Greyhawk Synchretism (Action Greyhawk)
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Synchretism in Greyhawk
Modern scholars have tried to work their way trough the many divinities of Greyhawk to identify the major powers, to try and identify the gods of the different culture with one another. The argument is that there cannot be two gods with ultimate authority in the same domain; these must either be at war (which there are no indications of) or one and the same. This is a highly controversial argument among Clerics but espoused by Wizards.
The major commonly gods identified in Greyhawk Synchretism are these:
Bahamut
Bahamut the platinum dragon is the god of chivalry, protection, and nobility.
In the oldest Suel legends, Bahamut is the teacher and exemplar of the Suel people. He succeeded in teaching them the strength in order, but not quite the importance of benevolence. He has been a constant good influence throughout Suel history, often intervening subtly to check the machinations of Tiamat.
In the Common pantheon, Bahamut has replaced Hieroneous as the god of chivalry. He is seen as less upper-class and conservative, more hands on and impartial. But chivalry is not a major factor in the Common, and Bahamut is a somewhat odd figure known by many but favored by few. His cult is not very large and still seen as impractical or even bigoted.
In Synchretism, Bahamut is seen as the primary power of chivalry, nobles, and paternal protection. He presents himself to the world as Al´Akbar the Baklunish prophet of duty, Solonor the elven patron of archery, Arvoreen the halfling exarch of defense, and Hieroneous the Oerdian exemplar of honorable knighthood and rulership.
Bahamut (bah-hahm-ut) is revered in many locales. Though all good dragons pay homage to Bahamut, gold, silver, and brass dragons hold him in particularly high regard. Other dragons, even evil ones (except perhaps his archrival Tiamat), respect Bahamut for his wisdom and power. In his natural form, Bahamut is a long, sinuous dragon covered in silver-white scales that sparkle and gleam even in the dimmest light. Bahamut’s catlike eyes are deep blue, as azure as a midsummer sky, some say. Others insist that Bahamut’s eyes are a frosty indigo, like the heart of a glacier. Perhaps the two accounts merely reflect the Platinum Dragon’s shifting moods.
Bahamut is stern and very disapproving of evil. He brooks no excuses for evil acts. In spite of this, he is among the most compassionate beings in the multiverse. He has limitless empathy for the downtrodden, the dispossessed, and the helpless. He urges his followers to promote the cause of good, but prefers to let beings fight their own battles when they can. To Bahamut, it is better to offer information, healing, or a (temporary) safe refuge rather than to take other’s burdens upon oneself. Bahamut is served by seven great gold wyrms that often accompany him or one of his avatars.
Bahamut has few clerics and even fewer temples. He accepts only good clerics. Clerics of Bahamut, be they dragons, half-dragons, or other beings attracted to Bahamut’s philosophy, strive to take constant, but subtle action on behalf of good, intervening wherever they are needed but striving to do as little harm in the process as possible. Many gold, silver, and brass dragons maintain simple shrines to Bahamut in their lairs, usually nothing more elaborate than Bahamut’s symbol scribed on a wall.
Alignment: LG
Weapon: Lance
Symbol: Blue gem or crystal.
Action Domain
Air, Force, Light, Order, Spiritual.
Pathfinder Domains
Good, Law, Glory, Scalykind (Dragon), War.
Pathfinder Traits
Obedience
Count your money and your blessings, meditating on each coin and the good deeds it will inspire you to do. Make a promise to yourself about a goal you wish to achieve today. As long as you make a reasonable effort towards this goal, you gain a +2 sacred bonus on Appraise and Perception checks.
Boons
- Comfort of Faith (Sp) sanctuary 3/day, align weapon (law or good only) 2/day, or magic circle against chaos/evil 1/day
- Demanding Presence (Sp) You can cast silenced holy word once per day.
- Divine Gaze (Su) Your eyes become the golden eyes of a dragon. You gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet (or, if you already have darkvision, extend your current range by 60 feet). Once per day as a standard action, you can shower yourself and any allies within 30 feet with divine light from your eyes, granting each affected target a +4 sacred bonus to AC, a +4 resistance bonus on all saving throws, and SR 25 for 1 round per HD you possess.
Boccob
Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down?
That's not my department, " says Wernher von Braun.'
Tom Lehrer, Wernher von Braun.
Boccob, sometimes known as Al-Zarad in Baklunish lands, is the god of magical enlightenment, a learned trickster; he is exceedingly intelligent but often plays the fool. His color is blue.
Among the Baklunish Boccob is the god of magic and understanding, god of civilization and progress, the sane counterpart of Ralishaz.
Boccob is the god of arcane magic in the Common pantheon, called the uncaring, arch-mage of the gods and patron of Wizardry. His agenda is to maintain, spread, and develop the use of magic; to see to it that what needs to be secret remains in wise hands while promulgating arcane knowledge as much as possible. He does not hoard arcane secrets, instead wishing all to embrace them. He encourages acceptance and the spread of ideas and is in this way the spiritual father of the Common culture.
In Synchretism Boccob is the god of magic and manifests as other gods of magic and art. Corellon Lathean is the elven god who rules by virtue of his skill and excellence with magic. Garl Glittergold is the first gnome, trickster, jeweler and shaper of the gnomes. Boccob is popular among humans as he gladly helps others to learn his wisdom. Zagyg the Mad is an ascended archmage of Greyhawk City. Ye’cind is an ascended elven musician-mage.
Boccob (BOK-kob) is known throughout the Flanaess, oversees the maintenance of magic's existence on Oerth, and is interested in the creation of new magic items and spells (he is said to have a copy of every magic item made by mortals). He sees that Oerth's magic is declining and will eventually fade away; he combats this effect and suspects that Tharizdun is responsible. He is distant from all other gods save his servant Zagyg. Shown in purple robes with shimmering runes of gold, Boccob carries the first staff of the magi; an eye within a pentagram is his symbol.
Seek balance above good, evil, law, or chaos. Fight to push back the zeal of good just as you would the oppression of evil. Magic is the most important thing on Oerth, and it must be preserved so that the balance can be preserved.
Churches are protected from outside interference, and those within devote most of their time to research, particularly prophecies, which they guard carefully lest they fall into the wrong hands. In lands where the forces of Law, Chaos, Good, or Evil grow too strong, churches of Boccob are built to balance those forces.
Clerics of Boccob create and study magic and divine the future. They leave their churches to root out rumors of lost magic items or spells, or to defend a magical place or item from destruction. Most clerics of Boccob are neutral, as extremism in ethos is frowned upon; they must maintain the balance between all alignments. Other clerics of Boccob take the specialist stance in their Neutral alignment; they focus on magic leave politics to others.
Alignment: Neutral
Weapon: Staff
Symbol: Eye within a pentagram.
Pathfinder Domains
Artifice, Knowledge, Magic, Rune, Trickery.
Pathfinder Traits
Pathfinder Obedience
Repeat the name of Boccob incessantly as you create or prepare some kind of magic; this is usually done with spell preparation but can be done with magic item creation, ritual magic, or casting spells. Gain a +4 sacred bonus on spellcraft checks.
Evangelist or Feat
- Arcane Essence (Sp) mage armor 3/day, mirror image 2/day, or fly 1/day
- Arcane Eye (Sp) You can use arcane eye three times per day as a spell-like ability. The arcane eye you summon functions as if you had cast arcane sight and were able to view its information through the arcane eye. This allows you to see magical auras through the arcane eye, and potentially identify the schools of magic involved. You can also potentially determine the spellcasting or spell-like abilities of viewed creatures, as noted in the spell description.
- Robes of Boccob (Su) You can manifest an illusory robe that absorbs hostile spells for a number of rounds per day equal to 1 + 1 for every 4 Hit Dice you possess (maximum 6 rounds). These rounds don’t need to be consecutive, and you can activate or deactivate the robe as a free action. The robe functions as a lesser globe of invulnerability except that it only excludes hostile spell effects of 3rd level or lower. Any spell that would force you to attempt a saving throw; cause you to take hit point damage, negative levels, ability drain, or ability damage; or end your life is considered hostile for the purposes of this effect. Unlike a lesser globe of invulnerability, you can move normally while cloaked in the robes.
Exalted
- Magical Essences (Sp) magic aura 3/day, misdirection 2/day, or arcane sight 1/day
- Staff Channel (Su) You can deliver touch spells with a casting time of one standard action or longer through a quarterstaff. Using this ability doesn’t change the casting time or other qualities of the spell, but you must make a melee attack with your quarterstaff against the target’s AC rather than a touch attack against its touch AC. If you hit the target, you deal quarterstaff damage as well as discharge the spell effect. You can hold the charge as normal when delivering a touch spell through a quarterstaff.
