds. - Most Harpies have the faces of old crones, but some have the faces of beautiful women. - Harpy are very nasty eaters, watching a Harpy devouring a victim will give watchers endless nightmares. - The voice of a Harpy is magical, it hurts and annoys the ears and even the soul of anybody who hears it, their screech can be lethal to the ears. - Harpies can live in any type of environment, their bird-like bodies will adapt to this environment, desert harpies often have the lower bodies of vultures for example. - Blue Harpies, often called Aello are known to possess the ability to summon gusts of winds and their talons deal lightning damage.

Intulo (African) – Humanoid / Beastman / Reptilian - These humanoid reptilians combine the features of a human and a gecko lizard. - While not very evil, Intulo are very xenophobic and they are always stressed and nervous, they can never stand still for long. - Intulo can stick to any surface, climbing vertical walls with ease. - They often tame larger Reptilians, they use these as pets, beasts of burden or guardians. - Their long and sticky tongues are used as whips in battle, they also use them to catch their favorite food, insects and small mammals. - Because they can climb walls so easily, most Intulo end up as assassins, spies or rogues for hire.

Minotaur (Greek) – Humanoid / Beastman - These feral and aggressive Beastman combine the features of large humanoids with those of foul bulls. - Lesser Minotaurs are stupid creatures that can’t handle weapons in combat, they fight with their hooves, fists and huge horns. - Elder Minotaurs are brilliant masterminds in battle, they use two large axes in battle and they decorate their horns with trophies of eaten victims. - The cunning and ability to remember everything they have seen helps Minotaurs to never become lost in even the longest labyrinths. - Minotaurs are often found as gladiators in coliseum battles, they flourish in the slaughter and feed on the corpses after the battle. - Minotaurs only respect strength, and will never give their services to weaker creatures. - Most Minotaurs serve the Sinlords, Horsemen of Apocalypse or Arzshenk, the Minotaur Demon Lord.

Skinwalker (Native American) – Humanoid / Human / Shifter - Human tribes who found a deep spiritual connection with wild, feral animals, their connection got so deep that they can wear their pelts and change into them. - Skinwalkers can transform into a full animal or into a hybrid of beast and man. - Some Skinwalkers become stuck in their hybrid or beast form, they become beasts all together. - Skinwalkers who become stuck in their hybrid wolf forms are known as Rougarou, they are half wolf and half man, this only happens when a ritual is done during a full moon. - Skinwalkers who focus on big cats are known as Nagual, they are a nasty lot and mostly hang out in their jungle cities, they ignore other Skinwalkers, they are extremely xenophobic. - Though extremely rare, aquatic Skinwalkers are known to exist, they wear the skins of seals or leopard seals, they are known as Selkie. - While they can become any beast, they mostly choose the skins of Bears, Wolves, Owls, Eagles, Big Cats and Boars. - The most evil Skinwalkers are known as Raven Mockers, they wear the skins of ravens and they feed on the souls of dying humans. - Every Skinwalker focuses only on one beast, they can command and speak to the animal they choose to become and they have lots of pets. - Many other humanoids hate Skinwalkers because they practice cannibalism.

Tesso (Japanese) – Humanoid / Beastman - Humanoids with the features of rats and the ability to talk to rodents. - Their teeth and claws are made from iron, they often put iron weapons around their whip-like tails. - Everything they eat they memorize, so eating a book full of rare knowledge makes them more dangerous. - Rat Caller Tesso can summon swarms of lesser rats, they function much like the Pied Piper in Mythika. - Iron Mages use iron staffs and weak magnetic powers to bring their prey down, showering them in metal shards or turning their own weapons against them. - Vorpal Lords are bigger and meaner than normal Tesso, they have larger iron claws and teeth. They are a one man’s army, shredding all in their path.

Vish Kanya (Hindu) – Humanoid / Human - Once normal Amazones, these warrior women got poisoned by hatred, now they use poison and venom of all types to bring their enemies down. - From young age Vish Kanya’s expose their children to all types of venoms and poisons, so they eventually grow immune to them. - While Vish Kanya are immune to most poisons, some poisons still effect them, namely that of Seps snakes. - Vish Kanya use many other poisonous creatures in their camps, they harvest the poisonous milk of the female Catoblepas and grow Umdhlebi around their camps. - They hate males of all species, and only use them to reproduce, baby boys are sacrificed to their poisonous Matriarch. - Assassins are most common in their camps, they use knives and bows dripping in all types of nasty poisons. - Priestesses are less common, they have all type of poisonous spells at their disposal, and can mind-control poisoned creatures. - Each camp has only one Matriarch, these are often seen riding on rare Basilisk lizards and they use powerful Chakram weapons, enchanted with poisonous buffs. - A fierce many-headed Hydra often guards the entrance to the camp, Hydra’s and Vish Kanya go well together. - Some Vish Kanya gangs follow the Horseman of Pestilence, as they admire his use of poisons and diseases.

Vodyanoi (Slavic) – Humanoid / Beastman / Amphibian - These grumpy, xenophobic and mostly cruel humanoids combine the features of amphibians with those of humans. - The most common Vodyanoi are warriors, they use sharp reeds as weapons, they are half common frog and half humans. - Much rarer are the Assassins, which combine the features of Poison Arrow Frogs with those of gnomes, their bodies and arrows are covered in dangerous poisons. - Vodyanoi Lords are extremely rare and they combine fat toads with ogres, they are carried around on a mobile throne-seat by lesser Vodyanoi Warriors. - Lords are very gluttonous and often serve the Sinlord of Gluttony, also known as Cipactli. - Vodyanoi have little control over water and mud and can form it into different forms, often throwing mud-balls at their enemies to blind them, or create traps from quicksand. - They also have the magical ability to turn water into a more oozy form, which can trap fish and other water creatures into a cage of slime. - They feed mostly on giant vermin and fish, but they sometimes also eat their captured human prisoners, if they not sacrifice them to Cipactli that is.

