 Mystery Cultist
Source Chronicle of the Righteous pg. 48
Among the most pious worshipers of the empyreal
lords are those known as mystery cultists. These zealots
hone their spellcasting powers in honor of their patron
empyreal lord and dedicate their lives to the teachings of this
entity. The most powerful and respected mystery cultists
become leaders of their own mystery cults and use their
not insignificant resources to further the cause of good.RequirementsTo qualify to become a mystery cultist, a character must
fulfill all of the following criteria:
Alignment: Any good.
Feats: Celestial Obedience (see page 5).
Language: Celestial.
Skills: Knowledge (religion) 7 ranks.
Special: Must worship an empyreal lord.
Special: Must have been spiritually awakened by the
presence of a celestial being—either by being rescued
from the brink of death by a willing good outsider of CR 5
or greater or by being the recipient of a beneficial spell or
effect from a celestial being of CR 10 or greater.Class SkillsThe Mystery Cultist's class skills are Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate
(Cha), Knowledge (planes), Knowledge (religion), Sense
Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Hit Die: d8.Class Features| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Spells Per Day | | 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +1 | Blessed, obedience | — | | 2nd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | Glorious aura | +1 level of existing class | | 3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +2 | Celestial boon 1 | +1 level of existing class | | 4th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +2 | Brand of healing, summon celestial 1 | +1 level of existing class | | 5th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +3 | Fervor | +1 level of existing class | | 6th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +3 | Celestial boon 2 | +1 level of existing class | | 7th | +5 | +2 | +2 | +4 | Incorruptible | +1 level of existing class | | 8th | +6 | +3 | +3 | +4 | Summon celestial 2 | +1 level of existing class | | 9th | +6 | +3 | +3 | +5 | Celestial boon 3 | +1 level of existing class | | 10th | +7 | +3 | +3 | +5 | Sacred haven | +1 level of existing class |
All of the following are class features of the mystery cultist
prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A mystery cultist
gains proficiency with all simple weapons and with her
celestial patron’s favored weapon. She gains no additional
proficiency with armor or shields.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: At the indicated levels, when
a new mystery cultist level is gained, the character gains new
spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting
class she belonged to before taking the prestige class. She
does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that
class would have gained, except for additional spells per day,
spells known (if she is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an
increased effective level of spellcasting. If the character had
more than one spellcasting class before becoming a mystery
cultist, she must decide to which class she adds the new
level for the purposes of determining spells per day.
Blessed (Ex): Upon a mystery cultist’s death, her soul
appears in the good Outer Planes. In time, her soul will
transform into an agathion, angel, archon, or azata.
If the mystery cultist is successfully resurrected, she may
immediately gain the answer to any one question as if she had
cast contact other plane and reached her empyreal lord patron.
The mystery cultist need not succeed at an Intelligence
check to avoid a decrease in Intelligence or Charisma. The
empyreal lord is treated as an “intermediate deity of the
Outer Planes”—treat any “lie” result as “don’t know” instead.
Obedience (Ex): In order to maintain the abilities granted
by this prestige class (including all spellcasting abilities
that have been augmented by this prestige class), a mystery
cultist must indulge in a daily obedience to her chosen
empyreal lord (see page 5).
Glorious Aura (Su): Starting at 2nd level, a mystery
cultist can shroud herself in a glorious aura for 1 round per
mystery cultist level. These rounds need not be consecutive.
Her features radiate with divine beauty, but the force of her
presence can be frightening to others. The mystery cultist
gains a +4 sacred bonus to her Charisma score and radiates
a 10-foot aura of terrible awe. Creatures within the aura
must succeed at a Will save (DC 10 + the mystery cultist’s
class level + the mystery cultist’s Charisma modifier) or
become frightened for 1d4 rounds. Regardless of whether
the save is successful, a creature cannot be affected by a
mystery cultist’s glorious aura more than once in 24 hours.
