Aphrodite

Trojan War: Roleplaying in the Age of Homeric Adventure

A Mythic Vistas Sourcebook for the d20 System Written by Aaron Rosenberg

The Lore of the Gods Book One: The Greek Gods

Lead Designers Steven Creech and Kevin Ruesch Lead Editor Steven Schend Creative Director Jim Butler Art Director

Todd Morasch Artwork Aaron D. Siddal

The goddess of love, Aphrodite appears as a beautiful woman with perfect skin, shining blond hair, and an ideal body. She is seductive and used to getting her way.

She was born when Uranus (the father of the gods) was castrated by his son the titan Cronus. Cronus threw the severed genitals into the ocean which began to churn and foam about them. From the blood and foam, Aphrodite arose a fully-grown woman and floated to the shore on a giant seashell. Making her one of the ancient elemental gods rather than an Olympian god.

Zeus was afraid that the gods would fight over Aphrodite’s hand in marriage so he married her off to the smith god Hephaestus, the steadiest of the gods. He could hardly believe his good luck and used all his skills to make the most lavish jewels for her. He made her a girdle of finely wrought gold and wove magic into the filigree work. That was not very wise of him, for when she wore her magic girdle no one could resist her, and she was all too irresistible already. She loved gaiety and glamour and was not at all pleased at being the wife of sooty, hard-working Hephaestus.

Aphrodite loved and was loved by many gods Ares, Poseidon, Dionysus amongst others and mortals. Among her mortal lovers, the most famous was perhaps Adonis, who was killed by Ares. Some of her sons are Eros, Anteros, Hymenaios and Aeneas (with her Trojan lover Anchises). She is accompanied by the Graces.

Aphrodite can charm any male, either god or mortal, and can generate any strong emotion (such as love, hate, anger, sorrow, etc.) in any intelligent being. Although she can assume any form (all of them beautiful), in her true form she is a woman of astonishing beauty. She is widely known for using her wiles to gain the upper hand in the political arena of the gods only Artemis, Athena and Hestia are immune to Aphrodite’s charms.

Aphrodite is very confident when dealing with matters of love or beauty, but she knows nothing of war or weapons. She has few favorites, but lavishes attention upon the ones she does. Aphrodite is extremely vain. There is a 10% chance she will overhear any unfavorable comparison of her beauty. In such cases, she will avenge herself by making the transgressor fall in love with a statue, turning him into a shell, or having bees sting his eyes.

Aphrodite Greater Goddess of Love, Desire and Beauty; Goddess of Fertility

• Alignment: Chaotic Good
• Domain: Good, Beauty, Charm, Love, Protection
• Symbol: A seashell, Her Girdle, The Pomegranate , Myrtle Tree, Rose, Lime tree, Dolphins and Doves
• Traditional Allies: Her strongest ally is her lover Ares, Adonis, Eros (son), Heracles (half-brother), and Hephaestus
• Traditional Foes: monstrous humanoids and undead monsters that seek to corrupt or destroy any natural beauty.
• Servants
• Servitor Creatures, Nymphs, Graces, Pothos,
• Worshipers: Lovers, artists, half-elves, adventurers
• Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, LG (paladins only), NG
• Divine Artifact: Girdle of Rapture, Staff of Magnificence
• Favored Weapon: dagger
• Favored Class: bard
• Benefits: clerics and bards of Aphrodite gain a +1 bonus to all Charisma-related checks.
• Major Temple Sites: Kythira, an island she visited
• Duties of the Priesthood: Every ten days, her priests must release white doves, and every new moon they must throw objects of art and beautiful jewelry into the sea. They must also do what they can to aid anyone who is in trouble because of a forbidden love.

Children:

• With Ares: Eros, Phobos, Deimos, Harmonia, Pothos, Anteros, Himeros,
• With Hermes: Hermaphroditus,
• With Poseidon: Rhodos, Eryx,
• With Dionysus: Peitho, The Graces, Priapus,
• With Anchises: Aeneas

Her festival is the Aphrodisiac which is celebrated in various centers . Her priestesses are not prostitutes but women who represented the goddess and sexual intercourse with them was considered just one of the methods of worship.

