Acolyte

Acolyte is a character background with skills and inspirations themed around religion. Shadowheart and the hireling Zenith Feur'sel have this background.

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You have spent your life in service to a temple, learning sacred rites and providing sacrifices to the god or gods you worship. Serving the gods and discovering their sacred works will guide you to greatness.

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Background features

• Insight Proficiency: Gain proficiency with Wisdom (Insight) ability checks.
• Religion Proficiency: Gain proficiency with Intelligence (Religion) ability checks.

Background goals

Performing certain actions that align with this background rewards Inspiration. These goals can be accomplished by any member of the active party, and Inspiration points are pooled, up to a maximum of 4. Completing an inspiration also grants experience to characters with this background. While not necessarily all-inclusive, listed below are known events which grant inspiration points.

The inspirational events are grouped according to the place where they are awarded. If an event can be earned in more than one location depending on the party's playthrough choices, it is placed in the "Multiple Locations" (general or belonging to the specific Act of the game).

Location	XP Reward	Name	Description
General
Anywhere/Multiple Locations	20	Fate Must Wait	Resurrect anyone in your party. Granted for the first resurrection of a party member in a playthrough, regardless of the means (with a spell, a scroll, or with Withers' help). This inspiration is given even if the Acolyte character is the resurrected person. If the first resurrection happened with no Acolyte character in the party, it cannot be obtained anymore.
Act One
Dank Crypt	20	Divinity Undone	Unlock and read the Book of Dead Gods. The interacting party member must pass any ability check or use class-based dialogue option to unlock the book, then specifically pass the DC 10 Religion check to decypher it. Not necessary the Acolyte character. Available to gain only in the initial interaction with the book.
Emerald Grove	25	Silvanus' Solitude	Witness the ritual that seals off the grove from the world.
	25	Treefather's Sorrow	Unleash Silvanus' curse upon the grove. Kill all druids and steal the Idol of Silvanus, then have a long rest.
Grymforge	50	Acolytes of the Demonweb Pits	Persuade the spiders in Grymforge to remain faithful to Lolth. The inspiration can only be obtained with Speak with Animals active. Despite the description, various ability checks can be used to convince the spiders.
Owlbear Nest	25	Her Gift of Silver	Recover Selûne's lost treasure through prayer. Read the prayer note while next to the locked chest. Shadowheart cannot open the chest, but still gains the inspiration if she is present.
Shattered Sanctum	25	A Kiss Without Mercy	Endure the ritual of Loviatar until Abdirak is pleased. A character must either succeed ability checks on Performance or Intimidation, or fail Constitution checks, three times total (can be mixed as long as the roll result is correct in terms of the trial). Shedding the armour applies the Ardent Apostle condition, helping to endure or imitate pain. Eating any spoiled/rotten food before the ritual applies the Poisoned condition, which may help to fail Constitution checks.
	25	Saving the Heretic	Learn about Maglubiyet and safely free his priest. A party member must first talk to Brakkal, then get him out of trapped and locked cage. If freeing him first, the inspiration is not gained. A Religion check rolled in the dialogue does not affect this. Brakkal disappears from the map after leaving the room where his cage hangs. To earn the inspiration, it is enough to kill the three goblins who guard him, and not spill the fight around.
Underdark	30	Last Rites of the Dark Dancer	Complete Eilistraee's ritual of sorrow and obtain her blessed blade. Must succeed a DC 15 Religion check to recognize the ritual, then shed blood to free the blade. Obtaining the sword through Strength checks does not grant the inspiration, regardless of the Religion check result. The checks can be bypassed by covering the stone surface beneath the sword with blood (see the possible methods on the sword's page).
	30	Shatter the Moon	Destroy Selûne's protection over the Underdark fort. Destroy the Moonstone above the statue in the Selûnite Outpost.
	30	Tipping the Scales	Earn the worship of the Kuo-toa. Must find out the true nature of BOOOAL and make the Kuo-toa worship the party instead, OR promise BOOOAL to kill in his name.
Waukeen's Rest	30	A Unified Spirit	Pray with the Flaming Fists at Waukeen's Rest. The option to do this is only available to Clerics of good-aligned deities and Paladins (except Oathbreakers).
Act Two
Gauntlet of Shar	75	Cerimonia Alārum	Release the Nightsong. Mutually exclusive with ⁠Blood Moon, ⁠Cerimonia Compedum, and ⁠Soldier of Fortune inspiartions.
	75	Cerimonia Compedum	Execute the ritual to bring Nightsong to Ketheric. Ally with Balthazar and allow him to take Nightsong. Shadowheart can earn this inspiration, as she leaves the party after the cutscene ends. Mutually exclusive with ⁠Damsel No More, ⁠Good Deed of the Day, ⁠Cerimonia Alārum, ⁠Blood Moon, ⁠Rebellious Phase, and ⁠Soldier of Faith.
	75	In Her Footsteps	Solve each of Shar's trials in the Gauntlet of Shar. Granted upon reaching the goal of the third trial, whichever this would be.
	75	Sole Survivor	Discover the truth behind the numerous rats in the Gauntlet of Shar. Make Lyrthindor take his human form. Granted after the dialogue with him ends. Making a deal with him while he is still a rat locks the party out of gaining the inspiration. Available regardless of dealings with Yurgir.
	75	Those for Whom the Bell Tolled	Kill all of Balthazar's undead.
Last Light Inn	50	Moonweaver's Prayer	Witness Isobel's ritual to keep up the protection of Last Light. Acquired during the initial cutscene with Isobel.