- Pure Magic Aura (Su) You radiate an aura of the pure essence of magic. You can use this ability a number of rounds per day equal to 1 + 1 for every 4 Hit Dice you possess (maximum 6 rounds). These rounds don’t need to be consecutive, and you can activate and deactivate your aura as a free action. You and any allies within 20 feet of you increase your caster levels by 1d4. Roll this die when you activate this ability and use the same value for all who gain this benefit. The increase affects spell qualities (such as duration and number of targets) that rely on caster level, as well as caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance. The bonus caster levels don’t grant higher-level spell slots or cause the recipients to learn new spells.
Sentinel
- Magical Enhancer (Sp) magic weapon 3/day, arrow eruptionAPG 2/day, or keen edge 1/day
- Disrupt Defenses (Su) You have attuned yourself to the essence within magic weapons, and can conjure up that same aura within any weapon you hold. Any weapon attacks you make gain a +1 enhancement bonus. This stacks with other enhancement bonuses.
- Boccob's Protection (Su) A complex arcane sigil manifests on your skin. The location of this sigil varies by individual, but always appears in a place easily displayed. (Most commonly, the sigil resembles a third eye.) While the sigil remains uncovered, you gain a deflection bonus to AC equal to 1 + 1 for every 4 Hit Dice you possess (maximum +6). You lose the deflection bonus if the sigil becomes obscured, but it returns once the sigil is made visible once again.
Action Domain
Flux, Force, Magic, Order, Spiritual.
Ehlonna
The forest maiden is the goddess of forests, spring, the hunt and of youth. Many elves living among humans favor her. She is also the patron of performing art, shown variously as practitioner, teacher, sponsor, or audience.
Called Ehlenestra by the Elves, to whom she is a goddess of life, innocence, immortality, and the hunt.
To the Flan Ehlonna is the eternal maiden, the divine child, goddess of children, Beory in her girl aspect, and both huntress and prey in the eternal cycle of life.
In the Common pantheon Ehlonna is a goddess of hunters, virgins, and the the symbol of pastoralism to people who revere nature without actually depending on it, the guide and guardian of travelers.
In Synchretism Ehlonna is the goddess of renewal, spring, and youth and also a patron of arts. She is also the protector or travelers. She manifests as Lydia the Suel godess of light and music, Phyton the suel god of beauty and agriculture, Lirr the Oerdian goddess of literature and art, and Fharlanghn the Oerdian god of travel and roads.
Ehlonna (eh-LOHN-nah) is a very old goddess. She combats those who would harm or despoil the forest of its resources and beauty. Shown as either a dark-haired human woman or a golden-haired elf maid (in which form she is known to many as Ehlenestra), she is served by Novelee, a planetar whose heart is so pure it makes unicorns weep. She has a hostile rivalry with Obad-Hai, but is friendly with the elven gods and most good-aligned deities. Her symbol is the unicorn.
The woodlands are a beautiful place full of life. The secrets of the forests should be learned and taught so that people can live in harmony with nature. Those who would harm or exploit the woodlands must be driven out or destroyed. The plants and animals of the forest are things that nature gives as gifts, not things to be stolen.
Most of Ehlonna's clergy are female, whether human, elven, or fey. They live in the forests, are friendly with rangers and druids, and watch for encroaching humanoids, hunters, and loggers. They educate those who wish to live in harmony with the forest, just as the animals do. They are gentle in their first warning to those who would harm the forest and ruthless in stopping those who persist. They travel to spread their teachings or to protect a forest in danger.
Alignment: Neutral Good.
Weapon: Longbow or Longsword.
Symbol: Unicorn or unicorn's head.
Pathfinder Domains
Animal, Glory (Heroism), Good, Plant, Sun (Day).
Pathfinder Traits
Pathfinder Obedience
When you take this feat, choose a plant that you protect and spread; this plant is usually either beautiful, medicinal, or edible. Plant five seeds from this plant in fertile earth, spacing them out in the shape of an arrow. If no soil exists, leave an arrow with the seeds. Mark your gifts with Ehlonna’s sign, and say a prayer. Gain a +4 sacred bonus on Survival checks.
Evangelist
- Unicorn's Blessing (Sp) cure light wounds 3/day, shield other 2/day, or remove disease 1/day
- Twin Fang (Ex) Once per day as a standard action, you can summon an exact double of your animal companion. The double acts and thinks like your animal companion in every way, and obeys your commands just as the original would. Your original animal companion and its double understand and trust each other perfectly. The double remains for 1 round for every Hit Die you possess, and then vanishes. If you don’t have an animal companion, you instead gain the ability to use summon nature’s ally V as a spell-like ability once per day.
- Faithful Archer (Ex) You are particularly skilled at using Ehlonna’s favored weapon. When using a longbow, you add your Wisdom bonus on attack and damage rolls against targets within 30 feet.
Exalted
- Animal Friend (Sp) charm animal 3/day, animal messenger 2/day, or summon nature’s ally III 1/day
- Hunter's Ally (Sp) Once per day as a standard action, you can summon a half-celestial unicorn of neutral good alignment. The unicorn follow your commands perfectly for 1 hour for every Hit Die you possess before vanishing. The unicorn can be ridden without penalty for lacking a saddle. The unicorn don’t follow commands that would violate their neutral good alignment. Such commands will not only earn refusal and scorn from the unicorn, but could cause them to attack you if the command is particularly egregious.
- Communal Table (Sp) Your devotion to caring for your community allows you to evoke Ehlonna’s divine bounty to feed your friends with a banquet of cooked game and simple beverages. Once per day, you can use heroes’ feast as a spell-like ability. Creatures that eat from this communal table, a process that takes 1 hour, gain a +2 sacred bonus on attack rolls and Will saving throws instead of the usual +1 morale bonus. Anyone who eats from the communal table gains concealment in woodland terrain and the deuid's woodland stride ability. The benefits last for 12 hours.
Sentinel
- Sureshot (Sp) longshotUC 3/day, shock arrow 2/day, or daybreak arrowUC 1/day
- Tough Hide (Su) When you wear armor made from leather or animal hide, the armor provides an extra +2 armor bonus to your AC. This bonus improves the normal armor bonus granted by the armor; in other words, it stacks with the suit’s normal armor bonus. If you wear no armor, you gain a +2 luck bonus to AC. You also mystically subsume some of the qualities of the animal that gave its life for the armor. Gain the scent ability.
- Planter's Bond (Su) Your time spent planting seeds has given you a bond with plants. You can cast speak with plants 3 times per day. If you spend at least 1 hour during the day in direct sunlight, you don’t need to eat that day. Finally, you become immune to poisons ingested from whole plants (not distilled poisons, such as assassins use) and any poison from attacks or effects generated by plant creatures.
Paladin/Liberator Code
The paladins of Ehlonna are value beauty and innocence. They seek to preserve the integrity and beauty of woodlands. Their tenets include the following affirmations.
- My woodland comes first, and I will contribute to it all that I can. If I don’t give something back, who will?
- I must offer the poor and the lost assistance, but I may not do the work for them—instead, I must teach them to survive.
- When danger threatens, I work to reduce its consequences. I seek first to make sure the weak and innocent are safe, and then I quell the danger.
- I keep to the old ways, the true ways. I am not seduced by the lure of money or power. I remember that true honor comes from within, not from the accolades of others.
- I remember that beauty is everything and comes from the beauty of the soul. Mine is pure and bright, and I will mend it if it is broken or tarnished. I test the beauty of others to see if they are falsehood in disguise, but if I find them true I accord them protection and respect.
- I am honest, trustworthy, and wise. When I leave lands than have been under my protection, I ensure that they will be tended in my absence. Even when duty calls, my duties to beauty and innocence come first—I go forth only to defeat threats to them.
Action Domains
Animal, Life, Light, Plant, Spiritual.
Gruumsh
Gruumsh is the patron of orks and savagery, a wild and untamed god that demands bloody trial.
Gruumsh is the god of wrath in the Common pantheon The one-eyed slayer has become something of a generic god of strength in adversity, might making right, and hardship. Street gangs honor him, as do humanoids living among humans or who have lost their racial traditions.
To the Flan he is the enemy, the despoiler of herds, the slaver and stealer of brides, eternal enemy of Ubad-Hai.
In Synchretism he is the good of savagery and strength through trial. Each tribe has its own name for him and he actively sets these different aspects and their tribes at each other's throats. He is Vatun to the Suel barbarians of the north-east and Erythnul to goblins and Oerdians, and is known under a variety of other local names. He actively encourages warfare between the followers of his different avatars.
