Level Up (A5E) Sins of the Scorpion Age: Deities, Gods, and Religion

[Steampunkette]

So let's talk about Deities that aren't the "Main Eight"

LevelUp/A5e introduces a CR 10 monster called "Forgotten God". These entities are powerful Celestial outsiders that use Divine Weapons, Stunning Gazes, and their own Divine Wrath. They've got some Legendary Actions each round to make them more of a danger during combat when they're solo, and there are different example gods that, largely, just trade out appearance and spellcasting functions.

To show that their power is "Broken" part of what they do is "Flawed Spellcasting". On their turn they attempt to cast one of two spells and roll a d6. On a 1, 2, or 3 the spell visibly fails but the Forgotten God's action is not expended, allowing them to instead do other things with their turn. (A mechanic that I think would be super interesting for different spellcasters, by the way!).

I think this is a fantastic template to use for the many deities of various locales and cultures and ideas that fell during the War of Transgression. While I'd like to keep the numbers fairly low, overall, by limiting the specific 'Domain' of a given god, I think this could work well to seed the world with unique entities that can have cults and plots centered around them.

I'm going to be dividing Deities into 3 groups. True Gods, Fallen Gods, and Demigods.

True Gods: Are the Eight Divines. They're basically untouchable by player characters, but could be the source of an Epic-Level encounter or the goal of a campaign that reaches very high levels. Challenge Rating 15-20+ monsters, essentially.

Fallen Gods: Are those who were defeated during the War of Transgression. They'll use the Forgotten Gods template but be given different aspects, such as spellcasting or physical descriptions. They might have permanent scars or disfigurements from the war itself, but none of them are going to look "Human" or anything like it. They should probably play pretty heavily into the idea of strange and terrible existential beings and Lovecraftian Horror. Challenge Rating 9-15 monsters, essentially.

Demigods: Are lesser beings that are still "Divine" in Nature. Named Angels, Named Devils, Powerful Elementals, things of that nature. They're not going to be big legendary monsters with power coming out of their nose, but certainly be strong enough to mop the floor with common folks. Things like Elementals or Fey, or Minor Demons and Devils. Challenge Rating 4-10 monsters, essentially.

You might notice that there's some overlap between different tiers of Deity. This is intentional. It means that the bounds between one kind of God and another are a bit Blurred, while there's a definite sense of "Range" where the gods of a particular level exist.

You'll also notice that this means there are "Gods" at most level ranges attainable by players. This is -also- intentional. The term "God" in Sword and Sorcery doesn't mean the same thing it does in modern theology. It's meant to be a more flexible term for powerful entities that one may or may not Worship, and through that worship or control be rewarded in some manner or another. Take Yag-Kosha, for example:

The reason the story is called Tower of the Elephant (And why the Pilot species in Alien is a giant elephant-helmet wearing creature) is this God-Thing that Yara the Sorcerer met in the time before the Cataclysm that sank Atlantis and began the Hyborian Age. Yog-Kasha relates to Conan his trip to Earth across the Stars and how he taught Yara magic when he reached Earth before the sorcerer blinded him, weakened him, and chained him up in the tower so he could continue to use his power.

Conan kills Yag-Kosha and cuts out his heart to drip blood over the giant ruby in the picture, there, and places the gem in Yara's bedchamber as he sleeps. Inside the Gem, Yag-Kosha is restored with all of his limbs and his four wings and he drags the Sorcerer into the gemstone to fight him.

This example, one of the earliest of the Conan Tales and without question one of the most famous, establishes some core things:

1) "Gods" in Conan are not omniscient and omnipresent by default. Crom could be (If he even exists), but not all are.
2) They're often flawed beings that can be weakened, blinded, and trapped by mortals.
3) They can be killed by a simple Cimmerian with a Sword.
4) Even dead, they continue on in new manners.

This gives us a -ton- of leeway in what is or isn't a God for game-design and storytelling purposes. Forget 3e's Deities and Demigods using the Epic Level Handbook rules to be level 40+ characters. Sword and Sorcery can be contained in 10 to 20 levels and still have the Epic storytelling because it's the narrative role of Gods that makes them powerful, not just their Stat Blocks.

