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Jade Emperor

Jade Emperor
Jade Emperor

The Jade Emperor (Yù Huáng), is the ruler of Heaven and all realms of existence.

The Jade Emperor is known by many names including Heavenly Grandfather ( Tian Gong) which is used by commoners, the Pure August Jade Emperor, August Personage of Jade (Yu Huang Shangdi or Yu Huang Dadi), the Xuanling High Sovereign, and his rarely used formal title, Peace Absolving, Central August Spirit Exalted, Ancient Buddha, Most Pious and Honorable, His Highness the Jade-Emperor, Xuanling High Sovereign.

The Jade Emperor is selected by a panel of deities who had to pass a test by his predecessor.

Origin

It was said that the Jade Emperor was originally the crown prince of the kingdom of Pure Felicity and Majestic Heavenly Lights and Ornaments. At birth he emitted a wondrous light that filled the entire kingdom. When he was young, he was kind, intelligent and wise. He devoted his entire childhood to helping the needy (the poor and suffering, the deserted and single, the hungry and disabled). Furthermore, he showed respect and benevolence to both men and creatures. After his father died, he ascended the throne. He made sure that everyone in his kingdom found peace and contentment. After that, he told his ministers that he wished to cultivate Tao on the Bright and Fragrant Cliff. After 1,550 kalpas, each kalpa lasting for 129,600 years, he attained Golden Immortality. After another one hundred million years of cultivation, he finally became the Jade Emperor. (Using the given figures, this period before his becoming the Jade Emperor lasted for a total of about 200,880,000 years.)

Jade Emperor

In the beginning of time, the earth was a very difficult place to live; a much harsher place to live in than it is now. Men were having tremendous difficulty coping with existence; not only did men have to deal with harsh conditions, but also with all kinds of monstrous beings. At this time, there were also not many gods or deities to protect men. Furthermore, a lot of powerful, evil demons were defying the immortals of heaven. The Jade Emperor was still at the time an ordinary immortal who roamed earth to help as many people as he could. He was, however, saddened by the fact that his powers were limited and could only ease the sufferings of men. He decided to retreat in a mountain cave and cultivate his Dao. He passed 3,200 trials, each trial lasted for about 3 million years.

Unfortunately, a powerful, evil entity– a demon of sorts, which dwelt on earth– had the ambition to conquer the immortals and gods in heaven and proclaim sovereignty over the entire universe. It went into retreat later than the Jade Emperor. This evil entity retreated itself too and went into meditation to expand its power. He passed through 3,000 trials each trial lasting for about 3 million years too. After it passed its final trial, it felt confident that no one could defeat it anymore. It re-entered the world again, and recruited an army of demons with the purpose of attacking heaven.

The immortals being aware of the threat gathered themselves and prepared for war. The gods were unable to stop the powerful demon and all were defeated by it. The Three Pure Ones were leading the celestial beings at the time.

Fortunately, the Jade Emperor finished his cultivation in the midst of this war. He was changing the land to make it more liveable for men and repelling all kinds of monstrous beasts. Suddenly, he saw an evil glow emitting from heaven and knew something was amiss. He ascended and saw that a war was going on, he saw that the demon was too powerful to be stopped by any of the gods present. He went up and challenged the demon, and a battle ensued between them. Mountains shook and rivers and seas toppled; however, the Jade Emperor stood victorious due to his deeper and wiser cultivation, not for might but for benevolence. After defeating the demon, all the other demons were scattered by the gods and immortals.

Because of his noble and benevolent deeds, the gods, immortals and mankind proclaimed the Jade Emperor the supreme sovereign of all.

Creation

The world started with nothingness according to the Chinese creation myth, Jade Emperor was the head of the pantheon but not responsible to the creation process itself.

According to another version of creation myth, the Jade Emperor fashioned the first humans from clay, but as he left them to harden in the sun, it rained, misshaping some of the figures, thus explaining the origin of sickness and physical abnormalities.

The story above is also told as Nüwa who fashions humans out of the mud from the Yellow River by hand. Those she made herself became the richer people of the earth. After getting lazy she used a rope and swung it around. The drops that fell from the rope became the poorer humans.

In The Journey to the West

In the popular novel by Wu Chengen, The Jade Emperor is featured many times in the story.

