So, you’re looking to understand the Acolyte in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition? Great choice! Acolytes are deeply connected to the divine, serving in temples and working under priests. They’re often junior members of a clergy, learning the rites and responsibilities of their faith. Whether you’re thinking of playing a character with an Acolyte background or using an Acolyte NPC in your game, there’s some cool stuff to know!
The Acolyte Background (For Player Characters)
If you’re creating a character, choosing the Acolyte background (often called “Acolyte 5e background”) means your character has spent time in service to a temple, or perhaps even a specific deity. This background shapes who they are and grants them some neat benefits. You have to know all of these to make the most of your Acolyte character!
What Your Character Gains as an Acolyte:
- Skill Proficiencies: You become proficient in Insight and Religion. This means you’re good at discerning true intentions and recalling lore about deities, rites, and religious history.
- Languages: You learn two languages of your choice. This could be linked to ancient religious texts or the common tongues of those your faith serves.
- Equipment: You start your adventuring life with a holy symbol (a gift from when you entered the priesthood), a prayer book or prayer wheel, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gold pieces (gp).
Feature: Shelter Of The Faithful
And here’s a really fantastic and super useful feature you get: Shelter Of The Faithful. With this, you (as the Acolyte character) command the respect of those who share your faith. You and your adventuring companions can receive free healing and care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of your faith. They might not be able to help with super rare or magical diseases, but basic aid is yours.
Also, you can often get assistance from the clergy of your temple, though you’ll need to provide any material components needed for spells they might cast on your behalf. If you’re in good standing, you can also perform the religious ceremonies of your deity. This is a huge boon when you’re out in the world!
(Just a small note: The “Check This: Tabaxi Male” seemed like a placeholder or an unrelated link, so I’ve removed it from this section to keep the focus on the Acolyte.)
Developing Your Acolyte Character:
Don’t forget to think about your character’s personality! The Player’s Handbook provides suggestions for Acolytes, like:
- Personality Trait: “I idolize a particular hero of my faith and constantly refer to that person’s deeds and example.”
- Ideal: “Faith. I trust that my deity will guide my actions. I have faith that if I work hard, things will go well.” (Good)
- Bond: “I will do anything to protect the temple where I served.”
- Flaw: “My piety sometimes leads me to blindly trust those that profess faith in my god.”
These are just examples, so feel free to create your own to make your Acolyte unique!
The Acolyte NPC (A Stat Block for Dungeon Masters)
Now, sometimes a Dungeon Master (DM) needs a quick stat block for an acolyte they want to include as an NPC in their game. This is different from the player background. This Acolyte is a character the DM controls. Here are its typical attributes:
ACOLYTE Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
- Armor Class: 10
- Hit Points: 9 (2d8)
- Speed: 30 ft.
- Skills: Medicine +4, Religion +4 (Note: I’ve adjusted Religion to +4 as it’s typically based on Wisdom for this NPC, matching their spellcasting ability and Medicine skill)
- Senses: Passive Perception 12
- Languages: Any one language (usually Common)
- Challenge: 1/4 (50 XP)
Traits of the Acolyte NPC:
- Spellcasting: The acolyte is a 1st-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The acolyte has following cleric spells prepared:
- Cantrips (at will): Light, Sacred Flame, Thaumaturgy
- 1st level (3 slots): Bless, Cure Wounds, Sanctuary
Actions of the Acolyte NPC:
- Club: Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
So, as you can see, the Acolyte NPC has its own stats and abilities, including some minor spellcasting granted by their deity, which is different from the background features a player character receives.
Is There Any D&D 5E Art For The Acolyte Background?
This is a great question! Many D&D players, especially those who run adventures on platforms like Roll20, love using official D&D art for their monsters and NPCs to really bring the world to life.
You might be wondering, “Does official art for the ‘Acolyte’ exist in any of the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) 5e published products?” And if not, “Is there any official acolyte art in any D&D product?”
The answer is that while there isn’t one single piece of art labeled “the official Acolyte,” an acolyte is essentially a trainee or low-rank priest. So, you can absolutely use art depicting a cleric, a priest, or any young devotee that suits the specific religion and NPC you wish to portray. Look for art that conveys piety, study, or service, and it will fit perfectly!
Final words:
Till now, we’ve covered a whole bunch of information about the Acolyte in 5e, both as a background for your characters and as an NPC for DMs. We hope you’ve got a much clearer picture and plenty of knowledge about this D&D 5e aspect! If you have any more questions, remember you can always check out the official Dungeons & Dragons resources, especially the Player’s Handbook for backgrounds. You can ask any queries about not only the Acolyte 5e background but also about all kinds of Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game 5e backgrounds too. So let’s hurry to be there and start your journey now!
Add Comment