D&D 5E Mythological Figures: Cú Chulainn

D&D 5E – Mythological Figures: Cú Chulainn | EN World | Dungeons & Dragons | Tabletop Roleplaying Games

Cú Chulainn (formerly Sétanta and also known as Cú Chulaind, Cúchulainn, or Cuhullin) was almost the great grandson of Balor (by way of his would-be father Lug), but when it is revealed that she carried child the betrothed Deichtine aborts the demigod in her womb and bears her husband Sualtam mac Róich’s son, naming it as the warrior god told her: Sétanta. Or maybe they find Lug in a house where Deichtine is giving birth to Sétanta who is definitely his son. It’s not completely clear. After that it becomes a bit of a “5 Men, Findchóem, and a Baby” scenario among the nobles of Ulster. A fellow named Morann (who I can’t quite dig up much on, although it seems he was known for judging and as “the Arbiter”) tells them that they will raise Sétanta together: Kingly Conchobar, Sencha mac Ailella for judgement and eloquence, Blaí Briugu to be the rich one, Fergus mac Róich to train him in combat, Amergin the poet to teach him, and then Amergin’s wife Findchóem to nurse him alongside their own son (Conall Cernach).

There are three big legends about this hero in his childhood: his first ríastrad (warp spasm aka berserk rage), how he got his final name, and taking up arms as a 7 year old to kill a trio of grown men. The initial rage happens when Sétanta tries to join the boy-troop at Emain Macha where he breaks the rules by not asking for their protection before entering the game’s boundaries, freaks out and beats them all, and then afterwards chases after them demanding they ask for his protection. In the next tale his hurling skills so impress the King of Ulster (Conchobar mac Nessa) that he is invited to a feast at the house of the smith Culann. Although he agrees Sétanta wants to finish his game first and then the king forgets to tell anyone else about the invitation, so the smith’s fearsome hound is let loose to protect the grounds during the meal—a fight ensues and the boy kills the enormous dog. In recompense Sétanta offers to do the tasks of Culann’s guard dog until it can be replaced, earning him the new name of Cú Chulainn (Culann’s hound). Finally there’s the day he takes up arms. Cú Chulainn asks Cathbad why he’s teaching students that the day is auspicious and darts away after being told that, “any warrior who takes arms today will have everlasting fame,” gone before he can hear the other part of the prophecy (“but their life would be short”). Despite his age the boy demands weapons from Conchobar, but none satisfy aside from the older warrior’s own armaments, and then a chariot of which only the king’s is fitting. Eager Cú Chulainn rushes off and slays three sons of Nechtan Scéne (for the claim they’d kill more men of Ulster than those who still lived) and is still in a ríastrad upon returning so Mugain (the wife of Conchobar) has the women of Emain flash him, he’s dunked into three barrels of cold water by the men of Ulster, and though the first explodes and the second boils, the last does the trick.

Then Cú Chulainn gets trained by a scotswoman. See he’s a real looker and the men of Ulster are worried he’ll take their wives or seduce their daughters, but the only woman Cú Chulainn wants is Emer, the daughter of Forgall Monach. Unfortunately he is refused by the supposed King of the Gauls (how Forgall disguised himself) because Forgall’s older daughter is unwed, and so is told to train with Scáthach in Alba (what is now Scotland) with the idea that it will be too much and lead to Cú Chulainn’s death. What’s getting this bit a whole paragraph is that she lives in Dún Scáith. From Scáthach he learns how to use the barbed spear (gáe bulg) alongside Ferdiad, a man he gets very close to. Maybe even romantic with! He definitely gets with his teacher’s sister Aífe after Scáthach tries to keep him out of the conflict betwixt them by using a sleeping potion—only for it to last just an hour and him to come charging in. Cú Chulainn and Aífe are evenly matched until he pulls a dirty trick, yelling that her treasured horse and chariot have fallen off a cliff, at which point he grabs her and holds her at swordpoint until she agrees to end the feud and be the mother of his son. Despite succeeding at the task given to him, Cú Chulainn’s proposal to Emer is refused again by Forgall so he storms in, kills two dozen warriors (as well as the old man, who dies from a long fall), and takes her away alongside some loot. Although the King of Ulster has the right to be the first to sleep with the new bride he is (rightfully) fearful of her husband, so at Cathbad’s suggestion the teacher sleeps between her and the king that night.

Less than a decade later Cú Chulainn’s son Connla (from Aífe) arrives unannounced, refuses to declare who he is (raised not to identify himself or refuse challenges), and is summarily killed in a planned act of revenge against his father by his mother (for having another woman after her). It’s a close fight though and Connla only fails because he discovers that he’s about to kill his father, whispering a revelation with his last words that he would’ve “carried the flag of Ulster to the gates of Rome and beyond”. Understandably, Cú Chulainn is wracked with grief by the ordeal.

