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GOD-BLOODED CREATURE

When a deity, its avatar, or its aspect appears on the Material

Plane, any blood it sheds retains part of its divine essence.
Gathered in sufcient quantities, this blood can be used
to bathe as part of a special ritual, creating a god-blooded
creature.

NOZGG, GRUUMSH-BLOODED ORC

A web of blackened veins pulse across this orcs rippling muscles, his
left eye a scarred socket. As he lifts a great spear above his head, he
unleashes a piercing war cry.

Nozgg (Raging)

CR 8

Male Gruumsh-blooded orc barbarian 5/fighter 2

CE Medium humanoid
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +4, Spot +0
Languages Common, Orc
AC 14, touch 9, flat-footed 14; 25% fortification, improved
uncanny dodge
(+1 Dex, +4 armor, +1 natural, 2 raging)
hp 84 (7 HD); divine endurance
Fort +11, Ref +2, Will +3
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) in hide armor, base speed 40 ft.
Melee +1 spear +16/+11 (1d8+11/3)
Ranged javelin +8/+3 (1d6+7)
Base Atk +7; Grp +14
Atk Options Cleave, Power Attack, rage 2/day (7 rounds)
Special Actions Gruumshs fury, Gruumshs glare
Combat Gear potion of blur, potion of jump
Abilities Str 24, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 8
SQ trap sense +1
Feats CleaveB, Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness,
Power AttackB, Weapon Focus (spear)
Skills Climb +9, Jump +9, Intimidate +3, Listen +4, Spot +0,
Swim +5
Possessions combat gear plus +1 hide armor of light
fortification, +1 spear, 6 javelins, amulet of natural
armor +1 (shaped like a symbol of Gruumsh)
Fortification (Ex) 25% chance to ignore the additional
damage dealt by a critical hit or sneak attack. This benefit
comes from Nozggs armor.
Divine Endurance (Su) Nozgg can take a free action to gain
damage reduction 10/. He can suppress this ability
with another free action. Once the damage reduction has
prevented 40 points of damage, Nozgg loses all benefits
of the god-blooded template, including this ability.
Gruumshs Fury (Su) Once per day, as a swift action, Nozgg
can draw upon the power of the divine blood within his
body to gain a +4 bonus (+8 against elves) on melee
damage rolls for the rest of his turn.
Gruumshs Glare (Su) Once per day, Nozgg can cause
a baleful, glowing red eye to appear in his empty eye
socket. The eye creates a 60-foot cone of red energy. All
creatures in this area must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude
save or be paralyzed for 1 round. Elves take a 4 penalty
on this save. The save DC is Constitution-based.
When not raging, Nozgg has the following changed
statistics:
AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 16
hp 70
Fort +9, Will +1

Kord-Blooded
Kord-blooded is an acquired template that can be added to
any non-evil living creature that has a Strength score of 16
or higher. Each year, the major temples to Kord hold a great
wrestling tournament, and the tournaments winner wrestles
an aspect of Kord. Whoever pins the other wins. If Kords
aspect loses, he cuts his palm and drips a drop of blood on
the victors brow, bestowing this template. Sometimes Kord
bestows this honor on a skilled, relentless competitor that
lost the match.
Saves: A Kord-blooded creature gains a +4 bonus on saves
against poison and disease.
Special Actions: A Kord-blooded creature gains the following special action.
Kords Athleticism (Su): Once per day, as a swift action, a
Kord-blooded creature can call upon the blood invested
in him to gain a tremendous surge of prowess. For the
next minute, the Kord-blooded creature gains a +4 bonus
on Strength and Dexterity checks, Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks, and grapple checks. The creature
also gains a +1 bonus on damage rolls to which Strength
normally applies.
Special Qualities: A Kord-blooded creature gains the
following special quality.
Kords Toughness (Su): Whenever a Kord-blooded creature
would take Constitution damage, that damage is halved.

