Tāwhirimātea — Atua of Winds and Weather
Māori tradition · Winds · Weather · Storms · Clouds · Divine conflict
Tāwhirimātea is the great atua of winds and weather. When his siblings separate Ranginui and Papatūānuku, he rejects their decision, rises to the sky and turns storm, cloud and wind against them.
Tāwhirimātea at a Glance
| Tradition | Māori |
|---|---|
| Divine standing | Major atua |
| Campaign alignment | Chaotic Neutral |
| Portfolio | Winds, weather, storms, clouds, atmospheric change and divine retribution |
| Parents | Ranginui and Papatūānuku |
| Sacred signs | Sudden changes of wind, storm fronts forming against prevailing weather, clouds moving in impossible directions and calm air immediately before violent weather |
| Pantheon plane | Hawaiki — The Ancestral Isles, within Ossa — The Living and Remembering Sea in Arborea |
| Campaign present | Active wherever weather decides voyages, harvests, warfare or survival |
Divine Mechanics
Encounter role: Mobile controller / storm artillery. These are campaign-scale divine manifestations. Each edition tab is standalone.
Tāwhirimātea
Large Celestial (Deity), Chaotic Neutral
Epic CR 34 (campaign-scale; PB +10)
AC 26 · HP 670 · Speed 50 ft., fly 180 ft. (hover)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 (+9) | 32 (+11) | 30 (+10) | 24 (+7) | 30 (+10) | 30 (+10) |
Saving Throws Dex +21, Con +20, Wis +20, Cha +20. Skills Perception +20, Nature +17, Survival +20.
Damage Immunities lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks. Condition Immunities Frightened, Grappled, Prone, Restrained.
Senses Truesight 240 ft., Passive Perception 30. Languages all; telepathy 1 mile.
Traits
Body of Storm. Tāwhirimātea can move through occupied spaces and openings as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing. Opportunity attacks against him have Disadvantage.
Children of the Winds. At the start of each round, Tāwhirimātea chooses north, south, east or west. Until the next round, creatures he chooses are pushed 10 feet in that direction whenever they end their turn outdoors.
Weather Without Horizon. Non-divine magic cannot permanently suppress wind, cloud or precipitation within 1 mile of Tāwhirimātea.
Actions
Multiattack. Tāwhirimātea makes three Storm Spear attacks.
Storm Spear. Ranged Spell Attack: +21 to hit, range 300 ft.; 27 (3d10 + 11) lightning plus 22 (4d10) thunder damage.
Four Winds (Recharge 5–6). Creatures of Tāwhirimātea’s choice in a 120-foot radius make a DC 28 Strength save. On a failure, a creature takes 55 (10d10) thunder damage, is pushed 60 feet and falls Prone. On a success, it takes half damage and is pushed 15 feet.
Storm of Grief (1/Day). A 300-foot-radius storm forms for 1 minute. Hostile creatures treat the area as difficult terrain, ranged weapon attacks have Disadvantage, and lightning strikes up to three creatures of Tāwhirimātea’s choice at the start of each round for 27 (6d8) lightning damage, Dexterity DC 28 half.
Legendary Actions
- Gust. One creature within 60 feet is pushed 20 feet, Strength DC 28 negates.
- Lightning Flash. One creature within 120 feet takes 18 (4d8) lightning damage.
- Ride the Wind (Costs 2). Tāwhirimātea moves up to his flying Speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Mythic Trait — The Sky Refuses Silence. The first time Tāwhirimātea reaches 0 hit points, he becomes wind and reforms with 335 hit points. He immediately uses Four Winds and the weather within 1 mile becomes severe.
Tāwhirimātea — Pathfinder 1e
CR 33; CN Large outsider (air, divine, extraplanar)
Init +15; Senses true seeing 240 ft.; Perception +51. AC 57, touch 35, flat-footed 45; hp 680.
Fort +36, Ref +41, Will +38; DR 25/epic; SR 46; immune electricity and sonic.
Speed 50 ft., fly 180 ft. (perfect).
Domains Air, Weather, Destruction, Travel. Subdomains Wind, Storms, Catastrophe, Exploration.