I'll be referencing monsters from other works, here, for combat functionality, but given time and resources I'd stat them out fully in a manner similar to the creature described below.

 

[Steampunkette]

The Eight Divines:
The True Gods of the World/Setting that Needs a Name, the Eight Divines are sometimes known by different names across different cultures, but are generally accepted, whole cloth, by a specific moniker.

The Beast: Khumuad in the Scorpion Lands, Arez among the Grisians, Ak-Umad to the Ipu peoples, and Gnomad to the distant people of Ellenici. A massive beastly creature that cannot be easily described in a single form. The Beast's base form, it's "Truest" self, is an amalgamation of various beastly traits in their Purest form, which were granted to animals imperfectly at the time of their creation. A Scorpion's Tail is a mockery of the Beast's tail. The claws of Bears and Cats are a lesser version of the Beast's claws. The teeth of a Shark are as near in the animal world as one can get to the Beast's teeth. Both the Insect and the Lizard try to mimic the Beast's durable and supple hide, which glimmers with hard smoothness, but neither captures it by being too inflexible or by being broken into smaller plates. The wings of Birds and of Bats, pale imitations of a true wing, the Beast's wings.

It is best described as a great upright Dragon with no scales, but instead a perfectly smooth and durable skin. It is furred down the back from the crown of it's head, down between it's massive wings, to near the tip of it's stinger-tipped tail. It's neck is fairly short, like a horse's, but it's limbs are far longer in relation to it's body, giving it a lanky appearance.

For combat stats: Use the Ancient Brass Dragon with the following changes: Replace it's Breath Weapon with a Poison Spray from it's tail. Change the damage type of Tail Slap to Poison. Remove it's Sleep Breath Weapon and give it the following trait which uses an Action on the Beast's turn or 2 Legendary Actions:

Return to Form
The Beast targets up to three creatures it can see within 120 feet of it. Each target must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a successful save, a creature becomes immune to this ability. On a failed save, the target is poisoned and also gains 1 level of exhaustion. While poisoned or exhausted in this way, the target must repeat the saving throw at the start of each of its turns. Three successful saves against the effect ends it, and removes any levels of exhaustion caused by it as well as the poisoned condition. Each failed save causes the target to suffer another level of exhaustion. Once the target reaches 6 levels of exhaustion, it dies and instantly transforms into a dinosaur under the Beast's control with a challenge rating of 4 or less.

The Dweller: Azugiir in the Scorpion Lands, Karluth to the peoples of Neasc, Zoscori among the Ellenici, Oc'negru to the Ipu and Ngo peoples, and Khenomar in Annam. The Dweller is a terrible otherworldly beast that guards the underworld and drags the living down into the waters from which life sprang. Those who are to be punished in the afterlife remain under the water, crushed and tormented in the Dweller's grip, drowning endlessly, until they have truly repented for their wrongdoings. Those who have repented, or did not transgress in life, are said to be raised from the waters and placed upon the shore of the afterlife, far in the East, beyond the edge of the world, to live eternally.

It is described as a great monstrous form of writhing tentacles, eyes, and fanged mouths that collapse in on themselves. It moves upright, if such a thing can be described, with it's great tentacles hanging low, flying just off the ground, though they occasionally brush the ground rendering it dead and barren.

Combat Stats: Use the Nightwalker from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes with the following changes: It gains Legendary Resistance and 2 Legendary Actions. It can use it's Enervating Focus as a Legendary Action. The Dweller also has a Reach of 30ft.

The Flower: Nefia in the Scorpion Lands, Nefari in Annam, Nanafi among the Ipu, and Niffany among both the Elleneci and Neasc. The Flower was a great hero of the War of Transgression, during which she sacrificed her own life to the Gods to spare the world their full wrath. It is said that she battled many of the Fallen Gods and there are stories of her victories told in any place they dwell where the cult of the Flower grows. Whether these are true stories of her legend, or propaganda to elevate her above the local gods is anyone's guess.

