B/X/R/X: Acolyte

September 7, 2017 bxrx dnd monsters moldvay rpgs

The B/X/R/X series is a remix of the monsters from the Basic & Expert D&D sets by Moldvay and Cook, inspired by similar work by Alex Schroeder. You can find the rest of the entries in this series here.

Acolyte

Armor Class: As plate
Hit Dice: 1
Move: 60’(20’)
Attacks: 1 mace
Damage: 1d6

No. Appearing: 2d8
Save As: Level 1 Cleric
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: U
Alignment: Lawful or Chaotic

ACOLYTES, strange servants of unseen gods, are always encountered as a procession accompanied by a CELEBRANT (Lvl 1d4 Cleric).

Lawful Procession:

  1. Call to Baptism: Holy procession of unarmed acolytes sprinkling holy water and preaching forgiveness. Chaotic characters must save vs. magic or join the procession until they can be baptized at the nearest source of running water, at which point they become lawful.
  2. Burdened Pallbearers: These mourning acolytes carry a chained coffin, which they will open under no circumstance and are reluctant to discuss. Inside the coffin is 3,000 silver pieces and a vampire.
  3. Jubilant Parade: Festive acolytes in outlandish garb, dance, sing, and carouse, giving out candies that can be eaten as rations. Donating d100 gold to the masked celebrant will earn a blessing (as per the spell).
  4. Proclamation of Peace: These somber acolytes, clothed in thick robes of deep black will fight under no circumstances (nor will they run away, not beg for mercy, nor scream) and will grant a +6 AC bonus to any PC who will share with them the full name of someone they have killed. The bonus lasts for 1d4 days on the condition that the PC never attacks during that time.
  5. Healers of the Poor: Blood from these acolytes collective stigmata runs in a thin trail behind them, wherever they go. They will heal anyone who has less than 100gp in their possession once per day. PCs can give wealth away to afford this, but if that same money returns to them they will take double the amount healed as damage instantly.
  6. Inquistion of the High Flame: These fanatic acolytes are armed with fiery flails and golden shields and seek heretics to burn. They have +1 AC and +1 to hit. Submit to their questioning and don’t tell a lie else be attacked. They will not attack so long as you tell them the whole truth, and they are upfront about this. However, they do ask several incredibly probing questions.

Chaotic Procession:

  1. March of Shame: These naked acolytes come tolling an enormous iron bell, and tow behind them 2d6 sinners in chains. PCs hit by these acolytes’ bare hands in combat must save vs. paralysis or fall stunned for 1d6 rounds, completely ashamed and compulsively confessing the worst things they’ve ever done.
  2. Parade of Fools: A giggling fray of mischievous acolytes. They talk only in lies and will try to trick anyone with an intelligence over 15 into walking into a trap or ambush. They will give d100 gold to any PCs with intelligence lower than 8 or anyone who farts in their presence.
  3. Abyssal Crusade: These extremely calm acolytes seek to end all life through meditation. Upon encountering living creatures they will sit and chant for 1d6 rounds. The vibrations from their chants cause massive headaches. At the end of their chant all creatures that can hear them must save vs magic or die.
  4. Unholy Midwives: These acolytes carry a covered palanquin from which blood curdling screams emanate. They are in quite a hurry. Inside the palanquin is a powerful sorceress giving labor to a demon child. The child will imprint on the first chaotic character it sees and its mother knows this.
  5. Blood Orgy: These masked acolytes carry a huge decadent platter filled with fruits and chocolate and fornicating creatures and corpses. Those who willingly join the orgy must save vs magic or suffer the affects of a charm spell.
  6. The Silent: They will not speak, though they know the answers to any one question the PCs may have. If one is killed, their attacker must save vs. magic or be struck dumb.

Ritual Magic

The Acolytes know one spell (Cleric if Lawful, Magic-User if Chaotic) equal in level to the number of acolytes in the group (so if there are 4 acolytes, then together they know a level 4 spell). In order to cast this spell they all must concentrate. They cast it as a caster of the same level as there are acolytes in the group. This is separate from any spells their celebrant may know. The celebrant doesn’t take part in the ritual casting either, and is not counted for the purposes of determining the spell’s level, etc.



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