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GM Screen
Planar Adventures
Role of the Divine
Source
Planar Adventures pg. 70
The concept of free will hangs at the fundamental core of all living beings, even the choice to have faith in the gods or not. Whenever deities meddle directly in mortal affairs, they damage this agency and erode the concept of free will—what is the point of being able to make your own choices, after all, if an entity infinitely more powerful than you can simply ignore those choices and alter reality at its whim?
The gods understand the nature of this conundrum far better than any of us mortals can, and their greater understanding of these paradoxes is a large part of what causes them to move in their proverbial “mysterious ways.” Still, mortals are often driven to ask the question, “Why do the gods allow bad things to happen?”
The simplest explanation for this paradox is to equate divine intervention to an arms race. Were there one divinity, there would be none to question its actions or oppose its needs, but this is not the nature of the Great Beyond. Countless gods, demigods, and quasi deities exist, each of which has interests spread throughout the multiverse and across all Material Plane worlds. This means that every god, even the most secluded or nonconfrontational, has competitors at best and enemies at worst. When a god takes direct action in a world, that god’s opposing forces take note and react. The resulting arms race, with opposing deities taking increasingly overwhelming actions to counter each other, can swiftly spiral out of control and destroy entire worlds, at which point all the hard work of creation is, in effect, undone.
And so the gods follow a largely self-imposed ban on direct interaction with the Material Plane. They leave their concerns and agendas in the capable hands of their faithful and allow their churches to represent the deity’s interests and decide their own fates. It should be noted that this element of self-imposed non-intervention does not extend equally to the ranks of demigods. These entities, while powerful, can be defeated by the mortals whose lives they manipulate, and they do well to keep that possible fate, however unlikely, in mind.
Divine Power
Source
Planar Adventures pg. 70
There are three levels of power among the divine, although divinities of all levels wield vast power, especially when compared to a lowly mortal.
Deity
Source
Planar Adventures pg. 70
The most powerful category among the divine are full-fledged deities. These divinities exist beyond the concept of rules, do not have stat blocks, and thus cannot be slain in simple combat. A deity can change reality, undo any mortal magic, restore or snuff out life, or do any other thing required for the story you wish to tell.
Deities grant their clerics access to five domains.
Demigod
Source
Planar Adventures pg. 70
Unlike a deity, a demigod is represented in game with statistics, ranging in power from CR 26 to CR 30.
Archdevils
,
demon lords
,
empyreal lords
, and
Great Old Ones
are all examples of demigods. A demigod who controls a planar realm can effect physical change in that realm by thought, but such changes are not instantaneous. Beyond the reach of its realm, a demigod must rely upon its own abilities and magic to effect such changes.
Demigods grant their clerics access to four domains.
Quasi Deity
Source
Planar Adventures pg. 70
Quasi deities are the least powerful of the divine, and the most eclectic in their nature. A quasi deity has a stat block, and can be of any CR (although the vast majority lie in the CR 21–25 range). Nascent demon lords, the malebranche, and qlippoth lords are all examples of quasi deities, as are creatures like
deep one elders
,
conqueror worms
, and
green men
, who have the ability to grant spells to clerics. Mythic characters who take the
divine source path ability
are also quasi deities.
Quasi deities have no inborn ability to shape and alter reality by thought alone, even if they somehow gain control of a planar realm, and must rely upon their own abilities and magic to effect changes of this nature.
A quasi deity grants from one to four domains to its clerics.
Divine Intervention
Source
Planar Adventures pg. 70
In the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, elements of divine intervention occur when the GM steps in to change the flow of play, be it by arbitrarily assigning die roll results, reversing entire events, or even changing the nature of in-game reality, if only for a split second. The effects of a divine intervention are not bound by rules, and you can justify any sudden reversal of fortune or adjustment to reality you wish by categorizing it as divine intervention.
This is a tool you should use only rarely—if ever—in your game. The best reason to allow divine intervention in your game is when there is no other option for party survival and you and your players wish to continue the campaign. In such cases, divine intervention can not only allow the game to continue but can instill in the characters and players alike a feeling of gratitude for the sudden unexpected salvation.
Take care to not remove the threat of failure from your game, of course—if the players come to expect you to save their characters each and every time they fail, the suspense of the game will fade. As a general rule, divine intervention should only occur once per player per campaign, but of course you can alter this frequency as you wish to suit the preference of your table.
Divine Gifts
Source
Planar Adventures pg. 71
The gods do not need to wait for mortals to call upon them for aid to grant boons. At times, when a character performs a particularly devout act or completes a legendary crusade, that character’s deity may choose to reward her with a divine gift.
The timing and frequency in which divine gifts are granted is left strictly to the discretion of the GM. They can be given to a particularly devout worshiper in a time of need. They might be granted upon the completion of a significant quest that furthers the faith. Or they might be rewards given in return for a significant sacrifice made in a deity’s name or dedication shown to the deity. A divine gift can be granted to any creature, even to a follower of a different deity or to a creature who does not worship the divine at all. The only restriction is that a creature must be sapient in order to receive a divine gift, for a creature always has the option to refuse the gift if it so wishes—the freedom to accept or reject such a gift is part of the nature of this boon. However, at the GM’s discretion, rejecting a divine gift from a deity you worship (or accepting a divine gift from a rival deity) may have repercussions.
