<style>/* background image*/ .phb{ background : white;} /* Text */ .phb { font-family: Cambria; font-size: 10,8pt} .phb h4, .phb h3, .phb h2, .phb h1{font-family: Cambria;color: #000;font-weight: normal;} .phb h1{font-size:30pt;} .phb h2{font-size:21,84pt;} .phb h3{font-size:18pt; border-bottom:1pt solid #000} .phb h4{font-size:14,88pt;} .phb h5{font-family: Calibri;color:#000;font-size: 12pt;font-weight: normal;} /* Tables */ .phb table{font-family: Calibri;font-size: 9.84pt;} .phb table tbody tr:nth-child(odd){background-color:#f2f2f2;}/*change backing of rows*/ /* Class Table */ .phb .classTable{border-image-source: none;border: none;} .phb .classTable h5{font-family: Calibri;font-weight: bold;} .phb .classTable table tbody tr:nth-child(odd){background-color:#FFF;} /* Description block */ .phb .descriptive { padding-left:3px;background-color: #e6e6e6;border-image: none;border: none;font-family: Calibri;} .phb .descriptive p{font-size:9.84pt;} .phb .descriptive em{font-family:Calibri;} .phb .descriptive strong{font-family: Calibri;} /* Note */ .phb blockquote{font-family: Calibri;font-size: 9.84pt;background-color:#e6e6e6;border-width:5px;border-image-outset:5px 0px; box-shadow:0px 1px 5px;}/* Stat Block */ .phb hr+section blockquote{background: white;border: 3px solid #e6e6e6;box-shadow: none;} .phb hr+section blockquote h3{font-family:Calibri;border-bottom:1px solid #000;} .phb hr+section blockquote hr+ul{color: #000;} .phb hr+section blockquote table{color: #000;} .phb hr+section blockquote hr{background-image: url(https://i.imgur.com/MS0gM8Z.png)} /* footer */ .phb:after{display:none;} .phb .pageNumber{color:#000;font-size:9.84pt;bottom:14mm;right:1.7cm} .phb .footnote{color:#000;font-size:9.84pt;bottom:14mm;left:1.7cm;text-align:left;width:600px;} .phb:nth-child(even) .pageNumber{left:18.19cm;} .phb:nth-child(even) .footnote{left:1.7cm;} .phb a{color:black;}</style> # Clerics Separation of church and state is an acceptable ideal in a world without clear evidence of the divine, but when clerics demonstrate proof of divine intervention every day almost as routine, such an idea is foolish at best. Churches both powerful and humble are an immensely important part of the lives of all people in the realm, acting as mediators in disputes, assembling small forces for defense, and taking tithes from the common folk to fund their continued existence. Without these churches to determine what is right or wrong, how can anyone come to understand moral truths under such a varied and fickle pantheon of gods? Simple: there is no subjectivism, only divinity. The churches must send missionaries to convert the masses. ## Cleric Missions When farmers are beset by orcish hordes, or cities are laden with crime, or castles sink into the ground, missionaries remain steadfast in their convictions, unbowed by the uncertainty and terror of the world. A mission in the name of a god could be a quick affair where demons are routed from a town and sent back to the abyss, or it could be a months-long quest that tests the endurance of its missionaries to the limit. ***Tiers of Responsibility and Power.*** With few exceptions, churches elevate certain missionaries above others. Touted as those with a stronger connection to their god, or those who embody their values in their purest form, it's an open secret that the highest priests tasked with running a mission are actually those with the greatest political savvy. Like any organisation, a church is prone to political strife and only those who can navigate their way through all the backstabbing and false smiles can seize the opportunity to take charge. While those in high positions exercise the greatest power, they pass off the responsibility of their decisions to their god, and they pass off the enactment of their policies to their followers. ***Clerical Duties.*** With a direct font to a god serving as the source of a church's power, it falls within certain missionaries capable of harnessing that power -- clerics -- to use it for a purpose that suits the needs of their god. While the mission does serve as a supposed conduit for a god to the common people, a cleric may not always find that the tenets of their god align perfectly with the goals of their mission. This conflict is often what causes clerics to pursue an oxymoronic type of godly secularism, where they separate from the church but remain in service of their deity, pursuing a mission based on their own understanding of the issue rather than the church's. The institutions are ingrained enough that these secular missions are rare. ### Demographics In a mission of 20 people ... - 1 is a high priest (**cleric**) - 2 are priests (**clerics** or **priests**) - 4 are acolytes (**clerics** or **acolytes**) - 5 are deacons (**acolytes** or **nobles**) - 8 are servants (**commoners**) \columnbreak ### Higher Powers #### Akadi, Goddess of Air ***Neutral.*** Missionaries of Akadi brave raging seas and perilous mountains, confident that Akadi will shape the wind to prevent their fall. The arrival of missionaries of Akadi can spell a blessing or disaster for a community. As the whims of Akadi change with the weather, so do her missions. - **Tempest Priest** #### Auril, Goddess of Winter ***Neutral Evil.