Clerical Training: Aphrodite’s priests arrange marriages, dispense advice to the lovelorn, train both men and women in the arts of seduction, and generally meddle in other people’s personal lives. Her priests train in seduction, acting, and art, and, being hedonistic, seek pleasure at every opportunity.

Quests: Aphrodite sends her priests out into the world to find hidden beauty, taste new pleasures, and to observe scandalous affairs. They train powerful young women in the ways of love.

Prayers: Both men and women pray to Aphrodite when trying to seduce someone. Actors often pray to her as well, asking for the power to sway the audience. People enjoying luxuries or sensual pleasures offer her thanks before partaking, hoping to receive the greatest enjoyment possible.

Shrines: Aphrodite’s temples and shrines are always beautifully crafted and decorated, made of expensive materials like marble and gold leaf. Silks drape across doorways, and rich rugs cover the floors making the temples feel like extravagant bedrooms. Many women keep small shrines to Aphrodite in their private chambers, so they can pray to her before bed.

Rites: The rites of Aphrodite involve sensual massages, delicately scented oils, fine silks, and flower petals. To an outsider, they seem more like a ritualized orgy, which is not far from the truth.

Herald and Allies: Doves act as messengers for this goddess, as do lovebirds. Omens from Aphrodite are often associated with the sea.

Trojan War Attitude: Aphrodite supports the Trojans for two reasons. First, Paris awarded her the golden apple, which made him one of her favorites. Second, Aeneas, her own son, is a prince of Troy and the army’s second-in-command. She is not a fighter, but frequently appears to rescue either Paris or Aeneas from danger.

Originally Posted by Seebora of the Miniworld Boards Community.

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Aphrodite
Bard 40/  Heartwarder 10/ Exemplar 10
Medium outsider (chaotic, good, extraplanar)
Divine Rank	16
Hit Dice	40d6+320 (Brd) plus 10d4+80 (Hrt) plus 10d6+80 (Exm) (820 hp)
Initiative	+25 (+13 Dexterity, +12 Intelligence)
Speed	60 ft.
Armor Class	91 (+21 deflection, +13 Dexterity, +31 natural armor, +16 divine) touch 60, flat-footed 78
Base Attack Bonus/Grapple	+35/+56
Attack*	Silken Sash +71 melee (1d3 +12 nonlethal/x2 plus 1d6+2 Strength damage) *Always receives a 20 on attack rolls; roll die to check for critcal hit. (15 nonlethal/30 nonlethal plus 8 points of Strength damage); or spell +56 melee touch (without Silken Sash); or spell +71 melee touch (with Silken Sash) ; or spell +64 ranged touch
Full Attack*	Silken Sash +71/+66/+61 (1d3 +12 nonlethal/19-20/x2 plus 1d6+2 Strength damage) *Always receives a 20 on attack rolls; roll die to check for critcal hit. (15 nonlethal/30 nonlethal plus 8 points of Strength damage)
Space/Reach	5 ft/5 ft (15 ft with Silken Sash)
Special Attacks	Domain powers, salient divine abilities, spells, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities	Divine aura (16 miles, DC 47), divine immunities, DR 30/epic and cold iron, fast healing 36, cold resistance 21, SR 78, godly realm (100 miles on the outer planes, 1600 ft on the Material plane), planeshift and greater teleport at will, remote communication, speak, and read all languages and speak directly to all beings within 16 miles, bardic knowledge +54, bardic music 40/day (inspire excellence, countersong, inspire courage +15, inspire competence, fascinate, suggestion, mass suggestion, inspire greatness, inspire heroics, song of freedom), heart of passion, lend talent, lips of rapture 21/day, perfect self, persuasive performance, skill artistry (Craft [painting], Craft [sculpture], Perform [dance], Perform [sing]), skill mastery (Appraise, Bluff, Concentration, Craft [painting], Craft [sculpture], Diplomacy, Gather Information, Heal, Knowledge [arcana], Knowledge [nature], Knowledge [the planes], Knowledge [religion], Perform [dance], Perform [sing], Sense Motive, Spellcraft), sustaining presence, voice of a siren, tears of Evergold
Saves	Fort +71, Ref +73, Will +58* (*+69 again mind-affecting effects)
Ability Scores	Strength 20, Dexterity 37, Constitution 27, Intelligence 34, Wisdom 31, Charisma 52
Skills	Appraise +75, Balance +30, Bluff +116, Climb +25, Concentration +100, Craft (calligraphy) +60, Craft (painting) +95, Craft (sculpture) +95, Diplomacy +135, Gather Information +105, Heal +80, Hide +30, Intimidate +50, Jump +25, Knowledge (arcana) +75, Knowledge (history) +45, Knowledge (nature) +75, Knowledge (the planes) +75, Knowledge (religion) +85, Listen +70, Move Silently +30, Perform (dance) +108, Perform (poetry) +60, Perform (sing) +108, Profession (herbalist) +50, Sense Motive +101, Spellcraft +95, Spot +70, Swim +25, Tumble +30
Feats	Alluring,Disguise Spell, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Whip), Expeditious Metamagic (x2), Extend Spell, Force of Personality, Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment), Heighten Spell, Lyric Spell, Mobility, Negotiator, Nymph’s Kiss, Persuasive, Quicken Spell, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Spell Focus (Enchantment), Trustworthy, Words of Creation
Epic Feats	Eloquent Spell, Epic Inspiration (x3), Epic Skill Focus (Bluff), Epic Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Epic Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Improved Heighten Spell, Inspire Excellence, Spell Knowledge (x2)
Environment	Olympus
Organization	Unique
Challenge Rating	62
Treasure	Silken Sash
Alignment	Chaotic Good
Advancement	N/A
Level Adjustment	N/A