Xing Tian (Chinese) – Humanoid / Giant - Also known as Blemmyes or Acephali, Xing Tian are headless ogres or giants with their faces located in their torso’s. - Very cannibalistic Xing Tian will devour their own slain before they continue the battle. - While most Blemmyes don’t wear armor, some of them are entirely hidden behind a wall of armor. - They must wear special armor though, as their bodies are very different from most other humanoids. - Xing Tian take about ten minutes to entirely devour a horse carcass, they are very fast eaters and swallowers. - Some of these cannibals serve the Sinlord of Gluttony, while others just eat what they can capture. - Xing Tian rarely use weapon, instead having their armors made cruelly covered in large spikes or sharp features. - If they use weapons it will always be primal clubs or the bones of their victims.

[golvio]

...tbh, I also had this idea of a Book of Hours style intro to a game like this.

Basically, Book of Hours is a Cultist Simulator spinoff. The universal constants of each playthrough are that that you've been chosen by some shadowy Board of Trustees to be a librarian of an abandoned library on a remote Cornish island, and you have an old friend in the island's village who can vouch for you to the other townsfolk and can get you on your feet, but you got waylaid by a shipwreck and you wash ashore clutching a diary and initially have no memory of who you are.

This sets up the very first thing you have to do in the game, which is take a quick "personality test" that not only determines your starting stats, but also your entire backstory, which diary you get, and who your friend in town is, as well as what sorts of obstacles you might face as the story progresses. And your backstories can vary widely; you can be anything from a war vet who got wrapped up in the occult in WWI, a disgraced former artist who couldn't cut it in 1920s Paris but still yearns to make some capital-a Art using forbidden knowledge, to even a reincarnation of someone who's already ascended but had to return to the world on unfinished business and is now desperate to get back beyond the veil where they belong.

I'd like a Ganon game where you're given the same sort of "personality test" at the very beginning that not only determines your starting stats, but also determines what "type" of Ganon you are and what exact kind of bullshit you pulled in your backstory that marked your current iteration as Enemy of Hyrule. For example, whether you actually did the event that kicked off the cycle or are still planning for it, whether you stole some kind of sacred artifact, assassinated someone Hyrule considered important to get revenge, etc. Something that’s a sort of tribute to all his past incarnations, but also embraces the framing of him as this Protean character in BotW/TotK.

I could see it as both a tribute to the numerous backstories he's accumulated over the years, but also his focus on cultivating his own potential, and the myriad subtypes of characters he's sculpted himself into over the years with each game (as well as the numerous half-baked ways he attempted to "reinvent" himself during BotW through the Blights).

The Ganondorf-centric game I want would follow the Disco Elysium model of filtered observations of the world and a wide assortment of conflicting inner monologues all vying for his attention.

[inventors-fair]

Mutatio Ergo Sum

Ah, change is good for the soul. Some things are immutable, like Magic’s comprehensive rules, except for all the changes that they add over time, but—that’s besides the point. The ink on a card is permanent as far as the rules are concerned, but we use the rules to maybe tweak that stuff a little.

Maybe you’re an animator. Maybe you’re a sneaky shapeshifter. Maybe you’re just someone who can hit a foe in the face with a ring and hit just as hard as when you smack them with an entire aircraft carrier. The point is, sometimes the flavor of transformation is weird, but in terms of gameplay, changing what cards are allowed to do takes precedent. The board state changes, and the world is better for it.

This week’s challenge:

Design a SINGLE-FACED card that changes types, subtypes, or supertypes in a mechanically significant way. It can change its own type or the type of another card.

You are designing for a standard-legal draftable environment.

M.E.O.W.

—Mandatory: Significance, rules, etc.

What does “mechanically significant” mean? Well, look at Bludgeon Brawl, linked in the intro blurb. That changes cards into equipment, which you can attach, and that directly affects gameplay. Something like Ursine Champion, however, wouldn’t be the best example for this contest. Becoming a Bear does not in itself affect gameplay without bear-oriented support. The change must alter the board state and player decisions because the type is changing. That said, sometimes you can imply parts of the environment, and that’s okay. Enchanted Evening is still a thing.

Here’s a quick copy of the rules from the MTG Wiki. I’m linking it, but if you wanna look it up, it’s in the 205 section “Type Line.” Also, here’s a link to the rules about layers; type-changing effects are applied in Layer 4.

—Encouraged: Draft/Gameplay-oriented Cards

Good examples will be linked below, but when you submit a card, I want you to think about: if you’re a drafter or a deckbuilder, what kinds of cards might pique your interest? How would it affect the kind of cards that you put into a 40-card deck, or how would it later affect what kind of 60-card gimmick deck you’ll make? A stellar card will make me want to start deckbuilding, and that’s one angle I’m going to judge from—part limited, part casual fun.

—Optional: Weirdness? Or no?

So here’s the thing: We have vehicles from Neon Dynasty as well as cards with reconfigure, and yeah, that was part of the inspiration for this contest. It makes for interesting gameplay and I like it a lot! And those are also fairly simple. If you think you have a great simple idea, go for it! If you want to go the Bludgeon Brawl route and make for a melee world of pain and craziness, heck yeah.

Also consider that your cards will be mechanically relevant, yes, but you should have some semblance of a story behind them. A card like +2 Mace will sit on the board about the same as Cultist’s Staff, but which one is more interesting? Obviously the staff. You’re competing to pique interest, not just make good numbers.