*** Auril's missionaries fight for her out of fear, for the only way to stave off the chill of winter is to be prepared for its arrival. The services a mission of Auril provides can act more of a bastion *from* Auril than a celebration of her. Auril represents the nasty bite of a cold wind on one's cheeks, but her followers can only be seen as evil if one considers cold reality to also be evil. - **Nature Priest** - **Night Priest** - **Tempest Priest** #### Azuth, God of Wizards ***Lawful Neutral.*** Missionaries of Azuth are sometimes confused with the scholarly **theurges** that adopt the power of the divine as part of their academic pursuits. However, each mission consists of a highly rigorous structure of priests that rushes to maintain their political influence over magical guilds in every major city. A mission's interests lie with the acquisition of knowledge, often completely independent of its application. - **Arcana Priest** - **Knowledge Priest** #### Bane, God of Tyranny ***Lawful Evil.*** The spartan missionaries of Bane spare little comfort for themselves in their travels. Worshippers are committed to the rightful dominion of Bane over the material realm but rarely antagonise other churches or commit sins and wrongdoing that would make them a target. In fact, the church will usually advertise its effectiveness by sending its missionaries to fight against the perversion of undeath in a bid to foster support among the common people. - **War Priest** \pagebreakNum #### Beshaba, Goddess of Misfortune ***Chaotic Evil.*** Like many evil gods, Beshaba's missionaries fight for her out of fear, and in this case the fear is of bad luck. Since the effects of luck are so impossible to discern, missions dedicated to Beshaba are often initiated without her direct influence at all by communities desperate for any chance to turn around a bad situation. The lack of true conviction to her cause (destroying the church of Tymora) can mean that her missions are easily disbanded at the first sign of strife, internal or external. - **Trickery Priest** #### Bhaal, God of Murder ***Neutral Evil.*** Any traces of the church of Bhaal have all but been eradicated from the world, leaving only loose followers and secret worshippers. If any were to arise again, they would do so in the deepest recesses of the most corrupt cities, hiding their symbol of bloody droplets around a skull from any except those who can be trusted, or those who can be silenced. As such, missions in the name of Bhaal are usually concerned with preserving the secrecy of its followers. - **Death Priest** #### Chauntea, Goddess of Agriculture ***Neutral Good.*** In contrast to many gods of nature, Chauntea actively embraces the advancement of the industry of agriculture. Missions in her name often consist of infrastructure and development of smaller farming communities to increase their crop yields ... for as long as the profit for the church continues to roll in. - **Forge Priest** - **Life Priest** - **Nature Priest** #### Cyric, God of Lies ***Chaotic Evil.*** Followers of Cyric are persecuted for its attempts to spur doubt in the minds of law-abiding citizens in regards to the rightfulness of social bonds. If love wanes over time, then what makes it different from mere *things?* Can it truly be seen as something intrinsic and special when both love and a mere pan require constant maintenance? Are both not just a construction of sentient beings? Consistent with the church's views on love, missionaries rarely form lasting attachments with one another during their missions. - **Trickery Priest** #### Deneir, God of Writing ***Neutral Good.*** Deneir's fascination for collecting and cataloguing knowledge in all of its forms and preserving the written word of all species is the driving force behind the church's selection of missions. Their insistence on the archiving of knowledge may, however, lock that knowledge away from those who could benefit from it the most. - **Knowledge Priest** \columnbreak #### Eldath, Goddess of Peace ***Neutral Good.*** While the untrained eye may see a mess of tangled roots in the shadows of a thick canopy, her priests see unmistakable messages passed down from the divine realm. Missions are often merely a search for meaning rather than a fight; even in times of crisis, her priests are characterised by inaction. - **Grave Priest** - **Life Priest** - **Nature Priest** #### Gond, God of Craft ***Neutral.*** Weapons that embody the power of the divine are not so easily crafted. Missionaries who follow Gond care little about the conflicts of the world save where such conflicts give them the opportunity to find master blacksmiths with which construct magnificent, impossible tools imbued with godly power. - **Forge Priest** - **Knowledge Priest** #### Helm, God of Protection ***Lawful Neutral.*** Vigilance is the principle that guides the missionaries of Helm. Each priest is expected to not only be an expert at martial combat but also to patrol the land, acting as judge, jury, and executioner against those who would bring unjust harm against the establishment. - **Forge Priest** - **Grave Priest** - **Life Priest** - **Light Priest** - **Protection Priest** #### Ilmater, God of Endurance ***Lawful Good.*** Many of the high priests of Ilmater secretly take pleasure in forcing their underlings to undergo ritualistic rites of suffering to prove their worthiness -- rites which are often in the form of suicide missions. Evil impulses are intertwined with the principles of good, and few can make such distinction while the mangled skin on their back bleeds through their shirt. Every few centuries, there is a massive culling of the church's leadership to remove any secret followers of Loviatar. The worshippers of the goddess of pain are not given the chance to redeem themselves through suffering. They are executed without mercy. - **Forge Priest** - **Life Priest** - **Protection Priest** \pagebreakNum #### Kelemvor, God of the Dead ***Lawful Neutral.