Divine gifts can be of any power level, but the example gifts presented in the following section focusing upon the core pantheon are all on par with effects that could be granted by a miracle spell—feel free to adjust this power level as you prefer for your home campaign. At your discretion, you can allow divine spellcasters to duplicate the effects of a divine gift (as appropriate for their deity) by casting
miracle
themselves.
Faith and the Divine
Source
Planar Adventures pg. 71
Divinities have immense power and can intervene in the lives of mortal worshipers to grant miraculous boons. They can raise up realms and create life on a whim. What use, therefore, do divinities have for mortal life at all?
One use lies in the nature of the fundamental building block of the Outer Planes—quintessence. As detailed in The River of Souls, when a mortal dies, the soul eventually merges with the material of another plane (usually after spending time as a petitioner or outsider), expanding the plane’s size and counterbalancing its erosion by the Maelstrom. Thus, the very existence of the Outer Planes depends on the constant influx of souls. When a deity’s religion is widespread on the Material Plane, her realm reaps direct benefits in the form of more petitioners, which can, in time, increase the overall size of the planar realm.
But there’s an even more important role that mortals play: they provide faith. When a mortal has faith in a divinity, that power increasingly ties that mortal’s fate and soul to that divinity. The divinity does not directly gain power from this interaction—a deity with only one or even no worshipers can be as powerful as a deity with trillions of worshipers. A religion that is powerful and widespread, however, can expand a divinity’s influence in ways that the divinity cannot, due to the fact that the divine do not directly interfere in the affairs of mortals. A deity who has legions of worshipers will see her religion spread, and that spread of faith will directly translate into an increase of souls into her realm. Deities with few or no worshipers will, over time, see their realms eaten away by the Maelstrom, their armies dwindle, and their standing among the divine fade. Faith can meet a divinity’s emotional needs as well, be it the need for a self-centered deity to feel his ego bolstered, an extroverted deity to feel accepted and popular, a power-hungry deity to feel feared, or a benevolent deity to bask in the love of her children and family.
Some deities have no interest in faith. These divinities may seek widespread destruction (such as
Rovagug
, whose realm is also his prison, and who would be released into the Multiverse upon its destruction) or exist as a manifestation of the fact that all things must end (such as
Azathoth
,
Shub-Niggurath
, and
Yog-Sothoth
are incalculably ancient, and they exist outside of the boundaries and restrictions of faith, souls, and the concept of quintessence entirely. Mortals still worship them, yet the Outer Gods have little interest in such worship, and in many cases these alien divinities may not even comprehend the concept of faith at all. Among the Outer Gods, only
Nyarlathotep’s
pursuit of faith provides a singular, ominous, and unnerving exception to this rule.
Deific Realms
Source
Planar Adventures pg. 72
A divinity gains authority over a portion of a plane in one of two ways. The first is via simple conquest. Such conflicts may involve vast armies, clever traps, devious espionage, political subterfuge, or any combination thereof. Whatever form it takes, the resulting battles and confrontations are always the stuff of legend.
Conflict-based conquests are only rarely carried out by lawful or good divinities. The planes are vast, and for every realm currently ruled by a divinity, there are thousands, if not millions, more locations spread throughout the plane ripe for the picking. Thus, the most common method by which a divinity claims a realm on the planes is by challenging the plane itself. The divinity selects the realm it wishes to be its own, then exerts its will upon that realm and reshapes it to suit its needs. The more closely aligned a divinity is with the plane and the type of region it has chosen, the more quickly that territory transforms into a realm suited for rule.
While a demigod’s power within its realm is immense, a deity’s is nigh absolute. Yet even in deities’ realms, the concepts of free will and noninterference remain. Just as a divinity leaves its worshipers free to express their faith and set their own fates as they wish, it also does not oversee and police every facet of life in its realm. This means that non-worshipers, or even enemies of a faith, can travel through a deity’s planar realm without fear of immediate reprisal. A paladin among a group of adventurers on a mission into
Lamashtu’s
realm in the Abyss will likely feel unwelcome and meet strong resistance from that region’s denizens, but would not need to fear direct punishment from Lamashtu herself. Likewise, a devil-worshiping priest who infiltrates an enclave of azatas in
Cayden Cailean’s
realm in Elysium to chase down an escaped petitioner from the pits of Hell would not be immediately crushed by the offended god. Only in the most significant of incursions or when a divinity is directly called out or confronted will a deity or demigod take note—and even then, the most common response would be to send a powerful minion to handle the situation.
The Core Pantheon
Source
Planar Adventures pg. 73
The most significant deities of the Inner Sea region are the 20 presented in the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. In a setting of your own design, the most powerful and prominent deities are entirely up to you. Regardless of which deities hold sway in your setting, you should take the time to design and detail your chosen pantheon of gods and goddesses, both as individuals and as a group. The following section summarizes this information for each deity in the core pantheon, to provide players of characters (and GMs of NPCs) who worship one of these deities more information for roleplaying.
