Page 202 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

You shouldn’t mistake devotion to your cause for reckless the group is news of any incursions from underground. Evil
bravery. The society is not a large organization, and the psionics-using creatures seem to favor the dark places beneath
number of sanctified minds, while growing, is still small. the earth, and any hint of illithid or aboleth activity brings a

No one in the order receives kudos for needlessly risking his society member or ally to investigate further. If circumstances
own life or the lives of his comrades by seeking petty glory. warrant and a ward house is nearby, the order dispatches a
Only ultimate victory over the the use of psionics for evil group containing at least one sanctified mind to determine the

is an achievement worthy of the society and its sanctified extent of the incursion and eliminate the threat themselves if

members. possible. In cases where the full resources of the society cannot
Many of the special abilities of this prestige class are usable be brought to bear, agents invite or even hire independent
only in melee. Remaining alive and in one’s own mind long adventuring groups to take up the matter.

enough to confront your foes can be a difficult task. Your own
psionic abilities and class features give you the ability to fend Organization
off the attacks of evil psionics-using creatures until you are The society’s activities revolve around its ward houses. These HUNTER THE ABERRATION CHAPTER 9
close enough to bring your cleansing strike and disrupting places contain sanctuaries, barracks, training grounds, and

blow abilities into play. recruitment offices for the order. While most ward houses are
found in heavily populated areas, some exist on the frontiers
Advancement or in the wildlands, near underground entrances or mountain
Depending on the class or classes you had levels in before cave systems where psionic creatures are likely to lair.

taking levels as a sanctified mind, advancing in this prestige All members of the Society of the Sanctified Mind are wel-

class is not without cost. A fighter or other martial character come to live within the ward house, which is often a converted
loses the opportunity to pick up bonus feats and other combat- military barracks, fortified temple, or other defensible site.

related special abilities. While a sanctified mind is a potent Some ward houses lie within religious complexes dedicated

melee opponent against psionics-users, your repertoire is to St. Cuthbert, although both Albaric and some among the
limited against most other creatures. church’s hierarchy would like to see that situation change. All
For those who are disinclined to strictly pursue levels in society members share equally in the tasks of maintaining the
the prestige class, multiclass options exist. If you want to gain ward house, such as kitchen duty, garrison and patrol, or facil-

several feats quickly, a few levels of fighter or psychic warrior ity maintenance and repair, based on individual background

nicely round out the melee capabilities of a sanctified mind. and skill.
For those willing to abide with little or no mundane armor, As the order itself is led by a commandant, so is each ward

levels of sorcerer or even monk complement your sanctified house. A small number of adjutants aids the commandant.

mind levels well. If you would prefer to keep wearing armor, Below them come the sanctified minds; all members of this class
cleric levels improve your Will save and impart spellcasting technically outrank all nonmembers of the class, but Albaric
ability. Levels of psion likewise enable you to wear armor, considers this arrangement unfair and has begun striving to

provided you have proficiency with it, while also enabling you phase out that rule. The ward house commandant is often,

to advance your manifesting ability. although not always, the highest-level sanctified mind (espe-
cially since Albaric became the order’s overall commandant)
Resources or occasionally the highest-level cleric of St. Cuthbert attached

While the sanctified minds are still officially sanctioned by the to that ward house. Other members of the society are given
church of St. Cuthbert, the church’s hierarchy has withdrawn respect and rank based on their experience level.
much of its support since Albaric became commandant.
Fortunately for the order, government bodies recognize the NPC Reactions
value of having a society ward house nearby. Many cities and In the past, the society was viewed in much the same light as
nations waive taxes on the order and even help it pay some of the church that supported it. If you admired or respected St.
its maintenance costs (property rental or taxation, foodstuff, Cuthbert and his teachings, you got along well with the society.
gear, weapons, minor magic items, and so on). This, too, has changed recently.
The society asks that members tithe some of the earnings Albaric’s distancing of the order from the church has

from their adventures back to the society, but under Albaric, helped to broaden its support. Viewed as less rigidly confined
such tithing is strictly voluntary. Most members contribute to military tradition and a strict code of law, the society now
ten percent to twenty percent of their income anyway, either enjoys backing from neutral good and chaotic good races and
from habit, in gratitude and recognition for the training they governments. More groups have begun to view the order in a
receive, or for both reasons. positive light since members of more races and classes were

permitted to join the Society of the Sanctified Mind. Some
SANCTIFIED MINDS IN THE WORLD still feel the society is too narrowly focused; its operations and
The society does its best to maintain open channels of com- personnel would better serve civilization if its members weren’t
munication to local and regional governments, and has its so obsessed with such a rare, though admittedly despicable,
own network of scouts and spies. Of particular concern to group of creatures as evil psionics-users.
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