Pathfinder: New Monster – Slime Beast

Longtime followers of JBE will know that I run a Kingmaker Pathfinder game at home. We’re currently playing in our alternate adventure path (Carrion Crown) while I do a rewrite of adventure 4. Short of the long, the group has gone a little off the very loose AP rails and adventure 4 is being tossed for my campaign. While I’m using some of it as a basis, I need new material. The Book of Beasts: Monsters of the River Nations is a great place to start, but I need more. So I’m generating my own adventure and some custom monsters during this break. Today I created this monster and I thought I would share it with you. So here you go, one free monster. Enjoy.

Slime Beast

Translucent with a blue-green color, this creature jelly-like body is vaguely humanoid-shaped but possesses no eyes in the head.
Slime Beast                  CR 12
XP 19,200
NE Large ooze
Init +8; Senses blindsight 60 ft., tremorsense 120 ft.; Perception +24

Defense

AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 19 (+4 Dex, +10 natural, -1 size)
hp 178 (17d8+102)
Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +12
Defensive Abilities acid body; Immune acid, piercing, slashing

Offense

Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., swim 60 ft.
Melee 2 slams +21 (1d6+9/19-20 plus 4d6 acid)
Ranged acid glob +15 (4d6 acid)
Space 10 ft., Reach 10 ft.

Statistics

Str 29, Dex 18, Con 22, Int 11, Wis 25, Cha 2
Base Atk +12; CMB +22 (+24 bull rush); CMD 34 (cannot be tripped, 36 vs bull rush)
Feats Awesome Blow, Critical Focus, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack (-4/+8), Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (slam)
Skills Climb +17, Perception +24, Stealth +17 (+25 when under water), Swim +17; Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth when under water

Ecology

Environment cold or temperate marsh or swamp
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure none

Special Abilities

Acid Body (Ex) The physical form of the slime beast is a gelled acid. It is immune to all damage from piercing or slashing weapons . Additionally, all objects that strike the slime beast sustain 1d6 points of acid damage. Creatures that strike the slime beast with a natural weapon or an unarmed attack sustain 1d6 points of acid damage.
Acid Glob (Ex) Once every 2 rounds, a slime beast can produce a ball of slime in its hand and throw it at a range increment of 10 ft. to a maximum of 60 ft. Those successfully struck by the blog of slime sustain 4d6 points of acid damage and must succeed a DC 24 Fortitude save or sustain an additional 4d6 points of damage the following round on the slime beast’s turn. Producing the glob of slime and throwing it  is a single standard action. Being completely submerged in water will reduce the second round’s damage by half.

Traveller: Arrr! There Be Piratey d66 Lists Over Yander!

Two new d66 lists are released today for your role playing games in the far future. The first is d66 Pirate Ship Names 2. Need more ship names of raiders, thieves, and dread pirates, this list have them all. Never let your encounters in deep space go without a properly fearsome name.

Up next we have d66 Pirate Bases. Every pirate needs a place to rest, refuel and sell off their ill-gotten goods. These places provide the names for bases and stations of adventure. Just remember to always keep your side arm fully loaded. Make your players seek out the pirate bases to get back stolen cargo and encounter a new worlds of adventure.

Find these and other d66 lists of names and ideas at DriveThruRPG and at RPGNow.com.

Pathfinder: New Haunts to Spook You Campaign

The great adventurer, abjurer and researcher, Riyal Starlight, has explored much of the world. Throughout his travels he documented many of the dangerous and unusual hazards he has lived to tell the tale. Now within these pages, he shares his findings with you.

Riyal’s Research: Haunts brings you two dozen new haunts for you to endanger your player characters’ very lives. These haunts range in CR from 1 – 15 and include haunts inspired by movies and books throughout the fantasy/urban fantasy genre. These haunts detail the power behind deadly chants, talking skulls, cliffs of insanity and flooding rivers. These murderous menaces will enhance your world and your adventures.

Check out a preview of the haunts within right here. Grab these haunts at Paizo and DriveThruRPG/RPGNow.com.

Also be sure to check out Riyal’s Research: Traps, the first installment in the Riyal’s Research line. Download it today at Paizo and DriveThruRPG/RPGNow.com.