*** Since the afterlife is real and provable, the church of Kelemvor urges its followers not to fear death, but to embrace it as a natural law. One day all creatures will die, civilisations will be reduced to dust, and the world shall be consumed by the fire of the very star that gives it life. Such inevitability should not be viewed with terror, but with awe. Missionaries are expected to commit great deeds that will immortalise them after death and, for just a moment, extend the limited time they have in existence. - **Death Priest** - **Grave Priest** #### Kossuth, God of Fire ***Neutral.*** Missions under Kossuth's name concern themselves with the rightful cremation of the bodies of the dead, an effective measure against the blight of undeath when none else are available. The burning braziers carried in wagons by missionaries contain the ashes of historic chosen warriors of Kossuth that fell in battle. Of course, Kossuth himself barely realizes there are missions devoted to him at all. - **Light Priest** #### Lathander, God of Birth and Renewal ***Neutral Good.*** The church of Lathander knows what is best for you. All churches should exemplify the glory of Lathander, with its shining golden cathedrals and glorious soldiers dressed in golden armour that always manages to catch the glint of a blinding sun. Those who doubt the glory of Lathander are those that doubt the inherit goodness that must be inside all living creatures. Without this goodness in our blood that is passed down through generations, what is the point of living at all? Look how the world descends into strife without the guidance of Lathander's light. Is it not *right* for Lathander to reign? - **Grave Priest** - **Life Priest** - **Light Priest** - **Night Priest** #### Leira, Goddess of Illusion ***Chaotic Neutral.*** Those who worship Leira reject the conventions and labels that society places upon them. When the church was all but wiped out by followers of Cyric, it stands to reason, then, that those followers that remain would reject too the notion that their god was gone from the world. With frequent missions to secretly establish new bases of operations and spread the word of their god's return, the worship of Leira is alive and well ... even if the same cannot be said about the goddess herself. - **Trickery Priest** \columnbreak #### Lliira, Goddess of Joy ***Chaotic Good.*** Travelling from town to town in tents, the Joydancers of Lliira exist to provide a welcome distraction from the tribulations of the common people. Their dances are perhaps too seductive, pulling farmers from their families, knights from their quest, wives from their husbands, and children from their parents, all for a chance to be lost forever watching the hypnotic sway of the dance. - **Life Priest** #### Loviatar, Goddess of Pain ***Lawful Evil.*** Masquerading as the church of Ilmater, missionaries of Loviatar are the ultimate perversion of perseverance. They can be insidious at first, offering only aid and companionship in times of need, plotting in secret for years or even decades as they worm their way into the graces of a community, learning all they can about the relationships and flaws of every individual before finally striking to maximise the suffering of all, disappearing into the night forever. - **Death Priest** - **Trickery Priest** #### Malar, God of the Hunt ***Chaotic Evil.*** Missionaries of Malar carry with them sacrificial altars that can be used to establish a base of operations in only a few minutes with the application of the blood of a screaming sentient being. Most worshippers are lycanthropes who have promised Malar the spread of their curse across the world. - **Nature Priest** #### Mask, God of Thieves ***Chaotic Neutral.*** In a world where nobles are rich only by the chance of their birth, and in which the wealth of nations comes from the subjugation of those lesser than them, does it not stand to reason that the method in which wealth is obtained has little impact over the power and prestige of said wealth? If that is not the case, then whey *shouldn't* the church of Mask send missionaries to forcibly take wealth for itself in whatever manner it sees fit? - **Trickery Priest** #### Mielikki, Goddess of Forests ***Neutral Good.*** In elevated watchtowers above major forested regions, missionaries of Mielikki keep a watchful eye not just over the trees but also over all the people within their jurisdiction, providing aid judiciously. There may be a bit of dispute over exactly how far their jurisdiction extends, but this is a matter for others to argue with while the priests go about their business as usual. - **Nature Priest** \pagebreakNum #### Milil, Goddess of Poetry and Song ***Neutral Good.*** A mission in Milil's name often involves a pop-up theatre that provides not just a place of worship but also of entertainment. Travellers come far and wide to experience the wonderfully pleasing music, the exiting plays, and the tear-jerking poetry, but behind all of this happens to be a very clear propaganda of adopting staunch pacifism in all conflict and embracing only the healing power of performance above all else. - **Light Priest** #### Myrkul, God of Death ***Neutral Evil.