Hermes — Divine Messenger, Guide of Travellers and Souls

Hermes, Intermediate Deity — Medium Celestial, Chaotic Good; suggested CR 31.

Saving Throws Dex +19, Int +18, Wis +17, Cha +19. Damage Resistances force, psychic, radiant. Condition Immunities charmed, grappled, restrained. Senses truesight 240 ft., passive Perception 26. Languages all languages, telepathy 300 ft.

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

Impossible Speed. Hermes can Dash or Disengage as a bonus action. Difficult terrain does not cost him extra movement, and opportunity attacks against him have disadvantage.

Master of Boundaries. Hermes can move through another creature’s space and through openings as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing. He knows when a portal, gate or extradimensional doorway within 300 feet opens.

Multiattack. Hermes makes three Caduceus attacks: +19 to hit, reach 10 ft.; 26 (3d10 + 10) bludgeoning plus 18 (4d8) force damage.

Steal the Moment (Recharge 5–6). Hermes chooses one creature he can see within 120 feet. The target makes a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it loses its reaction and Hermes may immediately take one additional action that can be used to Dash, Disengage, Hide, Use an Object or make one Caduceus attack.

Guide the Soul (1/Day). Hermes chooses up to six willing creatures or unbound souls within 60 feet and moves them instantly to a safe location he knows on the same plane or to the threshold of an appropriate afterlife realm, subject to divine wards of equal or greater power.

Mythic Trait — You Were Watching the Wrong Road. The first time Hermes is reduced to 0 hit points, he instead regains 280 hit points, teleports up to 300 feet to a space he can see and creates three illusory duplicates that function as mirror images until destroyed.

Hermes, Messenger and Guide of Souls
Medium celestial (intermediate deity), chaotic good

Armor Class 26 (divine protection); Hit Points 500 (40d8 + 320); Speed 100 ft., fly 160 ft.

Saving Throws Dex +19, Int +18, Wis +17, Cha +19; Skills Acrobatics +19, Deception +19, Insight +17, Sleight of Hand +19, Stealth +19; Damage Resistances force, psychic, radiant; Condition Immunities charmed, grappled, restrained; Senses truesight 240 ft., passive Perception 26; Languages all, telepathy 300 ft.; Challenge 31 (custom epic encounter, no official XP value); Proficiency Bonus +9 (epic extension).

Traits

Legendary Resistance (4/Day). Hermes can choose to succeed on a failed saving throw. Magic Resistance. Hermes has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Impossible Speed. Hermes can Dash or Disengage as a bonus action; difficult terrain does not cost extra movement, and opportunity attacks against him have disadvantage.

Master of Boundaries. Hermes moves through other creatures’ spaces and openings 1 inch wide. He senses the opening of a gate, portal or dimensional doorway within 300 feet.

Innate Spellcasting. Charisma is his spellcasting ability (save DC 27, +19 to hit with spell attacks). At will: disguise self, misty step, pass without trace; 3/day each: dimension door, greater invisibility, plane shift; 1/day each: gate, teleport.

Actions

Multiattack. Hermes makes three Caduceus attacks.

Caduceus. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit (divine finesse), reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 26 (3d10 + 10) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) force damage.

Steal the Moment (Recharge 5–6). One creature within 120 feet makes a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure it loses its reaction, and Hermes immediately takes one additional action to Dash, Disengage, Hide, Use an Object, or make one Caduceus attack.

Guide the Soul (1/Day). Hermes carries up to six willing creatures or unbound souls within 60 feet to a location he knows on the same plane, or to the threshold of their appropriate afterlife, subject to the wards of other divine rulers.

Legendary Actions

Hermes takes up to 3 legendary actions, one at the end of another creature’s turn, regaining them at the start of his. Winged Step: move up to half his flying speed without provoking opportunity attacks. Caduceus (Costs 2 Actions): make one attack with his Caduceus. Exchange Paths (Costs 3 Actions): Hermes exchanges positions with one willing creature within 120 feet.

Divine Estate

Within his sacred crossroads, on initiative count 20 (losing ties), Hermes can open a route between two visible gateways, erase tracks through a 120-foot area, or deliver a message to an authorised traveller. He cannot repeat an effect consecutively.

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. Hermes’s travel, commerce and psychopomp responsibilities remain separate cult portfolios.

Hermes, Herald of the Open Road CR 30/MR 10

XP original epic divine encounter; CG Medium outsider (chaotic, extraplanar, good, mythic); intermediate deity manifestation.

Init +14; Senses true seeing 240 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +56; Aura Impossible Speed (60 ft.).

Defense

AC 46, touch 30, flat-footed 36 (+10 Dex, +16 natural, +10 deflection); hp 540 (40d10+320); Fort +32, Ref +34, Will +32; DR 20/epic; Immune poison, fear; Resist electricity 20, sonic 20; SR 42.

Offense

Speed 120 ft., fly 160 ft. (perfect); Melee +5 caduceus quarterstaff +52/+47/+42/+37 (1d6+11 bludgeoning plus 4d8 force); Ranged touch Roadlight +50 (8d8 force, range 120 ft.); Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; Special Attacks steal the moment, master thief, psychopomp road.