Gruumsh (groomsh), deity of orcs, is chaotic evil. He appears as a hulking orc in black full plate armor. He has one unblinking central eye. He harbors a special hatred for Corellon Larethian, Moradin, and their followers. In ages past, Corellon Larethian put out Gruumsh’s left eye in a fight. Some orc clerics dispute this tale, claiming that the elven deity stole the eye because he could not beat Gruumsh in a fair fight.
Gruumsh demands that his followers be strong, that they cull the weak from their numbers, and that they take all the territory Gruumsh thinks is rightfully theirs (which is almost everything). He tolerates no sign of friendliness from his people. Unceasing warfare is his creed, though Gruumsh does not object to simple colonization if that can be arranged. Gruumsh dislikes everything that is not an orc or of orcish make, and he feels particularly spiteful toward elves (over the matter of his eye). He feels equal malice toward dwarves, who contested with the orcs for control of the mountains and won; a state of affairs Gruumsh regards as strictly temporary.
Gruumsh’s clerics strive to become the war leaders of their communities or the key advisers to those leaders. They also see to the culling of the weak and unfit through feud or sacrifice. They usually wear fighting gear. A temple or shrine to Gruumsh lies at the heart of nearly every orc community. They tend to be oppressive places full of acrid smoke and the stench of blood. Temples and larger shrines invariably have holding cells where sacrifices to Gruumsh are kept, and many feature gladiatorial areas as well.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil.
Weapon: Battle axe.
Symbol: Empty eye socket, or a single unwinking eye.
Pathfinder Domains: Chaos (Demon), Destruction (Rage), Evil (Demon), Strength (Ferocity), War.
Action Techniques: Impress, Melee, Ride,
Istus
The lady of fate, is often mentioned in ceremonies but attracts little true devotion. Her cult is monastic and rarely makes a spectacle of itself.
The Baklunish pantheon is headed by Istus (IS-tus), but she rarely intervenes and her actions concern few. Day-to-day affairs are handled by more practical gods. She is known among the Baklunish as the greatest power, and acknowledged in parables and idioms such as "If fate allows!".
Istus is the most powerful of the Baklunish deities. She appears as a Baklunish woman of any age or stature, always carrying her mystical gold spindle (her holy symbol) with which she creates the strands of fate. She is aloof from all other gods, even those of her own pantheon, as she concerns herself solely with the fate of the universe and its inhabitants. Her occasional companion is a cloudlike being believed to be a prince from the Plane of Time.
She is honored in the Common pantheon as the lady of fate, but her cult is small and poor.
In Synchretism she is seen as the power behind the small moon, Celene, the Suel god Celestian who watches over the stars and planets. As Cyndor he is the Suel god of time and continuity, the handyman of Lendor. She has sponsored ascended humans who are less distant than she is, trying to guide people to live regimented, industrious lives for their own betterment. They include Labelas Enorteh the elven god of longevity and time, Merikka the Oerdian calendar godess and regulator of seasons, and finally Bralm the Suel god of industriousness and insects.
Everything is connected to every other by invisible strands that push and pull over time. The choices a person makes in life affect the pull of some strands, allowing one to alter fate in a small way, but some of these webs of fate have a strong and inevitable pull that cannot be escaped. The perceptive can come to understand these strands and watch them to predict the future. Accepting your destiny is the greatest service you can make to yourself, for dishonesty about your role in the world leads to ruin and disaster.
Clerics of Istus have seen the extremes of fate, from innocents dying horrible deaths and sadists controlling kingdoms to children recovering from mortal illness and despots felled by simple accidents. Because of this, most of her clerics are cynical or stoic, but some kinder individuals serve her because they feel they were rewarded by fate. They are called upon to make predictions and divinations for important personage all over the world.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral.
Weapon: Net, bola.
Symbol: Gold spindle.
Action Domains
Flux, Life, Order, Spiritual, Time.
Pathfinder Domains
Chaos, Knowledge, Luck (Fate), Law, Nobility.
Pathfinder Traits
Pathfinder Obedience
Deliberately lose yourself in a strange place. If there is nowhere for you to lose yourself, blindfold yourself and wander boldly for 200 steps. Gain a +4 sacred bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity provoked by casting spells or using spell-like abilities.
Boons
- Seer (Sp) true strike 3/day, augury 2/day, or see beyond 1/day
- Serendipitous Reaction (Su) Three times per day, you can knock aside a ranged attack that would have otherwise hit you, as if you had the Deflect Arrows feat. You need not be aware of the attack to use this ability. If you already have Deflect Arrows, you may use this feat an unlimited number of times per day, and can use it even if you are unaware of an attack.
- Quickstep (Su) Once per day, when you would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points for any reason, you can choose to ignore up to 10 points of damage from the attack or effect that so damaged you, possibly putting you back above 0 hit points.
Kord
Kord is a Suel god, sometimes a hero, sometimes a bumbling fool, always willing to take on any challenge - he is the god of sports and challenges but also of freedom and self expression. He sponsors gladiator games and other sporting events. In civilized settlements his cult provides an outlet, in barbarian ones he can be the focus of the entire community.
In the Common pantheon Kord is mainly a god of sport and gladiatorial games, tough some swashbuckling youth have started to favor him as well.
In Synchretism he is the main good of male strength and heroes. As Procan he is the untamable father of the Oerdian wind gods. He has sponsored ascended mortals who embody his virtues in ways relevant to their cultures. Aedrie Faenya is the elven goddess of air and birds, Tritherion the summoner is the god of individuality and self-defense, while Obad-Hai is the first king and first husband, patriarch of the Flan.
Kord (KOHRD) is an incredibly powerful Suel god, second only to his grandfather, Lendor. Son of Phaulkon and Syrul, he is shown as a hugely muscular man with long red hair and beard, wearing dragonhide gauntlets (white), boots (blue), and fighting girdle (red); these items can each be used as his holy symbol, although a star composed of spears and maces is also popular. He fights with his intelligent dragon-slaying greatsword Kelmar, and when wounded he often enters a blood rage so intense only Lendor can control him when he succumbs; because of this, a cleric of Kord will always defer to a ranking cleric of Lendor. He is reputed to have dallied with beautiful humans, elves, or even giants, and tales are told of the great heroes who are born of such liaisons.
The strong and fit should lead the weaker. Bravery is the greatest quality in any ruler. Scorn cowardice.
Kord loves physical challenges and contests, and it is this love that inspires many barbarian tribes to use nonlethal sports as a method for resolving disputes. Kord's clerics are expected to be leaders or companions to leaders. They train people to become stronger, organize athletic tournaments, and participate in challenging physical activities. Doubting their fitness is a grave insult, and they go to great lengths to prove their physical abilities (although they realize the difference between difficult and suicidal challenges). Wearing of dragon-hide by a cleric is a blasphemy, unless the wearer is a descendant of Kord (which many claim to be). Clerics believe magic should be used to enhance allies rather than strike directly at foes.
Alignment: Chaotic Good.
Weapon: Greatsword.
Symbol: White dragonhide gauntlets, blue boots, or red fighting girdle.
Pathfinder Domains
Chaos, Good, Liberation, Luck, Strength.
Pathfinder Traits
Pathfinder Obedience
Shout your oath of loyalty to Kord at the top of your lungs, challenging any foe to take you on. After your oath is done, kneel on one knee with your weapon resting against the other knee. Recite your victories in a sonorous voice until the time for your obedience is done. If you should be attacked while conducting your obedience, defeat the creature who dared test your might. (You may be assisted by allies, but you must attack the opponent with the greatest Strength; you magically sense which opponent this is.) Gain a +4 sacred bonus on Strength checks and Strength-based skill checks.
Evangelist
- Champion (Sp) bless weaponAPG 3/day, bull's strength 2/day, or greater magic weapon 1/day
- Heroic Feat (Ex) After you've failed a Strength check, you can add 1d6 to the result. You take the same amount of hit point damage. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points of base attack bonus thereafter, you can roll an additional d6 and att to both the result and the damage taken.
- Heroic Charge (Ex) Once per day, you can make a heroic charge attack. You must declare your use of this ability before you roll your attack. You deal 1d6 extra points of damage on a successful charge, and this charge does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Exalted
- Battler (Sp) magic stone 3/day, spiritual weapon 2/day, or deadly juggernaut 1/day
- Mass Strength Surge (Su) When using the strength surge granted power from the Strength domain, you can target allies within 30 feet of you instead of having to touch a single target. You can target a maximum number of allies equal to 1 + 1 for every 4 Hit Dice you possess (maximum 6). If you don’t have access to the Strength domain, you instead gain the ability to use the strength surge granted power a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier, as listed in the strength surge description. However, you can touch only a single target when using this granted power.
