Vecna Cultists

[leegi0n]

Playgrounders,

I have an idea for a campaign where there would be an underground cult of Vecna operating within a city that is relatively holy. I haven't yet determined why they're there, probably for an assassination or something of the like. The idea for the story and the PCs would be that they would start off as good aligned characters but are slowly turned to the dark side by working for this Vecna cult that is disguised as something else. Effectively, I would like to start the game with good-aligned characters and end the the game with the same characters turned to evil-alignment.

So, what are your thoughts? I was thinking of hiding the Vecna cultists behind some neutral deity like Olidammara...maybe even go so far as to give the impression that they are a WeeJas or Boccob organization. How would the actual higher-ranking cultists look on paper? Would a build like Sorcerer/Ur-Priest/Loremaster work? How about the lower level minions?

I'm just fishing for ideas. Any and all are welcome. Thanks everyone.

[Reprimand]

Playgrounders,

I have an idea for a campaign where there would be an underground cult of Vecna operating within a city that is relatively holy. I haven't yet determined why they're there, probably for an assassination or something of the like. The idea for the story and the PCs would be that they would start off as good aligned characters but are slowly turned to the dark side by working for this Vecna cult that is disguised as something else. Effectively, I would like to start the game with good-aligned characters and end the the game with the same characters turned to evil-alignment.

So, what are your thoughts? I was thinking of hiding the Vecna cultists behind some neutral deity like Olidammara...maybe even go so far as to give the impression that they are a WeeJas or Boccob organization. How would the actual higher-ranking cultists look on paper? Would a build like Sorcerer/Ur-Priest/Loremaster work? How about the lower level minions?

I'm just fishing for ideas. Any and all are welcome. Thanks everyone.

The best way to not draw attention to yourself as a cultist would to not looks like a cultist. How to not get spotted as an assassin? Don't dress like one. You'd be surprised how much just not looking the part would help with stuff like that also a lack of information on superiors for underlings keeping them in the dark on who they're taking orders from helps protect the power structure of the cult and is in theme with vencan ideals. A cult of vecna would be more akin to a thieves guild than anything. Stuff like find Lord X's Secret would be common objectives for lower level cultists that could serve as a plot hook for the party. "A suspicious person has been seen skulking around the mayor's home. Hero's are needed to investigate and find out why they're there." The cult finding out more about the players could serve to escalate the story if PCs aren't careful about covering their tracks.

[Sactheminions]

More than anything else you need a second antagonist. If the Vecna cultists are going to draw the PCs into their web, they need a threat to wave in the PCs face that is "Evil" enough (whether or not actually aligned that way) to impress the PCs and goad the group on to greater acts of [whatever-you-encourage] in pursuit of their ends.

Also, don't set out to change your characters' alignment. Tempt them, but don't railroad them. For it to be a fulfilling campaign, they need to feel like the Evil is worth it right up to the big reveal (and ideally, even after that).

Also, watch out for divine characters. They may need to seek new patrons depending on your cosmology at some point.

[Afghanistan]

You'd be surprised how much just not looking the part would help with stuff like that

Yep. Also, something to consider is using unconventional threats to approach the PCs. Be very indirect with your attacks and approach. Easier said than done, but some low level feat options that almost any commoner can really take (and are even suggested in the Commoner Handbook) include, but are not limited to:

• Merchantile Background (Supplier for the cult)
• Resourceful Buyer (if your merchants have a bonus feat, this might be the best they can pick)
• Rapid Reload (more effective for a warrior, but commoners can also make use of it)
• Literally any of the Apprentice feats (except for Martial Artist)
• Magical Training (Cantrips are still powerful for games of intrigue; Amanuensis, Erasing, Mending, Prestidigitation are all solid options)
• Fell Conspircy (Walkie-Talkies in the Middle Ages are very powerful)
• Bind Vestige (Malphus is a solid choice)
• Criminal Background (turns your commoners into very bad rogues, but still rogues if they are absolutely necessary).
• Hardened Criminal (Immune to Intimidate; Bluff to make it look like it succeeded and the ability to take 10 on any one skill of your choice)

It is entirely possible to make the entire cult like Tucker's Kobold Commoners. As for which god to disguise the cult as? A thief god, or a god of knowledge, or magic will work. You can always just have the townies worship their own regional god if you'd like. I imagine Vecna wouldn't mind if you worshiped him secretly behind the veil of worshiping an agriculture god or something as long as it is done secretly at least.