—Warning: Types and Obsolescence

Once again: no DFCs.

Black-bordered mechanics/types, please. This is a standard-legal set, so conspiracies, schemes, phenomena, planes, etc. shouldn’t be considered. If you have to ask and you think the answer is no, consider why that would be, and maybe go back to the drawing board. Be weird and creative in a constructive manner. Some black-bordered card types have been discontinued, so keep that in mind too.

Sometimes things get tricky with the layers and application. Double-check the rules and/or with the judges and community before you submit.

Printed examples:

Nissa’s Zendikon

Tide Shaper

Dance of the Manse

Captivating Vampire

Lizard Blades

So yeah! Embrace change. - @abelzumi​

>> This text is now a submission link in addition to its words!

>> This text becomes a Discord link until end of never.

[cyberkevvideo]

Throne of Night, Annex of Encounters Part 2 (Book 4)

Today’s entry discusses some of the additional encounters found in book 4, that I haven’t already done builds for. From what I’ve been looking at, I saw just enough extras that I couldn’t combine two books in one entry. Sometimes it just works out that way.

That said, there’s one piece of art that I just couldn’t put stats to because I have no idea what Gary had in mind for her. She is a bald drow, called the Jezzavon drow, that has a very particular tattoo that covers parts of her head, forehead, and ends at the bridge of her nose. Given that Gary has created his own class archetypes, traits, feats, and racial abilities, I’m guessing this drow was an original design. She also appears to be an NPC that the PCs would talk to only, and might not have any actual stats because she’s not meant to be engaged physically.

Like the last one, the post will contain art and links to the bestiary stats.

As always, for space reasons, I’ll be cropping the entry.

All images shared here were done by the forever fantastic and amazingly talented Michael D. Clarke, aka SpiralMagus

I do not have a Patreon or a Kickstarter, but I do have a Ko-Fi page (linked) for those who wishes to support me monetarily. There is no pressure or obligation to do so.

Finally, before I get to it, I hope everyone’s staying safe right now.

Continuing the style of blog entries, bestiary encounters will be divided up by book and (hopefully) order of when the encounters might occur. This is a sandbox AP so there’s no expected linear direction. While none of the books from this point explicitly state it, I’m going to estimate that these were all written with the same mindset as “Way of the Wicked”, and as such, will put down the approximate levels PCs might be expected to be at.

Starting things off, it’s Book Four: City of Night (Level 13-16):

The PCs either learn of the threat of a nearby drow city, Taaryssia, or perhaps bring their plans to get revenge against the queen of the drow who banished them to fruition. The journey to the city is not without is perils, but they pale compared to the countless dangers within this haven of evil. The drow city is a roiling cauldron of intrigue and treachery.

Five drow nobles house vie for control of the city. The PCs (if they’re drow) likely come from the destroyed sixth house. Each house proudly wears amulets made of mithral and various gemstones to show their allegiances.

It should noted that Taaryssia is also known as “The City Without Mercy” in some of Gary’s original notes from back in 2012.

After appearing within the city, the PCs might want to unload some of their gear and hunt down a merchant of some sort. This brings us to our first NPC

Slimy Demodand Merchant (CR 16)

What’s actually kind of interesting is, if you don’t think this creature’s build to be “merchant” enough, you could add 1 level of expert, and it’d leave the stats alone and CR alone. Having “Will +16″ and “hp 251″ isn’t going to break the game in the slightest, especially since, again, he shouldn’t be fought. Just put the 8 skills ranks to Diplomacy, Linguistics (for Undercommon), and Profession (merchant).

Quasit Demon (CR 2)

To be perfectly honest, there’s two ways this could go. My immediate thought was this was someone’s familiar, or a lost quasit that the PCs might encounter and make into their own familiar with the feat, Improved Familiar, assuming they aren’t an archetype that already gives them a quasit for free (ie. Demonic Apostle). It’s the route I’d go, but I can see a GM or two wanting to take a completely different route, and using this little buy as a spy for one of the drow houses. In which case, the GM will be looking for more of a sneaky quasit build. After all, one of the story threads is that if you’re dwarf, someone rats you out and you end up being capture, and thrown into their gladiator arena.

House Sathys Drow (CR 6)

While I can’t say for sure, this is either a high ranking captain from the drow house, which as we see from the emblems legent, fail at stealth missions, or the drow noble of the house. If you use the latter, he’ll need to be given the extra abilities that drow nobles have compared to the standard lesser drow, making him CR 7. More levels of fighter could be added if he’s someone the PCs square off again, but he seems like someone that is to be negotiated with, and his house is to be added to the final battle against the tyrant house that oppresses all of the drow houses thanks to their squad of demons backing them up. If the PCs are playing the drow, they might even have some history with him, and he could possibly owe their house a favour.

Shemhazian Demon (CR 16)

This is easily my favourite picture done by SpiralMagus. It looks so incredible.

Sandbox adventures are very interesting. Given the background, it was likely once an incredible drow city. Maybe once the home of the overlords. The shemhazian could be one of the pets of the tyrant queen, and taking this down before it joins in the final battle might be something that adds favour and potential victory to the PCs’ side. There might even be a rumoured minor artifact there for the explorer dwarves, or something the drow PCs definitely know they need to find, but it’s hidden under all that rubble.

Ancient Magma Dragon (CR 17)

Again, less of a personal encounter, and more of a “come and get us!” move. Hopefully. There’s always the chance that the PCs decide to not wait for the dragon to leave and hunt for food, and just attack it outright, provoking it and getting it to chase them (or hunt them if they’re using teleport). I’ve brought this up before, but given the art for the dragon and the egg...

