Dionysus — God of Wine, Theatre, Ecstasy and Sacred Madness

Dionysus, Intermediate Deity — Medium Celestial, Chaotic Neutral; suggested CR 31.

Saving Throws Dex +17, Con +18, Wis +17, Cha +19. Damage Resistances psychic. Damage Immunities poison. Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned. Senses truesight 240 ft., passive Perception 26. Languages all languages he chooses, telepathy 240 ft.

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

Lord of Altered States. Dionysus is immune to magical effects that would alter his emotions, intoxicate him or impose madness unless he chooses to be affected. He can identify whether an altered mental state is caused by poison, magic, fear, grief or divine influence.

Festival Without Walls. Allies of Dionysus within 60 feet have advantage on saving throws against being Frightened or Restrained and can move through allied spaces without extra movement.

Multiattack. Dionysus makes three Thyrsus attacks: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft.; 27 (4d8 + 9) bludgeoning plus 22 (4d10) psychic damage.

Ecstatic Chorus (Recharge 5–6). Creatures of Dionysus’s choice within 120 feet make a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, Dionysus chooses whether each creature becomes Charmed, Frightened or Incapacitated with laughter and visions until the end of its next turn. On a success, it is immune to this use of Ecstatic Chorus.

Vines of the Procession (1/Day). For 1 minute, magical vines fill a 120-foot radius. Hostile creatures treat the area as difficult terrain and must succeed on a DC 26 Strength saving throw when they start their turn there or become Restrained until the start of their next turn. Allies may ignore the vines.

Mythic Trait — The Mask Changes. The first time Dionysus is reduced to 0 hit points, he instead regains 295 hit points, changes appearance completely and immediately ends all conditions on himself. Creatures within 120 feet must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or be unable to distinguish friend from foe until the end of their next turn.

Dionysus, Lord of Ecstasy and Sacred Madness
Medium celestial (intermediate deity), chaotic neutral

Armor Class 24 (divine protection); Hit Points 580 (43d8 + 387); Speed 50 ft.

Saving Throws Dex +17, Con +18, Wis +17, Cha +19; Skills Deception +19, Insight +17, Performance +19, Persuasion +19, Perception +17; Damage Resistances psychic; Damage Immunities poison; Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned; Senses truesight 240 ft., passive Perception 27; Languages all, telepathy 240 ft.; Challenge 31 (custom epic encounter, no official XP value); Proficiency Bonus +9 (epic extension).

Traits

Legendary Resistance (4/Day). Dionysus may choose to succeed on a failed saving throw. Magic Resistance. He has advantage on saves against spells and other magical effects.

Lord of Altered States. Dionysus is immune to unwilling intoxication, magical fear, and effects that alter his emotions. Allies within 60 feet have advantage on saves against being frightened or restrained and may move through allies’ spaces without extra movement.

Innate Spellcasting. Charisma is his spellcasting ability (save DC 27, +19 to hit with spell attacks). At will: charm person, disguise self, entangle; 3/day each: confusion, greater invisibility, plant growth; 1/day each: mass suggestion, feeblemind.

Actions

Multiattack. Dionysus makes three Thyrsus attacks.

Thyrsus. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d8 + 9) bludgeoning damage plus 22 (4d10) psychic damage.

Ecstatic Chorus (Recharge 5–6). Creatures of his choice within 120 feet must make a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed, frightened, or incapacitated by laughter and visions (Dionysus’s choice) until the end of their next turn. A creature that succeeds is immune to this use of the Chorus.

Vines of the Procession (1/Day). Vines cover a 120-foot-radius area for 1 minute. Hostile creatures treat it as difficult terrain and must make a DC 27 Strength saving throw at the start of their turn there or become restrained until the start of their next turn; allies ignore the vines.

Legendary Actions

Dionysus takes up to 3 legendary actions, one at the end of another creature’s turn, regaining them at the start of his. Revel Step: move half his speed without provoking opportunity attacks. Thyrsus (Costs 2 Actions): make a Thyrsus attack. Mask of Madness (Costs 3 Actions): one enemy within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 27 Wisdom save or be affected as by the confusion spell until the end of its next turn.

Thyrsus — Divine Artifact

The Thyrsus is a +2 magic quarterstaff. Its enhancement is included in the attack and damage above. Its additional psychic damage functions only for Dionysus or a bearer he willingly empowers.

Divine Estate

On initiative count 20 (losing ties), in his sacred festival grounds Dionysus can raise sheltering vines, end ordinary intoxication or bless a gathering of twenty willing revellers. He cannot repeat an effect on consecutive rounds.

Cleric Domains and Spells

Trickery Domain (2014): 1st charm person, disguise self; 3rd mirror image, pass without trace; 5th blink, dispel magic; 7th dimension door, polymorph; 9th dominate person, modify memory. Sacred madness and ecstatic initiation are separate cult themes, not an additional published 2014 domain.

Dionysus, God of Ecstasy and Sacred Madness CR 30/MR 10
XP custom divine encounter; CN Medium outsider (chaotic, extraplanar, mythic)

Init +12; Senses true seeing 240 ft.; Perception +51; Aura Ecstatic Presence 60 ft.

Defence

AC 44, touch 27, flat-footed 36 (+8 Dex, +17 natural, +9 deflection); hp 580 (40d10 + 360); Fort +33, Ref +32, Will +32; Defensive Abilities mythic resilience; DR 20/epic; Immune poison, fear, unwanted intoxication; Resist acid 20, fire 20; SR 42.