Legend: Nightfire Cult

This week, for our Free Legend Faction is the Nightfire cult. This one is more of a traditional adventuring campaign where all the characters are in a single cult. You should notice influences from the Lord of the Rings, Babylon 5, and other types of heroic organizations. We hope you enjoy this. As always, please give us any constructive criticism you may have. We would love to hear it.

Nightfire Cult (Cult)

Few outside of the cult itself and academic circles recognize the Nightfire Cult as an actual cult. Most believe them to be a martial order or a band of thieves or others of ill repute. However the members of the Nightfire Cult, or Torchbearers as they call themselves, know their deity to be true. They worship Weneg, a little known deity that supports the sun god by watching at night, guarding against the chaos that can befall civilization from the dark places.

The Nightfire Cult mostly attracts from two groups of people: outcasts and those that have personally experienced the dark forces in their lives. Street urchins, children of disgraced warriors and others that through no fault of their own found themselves outcast by civilization and unable to live a life of peace find mutual respect and the ability to make a difference for good within the Nightfire Cult. The other major group consists of those that have lost a loved one or have had their home destroyed or had their lives shattered by creature of chaos or some kind of beastman or other deadly monster. It is a drive and passion of this magnitude that the Nightfire Cult requires to handle the universal rejection by most civilized folk while still defending them with little to no recognition.

The tenets of the Nightfire Cult are simple: Protect those that cannot protect themselves. Fight the forces of chaos no matter what form they take. Stand between the darkness of chaos and the light of civilization. Trust in your fellow torchbearers with your life. Worship Weneg for he gives you purpose.

Torchbearers almost never enter cities. While it is not taboo, many of the members do not want to return to a place that ostracized them. Most stay close to small villages or live in makeshift huts in the forest.

Weneg does not have temples dedicated to him but instead has small shrines in the woods or other remote places. The cult, also, does not possess an overarching hierarchy. A priest of a Nightfire cell can climb no higher in status. Most cells possess only one priest at a time, but it is not unheard of for a cell to have 4 priests. This generally occurs when a fire team rises to the rank of priest together over the years of fighting the darkness.

Many from governors to peasants tend to have a negative view of the Nightfire Cult. Members of this cult are rarely seen by city folk except when something goes horribly wrong. Whether they failed to stop a horde of barbarians or a creature of chaos burned a place down, the Nightfire Cult is always around when there is trouble from the less civilized lands. As a result they tend to receive the blame for the trouble caused, when in reality the Nightfire Cult weakened the trouble-causing monster enough to allow it to be stopped by the city guard. Most members of the cult accept this negative attitude as part of what is required of them for their faith. However, lightly-protected areas such as rural towns and lone homes tend to have a much more positive attitude towards the Nightfire Cult since the Torchbearers are the frequently the only defense there is against the dangers of the land. Rural folk frequently give the Torchbearers needed medical aid and supplies to continue their holy mission.

Common Magic: Clear Path, Detect Enemy, Endurance, Light, Mobility

Divine Magic: Dismiss Elemental, Heal Wound, Sureshot

Initiate

The first thing an initiate is to learn is survival for if an initiate torchbearer cannot survive on his own, the Nightfire Cult will have to protect him instead of others. A Tourchbearer must possess Survival, Shortbow style, and any three other cult skills at 30%. Initiates must also know at least one of the cult’s common magic spells. An initiate is never allowed on missions alone. He generally travels with anywhere from two to six other initiates in a single fire team. For more dangerous missions, a fire team will include a ranger or an acolyte.

Ranger

A Torchbearer has proven he can survive on his own and now can be hired for simple work alone such as a guide through a dangerous forest. While a ranger is allowed on missions alone, it is rare. More frequently, a ranger works in groups of two or three others. Fire teams of rangers are rarer but they do happen. A ranger is to focus on knowledge fore a ranger must know its enemy before he can properly defeat it. An initiate wishing to become a ranger must possess Lore (Regional), Shortbow style, Survival and three other cult skills at 50%. Ranger must also possess a minimum of 1 POW dedicated to Weneg must know at least two common magic spells.

