Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 mercarcher Mar 24, 2012 14:27:05	I'm currently playing a campaign where the party is evil. This is 3.5 and I am playing a warlock/binder/hellfire warlock. Mycharacterworships Nerull however he is also causing a lot ofhavoc in the world of our campaign so I odn't broadcast that he is my god. I am currently impersonating a cleric of st cuthbert ( I'm lawful evil) and want to open up a church that appears to be devoted to st cuthbrert but is really a secret temple of Nerull and use that church to Bring people in and take the strongest and most devout of them and convert them to the worship of Nerull eventually. I need some ideas thatwould help me accomplish this. I am already in possession of a former monistary that belonged to palor that has a sophisticated network of underground mines that would make it easy to conceal the real shrine. Overall Im having a great time with the campaign but am a bit stuck on how todo about completing my goal. Any ideas would be extremely helpful. Ps sorry for thetypoit this wastyped on my iPad.
#2 Cohen95 Mar 25, 2012 8:56:34	Well, aside from what's written in the books about the two deities, you should talk to your DM. I imagine most DMs are going to have slightly different interpretations of several deities, so you'd want to know what he thought of the whole thing, and gain his insight on how that would play out best. Talk to your DM.
#3 randomvirus Apr 03, 2012 17:20:50	How does any religion convert one from another? Education, enlightenment, or complete and total brainwashing. Obviously some are better "read: good" approaches to bringing people to your way. Maybe you could work fake miracles, or rituals, or torture people Clockwork Orange style.
#4 voodoo_doc Apr 12, 2012 20:51:09	Why convert them at all, why not just let them think they are worshipping St. Cubert, I mean look at what christian's did during the crusades in the name of thier god.
#5 saprolangtoken Apr 13, 2012 14:20:48	I would think that if they think they're worshipping st. cuthbert, then they are actually worshipping st cuthbert, even if a minion of nerull built the church they're doing it in. I would go with a normal church of st cuthbert, but with an inner circle who worships nerull.
#6 sorbeth2 Apr 13, 2012 18:04:45	Talk to the DM about the idea, this may give them all kinds of plot hooks to throw good NPC opponents at you too Fake holy symbols that are just a bit off (so that it doesn't trigger as a symbol of Cuthbert) with actual symbols of Nerull underneath.  Start off with sermons close to (but a little off of) Cuthbert liturgy and then work away over time towards Nurullian.  Take ranks in diplomacy, bluff, sense motive and intimidate too. It could be interesting, but be ready for a band of adventurers to raid you after a while.
#7 bajatmerc Apr 15, 2012 15:22:37	If they are devout Cuthbert worshipers that you want to convert, I suggest using the spiked kool-aid archetype.
#8 theapokalypseshovel Apr 16, 2012 1:14:34	As a budding cult leader you will really need to harp on the fundamentals. Community. Validation. A path out of the ordinary day to day existence. Make them feel special. You have to set it up in a way that people will form an in-group/out-group mentality. Since Cuthbert is a lawful deity, you can easily get away with having a relatively strict set of laws. You should set up different levels of membership within the Cuthbertite church, then above that your group of Nerull worshippers. Each level has different laws and responsibilities, and should reflect an increasing devotion to the cause, which actually means increasing levels of obedience. As your parishoners get higher in the ranking they should be made to make increasingly secretive and restrictive oaths to uphold the church, promote justice and law, and to recruit other members. New members should be required to wear specific garb that promotes the idea of group unity over individuality, and you should require members to participate in group activities and tithing. Eventually you will want to set people up in a way that they are more concerned with following the letter of the law as opposed to the intent. Once you have done that, you can bend the letter of the law for gain. Some ideas for structure: Lay parishoners - required to wear white robes in church, make tithes, follow a set of basic commandments including dietary restrictions and sexual taboos Pledged members - required to wear a gray sash, make an oath to uphold specific set of vows, must organize lay parishoners and have a quota of fundraising and recruitment, as well as all the demands of the lay parishoners, allowed to attend specific services The (fake) inner circle - allowed to wear a special coif, organize pledged members, conduct services, must attend a certain number of services, have a number of secret rituals with other members of the inner circle. Required to do secret missions for the good of the church. The real inner circle - Actually worship Nerull.
#9 yellowdingo May 02, 2012 7:09:55	How Charisma used to work  Back in the 1980s Charisma used to have an aspect known as Morale - a degree of loyalty of those who follow you. At 23 Charisma that Loyalty is Maximum (meaning they are fanatically Loyal). So this should have been carried on in the future editions but wasnt. Charisma is your Ego - your strength of personal self. This means that the greater a follower's Charisma is the greather his strength of will to resist your brainwashing. So what you as CULT LEADER BOB with your colossal Charisma are looking for is People of increasingly low self worth the further into your inner circle they are. So when preaching to the masses you would preach the basic Cuthbert Line that Life is important and you are defenders of life and shame on those who dont take the time to contribute some of their time to defending the community in the Militia. Further in you would train Friars - basically these are guys who are not clerics of Cuthbert (they are any Other Class). Think of the Friar below as a Template that can be laid over other Classes that fit. FRIAR RANK---------------------------SKILL TAUGHT TO FRIAR-------------------MIN INT&WIS 1.....................................................Read&Write.................................................10/11 Friar................................................Herbalism.....................................................11/12 3.....................................................Medicine.......................................................12/13 Brother/Sister.................................Ceremony (Blessing Births)...........................13/14 5.....................................................Knowledge (Caligraphy)................................14/15 Father/Mother................................Ceremony (Burials).........................................15/16 7.....................................................Knowledge (Paper Making).............................16/17 Father/Mother Superior..................Ceremony (Special Vows)...............................17/18 9.....................................................Knowledge (Cryptography).............................18/19 Abbott............................................Ceremony (Consecrate Objects)......................19/20 11...................................................Knowledge (Book Binding)...............................20/21 12...................................................Ceremony (Consecrate Ground)......................21/22