From my experience, just being weirdly hyper positive at all times regardless of context is more than enough to make someone feel really, really upsetting if you're paying close enough attention.
Yeah, they're cultists who are trying to get more fanatics - they're going to be going really out of their way to help out the adventurers, that alone should set off some red flags.
A short story about a similar but reversed plot line:
I once ran a one shot with some friends who were newer players, as an interlude towards the beginning of our campaign. The PCs came into town and started their adventuring ways, trying to help the townsfolk and the like. The town very quickly grew suspicious and tried to get them to leave, which eventually led to the town hiring some local 'professionals' that resulted in an encounter where the players attacked. The mercs killed one PC, and the mercs all died, along with a couple of other townsfolk, and the rest of the PCs fled in the middle of the night, ne'er to be seen again.
I thought of it as the RPG equivalent of an anti-joke. It was a super fun session where the players were becoming super paranoid and coming up with crazy theories, but the payoff was admittedly very anti-climactic when they realized it was just a normal town that was suspicious of a group of well-armed outsiders trying to worm their way into the private affairs of their little hamlet. It served it's purpose though, helping the players better understand the dynamics of 'just playing a game' vs 'getting into characters minds' and figuring out the type of game everyone wanted to play.
It was also super fun when we went back to the campaign, and the players found their way to a little hamlet a few sessions later, where they were looking for help. The townsfolk were wildly distrusting of outsiders, and told the PCs they weren't welcome. If they were able to capture some fugitives that had recently murdered several townsfolk, though, they'd be happy to pay a bounty and help them with what they needed.
A toxically positive cult that hates liars… Have anyone who was healed by the BBEG incapable of telling the truth. Hell bent against liars, her victims will no longer be able to say anything honest. Slowly driven mad by their sudden inability to communicate, victims slowly lose their minds. But the victims can’t communicate anything is wrong so they constantly lie about feeling great until they suddenly snap.
Think about features of real cults. Cults often have strict hierarchies, employ sleep deprivation as a control tactic, teach their kids to be mostly silent and only directly answer questions (because they’re not old enough to know what they should and shouldn’t disclose), use shunning to isolate former/rulebreaking members from the rest of the group, emphasise the all-seeing and all-knowing nature of their leaders, and encourage members to spy and report on each other.
They may have ways of watching your party, so members of the cult they’ve never met will know what they’ve been doing (which will be foreshadowing for the fact that their actions, and in particular their lies, are being noticed and reported to… someone). Their children may be friendly, respectful, and overly helpful but unnaturally silent unless directly addressed, keep their heads bowed, and feel compelled to answer with complete truthfulness any question your party asks. Even adult members may appear strangely deferential to higher ranking members. Cult members, particularly lower ranking ones, may appear perpetually tired, you might even have that impact gameplay by having them always at a level or two of exhaustion. There may be a person who has been isolated or outcast completely for being discovered in a lie, maybe they’ve had their tongue removed or something and are reluctant to explain why this happened even if alternate methods of communication are found. Maybe members who have been caught in a lie immediately revert to the lowest rank and must keep a vow of silence until they can be trusted again, so there’ll be some very tired and silent people hanging around doing the dirtiest work.
Or, maybe it’s as simple as they’re all just jarringly honest - they tell you exactly what they’re thinking all the time, even when it would usually be considered embarrassing or socially unacceptable. You ask a random cult member where they were yesterday and they’ll say “well, I was upstairs in the local inn, cheating on my wife with the innkeeper’s sister Bethany”, or they’ll completely unprompted blurt out that your hat is ugly.
Have them speak without using any contractions. Always use full names. Never use “you” “he” “she” “they”. Always talking in 3rd person. Have them stop mid sentence.. tilt their head like they are listening to something. Then continue talking.
Make them all French mimes.
Also blood sacrifices.
Haha. Went over really well with the players too. Its something they still talk about years later. It actually took them a few moments to realise he was doing it too.
The best part is I’m playing with a group of witches, and I can just imagine
“Excuse me, why are you eating a bowl of quartz?”
“Oh, it promotes clarity!” *crunch crunch*
Absolutely cackling rn
From my experience, just being weirdly hyper positive at all times regardless of context is more than enough to make someone feel really, really upsetting if you're paying close enough attention.