- Kord's Shout (Sp) Once per day as a swift action, you can use litany of thunder or [primal scream as a spell-like ability. In order to use this ability, you must shout a battle cry at top volume, ending your shout in praise to Kord.
Sentinel
- Mighty Warrior (Sp) enlarge person 3/day, aid 2/day, or badger's ferocity 1/day
- Two-Handed Smash (Ex) If you make a full attack while wielding a two-handed melee weapon, you may make a single unarmed strike in addition to your normal attacks. In essence, after you complete your two-handed weapon attacks, you smash with your elbow, kick out with a foot, or make some other unarmed strike against an opponent. This bonus attack is made at your highest base attack bonus, and provokes an attack of opportunity if you lack the Improved Unarmed Strike feat or a similar ability. If you’re Medium, you deal 1d6 points of damage with this unarmed strike; if you’re Small, you deal 1d4 points of damage. Add half your Strength bonus to the damage dealt. The attack roll for the unarmed strike is subject to the normal penalties for two-weapon fighting unless you have the feats to reduce these penalties.
- Devout Rage (Ex) You enter a holy frenzy whenever you rage, depending on your alignment. You gain a +2 bonus on your attack and damage rolls while raging. If you don’t have the rage class feature, you can fly into a rage once per day as the rage spell, though you don’t need to concentrate. Instead, the rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Hit Dice or until you choose to end it, whichever comes first.
Liberator Code
- Always speak openly and proudly. As Kord's champion, you bow to no-one who hasn't bested you in personal combat.
- Always accept a challenge, unless the result is a foregone conclusion. Novices have to prove their mettle before champions will take them seriously.
- When you freely give your word, you intend to keep it. Your honor is your own, and if you don't uphold it, it is lost. Respect the spirit of any challenge, but don't let rules make a fool of you.
- Respect victory, and respect defeat. Once a fight is settled, it is over. Resentment only drags you down.
- Not everyone can fight. Protect the humble and give them spirit. Release slaves and lead them to freedom. Train the weak so they can protect themselves. Provide for others when you can, but not everyone can be saved.
- Some enemies cannot accept defeat honorably and send minions to fight while they hide. They must be disgraced or killed to stop them from breaking the spirit of honor.
Action Techniques
Lolth
Lolth is the fallen goddess in the Elven pantheon. Patron of the drow, queen of spiders, and goddess of the new moon, she is the eternal nemesis of Sehanine Moonbow.
In the Common pantheon Lolth is a goddess of prostitution, intrigue, and sex appeal, often depicted as a female drow of exaggerated proportions in slinky clothes few real drow would ever wear.
In Synchretism she is the goddess of darkness, intrigue, and murder. She has sponsored ascended mortals among other peoples, both humanoids and monsters. Among humans she is known as Kurell the Oerdian god of jealousy, revenge, and theft and Syrul the Suel goddess of Lies, deceit, and treachery.
Lolth (lohlth) appears as either a tall, beautiful female drow or as a black spider with a female drow’s head. She maintains a ruthless, tyrannical reign over the drow, ruling through a combination of fear and the promise of power. It was Lolth who first spread evil among the elves, and it was she who led the drow to break away from the rest of elven society and to dwell underground. Drow scoff at any attempt to suggest that they were banished from the surface. Nevertheless, Lolth has sworn vengeance against Corellon Larethian and his people.
Lolth constantly turns one drow against another. She claims to do this to cull out the weak and to make the race strong, but she is a cruel and capricious deity who enjoys watching others suffer. She is careful to prevent open or widespread strife among the drow. She does not tolerate campaigns of harassment or attrition among groups of drow, but she does sanction well-planned, swift, and overwhelming attacks.
Lolth expects her people to be shrewd, calculating, and aware of the dangers and opportunities around them. She has no use for sentiment, weakness, or love. She expects her people to rule the entire Underdark (the realm beneath the surface of the earth), eliminating foes that are weak enough to be destroyed and biding their time before attacking other opponents. She also expects them to eventually invade and conquer the surface, not to colonize it but to defeat Corellon Larethian and the surface elves.
Lolth rules her people through her clerics, who are exclusively female and organized into noble houses made up of clerics related by blood. The oldest clerics rule the house, with younger clerics following in order by age. Each house also includes noncleric drow related by blood or marriage. The clerics serve as absolute rulers in Lolth’s name. They are the leaders, police, juries, and executioners of drow society.
Nearly every drow home has at least a small shrine to Lolth, even if it is just a spider statue or modest altar. Larger temples to Lolth are usually laid out in the shape of a spider. They serve as meeting places, sacrificial sites, and centers of entertainment for high-ranking drow.
Lolth was said to have been slain about a hundred years ago, and was indeed absent from the world for about 30 years before reemerging. This was a hard time for the drow, and many drow strayed into worshiping other gods or demons during this time.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Weapon: Short Sword.
Symbol: Spider with a female drow head.
Action Domains
Animal, Darkness, Flux, Life, Spiritual.
Pathfinder Domains
Animal (Vermin), Charm (Lust), Darkness (Normal or Loss), Nobility, War (Tactics).
Pathfinder Traits
- Battlefield Caster (Drow Only)
- Sacred Prostitute (Surface Only)
- Totem Incarnate (Spiders)
Pathfinder Obedience - Drow Cult
Bind a living creature so only a few key portions of anatomy (such as the belly, mouth, or eyes) remain exposed, allowing you to torment these exposed areas with needles, tiny knives, or poisonous vermin. Gain a +4 profane bonus on grapple checks and to CMD.
Boons
- Lolth's Embrace (Sp) animate rope 3/day, web 2/day, or snare 1/day
- Spider's Blessing (Sp) You can use poison and vermin shape II once per day each as spell-like abilities.
- Temporal Web (Sp) Once per day, you may use temporal stasis heightened to function as a 9th-level spell. The target of this ability appears to be wrapped tightly in spiderwebs. You can maintain up to three targets in a temporal web at a time—if you use this ability on a fourth target, you must select one of the other three targets to immediately release. This ability is the equivalent of an 9th-level spell.
Pathfinder Obedience - Surface Cult
Ingest a dose of psychedelic plants or fungi and engage in any number of sexual acts (either alone or with others), during which blood must be shed. Gain a +4 profane bonus on Sense Motive and saves against charm effects.
Boons- Surface Cult
- The Lady's Charms (Sp) charm person 3/day, darkness 2/day, or suggestion 1/day
- Instant Bodyguard (Sp) Three times per day, you can summon 1d4+1 phase spiders, as summon monster VII.
- Dominate Thrall (Sp) Once per day, you may cast dominate monster. You may only have one creature dominated at a time via this effect, but the effects are permanent until you dominate a new target, at which point the previous target is released from domination but is stunned for 1d4 rounds - usually enough time for your new dominee to kill it.
Antipaladin Code
Antipaladins of Lolth demand great things of others, and seek to emulate the spider queen in their manner. Most are women; their ranks are filled with those devoted to bloody vengeance and the shining lusts that spark it. Their tenets include the following adages.
- My life is my path, and none will sway me from it.
- I devote myself to the pursuit of my passions.
- I take what I desire, by trick or by force. If others resent my actions, they may attempt to take vengeance against me.
- All slights against me will be repaid tenfold.
- I take time enjoying my pawns and prizes, like the spider cocoons her victims.
- I am the instrument of my own justice. If I am wronged, I will take vengeance with my own hands.
Moradin
Moradin is the creator and patriarch of the Dwarves, the divine craftsman, maker of the firmament.
According to Synchretism Moradin is known as Flandal to the gnomes. He has sponsored godlings in almost every culture, who generally focus on a few of his functions, usually as patron of the crafts. Cyrrollalee is the halfling goddess of trust and protection, Bleredd is the Oerdian god of mines and smiths, Fortubo the Suel god of metal and mountains, while Dalt is the chaotic Suel god of locks and lockpicking, and by extension of other crafts. Daern is a recent exarch, a mortal risen to become the goddess of fortification.
The deity of dwarves, Moradin (moar-uh-din), usually appears as a stern-faced male dwarf with a powerful build. His upper body is particularly robust, with a barrel chest, wide shoulders, and arms corded with big muscles. He has flowing black hair and a beard to match, and he always wears full armor. He carries a shield and a warhammer. Moradin forged the first dwarves out of metal and gems and breathed life into them.