*** The afterlife is a myth. It is one and the same with life, just a separate step, nothing more. Life is not the mortal body, but the soul, and in this world, even souls may die. The death of the soul is the true death, the death above all else, the end of existence, the eternity of time, the endless infinity that swallows all, rich and poor, good and evil, commoner and god alike. Even the god of death, Myrkul himself, is rumoured to be dead. Death cannot be stopped. For the time being, however, the existential fear it represents can be harnessed by missionaries for their own benefit. - **Death Priest** - **Grave Priest** #### Mystra, Goddess of Magic ***Lawful Neutral.*** Mystra is less of a specific deity and more the title of a series of deities that have each taken up duties as the adjudicator of magic in the world. Missionaries of Mystra are quite open about how they worships the *idea* of Mystra rather than the goddess herself. Given the vagueness of that interpretation, missions in her name are completely ineffective at enforcing the rules of magical conduct they insist others follow. - **Arcana Priest** - **Knowledge Priest** #### Oghma, God of Knowledge ***Neutral.*** No ideas are worth quelling, no beliefs are without merit, and free speech is always justified. The missions of Oghma that often set up in public squares encourage any with a strong ideology to gather an audience, bringing their knowledge to people who would otherwise have no way of being exposed to it. In theory, this spurs creativity and debate. In practice, it enables the worst dregs of society to spew nonsensical hatred while simultaneously burying the spread of true knowledge under an ocean of misinformation. Their forums don't spur public debate -- they legitimise ignorance. - **Arcana Priest** - **Knowledge Priest** \columnbreak #### Savras, God of Divination and Fate ***Lawful Neutral.*** Missions in the name of Savras are ostensibly interested in travelling out on quests to divine the future of the world, but it cherry-picks these forecasts in order to suit the narrative that benefits the priests most highly. A kingdom might be projected to flourish, but in order to secure funding for their public projects to ensure this future comes to pass, the priests might strategically leave out the part where the flourishing requires the assassination of the standing lord. - **Grave Priest** - **Knowledge Priest** - **Night Priest** #### Selûne, Goddess of the Moon ***Chaotic Good.*** The moon represents transformation. In the case of lycanthropes, this transformation is literal and visceral. At first, missions were only sent out to support those who lived their lives under the light of the moon, but as the world grew more complicated and the night owls mixed with the morning larks, missions in the name of Selûne began offering their support to all. - **Knowledge Priest** - **Life Priest** - **Night Priest** #### Shar, Goddess of Darkness and Loss ***Neutral Evil.*** The primary goal of any particular mission of Shar is the destruction of the church of Shar's twin sister Selûne. While Selûne has narrowed her focus from all of good and light to just those who frolic under the moon (and fluctuating everywhere in between), Shar has remained vigilant on the task of matching every source of light in the world with an equal and opposite source of darkness. This involves, most notably, smearing the borders of the Shadowfell to overlap with the material realm. - **Death Priest** - **Night Priest** - **Trickery Priest** #### Shaundakul, God of Travel and Exploration ***Chaotic Neutral.*** Worshippers of Shaundakul live off the land, acting as caravaneers, guards, and sherpas for other travellers. On a holy day of Shaundakul, all of his followers become one with the wind, carried off to places they have never been to spread the word of their god to new nations. - **Protection Priest** #### Silvanus, God of Wild Nature ***Neutral.*** The woodlands must be preserved at all costs. Worshipping their Forest Father from impossibly high treehouses, followers of Silvanus stand steadfast against the intrusion of civilisation into the natural forests of the world. Sometimes this involves warnings. Other times, arrows. - **Nature Priest** - **Night Priest** \pagebreakNum #### Sune, Goddess of Love and Beauty ***Chaotic Good.*** Sune represents the perfect idealisation of beauty. Those with good in their very soul show their goodness on the outside and are born beautiful as a result. Those with evil in their hearts express that ugliness inside and out. Beauty is good, and the lack thereof is evil. Missions, therefore, set their goals around improving the aesthetic value of their surroundings, for if they can surround themselves with beauty, they are, in essence, also fortifying themselves against evil. - **Life Priest** - **Light Priest** - **Night Priest** #### Talona, Goddess of Disease and Poison ***Chaotic Evil.*** Deep within the temples and palaces of the Night's Embrace lay the worshippers of Talona conducting their evil missions, bent over cauldrons of bubbling green soup. The smell of rotten eggs permeates the air, and the ground seems to heave beneath their feet like the regular inhaling and exhaling of a lung. It is not enough that plagues and poisons bring a natural and horrible death on their own. Here, they are manufactured. - **Death Priest** #### Talos, God of Storms ***Chaotic Evil.