Acolyte

Acolytes are also knows as guardians. It is not uncommon for an acolype to stand on a bridge forbidding its enemy to pass until the acolyte is dead. Acolytes frequently work alone for most situations but are known to work in fire teams for larger missions. Being an acolyte is about dedication. To show their sacrifice, a minimum of 4 POW must be dedicated to Weneg. Additionally, an acolyte must possess Lore (Regional), Shortbow style, Survival plus three other cult skills at 70%. Lastly an acolyte must know three of the cult’s common magic spells.

Priest

Being a priest is about standing up to the greatest of threats. A priest must stand up to a great and terrible monster bent on mass death and destruction and live. While defeating the monster is the most common outcome, it is not required. Simply standing up to it and surviving is what is important. Priests that have survived fights without defeating the monster typically provide others with enough time to escape. A priest of Weneg once talked a dragon out of a burning a city to the ground. His actions allowed the people a chance to escape. Unfortunately that priest was killed by the very people he saved for not killing the dragon when he had a chance. All priests must dedicate 7 POW to Weneg, know all the cult’s common spells and have a total of 6 cult skills at 90%. Three of those skills must be Lore (regional), Shortbow Style, and Survival.

Cult Skills

Nightfire Cult offer training the in the following skills: Athletics, Common Magic, Evade, Lore (Regional), Pact (Weneg), Perception, Shortbow style, Survival,Track.

For the Nightfire cult, all Divine Magic has a minimum of Ranger level.

Pathfinder: Book of Beasts Receives its Fourth 5-Star Review

Book of Beasts: Monster of the Shadow Plane
Earlier today, the Book of Beasts: Monsters of the Shadow Plane picked up its FOURTH 5-STAR review. We figured we’d share a few of the wonderful things being said about the book and the monsters inside with you.

Thilo Graf (aka Endzeitgeist)
“prime example of stellar monster design”
“they feel wholly distinct from any regular creatures of the same CR. Kudos!”
“Grognards … get a nice blast from the past/homage”
“this book … contains a wealth of cool creatures and ideas.”
“I look forward to seeing more supplements for the plane of shadows”
“a final verdict of 5 stars and a definite recommendation for this excellent bestiary.”

Dark Mistress
“vast majority [of the monsters] very good to outstanding”
“I really can’t wait for [the Shadowsfall books].”
“You won’t regret it.”

The Alfred Effect:
“It is this attention to detail that really makes these creatures stand out in my mind and it will help any GM add them to a campaign.”
“Dale and Jon Brazer Enterprises put together an excellent product every time and this is no exception.”
“this is the book for you.”

KTFish7
“a fantastic collection of creatures.”
“raising the stakes for all creatures after it.”
“treasure trove of diabolical deliciousness.”
“solid 5 stars rating, and highly recommending it”

We would like to give an extra big thank you to everyone involved in the creation of this book. All these wonderful things being said about it would not be possible without you.

Pick up the Book of Beasts: Monsters of the Shadow Plane today! Order it from your local game store or favorite gaming website or order it from JonBrazer.com

Pathfinder: When Haunts Come Knocking

The first Riyal’s Research covered Traps. The second in the series discusses Haunts. These 24 new haunts ranging from CR 1 to 15 with a page of the great researcher’s notes on the subject will be released Tuesday, February 14th, but we’re giving you a special sneak peak today. We hope you enjoy these haunts.

Misty River CR 2
XP 600
CE persistent haunt (5 ft. by 10 ft. river between old pilings)
Caster Level 2nd
Notice Perception DC 20 (to hear wood breaking)
hp 9; Trigger touch; Reset 1 day
Effect Long ago, a wooden bridge that crossed this 10 ft. wide river broke and fell away drowning a family. A path still leads to both sides of the river. When a creature touches the water just beyond the path where the bridge once crossed, a mist forms over the water (20 ft. radius, centered on where the creature touched the water) as per the spell obscuring mist. The mist lasts for 2 minutes.
Destruction A new bridge must be built crossing the river.