	50	Tragic Love	Witness Yonas' funeral. Talk to Meygan while she's mourning Yonas at the fane at X: -61 Y: 112. Can be earned only before Marcus' attempt to kidnap Isobel.
Mind Flayer Colony	60	A Piece of Three	Piece together Ketheric's allegiances. Granted after witnessing the cutscene with Ketheric, Orin and Gortash near the main brine pool.
Reithwin Town	60	Blessed's Final Rest	Find the aasimar's journal. On the desk at X: 47 Y: -1010 in the House of Healing Morgue.
	60	Did My Homework	Recite Shar's dogma to the surgeon. The interacting character must choose the line with  DC 14 Religion Check and pass it. It is not connected to Malus's notes in his office. This check is not available to Shadowheart, but she still can obtain the inspiration as a companion.
	60	Honing the Darkness	Pass all of Shar's tests in the middle of the cursed town. Pass three  DC 14 Saving Throws on Charisma, Intelligence and Wisdom (not necessary done by the same party member).
Ruined Battlefield	50	Let Sleeping Dogs Lie	Prevent He Who Was from completing his task. Either grant Madeline forgiveness or make the shadar-kai stab himself multiple times. Granted as well if the party defeats He Who Was after taking up quest, but before giving him Madeline's Ledger. Mutually exclusive with ⁠No Rest for the Wicked inspiration.
	50	No Rest for the Wicked	Assist He Who Was in his task. Mutually exclusive with ⁠Let Sleeping Dogs Lie inspiration.
Act Three
Multiple locations in Act Three	170	Grinning with Bhaal	Agree to an alliance with Orin. Orin proposes an alliance after kidnapping a companion. This can happen at the Campsite or in the Lower City Sewers. Granted if the party accept Orin's proposition. For a Dark Urge, accepting a duel challenge also grants the inspiration.
Lower City	170	Child Protection Agents	Find and rescue Lora's daughter, Vanra. Available only if Auntie Ethel was denied to take Mayrina in Act One. Mutually exclusive with ⁠An Apocalyptic Deal, if it is obtained through dealing with Auntie Ethel.
	170	Offerings to the Waves	Make an offering for the dead waveservant. There are two possibilities to gain this inspiration: Place anything into the Offerings Chest in the Water Queen's House. When speaking to Allandra Grey for the first time, choose any option about an offering, except "I brought nothing".
	170	Ordinary Practises in Extraordinary Times	Offer appropriate offerings to a deity in the Stormshore Tabernacle. The appropriate offering is the same amount of gold and / or items as needed to get a merchant to 100 Attitude as seen here.
	220	Rites of Loss	Complete the Mapping of the Heart. This is not granted if Shadowheart (companion) is allowed to speak with Viconia. If the player character denies her and proceeds themselves, Shadowheart earns the inspiration.
	220	True Exorcism	Burn Kerri's portrait with the Torch of Revocation and banish Kerri from the Material Plane. Obtainable only if Oskar Fevras was saved from the Zhentarim Basement in Act One. Despite the description, destroying Kerri's portrait in the hidden cubby is enough to gain the inspiration.
	170	What Remains of the Dead	Guide Nina to acceptance or prowess. Nina can be found in the Lower City Graveyard. Either helping her resurrect her brother or convincing her not to will award the inspiration. Reporting Nina to the Mortarch prevents from obtaining this inspiration.
Murder Tribunal	220	Liturgy of Blood	Embrace Bhaal and complete the Murder Tribunal. Despite the description, the inspiration is earned if any party member becomes an Unholy Assassin, not only the Dark Urge. Mutually exclusive with ⁠Revulsion of Blood, ⁠End of the Tribunal, and ⁠A Step Too Far.
	220	Revulsion of Blood	Free Valeria during the Murder Tribunal. Inevitably starts a fight with Sarevok and his minions. Mutually exclusive with ⁠Death of Innocence, ⁠Liturgy of Blood, and ⁠Titles for the Collection.
Rivington	135	A Scorned Closed Heart	Side with the open-minded priest. In the dialogue with the priests, choose "Sounds like your god would be proud of Father Logan". Mutually exclusive with ⁠A Wounded Open Heart.
	135	A Test of Faithfulness	Ask the Master of Love to test your bond. Granted upon any chosen party member agrees to participate, regardless of the result of the test.
	135	A Wounded Open Heart	Side with the close-minded priest. In the dialogue with the priests, choose "If Father Logan had been pickier, he might still been alive". Mutually exclusive with ⁠A Scorned Closed Heart.
	135	Food for the Soul	Donate a Long Rest's worth of food to the donation chest. Can be earned only before Nestor sees the explosive toys.
	135	Needs of the Many	Persuade the merchant to let the refugee squatters stay in his home. Granted after dispatching both Arfur and Zenovia (talking down or fighting).
	135	The Dismemberment of Dribbles	Find all the pieces of Dribbles' body and return them to Lucretious. Obtainable only after opening the way to the Undercity Ruins.
Undercity	220	Forgotten, Bloodied, Halls	Discover the Temple of Bhaal. Granted upon opening the Solid Door to the temple itself in the Undercity Ruins.
Wyrm's Crossing	135	Carnal Rituals of Sharess	Take part in the... erm... negotiable affection provided in Sharess' Caress. Unlike other similar inspirations, this one concerns only the deal with the drow twins.
Wyrm's Rock Fortress	170	Shaking Bane's Hand	Agree to an alliance with Gortash. Mutually exclusive with ⁠Never Trust Those Above You.

Cut Background Goals

• Justice Sees All: Discover why Anders betrayed Tyr.
  • In Early Access, Anders was a fallen paladin of Tyr. However, in the release version his backstory was changed to simply be a servant of Zariel pretending to be a paladin; therefore, the dialogue that would trigger this inspiration was removed. However, there are remnant lines in his dialogue: real followers of Tyr could have asked him to recite their god's dogma to expose his lie.