*** Upon the top floors of great towers the priests of Talos hurl virgins into the swirling maelstroms before them as an offering to their god. Missionaries of Talos don't see themselves as evil -- they see themselves as necessary. Without providing appeasement, they know that the fury of the Storm God may spread across the pantheon, bringing about not just terrible storms but also endless winters, rising tides, and rabid beasts descending on civilisation. Talos is the cornerstone of the gods of natural chaos, and to incur his wrath is to incur the wrath of all of nature itself. - **Tempest Priest** #### Tempus, God of War ***Neutral.*** To become the god of war, one must destroy all who seek the title themselves, of which there are many so unbelievably powerful that were their ambitions set a little lower they could rule the material realm with ease. Tempus killed them all and more. Missionaries in his name must do the same, mobilising their forces with the power of industry and fighting off any who would dare to contest the rights to worship Tempus. Nobody has challenged them in millennia, but why should that be cause for disarmament? - **Forge Priest** - **War Priest** \columnbreak #### Torm, God of Courage and Self-Sacrifice ***Lawful Good.*** The goal of a mission to Torm is temperance. They have the might and power to conquer, but they choose to keep the peace. They have the wisdom to change the world, but they choose to guide it. They have the power to silence those who disagree, but they choose to change the minds of dissenters instead. Whether their methods are effective is another matter entirely. - **Forge Priest** - **Grave Priest** - **Protection Priest** - **War Priest** #### Tymora, Goddess of Good Fortune ***Chaotic Good.*** Missions for Tymora across the world share little in terms of goals. The various sects of her worshippers differ dramatically in their structure and duties. However, just like concepts of happiness and health that defy any one definition, everyone knows implicitly in their hearts the importance of bringing good fortune into everyday life. - **Trickery Priest** #### Tyr, God of Justice ***Lawful Good.*** The chief concern of any mission for Tyr is the punishment of wrong-doers. A city might have a perfectly functional justice system in place, but if that justice system is perceived by the high priests to be too lenient, the mission will step in to forcefully dismantle the entire system and rebuild it from the ground up to resemble a more punitive structure consistent with the values of the church. All for the greater good. - **Protection Priest** - **War Priest** #### Umberlee, Goddess of the Sea ***Chaotic Evil.*** Like many missions devoted to a chaotic evil gods, the main focus of its missionaries is appeasement. Worshippers must brave the sting of wind and the chill of the spray of water each morning to ensure safe passage of ships and the quelling of her temper against those who build their homes next to the sea. The tumultuous nature of Umberlee extends to her followers, where disputes are solved through duels rather than through discussion. The winner is truly fit to rule, for Umberlee would empower those most worthy with the power to win the duel, wouldn't she? - **Tempest Priest** \pagebreakNum #### Uthgar, God of Physical Strength ***Chaotic Neutral.*** The majority of Uthgar's followers make up the barbaric Uthgardt tribes, forming simple collapsible huts as places of worship. The Uthgardt tribes are as varied as the beasts that roam the plains and have little central principles that guide them all, but the one thing they do share is the reverence of strength in battle. Missions for Uthgar, therefore, are perceived by outsiders as nothing more than raiding parties. - **Nature Priest** - **War Priest** #### Waukeen, Goddess of Trade ***Neutral.*** A mission in the name of Waukeen often takes the form of an open market. Worshippers are encouraged to become entrepreneurs and share a portion of their profits with the church in exchange for consultation and insurance against misfortune. At least, this is the public face of the missions of Waukeen. Underneath its bustling markets thrives a subculture of smuggling, thievery, and gambling. The underground elements of a market are just as important as the loans and mortgages above. - **Forge Priest** - **Knowledge Priest** - **Trickery Priest** ## Statblocks #### Tier One - **Acolyte** (MM pg. 342) - **Arcana Priest** (NPC pg. 27) - **Death Priest** (NPC pg. 28) - **Forge Priest** (NPC pg. 29) - **Grave Priest** (NPC pg. 30) - **Knowledge Priest** (NPC pg. 31) - **Life Priest** (NPC pg. 32) - **Light Priest** (NPC pg. 33) - **Nature Priest** (NPC pg. 34) - **Night Priest** (NPC pg. 35) - **Priest** (MM pg. 348) - **Protection Priest** (NPC pg. 36) - **Tempest Priest** (NPC pg. 37) - **Trickery Priest** (NPC pg. 38) #### Tier Two - **Bishop** - **War Priest** (VGM pg. 218) #### Tier Three - **Cardinal** #### Tier Four - **Avatar** \columnbreak ___ > ## Bishop >*Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment* > ___ > - **Armor Class** 16 (chain mail, shield) > - **Hit Points** 88 (16d8 + 16) > - **Speed** 30 ft. >___ >|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA| >|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:| >|12 (+1)|10 (+0)|12 (+1)|15 (+2)|17 (+3)|15 (+2)| >___ > - **Skills** Persuasion +5, Religion +5 > - **Senses** passive Perception 13 > - **Languages** any two languages > - **Challenge** 6 (2,300 XP) > ___ > > ***Spellcasting.