This is a fear effect.
Celestial Boon: As the mystery cultist gains levels,
she gains boons from her celestial patron. The nature
of the boons varies depending on the mystery cultist’s
chosen empyreal lord. Each empyreal lord grants three
boons, each more powerful than the last. At 3rd level,
the mystery cultist gains the first boon. At 6th level,
she gains the second boon, and at 9th level, she gains the
third boon. Consult the Celestial Obedience feat on page 5
and the empyreal lord descriptions in Chapter One for
details on celestial boons. When a celestial boon grants a
spell-like ability, the mystery cultist’s level for the spelllike
ability equals her total character level. This ability
allows a mystery cultist to access these boons earlier than
normal; it does not grant additional uses of the boons
once the character reaches the necessary Hit Dice to earn
the boons normally.
Brand of Healing (Sp): At 4th level, the mystery cultist
gains the ability to cast heal as a spell-like ability once per
day. The target of this ability is branded on the forehead
or another visible area with an incandescent tattoo of the
holy symbol of the mystery cultist’s patron. The holy brand
lasts for 24 hours before fading.
Summon Celestial (Sp): Starting at 4th level, a mystery
cultist can use summon monster VI once per day to conjure
one lillend, 1d3 bralanis, or 1d4+1 hound archons to serve
her. At 8th level, the mystery cultist also gains the ability
to use summon monster VIII once per day to conjure one
monadic deva, 1d3 avoral agathions, or 1d4+1 lillends to serve
her. Mystery cultists who worship a particular empyreal
lord may be able to summon other good outsiders of equal
power with this ability (according to GM discretion).
Fervor (Su): At 5th level, the mystery cultist can enter a
religious fervor for a number of rounds per day equal to her
class level, and can enter a fervor or end it as a free action.
While in this fervor, the mystery cultist gains a +2 sacred
bonus on all weapon attack and damage rolls, DR 5/evil, and
a +2 bonus to her caster level for the purposes of determining
the range, duration, and level-dependent effects of spells.
In addition, her base speed increases by 10 feet.
A mystery cultist takes a –4 penalty on Charisma checks
and Charisma-based skill checks during the fervor and for
a number of minutes afterward equal to 2 × the number of
rounds spent in the religious fervor.
Incorruptible (Su): At 7th level, the mystery cultist gains
a +2 bonus on saving throws versus disease and poison. If
the mystery cultist is killed, her body does not decompose,
but stays pure and whole as if targeted by a permanent
gentle repose spell. This effectively extends the period in
which she can be affected by a raise dead spell indefinitely.
Finally, this ability prevents the mystery cultist from ever
being transformed into an undead creature by any means
short of a wish or miracle.
Sacred Haven (Su): At 10th level, the mystery cultist earns
a place at the side of her celestial patron. A room is set aside
for her at her patron’s place of residence on the celestial
planes (if her patron has no permanent residence, the room
stands alone in a quiet spot on the celestial planes). Once per
day, the mystery cultist can teleport herself and one willing
creature per mystery cultist level to this sacred haven as per
plane shift, except she always arrives exactly at the threshold
of her haven. The room is outfitted with comfortable beds
for everyone, a small research library, a shrine, and a chest
or cupboard that functions as a portable hole but that cannot
be removed from the room. The mystery cultist can teleport
herself and her allies out of the sacred haven at will, but can
only return to the spot from which they last left.Ex-Mystery CultistsA mystery cultist whose alignment becomes any nongood, or
who goes against the will of her patron, loses all class features
of this prestige class, including all spellcasting ability
enhanced by this class (even if that spellcasting ability comes
from a class that normally does not rely on the approval of a
divine patron). She cannot thereafter gain levels as a mystery
cultist until she atones for her deeds (see the atonement spell
description). This is the only route a mystery cultist can take
to switch to a different celestial patron—the atonement must
come from a worshiper of the new empyreal lord.
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