Wed Feb 02, 2005 12:47 am  
The Suel Pantheon:Beltar

Priests of Beltar(Goddess of Malice, Deep Caves, Pits)

AL: CE, NE, RA: black or dark gray, SY: Great fangs about to bite, AR: any, Wpn: standard plus dagger and garrote; SPH: all, chaos, charm, combat, divination, elemental (earth), healing (reversed), necromantic, protection (minor), summoning, sun (reversed, minor), Spl: see below, Add: none.

Those who worship Beltar are usually filled with anger or malice, or just pure hatred. She is worshipped by many chaotic evil humanoids (orcs, gnolls, bugbears, and ogres) in the Corrusk Mountains, the Vast Swamp, and the Rakers. Humans worship her in the barbarian states, the Amedio Jungle, Hepmonoland, the Pomarj, and even in the Great kingdom.
Priests of Beltar seek to increase her power and influence, usually by gathering large forces of undead. They are also known to ally themselves with red dragons, beholders, and certain tanar’ri. As they rise in level, priests of Beltar gain the following powers:

Level/Granted Power
1-2: none
3-4: immunity to life draining effects, paralysis,and other undead attack forms
5-6: charm by gaze (as the spell, save at -2) 1/day
7-8: vampiric touch (as the spell) 1/day
9+: summon undead(*detailed hereafter) 1/week

Each spell-like power is cast at the level of the priest and is usable once per day.
Ceremonies of worship to Beltar are held in deep caves or in dungeons far below ground level. The greatest honor to which a high priest of Beltar can aspire to is the right to continue their existence as a lich when the priest advances through the 19th level of experience. This transformation is personally granted to the priest when they earn enough experience to become 20th level; thus there are no living clergy of Beltar 20th level or higher. These lich–priests may continue to advance in experience due to the blessing of their fell goddess. These undead priests visit their goddess’s home plane of Tarterus once every ten years to hold a conclave, with Beltar presiding personally. What is discussed at these meeting is unknown, but probably does not bode well for those opposing Beltar. It is believed that there are less than ten of these lich-priests. Priests of Beltar control undead at +2 levels.

*Summon Undead
Range: NA..........................Casting Time: 3
Components: V, S, M........Area of Effect: see below
Duration: 1 turn/level.......Saving Throw: NA

This spell allows a priest of Beltar to summon one or more undead, and perhaps even lower planar allies. To find out how many undead are summoned, divide the priest's actual level by two (rounding up) and add 2 to the total to figure the priest's level for purposes of this spell. Roll a d20 as if the priest were commanding undead and consult Table 61: Turning Undead in the Players Handbook(p. 103). The spell will summon as many hit dice of undead as the priest has actual levels, though no more than a single "lich" or "special" creature will ever be summoned by means of this spell, and summoning either of these uses the entire power of the spell; no other undead will show up along with a "lich" or "special" creature. The only "special" creatures that respond to this spell are special undead and ta'nari. A "special" result will summon either one special undead of the priest's choice, or a random ta'nari: 50% chance of 2-5 alu-fiends, 35% chance of 1-2 babau, 15% chance of 1 maralith. Summoned creatures will appear within 30' of the priest.

For example, a 19th level priest of Beltar uses this power, rolling on Table 61: Turning Undead as if they were a 12th level priest (19 divided by 2(rounded up to 10) +2= 12). The priest is blessed by Beltar and rolls a 20! The priest may choose to summon a special undead or random ta'nari, a single lich, or up to any combination of other undead whose total hit dice does not exceed 19(such as 1 vampire, 1 wraith, and two ghouls).

Creatures summoned by this spell will serve the priest for the duration of the spell, or until they are banished or destroyed. The material component of this spell is the priest's holy symbol, which is not consumed in the casting of this spell. This spell can never be a part of the priest's regular daily memorized spell list and is only available as a granted power.

References:

Dragon Magazine #89, “Gods of the Suel Pantheon: Fiery Pyremius, Nasty Beltar, and Bearlike Llerg” by Leonard Lakofka.

Recommended Reading:

The Scarlet Brotherhood, by Sean K. Reynolds

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