TEXT: EN World EN5IDER | Epitheos Monastery
  EN World EN5IDER | Epitheos Monastery
  Brute Forces
    EpItheos 
  Mon AsterY
   
  writing Josh Gentry
   color art Kim Van Deun
   
  editing James J. Haeck
   
  layout Eric Life-Putnam
  T
  he following is The 
  second part of Brute 
  Forces, a series 
  focusing on warrior guilds 
  that can be dropped into 
  a campaign with minimal 
  preparation. Much like its 
  sister series Collegia Magia, 
  each article in the series offers 
  benefits to member PCs, and 
  tools for the GM to incorporate 
  the faction into the campaign. 
  This installment features the 
  Epitheos Monastery, where 
  contemplators seek truth in 
  body and mind!
  
  Epitheos Monastery | EN World EN5IDER
  Epitheos Monastery | EN World EN5IDER
  Introduction
  On a remote mountainside, a marble-walled 
  monastery offers travelers sanctuary—and a 
  place to grow. The monks of Epitheos Monastery 
  promote a unique theological position—a belief in 
  beings beyond the gods. To commune with these 
  Beyond-Gods, their ascetic practice draws them 
  to meditation, physical training, and charity. The 
  fruit of this tradition is power that borders on the 
  psionic; approaching unity with the Beyond-Gods, 
  seekers merge imagination with martial prowess 
  to reshape reality.
  Class Relationships
   
  ▶ Barbarian. Most barbarians scoff at the 
  concept of meditation. However, those who 
  embrace the practice find their rage infused 
  with greater clarity… even psionic might.
   
  ▶ Fighter. Regular sparring practice at the 
  Monastery can produce mighty warriors, 
  regardless of psionic aptitude. A soldier 
  who is kind, disciplined, and happy has 
  succeeded in the Monastery’s eyes.
   
  ▶ Monk. Monks are the most common class 
  at the Monastery. Many will achieve visions 
  of the Beyond-Gods, and unlock hidden 
  world-shaping powers by the Way of the 
  Arcane Fist.1 Others embrace peace as their 
  prerogative and follow the Ways of the 
  Shifting Flow and Watchful Gate.2
  Open Game Content
  The game rule information in this article is designated Open Game Content. All of the other material in this article, 
  including maps and illustrations (including illustrations in the public domain), narrative and descriptive 
  text, character and place names, trade dress, “EN Publishing,” “EN World,” “EN5ider,” EN Publishing 
  product and article titles, and EN World and EN Publishing logos, are designated Product Identity.
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  ▶ Noble.3 The rare noble at the Monastery has 
  come to eschew their worldly station, and to 
  enrich their spirit. Although the more martial 
  nobles will find ample training, the temple 
  especially cherishes those who follow the 
  Path of the Heart.
   
  ▶ Paladin. While most paladins find the 
  Monastery’s philosophy stuffy and 
  inaccessible, they easily embrace the call 
  to wisdom and compassion. Few paladins 
  are more dedicated than those who receive 
  visions of the Beyond-Gods.
   
  ▶ Ranger. Rangers at the Monastery practice 
  hospitality by guiding travelers safely 
  through the mountains.  Some have penned 
  concerns that natural history and diversity 
  call into question epitheistic doctrine. It is 
  said that rangers who see the Monastery’s 
  truth learn to walk the planes.
   1 Josh Gentry, “Speaking With Fists,” EN World EN5ider https://
  www.patreon.com/posts/speaking-with-4383094
   2 Josh Gentry, “The Art of Peace,” EN World EN5ider https://www.
  patreon.com/posts/art-of-peace-2752485
   3 A. Nova, “Chessmasters and Commanders: The Noble Class,” 
  A Touch of Class, EN World EN5ider https://www.patreon.com/
  posts/touch-of-class-11594111 
  Rumors
  1. The Epitheos monks are heretics who say the 
  gods aren’t real! (False; no formal position)
  2. The Monastery wants nothing more than to 
  control the masses! (In the ancient past, true)
  3. We do not actively evangelize… but neither do 
  we keep epitheistic teachings a secret. (True)
  4. The Monastery forbids pipes and liquor, so as to 
  keep body and mind clear for training. (True)
  5. To get on Seylah’s good side, get her some nice 
  tea. (True)
  6. I’ve heard the dragonborn harvest a flower that 
  produces a most singular tea. (True)
  7. The corrupt monks of the old order kept a record 
  of addictive intoxicants they could sell in lieu of 
  enlightenment. Dreamdrop burned these scrolls. 
  (False; they are sealed in the basement)
  8. They say Dreamdrop is the reincarnation of our 
  founder, Meldahr the Mystic. (True)
  