I believe that the intended purpose was less to fight the dragon, but more to get it to attack the enemy for you. If this egg was stolen and placed within enemy lines? Even if they have high ranking demons, a magma dragon will severely mess them up. As for the type of dragon chosen, it’s straight out of the bestiary and it’s high enough level to be an actual threat.

As for how the PCs would even know to go looking, talking to someone from House Vakazar might provide them with some answers.

Drow Cultist Troop (CR 11)

Fiendish Drow Cultist Troop (CR 12) (as above, but with the Fiendish Simple template)

If everything has gone well, the PCs have gathered their own army (if they’re playing drow, hopefully it’s under their House’s banner too), and they’re taking down the tyrant queen. While I only list one of each, it’s more likely that there’s 2-3 of each group. This isn’t including any demons that are hiding in the background, or any drow that might (possibly) have the half-fiend template. Chances are that the drow armies will fight amongst themselves while they go after the queen herself, and her demon bodyguards.

It should be noted that the troop subtype came out with the release of Bestiary 6, so chances are this isn’t what Gary original envisioned. Looking further, there was supposed to be a mob creature template in the Advanced Bestiary, but never made it to printing. Maybe because it’s too much like it’s 3.5 counterpart. Thankfully we do have troops now, so that deals with a lot of the issues that could have presented themselves.

As for how exactly this would go down, my recommendation is read Book 6 of “Way of the Wicked” because something very, very similar happened near the beginning of that, and it’s more than likely that a lot of the same mechanics would have been used here too.

-----------------------------------------

That does it for this post. If there’s any other encounters that take place in this book, I am currently unaware of them. Next time we do Book 5, and given how many pics I’ve found for that one, chances are Book 6 will be mixed in too. No guarantees though. Just a strong feeling.

[afriendtokilltime]

Guide for New Paladins (Paladin FAQ)

We at the University of Justice would like to thank Professor Hayashi Sayuri for writing up a helpful FAQ for our new students. As she is missing all but one of her limbs, she is the only one on staff who has the time to write it up.. Let this set an example to all our young paladins to always strive to do good, in whatever small ways you can.

Author’s Note: Go fuck yourself, Bartosz.

If, at the end of this FAQ--or even before it--you have any further questions for Professor Hayashi, please drop them in my ask box. (Write “ask Hayashi” or “for Hayashi” or “paladin FAQ” or something so I know it’s aimed at her.)

Q: Can I lie?

Your powers come from your force of personality. What do you think?

Q: Can I use poison?

Yes.

Q: But that’s dishonorable!

You’re a paladin, not a knight.

Q: I’m lawful. Shouldn’t I follow the rules of honorable combat?

No.

Q: I’ve been challenged by a Blackguard to a duel in single combat, and she’s far more powerful than me. What should I do?

Cheat.

Q: Seriously?

Yeah. You’re not a knight. Or a Blackguard for that matter. People expect paladins to be honorable, but we don’t have to, so it’s more surprising when we cheat. It’s an advantage you shouldn’t waste.

Q: Isn’t cheating chaotic?

It can be. A lot of cheating tactics lean toward chaos. If you’ve been cheating a lot in combat, you should be careful to make sure you’re being very lawful in your day-to-day life. Spend a couple days around an actual chaotic person--that should do the trick.

Q: Am I allowed to use ranged weaponry?

What kind of Hoplite shit is this?

Q: Am I allowed to run away?

Are you allowed to use tactics? Yes. Yes you are.

Q: But shouldn’t I stand my ground?

Not if you can escape and fight again tomorrow. Being a paladin doesn’t mean you have to be Stupid Good.

Q: What if there are innocents who will die? I can’t just leave them.

Oh, then you sacrifice yourself. Just don’t do it for nothing.

Q: Do I have to challenge people to single combat?

No. Single combat is usually stupid. You’re not even well-built for single combat. You can hit evil things pretty hard, but you’re still pretty much just a melee combatant. You’ll do a lot better if you have a wizard friend to throw fireballs and a rogue friend to backstab your opponent.

Q: Am I allowed to steal?

In very specific circumstances, yes. For example, you could steal a key from a guard to free some prisoners. Or you could steal an evil artifact from some cultists in order to destroy it. Basically, the rule of thumb is that you can’t steal if it would profit you anyway, or if it would hurt innocents.

Q: So can I loot corpse?

Oh yeah, totally. How do you think I got this sweet axe?

Q: I’ve heard that all paladins must consume a daily quantity of sugar, but I’m a diabetic. What should I do?

...what? What the fuck?

Q: Am I allowed to have premarital sex?

Have as much sex as you want. Actually, there’s a spell some paladins learn that lets them have half-celestial kids.

Q: Yeah, but if you’re married, it’s different!

Look, UofJ is a college. If sex made you fall, we wouldn’t have any students after the first two weeks.

Q: Can I be gay and be a paladin?

I don’t know. Let me ask my girlfriend.

Q: But I mean, you can’t, like, have sex, right?

Yeah, I’m not discussing my sex life with students.

Q: I’m in a poly relationship. Do I have to give it up to become a paladin?

It doesn’t matter what kind of relationship you are in. It literally doesn’t matter.

Except an abusive relationship, I guess. If you’re abusive, you’ll fall.

Q: I’m into, um, kinky stuff in the bedroom. Could that keep me from becoming a paladin?

Ah, college kids. Such priorities.

Q: My girlfriend cheated on me, and she’s still a paladin. How is that possible?

Because that’s not evil. It just makes you a dick. You can be a dick and still be a paladin, Ginevra.

Q: Am I allowed to drink?

With this job? Yeah.

Q: So if you can drink are you allowed to do...other things...like drugs?

Drugs have nothing to do with alignment. The drug trade is evil, though, so...grow your own, maybe?