*** The bishop is an 8th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following cleric spells prepared. > > Cantrips (at will): *light, sacred flame, spare the dying, thaumaturgy* > <br> 1st level (4 slots): *cure wounds, guiding bolt, purify food and drink, shield of faith* > <br> 2nd level (3 slots): *lesser restoration, spiritual weapon, zone of truth* > <br> 3rd level (3 slots): *mass healing word, spirit guardians* > <br> 4th level (3 slots): *banishment, guardian of faith* > > ### Actions > ***Mace.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage. > > ***Turn Undead (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest).*** The bishop presents its holy symbol and speaks a prayer. Each undead that can see or hear the bishop must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. If the target is an undead of CR 1 or lower, it is destroyed on a failed save. Otherwise, on a failed save the target is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. A turned creature moves up to its speed away from the bishop and can't willingly move within 30 feet of it. It can't take reactions and must either use the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that stops it from moving. If it can't move, it can take the Dodge action. \pagebreakNum ___ > ## Cardinal >*Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment* > ___ > - **Armor Class** 20 (plate mail, shield) > - **Hit Points** 195 (30d8 + 60) > - **Speed** 30 ft. >___ >|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA| >|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:| >|12 (+1)|10 (+0)|15 (+2)|15 (+2)|19 (+4)|15 (+2)| >___ > - **Skills** Persuasion +6, Religion +6 > - **Senses** passive Perception 14 > - **Languages** any two languages > - **Challenge** 12 (8,400 XP) > ___ > > ***Spellcasting.*** The cardinal is a 15th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following cleric spells prepared. > > Cantrips (at will): *light, mending, sacred flame, spare the dying, thaumaturgy* > <br> 1st level (4 slots): *cure wounds, guiding bolt, purify food and drink, shield of faith* > <br> 2nd level (3 slots): *lesser restoration, spiritual weapon, zone of truth* > <br> 3rd level (3 slots): *remove curse, mass healing word, spirit guardians* > <br> 4th level (3 slots): *banishment, guardian of faith* > <br> 5th level (3 slots): *flame strike, greater restoration, hallow, raise dead* > <br> 6th level (1 slot): *true seeing* > <br> 7th level (1 slot): *divine word* > <br> 8th level (1 slot): *resurrection* > > > ### Actions > ***Mace.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage. > > ***Turn Undead (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest).*** The cardinal presents its holy symbol and speaks a prayer. Each undead that can see or hear the cardinal must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. If the target is an undead of CR 3 or lower, it is destroyed on a failed save. Otherwise, on a failed save the target is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. A turned creature moves up to its speed away from the cardinal and can't willingly move within 30 feet of it. It can't take reactions and must either use the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that stops it from moving. If it can't move, it can take the Dodge action. \columnbreak ___ > ## Avatar >*Medium celestial, any alignment* > ___ > - **Armor Class** 23 (natural armor) > - **Hit Points** 380 (40d8 + 200) > - **Speed** 30 ft. >___ >|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA| >|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:| >|15 (+2)|10 (+0)|20 (+5)|15 (+2)|20 (+5)|19 (+4)| >___ > - **Skills** Persuasion +5, Religion +5 > - **Senses** passive Perception 13 > - **Languages** any two languages > - **Challenge** 18 (20,000 XP) > ___ > > ***Divine Intervention (Recharges after a Long Rest).*** As a bonus action, the avatar can cast any spell with a casting time of one action from the cleric spell list without expending a spell slot or components, even if the spell isn't on its prepared spell list or if it has already cast a spell on its turn. After doing so, the avatar regains all of its expended spell slots. > > ***Spellcasting.*** The avatar is a 20th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following cleric spells prepared. > > Cantrips (at will): *light, mending, sacred flame, spare the dying, thaumaturgy* > <br> 1st level (4 slots): *command, cure wounds, guiding bolt, purify food and drink, shield of faith* > <br> 2nd level (3 slots): *lesser restoration, spiritual weapon, zone of truth* > <br> 3rd level (3 slots): *create food and water, remove curse, mass healing word, spirit guardians* > <br> 4th level (3 slots): *banishment, guardian of faith* > <br> 5th level (3 slots): *dispel evil and good, flame strike, greater restoration, hallow, raise dead* > <br> 6th level (2 slots): *true seeing, word of recall* > <br> 7th level (2 slots): *divine word, symbol* > <br> 8th level (1 slot): *holy aura* > <br> 9th level (1 slot): *true resurrection* > > ### Actions > > ***Mace.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage. > > ***Turn Undead (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest).*** The avatar presents its holy symbol and speaks a prayer. Each undead that can see or hear the avatar must make a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw. If the target is an undead of CR 4 or lower, it is destroyed on a failed save. Otherwise, on a failed save the target is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. A turned creature moves up to its speed away from the avatar and can't willingly move within 30 feet of it. It can't take reactions and must either use the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that stops it from moving. If it can't move, it can take the Dodge action. \pagebreakNum ## Mission Strategies Each mission has a vastly different method of conducting battle, often depending more on the personality of its god than on the abilities of its missionaries. Even so, missions can share a few common strategies. ***Death Never Comes.*** When a missionary falls in battle, other members are there to pick them up with a healing spell. Some evil missions may even use the bodies of their comrades as undead soldiers, picking up fallen weapons and throwing themselves ever further into the fray. After a battle, the wounded are dragged back to their temples to be healed fully, and, if possible, the dead are resurrected. Just as though they were termites, it's nearly impossible to wipe out a mission unless you can take out every member at once, or cripple their ability to get back up and keep fighting. ***Dignity in Peace and Battle.*** A mission never fights unless it is necessary to do so and the results of the fight will be beneficial to their goals (in some cases, even a defeat can garner support). Missions are not always meant to be a fighting force. They exist to demonstrate the superiority of the principles of their god, for which glory in battle is not always valued. Far better to negotiate an alliance than to draw blood. ## Cleric Tactics Clerics come as varied as their gods. A grave priest might hang at the edges of the battle, dragging the wounded to safety. A war priest might leap into the fray, urging its companions to do the same. A death priest might cackle as it puppeteers its fallen enemies to fight against their former allies. Clerics do, however, all prepare their spells from the same limited list of availabilities, and certain tactics are preferred over others. ***Swirling Celestial Fury.*** If a high-level cleric knows they will be going into battle, they will cast *guardian of faith* ahead of time to give themselves an extra edge. *Spirit guardians* is usually the first spell cast once the battle begins, punishing any who come close. Once these spells are activated, a typical cleric will rain down blow after blow from its *spiritual weapon* and its *sacred flame*. If the battle lasts for a long time, a cleric can have *guardian of faith, spirit guardians,* and *spiritual weapon* all active while it casts even more instantaneous spells like *flame strike* and *guiding bolt*. ***Push Back the Tide.*** Much of the cleric's arsenal encourages it to push against the tides of battle, forcing the enemy to retreat with their tail between their legs. In addition to spells like *guardian of faith* and *spirit guardians* that lash out against enemies close to the cleric, the cleric can also use its ***Turn Undead*** to knock back waves of undead creatures if need be, and spells like *banishment*, *hallow*, and *dispel evil and good* force otherworldly enemies to retreat, even if it's only temporarily. Warding off an invasion without drawing blood can be just as useful as slaughtering the invaders outright. \columnbreak ## Helm's Holy Vigilance Against Evil ___ - ***Race.*** Human. - ***Higher Power.*** Helm, God of Protection. - ***Featured Subclass.*** Protection Priest. Helm's Holy Vigilance Against Evil is the designation of a mission for the church of Helm based out of Baldur's Gate. Clerics for Helm helped protect the city against recent raids from a gnoll warband, yet for worshippers of Helm, protection is not enough: they must venture out to seek the source of evil and smite it down. Only then can evil truly be vanquished. As such, this small mission has been sent out by the church to stake out the small town of Grull's March after hearing a rumour that a cultist of Yeenoghu was hiding amidst the villagers. If the rumour is right, the cultist is the one who steered the warband towards Baldur's Gate. Killing him or her might prevent future attacks. ### Grimbald Tyresian Grimbald Tyresian is a young **bishop** in the church of Helm who was given the position after many of the church's members of higher standing were killed in a battle against a demon a few years back. Since then, members with higher seniority and capability have rejoined the church and resent the fact that someone with so little experience outranks them. He had no intention of leading the mission into Grull's March, but after being found in a compromising position with a deacon, his superiors took pleasure in assigning him to the investigation of this backwater town to prove himself worthy of retaining his status as bishop. Grimbald knows they fully expect him to make a mistake that will cost him his bishopship, and he is determined to avoid that outcome at all costs by completing the mission with blinding efficiency. As a bishop of Helm embodying the domain of protection, Grimbald replaces his ***Turn Undead*** action with the ***Radiant Defense*** of a protection priest. Outside of combat, he relies on his *zone of truth* to help with the