Breathless Gasps CR 6
XP 2,400
NE haunt (10 ft. by 15 ft. pool of water)
Caster Level 6th
Notice Perception DC 25 (the sound of water splashing and someone gasping for air)
hp 14; Weakness susceptible to water; Trigger touch; Reset 1 minute
Effect Deep in a cave long ago, an elf and drow war came down to last pair of warriors. They struggled until the elf was tripped and landed in a small pool of water. Filled with rage, the drow strangled the elf face down in the water. Whenever a creature touches that same pool, the water rushes into creature’s lungs as if affected by a suffocation spell (see Section 5 of the Advanced Player’s Guide). Any spell with the water descriptor (other than control water) damages the haunt equal to twice the spell level. Control water neutralizes this haunt.
Destruction During a full moon, the water must be completely drained and replaced with holy water. During the following new moon, a bottle of air must be shattered below the surface of the holy water pool.

Words of Asmodeus CR 9
XP 6,400
LE persistent haunt (15 ft. by 15 ft. altar dedicated to Asmodeus)
Caster Level 9th
Notice Perception DC 35 (to hear the sound of chanting in Infernal)
hp 40; Weakness vulnerable to sonic; Trigger proximity; Reset 1 hour
Effect It is said that the spirit of Asmodeus’s priest protects the altar against thieves even though no one worships there any longer. Those that have encountered one of these haunted altars tell of the powerful chants. Any creature that approaches sees the haunt manifest as a spectral cleric. Its chanting words cut deep causing creatures within 20 ft. of the spectral cleric to take 4d8 points of damage and are staggered for 1 round. Worshipers of Asmodeus sustain 9d6 points of damage and are stunned for 1d4 rounds. Half of the damage is sonic; the other half is negative energy damage. A successful DC 16 Fortitude save halves the damage and negates the staggering/stunning effect. This is similar to a rebuke spell (see Section 5 of the Advanced Player’s Guide). The spectral cleric can move up to 60 ft. away from the altar.
Destruction When the moon turns as red as blood, a cleric of any god other than Asmodeus must cast consecrate or desecrate on the altar. Within one day, the altar must be pulverized into tiny rocks and powder. Praises to any deity other than Asmodeus need to be sung or chanted during both phases of this destruction.

Grab out Riyal’s Research: Trap today and watch for Riyal’s Research: Haunts next week. Get these and more Pathfinder PDFs at Paizo and DriveThruRPG/RPGNow.com

Legend: Sereana’s Swimmers

I’ve been a fan of Heather Dale‘s music for pretty much the whole of of my adult life. I stumbled upon her music while in college and was hooked. However it wasn’t until recently that I really picking up CDs/mp3s of her music more than just the first few I discovered those many years ago. One of those songs is about an Inuit deity (Native American tribe residing in Canada) named Sedna. I was listening to this song again recently and I decided to write a Legend faction dedicated to the worship of Sedna. Instead of just making the priestly order, I created a guild of swimmers that hunt for their food. All the while I was listening to the song to help inspiration. I also changed the name from Sedna to Sereana simply because I do not want to offend any Inuit or Canadians that may be reading this. I took several artistic liberties and as such decided to change the name. However, the inspiration from Sedna should be quite evident to those familiar with the mythology.

You can listen to the song on this podcast by going here. Find more of Heather Dale’s music at HeatherDale.com.

Today, I’m trying my first attempt at a Legend creature (a seal) and a Heroic Ability. And as always, please let us know of what you think of this faction and any constructive criticism you may have. I hope you enjoy it.

Sereana’s Swimmers (Guild)

The cult of Sereana only permits those born to a priest or priestess to enter the goddess’s cult. They are in charge of swimming deep into the sea to comb the hair of their deity. Her followers, however, largely consist of those that swim the deep waters hunting the animals in the freezing waters hunting food. The guild of Sereana’s Swimmers exists to make offerings to their goddess before and after a hunt and determine who can join the hunts. The guild does not permit hunting in their territorial waters except for approved and tested swimmers.

Each station is named after the animals that the guildsman may hunt. To reach the higher stations, the guildsman, or swimmers as they are called, must prove their worth with a test of his skill. Typically this test ends with the swimmer killing an animal singlehandedly.

Many shark and whale swimmers have long since established their own underwater holds of silver or other valuables. These tend to be in underwater caves or difficult-to-spot nooks in reefs. It is said that many of these swimmers died with none aware of their lost fortune’s location.

