Ningishzida / Ningišzida — Serpent Lord of Growth & the Netherworld

Ningišzida — D&D 2024

Large Celestial (Deity), Lawful Neutral

Traits

Divine Nature. Ningišzida needs neither food nor sleep and is immune to disease and magical aging.

Legendary Resistance (4/Day). If Ningišzida fails a saving throw, he can succeed instead.

Magic Resistance. Ningišzida has Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Reliable Judge. Ningišzida cannot be compelled to speak a deliberate falsehood, including by magic; he can nevertheless withhold evidence.

Law of the Green Gate. When a creature Ningišzida can see within 120 feet tries to teleport or travel between planes, it must succeed on a DC 30 Charisma saving throw or the travel fails without changing its location. Ningišzida can exempt any creature, and Artifacts and equal or higher-ranking deities are unaffected.

Growth and Decay. At the start of his turn choose Verdant or Withering. Verdant: chosen allies starting within 30 feet gain 10 Temporary Hit Points. Withering: enemies starting within 30 feet take 10 Necrotic damage (not cumulative with other Withering emanations). The aspect lasts until the start of his next turn.

Actions

Multiattack. Ningišzida makes three Sickle-Sword attacks.

Sickle-Sword. Melee Attack Roll: +20, reach 10 ft. Hit: 28 (4d8 + 10) Slashing plus 22 (5d8) Necrotic or Radiant damage (his choice).

Serpent Passage. Ningišzida moves up to his Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks and can move through other creatures’ spaces during the movement. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 30, each enemy whose space he enters this way, once per use. Failure: 36 (8d8) Poison damage and the creature has the Prone condition. Success: Half damage and no Prone.

Sentence of the Gate (Recharge 5–6). Charisma Saving Throw: DC 30, one creature Ningišzida can see within 120 ft. Failure: the creature has the Restrained condition for 1 minute. It repeats the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. While restrained, it cannot teleport or travel to another plane.

Return of Green Life (1/Day). Nonmagical plants within a 60-foot-radius sphere Ningišzida can see become healthy. Chosen allies in the sphere regain 50 Hit Points and end the Poisoned and Frightened conditions on themselves.

Bonus Actions

Read the Threshold. Ningišzida learns whether an existing portal within 120 feet is active, where it leads, and which creature last passed through it, unless an equal or higher divine power hides that information.

Legendary Actions

Legendary Action Uses: 3. Ningišzida takes one legendary action after another creature’s turn, regaining expended uses at the start of his next turn.

Coil Step. Move up to 30 feet without provoking Opportunity Attacks.

Sickle Strike (Costs 2 Uses). Make one Sickle-Sword attack.

Vine Snare (Costs 2 Uses). One creature within 60 feet must make a DC 30 Strength saving throw or have the Restrained condition until the end of its next turn.

Green Gate Below — Lair and Regional Effects

At initiative count 20 (losing ties), in his own estate Ningišzida causes roots to grasp a 30-foot square (Difficult Terrain until the next count 20) or closes one non-Artifact portal within 120 feet until the same count. He cannot choose the same effect on consecutive rounds. Within 1 mile, vines flower out of season near legitimate burial boundaries, and a falsely sealed tomb gives off the scent of sour wine.

Clerical Tradition — Chthonic Growth

A devotee may adopt an original campaign subclass or domain rooted in growth, lawful transition and the dead. These spells are thematic suggestions and use the cleric’s normal spell preparation and slot limits.

Ningišzida — D&D 2014

Large celestial (deity), lawful neutral

Traits

Divine Nature. Ningišzida does not need food or sleep and cannot be aged magically or afflicted by disease.

Legendary Resistance (4/Day). Ningišzida can choose to succeed on a saving throw he fails.

Magic Resistance. Ningišzida has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Reliable Judge. Magic cannot force him to speak a deliberate falsehood.

Gatekeeper of the Netherworld. A creature within 120 feet that attempts to teleport or travel between planes must succeed on a DC 30 Charisma saving throw or remain in its original location. Ningišzida may choose creatures to exempt; artifacts and deities of equal or higher power bypass the ward.

Growth and Decay. At the start of his turn Ningišzida chooses Verdant (allies starting within 30 feet gain 10 temporary hit points) or Withering (enemies starting there take 10 necrotic damage). The effect lasts until his next turn.

Actions

Multiattack. Ningišzida makes three sickle-sword attacks.

Sickle-Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +20 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (4d8 + 10) slashing plus 22 (5d8) necrotic or radiant damage (Ningišzida’s choice).

Serpent Passage. Ningišzida moves up to his speed without provoking opportunity attacks and may pass through other creatures’ spaces. Each enemy whose space he passes through once per use makes a DC 30 Dexterity saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) poison damage and falling prone on a failure, or half damage with no prone condition on a success.

Sentence of the Gate (Recharge 5–6). One creature within 120 feet makes a DC 30 Charisma saving throw. On a failure it is restrained by spectral roots for 1 minute, repeating the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. While restrained this way it cannot teleport or travel to another plane.

Return of Green Life (1/Day). Nonmagical vegetation in a 60-foot-radius sphere becomes healthy. Chosen allies within the sphere regain 50 hit points and end the poisoned and frightened conditions.

Bonus Actions

Read the Threshold. Ningišzida learns where an existing portal within 120 feet leads and which creature last used it, unless an equal or stronger deity hides the evidence.

Legendary Actions

Ningišzida can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below, one at the end of another creature’s turn, regaining spent actions at the start of his turn.