  EN World EN5IDER | Epitheos Monastery
  EN World EN5IDER | Epitheos Monastery
  Background Expansion
  Members of Epitheos Monastery can take the 
  following trait options, replacing the normal trait 
  from your background. Additionally, you can 
  replace one your background’s proficiencies with 
  an optional proficiency below. With the GM’s 
  permission, characters can also add a “mystical 
  experience” to their information.
  Optional Proficiencies: Insight, Perception, 
  Religion, Wisdom saving throws
  Optional Bonds
  d6 Bond
  1
  When I care about someone, I invite them to medi-
  tate, exercise, or drink tea.
  2
  I believe in the doctrine of Epitheos Monastery, but 
  their practices conflict with those of my homeland.
  3
  My connection to my Beyond-God is strong… But 
  I dare not explain so to others for fear they may 
  think me insane.
  4
  To procure other mystical experiences, I’ve 
  obtained contacts who deal in rare poisons and 
  decadent intoxicants. 
  5
  Instructor Seylah took me under-wing from our 
  first meeting. I idolize her sense of perfection.
  6
  As a child, Dreamdrop visited me in a vision and 
  safely guided me to the Monastery.
  Practitioners’ time at the Monastery lets them 
  touch the beyond. With the GM’s permission, 
  roll for or choose a mystical experience from the 
  Mystical Experiences table. The GM may also 
  permit you to add one of your own creation.
  Mystical Experiences
  d6 Mystical Experience
  1
  I realize now that I am but a lens through which the 
  Beyond-Gods see.
  2
  I see now that nobody is truly unique; everyone is 
  made up of the parts that make me, just in a differ-
  ent order. 
  3
  I’ve seen the fabled Words of Creation, a vision of 
  three great tomes beyond the heavens.
  4
  During meditation, danger, or a drug-induced hal-
  lucination, time slowed to a standstill and I could 
  hear the Beyond-Gods playing dice with my life.
  5
  I looked up and saw a giant—a Beyond-God!—guid-
  ing me, like a great angel playing chess.
  6
  In dreams, I’ve walked with the gods among the 
  planes and futures-past. Turns out, the gods are 
  also but characters in a greater story.
  New Feats
  Metaknowledge
  Prerequisite: Proficiency with the Perception skill
   Your limited but real connection to the Beyond-
  Gods grants you certain insights that are difficult 
  to communicate to others. You gain the following 
  benefits:
   
  ▶ Sense Lifeforce. As a bonus action, you can 
  attempt to discern the vitality of a creature 
  you can see within 60 feet. You make a 
  Wisdom (Perception) check, with a DC equal 
  to 10 + the target’s CR (rounded down). If 
  you succeed, you learn the target’s hit point 
  maximum and its total remaining hit points. 
  You can do so once between short or long rests.
   
  ▶ Resist Probability. You know that the Beyond-
  Gods gamble with your life. When you fail an 
  ability check or saving throw, you can record 
  the result. As a bonus action, you can apply 
  this number as a bonus on the next such roll 
  you make to overcome the same obstacle. You 
  can apply this bonus once between long rests.
   
  ▶ All a Dream. You have advantage on ability 
  checks and saving throws made to resist being 
  frightened and to see through illusions. 
  
  Epitheos Monastery | EN World EN5IDER
  Epitheos Monastery | EN World EN5IDER
  Swordsaint
  Prerequisite: Wisdom 13, character level 4th
   Your martial and meditative discipline allow 
  you to bend reality. You gain the following 
  benefits. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for 
  these powers.
   
  ▶ You learn the thaumaturgy cantrip and can 
  cast it as a psionic power, requiring no spell 
  components and even when in a state where 
  you could not normally cast spells, such as 
  during a barbarian’s Rage. 
   
  ▶ Whenever you take the Attack action, you 
  can psionically cast thaumaturgy as a part of 
  that action. Once between short or long rests, 
  when you do so, you can add your Wisdom 
  modifier to melee weapon damage rolls you 
  make that turn, and change the damage type 
  to your choice of force or psychic.
   
  ▶ You know the spells dispel magic and remove 
  curse, and between long rests you can cast 
  either once without expending a spell slot. 
  When you hit a creature with a weapon 
  attack on your turn, you can cast either spell 
  psionically on the same target as a bonus 
  action, if one is available.
  Significant NPCs
  Dreamdrop, Ancient Ascetic (Lawful Good)
  A gnome so venerable that her skin looks almost 
  petrified. In close-eyed and smiling meditation, 
  she sits at the centermost shrine of the Monastery. 
  She rarely moves or speaks, except to say 
  “Welcome!” to newcomers.
   
  ▶ Trait: Ascension. Her stone-like dedication to 
  meditation fuels a hidden, vivid life-force.
   
  ▶ Ideal: Compassion. Looking upon 
  Dreamdrop instills an inner feeling of 
  understanding and acceptance.
   
  ▶ Bond: Some ascetics report lengthy technical 
  conversations with her in their dreams. 
   
  ▶ Flaw: Dreamdrop is easily mistaken for a 
  statue or mummy. Skeptics are unlikely to 
  cling to her as evidence of her faith. (“I know 
  a magic mouth spell when I see it!”)
  Seylah, Stern Instructor (Lawful Neutral)
  A human in her early twenties, with fair skin, dark 
  brown hair and eyes, and straight shoulder-length 
  hair. She teaches fighting arts and meditation to 
  newcomers and young learners. Seylah pays close 
  attention to strangers and is a shrewd judge of 
  character.
   