[Mnemius]

Librarians, Investigators (if a big enough city, you'll have someone willing to private investigate), accountants, any form of muncipal services... all would be great places for a Vecna cultist to work.

Most of those if a person was high enough placed, would serve as excellent quest givers/story hooks.

[Vaern]

The city might have no-evil church housing an evil artifact that the cult of Vecna wants to get their hands on. Attempting to destroy artifacts is dangerous business as it will often attract the attention of powerful outsiders, so having the good guys safeguarding an evil artifact rather than destroying it outright is a reasonable scenario.

St. Cuthbert might be a good choice as he is lawful neutral in 3.5 and, though not explicitly good aligned, does disapprove of evil. It's conceivable that a lawful evil cleric could draw on St. Cuthbert's power while the church as a whole would keep the evil artifact on lock down - bearing in mind, of course, that not all members of the clergy are necessarily divine caster classes - so lawful evil cultists of Vecna may be able to pass as Cuthbert's own followers without even masking their alignment.

And so, rather than performing an assassination, the cult of Vecna is there to play the long con and ascend through the ranks of their rival church's clergy until they have access to the vault holding the artifact. By the time the party gets there, they are high enough in the ranks to be quest-givers.

They begin by assigning seemingly simple law-enforcement-type tasks that they might expect from a lawful neutral church, but with questionable resolutions (such as capturing a homeless beggar who stole half a load of bread from a local bakery and punishing him by removing a couple of fingers or his whole hand). The extent of these questionable resolutions should gradually increase as the party plays along until they become extremely compromising punishments for what amounts to petty crimes.

This development may also bring about the previously suggested secondary antagonist that the cult of Vecna will need to send the party against, perhaps in the form of a neutral good church of Pelor bringing the cover church's clergy into question - an act which the cultists tell the players that they regard as being on par with treason and which is punishable by death. Thus the party is pushed down the slippery slope of corruption masked by law, while potentially nudging the cultists up through the chain of command in the church they are infiltrating.

Preferably the artifact that they're after is not one of Vecna's personal effects - maybe a Book of Vile Darkness or some other generic evil artifact. If it is let slip at some point that the church is has been infiltrated by an evil cult and that the church is specifically housing the Eye of Vecna, for example, the party is going to know exactly who they are dealing with.

Instead, I would describe the highest-level cultist as being old and battle-scarred, bearing a glass eye and a false hand (functioning as a hand of the mage, but attached to the wrist rather than worn in the neck). I would them have this particular cultist tell the players himself that he suspects that a cult has infiltrated the church at some point in an attempt to throw a bit of suspicion off of himself for the time being.

False body parts on a an old, scarred character wouldn't be terribly out of place and will likely be overlooked as just a quirk to make the character a bit more memorable, but they serve as an early hint at his true identity that may bring about a "Holy crap, that should have been sooo obvious" moment when the time for the big reveal comes about.

[leegi0n]

This is good stuff. Thank you.

I would imagine this city to be a large one - waterdeep size. The artifact may, however, be in a sub-vault, in a satellite church elsewhere...

What do you think? Do you have any further suggestions as to "escalating tasks" as the group progresses towards the artifact? Quests outside of the city, perhaps?

[Malphegor]

The best way to not draw attention to yourself as a cultist would to not looks like a cultist.

This. Everyone's looking for the cultists in thick black robes with the symbol of their leader/god/man behind the curtain in grey. Actual cultists probably just wear business attire, maybe a floral print shirt or the equivalent in your setting if they're going for something more casual. You typically need to be wealthy to have the free time to join a cult and not work the land all the time, so like, upper middle class youngsters who think this kind of behaviour is kewl. Or middle aged people looking for something to do on a Vecnasday night during a midlife crisis.

[Grey Guard]

Might I suggest my absolute favorite organization?

The Order of Seropaenes. Originally started by a priest of Vecna, he and several other neutral and good aligned churches created this secret society to hunt Binders down and subdue/kill them. I find that if you need Vecna cultists to be keeping it low-key, it really helps to have the Church of St. Cuthbert covering for them. Or Wee Jas. Or Heironeus.