Q: Do I have to respect my elders? I wish you did.

Q: Am I allowed to kill prisoners?

If a mortal being has surrendered, no. (Unless they draw a weapon, or--in some circumstances--if they attempt to run away.)

Q: What if the person who surrendered killed my father, and I want to avenge him? (I’m asking for a friend.)

We don’t do that. If you want vengeance, get a different class.

Q: Am I allowed to use torture?

Torture is always evil.

Q: But what if I need to do it to get information that will save lives?

It’s still evil. Anyway, torture isn’t really effective. Even if you, say, saw someone’s foot off so they can’t walk anymore (without any anesthesia or magic), they won’t tell you the truth, they’ll just say what you want to hear.

Q: How do I get the information, then?

Your powers come from your force of personality. Maybe you can think of something?

Q: I want to become a paladin, but I’m impatient and I don’t know if I can deal with being nice to people all the time.

Then you’re in luck, because paladins are the biggest assholes I’ve ever met.

Q: Am I allowed to use evil magic?

No...it’s evil…?

Q: So I can’t use necromancy?

No, necromancy is fine. Evil magic is anything that comes from the lower planes. You know. Where evil comes from. That’s all.

Q: But undead are evil!

Most of them. But necromancy is negative energy, not evil. Are you really planning on double-classing paladin/wizard necromancy subtype?

Q: Well, no, but I--

Didn’t think so.

Q: Is eating meat evil?

Oh fuckers, not you again! I have to say this every year. No. Eating meat will never be evil.

Q: Am I allowed to swear?

No.

Q: Am I allowed to be sarcastic?

No.

Q: Which god do I have to worship?

None of them.

Q: What? I can be an atheist?

Sure. Or you can worship a god. There’s plenty of places of worship on campus. But it’s not a requirement. (And ignore that “wall of the faithless” crap, that’s just god propaganda.)

Q: This sounds like some sort of Sigil crap.

Not all atheists come from Sigil. Some of them are normal Primes who just don’t happen to worship a god.

Q: But still, I want to be a humble paladin, not a stuck-up wizard in an ivory tower or something.

Actually, there’s more atheist paladins than any other class. Because we know where we’ll go when we die, there’s not much incentive--

Hayashi, this is starting to sound like a conversion pamphlet.

Let’s try that again. Worshiping, or not worshiping, any given god will have no affect on your status as a paladin. Got it?

Q: But I met someone who was a paladin of Pelor/Garl Glittergold/the One/Dionysus/Eilistraee!

Yeah. Lots of paladins do that. But they don’t get their powers from their god. It’s just something they say to show they draw their inspiration from their god. You could be a paladin of learning or a paladin of cheese and crackers if you want.

Q: So I can be a paladin of Pelor/Garl Glittergold/the One/Dionysus/Eilistraee?

Sure.

Q: That was a joke, right? There are no paladins of Eilistraee, right?

Actually, she has a rather large order. They get purged frequently.

Q: Okay, but...there aren’t any paladins of Lolth, right?

I’ve met at least one.

Q: Are there gods I can’t worship?

Not as far as I know. I mean, swearing fealty to an evil god seems wrong somehow, but plenty of orc paladins from traditional families still worship their racial pantheon.

Q: Orc paladins?!

Heck, even I sometimes go to ceremonies, and I haven’t worshipped those dicks since I was twelve.

Q: I might feel more comfortable getting this information from a, uh...human paladin?

Too bad. Anyway, I’m half-elven, and I’ve only got my left arm, so let’s assume that’s the elven half.

Q: That’s not how halves work.

Worship whatever gods you want. And get used to seeing orcs, because UofJ has a “savage scholarship.” It’s some kind of outreach program.

Q: Don’t they fall a lot?

All our students fall a lot. We’ve got a 41% graduation rate.

Q: What about worshipping demons?

Don’t worship demons.

Q: So, I’ll fall?

I don’t know, but nobody should worship demons.

Q: Should I go on a suicide mission to Hell?

No.

Q: Should I go on a suicide mission to the Abyss?

No.

Q: Should I join the blood war?

NO.

Q: I’ve fallen. What should I do now?

First, DO NOT make a deal with a demon.

Okay, second, take a deep breath. Falling isn’t the end. Just get an atonement spell, and you’ll be back in shape after one adventure. The majority of paladins are still LG after falling, with a minority being NG, and a smaller minority becoming CG or LN. Rarely is the action that caused a paladin to fall so heinous that the paladin becomes evil as a result. Although it has been known to happen, Phil.

Third, DO NOT make a deal with a demon.

Q: I don’t want to atone. I don’t think what I did was wrong.

That’s fine. For lots of former paladins, falling was a wake-up call. It made them realize that LG wasn’t for them, and they could do just as much good as a different class. Some become NG or CG, some become LN. Others remain LG, but choose not to atone.

If being a paladin is keeping you from personal fulfilment, I personally suggest you don’t even try. Yeah, free will means we can choose our alignment, but if your nature’s more chaotic, why fight it? Chaos can do just as much good as law.

Just make sure that you DO NOT make a deal with a demon.

Just because you decide to stay fallen, doesn’t mean you need to bang your way down the alignment tree hitting every branch on the way down. One evil action doesn’t mean you’re evil, now. (Those who fell due to becoming chaotic probably shouldn’t need this reminder, but you didn’t even do anything evil.) Being LN (or TN or CN) is a perfectly acceptable option. And you’re probably still good. There’s lots of alignments between “paladin” and “batshit crazy.”

You’re a paladin, so you’re used to alignment being a zero sum game, but now that you’re fallen, it’s time to get used to the idea that everyone has an alignment. Look at all the people around you who aren’t paladins. Do they go around murdering babies and raping cats?