Moradin is an adamant defender of the dwarven people he created and of the principles of law and good. He teaches the value of making goods that last, of loyalty to clan, leader, and people, and of meeting adversity with stoicism and tenacity. He tolerates no taint of evil among the dwarves; it was he who drove the derro and duergar out of the dwarven community. It is Moradin’s influence that leads the dwarves toward excellence in craftwork and staunch defense of what is theirs.
Clerics of Moradin are charged with maintaining and advancing the dwarven race in all walks of life. They perform a wide range of public ceremonies (marriages, blessing new ventures, crowning monarchs, and the like). They also educate the young, arrange communal defenses, and sponsor expeditions to settle new lands. They also keep detailed genealogies and historical archives. Every temple or shrine of Moradin includes an anvil and a forge that the clerics keep perpetually burning. The anvil can be a simple decoration or part of a working smithy, but it often serves as the temple altar.
Alignment: Lawful Good.
Weapon: Warhammer.
Symbol: Hammer or hammer and anvil.
Pathfinder Domains
Artifice, Earth (Metal or Caves), Knowledge (Memory), Rune (Wards), War.
Pathfinder Traits
Pathfinder Obedience
After reciting a traditional prayer to Moradin, either work at a forge or strike a small replica of an anvil or a sizable flat stone with a hammer for at least 10 minutes. Perform some small act toward maintaining your weapon, such as sharpening or polishing it, as you conclude your obedience with another prayer to Moradin’s might and wisdom. Alternatively, if you have created something through this effort, s it to the next person you meet who strikes you as fair and honorable. If the sound of your hammer draws a creature near, encourage it to join in your worship of the Father of Creation. If hostilities become inevitable, leap into the fray with a battle shout in praise of Moradin. Gain a +1 sacred bonus on all attack rolls made with warhammers.
Evangelist or Feat
- Strategic Warrior (Sp) anticipate perilUM 3/day, status 2/day, glyph of warding 1/day
- Sensibility of Crafting (Su) Your understanding of the inner workings of magical crafting has won you a protective boon from your ancestors and from Moradin himself, allowing you to better avoid powers drawn from magical items. You gain a +4 sacred bonus on any saving throw against an effect generated by a magic item. This includes spells cast from scrolls, staves, or wands.
- Sacred Crafting (Ex) You are granted insight into the finest techniques for crafting magic items, glimpsing secrets of forgotten master smiths and glimpsing the revelations of ancient dwarven masters. When calculating the base cost for creating an item, perform all the calculations and then reduce the base cost by 10%. This discount affects the crafting time as well as the final price of the item. In addition, you can use fabricate once per day as a spell-like ability. Though you can’t create magic items with the fabricate spell, you may use it to create items that you later enhance magically.
Exalted
- Forgecrafter (Sp) crafter’s fortuneAPG 3/day, fox’s cunning 2/day, or greater magic weapon 1/day
- Ironskin (Ex) Your skin is as thick and tough as that of a dwarf who’s worked the forge for 50 years, every scratch and burn associated with the memory of a masterpiece you’ve realized in stone or steel. As a free action, you can toughen your skin further, gaining DR 10/chaotic and evil. Dismissing this ability is also a free action. This ability lasts a number rounds per day equal to 1 + 1 for every 4 Hit Dice you possess (maximum 6 rounds). The rounds don’t need to be consecutive.
- Hammerfist Ally (Sp) You can bring forth an ancient stone construct forged specifically to protect the beloved followers of the Father of Creation. Once per day as a standard action, you can summon a stone golem to aid you. You gain telepathy with the golem to a range of 100 feet. The golem follows your commands perfectly for 1 minute for every Hit Die you possess before vanishing back to its home. The golem takes the form of a sculpted dwarf hero wielding two massive warhammers, the holy symbol of Moradin hanging prominently around its neck. Its statistics remain unchanged despite these cosmetic alterations.
Sentinel
- Battlefield Protector (Sp) sanctuary 3/day, shield of faith 2/day, prayer 1/day
- Holy Artificer (Su) The spirit of an ancient warrior or artisan guides your hand when you set your mind toward creation, inspiring you and helping you perfect your craft. You gain the artificer’s touch granted power from the Artifice domain if you don’t already have access to it. Use your character level instead of cleric level to determine the power of your artificer’s touch.
- Earthen Smite (Su) You call upon your connection with the earth and its hidden strength to levy it behind your holy attacks. Whenever you use your smite evil ability, you can choose to add 2d6 points of acid damage to your damage roll. If you don’t have access to smite evil, you can instead add 2d6 points of acid damage to a single attack against an evil opponent three times per day. You must declare your use of this ability before you roll your attack. If you miss or if the target is not evil, the use is wasted.
Paladin Code
Paladins of Moradin are dedicated to protecting not just the lives but the way of life for those under their charge, and hold the ways of their chosen people as holy, especially when they are the centuries-old works and traditions of an entire race. Their tenets include the following affirmations.
- My word is my bond. When I give my word formally, I defend my oath to my death. Traps lie in idle banter or thoughtless talk, and so I watch my tongue.
- I am at all times truthful, honorable, and forthright, but my allegiance is to my people. I will do what is necessary to serve them, including misleading others if need be.
- I respect the forge, and never sully it with half-hearted work. My creations reflect the depth of my faith, and I will not allow flaws save in direst need.
- Against my people’s enemies, I will show no mercy. I will not allow their surrender, except when strategy warrants. I will defeat them, yet even in the direst struggle, I will act in a way that brings honor to Moradin.
Action Domains
Earth, Life, Metal, Order, Spiritual.
Nerull
The god of the night and of death of the Flan, Nerull is Beory’s second husband and the rival and enemy of Pelor. Defeated numerous times in the legends, Beory always forgives him so that night can follow day.
As god of the dead and undead in the Common pantheon, Nerull is surprisingly respectable, his clerics tolerated as long as they play by the rules. Sometimes his cult exist under the auspices of the church of Pelor, an evil shadow kept to placate the forces of darkness.
In Synchretism Nerull is seen as the power behind Selvekar the Waster among the Baklunish, Telchur the lord of Winter to Oerdians, and has an aspect named Incabolous focused on disease and hopelessness.
Nerull (NEH-rul) is an ancient Flan god; few anywhere do not know and fear his name. He is a rust-red skeletal being with thick, blackish-green hair, a cowl and cloak of rusty black, and eyes, teeth, and nails the color of poisonous verdigris. His sable wood staff Lifecutter forms a scythe-like blade of red force that slays anyone it touches. Fiends answer his call out of fear rather than loyalty, for he hates all life and is not above destroying servants out of displeasure or spite. His symbol is a skull and scythe. Of all other divine beings, the only one he tolerates is Incabulos, whose gifts send many to his realm.
All are equal in Nerull's cold realm. Every living thing is an affront to the Reaper, and every death brings a dark spark of joy to his long-dead heart. Those who pray to Nerull to appease him only attract his attention and their own doom. Those who kill in his name shall be rewarded.
Nerull's clerics commit murder as offerings to their god; when their actions are discovered, they flee their hiding places and move far away to carry out their evil deeds, appearing innocent while occasionally killing wayfarers on their long journey.
According to Erik Mona in Oerth Journal #3, Nerull is known as Tharoth the Reaper among the Bakluni. Though unofficial, this name has proliferated in the fan community.
Alignment: Neutral Evil.
Weapon: Dagger, Scythe, and Quarterstaff.
Symbol: Skull and scythe.
Pathfinder Domains
Darkness (Night) Death (Murder), Evil, Trickery, Void.
Pathfinder Traits
Pathfinder Obedience
Watch a creature die. This can be a sacrifice you make to Nerull, or it can be an intelligent creature that died for any reason at all within the last day. Study the transition from life to death, anticipating and imagining the death of everything around you. Treat your caster level as 1 higher when casting spells with the evil descriptor.
Boons
- Master of Undeath (Sp) inflict light wounds 3/day, desecrate 2/day, or animate dead 1/day
- Bolstering Channel (Su) When you channel negative energy to heal undead creatures, you infuse the targets with negative energy made more powerful by Nerull’s influence. Any undead creatures healed by your channeled energy increase their movement speed by 10 feet for 1 round for every Hit Die you possess. If you cannot channel negative energy, you gain the ability to channel negative energy once per day as an evil cleric of a level equal to your Hit Dice.
- Ally from the Grave (Sp) The death lord's servants have taken notice of your deeds and answer your call. Once per day as a standard action, you can summon a bhuta (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 41) to serve you. You gain telepathy with the bhuta to a range of 100 feet. The bhuta follows your commands perfectly for 1 minute for every Hit Die you possess before vanishing back to its home. It doesn’t obey commands that would make it perform overly good acts, and such instructions could cause it to attack you if they are particularly egregious.
