At a Glance
| Identity | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Baduhenna |
| Tradition | Local cults of the Low Countries and Lower Rhine |
| Sacred country | The sacred woods of the Frisian coastal country |
| Divine concerns | The battle grove, resistance, the unburied and the limits of vengeance |
| Recognisable signs | An old oak over abandoned weapons; campaign sign of a root around a spearhead |
| Worshippers | Grove keepers, local defenders, bereaved families and those seeking the battlefield dead |
| Campaign alignment | True Neutral |
| Domain paths | Plant, Protection |
In Baduhenna’s wood, a branch catches the blade before it reaches the unarmed prisoner. A second branch closes behind the pursuer. The goddess has watched armies enter these trees for centuries; she remembers the people beneath the helmets, and she has little interest in another conqueror’s claim to glory.
Baduhenna in the Living World
Her grove smells of rain, bark and old iron. A spearhead can work its way out of a root after a storm, and the ground sometimes bears the impressions of marching feet when no living army has passed. The goddess tends the place as a living sanctuary. She does not keep every ancient soldier fighting forever, though the restless dead are drawn to the silence under its trees.
A Frisian charcoal burner named Sijke guards a path around the oldest oaks. She has no grand temple and refuses to tell travellers that every rustle is a prophecy. Her practical rules are simple: do not hunt someone who has laid down their arms, do not burn the inner grove, and do not take a skull home as a trophy. Baduhenna backs those rules with roots and darkness.
The goddess speaks slowly and asks what a visitor intends to do after revenge is finished. She honours defenders who stop a raid, but offers no blessing to the pursuit of children or the mutilation of corpses. Arduinna’s worshippers recognise a fellow guardian of wooded ground; their sanctuaries and identities remain distinct.
Worship and Sacred Places
People leave clean water, acorns and the names of the missing at a fallen trunk. Before felling a tree outside the inner grove, Sijke checks for nesting birds and old graves. A shared meal follows the autumn tending of the path. The grove’s rites and appearance describe its living campaign cult; Tacitus preserves the place-name and battle, not a complete ritual handbook.
Meeting Baduhenna
Baduhenna often arrives as a cloaked woman already standing beside a tree the characters have passed twice. She asks for a name before accepting a weapon. Visitors may leave openly by the path they entered; drawing blood against someone who has accepted sanctuary changes that. She offers a chance to stop, then seals the aggressor’s route. Respectful visitors can bargain for a night’s shelter or a path to a lost grave.
Adventures
The Carpenter’s Other Voice
A carpenter called Evert returns from the wood speaking Latin and begging for water. A dying soldier’s memory has attached itself to him. The party can follow that memory to a concealed grave, invite a scholar to hear it, or suppress it before frightened neighbours burn the grove. Naming the dead frees Evert; destroying the memory saves time but leaves the grove’s warning unanswered.
The Refuge Under the Oak
A wounded raider reaches the inner grove carrying a stolen child, whom he now wants to return. The child’s relatives arrive with axes. Sijke asks the party to bring the child out safely while preventing a massacre. They can escort the raider to face his victims beyond the trees, negotiate restitution or fight those who insist on burning everyone inside.
Divine Presence and Defeat
The visible figure is a manifestation through which the divine power can act among mortals. Its defeat ends that appearance and leaves the local cult without direct intervention for thirty days; it does not kill the god or erase worshippers’ memories. Destroying a shrine can damage a community and close a meeting place, but is not a reliable way to destroy divinity.
An ordinary intervention begins with a warning, a mortal worshipper or the blessing described below. A personal appearance follows when the sanctuary or people within this deity’s care face a danger their own efforts cannot contain. Bargaining, retreat and fulfilling the god’s stated purpose remain possible during an encounter.
Divine Powers and Cleric Traditions
Campaign rules: All manifestation statistics and divine abilities below are original, unofficial and unplaytested. Challenge ratings are provisional encounter estimates, not a measure of the god’s full power. Each edition is self-contained. A creature must be within range and visible where a power requires sight; a power cannot move it into an unsafe or occupied space. Ordinary spell and condition rules apply.
Baduhenna — Manifestation
Medium Celestial (Deity), True Neutral
AC 24 (divine ward); HP 540 (40d8 + 360); Speed 40 ft.; Initiative +8 (18)
| Ability | Score | Modifier | Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 24 | +7 | +7 |
| DEX | 26 | +8 | +16 |
| CON | 28 | +9 | +17 |
| INT | 22 | +6 | +6 |
| WIS | 28 | +9 | +17 |
| CHA | 24 | +7 | +15 |
Skills Insight +17, Perception +17, Religion +14, Survival +17; Senses Truesight 60 ft., Passive Perception 27; Languages Frisian, Middle Dutch, Latin; Telepathy 120 ft.
Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Immunities Poison damage; Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned; Challenge 26 (provisional); Proficiency Bonus +8. Divine comprehension allows communication through Telepathy without granting a universal spoken language.
Traits
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). After failing a saving throw, the manifestation can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Keeper of the Wood. She moves through nonmagical plants without spending extra movement. While touching a living tree, she knows the direction, but not the identity, of any creature damaging another living tree within 300 feet.
Divine Strikes. The manifestation uses Wisdom for its supernatural attack and power save DC 25. Its strikes are magical. It has no spell slots; its personal repertoire consists of the powers printed here.
Actions
Multiattack. The manifestation makes three Root and Iron attacks.
Root and Iron. Melee Attack Roll: +17, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (5d10 + 9) Piercing damage.
The Wood Closes (3/Day). Roots fill a 30-foot-radius circle centred on a point she can see within 90 feet. Enemies in it make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) Piercing damage on a failure or half on a success. A failed save also gives the Restrained condition until the end of her next turn. A restrained creature can use an action to make a Strength (Athletics) check against this save DC, ending the condition on success. The roots remain Difficult Terrain for 1 minute. Any saving throw or escape check in this power has DC 25.
Bonus Actions
Between the Trunks. She teleports up to 30 feet from one living tree within 5 feet of her to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of another living tree she can see.
Reactions
The Root Takes the Blade. When a creature she can see within 30 feet is hit by an attack, she reduces the attack’s damage by 25. If the attacker is standing on soil, its Speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
Legendary Actions
Legendary Action Uses: 3. After another creature’s turn, the manifestation may expend one use for one option below. It regains all uses at the start of its turn and cannot use more than one option after the same turn.
Advance. Move up to half its Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks. Divine Strike. Make one Root and Iron attack. Grant Shelter. One willing creature within 30 feet gains 15 Temporary Hit Points. Grant Shelter can be used only once before the manifestation’s next turn.
Clerics and Domain Spells
War Domain. This is a follower’s subclass, separate from the deity’s personal powers. Use its 2024 features and Cleric progression. The spells below are always prepared when the cleric reaches the stated level; they count as Cleric spells and do not use prepared-spell choices.
| Cleric level | Domain spells |
|---|---|
| 3 | Guiding Bolt, Magic Weapon, Shield of Faith, Spiritual Weapon |
| 5 | Crusader’s Mantle, Spirit Guardians |
| 7 | Fire Shield, Freedom of Movement |
| 9 | Hold Monster, Steel Wind Strike |
Cleric rules. The holy sign can be a small votive image reflecting this local cult. The deity’s own encounter abilities are not granted to clerics.
Baduhenna — Manifestation
Medium Celestial (Deity), True Neutral
Armor Class 24 (divine ward); Hit Points 540 (40d8 + 360); Speed 40 ft.; Initiative +8
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 (+7) | 26 (+8) | 28 (+9) | 22 (+6) | 28 (+9) | 24 (+7) |
Saving Throws Dex +16, Con +17, Wis +17, Cha +15
Skills Insight +17, Perception +17, Religion +14, Survival +17; Senses Truesight 60 ft., Passive Perception 27; Languages Frisian, Middle Dutch, Latin; Telepathy 120 ft.
Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Immunities Poison damage; Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned; Challenge 26 (provisional); Proficiency Bonus +8. Divine comprehension allows communication through Telepathy without granting a universal spoken language.
Traits
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). After failing a saving throw, the manifestation can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Keeper of the Wood. She moves through nonmagical plants without spending extra movement. While touching a living tree, she knows the direction, but not the identity, of any creature damaging another living tree within 300 feet.
Divine Strikes. The manifestation uses Wisdom for its supernatural attack and power save DC 25. Its strikes are magical. It has no spell slots; its personal repertoire consists of the powers printed here.
Actions
Multiattack. The manifestation makes three Root and Iron attacks.
Root and Iron. Melee Spell Attack: +17 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (5d10 + 9) Piercing damage.
The Wood Closes (3/Day). Roots fill a 30-foot-radius circle centred on a point she can see within 90 feet. Enemies in it make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) Piercing damage on a failure or half on a success. A failed save also gives the Restrained condition until the end of her next turn. A restrained creature can use an action to make a Strength (Athletics) check against this save DC, ending the condition on success. The roots remain Difficult Terrain for 1 minute. Any saving throw or escape check in this power has DC 25.
Bonus Actions
Between the Trunks. She teleports up to 30 feet from one living tree within 5 feet of her to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of another living tree she can see.