Q: But what I did wasn’t wrong. Isn’t there some sort of Good Appeals Board I can take this up with?

Look, alignment isn’t one of those fuzzy, loosy-goosy conceptual things, like gods or oxygen or whatever. If you get dumped by Lolth, you can appeal to her (good luck), but if your alignment changed, it doesn’t really matter if Heaven takes pity on you or not.

Q: But I’m still Lawful Good!

Doesn’t mean you’re still a paladin, though.

Q: Why not?

If you’re still LG, it’s because you committed an evil action. Few evil actions are enough to change the alignment of a good person (like I said, it can happen, Phil), but those evil actions still matter.

Q: You said alignment is objective. I’m objectively LG! Heaven doesn’t care that I committed one evil action. Why should it matter?

Because we hold ourselves to a higher standard. That’s what makes us paladins.

Q: Didn’t you just say people who weren’t paladins could do just as much good?

Yeah. Cause they see good as a risk/reward calculation. Being willing to let things get a little messy might mean you take the bigger reward--you save more people. You help more. But paladins aren’t just about helping. Paladins are also supposed to be an example of what LG is.

Q: So you’re saying LG is more good than NG and CG are?

No, I’m saying it’s more lawful. Being a paladin means abiding by a code. The code says we never commit and evil action. So even if it seems really small, and the amount of good it could accomplish is really great, we don’t do it, cause it’s against the code.

Q: You’re saying paladins can’t think for themselves?

If there’s anything I’ve learned as a teacher, it’s that people are idiots, and not thinking for themselves is sometimes a blessing.

Q: But I’m still Lawful Good!

Then following a code shouldn’t bother you so much, should it? You can’t be a paladin again until you atone. Says so in the rules. See?

Q: Are the NG and CG exemplars our enemies?

Of course not. The beings of NG and CG are our allies in the fight against evil. Stupid allies who consistently ruin plans, but allies nonetheless.

Q: I’m 37th in a long family line of paladins. My parents want me to become a paladin, too, but I’m not sure. What should I do?

Don’t do it. You’re not cut out for it, and you’ll wind up falling.

Q: Should paladins act for the greater good?

I’ve never met anybody, paladin or otherwise, who said “greater good” and didn’t mean “evil.”

Q: If I meet an evil person, I should kill them, right?

Slow down, sparky. Killing isn’t the solution to every problem.

Q: But I can detect evil!

Yeah, and? That’s so you don’t get tricked by obvious con artists. (I was going to complain about the rumor that paladins are easily tricked, but looking back over these questions, I should probably bite my tongue.) You can’t literally kill everyone who pings as evil.

Q: But they’re evil.

Most of the world’s evil. Take a walk around Rome. If you went around trying to “eliminate” all of them, you’d be fallen in a day.

Q: Paladins are supposed to fight evil. How can I fall for that?

Look, I get that it’s objective reality or whatever, but there’s degrees of evil. Like, are you going to kill a 16 year old street urchin because she’s too poor to get money any other way than picking pockets, when there’s a devil right there?

Q: So you’re saying paladins are never allowed to kill mortals?

What? No, of course not. If it’s in self-defense, or defending someone else, it’s not murder. And even murder can be the right choice sometimes. Just use your brain. If you kill everyone who’s evil, well…

Q: Isn’t it better to try to get rid of all the evil people?

You know alignment can change, right? Free will?

Q: So I shouldn’t kill demons just for being evil, either?

What? No, that’s different. They’re demons. They’re not just people that are evil, they’re made of evil.

Q: Okay, but what about mortals that have a racial inclination to evil?

You mean alufiends? They still have free will. I know a nice LN alufiend who runs a teashop.

Q: And what about savage races?

That’s kind of an outdated term. I believe they prefer...actually, those races have nothing in common, so there is no PC term for them as a whole. “Mortals of non-heroic origin”?

Q: I mean, after wiping out a band of marauding goblins, if I find they had a child, what should I do? Should I slay it, to prevent it from harming the community later?

There is a runaway trolley barrelling down the tracks toward five people who are tied up, unable to move. One person stands on the other tracks. Do you pull the lever to switch the trolley, or do nothing?

Q: What does that have to do with anything?

That’s what you sound like.

Q: But that’s an interesting philosophical question.

No. It’s not. If morality is decided entirely in the realm of the hypothetical, then there’s no consequences, and therefore morality has no meaning. There would never be a trolley barreling toward five people, one person on the other tracks, and you deciding what switch to pull. The only reason to come up with an answer about the trolley problem is to feel good about yourself. UofJ doesn’t train you so you can sit around in an office like me, answering Philosophy 101 questions like some NPC class.

Q: Yeah, but what if there was a trolley?

You want an answer to the trolley problem? Fine. Jump in front of it yourself.

Q: What?

You jump in front of it yourself. You sacrifice yourself. That’s the only thing a paladin ever sacrifices for the good of the group. Get it?

Q: But what if the person on the other tracks was a baby goblin?

Don’t kill children, you idiot!

(Author’s Note: It’s been pointed out to me by my esteemed colleague that some of our students may not be aware that goblins, like all mortal races, have free will. They don’t have a special inclination toward evil. I’d think that’s plenty of justification to flunk them on the spot, but I’m not the president of UofJ.)

Q: But the goblin pantheon is evil!

And Lathander’s the god of the morning, but that doesn’t mean Professor Clery won’t bite your head off if you talk to her before she’s had her cup of coffee. (After she’s woken up at 11, the lazy git.)

Q: It’s different for humans.

It’s really not. And Professor Clery’s a bugbear.

Q: Okay, I won’t kill every evil person I meet, but I can’t travel with them, right?