Four Winds (Su). Every 1d4 rounds Tāwhirimātea produces hurricane-force winds in a 120-foot radius. Creatures failing a DC 39 Fortitude save are hurled 60 feet and knocked prone.
Storm Body (Su). Tāwhirimātea gains the air subtype, cannot be flanked, and may move through occupied spaces without provoking.
Spell-Like Abilities CL 33rd. At will—control winds, gust of wind, wind walk; 3/day—chain lightning, control weather, whirlwind; 1/day—storm of vengeance.
Complete Pathfinder 1e Statistics
Init +15; Aura divine presence 120 ft.; Perception +35.
DEFENSE AC 57, touch 36, flat-footed 46; hp 680; Fort +38, Ref +39, Will +38; defensive abilities divine resilience, freedom of movement; DR 25/epic; SR 47; immune disease, fear, poison; resist acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, fire 20.
OFFENSE Speed 50 ft.; Melee Storm Spear +56/+51/+46/+41 (divine weapon damage plus portfolio energy); Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.; Special Attacks divine aura, mythic surge, portfolio powers.
STATISTICS Str 28, Dex 32, Con 30, Int 24, Wis 30, Cha 30; Base Atk +44; CMB +54; CMD 75; Feats Combat Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Critical (Storm Spear), Weapon Focus (Storm Spear), Greater Weapon Focus (Storm Spear), Quicken Spell-Like Ability; Skills Acrobatics +36, Diplomacy +35, Intimidate +35, Knowledge (planes) +32, Knowledge (religion) +32, Perception +35, Sense Motive +35, Spellcraft +32, Survival +35; Languages all, telepathy 1 mile; SQ divine rank 15, immortality, portfolio sense, remote communication.
Tāwhirimātea — D&D 3.5e
Intermediate Deity; Divine Rank 15; CN Large Outsider (Air, Extraplanar)
CR 34; Hit Dice 44d8+484; AC 59; Speed 50 ft., fly 180 ft. (perfect).
Portfolio winds, weather, storms and clouds. Domains Air, Weather, Destruction, Travel.
Salient Divine Abilities. Alter Reality, Divine Air Mastery, Divine Storm, Travel.
Portfolio Sense. Tāwhirimātea senses storms, cyclones and other events within his weather portfolio as they occur, and can look back through the previous fifteen weeks. Divine Rank 15 does not grant future portfolio sense.
Spell-Like Abilities. At will—control winds, gust of wind, wind walk; 3/day—chain lightning, control weather, whirlwind; 1/day—storm of vengeance. Caster level 34th.
Complete D&D 3.5e Statistics
Initiative +15; Speed 50 ft.; Armor Class 57, touch 36, flat-footed 46; Base Attack/Grapple +44/+57; Attack Storm Spear +56 melee; Full Attack Storm Spear +56/+51/+46/+41; Space/Reach 10 ft./10 ft..
Special Attacks salient divine abilities, portfolio powers, spell-like abilities; Special Qualities divine aura 1 mile, divine immunities, DR 25/epic, fire/cold/electricity resistance 20, SR 48, immortality, remote sensing, portfolio sense.
Saves Fort +38, Ref +39, Will +38; Abilities Str 28, Dex 32, Con 30, Int 24, Wis 30, Cha 30; Skills Acrobatics +36, Diplomacy +35, Intimidate +35, Knowledge (planes) +32, Knowledge (religion) +32, Perception +35, Sense Motive +35, Spellcraft +32, Survival +35; Feats Combat Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Critical (Storm Spear), Weapon Focus (Storm Spear), Greater Weapon Focus (Storm Spear), Quicken Spell-Like Ability, Epic Prowess, Overwhelming Critical.
Environment divine realm and portfolio-aligned sites; Organization unique; Challenge Rating 34; Treasure divine relics; Alignment as listed; Advancement —.
Worship in the Living World
Tāwhirimātea matters to sailors, travellers, farmers, hunters and war leaders because weather can decide whether any human plan survives contact with the world. His signs are read in cloud, wind direction, pressure, rain and the behaviour of birds and sea.