Reactions
The Root Takes the Blade. When a creature she can see within 30 feet is hit by an attack, she reduces the attack’s damage by 25. If the attacker is standing on soil, its Speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
Legendary Actions
The manifestation has 3 legendary actions, regaining them at the start of its turn. It may take one option at the end of another creature’s turn. Advance (1 action): Move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks. Divine Strike (1 action): Make one Root and Iron attack. Grant Shelter (2 actions): Up to three willing creatures within 30 feet each gain 15 temporary hit points.
Clerics and Domain Spells
Nature Domain. This is a follower’s subclass, separate from the deity’s personal powers. Use its 2014 features and Cleric progression. The spells below are always prepared when the cleric reaches the stated level; they count as Cleric spells and do not use prepared-spell choices.
| Cleric level | Domain spells |
|---|---|
| 1 | Animal Friendship, Speak with Animals |
| 3 | Barkskin, Spike Growth |
| 5 | Plant Growth, Wind Wall |
| 7 | Dominate Beast, Grasping Vine |
| 9 | Insect Plague, Tree Stride |
Cleric rules. The holy sign can be a small votive image reflecting this local cult. The deity’s own encounter abilities are not granted to clerics.
Baduhenna — Manifestation
Medium outsider (extraplanar), true neutral; CR 22 (provisional original encounter)
Initiative +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +50
Defense
AC 43, touch 25, flat-footed 34 (+8 Dex, +18 natural, +6 deflection, +1 dodge); hp 406 (28d10+252); Saves Fort +20, Ref +26, Will +27.
DR 10/epic; immune poison; resist cold 20, electricity 20, fire 20; SR 33; fast healing 15.
Offense
Speed 40 ft.; Attack slam +36 melee (6d8+7 plus 4d8 divine force/19–20); Full attack 2 slams +36 melee (6d8+7 plus 4d8 divine force/19–20); Space/Reach 5 ft./10 ft. (supernatural reach).
The Wood Closes (Su, 3/day). Standard action. Roots erupt in a 30-foot-radius spread within 90 feet. Creatures she selects take 16d6 piercing damage, Reflex half. Those failing are entangled and unable to move from their square for 1 round; a standard-action Strength check against the save DC releases a creature early. The area remains difficult terrain for 10 rounds. Save DC 33; any escape check uses the same DC. The DC is 10 + half racial Hit Dice + Wisdom modifier.
Keeper of the Wood (Su). She moves through natural undergrowth without penalty. While touching a living tree she senses the direction of deliberate tree damage within 300 feet; this does not reveal a creature’s square.
The Root Takes the Blade (Su). Once per round as an immediate action, reduce the damage of an attack against a creature within 30 feet by 25. An attacker standing on soil then takes a –10-foot penalty to its land speed for 1 round.
Divine Armament (Su). The enlarged impact, force damage and reach of the slams are inherent campaign divine abilities, not size-based natural-weapon progression. They count as epic weapons for overcoming damage reduction. These powers do not grant spell slots or additional spell-like abilities.
Statistics
Abilities Str 24, Dex 26, Con 28, Int 22, Wis 28, Cha 24; Base Attack +28; CMB +35; CMD 60.
Feats Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (slam), Skill Focus (Perception), Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Improved Critical (slam), Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Skill Focus (Knowledge [religion]) (14 racial-HD feat slots).
Skills Diplomacy +44, Knowledge (religion) +43, Perception +50, Sense Motive +50, Profession (shrine keeper) +40, Survival +40, Swim +35, Stealth +39. Listed skills have ranks equal to Hit Dice. Outsider class skills include Bluff, Craft, Knowledge (planes), Perception, Sense Motive and Stealth; the four additional racial class skills are Diplomacy, Knowledge (religion), Profession and Survival.
Languages Frisian, Middle Dutch, Latin; telepathy 120 ft. Divine comprehension (Su) permits telepathic communication across language barriers. Environment The sacred woods of the Frisian coastal country; Organization solitary manifestation; Treasure offerings remain at the shrine; Advancement —; Level Adjustment —.
Clerics and Domain Spells
Domains: Plant, Protection. A cleric chooses two, subject to the edition’s normal alignment rules. These are follower grants, not additional spells known by the manifestation.
Granted powers: Plant: Wooden Fist and Bramble Armor; Protection: Resistant Touch and Aura of Protection. Use the level scaling and daily resources in the linked Pathfinder Cleric rules.
| Spell level | Plant | Protection |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Entangle | Sanctuary |
| 2 | Barkskin | Shield Other |
| 3 | Plant Growth | Protection from Energy |
| 4 | Command Plants | Spell Immunity |
| 5 | Wall of Thorns | Spell Resistance |
| 6 | Repel Wood | Antimagic Field |
| 7 | Animate Plants | Repulsion |
| 8 | Control Plants | Mind Blank |
| 9 | Shambler | Prismatic Sphere |
Baduhenna — Manifestation
Medium outsider (extraplanar), true neutral; CR 22 (provisional original encounter)
Initiative +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen/Spot +42
Defense
AC 42, touch 24, flat-footed 34 (+8 Dex, +18 natural, +6 deflection); hp 378 (28d8+252); Saves Fort +27, Ref +26, Will +27.