The princess and the cowherd

In another story, popular throughout Asia and with many differing versions, the Jade Emperor has a daughter named Chih’nü. She is most often represented as responsible for weaving colorful clouds in the heaven, in some versions she is instead a seamstress who works for the Jade Emperor. Everyday Chih’nü descended to earth with the aid of a magical robe to bathe. One day, a lowly cowherd named Niu Lang spotted Chih’nü as she bathed in a stream. Niu Lang fell instantly in love with her and stole her magic robe which she had left on the bank of the stream, leaving her unable to escape back to Heaven. When Chih’nü emerged from the water, Niu Lang grabbed her and carried her back to his home.

When the Jade Emperor heard of this matter, he was furious but unable to intercede, since in the meantime his daughter had fallen in love and married the cowherd. As time passed, Chih’nü grew homesick and began to miss her father. One day, she came across a box containing her magic robe which her husband had hidden. She decided to visit her father back in Heaven, but once she returned, the Jade Emperor summoned a river to flow across the sky (the Milky Way), which Chih’nü was unable to cross to return to her husband. The Emperor took pity on the young lovers, and so once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, he allows them to meet on a bridge over the river.

The seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar is a holiday in China called Qi Xi, which is a day for young lovers much like Valentine’s Day in the West; in Japan, it is called Tanabata (star day), and in Korea, it is called Chilseok. If it rains on that day, it is said to be Chih’nü crying tears at being reunited with her husband.

The zodiac

There are several stories as to how the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were chosen. In one, the Jade Emperor, although having ruled Heaven and Earth justly and wisely for many years, had never had the time to actually visit the Earth personally. He grew curious as to what the creatures looked like. Thus, he asked all the animals to visit him in heaven. The cat, being the most handsome of all animals, asked his friend the rat to wake him on the day they were to go to Heaven so he wouldn’t oversleep. The rat, however, was worried that he would seem ugly compared to the cat, so he didn’t wake the cat. Consequently, the cat missed the meeting with the Jade Emperor and was replaced by the pig. The Jade Emperor was delighted with the animals and so decided to divide the years up amongst them. When the cat learned of what had happened, he was furious with the rat and that, according to the story, is why cats and rats are enemies to this day.

His predecessor and successor

The Jade Emperor was originally the assistant of the Divine Master of the Heavenly Origin, Yuan-shi tian-zun. Yuan-shi tian-zun is said to be the supreme beginning, the limitless and eternal creator of Heaven and Earth, who picked Yu-huang, or the Jade Emperor, as his personal successor. The Jade Emperor will eventually be succeeded by the Heavenly Master of the Dawn of Jade of the Golden Door. The characters for both are stamped on the front of the arms of his throne.

Worship and festivals

The Jade Emperor’s Birthday is said to be the ninth day of the first lunar month. On this day Daoist temples hold a Jade Emperor ritual (bài tian gong, literally “heaven worship”) at which priests and laymen prostrate themselves, burn incense, and make food offerings.

Chinese New Year’s Eve is also a day of worship as it is said to be the day the Jade Emperor makes his annual inspection of the deeds of mortals and rewards or punishes them accordingly. On this day incense is burned in the home and offerings are made to the Jade Emperor and also to Zao Jun, the god of kitchen who reports to the Emperor on each family.

Shang-ti (Jade Emperor)

Originally Posted by
Green Giant of the Wizards Community forums.
On this Thread
Jade Emperor
Jade Emperor

Shang-ti
The Celestial Emperor
Greater Diety
Symbol:
Jade Dragon
Home Plane: The Jade Palace
Portfolio: Creation, social order
Worshipers: Emperors, nobles, judges, samurai
Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, LN
Domains: Celestial, Good, Hero, Law
Favored Weapon: Katana

Shang-ti, also known as Yu-Huang-Shang-Ti, is the Supreme Ruler of the universe. He is the giver of life, the vitalizing power of the earth, the bestower of the Mandate of Heaven, the supreme judge, forgiver, savior of mankind, and the personification of heaven itself. As the head of the Celestial Bureaucracy, all other deities rule through his grace and authority. His word is law among all gods and goddesses, and he is the final arbitrator in any dispute among them. In his true form, Shang-ti is an ethereal, aged man with a bald head and a long white beard.

Dogma

Shang-ti runs the Celestial Bureaucracy with the welfare of the Kara-Turan Empires at heart. He never gets angry, but will replace any subordinate god who fails to perform his duty correctly. In cases of corruption, Shang-ti has returned even the most powerful gods to mortal form and sent them to the Afterworld to be punished for their misdeeds.