Seeking his favour does not mean expecting permanent fair weather. A good voyage may require a hard wind; a needed rain may destroy a road. Worship is therefore about reading, respecting and surviving change rather than demanding calm.
Mythic Identity
After Tāne separates Ranginui and Papatūānuku, Tāwhirimātea rejects the new order and joins his father in the sky. Te Ara records his many wind and cloud offspring and his attacks on his brothers: forests are broken, seas are driven into disorder and the other domains are tested by storm.
Tūmatauenga resists him, but neither brother fully defeats the other. The world therefore remains a place where human intention and weather are permanently in tension.
Pantheon Plane: Hawaiki and Ossa
Few gods fit Ossa — The Living and Remembering Sea more naturally than Tāwhirimātea. Winds move across its infinite waters, and voyages to Hawaiki — The Ancestral Isles can depend on weather as much as genealogy.
Tāwhirimātea does not own Ossa. His storms cross a politically plural living sea and can enter Hawaiki’s routes without making those routes his possession.
What Is Tāwhirimātea Doing Now?
A wind has begun blowing from the same direction across distant islands that should have unrelated weather. It carries the smell of wet forest and cold stone, even far out to sea.
Voyagers who follow it find themselves making impossible time toward Hawaiki. Voyagers who turn against it report storms that seem to recognise their names.
No one knows whether Tāwhirimātea is opening a road or herding travellers away from something worse.
Domain Spells and Divine Gifts
Suggested 5.5e domains: Tempest, Nature. PF1e / 3.5e domains: Air, Weather, Destruction, Travel.
1st: thunderwave, fog cloud · 2nd: gust of wind, warding wind · 3rd: call lightning, wind wall · 4th: storm sphere · 5th: control winds · 6th: chain lightning, wind walk · 7th: whirlwind · 8th: control weather · 9th: storm of vengeance.
Divine Relic — Te Hau Whakarongo
The Listening Wind is an original game relic: a feather-bound shell that always turns its opening toward the strongest approaching weather. Once per day the bearer can ask the wind one question about weather or a journey within 100 miles. Once per week it can create a safe travelling wind for one vessel or travelling group for 8 hours.
Regional Effects
- Clouds Speak First. Weather changes are visible at least an hour earlier than normal to creatures who know how to read the sky.
- Names in the Wind. A person strongly desired or feared by a community may hear their name carried on a gust before messengers arrive.
- No False Calm. Magical attempts to conceal an approaching natural storm produce obvious unnatural stillness.
Relationships
Tāne Mahuta: the brother whose separation of the primal parents triggers Tāwhirimātea’s rebellion; forest and storm remain opposing powers.
Tangaroa: sea and weather meet in every storm-driven voyage.
Tūmatauenga: the brother who stands against him without conquering him, preserving the conflict between human resolve and weather.
Use Tāwhirimātea Tonight
The Wind Knows the Route
A wind leading toward Hawaiki refuses every vessel except one crew with no known ancestral connection.
The Storm with a Name
A cyclone changes direction whenever one particular traveller changes course.
The Silent Forecast
Every experienced weather-reader suddenly refuses to predict tomorrow.
The Brother’s Challenge
A forest begins growing windproof trees in a valley where Tāne and Tāwhirimātea are contesting the same sacred site.
Deep Link Dive
Hawaiki and Ossa
Take weather directly into the pantheon’s ancestral voyaging realm.
Druid
Connect living weather and nature magic to a playable class.
Lightning Bolt
Follow one of the most immediate storm-magic links.
Uenuku
Move from weather itself to celestial signs read in war.
Kahukura
Follow the rainbow and double-bow traditions born from storm light.
Salient Divine Abilities
Continue into deity-scale storm powers.
Sources and Licensing
Te Ara records Tāwhirimātea as atua of winds and weather, his opposition to the separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku, the named wind directions and cloud forms associated with his offspring, and his attacks on the domains of his brothers.
Te Ara — Origins of the weather · Te Ara — Atua and the origins of wars
The cultural and mythological material is presented from the cited sources. Encounter statistics, relics, regional effects and adventure material are original fantasy-RPG adaptations. Edition names identify rules compatibility; they do not claim the traditional narratives originate in those game systems.