Anyone desiring to be a fisher in the areas where Sereana’s worship is plentiful joins the guild. Some join out of devotion to the goddess but most become swimmers simply to gain access to the plentiful fishing waters. However, those that join the guild for easier access to these waters tend to be just as zealous about keeping non-guild members from their territorial waters. This keeps the number of fishers down and the profits of the swimmers high.

The current guild leadership will do whatever it takes to make the goddess happy. Mostly this involves offering regular sacrifices. The most typical of sacrifices include the killing of some fish caught in the sea in a special ceremony. Before hunting shark, the swimmers must draw some blood from their bodies and place a few drops in the sea. However, the cult of Sereana has been asking more of the guild as of late. There have been some lynchings of those accused of angering the goddess. None in the guild know for sure if this is the case, but the cult of Sereana said it was true so the guild members followed. There are rumors of guild members being told to burn ships in neighboring villages that were never seen near Sereana’s waters. To date, there is no member of the guild nor the guild itself stepping up to confirm these tales.

Heroic Abilities: Seal Swimmer

Common Magic: Beast Call (seal), Light, Water Breath

River Fish

To become a river fish, the swimmer must possess Swim and three other guild skills at 30% or more and swim upstream after a heavy rain (-10% situational modifier for terrain) and spear a fish. The swimmer is now allowed to join any river based hunts.

Sea Fish

Before testing to be a sea fish, the swimmer must possess Swim, any Spear style and two other guild skills at a minimum of 50%. The test involves the sea fisher being taken into the territorial fishing sea, sent in the sea with only a spear and swimming to shore with a speared fish.

Seal

In some communities where the worship of Sereana is particularly strong, the test to become a Seal is almost seen as a rite of passage to become one of the area’s elders and more respected members. Besides possessing Swim, any Spear style and two other guild skills at 70%, those testing to become Seal swimmers must swim out into the ocean, cast a Beast Call (seal) spell, kill the seal and make a lone offering to Sereana in the ocean.

Shark

When a swimmer attempts the shark test, the swimmer must possess Swim, any spear style and 4 other guild skills at 90% or higher plus Beast Call (seal) and one other guild spells must be known. The test involves the swimmer being boated out to shark-infested waters, killing a shark and returning with a tooth from its mouth.

Whale

No one has ever attempted the test of the whale alone; most test three or four at a time. Testers must sail out to see, dive below the water’s surface, swim to where an orca is known to reside, kill it with only their handheld spears, secure it to ship and sail it home. Additionally, a swimmer attempting to become a whale must possess Brawn, Shiphandling, Swim, any Spear style and any 2 other guild skills at 100%. All 3 guild spells must be known. There is no limit to the number of Whales there can be at any point in time. Currently, there is one fishing town with 6 whales. No one whales are currently alive.

Guild Skills

Sereana’s Swimmers offer training the in the following skills: Boating, Brawn, Healing, Resilience, Shiphandling, Survival, Swim, any Spear style.

 

Seal Swimmer

Requirements: Con 17 or higher, Swim 90% or higher.

Hero Points: 8

Duration: One hour or if in combat, a number of melee rounds equal to CON

You have spent considerable time in the sea’s waters and are adept at navigating them. You double your swim speed and you may ignore any and all swim based situational modifiers for terrain. Situational modifiers from other sources still apply (such as from the weather). You may only use Seal Swimmer if not Overloaded, Exhausted or Debilitated.

 

Seal

STR 1d6+3 (7), CON 1d6+1 (5), SIZ 1d6+3 (7), INT 4 (4), POW 2d6+1 (8), DEX 4d6 (14)

1D20 Hit Location AP/HP

1-3 Right Hind Leg 2/3

4-6 Left Hind Leg 2/3

7-9 Hindquarters 2/4

10-12 Forequarters 2/5

13-15 Right Front Leg 2/3

16-18 Left Front Leg 2/3

19-20 Head 2/3

CA 1 (2 in water), DM -1d4, MP 8, Movement 3m (12 m swim), Strike Rank +9

Typical Armor: Fur and blubber. No Armor Penalty.