I mean, that’s up to you.

Q: I won’t fall for having evil companions?

I mean, I guess you would if you started doing evil things with them? But not just for travelling with them, no. An evil person existing doesn’t make you evil by association.

Q: But if I have evil companions, they’ll backstab and betray me.

Not if you’re working toward a common goal. Evil just means they’re willing to screw over other people, not that they’re compelled to do it. If there’s a terrifying world-ending squid that wants to eat your hometown, then the evil hexblade is just as likely to want to get rid of it as you are.

Q: So I can’t torture anybody, but if the party rogue is already evil, I could just get her to do it…?

No!

Q: I thought I was supposed to tolerate my companions being evil.

No, you’re supposed to tolerate them. You should try to stop them from doing evil actions. Anything short of violence works. I like to go all orcish grandma on them. Passive aggression is really effective.

Q: I had my leg bitten off by a demonic crocodile. What should I do?

I don’t know, maybe write FAQs for idiot kids.

Q: A devil came around recruiting for the blood war…

I already told you, no!

Q: What if doing the right thing is against the law of the land?

You do the right thing.

Q: But I’m Lawful. If I don’t follow the laws of the land, won’t I fall?

You’re Lawful Good. You can’t just be lawful or just be good, you’re both. And LG means that you don’t follow evil laws.

Q: If I come from an evil country, how can I be lawful without following evil laws?

You don’t have to follow the law of the land to be lawful. Lawful just means you strive toward a consistent ideal. You keep a code--even if it’s not explicitly written out--of who you want to be. If that goes along with your country’s laws, that’s good, but if it means standing against your country’s laws, that’s still consistency. Consistency is what matters.

Q: So if I’m in an evil country, do I have to stand up to their laws?

As a rule, fixing society isn’t really our job. If you see evil right in front of you, you should try to stop it, but trying to bring real change to society is more trouble than it’s worth. It’s not our job to end slavery and stop genocide. Our job is to end cosmic threats. It’s a lot more efficient to focus on threats everyone can agree on. We might have different opinions about if mages should be locked in towers or own slaves, but we can all agree that someone’s gotta cut down the Blight.

I mean, I can’t exactly go home and “liberate” the women and end male rule--not without getting them to ditch the pantheon, which I don’t think they’d be keen on--but if I see a guy beating a woman, I can at least step in and mess his face up a little.

Editor’s note: This is just one paladin’s opinion and does not represent the views of UofJ. Many paladins get involved in politics and make a difference by fighting for justice.

Also, it’s called a patriarchy. You’re a scholar now, Hayashi, you could learn a few simple words.

Author’s note: Yeah, this kind of language mumbo jumbo is exactly the waste of time I’m talking about. I can sit here arguing over what to call men beating their wives, which is super helpful, or I can go kill demon squids.

Editor’s note: Since you’re no longer able to kill much of anything, you might consider getting more involved in social justice.

Author’s note: But then how would I provide this helpful FAQ?

Q: Wait, what are you talking about? Why did you bring up slavery?

It’s one of the more common evils. Most empires have some form of slavery. Rome, for instance. And let’s not get started on the drow…

Q: In my culture, slavery is perfectly acceptable. Can I still be a paladin?

What, and be OK with slavery? No.

Q: But it’s my culture!

Yeah, well, your culture’s wrong. It happens.

Q: That’s racist.

Seriously? After asking for a human to write this FAQ, I’m the racist? Look, I get it. I come from an evil culture, too. Let’s face it, most of us do. But things aren’t good just cause they’re culture.

Q: What about cannibalism? My culture’s okay with cannibalism. You said eating meat was never evil.

...I was talking about...I was talking about animal meat...no...no, cannibalism isn’t okay…

Editor’s Note: Technically speaking, cannibalism is only evil if you kill someone for the purpose of eating their flesh. If they were dead anyway, or you killed them for some other reason, and then due to starvation, you ate their flesh, that would be fine. Or if you ate flesh as part of a burial ritual. It’s killing someone for the purpose of eating them that’s evil.

Which is a reminder, kids, you should check out Bartosz’s philosophy 101 class, where you can discuss all these pedantic meaningless distinctions. Or you could not commit cannibalism, because that’s disgusting.

Q: I stabbed through a curtain, thinking my uncle was behind it, and I accidentally murdered an innocent.

Wait, what? Why did you want to kill your uncle? Never mind, I don’t want to know. There’s probably some creepy incest thing going on. Sorry, I started writing a response before I finished reading the question. Let’s see what it is.

Q: I didn’t fall. What gives?

You committed an evil act, but unknowingly. The paladin code recognizes intent. Accidentally killing an innocent, and other evil acts committed in ignorance, don’t cause you to fall.

Q: They don’t count as evil actions?

No, they do. If you somehow ignorantly committed enough evil acts in ignorance to change your alignment and become LN, you’d still fall. You can’t be a paladin if you’re not LG. I’ve never heard of a case of that happening, though, because you’d have to be really ignorant. And really clumsy.

Q: Wait, so don’t I benefit from staying ignorant? Is knowledge what causes evil? Should I eschew all knowledge from now on?

If that’s how you view being a paladin, then you’re gonna fall.

Q: All right, I don’t fall, but I still feel bad about it. What can I do to avoid it?

Okay, well, uh...instead of stabbing someone through a curtain, maybe, I don’t know, offer a chance to surrender first? Or at least call out, “Who’s there?”

Q: Wait, never mind. I spent like 20 days pondering the consequences of my sins and what to do next, and I fell anyway. So, did I fall because I learned my actions were evil and was able to appreciate the consequences?

No, that’s not really how it works.

Q: What the hell, then? Why did I fall?

