Divine Minion

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Climate/Terrain: Desert, arid, cities, Outer Planes, where summoned
Frequency: Uncommon
Organization: Group
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Herbivore, omnivore, or carnivore, as fits the deity served
Intelligence: High (13-14)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: As the deity served
No. Appearing: 1d20
Armor Class: -2
Movement: 12 or as animal form
Hit Dice: 6
THAC0: 11
No. of Attacks: 3/2 or as animal form
Damage/Attack: 1d12 or by weapon typeor as animal form
Special Attacks: Attack as a 10th-level fighter, change form, special attacks of animal form
Special Defenses: Save as 10th-level fighter, immune to magic that creates fear or doubt
Magic Resistance: 10%
Size: M ( 6½ feet tall) or as animal form
Morale: Fearless (20)
XP Value: 2,000

Each divinity of the Mulhorandi pantheon has a number of magical servitors known as minions. Each minion is a fanatical follower of the deity and serves his or her ends at all costs.

Divine minions serve as messengers of the deities. They appear as great, well-muscled male or female warriors well over 6 feet tall and dress in bronze plate armor that is decorated with the symbol of their deity. They wield huge khopeshes, scimitars, or two-handed swords. Minions of Set also serve as assassins and provide military assistance for the Lord of Evil's mortal worshipers. Minions of Set favor khopeshes or broad swords and dress in black, scaly plate mail armor.

All divine minions are empowered with the ability to change into one or more animal forms. The specific forms allowed are specified in each deity description. The transformation is complete, including clothing and weapons, leaving no traces of their human guises behind.

Combat: The weapon of a divine minion counts as a weapon of+ 2 magical enchantment for the purposes of what sorts of creatures it can hit, but inflicts only 1d12 points of damage to all it strikes, no matter.what the apparent form of the weapon and no matter what the target's size.

A divine minion typically begins combat in human form, unless it is already in animal shape. Changing to animal form is normally done only when absolutely necessary. Most minions prefer not to disclose their shape-shifting abilities, since once these are discovered their usefulness to their deity is compromised. In human form, 25% of them use magical weapons fashioned in the Outer Planes, though none are greater than + 2 enchantment.

Should a battle go badly or the need be great, however, divine minions transform themselves into fearsome animal forms. The transformation takes less than a single round, having an initiative modifier of 5. When in animal form, Armor Class, Hit Dice, and hit points remain the same as the minion's human form, while it acquires the movement rate, attacks, and special attacks of the new form. (See the full entry for these animals in the Monstrous Manual tome for additional details.)

The minion's form also affects its tactics in coordination with other minions. Bears, hawks, scorpions, and snakes fight independently without coordinating their tactics. Crocodiles and ibises attack in swarms, while lions and jackals coordinate their attacks in complex strategies involving ambushes and other tactics.

Divine minions are utterly devoted to their power, never check morale, and are immune to magic that creates fear or doubt such as cause fear, scare, phantasmal killer, or doubt spells. All minions, regardless of form, have a 10% magic resistance and save as 10th-level fighters.

Habitat/Society: Divine minions are creatures touched by divine power. They serve the deities of the Mulhorandi pantheon; hundreds live in each deity's avatar's primary residence, whether it be a tower in Skuld, the Raurin desert, or on the Outer Planes. With the exception of those of Set, all minions are willing volunteers to divine service; they forfeit mortal life in return for the honor of working for their deity.throughout all eternity. All divine minions have the same alignment as their patron deity.

Set's minions usually are not volunteers to his service, as his touch can transform victims into minions of Set. However, once transformed, they serve him faithfully. Minions of Set are by far the most active divine minions, as the others prefer not to be noticed by mortals unless specially called by magic (such as the 7th-level priest spell summon divine minion).

Ecology: Divine minions are supernatural creatures. They need not eat or drink. Their armor and all their possessions disappear when slain, and they carry no treasure. Divine minions tend to radiate a faint field analogous to their alignment and the portfolio of their deity that affects the reactions of animals they encounter. For example, minions of Set produce instinctive dislike in most animals, which try to flee them. On the other hand, minions of Hathor produce inherent trust, and pregnant, hurt, or panicked animals seek them out and calm instantly at their touch. Divine minions killed in the Prime Material Plane are reformed by their deities in the Outer Planes.

Animal FormDeity Served (Alignment)Move#ATDmgSA
BaboonThoth (LN)12, 12 in trees11d4Nil
Brown bearOsiris (LG), Set(LE)1231d6/1d6/1d8Paw hit of 18 or better gives additional hug damage (2d6)
Cave bearGeb (N)1231d8/1d8/1d12Paw hit of 18 or better gives additional hug damage (2d8)
Cat, wildBast (CG)18, Cl 9, 9 in trees31d2/1d2/1d2Rear claw rake (2x1d2) if both forepaws hit; -3 penalty to opponent's surprise roll; surprised only on a 1 or 2
Cobra, giantNephthys (CG)1511d3Poison bite (save vs. poison at a -2 penalty for only 10 points of additional damage or [if failed] die in 2d4 rounds)
Cow, hornedHathor (NG)1511d4Trample for 1d4 if in a group of cattle and stampeding
CrocodileNephthys (CG), Sebek (NE), Set (LE)6, Sw 1222d4/1d12-2 penalty to opponent's surprise roll
Crodoile, giantSebek (NE)6, Sw 1223d6/2d10-2 penalty to opponent's surprise roll
Hawk, largeHorusRe (LG), Isis (NG), Nephthys (CG), Osiris (LG)1, Fl 33 (B)31d2/1d2/lDive from at great height (100 feet or more) for +2 attack bonus and double talon damage; 25% of eye hit (1d10 rounds blinded and 10% of permanent eye loss) with successful beak strike
IbisThoth (LN)Sw 6, Fl 12 (C)11d3Nil
JackalSet (LE)1211d2Nil
LionAnhur (CG), Bast (CG), Horus-Re (LG)1231d4/1d4/1d10Rear claw rake (2x1d6+ 1) if both forepaws hit; surprised only on a l; leap up to 30 feet
LeopardBast (CG)12, Cl 9, 6 in trees, Sw 631d3/1d3/1d6Rear claw rake (2x1d4) if both forepaws hit; -3 penalty to opponent's surprise roll; surprised only on al; leap up to 20 feet upward or 25 feet forward
Scorpion, hugeSet (LE)1231d8/1d8/1d3Poison sting (save vs. poison or die the next round); successful claw attack causes 1d8 points of damage and victim is gripped in pincer for an automatic 1d8 points of damage per round; victims held in a pincers can be automatically hit by the tail sting
Snake, giant poisonousSet (LE)1511d3Polson bite (save vs. poison or die the next round)