investigation, and given his inexperience he is not quite capable yet of determining whether someone under the effects of the spell is telling the whole truth or using tricky language to avoid suspicion. ### Cassandra Pascale Cassandra was a deacon of Helm before her dalliance with Grimbald resulted in her expulsion. Grimbald carries a lot of guilt as they both suspect that her expulsion was meant more as a punishment for him than for her. Grimbald has secretly brought her along on the mission in an attempt to prove that she should be reinstated as a deacon (or perhaps even promoted to priesthood). She is in disguise as a servant and plans to reveal herself only to help fight off any threats that face the mission. In the mean time, she divides her time between pursuing leads with the villagers and sharing a tent with Grimbald. Despite her expulsion, Cassandra still maintains her faith in Helm and carries with her the powers of an **acolyte**. \pagebreakNum ### Kaspar Barkley Grimbald doesn't know it, but Kaspar was only assigned to the mission to ensure that the young bishop remained steadfast to the principles of Helm. With such an emphasis on vigilance against evil, any hint that Grimbald is pulled in one direction by his duties and another by his carnal desires could be grounds for expulsion. Kaspar has his suspicions about the pretty young servant that tagged along with the caravan. If he finds out that Cassandra is distracting Grimbald, the whole investigation could be called off and Grimbald could face tribunal. Other than that, Kaspar does genuinely believe in the righteousness of the mission. He prepares himself each morning for the potential of having to exercise his powers as a **protection priest** to guard his allies from danger. ### Raphaela Rohaise With everyone else concerned with proving themselves or keeping an eye on each other, Raphaela sees herself as the only one who actually cares about conducting a successful mission. Far more than any other member of the mission, she is out interrogating villagers and pursuing any leads she finds. She wishes that more of her allies would put in the same effort as her so she isn't always off on her own; a **protection priest** is most comfortable while surrounded by friends. Raphaela is certainly not surrounded by friends. ### Other Investigators In addition to the bishop, the two priests, and the secret acolyte, the mission has nine people involved. #### Deacons Three deacons conduct the administrative aspect of the mission, dutifully cataloguing every encounter and poring over past documents to search for anything that might lead them to the cultist of Yeenoghu. They are each represented by the **noble** statblock. #### Servants There are six servants helping out with the mission in addition to Cassandra. None of the other servants have seen her around before and occasionally express their concern about the newcomer to Kaspar. Each servant other than Cassandra is represented by the **commoner** statblock. ### Conflict The party might come into conflict with the mission in one or more of the following ways, or through another way that fits more directly with your campaign. #### Request for Help One of the villagers from Grull's March has secretly sent out a raven requesting help from a party of adventurers to assist against what they see is a violation of their rights as tax-paying villagers. Grimbald's investigation can be brutal and torturous, as any amount of force that would lead them to the cultist is justified by its very nature. Since their cause is righteous, their methods must also be righteous, so they say. \columnbreak Perhaps if the party can convince the missionaries to disband, the town can return to its everyday business. The rumours are false, after all; there is no cultist. Right? #### Nobody Leaves The party is staying overnight in Grull's March to rest from a previous adventure, only to find in the morning that nobody has been allowed to leave the town until the cultist is located. The party finds themselves directly interrogated by several missionaries. As adventurers, they are already held in suspicion by the missionaries for their presumably arcane dabbling. Any warlock in the group will be hounded with particular intensity. ### The Cultist of Yeenoghu It's up to the DM whether the rumours are true. If the rumours are not true, Grimbald is so desperate for results that he may be willing to see signs of Yeenoghu's influence in anyone and use it as evidence to kill them and bring their head back in triumph, guilt or innocence be damned. The party can either fight him and his group directly or pit the missionaries against each other by revealing Grimbald and Cassandra's relationship to Kaspar. If the rumours are indeed true, the cultist of Yeenoghu might in fact be using the magic that emanates off of the party to conceal their own magical power. If discovered quickly, the cultist might attempt to flee, but if given time to prepare, the cultist might call forth a pack of **gnolls** that attacks the city from its borders to overwhelm both the party and Grimbald's missionaries. The cultist himself can be represented by the **cult fanatic** statblock or, for a greater challenge, a **warlock of the fiend**. You can use the information from the section on gnolls in *Volo's Guide to Monsters* or the section on demon lords from *Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes* to add flavour to the cultist.