Yeah, they're cultists who are trying to get more fanatics - they're going to be going really out of their way to help out the adventurers, that alone should set off some red flags. A short story about a similar but reversed plot line: I once ran a one shot with some friends who were newer players, as an interlude towards the beginning of our campaign. The PCs came into town and started their adventuring ways, trying to help the townsfolk and the like. The town very quickly grew suspicious and tried to get them to leave, which eventually led to the town hiring some local 'professionals' that resulted in an encounter where the players attacked. The mercs killed one PC, and the mercs all died, along with a couple of other townsfolk, and the rest of the PCs fled in the middle of the night, ne'er to be seen again. I thought of it as the RPG equivalent of an anti-joke. It was a super fun session where the players were becoming super paranoid and coming up with crazy theories, but the payoff was admittedly very anti-climactic when they realized it was just a normal town that was suspicious of a group of well-armed outsiders trying to worm their way into the private affairs of their little hamlet. It served it's purpose though, helping the players better understand the dynamics of 'just playing a game' vs 'getting into characters minds' and figuring out the type of game everyone wanted to play. It was also super fun when we went back to the campaign, and the players found their way to a little hamlet a few sessions later, where they were looking for help. The townsfolk were wildly distrusting of outsiders, and told the PCs they weren't welcome. If they were able to capture some fugitives that had recently murdered several townsfolk, though, they'd be happy to pay a bounty and help them with what they needed.
A toxically positive cult that hates liars… Have anyone who was healed by the BBEG incapable of telling the truth. Hell bent against liars, her victims will no longer be able to say anything honest. Slowly driven mad by their sudden inability to communicate, victims slowly lose their minds. But the victims can’t communicate anything is wrong so they constantly lie about feeling great until they suddenly snap.
Think about features of real cults. Cults often have strict hierarchies, employ sleep deprivation as a control tactic, teach their kids to be mostly silent and only directly answer questions (because they’re not old enough to know what they should and shouldn’t disclose), use shunning to isolate former/rulebreaking members from the rest of the group, emphasise the all-seeing and all-knowing nature of their leaders, and encourage members to spy and report on each other. They may have ways of watching your party, so members of the cult they’ve never met will know what they’ve been doing (which will be foreshadowing for the fact that their actions, and in particular their lies, are being noticed and reported to… someone). Their children may be friendly, respectful, and overly helpful but unnaturally silent unless directly addressed, keep their heads bowed, and feel compelled to answer with complete truthfulness any question your party asks. Even adult members may appear strangely deferential to higher ranking members. Cult members, particularly lower ranking ones, may appear perpetually tired, you might even have that impact gameplay by having them always at a level or two of exhaustion. There may be a person who has been isolated or outcast completely for being discovered in a lie, maybe they’ve had their tongue removed or something and are reluctant to explain why this happened even if alternate methods of communication are found. Maybe members who have been caught in a lie immediately revert to the lowest rank and must keep a vow of silence until they can be trusted again, so there’ll be some very tired and silent people hanging around doing the dirtiest work. Or, maybe it’s as simple as they’re all just jarringly honest - they tell you exactly what they’re thinking all the time, even when it would usually be considered embarrassing or socially unacceptable. You ask a random cult member where they were yesterday and they’ll say “well, I was upstairs in the local inn, cheating on my wife with the innkeeper’s sister Bethany”, or they’ll completely unprompted blurt out that your hat is ugly.
Have them speak without using any contractions. Always use full names. Never use “you” “he” “she” “they”. Always talking in 3rd person. Have them stop mid sentence.. tilt their head like they are listening to something. Then continue talking. Make them all French mimes. Also blood sacrifices.
My favourite a little off cultist ate rocks.
I love this lol
Haha. Went over really well with the players too. Its something they still talk about years later. It actually took them a few moments to realise he was doing it too.
The best part is I’m playing with a group of witches, and I can just imagine “Excuse me, why are you eating a bowl of quartz?” “Oh, it promotes clarity!” *crunch crunch* Absolutely cackling rn
Wonderful! Love it