Cultist
A believer in something that should not be believed in.
A Cultist is a human who has given themselves to a Fold-touched belief: a cult, a doctrine, a signal picked up from the wrong frequency. They are not psions; they are the congregation, the choir, the raw material. Some are desperate Rim survivors who found meaning in the wrong place. Some are Core citizens who heard the hum beneath the Station and followed it down. What they share is conviction -- the absolute, unshakeable belief that what waits on the other side of the door is salvation, not annihilation.
A single Cultist is a sad, dangerous fool. A circle of them is a ritual. A circle led by a Rogue Psion is a breach. The lever is the belief: break it and the Cultist is just a person; confirm it and they will open the door with their bare hands.
Rules Reference
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abilities / Cha | 12 |
| Abilities / Con | 10 |
| Abilities / Dex | 12 |
| Abilities / Int | 8 |
| Abilities / Str | 10 |
| Abilities / Wis | 10 |
| Armor Class | 11 |
| Base Attack Bonus | 1 |
| Creature Type | Humanoid |
| Flat Ac | 10 |
| Hd Count | 1 |
| Hd Sides | 8 |
| Hit Dice | 1d8 |
| Hit Points | 4 |
| Hp Bonus | 0 |
| Initiative | 1 |
| Languages | Trade Cant; cult cant (a corrupted dialect understood only by initiates) |
| Psionics | None (Fold-attuned but not psychic; the Cultist channels the Fold through ritual, not personal power) |
| Role Tags | Minion, Melee, Zealot |
| Saves / Fort | 2 |
| Saves / Ref | 3 |
| Saves / Will | 2 |
| Size | M |
| Skills / Athletics | 2 |
| Skills / Concentration | 3 |
| Skills / Intimidation | 4 |
| Skills / Notice | 2 |
| Skills / Stealth | 3 |
| Speed | 30 |
| Threat Rating | 1 |
| Touch Ac | 11 |
| Xp | 50 |
| Dialogue Path | game/dialogue/npc-cultist.yaml |
Notes
Full Attack: Ritual Blade melee +2 (1d4 piercing; DC 12 Fort or 1d4 Con damage from poison) or Scrounged slug pistol ranged +2 (1d6 energy; range 20 ft) or Incendiary Flask ranged +2 (1d6 fire; range 15 ft; ignites flammables; 1/encounter)
Habitat: Fold-tainted sites, abandoned stations, under-hab ritual chambers, and anywhere the barrier between reality and the Fold is thin enough for the desperate to hear. Found in circles of 3-8, often near a Rogue Psion or a Fold-tainted site, performing rituals, guarding a breach, or recruiting. Roll 1d6: 1-2 = Cultists in a ritual chamber, chanting (pre-encounter, vulnerable), 3-4 = Cultists on patrol around a Fold-tainted site (alert, frenzied), 5-6 = Cultists in the middle of a ritual that is going wrong (Fold phenomena active, everyone at risk).
Morale: Fanatic (15) while the ritual or frenzy holds; drops to Unsteady (8) if the ritual is broken, the Psion falls, or the Fold phenomenon ends
Resistances: Fold-attuned (can sense psychic phenomena; included in senses), Fanatic conviction (+4 to Will saves against effects that would change their beliefs or cause them to abandon the cult)
Senses: Normal human vision; Fold-attuned (can sense psychic phenomena within 30 ft as a vague unease; +2 to Notice vs invisible or ethereal threats); passive Perception 11
Tactics: Cultists swarm and chant. They open with Ritual Chant if numbers allow, then charge with Fold Frenzy. They use Incendiary Flasks to create hazards and Ritual Blades to finish the wounded. They do not retreat; they are already dead in their minds. The lever is the circle: break the chant, scatter the Cultists, or kill the Psion and the frenzy dies with the faith.
Treasure: Ritual blade (10 rek; poisoned, handle with care), cult vestments (0 rek to outsiders; 50 rek to a collector or Confederation intelligence), cult symbols or tokens (sentimental; intelligence value varies), 1d6 rek in loose coin, chemical components for the incendiary flask (25 rek), a scrap of Fold-tainted material (100-500 rek to a Core research lab; dangerous to carry).
Vulnerabilities: Ritual-dependent (without a chanting circle or a Psion to anchor them, Cultists lose Fold Frenzy and Ritual Chant bonuses; alone they are just frightened people with knives), Poisoned blades (the Cultist's own ritual poison can be turned against them; a DC 12 Craft or Lore check identifies the poison and its antidote)
Attacks
Ritual Blade
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 2 |
category | melee |
damage | 1d4 |
damageType | piercing |
name | Ritual Blade |
notes | Ceremonial; often poisoned (DC 12 Fort, 1d4 Con damage) |
Scrounged slug pistol
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 2 |
category | ranged |
damage | 1d6 |
damageType | energy |
name | Scrounged slug pistol |
notes | If carried at all; many Cultists fight with blades and fire |
rangeFt | 20 |
Incendiary Flask
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 2 |
category | ranged |
damage | 1d6 |
damageType | fire |
name | Incendiary Flask |
notes | Incendiary charge in a breakable container; ignites flammable materials; 1/encounter |
rangeFt | 15 |
Special Abilities
Ritual Chant
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Full-round (ritual) |
name | Ritual Chant |
description: Three or more Cultists within 10 ft of each other can spend a full-round action chanting. At the start of the next round, all Cultists in the circle gain +2 to Will saves and +1 to attack rolls for 1d4 rounds (Fold resonance). If a Rogue Psion is within 30 ft of the chanting circle, the Psion gains +1d6 to psychic damage for the same duration. Player-visible: the chanting starts low and builds; the air thickens; the lights flicker. Something is listening.
Fold Frenzy
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | passive (triggered) |
name | Fold Frenzy |
description: When a Cultist witnesses a Fold phenomenon (a Rogue Psion's power, a Fold-tainted event, or a successful Ritual Chant), they enter a frenzy: +2 to melee attack rolls, immune to fear, and must charge the nearest enemy each round. The frenzy lasts until the Cultist drops to 0 HP or the phenomenon ends. Player-visible: the Cultist's eyes go wide, their mouth opens, and they run straight at the thing that should frighten them.
Martyr's Fire
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Standard (1/encounter) |
name | Martyr's Fire |
description: A Cultist can set themselves on fire as a standard action. For the next 1d4 rounds the Cultist deals 1d6 fire damage to any creature that hits them in melee and illuminates a 10-ft radius (no concealment). At the end of the duration the Cultist drops to 0 HP (dead). Player-visible: the Cultist smiles, strikes a match, and burns.