Action Domains
Darkness, Death, Illusion, Mind, Spiritual.
Oerth
In the Common pantheon, the various fertility cults have been reduced to one, under the Oerdian name Oerth, tough her worship goes back as much to the Flan goddess Beory. The exact forms of her worship vary widely, and she has a thousand different names.
Beory is the personification of the earth and the supreme mother of the Flan pantheon. All the other flan gods are defined by their relationship to her. She is eternally generous and unable to deny any of her children and lovers, which often leads to tragedy. She is generally identified with Oerth today.
Among Oerdians Oerth is the primal goddess, mother of both the winds gods and the patriarch trio, the wife of Procan. She only figures in some early legends and her name is preserved in tradition, not theology. She has few temples, tough her shadow remains in the cult of the Oerdian Wind Gods.
In Synchretism Oerth is generally recognized as the world goddess, but there is much dispute over what this means. She is the goddess of mothers and the mother of gods. She has been identified with Geshtai the Baklunish goddess of water and life. Beory the Flan mother-goddess. Llerg, the simple but lovable rival of Kord. Dwarves know her as Berronar the patron of safety and marriage, gnomes as Segojan goddess of the earth, halflings as Sheela Peryroyl goddess of agriculture and weather.
Beory (bay-OH-ree) is usually considered a manifestation of the will of Oerth itself. Little concerns her except the actual fate and prosperity of the entire world, and she is a very distant goddess, even from her clerics. Named by the Flan, Beory's name is known throughout the Flanaess. Beory has little time or interest for most other divine beings, even those of similar interests, for her connection to the Oerth consumes most of her attention. Her symbol is either a green disk marked with a circle or a rotund woman figurine.
The Oerth is the wellspring of all life. Whether on the surface, below the waves, or underground, all life is part of the cycle of birth, life, and death, and part of Beory. She inspires every living thing to grow, nurtures them with blessed rain, and calls them to herself when it is time to die. Disasters that cause widespread destruction are agony to her. The actions of individuals are of no consequence unless they threaten the Oerth.
Clerics of Beory are contemplative and spend their time communing with nature. They wander to feel the different sensations of the Oerth, and use their power to relieve the Oerth's pains where it has been wounded. They often associate with druids. When they gather, they defer to the wisest and oldest. As they try to see the greater picture, they tend to be slow to act, but when they do act it is direct and focused on a quick and often violent solution, such as eliminating all combatants on both sides of an overly destructive conflict.
Alignment: Neutral
Weapon: Club
Symbol: Clay ball or disc.
Pathfinder Domains
Animal, Earth, Plant, Water, Weather.
Pathfinder Traits
Pathfinder Obedience
Polish and caress Oerth's holy symbol, contemplating the various ways the goddess nurtures the world. Think of your own mate(s) and sing a hymn to them while you fantasize about mating and procreating with them. Gain a +4 sacred (or profane if you are evil) bonus on Survival and Knowledge (Nature) checks.
Evangelist or Feat
- Weather Watcher (Sp) endure elements 3/day, resist energy 2/day, or protection from energy 1/day
- Experienced Traveler (Ex) As a free action, you can grant yourself and any allies within 30 feet of you the ability to move through undergrowth at normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment, as the druid's woodland stride ability. Your allies must remain within 30 feet of you to gain the benefits. The duration is one hour pet Hit Dice you have, you divide the duration in 1-hour intervals among the creatures touched. This period need not be continuous, but must be spent in one-hour increments for each target.
Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect you and your allies. While using this ability, you also gain a +4 sacred or profane bonus on saving throws against spells and effects that would cause such terrain-based movement impairment, such as the entangle spell. (Your allies do not also gain this bonus.) - Elemental Ally (Sp) Once per day as a standard action, you can cast summon monster VII to summon a greater elemental of a type you choose. You gain telepathic communication with the elemental to a range of 100 feet, and the elemental obeys your commands perfectly.
Exalted
- Green Worker (Sp) entangle 3/day, warp wood 2/day, or speak with plants 1/day
- Nature Child (Su) You become resistant to acid, cold, electricity, or fire effects. Each day you can have resistance against a different effect. The first time you take acid, cold, electricity, or fire in a day, you gain resistance equal to 5 + your Hit Dice against that energy type.
- Nature's Companion (Ex) Your animal companion develops greater combat prowess, mental acumen, and protection against natural elements. First, your animal companion gains a +1 bonus to its Intelligence and Wisdom scores. Second, your animal companion gains a +2 sacred or profane bonus on attack and damage rolls. Third, your animal companion gains a +4 sacred or profane bonus on all saving throws against cold, electricity, and fire spells and effects. If you don’t have an animal companion, you instead gain the ability to use summon nature’s ally VII as a spell-like ability once per day.
Sentinel
- Sky Warrior (Sp) shocking grasp 3/day, elemental touchAPG 2/day, or lightning bolt 1/day
- Elemental Aura (Su) You can create an elemental aura as a free action. When you first gain this ability, choose acid, cold, electricity, or fire—once you make this selection, it can’t be changed. When you generate the elemental aura, you are surrounded by the element you chose. Anyone striking you with a melee weapon or natural attack takes 2d6 points of damage of the chosen type, plus 1 point for every 2 Hit Dice you possess (maximum 2d6+10). This aura lasts for 1 round for every Hit Die you possess. The rounds in which you manifest your elemental aura don’t need to be consecutive. You can dismiss the aura as a free action.
- Mother's Surge (Su) Once per day as a standard action, you can call upon the earth to strike you with a gout of acid that deals no damage to you but instead seems to fill you with boundless energy. You gain 2d10 temporary hit points, and any fatigued or exhausted conditions you are suffering from end. You also gain a +2 bonus to Strength, and your natural attacks and melee weapons deal an extra 1d6 points of acid damage. These effects last for 1 round plus an additional round for every 4 Hit Dice you possess (maximum 6 rounds). You can call upon this acid when you are indoors, underground, or even underwater or flying.
Action Domain
Animal, Earth, Life, Plant, Spiritual.
Pelor
In the Flan mythos, Pelor is the god of the sun. Pelor is Beory’s favored husband, father of many of the Flan gods. He is a positive male aspect and a fertility god, the eternal enemy of Nerull.
Pelor was known as Sol by the early Oeridians. The Solnor Ocean is named for him.
Among the Bakluni, Pelor is known as Al'Asran. Al'Asran is said to have granted the legendary Cup and Talisman to Al'Akbar.
Among the Flan nomads of the Bright Desert, Pelor is known as Aurifar.
Pelor is the main god in the Common pantheon, not because of his position in a pantheon but because he is a very popular. His cult appeals to common people, knights, and nobles alike.
In Synchretism Pelor is the god of the sun, life, and fortune. To Oerdians, she is known as Sotillion, the goddess of summer and comfort. Ascended mortals sponsored by him tend to focus on one of aspects – fire, agriculture, or fighting evil. Mayahene is an ascended paladin of Pelor and defender of good. Python is the Suel god of nature, beauty, and farming, while Joramy is the Suel goddess of fire, volcanoes, righteous wrath, and unbending will. Velnius is the Oerdian god of the sky and overseer of the seasons, mediator of the wind gods.
Pelor (PAY-lor) is the Flan sun god, known throughout the entire Flanaess. Riding the great kirin Star Thought, he summons flights of eagles and destroys evils with bolts of sunlight. Depicted as an old man in white, with wild hair and a beard of shining gold, he was until recently a peaceful and gentle god concerned with the alleviation of suffering. Then he became a more martial deity who brings his wrath to bear on darkness and evil. This aspect of the cult branched off into the separate sub-cult of Mayaheine, summoned by Pelor for this very purpose. Now he invigorates and heals those who champion the cause of good, but does not fight himself. Still, the stylized sun-face holy symbol is painted on shields and banners across the Flanaess.
The energy of life originates from the sun. This light brings strength to the weak and health to the injured, while destroying darkness and evil. Do not be afraid to challenge the forces of corruption, but remember that just as staring at the sun can cause blindness of the eyes, relentless attention to the destruction of negative forces can blind the heart to the true essentials of life: kindness, mercy, and compassion.
Pelor's clerics are usually quiet, kindly people with a backbone of steel. They are primarily nurturers and protectors, but when the time comes to bear arms they are not afraid to do so. They use their powers to heal, nourish, and otherwise aid the needy, while practicing the skills needed to protect their charges should they be threatened. Clerics of Pelor are free to explore far lands in an effort to drive off harmful beings and spread their god's gift to all who need it.