Orcus-Blooded
Orcus-blooded is an acquired template that can be added
to any evil undead creature. The sacrice of good-aligned
creatures totaling 20 or more Hit Dice causes an aspect of
Orcus to appear and bathe the petitioner with black, tarry
blood poured from a golden chalice. The undead creature
covered in this blood then grows goatlike horns and gains
the Orcus-blooded template. The horns disappear when the
template is lost.
Resist: An Orcus-blooded creature gains +4 turn resistance.
Special Qualities: An Orcus-blooded creature gains the
following special qualities.
Herald of Orcus (Su): An Orcus-blooded creature gains
a +1 bonus to the save DCs of necromancy spells it casts,
as well as a +1 bonus to the save DCs of its spell-like and
supernatural abilities.
Wand of Orcus (Su): Once per day, as a swift action, an Orcusblooded creature can summon a minor wand of Orcus. The
wand appears in the creatures hand and lasts for 1 minute.
It functions as a +2 morningstar.
Once per day, while the wand exists, the Orcus-blooded
creature can use it to deliver a melee touch attack. An opponent so touched must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 +
1/2 the Orcus-blooded creatures HD + its Cha modier) or
take 4 points of Constitution damage. If that foe fails the save,
the Orcus-blooded creature gains 2 temporary hit points per
HD that enemy possesses. These temporary hit points last
for 1 hour.

Melee +1 spear +14/+9 (1d8+8/3)

Ranged javelin +8/+3 (1d6+5)
Grp +12
Abilities Str 20, Con 14
Skills Climb +7, Jump +7, Swim +3
Gruumshs Glare (Su) DC 15

Nozgg is an independent raider covered in glorya paragon

among his people. He had the following ability scores before
Hit Dice and racial ability score adjustments: Str 15, Dex 13,
Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10.

Strategies and Tactics

Nozgg has only two purposes in lifeto slay and to pillage.
He uses his Gruumshs glare ability to paralyze his enemies,
then charges in to murder a helpless foe. Gruumshs fury he
reserves for a worthy enemy or an elf. Wishing to keep his
divine talents, he activates his divine endurance only if he
thinks he might lose the ght otherwise.

Sample Encounters
Becoming god-blooded is invariably a great honor, and godblooded creatures serve as warlords and champions. Sites
where creatures can acquire the god-blooded template are
protected ercely.
Nozggs Raiders (EL 9): Nozgg raids accompanied by
an orc berserker (MM4 114), an orc war howler (MM4 114),
and six orc warriors (MM 203). His warriors provide anks
and sometimes use the aid another action to give Nozgg
more of an advantage. The berserker wades in independently,
and the war howler provides support. Nozgg focuses his
attacks on elves, moving to other targets only after all elves
are slain.
Neversleep Citadel (EL 9+ per encounter): High in
the Altan Tepes Mountains, an ancient order of orc priests
watches over a bubbling cauldron filled with blood spilled
by Gruumsh. According to legend, Gruumsh bled on this
spot when Corellon cut the orc gods eye from its socket.
The clerics allow orc champions who perform great deeds
in Gruumshs name and can make it to the cauldron to
bathe within, granting them a measure of the gods power.
Nozgg is one such champion, and the citadel is now
his home.
The citadel protecting the cauldron houses a small army
of orc barbarians, fighters, and clerics. Some of these are
half-dragons. A young adult red dragon protects the place
due to an ancient pact between Gruumsh and Tiamat. This
dragon leaves and is replaced by another when it reaches
adulthood.

CREATING A GOD-BLOODED
CREATURE
God-blooded is an acquired template that can be added
to a creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature)
favored by the deity in question, as dened in the specic
deity entries.

Vecna-Blooded
Vecna-blooded is an acquired template that can be added to
any evil creature capable of casting 2nd-level or higher arcane
spells. When an arcane spellcaster manages to unravel the
Seven Riddles of Vecna, that individual can become Vecnablooded. None know the true nature of these riddles, 4/19/07
but
solving them sends a caster to a pocket dimension known as
the Oubliette of Secrets. There, after exposure to a number
of bizarre tortures and ordeals at the hands of a strange
creature known as the Anchorite, the caster emerges as a
Vecna-blooded creature. The creature loses all distinguishing
characteristics, hair, and other traits, keeping only a small,
thin mouth, the faintest trace of a nose, and eyes. These
changes are permanent and remain even after the creature
loses this template.
Some sages believe that several Anchorites exist, and that
they are the most powerful of Vecnas servants. They seek out
lost secrets and forgotten lore. Several point to the disappearance of Delether of Hardby as the Anchorites work. Every
page of the books in Delethers library had been carefully
removed and replaced with cured human skinapparently
taken from Delether, judging by the faint remnants of his
tattoos found in several of the volumes.
Special Actions: A Vecna-blooded creature gains the
following special actions.
Enigma Aura (Su): Once per day, as a standard action, a
Vecna-blooded creature can wrap itself in an aura that makes
creatures within 120 feet intermittently forget its there. At
the start of each affected creatures turn, that creature has a
50% chance to be unable to attack the Vecna-blooded creature
in any way, including with spells and special abilities. The
aura lasts for 1 minute after its activated.
Hidden Spell (Su): Once per day, as a swift action, a Vecnablooded creature can cause at-footed opponents to take a