Alter Reality: As a deity, Aphrodite exerts a considerable measure of control over reality itself, and her presences can command the very essence of the world around her. This ability takes shape in a number of ways.

Aphrodite may use wish in relation to anything connected to beauty, love, or passion, save for the replication of other spells. This ability costs her no XP, and requires a standard action to implement. She also has full access to the Alter Size SDA and the Avatar SDA with no need to actually take them.

Divine Immunities: As a greater goddess, Aphrodite is immune to transmutation, energy drain, ability drain, ability damage, mind-affecting effects, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, Paralysis, death effects, disintegration, banishment, imprisonment, turning or rebuking, and fire and acid effects, regardless of the divine rank of the attacker.

Divine Power: Deities are living embodiments of power, and ancient divine magics flow through their veins. As such, mortal items are of virtually no use to them, being so much weaker than their own innate powers. Gods gain no benefit from a deflection, enhancement, resistance, insight, sacred or profane bonus that is less than their divine rank. Note that this only applies to bonuses that affect the god itself; weaponry and armor is unaffected by this.

Domain Powers: Cast good and chaos spells at +1 caster level; boost Charisma by 4 points for one minute 16/day; protective ward (+16 resistance to one save) 16/day

Heart of Passion: Aphrodite evinces such passionate belief in whatever she does or says that she can sway the thoughts of the most rigid critic. This ability translates into a +2 bonus on all Charisma-based skill checks.

Lips of Rapture: Aphrodite’s kiss confers a state of bliss upon its recipient, conferring a +2 morale bonus on attack, weapon damage, checks, and saves. Moreover, it temporarily suspends the effects of exhaustion, fatigue, and nausea. An enraptured recipient receives a +2 bonus against enchantment spells and effects. This ability lasts 5 rounds, and can be used 21 times a day. The one downside to the Aphrodite’s kiss is that it also has the effect of a daze spell upon the recipient (the normal saving throw applies) as if cast by a 50th level sorceress.

Other Divine Powers

– As a greater goddess, Aphrodite automatically receives the best possible result on any die roll she makes (including attack rolls, damage rolls, and saves). She is immortal.

– Senses: Aphrodite can hear, touch, and smell at a distance of sixteen miles. As a standard action, she can perceive anything within sixteen miles of her worshipers, holy sites, objects, or any location where one of her titles or name was spoken in the last hour. She can extend her senses to up to twenty locations at once. She can block the sensing power of deities of her rank or lower at up to twenty remote locations at once for up to sixteen hours.

– Portfolio Sense: Aphrodite senses the creation or destruction of any beautiful creature or object sixteen tendays before it happens and creation the sensation for sixteen tendays after the even occurs. She is likewise aware of all creature’s passionate desires or romantic loves.