  ▶ Trait: Caution. She calmly but thoroughly 
  examines strangers from arm’s length away, 
  and in conversation always waits a beat 
  before replying.
   
  ▶ Ideal: Dedication. “You want to be strong? 
  Submit every impulse of body and mind to 
  your training.”
   
  ▶ Bond: After sparring with young pupils, she 
  gives them in-depth lectures on weapons 
  they may like.
   
  ▶ Flaw: She is rigidly formal, and issues 
  only one warning to rulebreakers before 
  disciplining them.
  Quest Hooks
  The Monastery is a great place to begin a 
  campaign and to get players acquainted with 
  their characters. Conversely, it can also serve 
  as a refuge during an otherwise treacherous 
  mountain excursion. If these mountains are 
  especially cavernous—such that the PCs survived 
  encounters with vile aberrations—perhaps the 
  PCs may be especially inclined to entertain the 
  Monastery’s far-fetched teachings. In any case, 
  GMs can also use the following prompts to 
  connect the party, the Monastery, and the larger 
  campaign world.
  Low-level: The Tower of Support
  Whether the PCs are a batch of initiates or 
  travelers from afar, the monks of the Monastery 
  invite them to participate in a traditional trial: the 
  tower of support. The PCs have one chance to 
  climb up and sit on each other’s shoulders, so that 
  they unite to form a pillar several people high. 
  Characters resistant to epitheistic teachings have 
  disadvantage on related checks. If the characters 
  
  EN World EN5IDER | Epitheos Monastery
  EN World EN5IDER | Epitheos Monastery
  fail in this task, the monks direct them to converse 
  with each other and discern why they failed. 
  The monks conclude that physical or mental 
  difficulties during the trial arose from one or more 
  characters’ difficult pasts. Once revealed, the 
  monks instruct the characters to investigate and 
  alleviate this trauma, and to return only afterward.
  Mid-level: The Prophecy of 
  Meldahr
  A monk or one of the PCs has a vision revealing 
  the location of the long-lost Scroll of Meldahr. 
  Meldahr the Mystic hid the Scroll at the shrine 
  deep within Brightquartz Cavern, which is 
  mystically tied to both the Feywild and the Plane 
  of Dreams. The Scroll is the first recorded version 
  of epitheistic teachings, and is also said to contain 
  prophetic warnings and guidance related to the 
  Monastery.
   The PCs can retrieve the Scroll for the 
  Monastery… or deliver it to a zealous religious 
  order as proof of heresy. The organization with 
  the Scroll of Meldahr can use its omens to help 
  divert or ensure the Monastery’s certain doom, 
  and perhaps even shape world events.
  Any Level: The Rite of Rebirth
  If one of the players wants to “re-build” their 
  character, Epitheos Monastery is a great way to 
  simultaneously test the PC’s commitment and 
  tie the change back to the story. Up to once per 
  year, a PC in good standing with Monastery can 
  participate in the Rite of Rebirth, which allows 
  them to change their class, ability scores, and any 
  other aspect the GM approves.
   To inform the Beyond-Gods that one wishes 
  to transform, the celebrant must first obtain 
  a symbol of their new form (such as a staff to 
  become a druid, or a greataxe for a barbarian). 
  The celebrant must then enact a service for the 
  Monastery, using the symbol at some point on the 
  quest. Upon completion, the celebrant must then 
  meditate silently at the Monastery from sunrise 
  to sunset. The successful celebrant greets the next 
  day rewritten by the Beyond-Gods.
  A Brief History
  Meldahr the Mystic first became aware of the 
  Beyond-Gods when, after years of meditation, 
  he opened his eyes to find himself sitting at 
  their table, where from beyond the heavens 
  they rule. Struck by the power of this vision, he 
  spent years unsure of how to explain what he 
  now clearly understood was the grander truth 
  of the multiverse. Over the next decade Meldahr 
  carefully selected perceptive, open-minded 
  students and disciples, and they reclaimed a long-
  abandoned monastery as their home. 
   Epitheos Monastery grew in reputation with the 
  nearby lands, and the Monastery enjoyed several 
  decades of consistent growth. However, rumor 
  of the “grander truth of the multiverse” was too 
  tempting, and a conspiracy formed to remake 
  epitheistic teachings into an exploitative religion. 
  The conspirators were unafraid to use violence, 
  so they blackmailed and overpowered anybody 
  in their way as they rose to infamy. Meldahr 
  recorded his true teachings and prophecies on the 
  now-fabled Scroll of Meldahr, and hid it in a place 
  where he hoped only a true student would find it. 
   Over a generation-long power grab, the 
  corrupt monks banished the young Dreamdrop 
  for voicing her dissent. After years of traveling 
  and training, she returned to the Monastery 
  and defeated its corrupt leaders in a legendary 
  sequence of martial arts duels. She re-affirmed 
  the Monastery’s commitment to humility and 
  compassion, and declared fighting arts to be 
  a mandatory part of their practice. Today, the 
  Monastery is not as prominent as it was during its 
  corrupt era, but the monks reflect on the fact with 
  a wise smile. e
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/EN World EN5ider/EN5ider 169 - Epitheos Monastery.pdf