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GOD-BLOODED LORE

Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (religion) can learn

more about god-blooded creatures. When a character makes
a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Religion)
DC
15

20
25
30

Result
God-blooded creatures are divine champions
infused with the essence of their deity. The gods
blood within them makes them incredibly durable,
but if they are sorely wounded, the gods power
fades from them.
This result reveals one randomly chosen special
action or special quality that the specic template
grants.
This result reveals a second, randomly chosen
special action or special quality.
This result reveals a third, randomly chosen
special action or special quality.

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Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1.

Special Actions: The base creature gains the following
special action.
Divine Endurance: A god-blooded creature can take
a free action to gain damage reduction
10/ from the mingling of divine blood
with its material form. The creature can
suppress this ability with another free
action. Once the damage reduction has
prevented 40 points of damage, the
creature loses all benefits of the
god-blooded template, including
this ability, except when otherwise noted.
Other Abilities: All godblooded creatures receive other
abilities based on the blood
they bathe in. See the deity
entries below.
Level Adjustment: +1.

Gruumsh-Blooded
Gruumsh-blooded
is an acquired template that can be
added to any orc.
Gruumsh-blooded
orcs are typically created
at unholy sites, where
clerics of Gruumsh tend
iron cauldrons lled
with their gods bubbling
green blood. When an orc
bathes in the blood, his left
eye shrivels and falls
out, leaving an empty
socket. The eye doesnt
regrow even if the
orc subsequently loses
this template.
Special Actions: A Gruumshblooded orc gains the following special
actions.
Gruumshs Glare (Su): Once per day, a Gruumsh-blooded
orc can cause a baleful, glowing red eye to appear in his
empty eye socket. The eye creates a 60-foot cone of red
energy. All creatures in this area must succeed on Fortitude saves (DC 10 + 1/2 the orcs HD + his Con modifier)
or be paralyzed for 1 round. Elves take a 4 penalty on
this save.
Gruumshs Fury (Su): Once per day, as a swift action, a
Gruumsh-blooded orc can draw upon the power of the divine
blood within his body to gain a +4 bonus (+8 against elves)
on damage rolls for the rest of his turn.

4 penalty on saves against spells the creature casts on that

same turn.
Special Qualities: A Vecna-blooded creature gains the
following special qualities.
Cloak of Mystery (Su): All knowledge of the Vecna-blooded
creature
fades from the world. Its original name, its deeds
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before becoming Vecna-blooded, and so forth, disappear from
memory. Only Vecna and the Vecna-blooded creature retain
this knowledge.
A Vecna-blooded creature gains immunity to all divination
spells cast against it or cast to learn information about it.
Such divination fails to reveal any information. The Vecnablooded creature immediately learns the name, appearance,
and location of the caster who attempted the divination.
Unlike other god-blooded abilities, the Vecna-blooded
creature retains this special quality after it loses other abilities
from this template.

Yeenoghu-Blooded
Yeenoghu-blooded is an acquired template that can be added
to any gnoll. A gnoll champion gains the Yeenoghu-blooded
template by killing a fellow gnoll who has this template and
drinking his blood. In this manner, Yeenoghu ensures that
his children continually strive to prove themselves against
each other and their enemies. Occasionally, when an aspect
of Yeenoghu appears before a tribe, the gnolls attack it in a
frenzy to become Yeenoghu-blooded. Those who survive and
devour the aspects esh gain this template.
A creature that gains this template becomes shrouded in
noxious, putrid air. Flies and maggots swarm over its body,
marking its link to the fearsome Demon Prince of Gnolls.
It grows long, yellow fangs, and a mixture of pus and drool
spills over its lower lip.
Melee: A Yeenoghu-blooded creature gains a secondary
bite attack that deals 1d6 points of damage.
Special Actions: A Yeenoghu-blooded creature gains the
following special actions.
Rot Fangs (Ex): Once per day, as a swift action, a Yeenoghublooded creature can imbue its bite with a dreadful necrotic
energy. The next time the gnoll hits an opponent with a bite,
that foe must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the
gnolls HD + its Con modier) or take 1d6 points of Constitution damage.
Special Quality: A Yeenoghu-blooded creature gains the
following special quality.
Gore Stench (Su): A Yeenoghu-blooded creature is caked with
putrid lth, dried blood, and gore. Maggots crawl through
its fur, and a horric stench and a swarm of ies surround it
all times. Living creatures (except for gnolls) within 10 feet
of a Yeenoghu-blooded creature must succeed on a Fortitude
save (DC 10 + 1/2 the gnolls HD + its Con modier) or be
sickened for 1 minute. If a creature successfully saves against
this ability, that creature need not save again for 24 hours. A
delay poison or neutralize poison spell removes the effect from
a sickened creature. Creatures that are immune to poison or