Traits: Evasion (in water only), Excellent Swimmer

Skills: Athletics 25%, Evade 14% (in water 60%), Perception 20%, Persistence 16%, Resilience 10%, Swim 70%

Combat Style Bite 26%

Weapon

Type Size Reach Damage AP/HP Range

Bite S T 1D6-1D4 As for Head —

On land, seals lose 1 CA and basic evade is calculated by Dex x 1. Seals have a powerful bite, requiring a 1d6+DM for damage.

Pathfinder: Looking for More Traps?

Riyal's Research: Traps
Personally, I feel there are not enough traps in the Pathfinder Role Playing Game. With parts of the game like monsters and archetypes getting stronger support, traps feel like they do not have enough “sex appeal” for a more prominent place in the game. So we at Jon Brazer Enterprises are here to help traps reclaim their mojo in your game. Below are three traps from our recent Riyal’s Research: Traps. We hope you enjoy them.

Kobold Razortooth Trap CR 1
Type mechanical; Perception DC 29; Disable Device DC 15
Effects
Trigger location; Reset automatic; Bypass small or smaller creatures do not set off this trap
Effect tooth tipped spears (Atk +0 melee, 1d4 spear plus poison [black adder venom])
A favorite among kobolds, a razor-sharp, tooth tipped spear extends from a small hole in the wall when this trap is triggered. In order to set it off, the creature must be a medium or larger creature. Small creatures do not weigh enough to set off this trap. Since the trigger requires a creature of so much weight for the trap to go off, the spear’s aim is not terribly great. Many creatures experience the rush of air as the spear extending out mere inches in front of them. Trap cost: 1,250 gp. Construction DC: Craft (traps) 25.

Acid Shower Trap CR 6
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 20
Effects
Trigger location; Reset repair
Effect acid shower (save DC 29 Reflex negates, 2d10 acid damage, touched creature takes damage for 3 rounds)
Acid pours down from a hole in the ceiling and begins to burn the creature if it did not make the save. It is believed that the creator of this trap got the kobold’s acid dump trap and decided to make a more sophisticated version. This trap is most common in labyrinths or in 10 ft. wide hallways where all those normally there know to avoid the trigger. Trap cost: 7,500 gp. Construction DC: Craft (traps) 25.

Lightning Storm Trap CR 8
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 15
Effects
Trigger sound; Duration 2 rounds; Reset repair; Bypass hidden lock (Perception DC 25 to locate, Disable Device
DC 30 disarm)
Effect alchemical device (5d6 electricity, save DC 25 Reflex half, creatures in metal armor take a -4 to this save); multiple targets (all targets in a 30-ft.-radius cone)
Used to protected treasure rooms, this trap sprays electricity from a suit of armor in the corner. Since it is triggered by noises as quiet as two coins clanging together, thieves fill up their bags with coins will set it off. However the trigger is disabled when the fingers of the suit of armor’s right fist are pointed out. Because the suit of armor is metal, failing the Disable Device check by 5 or more sets off the trap. Trap cost: 8,000 gp. Construction DC: Craft (traps) 25.

If you like these, be sure to check out Riyal’s Research: Traps today. Also watch out for Riyal’s Research: Haunts coming out next week. These deadly dangers will enhance your world and your game.

Pathfinder: Book of Beasts: Monsters of the Shadow Plane Released

Fight the Dark Side

The Book of Beasts: Monsters of the Shadow Plane details the deadly and frightning monsters that go bump in the night. More than 50 brand new monsters for your Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, these monsters will frighten players and challenge their characters in new and exciting ways. This monster book is the latest in the award-winning Book of Beasts series and is the bestiary to the Shadowfall series, premiering in 2012.

The PDF is now available to DriveThruRPG/RPGNow as well as Paizo.com. The print book can be ordered at your local game store or your favorite gaming web retailer. Order the print book today and get the PDF for free.

