PATRON BENEFITS
The patronage of an immortal being is a relationship
built on favors, not on employment or service. Yo ur
group does favors for your patron, and you can ask fa
vors in return. These favors are the benefits you gain for
having an immortal being as your group's patron, and
they might include any of the following boons:
Contacts. Your group is almost certainly not the only
one sponsored by your patron. Plans that span the
world and the course of millennia require many
agents to complete. If necessary, your patron can put
you in contact with their other agents, who might
be in a position to help you through status, influ
ence, or magic.
Information. The most precious reward most immor
tals can give is a tidbit of their ages-spanning knowl
edge. Immortal beings often know secrets hidden
from most mortals-including glimpses of possible
futures. They don't usually share secrets freely, but
they might reward your group for the completion of a
mission with a hint, a puzzle, or a morsel of informa
tion that sets you off in pursuit of more.
Magic. Immortal beings often have access to vast stores
of magic, including their own spells and secret caches
of magic items. They are mindful of the value of this
magic, and grant spells and items as rewards appro
priate to the favor and the power of the adventurers.
BUILD YO UR GROUP
No common thread unites adventurers with an immor
tal patron, except perhaps uncommon openness to the
mysterious and unknown. You haven't been chosen be
cause of your capabilities; they might have been chosen
to fulfill the words of a prophecy, because they were
born at auspicious times and places, or because they
happened to be in a particular place at a certain time.
Individual characters in your group might have different
relationships with your patron, though; consider some
or all of these roles for your characters:
Agent. The Agent doesn't receive direct communica
tions from an immortal patron, but puts faith in the
dreams and inspiration of others, following such
omens with an eager heart. This character is under no
illusions of having a special role to play in the immor
tal's grand plans, but is ready to make sure those with
such roles play them. This is often a character with no
magical ability or sometimes from a scholarly back
ground, such as a sage or hermit-perhaps someone
familiar with lore about the immortal but not directly
inspired by it. Agents typically have proficiency in
skills such as Arcana, History, and Religion.
Innocent. Some characters have no intention of be
coming adventurers and desire no connection to the
machinations of the immortals, but they get caught
up in schemes and prophecies anyway. The Innocent
might have been identified as a key part of a prophecy,
or made what seemed like an innocent bargain with
a harmless old hermit, or found an artifact with mys
terious powers. The folk hero background is ideal for
the Innocent, combining humble origins with a sense
of destiny. Any class or proficiencies are suited for
this role.
Visionary. At least one character in the party should
have a particular connection to your immortal pa
tron. The Visionary might hear the patron's voice in
dreams, see waking visions that convey the immor
tal's will, or interpret signs in accordance with proph
ecy. Different backgrounds might suggest different
stories for a Visionary: An acolyte might have had a
revelatory experience that paved the way for the im
mortal's communications. A hermit might have been
plagued by disturbing dreams from youth. A sage
might have made a lifetime study of the Draconic
Prophecy. These characters are often clerics, druids,
warlocks, or wizards, and typically proficient in skills
such as Arcana and Religion.
CHAPTER 1 I CHARACTER CREATION