Coil Step. Move up to 30 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

Sickle Strike (Costs 2 Actions). Make one sickle-sword attack.

Vine Snare (Costs 2 Actions). One creature within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 30 Strength saving throw or be restrained until the end of its next turn.

Lair Actions and Regional Effects

At initiative count 20 (losing ties) in his Green Gate Below, Ningišzida creates difficult root-grown terrain in a 30-foot square until the next count 20 or seals one nonartifact portal within 120 feet for that period. He cannot repeat an option on consecutive rounds. Within a mile, honest grave-seals encourage green shoots and forged seals make stored wine sour.

Clerical Tradition — Chthonic Growth

Devotees draw on Nature, Grave or Knowledge traditions appropriate to their individual patrons. The following is a campaign devotion using normal cleric preparation and spell slots, not a second subclass.

Ningišzida — Pathfinder 1e

Ningišzida CR 34/MR 9
XP epic, GM-assigned
LN Large outsider (extraplanar, lawful, mythic)
Init +13; Senses darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 120 ft., true seeing; Perception +55

DEFENSE

OFFENSE

STATISTICS

ECOLOGY

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Gatekeeper’s Decree (Su). A creature attempting teleportation or planar travel within 120 feet must succeed at a DC 40 Will saving throw or the effect fails. Ningišzida may exempt any creature, and a divine being of equal or higher rank is not subject to the ability. The save DC is Charisma-based (10 + half racial HD + Charisma modifier).

Growth and Decay (Su). At the start of each turn Ningišzida chooses Verdant (+10 temporary hp to chosen allies within 30 feet, lasting 1 round) or Withering (enemies beginning their turns within 30 feet take 10 negative energy damage).

Serpent Passage (Su). As a standard action Ningišzida moves up to his speed through occupied spaces without provoking attacks of opportunity. Each hostile creature whose square he traverses takes 8d8 poison damage and falls prone on a failed DC 40 Reflex save, or takes half damage without falling prone on a success.

Sentence of the Gate (Su). Every 1d4 rounds, a standard action; one target within 120 feet must make a DC 40 Will saving throw or be entangled and anchored against teleportation for 1 minute. A new save is allowed at the end of each turn. This does not make the target helpless.

Divine Estate. In the Green Gate Below a 30-foot-square patch of vines may become difficult terrain at Ningišzida’s command for 1 round as a standard action. Underworld passages marked with valid seals are not subject to this obstruction.

Domains and Domain Spells

Clerics choose two appropriate domains from Death, Law, Plant, Protection and the Travel Domain under their usual class rules. The Plant tradition offers the following normal domain spells, without extra slots.

CR 34 and mythic rank 9 are original epic campaign projections; these statistics are not an official published creature.

Ningišzida — D&D 3.5e

Ningišzida
Large outsider (extraplanar, lawful); intermediate deity, divine rank 12; lawful neutral

Combat and Divine Powers

Epic divine progression. Ningišzida has 20 outsider Hit Dice and 20 cleric class levels. His Hit Dice are maximised; after 20 character levels his base attack progression is replaced by a +10 epic attack bonus, and his saves gain +10 epic bonuses. Divine rank 12 provides a +12 divine bonus on attacks, saves and checks.

Cleric Spells. Ningišzida casts spells as a 20th-level cleric with Wisdom 34 (save DC 22 + spell level before other adjustments). He uses the normal prepared spells and domain-slot rules for his class and patronage.

Gatekeeper’s Decree (Su). When a mortal creature within 120 feet attempts to teleport or travel between planes, it must succeed on a DC 32 Will save or the travel fails. The DC is 10 + Charisma modifier (+10) + divine rank (+12). An equal or higher-ranking deity cannot be stopped by this ability.

Serpent Passage (Su). As a standard action, Ningišzida moves up to his speed through other creatures’ spaces without provoking attacks of opportunity. Each enemy passed through takes 8d8 poison damage and falls prone unless it makes a DC 32 Reflex save for half damage and no prone effect.

Growth and Decay (Su). At the beginning of his turn Ningišzida chooses Verdant (chosen allies within 30 feet gain 10 temporary hit points until his next turn) or Withering (hostile creatures entering or starting in the 30-foot aura take 10 negative energy damage at most once per turn).

Divine Fast Healing. Ningišzida heals 32 hit points at the beginning of each of his turns while he has at least 1 hit point. This salient ability enables Rejuvenation.

Rejuvenation. When Ningišzida is defeated, he can reform after 10d10 days under the usual limitations, except when slain by a deity of equal or higher rank.

Salient Divine Abilities. Alter Reality, Avatar, Clearsight, Command Plants, Divine Fast Healing, Divine Shield, Divine Spellcasting, Extra Domain, Gift of Life, Know Secrets, Power of Nature, Power of Truth, Rejuvenation, Call Creatures (serpents), and Divine Inspiration. These fifteen selections comprise twelve from divine rank plus three bonus choices for an intermediate deity; the individual abilities follow their prerequisites and limits.

Divine Estate and Regional Effects

In the Green Gate Below the bearer of a valid burial writ can always ask for a hearing, but not a favourable verdict. Unauthorized planar gates may be closed by divine decree; outside the estate, growth and decay proceed in their ordinary cycles.

Domains and Domain Spells

The Death, Law, Plant, Protection and Travel domains are available to appropriate clerics. The following is the normal Plant domain spell progression, not a second allocation of slots.

This deity and his CR 42 incarnation are original campaign adaptations using the divine-rank framework.