Imix-Blooded
Imix-blooded is an acquired template that can
be added to any evil creature. A creature gains this
template through service to Imix, Prince of Evil Fire
Elementals. The creature must perform a great deed
in the name of Imix, and then, when the signs and omens
are promising, stand in a brass cauldron lled with oil and
set it alight. If Imix is pleased, he
appears and squeezes a single
drop of his ery blood into the
cauldron, granting the creature this template.
Subtype: An Imixblooded creature gains
the re subtype.
Special Actions: An
Imix-blooded creature
gains the following special action.
Imixs Wrath (Su): An Imixblooded creature is wreathed in
ames that dont harm its
equipment. Once per day,
as a swift action, an
Imix-blooded creature can cause re
to flow from its
body over its weapons.
All the creatures melee
attacks deal an extra 4 points of re
damage until the
end of its turn. If an
Imix-blooded creature
casts a re spell while
affected by this quality,
that spell deals an extra
number of points of damage equal to the Imix-blooded creatures
caster level.
Special Qualities: An Imix-blooded
creature gains the following special qualities.
Burn (Su): The res that cloak an Imix-blooded creature lash
out to harm those who would dare attack it. Any creature that
hits an Imix-blooded foe with a melee attack takes 3 points
of re damage.
Death Throes (Su): Imix is quick to reward those who
follow him, but his fiery anger is legendary. When killed,
an Imix-blooded creature explodes in a 30-foot-radius
burst that deals fire damage to each creature or object in
the area equal to 1d6 1/2 the Imix-blooded creatures
Challenge Rating. A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2
the Imix-blooded creatures HD + its Cha modifier) halves
this damage.

that have a saving throw bonus against poison receive those

benets against the stench.

TYPICAL TREASURE
A god-blooded creature usually carries icons of its faith,
to mark the favor of the gods and to display its piety. Godblooded NPCs have equipment appropriate to NPCs of
their Challenge Ratingslightly more than normal for
their level.

CREATING GOD-BLOODED
TEMPLATES
The example templates given in this entry cover some of
the entities found in the D&D world. If you wish to add
god-blooded creatures to Eberron, Faern, or your campaign
setting, use the following guidelines.
A god-blooded template should physically alter its recipient
in a manner in keeping with the gods ethos and important
physical traits. Powers granted by the template might further
change the recipient. In the examples given in this entry,
Gruumshs single eye, Imixs ery body, and Orcuss horns
mark the creature that receives the deitys blood. Similar
traits should be gained from templates you create.
All god-blooded templates share the divine endurance
special quality. This ability reects a combination of the
supernatural protection offered by divine blood. As presented, the template produces a creature that seems incredibly
difcult to harm at the start of an encounter. If the characters
persist in attacking, though, they eventually strip away that
defense. If you prefer a permanent template, change the
damage reduction to 5/magic and remove the limit on the
damage it can absorb.
The template should grant two special abilities in addition
to divine endurance. You can add a third if that ability has
little direct effect on combat. The Vecna-blooded template
provides a good example of such an ability with its cloak of
mystery. The cloak adds some interesting story elements to
the creature, but it has little effect during a ght.
The creatures abilities should be useful regardless of its
nal Challenge Rating. Abilities that deal a xed amount of
damage are difcult to judge, since that damage doesnt scale
as the creatures CR increases. Instead of such abilities, focus
on attacks that require saving throws and impose conditions,
since save DCs improve as Hit Dice increase, forcing the
PCs to make saving throws appropriate for the creatures
challenge. Keep the duration conditions such as paralyzed,
dazed, or stunned shortthey take a target out of the ght.
Longer durations are ne for dazzled, sickened, and other
conditions that impose penalties.
Avoid abilities that add static bonuses to ability scores,
attacks, or AC, instead choosing abilities that make it apparent
to the characters and players that the god-blooded creature is
infused with the power of its deity. The PCs (and the players)
should see a clear link between the creatures altered form,
the power it calls upon, and the effects it can create.