Reading a Deity Stat Block
Source
Planar Adventures pg. 73
Each of the core pantheon's deities are presented below in stat block format for ease of reference.
Name and Title
: The deity's name and its common title.
Alignment, Gender, and Areas of Concern
: The gender of a deity is indicated by use of “god” or “goddess” in this entry. A deity's areas of concern represent those aspects of reality in which it has the most interest and influence.
Realm
: This entry gives the name of the deity's realm, followed by the plane on which that realm is located.
Allies
: This entry lists deities among the core pantheon who have allied with the god or goddess in question.
Relations
: If the deity is related in some way to another deity of the core pantheon, that information is presented here. Although many deities are related to deities or demigods outside the core pantheon, those relationships are not listed in this book. A special relationship that deserves additional clarification is “ascended sibling.” Three of the core deities (
Cayden Cailean
,
Iomedae
, and
Norgorber
) ascended from mortality via a harrowing quest known as the Test of the Starstone, and while these three deities are often at odds, they share an unshakable bond in that all three became deities in the same way.
Enemies
: This entry lists deities among the core pantheon who are active enemies to the god or goddess in question.
Symbol
: A description of the deity's symbol.
Temples
: This describes typical places of worship.
Sacred Animal
: With the exception of
Gozreh
(whose faith holds all animals as sacred), each of the core deities' faiths holds a specific animal as particularly sacred. A deity's sacred animal often appears with the deity in artistic depictions, and some are kept as pets or guardians on temple grounds.
Sacred Colors
: With the exception of
Shelyn
(whose faith sees beauty and sacred significance in all colors), worshipers of the core pantheon typically associate two colors as sacred for each deity. These colors are typically incorporated into holy raiment or clothing worn by worshipers.
Holy Days
: The days listed here are held as particularly sacred by the faith, and reasons for each day's significance to the faith along with the time of year at which the holy day occurs are listed in parentheses. Most faiths maintain several less important or regional holy days as well, but these are not listed here. These dates are listed using real-world days and months to avoid confusion. The names of days and months can vary in your campaign, as they do in the world of Golarion.
Domains, Subdomains
: The domains and subdomains the deity grants to its clerics are listed here.
Favored Weapon
: This lists the deity's favored weapon.
Worshipers
: The worshipers listed here are the most common agents of the deity in question, but this list is not exhaustive. Because all 20 faiths count clerics, inquisitors, oracles, and warpriests among their worshipers, these four classes are not listed so as to avoid repetition.
Minions
: As opposed to those that typically worship the deity, minions are the outsider races that often serve the deity. A deity's minions can often be encountered in temples and other places sacred to the deity, but more often they enter play when a worshiper of the deity calls upon one of the minions using magic like
summon monster
or
planar ally
.
Herald
: This lists the name of the deity's herald. A deity's herald is a unique creature who serves as a messenger and emissary. Heralds are typically CR 15 with 18 or fewer Hit Dice, making them available via greater planar ally (
Rovagug's
herald, the
Tarrasque
, is a significant exception to this rule).
Divine Gift
: These gifts are thematically appropriate boons the deity might grant, but are certainly not the only types of gifts the deity might hand out. Unless otherwise noted, any abilities granted by a divine gift can be used only once per gift.
Abadar
Master of the First Vault
LN god of cities, law, merchants, and wealth
Divinity
Realm
Aktun, Axis
Allies
Asmodeus, Erastil, Iomedae, Irori, Shelyn, Torag
Enemies
Lamashtu, Norgorber, Rovagug
Religion
Symbol
golden key
Temples
banks, cathedrals, courthouses
Sacred Animal
monkey
Sacred Colors
gold and silver
Holy Days
Market's Door (blessing of the fall marketplace and the year's harvest trade, first day markets receive goods from the fall harvest), Taxfest (annual collection of city taxes followed by public feast with civic leaders, date varies by city)
The Faithful
Domains
Earth
,
Law
,
Nobility
,
Protection
,
Travel
Subdomains
Defense, Inevitable, Leadership, Martyr, Metal, Trade
Favored Weapon
light crossbow
Worshipers
architects, bankers, cavaliers, city guards, dwarves, halflings, judges, lawyers, merchants, monks, paladins, samurai, wizards
Minions
archons
,
axiomites
,
inevitables
Herald
Lawgiver
(a massive golden golem-like creature)
Divine Gift
The character gains the ability to cast
word of recall
as a spell-like ability (CL 20th). This version of
word of recall
can transport the caster across planar boundaries, but it still doesn't function in areas that bar teleportation effects. When a character gains this gift, the GM designates as the spell's sanctuary a specific temple of Abadar located in a city of at least 1,000 inhabitants.
