Leaving a Cult

[Puckohue]

Latest version. Comments welcome.

Leaving a Cult

An Initiate or higher leaving a cult will earn a NiS.

Spirits of Reprisal

• Lay members may leave the cult at any time, but if the character joins a hostile cult within a year they will be beset by Spirits of Reprisal.
• Initiates who leave the cult will be beset by Spirits of Reprisal unless they initiate into an associated cult within a year.
• Assistant Rune-Lords or Assistant Priests will be beset by Spirits of Reprisal if they leave the cult.
• God-Talkers, Rune-Lords, Priests or higher will be beset by Spirits of Reprisal if they leave the cult and/or if they are convicted of breaking a Major Cult Taboo.

The Spirit of Reprisal has a Death Roll of 11+ on 2D6, with no other possible results. If the character survives, their Endurance will be at 60%, unless already lower.

Stepping down the ranks
A character may step down one rank in the cult hierarchy each Period (3 turns), until they are an Initiate.

Related changes
Doing cult duties is no longer enforced by the GM. Instead, not doing your cult duties is added to the list of minor cult offences.

Initiates will no longer be demoted if not doing their cult duties. The only way to step down from Initiate to Lay member is by being demoted as a result of a cult tribunal conviction.

[grumbold99]

This looks interesting.

The idea of being dragged in front of a cult tribunal and receiving potentially catastrophic consequences for a breach is quite grim. Would it be possible to opt in or out of the "dragged to do your duty" clause. I know I'd rather lose an order or two than face a tribunal in the event that I unintentionally missed a duty.

May I also suggest that the information about when you last attended a ceremony for each of your cults is on the character sheet? I attend a lot of ceremonies but haven't thought to carefully track which cults requirements have been met this period.

In particular for lay members that have no requirement to do duties every month, it could be easy to overlook attending a ceremony in a 3 month period. Right now that results in a double dip punishment of:
A cult member not participating in a ceremony in a period (3 turns) loses 1 CHA, and has a cumulative -2 CP/turn for each turn until they do.
A lay member not attending a ceremony in a (non-holy) period is charged with a low offense, which if spotted automatically results in a guilty verdict and a 3d6 roll on the terrifying penalty chart. Possibly the former punishment in the cults section has been superceded by the latter in the crimes and punishment section? It's hard to argue that somebody automatically loses Cha unless the omission is noticed in society, and if it is noticed, they presumably should be charged?

I'm not sure anyone would intentionally want to risk rolling on the punishment chart for such a silly omission. By contrast stepping down to initiate and then leaving with an NiS and a year to join a different allied cult seems pretty painless.

[Puckohue]

I'm not sure anyone would intentionally want to risk rolling on the punishment chart for such a silly omission.

I guess you're right.

I'll try to reword the rule suggestion to make it optional.

[Puckohue]

May I also suggest that the information about when you last attended a ceremony for each of your cults is on the character sheet?

Good idea. Would help me too.

[Puckohue]

Leaving a Cult

An Initiate or higher leaving a cult will earn a NiS.

Spirits of Reprisal

• Lay members may leave the cult at any time, but if the character joins a hostile cult within a year they will be beset by Spirits of Reprisal.
• Initiates who leave the cult will be beset by Spirits of Reprisal unless they initiate into an associated cult within a year.
• Assistant Rune-Lords or Assistant Priests will be beset by Spirits of Reprisal if they leave the cult.
• God-Talkers, Rune-Lords, Priests or higher will be beset by Spirits of Reprisal if they leave the cult and/or if they are convicted of breaking a Major Cult Taboo.

The Spirit of Reprisal has a Death Roll of 11+ on 2D6, with no other possible results. If the character survives, their Endurance will be at 60%, unless already lower.

Stepping down the ranks
A character may step down one rank in the cult hierarchy each Period (3 turns), until they are an Initiate.

Related changes

• Doing cult (and regimental) duties is normally enforced by the GM. By explicitly stating so in their orders, a character can choose to not do their cult or regimental duty.
• Not doing your cult duties is added to the list of minor cult offences.
• Initiates will no longer be demoted if not doing their cult duties. The only way to step down from Initiate to Lay member is by being demoted as a result of a cult tribunal conviction.