– Automatic Actions: Aphrodite can use Concentration, Craft (calligraphy), Craft (painting), Craft (sculpting), Diplomacy, Perform (dance), Perform (poetry), or Perform (sing) as a free action if the DC for the task is 30 or lower. She can perform up to twenty such free actions each round.

– Create Magic Items: Aphrodite can create any kind of magic item that affects appearance or emotion

Tears of Evergold: As a full-round action, Aphrodite can cry tears drawn from Evergold, a sacred pool that enhances beauty that Aphrodite shares with the elven goddess Hanali Celanil. If these tears are collected, they are equivalent to the effects of an elixir of love and serve as the holy water for Lady Firehair’s faithful. Aphrodite can use this ability once a tenday, and while it costs her no gold to do so, calling upon the power of the pool requires her to spend 6 XP, just as if she had made the potion with the Brew potion feat.

Voice of a Siren: Aphrodite’s voice is so enticing that she weakens the ability of opponents to resist her spells. She gains the Greater Spell Focus (enchantment) and Spell Penetration feats, but they only apply to spells with a verbal component (and are not altered with the Silent Spell feat).

Salient Divine Abilities: Area Divine Shield, Aura of Passion*, Automatic Metamagic (Disguise Spell), Automatic Metamagic (Eloquent Spell), Call Creatures (fey), Clearsight, Create Object, Create Greater Object, Divine Bard, Divine Beauty*, Divine Blessing (Charisma), Divine Fast Healing, Divine Inspiration (love and desire), Divine Shield, Divine Spellcasting, Divine Spell Focus (Enchantment), Empower Inspiration (love and desire)*, Extra Domain (Chaos), Gift of Life, Irresistible Performance, Voice of the Siren Queen*
*Unique SDA

Aura of Passion (unique SDA): An aura of emotion surrounds the Fairest, instantly causing any creature in her presence to adore and desire her. As a result, any creature who comes within 1600 ft of Aphrodite who can see her or sense her in some other way must make a Will Save (DC 47) or feel love and desire towards her, as per her Divine Inspiration (love and desire) ability. This does not count against her uses of the ability per day. This save must be made every round unless the save DC is exceeded by 10 or more, in which case the person becomes immune to the effect for 24 hours, though this does not make them immune to her Divine Inspiration (love and desire) ability. Further, heterosexual males, homosexual females, and bisexuals and animals of either gender within the area must make a Will Save (DC 47) to even attempt to cause harm to come to the Lady Firehair, though it is rare that even evil creatures try this. Similarly, if the save is made, the being is fully able to assault Aphrodite, though this would be a most unwise course of action.

Divine Beauty (unique SDA): Aphrodite is the most beauteous entity in Olympus, and perhaps outshines even some of the goddesses of love and carnality of other worlds. As such, the mere sight of her unclad can cause such longing ache within a mortal’s heart as to kill him or her. Aphrodite can choose to suppress this ability if so she chooses, and, in fact, she only rarely uses this power. However, its effects, when released, are devastating. While the ability is active, all within 160 ft. must make a Fortitude save (DC 47) or die. If the save is made, the mortal is immune to the ability for 24 hours, though he is stunned for 16 rounds.

Empowered Inspiration (unique SDA): As the rawest expression of love, passion, and desire known to Toril, Aphrodite’s ability to inspire such emotions in others is unmatched. Only Shar is immune to her Divine Inspiration (love and desire) salient divine ability, and the Will Save DC for her power is 63.

Voice of the Siren Queen (unique SDA): Aphrodite has the ability to meld arcane and divine magic with her voice, allowing her to select spells from the cleric and sorcerer spell lists for her spell known as a bard and cast them, though, like her normal bard spells, these spells cannot be silenced, nor prepared with metamagic ahead of time.