Asmodeus
Prince of Darkness
LE god of contracts, pride, slavery, and tyranny
Divinity
Realm
Nessus, Hell
Allies
Abadar
Enemies
Cayden Cailean, Iomedae, Irori, Lamashtu, Rovagug, Sarenrae, Shelyn
Religion
Symbol
red pentagram
Temples
cathedrals, libraries
Sacred Animal
serpent
Sacred Colors
black and red
Holy Days
none (but many worshipers celebrate on holidays sacred to good deities in ways intended to blaspheme)
The Faithful
Domains
Evil
,
Fire
,
Law
,
Magic
,
Trickery
Subdomains
Arcane, Ash, Deception, Devil, Divine, Smoke
Favored Weapon
heavy mace
Worshipers
alchemists, arcanists, bigots, bullies, cavaliers, corrupt nobles, diabolists, magi, mesmerists, occultists, rogues, slavers, slayers, soldiers, sorcerers, summoners, witches, wizards
Minions
cerberi
,
devils
(including
archdevils
),
hell hounds
Herald
Basileus
(a corrupted, angel-like creature)
Divine Gift
Asmodeus grants the service of a devil to aid in a specific task (which can last no longer than 9 nights). The type of devil is generally one whose CR is equal to the character's level (or in the case of an NPC, the character's CR).
Calistria
The Savored Sting
CN goddess of lust, revenge, and trickery
Divinity
Realm
Gardens of Deceit and Delight, Elysium
Allies
Cayden Cailean, Desna, Norgorber, Shelyn
Relations
Cayden Cailean (intermittent lover)
Enemies
Rovagug
Religion
Symbol
three daggers touching at the pommel with points out
Temples
brothels, churches, hideouts, mansions, taverns
Sacred Animal
wasp
Sacred Colors
black and yellow
Holy Days
none (individual temples have their own holidays to commemorate significant acts of revenge or trickery)
The Faithful
Domains
Chaos
,
Charm
,
Knowledge
,
Luck
,
Trickery
Subdomains
Azata, Curse, Deception, Lust, Memory, Thievery
Favored Weapon
whip
Worshipers
antipaladins, avengers, bards, elves, gunslingers, hedonists, investigators, rangers, rogues, slayers, swashbucklers, vigilantes
Minions
azatas
,
chaos beasts
,
empusas
, fey,
giant wasps
,
valkyries
Herald
Menotherian
(a bear-sized wasp)
Divine Gift
The character can cast
quickened
dominate person
(CL 20th). If the target is someone whom the character seeks revenge against for a past humiliation or injury visited on her, she can increase the save DC of this spell-like ability by an amount equal to her Charisma modifier.
Cayden Cailean
The Drunken Hero
CG god of ale, bravery, freedom, and wine
Divinity
Realm
Hero's Heart, Elysium
Allies
Calistria, Desna, Sarenrae, Shelyn, Torag
Relations
Calistria (intermittent lover), Iomedae (ascended sister), Norgorber (ascended brother)
Enemies
Asmodeus, Norgorber
Religion
Symbol
tankard
Temples
alehouses, breweries, taverns
Sacred Animal
hound
Sacred Colors
silver and tan
Holy Days
Ascension Day (drinking celebration of Cayden Cailean's ascension to godhood, December 11), First Brewing (community tasting of the year's brewing, typically 1 month after harvest time), Merrymead (sharing of stories and drinks around a fire or during pub crawls, February 2)
The Faithful
Domains
Chaos
,
Charm
,
Good
,
Strength
,
Travel
Subdomains
Azata, Exploration, Ferocity, Love, Lust, Resolve
Favored Weapon
rapier
Worshipers
adventurers, alchemists, barbarians, bards, bartenders, bloodragers, brawlers, drunkards, fighters, gunslingers, halfelves, rebels, rogues, skalds, swashbucklers, vigilantes
Minions
azatas
, fey
Herald
Thais
(a five-winged woman)
Divine Gift
When the character is affected by an effect that
freedom
can prevent, he can immediately avoid that effect. He must choose to use this gift the instant the effect occurs; if he opts not to use the gift to avoid such a fate, he can save it for use against a future immobilization effect, but he cannot use it to escape the ongoing effect he chose not to avoid.
Desna
Song of the Spheres
CG goddess of dreams, luck, stars, and travelers
Divinity
Realm
Cynosure and Sevenfold Cynosure, Elysium
Allies
Calistria, Cayden Cailean, Gozreh, Sarenrae, Shelyn
Relations
Sarenrae (lover), Shelyn (lover)
Enemies
Lamashtu, Rovagug, Zon-Kuthon
Religion
Symbol
butterfly with two stars, a sun, and a moon on its wings
Temples
hilltops, observatories, standing stones, towers
Sacred Animal
butterfly
Sacred Colors
blue and white
Holy Days
Ritual of Stardust (night of song, bonfires, and sharing of love and friendship; summer and winter solstices), Swallowtail Festival (day of feasting, storytelling, and public release of a wagonload of butterflies; autumnal equinox)
The Faithful
Domains
Chaos
,
Good
,
Liberation
,
Luck
,
Travel
Subdomains
Azata, Curse, Exploration, Fate, Freedom, Revolution
Favored Weapon
starknife
Worshipers
astronomers, barbarians, bards, dreamers, elves, explorers, gamblers, mediums, psychics, rangers, rogues, shamans, shifters, sorcerers, travelers, witches
Minions
aliens,
azatas
Herald
Night Monarch
(a huge mothlike creature)
Divine Gift
The character gains 20 luck points that can be spent at any time as a free action to increase the rolled result of a single d20 roll on a one-to-one basis. This ability can be used as many times as the character wishes as long as she retains luck points to spend, but only once per roll. These luck points can be spent after the result of the roll is determined, but must be spent immediately or the opportunity to adjust the luck of that roll is lost.