DR 10/epic; immune poison; resist cold 20, electricity 20, fire 20; SR 33; fast healing 15. Dodge grants a further +1 dodge bonus to AC against one designated opponent; it is not included in the base AC.
Offense
Speed 40 ft.; Attack slam +36 melee (6d8+7 plus 4d8 divine force); Full attack 2 slams +36 melee (6d8+7 plus 4d8 divine force); Space/Reach 5 ft./10 ft. (supernatural reach).
The Wood Closes (Su, 3/day). Standard action. Roots erupt in a 30-foot-radius spread within 90 feet. Creatures she selects take 16d6 piercing damage, Reflex half. Those failing are entangled and unable to move from their square for 1 round; a standard-action Strength check against the save DC releases a creature early. The area remains difficult terrain for 10 rounds. Save DC 33; any escape check uses the same DC. The DC is 10 + half racial Hit Dice + Wisdom modifier.
Keeper of the Wood (Su). She moves through natural undergrowth without penalty. While touching a living tree she senses the direction of deliberate tree damage within 300 feet; this does not reveal a creature’s square.
The Root Takes the Blade (Su). Once per round as an immediate action, reduce the damage of an attack against a creature within 30 feet by 25. An attacker standing on soil then takes a –10-foot penalty to its land speed for 1 round.
Divine Armament (Su). The enlarged impact, force damage and reach of the slams are inherent campaign divine abilities, not size-based natural-weapon progression. They count as epic weapons for overcoming damage reduction. These powers do not grant spell slots or additional spell-like abilities.
Statistics
Abilities Str 24, Dex 26, Con 28, Int 22, Wis 28, Cha 24; Base Attack +28; Grapple +35.
Feats Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (slam), Skill Focus (Sense Motive) (10 racial-HD feat slots).
Skills Diplomacy +38, Knowledge (religion) +37, Listen +42, Spot +42, Sense Motive +43, Profession (shrine keeper) +40, Survival +40, Swim +38, Hide +39. Listed skills have ranks equal to Hit Dice + 3. Other skills are untrained; unspent skill points are not included in the listed modifiers.
Languages Frisian, Middle Dutch, Latin; telepathy 120 ft. Divine comprehension (Su) permits telepathic communication across language barriers. Environment The sacred woods of the Frisian coastal country; Organization solitary manifestation; Treasure offerings remain at the shrine; Advancement —; Level Adjustment —.
Clerics and Domain Spells
Domains: Plant, Protection. A cleric chooses two, subject to the edition’s normal alignment rules. These are follower grants, not additional spells known by the manifestation.
Granted powers: Plant: Rebuke or command plant creatures 3 + Charisma modifier times per day, and add Knowledge (nature) as a cleric class skill.; Protection: Once per day, a standard-action touch gives a resistance bonus equal to cleric level on the next saving throw within 1 hour. Use the linked 3.5e domain rules for turning and other class interactions.
| Spell level | Plant | Protection |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Entangle | Sanctuary |
| 2 | Barkskin | Shield Other |
| 3 | Plant Growth | Protection from Energy |
| 4 | Command Plants | Spell Immunity |
| 5 | Wall of Thorns | Spell Resistance |
| 6 | Repel Wood | Antimagic Field |
| 7 | Animate Plants | Repulsion |
| 8 | Control Plants | Mind Blank |
| 9 | Shambler | Prismatic Sphere |
A Blessing to Earn
A person who identifies and buries a forgotten enemy receives one night of safe rest in the grove. Natural beasts and the grove’s own roots will not disturb that rest; an outside pursuer can still enter, and the blessing does not conceal a campfire.
Sources and Mythic Context
Tacitus, Annals 4.73, places a disastrous Roman engagement in the grove called Baduhenna in 28 CE. That account does not locate the grove precisely or preserve the goddess’s appearance, family or complete portfolio. The sanctuary, personality and powers here develop that sparse testimony for the campaign.
Explore the Low Countries Pantheon, the Gods and Pantheons directory, and the neighbouring Roman Pantheon.
Original SpiralWorlds campaign lore, artwork and rules. Historical names and objects are distinguished from campaign developments above. Rules references: Wizards of the Coast, D&D Basic Rules (2014), Free Rules / Player’s Handbook (2024), and revised D&D 3.5 System Reference Document; Paizo, Pathfinder First Edition Core Rulebook and Bestiary. Referenced names identify the relevant edition; no publisher endorsement or playtest certification is implied.
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