The Alphabet of Outer Beings - Z is for Zealot

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Z is for Zealot

Zealots have an extremely deep and fervent passion for their religion. They are driven to preach, convert, or prosthelytize about their religion, or to go to war against the enemies and heretics of their beliefs. These men and women often take their beliefs to extremes, including the attendant behavior. As a result these people often have unique abilities that are driven by their passions, and can cause even the staunchest of enemies or opponents to falter before them.

Table Z1: Type of Zeal (roll 1d6 and 1d4) 

• 1-2: Radical - Radicals use their zealotry to work against their enemies with words and actions that attack faith and ruling systems to tear them down in favor of their faith.
1. Fanatic - The fanatic preaches to convert new followers. They may gain a bonus equal to their level on rolls to convert people to their beliefs or lead the believers of their deity.
2. Insurgent - The insurgent specializes overthrowing governments and monarchies unfavorable to their faith. They may gain a bonus equal to their level on all rolls to undermine such enemies.
3. Renegade - Renegades are converts, former followers of another faith who use their knowledge of that deity's faithful to further tear down their new deity's opponents. They may gain a bonus equal to twice their level when applying this specialized knowledge to aid their new god.
4. Subversive - The subversive specializes undermining the works of deities the oppose their own. They may gain a bonus equal to their level on all rolls to undermine other deities either overtly, or covertly.
• 3-4: Firebrand - Firebrands bridge the gaps between Radicals and Militants without being either. They specialize in mobilizing the faithful or urging the mob into action.
1. Demagogue -The demagogue spews hateful speech about the enemies of their faith. They may grant allies of level zero or level one a damage bonus equal to their level through hateful rhetoric about their enemies. They may also gain a bonus equal to their level to recruit such followers by leveraging people's hatred and fear.
2. Instigator - The instigator uses rhetoric to spur their followers into action, or gain the allegiance of new followers. They may grant allies of level zero or level one an initiative bonus equal to their level through rhetoric. They may also gain a bonus equal to their level to recruit such followers by leveraging rhetoric to inspire the faithful to action.
3. Rabble-rouser - The rabble-rouser works behind the scenes, playing situations to their advantage by using the power of a mob to incite events that play into their own plans. The rabble-rouser gains a bonus equal to their level when attempting to form a mob, or to incite that mob into action in the furtherance of their own plans. If the rabble-rouser instigates a mob to violence the mob gains an attack bonus equal to half their level (round up) to attack rolls. 
4. Agitator - The agitator works to weaken the enemy by harming their own faith or morale. The agitator gains a bonus when acting to damage enemy morale, cohesion, or when sowing discord within the enemy's forces or faith. When facing off against such a force in combat they may impose an attack penalty equal to half their level (round up) on their enemy's attacks through their agitating actions.
• 5-6: Militant - Militants are the warriors are their faith, and zealous militants take their belief in their deity to the extreme, gaining martial prowess through their extreme devotion.
1. Flagellants - In combat a Flagellant may wound themselves as a sacrifice to their deity. This allows them to re-roll a damage die, taking damage equal to the result of the re-rolled die. 
2. Diehard - After being reduced to zero Hit Points, Diehards may continue to fight on for 1 round per level before collapsing.
3. Maniac - The maniac charged into battle heedless of the consequences. They may choose to reduce their armor class by any amount up to their level and add the same amount to their attack rolls. 
4. Champion - The champion is blessed by their deity (or believes they are) and is protected by divine grace. In battle they may gain a bonus equal to their level to their armor class, if they do so they must sacrifice a divine spell (if applicable), or forfeit any speak attack abilities for that round. 

Table Z2: Zealous Passion (roll 1d6) 

• 1-2: Zealot - The zealot may use their special ability once per day without other restriction
• 3-4: Jihadist - The jihadist may use their special ability at will against a specific enemy of their deity or creature deemed unholy (e.g. at will against goblins).
• 5-6: Crusader - The crusader may use their special ability, once per day per level against any of their deity's enemies/unholy creatures.