Erastil
Old Deadeye
LG god of family, farming, hunting, and trade
Divinity
Realm
Summerlands, Heaven
Allies
Abadar, Gozreh, Shelyn, Torag
Enemies
Urgathoa
Religion
Symbol
bow and arrow
Temples
barns, fallow fields, hunting lodges, longhouses, town halls, village squares
Sacred Animal
stag
Sacred Colors
brown and green
Holy Days
Archerfeast (a day of feasting and good-natured competitions, July 3rd)
The Faithful
Domains
Animal
,
Community
,
Good
,
Law
,
Plant
Subdomains
Archon, Family, Feather, Fur, Growth, Home
Favored Weapon
longbow
Worshipers
farmers, fighters, halflings, hunters, paladins, rangers, settlers, shifters, skalds, spiritualists, traders, trappers
Minions
archons
, plant creatures, wild animals
Herald
The Grim White Stag
(a stag of flesh and plant matter)
Divine Gift
The character gains three
greater slaying arrows
. The designated creatures for each of these three arrows is determined by the GM. The magic of these
greater slaying arrows
vanishes if they are sold, but they can be given to others in trade for goods or as a gift. If a worshiper of Erastil fires one of these
greater slaying arrows
and misses, the arrow vanishes and a
slaying arrow
of the same type appears in the gifted character's quiver. If this regular
slaying arrow
is then fired, only to miss its target, it has a 50% chance to be lost, as normal.
Gorum
Our Lord in Iron
CN god of battle, strength, and weapons
Divinity
Realm
Clashing Shore, Elysium
Allies
none
Enemies
Norgorber, Urgathoa
Religion
Symbol
sword impaling a mountain
Temples
armories, battlefields, fortresses
Sacred Animal
rhinoceros
Sacred Colors
gray and red
Holy Days
none (some worshipers denote impromptu holy days)
The Faithful
Domains
Chaos
,
Destruction
,
Glory
,
Strength
,
War
Subdomains
Blood, Ferocity, Protean, Rage, Resolve, Tactics
Favored Weapon
greatsword
Worshipers
barbarians, bloodragers, brawlers, cavaliers, fighters, half-orcs, mercenaries, skalds, smiths, soldiers
Minions
giants,
proteans
,
valkyries
Herald
First Blade
(a giant, armor-clad creature)
Divine Gift
Gorum grants a permanent +1 untyped bonus to Strength.
Gozreh
The Wind and the Waves
N goddess/god of nature, the sea, and weather
Divinity
Realm
nomadic, Material Plane
Allies
Desna, Erastil
Enemies
Rovagug, Urgathoa
Religion
Symbol
dripping leaf
Temples
areas of great natural beauty, lighthouses, mills, standing stones, windmills
Sacred Animal
all
Sacred Colors
blue and green
Holy Days
Currentseve (a daylong fast in anticipation of the new year and prayer for safe passage on the water, April 7th), Firstbloom (celebration of the coming spring with dances and fertility rites, vernal equinox)
The Faithful
Domains
Air
,
Animal
,
Plant
,
Water
,
Weather
Subdomains
Cloud, Decay, Growth, Oceans, Seasons, Wind
Favored Weapon
trident
Worshipers
druids, gnomes, hermits, hunters, explorers, kineticists, rangers, shamans, shifters, sorcerers, survivalists, witches
Minions
animals, elementals, plant creatures
Herald
Personification of Fury
(an amalgamation of all four types of elemental)
Divine Gift
The recipient gains the ability to call down nature's wrath by casting one of the following spells as a spell-like ability (CL 20th):
earthquake
,
storm of vengeance
,
tsunami
, or
whirlwind
.
Iomedae
The Inheritor
LG goddess of honor, justice, rulership, and valor
Divinity
Realm
Swordhome, Heaven
Allies
Abadar, Sarenrae, Torag
Relations
Cayden Cailean (ascended brother), Norgorber (ascended brother)
Enemies
Asmodeus, Norgorber, Lamashtu
Religion
Symbol
sword and sun
Temples
castles, cathedrals, churches
Sacred Animal
lion
Sacred Colors
red and white
Holy Days
Armasse (a day devoted to the training of new soldiers and studying history, August 16th), Ascendance Day (a day of singing and forgiving old grievances in honor of Iomedae's divine ascension, October 6th), Remembrance Moon (somber celebration of those who fought in past crusades, first full moon of May)
The Faithful
Domains
Glory
,
Good
,
Law
,
Sun
,
War
Subdomains
Archon, Day, Heroism, Honor, Light, Tactics
Favored Weapon
longsword
Worshipers
aristocrats, cavaliers, crusaders, fighters, knights, judges, mediums, monks, paladins, rulers, soldiers
Minions
angels
,
archons
,
lammasus
Herald
Hand of the Inquisitor
(a golden-skinned angel)
Divine Gift
By spending 10 minutes in prayer to Iomedae (this may take place during daily preparation of spells), a character can activate a
holy aura
or
shield of law
effect on himself (CL 20th) that lasts for the next 12 hours.