Spell-Like Abilities CL 30th, concentration +40; Charisma-based save DC 20 + spell level. At will—disguise self, freedom of movement, longstrider, pass without trace; 3/day—dimension door, greater invisibility, plane shift; 1/day—gate, greater teleport.

Statistics

Str 22, Dex 30, Con 26, Int 28, Wis 26, Cha 30; Base Atk +40; CMB +50 (Agile Maneuvers); CMD 66; Feats Agile Maneuvers, Alertness, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Deceitful, Great Fortitude, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Quick Draw, Run, Skill Focus (Sleight of Hand), Skill Focus (Stealth), Stealthy, Toughness, Weapon Focus (quarterstaff), Improved Trip, Combat Casting, Improved Disarm; Skills Acrobatics +56, Diplomacy +56, Knowledge (geography) +55, Knowledge (planes) +55, Perception +56, Sleight of Hand +62, Stealth +64; Languages all; SQ mythic power 10/day (surge +1d12), perfect traveller.

Special Abilities

Perfect Traveller (Ex). Hermes ignores nonmagical difficult terrain, cannot be lost by mundane means, and can run indefinitely without fatigue. Allies within 60 feet add 10 feet to their speeds while they can see Hermes.

Master Thief (Ex). Hermes treats Disable Device, Escape Artist, Sleight of Hand and Stealth as class skills and can make Sleight of Hand checks as a swift action without the usual penalty.

Steal the Moment (Su; Recharge 1d4 Rounds). One creature within 120 feet must succeed on a DC 40 Will save or lose its ability to make attacks of opportunity for 1 round; Hermes may immediately move up to his speed. The DC is Charisma-based.

Psychopomp Road (Su; 1/Day). Hermes opens a gate to a threshold of an appropriate afterlife realm to convey willing living travellers or unbound souls. The gate remains 1 minute and cannot bypass protection maintained by an equal or greater deity.

Cleric Domains and Spells

Domains Chaos, Good, Luck, Travel, Trickery. Travel domain spells (levels 1–9): longstrider, locate object, fly, dimension door, teleport, find the path, greater teleport, phase door, astral projection. Domain spells describe Hermes’s clergy rather than additional powers of the god.

Divine Estate

In his own Olympian sanctuaries, Hermes can reveal an overlooked road, conceal a journey from mundane pursuit or open a protected threshold. His permission does not override Hades’s authority over judged souls.

Hermes, Lord of Ways and Messages

Chaotic Good Medium outsider (chaotic, extraplanar, good); intermediate deity, Divine Rank 15. Original divine manifestation using D&D 3.5e rules.

Combat Statistics

Hit Dice 40d8+320 (640 hp; divine maximum per die); Initiative +14 (+10 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Speed 120 ft., fly 160 ft. (perfect); Armor Class 63 (+10 Dex, +18 natural, +10 deflection, +15 divine), touch 45, flat-footed 53; Base Attack/Grapple +20 base, +10 epic attack / +51 grapple; Attack +5 divine quarterstaff +57 melee (1d6+11 bludgeoning plus 4d8 force); Full Attack quarterstaff +57/+52/+47/+42 melee; Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks divine celerity, thief’s privilege, psychopomp road, salient divine abilities; Special Qualities Divine Rank 15, divine aura, immortality, portfolio sense, remote sensing, godly realm, DR 25/epic, SR 47, divine immunities; Saves Fort +47, Ref +49, Will +47 (outsider save +12, epic save +10, ability modifier, rank +15 and relevant +2 feats); Abilities Str 22, Dex 30, Con 26, Int 28, Wis 26, Cha 30; Skills Bluff +68, Diplomacy +68, Disable Device +68, Hide +68, Knowledge (the planes) +67, Listen +68, Move Silently +68, Sleight of Hand +71, Spot +68; Feats Alertness, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Craft Wondrous Item, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Run, Skill Focus (Sleight of Hand), Weapon Focus (quarterstaff), Spring Attack; Languages all.

Divine Powers

Impossible Speed (Su). Hermes ignores ordinary difficult terrain, cannot become lost by mundane means and is never fatigued by travelling. He may use a move action to travel 120 feet or fly 160 feet without provoking attacks of opportunity.

Divine Rogue (Salient Divine Ability). Hermes perceives concealed passages, locks and traps within his divine aura and may use Sleight of Hand as a free action once per round. This is his original campaign application of Divine Rogue.

Psychopomp Road (Su; 1/Day). Hermes opens a gate for up to 1 minute leading from his position to a guarded entrance of an appropriate afterlife. He can escort willing travellers or unbound souls, but cannot seize souls under the judgement of an equal or greater divine power.

Salient Divine Abilities: Divine Celerity, Divine Rogue, Extra Sense Enhancement, Supreme Initiative, Travel. They are governed by divine-rank rules; this list is not an ordinary mortal feat list.

Cleric Domains and Domain Spells

Domains Chaos, Good, Luck, Travel, Trickery. Travel domain spells (levels 1–9): longstrider, locate object, fly, dimension door, teleport, find the path, greater teleport, phase door, astral projection. The domain list is available to his clerics and does not grant Hermes extra uses of his divine powers.

Godly Realm

Within his Olympian crossroads and border sanctuaries, Hermes can alter roads, conceal a route or expose a portal. His authority over paths is distinct from Hades’s jurisdiction over judged spirits.