Asclepius, God of Medicine and Healing

Asclepius is the Greek god of healing. He is known for his ability to heal the sick and injured, and is often depicted holding a staff with a serpent coiled around it. This symbol has become a symbol of medicine and the medical profession. Asclepius is revered by many, and there are many temples and shrines dedicated to him.

• Pantheon: Greek Pantheon
• Deity Title: Asclepius, God of Medicine and Healing
• Deity Symbol: A serpent-entwined staff, sometimes with a crown or wings
• Home Plane: Elysium, plane of blessed afterlife in Greek mythology
• Deity Level: Intermediate deity
• Alignment: Lawful Good
• Aliases: Aesculapius, Asklepios
• Superior: None
• Traditional Allies: Apollo, Hygieia, Panacea, Athena
• Traditional Foes: Hades, Thanatos, disease deities
• Divine Artifact: Staff of Asclepius (the serpent-entwined staff)
• Servants: Asclepiads (healing priests)
• Servitor Creatures: Snakes
• Sacred Animal: Snakes
• Manifestations: Healing miracles, prophetic dreams, appearing as a handsome young man with a staff and a serpent
• Signs of Favor: Sudden recovery from illness or injury, prophetic dreams, finding a snake in an unexpected place
• Worshipers: Healers, physicians, nurses, patients, the sick and injured, those seeking prophetic dreams
• Cleric Alignments: Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, Neutral Good
• Specialty Priests: Physicians, Surgeons, Apothecaries
• Holy Days: Asclepian festivals held on the first full moon of each month, Pan-Hellenic festival on the fourth year of each Olympiad
• Portfolio: Medicine, healing, rejuvenation, prophetic dreams
• Domains: Life, Light, Knowledge
• Favored Weapon: Unarmed strike
• Favored Class: Cleric
• Favored Race: Humans, Centaurs
• Duties of the Priesthood: To heal the sick and injured, to offer prophetic guidance, to maintain the temples and shrines of Asclepius
• Major Cult/Temple Sites: Epidaurus (Greece), Cos (Greece), Pergamum (Turkey), Rome (Italy)
• Benefits: Divine healing powers, prophetic guidance, protection from disease and injury, access to holy sites and relics, respect and prestige in medical and healing communities.

People from all over the ancient world come to temples, called Asclepions, to seek healing. They offer sacrifices to the god, and then spend the night in the temple, where they receive dream therapy. This is believed to be a form of divine guidance, and many people believe that the god himself comes to them in their dreams and offers advice on how to heal their ailments.

In addition to dream therapy, the Asclepions also offer other forms of healing. There are physicians on staff who treat the sick and injured, and there are also facilities for exercise and physical therapy. Many people also believe that the sacred snakes that live in the temples have healing powers, and come to the temples to be treated by the snakes.

The god is also known as a powerful god of medicine and is associated with the healing arts. Many healers, doctors, and even surgeons in ancient Greece and Rome honor and worship him as their patron. They invoke his name before performing any kind of medical procedure.

He is not only a god of healing, but also a god of rejuvenation. He is also associated with the ability to bring the dead back to life, although his father Zeus ultimately decides who will live or die. This association with resurrection leads many to see him as a symbol of hope and new beginnings.

The followers of the god are known as Asclepiads, they worship and practice medicine in his name. They are known to be highly respected members of ancient Greek society. They are also known to be highly educated, and many are also priests. They often wear a serpent coiled around a staff as a symbol of their allegiance to the god.

His worship is not only restricted to Greece, it also spreads to Rome and other parts of the world. The Romans also revere him as a god of healing and many Roman Asclepions are built, modeled after the Greek ones.

Today, the god’s legacy continues to be celebrated. His symbol, the serpent coiled around a staff, is still used as a symbol of medicine and the medical profession. Many hospitals and medical organizations use it as their logo. People still visit the remains of the ancient Asclepions, where they can see the remains of the temples and shrines dedicated to the god of healing.

In conclusion, the ancient Greek god of healing is known for his ability to heal the sick and injured, and for his association with the healing arts. The symbol of the serpent coiled around a staff, which is associated with the god, is still used as a symbol of medicine and the medical profession.

Asclepius, God of Healing

Medium celestial, lawful neutral

Armor Class 20 (natural armor)

Hit Points 300 (24d8 + 192)

Speed 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
28 (+9)	22 (+6)	26 (+8)	22 (+6)	30 (+10)	30 (+10)

Saving Throws Str +16, Dex +13, Con +15, Wis +18, Cha +18

Skills Medicine +18, Insight +18, Perception +18

Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 28

Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.