Alignment: Neutral Good
Weapon: Heavy mace
Symbol: Sun face
Pathfinder Domains
Good, Healing, Nobility, Strength (Resolve), Sun.
Pathfinder Traits
Pathfinder Obedience
The sun lord values the redemptive powers of compassion and patience, and extends them to all who might be capable of good. Offer to heal a stranger of his wounds, usually by using the Heal skill, but magic is encouraged. Tell the stranger it is by the will of Pelor that you share your healing gifts. If you can’t find a stranger who will accept your offer, stand beneath the open sky during the daylight hours. Look at the sun's reflection, preferably on gold or yellow metal, but anything is permissible . Gain a +4 sacred bonus on Heal checks.
Evangelist or Feat
- Healing Spirit (Sp) cure light wounds 3/day, aid 2/day, or remove curse 1/day
- Fiery Spirit (Su) You have spent so much time in the sun, reveling in Pelor’s power and meditating on his glory, that its fiery rays have soaked into your very soul. You gain fire resistance 10.
- Holy Brand of the Sun (Su) Your devotion to the sun lord allows you to wrap your weapon in his cleansing flames to better bring justice to his foes. For a number of rounds per day equal to 1 + 1 for every 4 Hit Dice you possess (maximum 6 rounds), you can cause flames to wreathe your weapon. Any weapon you hold while this ability is active becomes a +1 flaming burst weapon. (You can use this ability on a ranged weapon, but can’t apply it directly to a piece of ammunition.) If you drop the weapon or give it away, the flame effect on that weapon immediately ends. If the weapon you hold has an enhancement bonus greater than +1, use the higher bonus. Activating or deactivating this ability is a free action, and the rounds in which you use the ability don’t need to be consecutive.
Exalted
- Brightness (Sp) dancing lanternAPG 3/day, continual flame 2/day, or daylight 1/day
- Healing Sunburst (Su) You can transmute the sun’s burning rays into brilliant, healing fire. You can add your exalted levels to any cleric levels you have to calculate the power of your channel energy ability. In addition, you can spend three of your daily uses of your channel energy ability to channel an especially powerful burst of healing that manifests as a bright burst of sunlight around you. Anyone healed by your channeled energy sunburst who is currently suffering from poison or a nonmagical disease can immediately attempt a new saving throw with a +2 sacred bonus to end the poison or disease effect.
- Angelic Ally (Sp) Once per day as a standard action, you can summon a movanic deva (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 28) to aid you. You gain telepathy with the movanic deva to a range of 100 feet. The deva follows your commands perfectly for 1 minute for every Hit Die you possess before vanishing back to its home. The deva doesn’t follow commands that would cause it to violate its alignment by committing evil acts, and it could even attack you if the command is particularly egregious.
Sentinel
- Firebrand (Sp) produce flame 3/day, fire breathAPG 2/day, or fireball 1/day
- Channel Efficiency (Su) You are a talented healer, and have honed your ability so that you can preserve your resources while you provide aid to the wounded. You can channel positive energy by consuming a single use of your lay on hands ability instead of two uses. If you don’t have the lay on hands class feature (or if you have lay on hands but can’t use it to channel positive energy), you instead gain a +2 sacred bonus on Perception checks.
- Sunburst Strike (Sp) Once per day, you can channel the effects of sunburst through your weapon. You must declare your use of this ability before you roll your attack. On a hit, the target is affected as if you had cast sunburst, as well as taking normal weapon damage. The sunburst effect you generate affects only the target you have struck, not an area of effect as it would normally. If you miss with your attack, the sunburst ability is wasted.
Paladin and Liberator Code
The paladins of the sun lord are protectors and avenger. They provide hope to the weak and support to the righteous. His liberators do much the same, but focus more on the interior of Pelor's lands, expunging decadence, harsh rule, and corruption. Their tenets include the following adages.
- I will protect my allies and charges with my life. They are my light and my strength, as I am their light and their strength. We rise together.
- I will seek out and destroy the spawn of the death lord, Nerull, such as undead. If I cannot defeat them, I will give my life trying. If my life would be wasted in the attempt, I will find allies. If any fall because of my inaction, their deaths lie upon my soul, and I will atone for each.
- I am fair to others and expect them to be fair to me. If I am not shown due respect, I am free to wander off, as the sun rides away over the land.
- The best battle is a battle I win. If I die, I can no longer fight. I will fight fairly when the fight is fair, and I will strike quickly and without mercy when it is not.
- I will show the less fortunate the light of the sun lord. I will live my life as his mortal blade, shining with the light of truth.
- The sun shines on all the world, good and evil. I am magnanimous towards those who might be redeemed. I will redeem the ignorant with my words and my actions. If they threaten the faithful, I will redeem them by the sword.
- Each day is another step toward grace. I will not turn into the dark. My soul cannot be bought for all the stars in the sky.
Action Domains
Air, Fire, Life, Light, Spiritual,
Rao
The serene god, Rao is a Flan god, the brother of Allitur and the son of Beory and Pelor. He is the god of reason, peace, and law. He is the first medicine-man and the oft-ignored adviser of Obad-Hai.
In Synchretism Rao is identified with Lendor, the father of the Suel pantheon. Dwarfs name him Dumathoin the lord of secrets. His sponsored godlings pursue different aspects of his portfolio – the most famous is Vecna, the lord of evil secrets. As Delleb he is the Oerdian god of intellect and study. As Pholus he is the Oerdian god of law and by extension of rulership, a strict disciplinarian.
Rao (RAH-oh) is shown as an old man with dark skin, white hair, slender hands, and a serene smile. Any time an offering of peace is made, Rao grows a day younger. Although he never intervenes directly on Oerth, Rao is the creator of several artifacts of good, particularly the Crook of Rao. He is a dedicated foe of Iuz, an ally of Zilchus, and is otherwise friendly with all other beings. He can cause any aggressive being to relax into an agreeable calmness with a glance, having thwarted even Nerull with this power in the past. His holy symbol is a white heart of wood or metal, or a heart-shaped mask with a calm expression.
Reason is the greatest gift. It leads to discourse, which leads to peace, which leads to serenity. If all could be convinced to reason with each other, the world would enjoy the harmony of benign order. Some refuse to use reason and instead resort to violence, at which time action—governed by reason and wisdom—is required to counteract their deeds and restore peace.
His clerics pursue knowledge, paths of logical thought, theology, and introspective meditation. They prefer peaceful means over violence, but are not above using force when their arguments are ignored or the bastions of reason are threatened. They search for new schools of thinking, fabled locales of calmness and quietude, powerful magic to use in the cause of Law and Good.
Alignment: Lawful Good
Weapon: Light mace
Symbol: White heart or a heart-shaped mask with a calm expression.
Action Technique
Pathfinder Domains
Community, Law (Archon), Good (Archon), Knowledge (Thought), Nobility (Leadership).
Pathfinder Traits
Pathfinder Obedience
Write a wrong or cause for aggression on a slip of parchment and bury the parchment in fertile soil. Plant a seed above the buried knowledge and pray over the site that good and growth can come from the decaying parchment. Gain a +4 sacred bonus on saving throws against enchantment effects.
Boons
- Peacefulness (Sp) unprepared combatant 3/day, calm emotions 2/day, or charitable impulse 1/day
- Relaxation (Su) Three times per day, you can attempt a melee touch attack to obliterate the cares of the wicked. On a successful hit, the target takes a penalty to Charisma equal to 1d6 + 1 per 2 HD you possess (maximum 1d6+5, to a minimum Charisma score of 1). This penalty lasts for 1 round per HD. If the target succeeds at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your HD + your Wis modifier), the penalty is halved.
- Still Mind (Su) You are continually shielded as if by a mind blank spell. If anyone attempts to divine information about you through scry or similar spells and is foiled by the mind blank, the scrier must succeed at a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your HD + your Wis modifier) or take 1d6 points of Intelligence damage.
Sehanine
Sehanine, called the moonbow, is the mother-goddess of the elves and the current consort of Corellon Larethian. She is the guardian of the moon-paths the elves use to travel to their mystic homeland, the goddess of the full moon, of dreams, and of death.
In Synchretism Sehanine is seen to as the moon Luna and as the Flan love-goddess Myhiss. Her most famous sponsored godlings are Wee Jas, the Suel goddess of death and magic. Xan Yae is the Baklunish patroness of stealth, self-discipline, and psionics. Hanali Celanil is an elven goddess of romance and beauty. Wenta is the Oerdian goddess of autumn, harvest, west wind, and brewing.