The Flower appears as a powerful human woman of immense stature.

Combat Stats: The Empyrean. No changes required, just straight up use it out of the Monster Manual.

The Mountain: Shael in the Scorpion Lands, Kronth among the Neasc, the Grisians call him Choq, while the Ipu and Annam know him as Uqweq. The Mountain is an uncaring god. He lives in his mountain alone, forging great and terrible things, then either discarding them or destroying them to use the materials anew in his next design. There is no great love or joy in him, no deep hatred or violence. He would have to care to feel in such a way. Prayers to him often go ignored.

He is described as a massive bearded man in most cultures, with hair as white as snow. His skin is either deep brown or black, and his eyes burn like embers. He has four arms that are used to hold metal and pound it as well, or perform multiple tasks at once. He wears armor, and wields weapons, in the rare event that he is forced to battle.

Combat Stats: Tarrasque. Just rename the different attacks to weapons. Claws are Axe and Sword, Horns is a Spear, Tail is a Flail. His Bite and Swallow remain unchanged. The Reflective Carapace is Mirror-Armor.

The Serpent: The Serpent has no names, no titles, beyond The Serpent. In each society it is referred to only by this name. It is the wisdom of ages, survival in wildlands, and the brutal pain of Betrayal. It is watchful, and deadly.

It is described as an impossibly massive snake whose form is made up of whatever it travels in. In water, it is water, on sand it is sand, in a forest it is soil and grass and brush and animals. It can be a great serpent of Beetles and Scorpions, or of Flapping Birds, or of Air itself. It is nothing and it is everything in it's environment.

Combat Stats: Leviathan from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes with the following changes: Slam becomes Bite, and is Piercing rather than Bludgeoning. Tidal Wave becomes "Wave of Destruction". This functions in the same way, but rather than being Water it is a wall of whatever medium the Serpent is currently composed of. Instead of "Swimming" it's just an Athletics check to move your normal movement while inside the wall.

The Tempest: Shassim in the Scorpion Lands, Sojeh in Annam, Khoga among the Kyrani, and Susce in Grisia. The Tempest is the irrepressible storm, the unending sky, the four winds, and the spring rain. He is mercurial, and may provide a bounty of rain each year at specific times, or lay a drought on a whim for months or years at a time.

He is described as a living storm cloud in roughly the shape of a man. Lightning shoots through his form and thunder rumbles out his voice.

Combat Stats: Ancient Bronze Dragon. Bite and Claw are lightning strikes leaping off his form. While the Tail Attack is a Thunderclap. Damage types change to Lightning for Bite and Claw. Repelling Breath is a Gale Howl and taken off the Recharge Timer, he can do it any time he wants. In addition, he can use Gale Howl as a Legendary Action costing 3 Actions.

The Weaver: Ibillah in Annam and the Scorpion Lands, Tennu among the Grisians and Kyrani. The Weaver is the goddess of fate and of dying, destiny and ends. Different cultures portray her with scissors or sabers to cut the threads of life, or as a moth or spider or great beetle shuffling about and shaping fate with strands of destiny or silk.

She is described as a humanoid insect, armed with a deadly sword and accompanied by terrible lesser beings like herself which each to each strike on her behest. She often has wings, but always has antennae and large compound eyes in a face that might otherwise be described as fairly human. She rides a buglike steed into battle and cuts away life with her great sword that can fight of it's own volition away from her hands, supported by it's own wings.

Combat Stats: The Weaver is a Dread Knight for combat purposes, riding a Nightmare with 10 Skeletons. The Weaver, the Nightmare, and the Skeletons are Celestial rather than Undead or Fiendish creatures. The Cursed Greatsword is also a Dancing Greatsword, which can be released to attack on her turn.

The Witch: Zeya in Annam and the Scorpion Lands, Shidhulla in Neasc.

She is described as a woman of flawless beauty, hair as emerald-gold, skin as dark as fertile soil, dressed in the finest clothing of the local fashion in greens and blues with rich reds being common in winter.