Well, paladins are kind of, you know, action oriented. Sitting around for 20 days not taking action when your uncle’s apparently evil or something doesn’t really...work.

Q: Maybe I should consider what class I should be, then. This will require much reflection.

Yeah, okay, kid. You, uh...you do that.

Q: Okay, I’m good at the fighting stuff and the dying stuff, but I’m not sure about the social aspect of being a paladin. How should I treat the fairer sex?

Uh. Just treat them...like people?

Q: What about chivalry?

We don’t have that, uh, code. And some of us are women.

Q: Oh, that’s a good point! How should I treat paladin women? Should they be treated the same way I should treat other women, or…?

Seriously, treat them the same way you treat men. Supposedly any kind of treating the sexes differently counts as a minor evil act and can change your alignment, or something. So my colleagues tell me, anyway. Also, it’s super annoying.

Q: What do you mean?

Well, you know, if women are your fellow adventurers, they don’t usually want you opening dungeon doors for them and stuff. Especially if she’s the party rogue and you didn’t give her time to check for traps.

Q: So, treat them exactly the same?

Yep.

Q: Wait, am I allowed to attack women?

No. Even if a woman is evil, and is attacking you, and you will die unless you defend yourself, you can’t attack her. You will always fall if you attack women.

Q: Is it about ethics in games journalism?

No. It is never about ethics in games journalism.

Q: What kind of mount do you recommend?

Well, of course, all mounts are great and I’m sure you’ll succeed no matter what you choose. But dire parrots are the best! You can teach them to curse, and then you can really intimidate enemies by swooping toward them on a brightly colored steed shrieking “Fuck you and your mother! Bacaw!”

Q: Are you trolling?

No. My dire parrot is the best mount. Can your mount talk? I didn’t think so.

Q: Wait, so you have a parrot...you’re missing your legs...and a hand…are you a pirate?!

Yeah, we’re done here.

[thatboomerkid]

Dancer Upon the Soul of Time

Dancer Upon the Soul of Time -- Pathfinder Mythos Kineticist Feat

You wield a lightning-storm that even demons must fear, bearing a flame which immolates the very heartiest devil, searing wounds into flesh that draw-away bone & breath like sands draining from an hourglass. With a mere pass of your pale palm and a twitch of your shining golden will, you can fling bits of your foes to the very ends of the earth ... and far beyond, out into that shrieking void between broken worlds.

Brought to you absolutely free to play, to test & to share, as always, by the fine folks of my Patreon.

image from here

Prerequisite: Wind From the Black Stars feat, class ability to accept Burn; non-lawful alignment, see Special, below

Benefit: Whenever you make an attack with an energy kinetic blast or with any composite blast that deals energy damage, you may choose for one-half of the damage to be dealt as “teleportation damage”.

Any creature within the area of a dimensional lock or under the effects of a dimensional anchor -- such as a creature recently damaged by a phase locking weapon or bound by dimensional shackles -- is utterly immune to teleportation damage.

Otherwise, traditional forms of energy resistance are of little defense against your abilities.

Any creature with the extraplanar subtype or possessing a spell-like or supernatural ability to use teleport, dimension door or any similar ability gains a Vulnerability to teleportation damage.

You may choose to accept one additional point of Burn (which may be obviated as normal) as a free action whenever you make an attack that deals teleportation damage; if you do so, your attack deals an additional 1d6 points of teleportation bleed damage, which stacks with other forms of bleed. This bleed damage increases to 2d6 at 5th level, to 3d6 at 10th level, to 4d6 at 15th level and finally to 5d6 at 20th level.

This special bleed damage deals minimum damage (one point of damage per damage die) each round to corporeal creatures that are otherwise immune to bleed damage, such as constructs and undead.

This special bleed damage cannot be stopped via normal use of the Heal skill, although any type of fast healing or regeneration obviates and removes this bleed instantly; three consecutive Heal check at a DC equal to 10 + ½ your level + your Constitution modifier are required to stop this special bleed. A spellcaster attempting to end this bleed damage via use of positive energy – such as a cure light wounds spell, channel positive energy or lay on hands – to cure hit point damage must succeed at a concentration check (DC: 10 + one half your level + your Constitution modifier) or the magical healing effect is entirely wasted.

Use of infernal healing, inflict light wounds or repair light damage to end the bleed effect by curing hit point damage functions as normal.

A creature slain while under the effects of this special bleed leaves behind only a trace of fine dust, as per a disintegrate effect.

Special: As with its parent-feat, this ability may be gained as a Family Trait rather than as a feat; if it is gained in this way, the benefits of this ability may only be used while within an area of dim or lower lighting or while the light of Carcosa’s star falls directly onto a world.

Note that a character with the Experiment Zero-Point-X: Punch Holes in Space-Time feat does not qualify for this ability.

You may gain this ability in place of a Dampened Versatility feat, in place of a Utility Wild Talent or in place of any Limited Versatility feat of any type.

Campaign Note: Within the Eve of Dreams & the AWAKE setting -- and the Government Lethal Chamber setting -- this ability is known to a cabal of masked cultists who also possess both the Eater-of-Souls Style and Bright-Burning Super-Sanity feats.

It is rumored that Asmodeus himself seeks to end the life of a creature who possesses this ability and that of A Thief Upon the Throne of Hell.

———

NOTE:

This website uses trademarks and/or copyrights owned by Paizo Inc., which are used under Paizo’s Community Use Policy. We are expressly prohibited from charging you to use or access this content. This website is not published, endorsed, or specifically approved by Paizo Inc. For more information about Paizo’s Community Use Policy, please visit paizo.com/communityuse. For more information about Paizo Inc. and Paizo products, please visit paizo.com.