CR: 28 (XP 2,300,000)

Divine Spellcasting. Asclepius is a 24th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 28, +20 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following cleric spells prepared:

• Cantrips (at will): guidance, mending, resistance, spare the dying
• 1st level (8 slots): cure wounds, detect magic, protection from evil and good, sanctuary
• 2nd level (7 slots): aid, lesser restoration, prayer of healing, spiritual weapon
• 3rd level (7 slots): mass healing word, remove curse, revivify, sending
• 4th level (7 slots): banishment, death ward, locate creature, restoration
• 5th level (7 slots): greater restoration, mass cure wounds, planar binding, raise dead
• 6th level (7 slots): heal, heroes’ feast, mass suggestion, true seeing
• 7th level (7 slots): divine word, regenerate, resurrection, symbol
• 8th level (6 slots): antimagic field, earthquake, holy aura, power word stun
• 9th level (5 slots): foresight, mass heal, power word heal, true resurrection

Divine Traits. Asclepius is immune to all diseases and poisons and has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Additionally, it can’t be charmed, frightened, or possessed by non-divine creatures.

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

Actions

Multiattack. Asclepius can use its Fists of Healing twice.

Fists of Healing. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) radiant damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 28 Constitution saving throw or have its hit point maximum reduced by an amount equal to the radiant damage taken. The target dies if this reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

Healing Touch. As a bonus action, he can touch a creature and restore 52 (8d12 + 10) hit points to it. This ability has no effect on undead or constructs.

Divine Artifact. He wields the Staff of Asclepius, a magical staff that grants a +3 bonus to spell attacks and damage rolls. It has 20 charges and regains 1d4+2 expended charges daily at dawn. While holding the staff, Asclepius can use an action to expend one of its charges to cast one of the following spells:

• Cure Wounds (1 charge)
• Lesser Restoration (2 charges)
• Mass Cure Wounds (5 charges)
• Heal (6 charges)

The staff also has the following properties:

• Regeneration. As long as the staff isn’t destroyed, it regains 10 hit points at the start of Asclepius’ turn.
• Spell Absorption. While holding the staff, he has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. If it successfully saves against a spell that targets only Asclepius, the staff absorbs the spell’s magic and Asclepius regains a number of charges equal to the spell’s level.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Asclepius can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects:

• Magical Healing. Asclepius casts a spell that restores 10d8+20 hit points to any creatures within 60 feet of it.
• Divine Inspiration. Asclepius grants inspiration to any allies within 60 feet of it, giving them advantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws until the end of their next turn.
• Purification. Asclepius purges any poisons, diseases, or curses affecting any creatures within 60 feet of it.

Legendary Actions

He can take 3 legendary actions per round, 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. Asclepius regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Fists of Healing. Asclepius makes a Fists of Healing attack.
• Divine Spell. Asclepius casts a cleric spell.
• Healing Word (Costs 2 Actions). As a bonus action, Asclepius can speak a word of healing, restoring 10d4+20 hit points to a creature within 60 feet of it.

Paladins of Asclepius

Occult Lore
Author Keith Baker, Adam Bank, Chris Jones, Scott Reeves, and Elton Robb
Series Lore
Publisher Atlas
Publish date 2002
Pages 240

Paladins occasionally take up arms in the name of Asclepius. The two branches of Asclepiads, the doctors and holy warriors, generally idolize and envy each other’s stations. A state of intense but friendly rivalry exists between the two: who best protects their fellows? The paladin who seeks to cure the land of evil, or the arcane healer who fights against his patient’s suffering?

They follow the Healer’s Oath as their Code of Conduct, and receive Alchemy as an additional class skill.

Currently in the World

Asclepius, the God of Medicine and Healing, was born to the god Apollo and the mortal Coronis. From a young age, he displayed a remarkable talent for healing, able to cure even the most severe of illnesses and injuries. He traveled across Greece, healing the sick and injured wherever he went, earning him a reputation as the most skilled physician of his time.

Asclepius’ success attracted the attention of Hades, god of the underworld. Fearing that Asclepius’ powers would render death obsolete, Hades convinced Zeus to strike him down with a bolt of lightning. However, Apollo was so heartbroken over his son’s death that he threatened to never again bring light to the world. In an effort to appease Apollo, Zeus raised Asclepius to the status of a god and placed him among the stars as the constellation Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer.

Even in death, Asclepius continued to watch over the living, using his divine powers to inspire and guide the healers of the world. In the centuries that followed, his teachings and principles of medicine were spread far and wide, and his name became synonymous with the practice of healing.

In the 1450s, Asclepius remains an active force in the world, using his divine powers to guide and inspire healers of all kinds. He is particularly interested in the advancement of medical knowledge and technology, and works to ensure that those who dedicate themselves to the healing arts are given the resources and support they need to succeed.

Asclepius’ goals and desires are simple: to alleviate the suffering of the sick and injured, and to promote the advancement of medical science. He is a compassionate and kind god, respected by all who seek to heal, but is not afraid to take action when necessary. His divine artifacts include the staff and serpent, symbols of healing and medicine, and his sacred animal is the snake, which is seen as a symbol of rebirth and renewal.

Asclepius’ interactions with other gods are generally positive, as his focus on healing is seen as a noble and necessary pursuit. However, he has been known to clash with Ares, god of war, who he sees as responsible for much of the suffering and injury that he is called upon to heal.

Overall, Asclepius is a god of great compassion and skill, dedicated to the betterment of the world through the practice of medicine and healing. His legacy as a healer and teacher continues to inspire and guide healers to this day.