Irori
Master of Masters
LN god of history, knowledge, and self-perfection
Divinity
Realm
Serene Circle, Axis
Allies
Abadar
Enemies
Asmodeus, Norgorber
Religion
Symbol
blue hand
Temples
dojos, fighting academies, libraries, monasteries
Sacred Animal
snail
Sacred Colors
blue and white
Holy Days
various regional holidays
The Faithful
Domains
Healing
,
Knowledge
,
Law
,
Rune
,
Strength
Subdomains
Inevitable, Language, Memory, Resolve, Restoration, Thought
Favored Weapon
unarmed strike
Worshipers
arcanists, bards, brawlers, hermits, historians, investigators, kineticists, martial artists, mesmerists, monks, paladins, psychics, samurai, scholars, wizards
Minions
aeons
,
guardian nagas
,
inevitables
Herald
the Old Man
(an elderly but spry human)
Divine Gift
Irori grants a permanent +1 untyped bonus to Constitution.
Lamashtu
The Mother of Monsters
CE goddess of madness, monsters, and nightmares
Divinity
Realm
Kurnugia, the Abyss
Allies
none
Enemies
Abadar, Asmodeus, Desna, Iomedae, Rovagug, Sarenrae
Religion
Symbol
three-eyed jackal face
Temples
abandoned orphanages, caverns, ruined buildings
Sacred Animal
jackal
Sacred Colors
red and yellow
Holy Days
Night of the Pale (night of grim revelry, December 31)
The Faithful
Domains
Chaos
,
Evil
,
Madness
,
Strength
,
Trickery
Subdomains
Deception, Demon, Ferocity, Insanity, Nightmare, Thievery
Favored Weapon
falchion
Worshipers
alchemists, antipaladins, barbarians, bloodragers, deformed outcasts, demon cultists, hunters, lunatics, occultists, shifters, sorcerers, summoners, witches
Minions
barghests
,
demons
,
yeth hounds
Herald
Yethazmari
(a snake-tailed jackal-like fiend)
Divine Gift
The recipient can disgorge a servitor monster from her body as a full-round action. The monster views the character as its mother and follows her general commands, although it can't be directly controlled. The exact type of monster spawned is chosen by the GM, but is generally one whose CR is equal to the character's level (or in the case of an NPC, the character's own CR). The monster lives for 9 days, after which it dies in a spectacular shower of gore.
Nethys
The All-Seeing Eye
N god of magic
Divinity
Realm
Ahkanefti, Maelstrom
Allies
none
Enemies
none
Religion
Symbol
two-toned mask
Temples
cathedrals, libraries, towers
Sacred Animal
zebra
Sacred Colors
black and white
Holy Days
Abjurant Day (traditional day for the testing of apprentices, November 8), Evoking Day (festival of fireworks and trading of spells, November 18), Transmutatum (day of reflection; November 28)
The Faithful
Domains
Destruction
,
Knowledge
,
Magic
,
Protection
,
Rune
Subdomains
Arcane, Catastrophe, Divine, Defense, Thought, Wards
Favored Weapon
quarterstaff
Worshipers
alchemists, arcanists, bards, kineticists, magi, mediums, mesmerists, occultists, psychics, skalds, spellcasters, scribes, sorcerers, summoners, teachers, witches, wizards
Minions
aeons
, elementals,
sphinxes
Herald
Arcanotheign
(a feminine cloud of energy)
Divine Gift
Nethys grants a permanent +1 untyped bonus to Intelligence.
Norgorber
The Reaper of Reputation
NE god of greed, murder, poison, and secrets
Divinity
Realm
Duskfathom, Axis
Allies
Calistria
Relations
Cayden Cailean (ascended brother), Iomedae (ascended sister)
Enemies
Abadar, Cayden Cailean, Iomedae, Irori, Gorum
Religion
Symbol
one-eyed mask
Temples
hidden complexes, thieves' guilds, warehouses
Sacred Animal
spider
Sacred Colors
black and gray
Holy Days
Ascendance Day (celebration of Norgorber's ascension to divinity, traditionally worshiped on the winter solstice)
The Faithful
Domains
Charm
,
Death
,
Evil
,
Knowledge
,
Trickery
Subdomains
Daemon, Deception, Memory, Murder, Thievery, Thought
Favored Weapon
short sword
Worshipers
alchemists, antipaladins, bards, corrupt merchants and bankers, fighters, investigators, magi, mesmerists, murderers, ninja, occultists, poisoners, rogues, slayers, swashbucklers, thieves, vigilantes, wizards
Minions
jorogumos
,
soul eaters
,
xills
Herald
the Stabbing Beast
(a scorpion-like humanoid)
Divine Gift
Norgorber grants a permanent +1 untyped bonus to Dexterity.