Clergy and Temples

Only the Emperor may worship Shang-ti, although lower nobility and peasants are allowed to make offerings to him once a year. The Emperor’s sole duty consists of administering the earthly bureaucracy as efficiently as possible and with the welfare of the empire at heart.

Shang-ti
Samurai 20/Shaman 20
Medium-Size outsider (Good, Lawful, Spirit)
Divine Rank18
Hit Dice20d8+180 (outsider) plus 20d6+180 (Shaman) plus 20d10+180 (Samurai) (1020 hp)
Initiative+13 (+9 Dexterity, +4 Improved Iniative)
Speed60 ft.
AC80 (+9 Dexterity, +18 divine, +31 natural, +12 deflection) touch 49, flat-footed 71
Base
Attack/Grapple
+40/+67
Attack+5 ghost touch ki focus soul of honor thundering jade katana +77 melee; or unarmed strike +67 melee; or spell +67 melee touch or +67 ranged touch
Full
Attack
+5 ghost touch ki focus soul of honor thundering jade katana +77/+72/+67/+62 melee; or unarmed strike +67/+62/+57/+52 melee; or spell +67 melee touch or +67 ranged touch
Damage*+5 ghost touch ki focus soul of honor thundering jade katana 1d10+32/17-20; or unarmed strike 2d6+9; or by spell *Always does maximum damage (katana 42, unarmed strike 21)
Face/Reach5 ft./5 ft.
Special AttacksTurn undead 15/day (effective cleric level 18th, +6 to turning checks), Domain powers, salient divine abilities, spell-like abilities, bypass damage reduction (good, law).
Special QualitiesDivine immunities, DR 30/epic, fire resistance 23, spontaneous casting of divine spells, understand, speak, and read all languages and speak directly to all beings within 18 miles, remote communication, godly realm, greater teleport at will, plane shift at will, animal companion as druid, spirit sight, spirits’ favor, ancestral daisho, SR 50, divine aura (18 miles, DC 40).
SavesFort +71, Ref +71, Will +79
AbilitiesStrength 28, Dexterity 28, Constitution 28, Intelligence 30, Wisdom 40, Charisma 35
Skills*Climb +47, Concentration +61 (+65 casting defensively), Craft (alchemy) +73, Craft (calligraphy) +73, Craft (flower arranging) +73, Craft (landscape gardening) +73, Craft (origami) +73, Craft (painting) +73, Diplomacy +76, Heal +63, Iaijutsu Focus +60, Jump +47, Knowledge (Arcana) +68, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +48, Knowledge (history) +48, Knowledge (local) +48, Knowledge (nature) +48, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +48, Knowledge (religion) +78, Knowledge (spirits) +78, Listen +53, Perform (oratory) +55, Perform (tea ceremony) +55, Profession (administrator) +58, Profession (courtier) +68, Ride (horse) +57, Sense Motive +63, Spellcraft +72, Spot +53, Swim +47. *Always receives a 20 on checks.
FeatsBlind-FightCombat Casting, Combat Expertise, Consecrate Spell, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft RodCraft Staff, Craft Talisman, Craft Wand, Craft Wondrous Item, Divine Might, DodgeEschew Materials, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (katana), Forge Ring, Great Ki Shout, Improved Critical (katana), Improved Disarm, Improved IniativeImproved Unarmed StrikeIron Will, Ki Shout, MobilityMounted Combat, Power Attack, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Silent Spell, Spell Penetration, Spring AttackStill Spell, Stunning Fist, Weapon Focus (katana).
Divine ImmunitiesAbility damage, ability drain, acid, cold, death effects, disease, disintegration, electricity, energy drain, mind-affecting effects, Paralysis, poison, sleep, stunning, transmutation, imprisonment,
banishment.
Salient Divine AbilitiesAlter Reality, Alter Size, Annihilating Strike, Area Divine Shield, Avatar, Create Object, Create Greater Object, Divine Blast, Divine Creation, Divine Spirit Loss†, Divine Shield, Divine Spellcasting, Divine Splendor, Divine Weapon Focus (katana), Divine Weapon Specialization (katana), Extra Domain (hero), Gift of Life, Irresistible Blows (katana), Lay Quest, Life and Death, Possess Mortal, Power of Truth, Sunder and Disjoin.
Domain PowersRebuke or command spirits as an evil cleric 18/day; cast good spells at +1 caster level; add shaman level to a single attack roll 18/day, cast law spells at +1 caster level.