Legend: The Cult of the Black Crow

Last week I tried my hand at my first Legend faction. I received some good feedback and I am trying again. I know you are looking for a custom heroic ability or spell to go with the faction, but I want more practice in private before showing off any attempts in that direction in public. Again, we appreciate any constructive feedback you may have.
EDIT: I’ve made some changes due to reader feedback (including the name itself)

Cult of the White Raven (Divine Cult)
Morrigan is considered the Protective Mother of the World by those that follower her. In artwork she is frequently depicted as a beautiful woman, an ugly hag or a white raven, and it is said she can transform herself between the three forms. While there are stories of her protecting her loved ones in battle, she is more known for whispering in the ear of those about to go to war, whether to stop or encourage the fight is unknown.
The goddess’s followers consist mostly of women. Men are allowed to join the Cult of the White Raven and can even become an acolyte. However, men cannot advance higher than that station. The role of priest and high priest are only for women.
Publicly, the Cult of the White Raven tells its followers to be peacemakers and to help smooth other hostilities. There are whispers the cult encourages fights between groups the cult does not like in the hopes their enemies will weaken each other. Cult cells with affluent members or those near major centers of political importance frequently earn their money as spies for hire (and for the cult itself). Cult shrines in smaller locations that possess few wealthy backers tend to serve as a brothel.
The most influential of Morrigan’s current high priestesses, Bridgatia the Long Feather, has been more active than her predecessors in seeking out blackmail. Her spies pay well for their information and use that information to influence the slave trade. On a more local level, they help men, women or children in abusive situations get help and sometimes even get their freedom. Some say that Bridgatia wants to make the Cult the only source of “entertainment” within her reach. Many that have been freed because of the Cult’s actions fully believe that the high priestess wants to end cruelty towards women and those unable to stand up for themselves.
Most of Morrigan’s worshipers consist of those that feel they owe a debt of loyalty to the goddess for their freedom. Other worshipers are those that want to help those in need in a quieter way than fighting. Some prostitutes and courtesan come to the Cult of the White Raven of their own accord, mostly desiring to help make a difference. The Cult helps them advance in their position, giving them greater access to information and ways to influence the larger world.
Divine Magic: Aphrodisiac, Beast Form (raven), Disarm, Fear, Shield
Lay Members
A Lay Member is anyone that worships a shrine to Morrigan. A male Lay Member must make a monthly offering to the Cult of the White Raven worth at least 5 CP or must service cult customers for one day every month. Female Lay Members are not required to service cult customers but may do so and receive payment for their time. Additionally, female Lay Members and rescued male Lay Members are permitted to turn down customers to the cult for any reason.
Initiates
Initiates must have Perception at a minimum of 40%, Seduction at a minimum of 25% and three other cult skills at a minimum of 30%. They must all dedicate at least 1 POW to their Pact with Morrigan. Initiates are expected to serve as the cult’s seductive spies and must serve the cult for at least one spying mission each month lasting up to three days.
Acolytes
White Raven Acolytes are the Cult’s eyes and ears. Acolytes are called upon for spying missions for a full week each month and are expected to help manage the Lay Members’ work. Acolytes must have uncovered a minimum of three substantial secrets during their spying operations, dedicated at least 3 POW to their Pact with Morrigan, have their Perception skill at a minimum of 60%, and Pact, Seduction and any three other cult skills of at least 50%.
Priestesses
Only women can ascend to be a White Raven Priestess. Priestesses are expected to oversee brothel and the spy network activities as well as conduct ceremonies. Few Priestesses perform spying missions. Instead Priestesses trade their services for Influence, whether for the Cult’s benefit or the benefit of one of its customers. An Acolyte cannot ascend to the Priesthood until the Acolyte influences a change in an organization. This change can be getting someone appointed to a significant position, altering a business’s operations within the region, or similar. Also, Priestesses must dedicate a minimum of 5 POW to their Pact with Morrigan, must have their Influence, Pact, Seduction and any three other cult skills at a minimum of 80%.
High Priestesses
Each High Priestess of the White Raven Cult serves as a dedicated concubine to a powerful ruler. They routinely alter and even initiate treaties and major agreements. To become a High Priestess, a Priestess must, with her skill and magic alone, stop a war that was not directly started the Cult of the White Raven. High Priestesses must dedicated 7 POW to their Pact with Morrigan and possess five cult skills at 100%. Three of those cult skills must be Influence, Pact and Seduction.
Cult Skills
The Cult of the White Raven offers training the in the following skills. Pact is mandatory as one of the five skills for joining and advancing within the cult: Courtesy, Influence, Insight, Pact (Morrigan), Perception, Persistence, Seduction, any Dagger style.