Pharasma
Lady of Graves
N goddess of birth, death, fate, and prophecy
Divinity
Realm
Boneyard
Allies
none
Enemies
Urgathoa
Religion
Symbol
spiraling comet
Temples
cathedrals, graveyards, river islands
Sacred Animal
whippoorwill
Sacred Colors
blue and white
Holy Days
Day of Bones (day for displaying the dead and for free interment of the dead, March 5)
The Faithful
Domains
Death
,
Healing
,
Knowledge
,
Repose
,
Water
Subdomains
Ancestors, Ice, Memory, Resurrection, Souls, Thought
Favored Weapon
dagger
Worshipers
gravediggers, mediums, midwives, occultists, philosophers, prophets, psychics, shamans, sorcerers, spiritualists, witches
Minions
einherji
,
norns
,
psychopomps
Herald
Steward of the Skein
(an armored, winged, faceless woman)
Divine Gift
The recipient is not affected by the next effect, damage, or other event that would otherwise kill him.
Rovagug
The Rough Beast
CE god of destruction, disaster, and wrath
Divinity
Realm
The Dead Vault
Allies
none
Enemies
Abadar, Asmodeus, Calistria, Desna, Gozreh, Lamashtu, Sarenrae, Shelyn, Torag, Zon-Kuthon
Religion
Symbol
open maw surrounded by spider legs
Temples
caverns, chasms, fortresses, pits
Sacred Animal
scorpion
Sacred Colors
brown and red
Holy Days
Lastday (planetary alignments symbolizing the weakening of Rovagug's prison, typically in early Fall), the Waking (celebration of the destruction wreaked by Earthfall, typically in early Spring)
The Faithful
Domains
Chaos
,
Destruction
,
Evil
,
War
,
Weather
Subdomains
Blood, Catastrophe, Demon, Protean, Rage, Storms
Favored Weapon
greataxe
Worshipers
antipaladins, barbarians, bloodragers, doomsayers, fighters, hate-mongers, hunters, kineticists, maniacs, shamans, shifters, slayers, witches
Minions
demons
, fiendish vermin,
qlippoth
Herald
the Tarrasque
(towering destructive monster)
Divine Gift
The recipient gains the ability to bring destruction by casting one of the following spells as a spell-like ability (CL 20th):
implosion
,
meteor swarm
,
storm of vengeance
, or
tsunami
.
Sarenrae
The Dawnflower
NG goddess of healing, honesty, redemption, and the sun
Divinity
Realm
Everlight, Nirvana
Allies
Cayden Cailean, Desna, Iomedae, Shelyn
Relations
Desna (lover), Shelyn (lover)
Enemies
Asmodeus, Lamashtu, Rovagug, Urgathoa
Religion
Symbol
ankh-shaped angel with upraised wings
Temples
cathedrals, churches, infirmaries, standing stones
Sacred Animal
dove
Sacred Colors
blue and gold
Holy Days
Burning Blades (festival of dancing and fire, June 10), Candlemark (individual celebration of when one first joined the faith, winter solstice), Sunwrought Festival (acts of kindness, dancing, gift giving, and kites; summer solstice)
The Faithful
Domains
Fire
,
Glory
,
Good
,
Healing
,
Sun
Subdomains
Agathion, Day, Heroism, Light, Restoration, Resurrection
Favored Weapon
scimitar
Worshipers
bards, cavaliers, diplomats, druids, healers, paladins, philanthropists, psychics, shamans, sorcerers, spiritualists, witches
Minions
angels
,
peris
,
phoenixes
Herald
Sunlord Thalachos
(shining angelic being)
Divine Gift
As the sun rises over the recipient's home world, he can perform a 10-minute prayer (this may be part of his daily ritual to prepare spells) to invoke the Dawnflower. For the next 24 hours, all healing effects the character generates heal the maximum amount of damage possible. In addition, during this time he can cast
breath of life
and
heal
as spell-like abilities 3 times each (CL 20th).
Shelyn
The Eternal Rose
NG goddess of art, beauty, love, and music
Divinity
Realm
Blossomheart, Nirvana
Allies
Abadar, Calistria, Cayden Cailean, Desna, Erastil, Sarenrae
Relations
Desna (lover), Sarenrae (lover), Zon-Kuthon (brother)
Enemies
Asmodeus, Rovagug, Urgathoa, Zon-Kuthon
Religion
Symbol
songbird with multicolored tail
Temples
art galleries, cathedrals, gardens, museums, opera houses, theaters
Sacred Animal
songbird
Sacred Colors
all
Holy Days
Crystalhue (day of artistic creation and romantic proposals, Winter solstice)
The Faithful
Domains
Air
,
Charm
,
Good
,
Luck
,
Protection
Subdomains
Agathion, Cloud, Defense, Fate, Love, Purity
Favored Weapon
glaive
Worshipers
alchemists, artists, bards, cavaliers, druids, gnomes, lovers, mediums, musicians, paladins, skalds, swashbucklers
Minions
agathions
,
azatas
, fey
Herald
Spirit of Adoration
(armored winged woman)
Divine Gift
Shelyn grants a permanent +1 untyped bonus to Charisma.