Sehanine (SAY-hah-neen) appears as a youthful and ageless female elf wearing a diaphanous flowing gown of moonbeams, using her magic and wands to stun foes or put them into deep sleep. The wife of Corellon Larethian, Sehanine shed tears that mingled with his blood and formed the first elves. She watches over elves' spirits on their journey from death to the afterlife. As a moon goddess she is also responsible for dreams, omens, and illusions, but protects her faithful against lunacy. Her symbol is a full moon topped by a crescent-shaped haze.
Life is a series of mysteries whose secrets are veiled by Sehanine. As the spirit transcends its mortal limits and discovers new mysteries, it achieves a higher state and the cycle of life continues. Through dreams and visions revealed in sleep and reverie, she unveils the next step along the path and the next destination in the cycle of life and death. Revere the mysterious moons, for they pull on the soul of each being like tides.
Sehanine's clerics are seers and mystics, serving as spiritual counselors to elves and half-elves who embark on journeys in search of enlightenment and transcendence. They serve her aspect as guardian of the dead by administering funeral rights and guarding the remains of the fallen; they consider undead to be a blasphemy. They create illusions to guard elven lands and strongholds, and cast divinations to discover potential threats to their communities. They adventure to discover lost arcane knowledge, particularly that of divination and illusion.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral.
Weapon: Composite longbow.
Symbol: Full moon topped by a crescent-shaped haze.
Action Domains
Flux, Illusion, Life, Spiritual, Water.
Pathfinder Domains
Chaos (Protean), Community, Darkness (Moon), Madness, Magic (Arcane).
Pathfinder Domains
Pathfinder Obedience
Drape yourself in gauze and gaze at the moon, mists, water, or some other chaotic, amorphous thing to break up your thought patterns and give you inspiration. Gain a +4 sacred bonus on saving throws against illusion effects and curses.
Boons
- Kaleidoscopic Images (Sp) color spray 3/day, hypnotic pattern 2/day, or gaseous form 1/day
- Wispy Form (Su) Your body becomes misty when you are under attack, diluting the damage of edged weapons. You gain DR 5/bludgeoning.
- Terrible Reverie (Sp) You can cast weird once per day.
Tharizdun
Tharizdun, the god of madness, is not worshiped by the Suel per se, but over time he has had a fundamental influence over Suel culture, manly their wizardry. He plays a role in many legends and inspired the invoked devastation, his greatest triumph to date.
In Synchretism Tharizdun is seen not so much a god as the destructive principle, the impulse to madness and destruction inherent to intelligence. He masquerades as Ralishaz the god of madness and misfortune among the Baklunish and is served by Wastri the hopping prophet.
Thadzdun (iha-RIZ-dun) is an old and evil god of uncertain origin, imprisoned by the concerted effort of all of the gods, He has not been heard from in over one thousand years. If freed, it is said that the gods would again unite to lock him away, for he wishes no less than to unravel the fabric of the universe. Sites keyed to him still exist, and his relics still hold power. Although no true depictions of him remain, he is thought to be an utterly black entity without a solid form, leaving cold, decay, and insanity in his wake. His modern worshipers (such as the Scarlet Brotherhood, many say) carry a symbol of a dark spiral or inverted pyramid.
Light must be snuffed, perfection decayed, order dissolved, and minds fragmented.
All sorts of evil are described in the few remaining texts—foul rituals of sacrifice, destruction, and horrors from beyond the world unleashed upon the innocent. The current teachings of this faith revolve around the number three, the discovery of items relating to his power (keys to contacting him), and the means to free him from his confinement. Many of his clerics are mad. The rest are deluded enough to think that his release will grant them privilege when he remakes the world. They are very secretive and learn to trust only other members of the cult. They conduct bizarre rituals and explore ancient sites for keys to his chains. Because of their god's imprisonment, his clerics must be in contact with an object or site imbued with some of Tharizdun's power to prepare or cast spells.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Weapon: Spiral of decay (chakram)
Symbol: Dark spiral or inverted pyramid.
Action Domains
Darkness, Flux, Mind, Space, Spiritual.
Pathfinder Domains
Darkness (Normal or Loss), Chaos (Entropy), Destruction, Evil (Fear), Knowledge (Normal or Thought), Luck (Curse), Madness (any subdomain), Magic (Arcane), Plant (Decay), Trickery, Void (normal, Dark Tapestry). Tharizdun has far more domains than any other deity, this is part of his terrible temptation.
Pathfinder Traits
Pathfinder Obedience
Carve a jagged spiral in living flesh—your own if no other is available. Follow the spiral in your mind, letting you lead to you a vision of the dissolution of all things. Spend half an hour in a swoon, recovering from the ordeal. If you cannot perform this rite, you can instead focus your mind on visualizing the inverted pyramid. This only takes one minute, but you take 1d4 Wisdom damage.
Boons
- Secret Lore (Sp) identify 3/day, augury 2/day, or bestow curse 1/day
- Heretical Revelation (Su) Up to three times per day, you can whisper terrible secrets to an adjacent target as a standard action. The target can resist with a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 your HD + your Charisma modifier). If the target fails its save, it is stunned for 1 round, then confused for 1d4 rounds, and then nauseated for 2d6 rounds. This is a mind-affecting effect.
- Penultimate Incantation (Sp) You can cast maze of madness and suffering three times per day.
Tiamat
Tiamat has been subtly influencing the Suel since the dawn of history, often as a respected goddess, sometimes as a tempting voice in the darkness. She is worshiped both openly and secretly.
Tiamat is part of the Common pantheon as the goddess of power and wealth. Cruel lords and unscrupulous merchants flock to her temples. Her cult is pretty good at staying out of trouble. Attendants are encouraged to wear masks, which allows them to avoid blame when one of the flock is discovered doing nefarious deeds.
In Synchretism Tiamat is the evil god of tyranny, pride, and greed. She is seen to manifest as Abbathor among dwarves, Beltar among the Suel and Urdlen among gnomes. Her most important sponsored godling is Hextor, the Oerdian god of tyranny and brother of Hieroneous. Others include Pyremius, patron of the Scarlet Brotherhood. Kurtumlak, an ascended kobold and the god of traps. Raxivort the god of goblins and rats. Her most respectable divine follower is Xerbo the Suel god of the sea and trade. It is seen as a testament to Tiamat's influence among the Suel that she has one avatar and two agents in their pantheon as well as being worshiped directly.
Tiamat (tee-ah-mat), like her archrival, Bahamut, is revered as a deity in many locales. All evil dragons pay homage to Tiamat; green and blue dragons acknowledge her sovereignty the most readily. Good dragons have a healthy respect for Tiamat, though they usually avoid mentioning her or even thinking about her. In her natural form, Tiamat is a thick-bodied dragon with five heads and a wyvern’s tail. Each head is a different color: white, black, green, blue, and red. Her massive body is striped in those colors. Tiamat has many consorts, include great wyrm dragons of the white, black, green, blue, and red types.
Tiamat concerns herself with spreading evil, defeating good, and propagating evil dragons. She enjoys razing the occasional village, city, or country, but only as a diversion from her subtle, worldspanning plots. She is the villain who lurks in the shadows. Her presence is felt but seldom seen. Tiamat constantly seeks to extend the power and dominion of evil dragons over the land, particularly when her subjects find themselves embroiled in territorial disputes with good dragons. Tiamat also unfailingly demands reverence, homage, and tribute from her subjects.
Like Bahamut, Tiamat has few clerics and even fewer temples. Tiamat’s clerics, like Tiamat herself, seek to place the world under the domination of evil dragons. Though most evil dragons honor Tiamat, few keep shrines dedicated to her in their lairs because they don’t want Tiamat’s greedy eyes gazing at their treasure hoards. Instead, they dedicate vast, gloomy caverns to their deity and keep them stocked with treasure and sacrifices.
Alignment: Lawful Evil.
Weapon: Bardiche.
Symbol: An amulet of five parts, or a stylized dragon, or a set of five full helms.
Action Domains
Darkness, Gifts, Life, Order, Spiritual.
Pathfinder Domains
Destruction, Evil (Fear), Nobility, Scalykind (Dragon), War.
Pathfinder Traits
Pathfinder Obedience - Seducer Aspect
Achieve sexual release, either alone or with a partner, and then defile a page torn from the religious canon of a lawful good deity. Gain a +4 bonus on saves against enchantment effects.
Boons
- Sins of the Flesh (Sp) charm person 3/day, eagle’s splendor 2/ day, or beast shape I 1/day
- Compelling Voice (Su) Your mind-affecting effects become harder to resist. Increase the save DC of such effects created by you by +1, or by +2 when used against an intelligent creature that could be sexually attracted to you.
- Truth in the Flesh (Sp) Shapechange 1/day.