Spells(4/10/9/9/9/9/8/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/3/3/3/3/2/2/2/2): Aphrodite casts spells as a 50th level bard, and the save DC for her spells is equal to 32+spell level, or 39+spell level for enchantment spells

Spells Known:

• Cantrips- dancing lights, guidance, light, lullaby, mending, prestidigitation;
• 1st- bless, divine favor, Harmony, hypnotism, shield;
• 2nd- align weapon, enthrall, shield other, suggestion, touch of idocy;
• 3rd-bestow curse, charm monster, deep slumber, good hope, water walk;
• 4th- break enchantment, Celebration, death ward, hold monster, rainbow pattern, restoration;
• 5th- baleful polymorph, dream, feeblemind, greater dispel magic, greater heroism, improved blink, mass suggestion, true seeing;
• 6th- geas, heal, irresistible dance, mass charm monster

Spell-like Abilities: Aphrodite uses her spell-like abilities as a 76th level caster, except for chaotic and good spell, which she casts as a 77th level caster; The save DC against her spell-like abilities is 48+spell level, or 55+ spell level for Enchantment spells. At will- aid, animate objects, antimagic field, Blade Barrier, celestial blood, chaos hammer, charm monster, charm person, cloak of chaos, demand, dispel evil, dispel law, dominate monster, ease pain, empyreal ecstasy, geas/quest, good hope, heart’s ease, holy aura, holy smite, holy word, insanity, magic circle against evil, magic circle against law, mass eagle’s splendor, mind blank, prismatic sphere, protection from energy, protection from evil, protection from law, remove fatigue, remove fear, repulsion, sanctuary, shatter, shield other, spell immunity, Spell Resistance, spread of contentment, sublime revelry, suggestion, summon monster IX (cast only as a good or chaotic spell), Aphrodite’s caress, word of chaos

Possessions

Aphrodite typically wears a diaphanous robe of purest white (if that) held at the middle by her Silken Sash. Aphrodite generally does not draw her weapon save in the direst of times, preferring it’s defensive powers to be brought to bear rather than having to strike out. It functions as a +7 blessed Whip of enfeebling when used as a weapon, and may also be used to make melee touch attacks, such as that required by the heal spell. However, when worn, it halves all damage dealt by melee and ranged attacks to the wearer. The stats above assume that the Silken Sash is used as a weapon, rather than worn.

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Eloquent Spell [Epic, Metamagic]
Your enchantments can circumvent a target’s resistance to them through eloquence and charm.
Prerequisites: Charisma 25+, Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Focus (enchantment)
Benefit: Enchantment spells affected by this metamagic can affect creatures normally immune to charms, compulsions, enchantments, mind-affecting effects, etc. An eloquent spell uses up a spell slot three levels higher than the spell’s actual level and adds the language-dependent descriptor to the spell if it does not already have it.

Expeditious Metamagic

You have mastered the high art of spontaneous metamagic.
Prerequisites: Ability to spontaneously cast 4th level spells; at least two metamagic feats; Spellcraft 11 ranks.
Benefits: You may apply up to 2 levels of metamagic to a spell without increasing the casting time. For example, you could make a spell Empowered, or heightened two levels, or both Silent and Still. You must still use a higher-level spell slot to cast the altered spell, as normal.
Normal: Spontaneous spellcasters must use a full-round action to apply metamagic.
Special: You may take this feat more than once. Each time, you can apply two additional levels of metamagic to a spell without increasing the casting time. If taken twice, it allows the use of Quicken Spell (a four-level increase)

Avatar Of Aphrodite

Artifacts of the Gods that the Avatar may possess:

Aphrodite’s Staff of Magnificence:

This is a +5 staff crafted of solid gold capped with a ruby roughly three inches in diameter that channels Aphrodite’s divine power.

The wielder of this staff is granted the following benefits (at 20th level):

• Immunity to all mind-influencing effects.
• Dispel Evil at will.
• Charm Person and charm monster at will.
• Hold Person, hold animal and Hold monster at will.
• holy aura (upon the wielder) at will.
• holy smite at will.
• Prismatic sphere – 3/day
• prismatic spray – 3/day
• prismatic wall – 3/day

Girdle of Rapture:

The girdle resembles a light sash made of the finest gold weave interweaved with a variety of precious stones including diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and topazes. This divine artifact carries the full power of Aphrodite’s allure, charm, and irresistible attraction.

The wearer of this item is granted the following benefits (at 20th level):

• Immunity to all mind-influencing effects.
• Mists of ecstasy – 3/day (No saving throw allowed – The wearer is completely immune to all effects, even if in telepathic contact with the victim.)
• true resurrection – 1/day
• Mass charm – 3/day (No saving throw allowed.)

Languages: Can communicate with any creature capable of language.