Spell-like Abilities: Shang-ti uses these abilities as a 28th-level caster, except for good spells and law spells, which he uses as a 29th-level caster. The save DCs are 40 + spell level. Aid, blade barrier, bless, bull’s strength, calm emotions, commune with greater spirit, commune with lesser spirit, dictum, dispel chaos, dispel evil, divine favor, divine power, gate, giant size, greater spirit ally, hold monster, holy aura, holy smite, Holy word, lesser spirit ally, Magic Circle Against Chaos, magic circle against evil, order’s wrath, protection from chaos, protection from energy, protection from evil, Righteous Might, Shapechange, Shield of law, shield other, spirit ally, stoneskin, substitution, summon monster IX (as good or law spell only), Tenser’s transformation.

Shaman Spells/Day (Levels 0-15): 6/10/10/10/9/9/8/8/7/7/3/3/2/2/2/2; base DC = 26 + spell level.

Divine Spirit Loss (unique salient divine ability): Shang-ti can strip any deity of intermediate, lesser, demi- or quasi- power with the spirit subtype of its divine abilities and powers turning them into mortals.

Possessions: Shang-ti carries a +5 jade katana (in Shou Lung and T’u Lung this is a wo dao) with the ghost touch, ki focus, soul of honor, and thundering ability in battle.

Other Divine Powers

As a greater deity, Shang-ti automatically receives the best possible result on any die roll he makes (including attack rolls, damage, checks and saves). He is immortal.

Senses: Shang-ti can see, hear, touch, and smell at a distance of eighteen miles. As a standard action, he can perceive anything within eighteen miles of his worshipers, holy sites, objects, or any location where one of his titles or name was spoken in the last hour. He can extend his senses to up to twenty locations at once. He can block the sensing power of deities of his rank or lower at up to two remote locations at once for 18 hours.

Portfolio sense: Shang-ti senses any action happening within a civilized nation where the Celestial Bureaucracy is worshipped as the main faith eighteen weeks before it happens and retains the sensation for eighteen weeks after the event occurs.

Automatic actions: Shang-ti can use Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Knowledge (religion) and Knowledge (spirits) as a free action if the

DC for the task is 30 or lower. He can perform up to twenty such free actions each round.

Create Magic Items: Shang-ti can create any kind of magic item.

Avatars

Shang-ti sends his avatars to counsel emperors, to aid civilized mortals fighting against barbarians, and to prevent the end of an empire. He is occasionally accompanied by a great wyrm t’ien lung.

Omens come from Shang-ti only when the Emperor has lost his Mandate from Heaven. In such times, the Empire is besieged by natural disasters such as plagues, floods, and earthquakes.

Avatar of Shang-ti: As Shang-ti except divine rank 9; Spd 60 ft.; AC 62 (touch 40, flat-footed 53); Base Atk +40; Grp +58; Atk+68 melee (1d10+23/17-20, +5 ghost touch ki focus soul of honour thundering jade katana); or +58 melee (2d6+9, unarmed strike); or spell +58 melee touch or +58 ranged touch; Atk +68/+63/+58/+53 melee (1d10+23/17-20, +5 ghost touch ki focus soul of honour thundering jade katana); or +58/+53/+48/+43 melee (2d6+9, unarmed strike); or spell +58 melee touch or +58 ranged touch; SQ DR 20/epic, fire resistance 14, SR 41, divine aura (900 ft., DC 31); SV Fort +62, Ref +62, Will +68; all skill modifiers reduced by 9.

Salient Divine Abilities: Alter Reality, Alter Size, Divine Blast, Divine Shield, Divine Spellcasting, Divine Weapon Focus (katana), Divine

Weapon Specialization (katana), Extra Domain (hero), Gift of Life, Irresistible Blows (katana), Lay Quest.

Spell-like Abilities: Caster level 19th; saving throw DC 31 + spell level.

Sources: Legends & Lore (2E), PHB 3.5, DMG 3.5, MM 3.5, Deities and Demigods (3E), Oriental Adventures (3E), Complete Warrior (3.5E), and Dragon Magazine #318.

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