Building A Better Cultist (WIP)

[Primal Fury]

Hello fellow playgrounders! I would like to enlist y'all's help in homebrewing something. You see, I'm making a class that is based around a variation of the Leadership feat (all followers, no cohorts), which summons said followers as cultists, and I would like to create a set of NPC classes to represent the different types of cultists. Now, I know I could just use existing classes to represent them, but I'm more interested in creating something new.

For those of still here, this is what I have in mind: I'm thinking of 4 classes, each representing a different type of cultist. The first is the garden variety Joe Blow cultist. These are basically fodder, meant to be a nuisance rather than an actual threat. Next is the Acolyte, your low-level spell-casting cultist, meant to fill a support role. After that is the Zealot, your fanatic, sword swinging meat-shield that stands between you and your enemies, acting as a deterrent rather than a damage dealer. Lastly are the Preachers, meant to serve as the faces of your cult, gathering new worshipers, and taking care of minor interactions that are beneath you. Problem is I'm having trouble coming up with abilities appropriate for each class.

I'd love to hear some ideas from the playground!

[The Mentalist]

First thing worth remembering. You only really have to build these classes to level 6 if they're intended to be used as follower classes.

I would go with Acolytes as enhancing Circle Magic, having their spells be treated as more powerful and count as 1/2 and then down to 1/4 of a participant in a circle, perhaps allow them to cast as a group, throw some chanting that allows them to produce bardic music style effects?

Zealot needs the ability to jump in front of you to take an arrow. As an immediate action you may move up to half your speed and take damage from an attack instead of the intended target? Throw in a Righteous Fury rage style effect and defensive and attack bonuses when adjacent to other cult members? I'm thinking grant each other cover, improved flanking, morale bonuses out the back end.

Preachers, perhaps they can grant you more base cultists and at 5th and 6th level one Zealots or Acolytes?

[Primal Fury]

First thing worth remembering. You only really have to build these classes to level 6 if they're intended to be used as follower classes.

I was considering looking at epic leadership too, but you're right. Gotta keep things simple.

I would go with Acolytes as enhancing Circle Magic, having their spells be treated as more powerful and count as 1/2 and then down to 1/4 of a participant in a circle, perhaps allow them to cast as a group, throw some chanting that allows them to produce bardic music style effects?

That sounds good, except I might use Bardic Music for the preacher.

Zealot needs the ability to jump in front of you to take an arrow. As an immediate action you may move up to half your speed and take damage from an attack instead of the intended target? Throw in a Righteous Fury rage style effect and defensive and attack bonuses when adjacent to other cult members? I'm thinking grant each other cover, improved flanking, morale bonuses out the back end.

That sounds really good.

Preachers, perhaps they can grant you more base cultists and at 5th and 6th level one Zealots or Acolytes?

Sounds very reasonable.

[Network]

I'm thinking the four types of cultist map perfectly to the core NPC classes (Joe Blow cultist=expert, the others are obvious). So at least you have a chassis on which to work. I would only change the expert's good Will save to a good Reflex save for the cultist, since none of the other classes would have good Reflex save by uing the existing NPC chassis.

From there, you could add to them some class features from PC classes (Joe Blow cultist=sneak attack, Acolyte=???, Zealot=some paladin nifties, Preacher=bardic music?). Possibly with a nerfed progression or at a later level than the PC class, so that cultists remain weaker than characters of the same level. Zealous Heart (a nerfed Aura of Courage that doesn't give bonus to allies) would be a perfect class feature for the zealot, for example.

[Primal Fury]

I actually thought of, what I think, is a more elegant way of doing it than my original idea.

Cultist:

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special
1st	+0	+0	+0	+0	Clandestine I, Heretic, Sneak Attack +1d6
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+0	Rise Through The Ranks I
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+1	Clandestine II, Sneak Attack + 2d6
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Rise Through The Ranks II
5th	+2	+1	+1	+1	Clandestine III, Sneak Attack +3d6
6th	+3	+2	+2	+2	Rise Through The Ranks III

See, all cultists will be of the same class, but Rise Through The Ranks allows them to specialize in a particular field, like Acolyte, Preacher, and Zealot. Each one changes the base abilities (like saves and BAB) and offers new abilities. This will MASSIVELY cut down on the work required. I'll still use whatever abilities are presented (I like the whole granting cover part), it's just the class's structure that'll change.

I like all your ideas Network; the only thing now is putting something together for the Acolyte.

[Adam1949]

I'm almost certain it's not intended, but I think that 4th level is the best one for the Cultist. I don't want to lose my awesome Will save!

[Primal Fury]

Oh crap. Thanks Adam.

[Network]

What would be the effects of the Cladestine and Heretic class features, if I may ask?

Basing the acolyte on the adept, I think a familiar and some spellcasting could work for Rise Through the Ranks I. Later instances should improve on the spellcasting, and maybe the 4th level could add dark knowledge 1/day (like the archivist's, only less attempts). The 6th level class feature should have an "occult" feel. I tend to think any of the three subsystems from Tome of Magic could allow it, so here are some ideas:

• A bonus on Kowledge checks and Bind Vestige as a bonus feat
• Two fundamentals of shadow and darkvision
• A single utterance and Truename Research as a bonus feat.

Feel free to use any or all of the above for the acolyte's capstone. If the acolyte gets to choose its capstone though, the other sub-classes should also have some choices (for diversity purpose), so there's that. The last one would require the acolyte to get Truespeak as a class skill, of course.

[Primal Fury]

What would be the effects of the Cladestine and Heretic class features, if I may ask?

Clandestine makes them better at sneaky stuff (needs more hashing out), and Heretic gives them a small bonus to saves against divine magic.

[khadgar567]

how about sacrificial summon skill where cultist sacrifice him/herself to cast summon monster x( x where level dm chooses)

[The Tyler]

I love this. I may adapt it over to 5e some day.

how about sacrificial summon skill where cultist sacrifice him/herself to cast summon monster x( x where level dm chooses)

Or provide that skill to the Acolyte, allowing them to sacrifice another cultist to cast summon monster x?

[khadgar567]

I love this. I may adapt it over to 5e some day.



Or provide that skill to the Acolyte, allowing them to sacrifice another cultist to cast summon monster x?

works for me since they can do noting but zerg rush to party this gives some of them a chance to be some thing more useful in their worthless lives

[Primal Fury]

how about sacrificial summon skill where cultist sacrifice him/herself to cast summon monster x( x where level dm chooses)

That is something I'd like to reserve for the class this is attached to. Good idea though.