Free tables Pockets & trinkets
What's in a Cultist's Pockets? d20 Table for 5e
A free d20 table of what a cultist carries in 5e: tithes, ritual tools, coded notes, and the ordinary life they lead by day.
A cultist in a robe is an enemy. A cultist with a baker's apron string in one pocket and a half-written letter to their sister in the other is a neighbour, and that's far more unsettling. The best things in a cultist's pockets are the ones that point back to the town.
Roll d20 for each cultist searched. Most results either mark them as a member, show the life they lead by day, or lead to the next meeting. The cult has no name here, so these fit whatever your cultists worship.
The table
20 results. Roll d20.
| d20 | Result | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tithe Pouch | 4 sp and 9 cp in a pouch stitched with the cult's sign. Collected, not spent. |
| 2 | Knotted Cord | A black cord with thirteen knots. The last one is tied in red thread. |
| 3 | Folded Hood | A spare hood folded small, with a pocket of ash sewn into the lining. |
| 4 | Blunt Knife | A small curved knife, never sharpened, its handle carved like a closed eye. |
| 5 | Hymnal Wrapping | Black candle stubs and a flint, wrapped in a page torn from the chapel hymn book. |
| 6 | Meeting Note | A scrap of paper: "Moon dark. Under the mill. Bring the boy." |
| 7 | Pamphlet | A crudely copied pamphlet promising "an end to hunger", and naming a tavern where questions are answered. |
| 8 | Door Token | A clay token stamped with a sigil. Shown at the right door, it gets you in. |
| 9 | Day Job | A baker's apron string and a list of loaves owed to customers. They have work in the morning. |
| 10 | Sweet Resin | A twist of sticky, sickly-sweet resin. Burned, it leaves anyone nearby a little dizzy. |
| 11 | Letter to a Sister | A half-written letter saying they want to leave, and don't know how. |
| 12 | Cipher Strap | A leather strap with letters along its edge. Wound round a stick of the right width, it spells a message. |
| 13 | Eight Names | A list of eight townsfolk. Three are crossed out. One is a member of the watch. |
| 14 | Dated Bones | A pouch of small animal bones, each one labelled with a date. |
| 15 | Defaced Symbol | The holy symbol of a god of the harvest, carefully scratched over. |
| 16 | Crypt Key | A brass key on a tag: "Crypt, side door. Return after." |
| 17 | Covered Mirror | A small hand mirror in a velvet bag, kept face down. They will not look into it. |
| 18 | Paper Crown | A paper crown, carefully folded, worn at gatherings by whoever has been "chosen". |
| 19 | Bent Gold | A gold piece bent double, the way they're thrown into the offering pool. |
| 20 | Higher Ring | A seal ring of the cult's inner circle. This cultist isn't in the inner circle. |
Questions
What should a cultist have on them?
Something that marks them as a member, something from their ordinary life, and a lead to the next meeting. The ordinary item matters most: it turns a robed figure into somebody the party might have bought bread from.
How do I make cultists less generic?
Give each one a reason to have joined. Results like the letter to a sister or the day job show a person rather than a robe, which gives the party someone to talk to instead of someone to fight. A cultist who wants out is also the best informant you'll ever hand the players.