Hades (Intermediate God)
Hades is a two-sided deity, the god of death on one hand and the god of wealth on the other. He is a son of Rhea and Cronus, and thus one of Zeus’ older brothers. He rarely leaves his kingdom in the underworld, where the dead go to fade into nothingness. Hades has the power to bring death or wealth to any mortal. The right to restore life to the dead belongs to him alone, and he guards it jealously. He wears a helmet which can render him invisible at will. In his true form he is a large, dark-skinned man with fiery eyes.
Roleplaying Tips
Hades is not particularly cruel or vengeful, and his kingdom is not a retributive one. The dead pass through the groves of Persephone. Then they come upon the gates of Hades, which are guarded by Cerberus, who will let the dead enter the shadowy realm but not leave. Upon passing through the gates, the dead meet the divine ferryman Charon and pay him a coin.
They are then ferried across the river of woe, Acheron. Later, the valiant dead might be permitted to cross the river of forgetfulness, Lethe, and emerge in the Elysian Fields. More unfortunate souls will cross the river Styx into Tartarus, a region of eternal pain and torment. The rest will simply fade away into nothingness. Omens from Hades are rare, and usually involve some form of unexpected death or wealth.
STATISTICS
- Alignment. Lawful Neutral.
- Worshippers Alignment. Any.
- Spheres of Influence. Death, Wealth.
- Holy Symbol. Black ram.
Clerics of Hades
Hades’ priests must live in dark, dreary caverns. They hoard large amounts of gold, which they collect as fees for raising the dead.
Alignment Restriction. Any evil.
Weapons Allowed. Any weapon.
Armors Allowed. Any armor.
Divine Domains. Forge, Grave, Knowledge, Life, Trickery, Twilight.
GRANTED POWERS
- Level 3. See in darkness, both magical and natural.
- Level 5. Hades’ Darkness.
- Level 10. Hades’ Death Touch.
- Level 15. Raise Dead.
- Level 20. Regenerate 5 hp/round