The radiant idol is another Eberron entity that didn’t survive the transition to Eberron: Rising From the Last War intact. Originally, every radiant idol was a being with its own unique domain, sort of like the cleric domains in fifth-edition Dungeons & Dragons, and powers that related directly to that domain. In this most recent sourcebook, radiant idols are simply fallen celestials, with no particular bailiwick and the same powers across the board. Craving adoration, they amass cults of devotees, but the relationship sends both worshipers and worshipees into spirals of psychological disintegration.
Radiant idols’ ability scores are uniformly high, in a gently sloping contour that you don’t see too often. Five of those scores form a straight, from Intelligence 17 to Charisma 21; their highest ability score, Strength, takes a hop up to 23. This deviation—which really isn’t much of one—gives them a slight bias toward melee engagement. But with ability scores like these, radiant idols can fight pretty much any way they like. Unlike most creatures, which have one favored combat role and stick to it, radiant idols are distinguished by their flexibility.
One way this flexibility manifests is an extreme unwillingness to get into any fight they can’t win, and another is a pronounced preference for talking first. Whenever they can, radiant idols try to get their way without fighting. With that extraordinary Charisma and proficiency in Persuasion, Deception and Insight, along with an immunity to being charmed and an Aura of False Divinity that can passively charm others, radiant idols can dominate social interaction encounters in a way they can only wish they could in combat. And if logos, ethos and pathos don’t do the trick, they can always try dominate person or mass suggestion, depending on whether they’re trying to sway one or many. (more…)
