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God, Cairbre, “The Bard, The Satirist”

God, Cairbre, "The Bard, The Satirist"
Midjourney

Cairbre is the bard of the Tuatha Dé Danann, who uses satirical verses to curse and ruin the reputation of his victims. He is a master of wit and knowledge, and appears as a clever grinning poet with a harp.

  • Pantheon: Tuatha Dé Danann
  • Deity Title: Cairbre
  • Deity Symbol: A harp with four-leaf clovers
  • Home Plane: Tir na nOg
  • Deity Level: Intermediate
  • Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
  • Aliases: The Bard, The Satirist
  • Superior: None
  • Traditional Allies: Brigid, Lugh, Manannan mac Lir, Ogma, the Dagda
  • Traditional Foes: Balor, Bres, the Fomorians
  • Divine Artifact: The Harp of Cairbre
  • Servants: Bards, poets, musicians
  • Servitor Creatures: None
  • Sacred Animal: None
  • Manifestations: A burst of musical inspiration, a flash of wit and intelligence, a sudden insight into an opponent’s weaknesses
  • Signs of Favor: A sudden wind carrying the sound of music, a rainbow forming in the sky, a gift of poetic inspiration
  • Worshipers: Bards, poets, musicians, those seeking to use satire and wit for justice
  • Cleric Alignments: Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral, Neutral
  • Specialty Priests: Satirists, Loremasters
  • Holy Days: The Spring Equinox, The Summer Solstice, The Autumn Equinox
  • Portfolio: Satire, Music, Poetry, Inspiration, Wit
  • Domains: Chaos, Charm, Knowledge, Trickery
  • Favored Weapon: Harp
  • Favored Class: Bard
  • Favored Race: Elves
  • Duties of the Priesthood: To inspire creativity and wit in others, to use satire and wit for justice, to maintain and celebrate the tradition of Irish music and poetry
  • Major Cult/Temple Sites: The Hill of Tara, The Mound of Hostages
  • Benefits: Those who worship Cairbre are granted musical inspiration and sudden insights into their opponents’ weaknesses. His priests and followers can expect to be treated fairly well for their services, and those who use satire and wit for justice can call upon his aid.

Cairbre is a bard of the Tuatha Dé Danann, gifted in the art of poetry and derision. As a master of wit and knowledge, hiss abilities extend far beyond mere entertainment. He invented the first satirical verses, using them to curse the king of the Fomoré by discovering his hidden weaknesses and faults. His talents in ruining the reputation of offenders with his magical rhymes are so great that kings have lost their sovereignty at his command.

As a result, Cairbre is highly respected and valued for his services, and is treated well by all. Dressed in colorful clothes and carrying a harp, he appears as a clever and grinning poet. He has a deep desire to use his abilities to maintain balance and justice in the world, and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Through his art, he aims to uncover the truth, expose the faults of the powerful, and uphold the honor and dignity of his people.

Cairbre, Bard of the Tuatha Dé Danann

Edmund Blair Leighton (1853-1922) Description : Faded Laurels, Cairbre
Edmund Blair Leighton (1853-1922) Description : Faded Laurels

Medium humanoid (elf), any alignment

Armor Class: 20 (natural armor) Hit Points: 500 (50d8 + 250) Speed: 40 ft.

Ability ScoresModifier
Strength14 (+2)
Dexterity22 (+6)
Constitution18 (+4)
Intelligence25 (+7)
Wisdom25 (+7)
Charisma30 (+10)

Skills: Acrobatics +13, Arcana +15, Deception +20, Insight +15, Intimidation +20, Investigation +15, Perception +15, Performance +23, Persuasion +20, Sleight of Hand +13, Stealth +13

Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 25

Languages: Common, Elvish, Celestial, Sylvan

Challenge Rating: 25 (75,000 XP)

Special Traits:

  • Legendary Resistance (3/Day): If he fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
  • Magic Resistance: He has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
  • Innate Spellcasting: His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 26, +18 to hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
    • At will: charm person, detect magic, disguise self, minor illusion
    • 3/day each: dominate person, greater invisibility, suggestion
    • 1/day each: dominate monster, feeblemind, modify memory
  • Bardic Inspiration (1/Day): As a bonus action, Cairbre can grant a creature within 60 feet of him an inspiration die (1d12). The creature can roll the inspiration die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes.

Actions:

  • Multiattack: He makes three attacks: one with The Harp of Cairbre and two with his rapier.
  • The Harp of Cairbre: Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage. The target must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by Cairbre for 1 minute.
  • Rapier: Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (1d8 + 6) piercing damage.
  • Vicious Mockery (1/Day): He unleashes a string of insults laced with subtle enchantments upon a creature within 60 feet of him. The target takes 36 (8d6 + 10) psychic damage and must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.

Divine Artifact:

  • The Harp of Cairbre: A magical harp that grants Cairbre the ability to cast any spell from the Enchantment, Divination, or Illusion schools of magic as if it were on his bard spell list. Cairbre can also use the harp to cast mass suggestion once per day without expending a spell slot.

Lair Actions:

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Cairbre can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects; he can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

  • Cairbre strums The Harp of Cairbre, creating an illusion that fills the lair. Each creature within 120 feet of Cairbre must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by Cairbre for 1 minute or until they take damage.
  • He conjures a fog that fills the lair, making it heavily obscured. The fog lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round.
  • Cairbre calls forth the power of his god, causing the ground to tremble and creating an earthquake effect. Each creature within 60 feet of him must succeed on a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw or take 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.

Legendary Actions:

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

  • Cairbre uses his Harp to cast a spell, choosing from any spell on the Enchantment, Divination, or Illusion schools of magic as if it were on his bard spell list.
  • He moves up to his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
  • He makes a melee attack with his rapier.

Regional Effects:

The region around Cairbre’s lair is altered by his divine magic, creating the following effects:

  • Hestrums The Harp of Cairbre, causing haunting music to fill the air. All non-hostile creatures within 1 mile of the lair must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by Cairbre for 1 hour. Creatures that fail this saving throw are also unable to take reactions and move towards Cairbre using their entire turn, if possible. The effect ends for a creature if it takes any damage or if Cairbre or his companions attack it.
  • Magical effects within 1 mile of the lair are amplified, such as the duration or potency of spells and magical items.
  • Cairbre can sense the presence and general direction of any creature within 1 mile of his lair.
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