God Anansi, “The Trickster”

Anansi, the West African trickster god, is revered as the god of all knowledge of stories. His symbol, the spider, embodies his cunning and creativity, traits he uses to triumph over those who are more powerful. Originating in West Africa, Anansi’s tales were passed down through generations and eventually found their way to the Caribbean through the transatlantic slave trade.

• Pantheon: African
• Deity Title: The Trickster God Deity
• Symbol: Spider
• Home Plane: The Beastlands
• Deity Level: Lesser
• God Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
• Aliases: Ananse
• Superior: None, operates independently
• Traditional Allies: None
• Traditional Foes: None
• Divine Artifact: Ananse’s Web, a magical item that can be used to trap and manipulate others.
• Servants: Spiders, who are said to do his bidding
• Servitor Creatures: Spiders
• Sacred Animal: Spider
• Manifestations: Anansi often takes the form of a large spider or a human with spider-like features.
• Signs of Favor: Seeing a spider in your path, hearing whispers in your ear, or finding a web in an unusual place.
• Worshipers: Travelers, storytellers, and those seeking knowledge and cunning.
• Cleric Alignments: Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Good
• Specialty Priests: Anansists
• Holy Days: The day of the new moon is considered sacred to Anansi.
• Portfolio: Family, Illusion, Stories, Twilight, Weaving
• Domains: Creation, Family, Fate, Trickery
• Favored Weapon: Bola
• Favored Class: Bard, Rogue
• Favored Race: Halfling, Gnome
• Duties of the Priesthood: To spread the tales and stories of Anansi, to promote cunning and wit, and to use their knowledge to help those in need.
• Major Cult/Temple Sites: Temples dedicated to Anansi can be found in West African communities, as well as in the Caribbean and in African American communities.
• Benefits: Those who worship Anansi are said to gain increased cunning, wit, and the ability to tell compelling stories. They are also said to have good luck in their travels and in their dealings with others.

Anansi is a complex character, taking on the role of a trickster but often being portrayed as the protagonist due to his ability to turn his weaknesses into strengths. His cunning and wit have made him famous throughout West Africa, African American, and Caribbean folklore, and his tales continue to be told to this day.

As the god of stories, Anansi has a deep understanding of the power that stories have to shape and influence people’s lives. He is fascinated by the interplay of truth and illusion, and is constantly seeking new and creative ways to use this knowledge to his advantage. He uses his skills as a trickster to gather knowledge, and then weaves these stories into elaborate tales that both entertain and instruct his listeners.

Despite his mischievous ways, he has a deep love for his family, and will do anything to protect them. He is also fiercely independent, and values his freedom above all else. He sees himself as the ultimate judge of what is fair, and will use his wit and cunning to right any wrongs that he perceives.

Anansi, the West African trickster god, is often depicted as a spider. He is said to be small, nimble and agile, with multiple spindly legs, a round abdomen and a clever, mischievous face. Despite his size, Anansi is considered to be a powerful and cunning deity, using his wit and intellect to outsmart even the most formidable opponents.

Anansi is often depicted as wearing a brightly colored coat, adorned with intricate patterns and symbols that reflect his love of stories and illusions. He is often portrayed with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, indicating his love of trickery and cunning. His mannerisms are often described as playful, and he is known for his quick wit and ability to improvise on the spot.

In many depictions, he is shown holding a bola, a type of throwing weapon used for hunting and fishing. This symbolizes his ability to bring down even the most powerful opponents with his cunning and wit. Despite his mischievous nature, Anansi is deeply revered by his followers, who view him as a symbol of creativity, family and the power of stories.

Overall, Anansi is a complex and multi-faceted deity, revered for his wit and cunning, but also admired for his devotion to family and his unwavering commitment to fairness. His tales continue to be a source of inspiration and instruction for generations, and his legacy as a trickster and god of stories lives on.

God Anansi, “The Trickster”

Medium humanoid (god), chaotic neutral

Armor Class 20 (natural armor)

Hit Points 350 (20d20 + 140)

Speed 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	22 (+6)	20 (+5)	24 (+7)	22 (+6)	30 (+10)

Skills Deception +19, Insight +14, Perception +14, Stealth +17

Senses passive Perception 24

Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.

Challenge 25 (75,000 XP)

Divine Spellcasting. he has access to all spells in the Trickery and Knowledge domains. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 24, +16 to hit with spell attacks). he can cast spells without the need for any material components.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Anansi fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Innate Spellcasting. Anansi can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

• At will: detect magic, invisibility
• 3/day each: charm person, dispel magic, suggestion
• 1/day each: dominate person, mass suggestion

Actions

Multiattack. he can use his Frightful Presence. He then makes two attacks: one with his bite and one with his web.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (4d8 + 6) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison damage.

Web/Bola. Ranged Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is restrained by webbing. As an action, the restrained target can make a DC 22 Strength check, bursting the webbing on a success. The webbing can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 19; hp 30; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage).

Frightful Presence. Each creature of Anansi’s choice within 120 feet of him and aware of him must succeed on a DC 28 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Anansi’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.

Legendary Actions

he can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Anansi regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

Attack. Anansi makes one attack with his bite or web.

Cast a Spell (Costs 3 Actions). he casts a spell from his Trickery or Knowledge domain spells.

Distract. Anansi chooses one creature he can see within 60 feet of him. That creature must succeed on a DC 28 Wisdom saving throw or become distracted by Anansi’s tricks, suffering disadvantage on its next attack roll or ability check.

Divine Artifacts.

Anansi possesses several divine artifacts, including the following:

• Anansi’s Drum. This magical drum allows him to summon swarms of spiders to do his bidding. He can use an action to beat the drum and summon 2d6 Giant Spiders or 1d4 Phase Spiders to appear within 60 feet of him. The spiders are friendly to Anansi and obey his commands for 1 hour, after which they disappear.
• Anansi’s Bag of Tricks. This enchanted bag contains an infinite supply of tricks and illusions. Anansi can use an action to reach into the bag and pull out a random magical item or effect, as determined by rolling on the Bag of Tricks table in the Dungeon Master’s Guide (p. 154).

Regional Effects.

The region surrounding Anansi’s lair is warped by his divine presence, creating the following effects:

• Spider Infestation. The area within 1 mile of his lair is infested with spiders of all kinds, including Giant Spiders, Phase Spiders, and even the occasional ettercap. These creatures are not necessarily hostile to creatures other than Anansi, but they can be dangerous if provoked.
• Trickster’s Aura. Creatures within 1 mile of his lair are affected by a magical aura of deception and trickery. They have disadvantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks made to discern Anansi’s true intentions or see through his illusions.
• Spiderwebs Everywhere. The area within 1 mile of Anansi’s lair is covered in spiderwebs of all shapes and sizes. These webs do not impede movement, but they can be used by Anansi or his spider allies to conceal themselves or create traps for unsuspecting prey.