Combat Stats: Drow Matron Mother, from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, with the following changes: Demon Staff is renamed Staff of the Witch. Llolth's Fickle Favor is renamed Witch's Blessing. Tentacle Rod is Rebuking Slap.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

From published works, there's few that could work as quasi-deities:
Mummy Lord (MM)
The Eidolon + Living Statue (MToF)
Elder Elementals (MToF)
The high level giants from VGtM
The big shots Yuggoloth/Oinoloth from MToF
The Daelkyrs from Eberron refluffed

You could always add the mythic template from Theros to the above to create powerful-yet-mortal creatures.
Hell, a beefed-up mythic dire wolf or panther could be a wonderful quasi-deity encounter for low-level, local adventuring.

 

[Steampunkette]

I did intend to use the Mummy Lord as Am-Tet, returned from the Grave as one of the strongest Fallen Gods due to Ancestor-Worship and monuments to her time as Phaoris in Annam. LN rather than Evil, she'd be rising from her grave for a specific, destructive, purpose, to fight against Betrayers and Conquerors and the like.

I -had- thought about using the Storm Giant Quintessent for the Tempest but eventually settled on the Bronze Dragon for that Repelling Breath/Gale Howl dramatic style!

But for the next section, I'll be aiming at the level 9-15 "Fallen Gods" range, specifically.

For reference: I already intend to make Uhmalshira's combat form as a trio of Water Elementals which share a health pool and actions. So only one of them can attack at a time, but she can make her attacks from any of them. Add in a pair of Legendary Action attacks and boom. Health Pool would be about the same as 2 water elementals.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

For the 8 mains, I'd go with something like this:

• Beast: Yeenoghu (MToF), but its feature targeting gnolls target each beast or lycanthropes.
• Mountain: Zaratan (MtoF) add a spear attack.
• Tempest: Elder Tempest (heh!) MToF
• Weaver: Mythic Larva Mage ?
• Serpent: Mythic Marilith with poisonous bites and constrict instead of swords.
• Dweller: Nightwalker, nice idea
• Witch: Mythic Night Hag Coven? Demi-lich?
• Flower: Drow Matron Mother (with a touch of Sphinx, maybe?)

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I -had- thought about using the Storm Giant Quintessent for the Tempest but eventually settled on the Bronze Dragon for that Repelling Breath/Gale Howl dramatic style!

Why not both!? Take the quintessent and add the breath weapon! I'll see if I can do something on my builder later today if you want.

 

[GuyBoy]

Building on your Conan reference, both Ollam-Onga and Khosatral Kiel would make great Fallen Gods.
For Khosatral, I’d suggest a sentient, evil iron golem for stats. Not quite sure about Ollam.

 

[GuyBoy]

Sorry, Khosatral Khel. Predictive text turned him into a German port city!

 

[GuyBoy]

In the Frozen Forests of Neasc, a land tortured by witchcraft, some still turn to the Forgotten God of the Hunt, but the Forest God is fraught with peril. He and his pack of hounds are as likely to tear the traveller apart as they are to aid her against the servants of the witches.
And even more fearsome, in the darkest, coldest reaches of the forest, where dead moss clings to dead trees, it is said there lurks a god that died millennia ago, leaving only a hunger....a gnawing, terrible hunger.

As you can probably guess, I’m thinking of a reference to Cernunnos/Wild Hunt in the first instance, and Wendigo in the second.

 

[GuyBoy]

In the desert lands of the south, the Flower defeated ( you decide, Serpent, Dweller or Beast) and drove it away. But her victory was not without pain and she was savagely bitten. When she cleaned her wound, three foul teeth from her foe had broken off inside the torn flesh of the goddess. In pain, she drew them forth and cast each of them away, to the east, south and west.
But, where they landed, the fangs writhed and buried themselves in the sands, where they exist to this day, grown into terrible banes.

At the risk of copyright, I’m thinking three Sarlaccs from Empire Strikes Back fame.