Offence

Speed 50 ft.; Melee +5 divine thyrsus +52/+47/+42/+37 (2d6+12 bludgeoning plus 6d8 force); Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; Special Attacks ecstatic chorus, living vines, revelation of masks, spell-like abilities.

Spell-Like Abilities CL 30th; concentration +40; save DC 20 + spell level (22 + spell level for enchantments). At will: charm person, disguise self, entangle; 3/day: confusion, greater invisibility, plant growth; 1/day: mass suggestion, mind blank.

Statistics

Str 24, Dex 26, Con 28, Int 24, Wis 26, Cha 30; Base Atk +40; CMB +47; CMD 65; Skills Bluff +58, Diplomacy +55, Knowledge (religion) +50, Perception +54, Perform (act) +56, Sense Motive +54; Feats Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes, Skill Focus (Perform), Spell Focus (enchantment), Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Quicken Spell, Extend Spell, Toughness, Combat Casting, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Perception), Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Lightning Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration, Improved Counterspell, Deceitful, Persuasive; Languages all; SQ mysteries of initiation, immortal.

Special Abilities

Mythic Power (Su). 10/day, surge +1d12. His rank and power describe an original epic encounter, not a published Pathfinder 1e monster.

Ecstatic Presence (Su). Hostile creatures within 60 feet take a –4 penalty on saving throws against emotion, confusion and charm effects; allies gain +4 sacred bonuses on saves against fear or paralysis.

Ecstatic Chorus (Su; Recharge 1d4 Rounds). Creatures Dionysus chooses within 120 feet must succeed on a DC 30 Will saving throw or become confused for 1 round. The saving throw is Charisma-based.

Vines of the Procession (Su; 3/Day). Dionysus creates a 120-foot-radius field of vines for 10 rounds. Hostile creatures treat it as difficult terrain and must succeed on a DC 30 Reflex saving throw each round to avoid being entangled until the start of their next turn.

Revelation of Masks (Su; 1/Day). Dionysus changes form as shapechange (CL 30th) without needing a material component. He retains his divine authority and the source of the effect remains supernatural.

Domains and Spells

Plant: 1 entangle, 2 barkskin, 3 plant growth, 4 command plants, 5 wall of thorns, 6 repel wood, 7 animate plants, 8 control plants, 9 shambler. Chaos, Charm, Liberation and Madness domains retain their separate published Pathfinder 1e spell lists.

Dionysus, Lord of Divine Ecstasy
Medium outsider (chaotic, extraplanar); intermediate deity, Divine Rank 14; chaotic neutral

Hit Dice 20d8+20d8+360 (680 hp, deity maximum per die); Initiative +12 (+8 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Speed 60 ft.; Armor Class 69 (+8 Dex, +27 natural, +14 divine, +10 deflection), touch 42, flat-footed 61; Base Attack/Grapple +20 base, +10 epic attack / +51 grapple; Attack +5 divine thyrsus +56 melee (1d6+12 bludgeoning plus 6d8 force); Full Attack thyrsus +56/+51/+46/+41 melee; Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; Special Attacks ecstatic dominion, salient divine abilities, spell-like abilities; Special Qualities Divine Rank 14, immortality, divine aura, portfolio senses, remote sensing, divine immunities, DR 25/epic, spell resistance 46, fire resistance 19, godly realm; Saves Fort +47, Ref +44, Will +46; Abilities Str 24, Dex 26, Con 28, Int 24, Wis 26, Cha 30; Skills Bluff +67, Diplomacy +67, Knowledge (religion) +64, Listen +65, Perform (act) +67, Spot +65; Alignment chaotic neutral; Domains Chaos, Plant, Trickery; Favoured Weapon quarterstaff (thyrsus); Feats Combat Casting, Craft Wondrous Item, Extend Spell, Great Fortitude, Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Greater Spell Penetration, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Leadership, Quicken Spell, Skill Focus (Perform), Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Penetration, Toughness.

Divine Powers

Intermediate Deity. Dionysus receives divine-rank bonuses, immunities and portfolio senses according to D&D 3.5e. He automatically obtains a result of 20 on ability and skill checks where the divine rules permit, but does not gain the greater-deity rule that maximises attack, damage and saving throw rolls.

Ecstatic Dominion (Su). Dionysus senses significant emotional and revelatory changes inside his divine aura. Three times per day he can project an aura of revelatory confusion: hostile creatures in a 60-foot radius must succeed on a DC 34 Will save or become confused for 1 round.

Salient Divine Abilities. His selected abilities are Alter Reality, Divine Inspiration, Divine Fast Healing, Extra Domain and Shapechange, subject to their printed prerequisites.

Godly Realm. Dionysus controls a 10-mile radius inside his Outer Plane realm, or 1,400 feet on the Material Plane. He can govern access, temperature, sounds and scents in the estate and alter permitted spell traits in the manner available to intermediate deities.

Spell-Like Abilities

At will, caster level 24th; save DC 34 + spell level. Dionysus may use his domain spells as spell-like abilities in accordance with 3.5e deity rules (10 + spell level + Charisma modifier 10 + Divine Rank 14).

Cleric Domains and Spells

Plant: 1 entangle, 2 barkskin, 3 plant growth, 4 command plants, 5 wall of thorns, 6 repel wood, 7 animate plants, 8 control plants, 9 shambler. Chaos and Trickery use their printed D&D 3.5e SRD domain lists.

Epic Chassis. The encounter uses 20 outsider Hit Dice and 20 cleric levels with epic attack and saving throw progression. Prepared spells and remaining feats should be chosen for the campaign rather than importing 5e-style legendary actions.