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Hades (intermediate god)[]

Hades (LL)

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.

Role-playing Notes: 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: AL In; WAL any; AoC death, wealth; SY black ram.

Hades' Avatar (fighter 18)[]

Hades' avatar usually takes the form of a large, darkskinned man with a black beard and black eyes.

Special Att/Def: Opponents of Hades' avatar must save versus death or die when any of the following occur: they are struck by his sword, when the avatar intentionally casts a death gaze on them (once per round, range 100 yards, can't be used in melee combat), or if the avatar is reduced to zero HP (where upon it explodes, flinging death rays in all directions).

Duties of the Priesthood[]

Hades' priests must live in dark, dreary caverns. They hoard large amounts of gold, which they collect as fees for raising the dead.

Requirements: AB standard; AL any evil; WP any; AR a; SP all, charm, creation, divination, healing, necromantic, protection, summoning; PW 3) see in darkness; 5) darkness in 10' radius; 10) death touch (save versus death or die); 15) raise dead; 20) regenerate 5 hp per round; TU turn.

Sage Advice (Dragon Issue #202)[]

These are unofficial suggestions for using the optional spheres of priest spells from the Tome of Magic with the deities of the Greek pantheon in Legends & Lore:

  • Hades: Major: None; Minor: Law, Time.
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