Torag
Father of Creation
LG god of the forge, protection, and strategy
Divinity
Realm
Forgeheart, Heaven
Allies
Abadar, Cayden Cailean, Erastil, Iomedae
Enemies
Rovagug
Religion
Symbol
iron hammer
Temples
cathedrals, caverns, castles, battlefields, forges, fortresses, warehouses
Sacred Animal
badger
Sacred Colors
gold and gray
Holy Days
Skylost (day of mourning for lost dwarven Sky Citadels, date varies)
The Faithful
Domains
Artifice
,
Earth
,
Good
,
Law
,
Protection
Subdomains
Archon, Caves, Construct, Defense, Metal, Toil
Favored Weapon
warhammer
Worshipers
cavaliers, dwarves, fighters, guards, gunslingers, hunters, miners, monks, occultists, paladins, rangers, shamans, skalds, smiths, soldiers, spiritualists
Minions
archons
,
azers
, constructs
Herald
Grand Defender
(a massive dwarf-shaped golem)
Divine Gift
The recipient can perform a 10-minute prayer (this can be part of her daily ritual to prepare spells) to gain divine insight into defense and strategic situations for the next 24 hours. During this time, the character gains a pool of 20 defense points. She can allocate these points among any number of recipients as untyped bonuses to AC or on saving throws, to a maximum of 5 points per target (a single target can receive this bonus only to AC or to saving throws, not both). She can reallocate these points as a standard action any point during these 24 hours, but each time she does so, the total pool of defense points available for the next allocation is reduced by 5.
Urgathoa
The Pallid Princess
NE goddess of disease, gluttony, and undeath
Divinity
Realm
Bloodrot, Abaddon
Allies
Zon-Kuthon
Enemies
Erastil, Gorum, Gozreh, Pharasma, Sarenrae, Shelyn
Religion
Symbol
skull-decorated fly
Temples
cathedrals, feast halls, graveyards
Sacred Animal
fly
Sacred Colors
green and red
Holy Days
Night of the Pale (night of morbid revelry and hauntings, December 31), various regional holidays
The Faithful
Domains
Death
,
Evil
,
Magic
,
Strength
,
War
Subdomains
Blood, Daemon, Divine, Ferocity, Murder, Undead
Favored Weapon
scythe
Worshipers
alchemists, antipaladins, bloodragers, gluttons, mediums, necromancers, occultists, rogues, shamans, slayers, sorcerers, spiritualists, undead, witches, wizards
Minions
daemons
, disease carriers, undead
Herald
Mother's Maw
(giant winged vampire skull)
Divine Gift
The recipient dies and rises at the next sunset (or after 12 hours have passed, whichever comes first, but never in a situation that would result in the gift being granted during the day) as a
vampire
. (At the GM's discretion, other vampire templates, such as
jiang-shi
or
nosferatu
, can be applied rather than the standard vampire template.) If the character is already a vampire, he does not suffer any of the traditional vampire weaknesses (such as sunlight or running water) for 24 hours.
Zon-Kuthon
The Midnight Lord
LE god of darkness, envy, loss, and pain
Divinity
Realm
Xovaikain, the Shadow Plane
Allies
Urgathoa
Relations
Shelyn (sister)
Enemies
Desna, Rovagug, Shelyn
Religion
Symbol
human skull with chains hanging like streaming tears from its eye sockets
Temples
abandoned graveyards, cathedrals, caverns, haunted woodland clearings, laboratories, ruined city squares, torture chambers
Sacred Animal
bat
Sacred Colors
dark gray, red
Holy Days
Joymaking (day of amputations and body modifications applied to willing volunteers and captives alike, date varies), Eternal Kiss (sacrifice of a prisoner who was first pampered for several days, first new moon of the year)
The Faithful
Domains
Darkness
,
Death
,
Destruction
,
Evil
,
Law
Subdomains
Catastrophe, Devil, Loss, Murder, Night, Undead
Favored Weapon
spiked chain
Worshipers
arcanists, cavaliers, the desperate, fighters, mesmerists, monks, ninja, occultists, rogues, sadists, shadow cultists, slayers, sorcerers, spiritualists, summoners, torturers, vigilantes, witches, wizards
Minions
kytons
, shadow creatures, undead
Herald
the Prince in Chains
(chain-shrouded wolf)
Divine Gift
The recipient can perform a 10-minute prayer (this can be part of her daily ritual to prepare spells) involving self-flagellation or other forms of self-inflicted pain to replace her body with a shadowy duplicate of her true form for 24 hours. During this time, the character exists as a strange, shadowy incarnation of her normal self, and is immune to precision damage and bleed, fear, negative energy, and pain effects, and she treats all piercing and slashing damage as nonlethal damage. The character is treated as undead for the purposes of determining the effects of damage or healing caused by negative or positive energy.