There’s more about this legendary hero but this is getting long-winded so let’s try to summarize a few other exploits:

• While away from Ireland Cú Chulainn saves a Scandinavian princess he later nearly kills when she’s transformed as a swan, then gives her to a foster-son who becomes High King of Ireland except the Stone of Destiny cries out as it judges the new monarch so he splits it in two.
• He single-handed defeats the army of Connacht in the epic Táin Bó Cúailnge when queen Medb tries to take the stud bull of Donn Cúailnge (aka The Cattle Raid of Cooley or The Táin). Cú Chulainn fails to catch them at the border because he was getting busy with a lady, and a curse disables the Ulstermen making them suffer like they were giving birth. By invoking the right of single combat repeatedly he kills and kills and kills enemies one by one until a gorgeous woman claiming to be a princess interrupts the fray offering her love only to be refused—a bad mistake as she’s the Morrígan, a goddess of battle, and she doesn’t much like being turned down. While fighting the warrior Lóch (a man who initially refuses to fight a tender young beardless lad) she attacks Cú Chulainn as an eel, a wolf, and a cow but he continues on victoriously. When he’s starting to succumb to his injuries Lug appears and heals his wounds, only for him to wake up and see the boy-troop of Emain (his buddies from childhood) die by the blades of the Connacht (the first of many callbacks here). Cú Chulainn goes into his baddest rage yet becoming monstrous in his anger (physically so if the epic is to be believed) and kills hundreds of warriors to build himself a corpse wall. Currently exiled and in the court of Medb, one of his foster-fathers Fergus mac Róich (the one who trained Cú Chulainn in combat) gets Cú Chulainn to agree not to fight him so long as when they next meet Fergus will back down. Then there’s a three day duel against Ferdiad (another callback!) before the men of Ulster finally get into the battle themselves giving Cú Chulainn a break—until Fergus shows up, upholds the agreement, and pulls his soldiers away causing the army of Connacht to break. Although he certainly has the chance to kill Medb Cú Chulainn chooses not to, thinking it wrong to kill a woman, so he covers her retreat for a ways instead.
• The mischievous poet and healer Bricriu convinces Cú Chulainn, Conall Cernach, and Lóegaire Búadach to take part in a contest to be honored as the champion at a feast, and although Cú Chulainn is clearly the winner his competitors refuse to accept it. Cú Roí (the son of Dáire of Munster) appears to each as a peasant demanding to be beheaded with the understanding that he’ll return to do the same. Only Cú Chulainn has the requisite courage and honor to be true to his word, and so he is spared and declared the winner. Later on this fellow appears again, infiltrating the men of Ulster to take part in a raid on probably the Isle of Man where he forcibly takes the princess Blathnát as his share. She figures out the trick to killing Cú Roí, gets Cú Chulainn to do it, and then dies when the poet Ferchertne takes revenge by way of a murder-suicide.
• There’s a story where Emer gets jealous over Fand, a fairy and the abandoned wife of Manannán mac Lir. When she is assailed by three Fomorians asserting authority over the Irish Sea, Cú Chulainn agrees to defend her in exchange for marrying him. Envious Emer tries to kill the fairy but upon seeing the depth of her love for Cú Chulainn stays her hand, deciding to give him up instead. Fand is so moved that she relinquishes him (his presence would’ve meant doom for the faeries anyway) and returns to Manannan. The King of the Underworld shakes his cloak between Cú Chulainn and Fand, cursing them to never again meet, then afterward the berserker and Emer drink potions that wipe their memories of the whole affair.

In 1 AD Medb conspires with Lugaid (the son of Cú Roí) and other men who’ve had fathers killed by Cú Chulainn to see him killed. To do so she first tricks him into eating dog meat by having an old woman offer him a meal with it (leaving him no choice but to accept), weakening his spirit, and then Lugaid has three king-killing spears forged—the first is used against Láeg the King of Chariot Drivers, the second against Cú Chulainn’s mount Liath Macha the King of Steeds, and the last delivering a mortal wound upon the warrior legend himself. Cú Chulainn won’t die on his feet so he ties himself against the standing stone Clochafarmore, fighting so long and hard that his enemies only believe him dead when a raven sits upon his shoulder. Finally victorious, Lugaid goes to decapitate the corpse but something called the “hero-light” flares around Cú Chulainn and cuts off his hand! The aura continues until the dead body’s right hand and sword arm are removed. However his stepbrother Conall Cernach swore to avenge Cú Chulainn should he die and sets off to kill Lugaid before the sun sets that day. Fighting one-handed to keep things even, Conall has his vengeance when his horse distracts his opponent with a nasty bite.

Design Notes: Jeeze. God bless those of you still with us. What an epic guy! To be as fearsome a warrior as Cú Chulainn is there was no question about a split between fighter and barbarian levels, but there was some consideration for how to do that split. While Intimidating Presence certainly felt apropos, this build instead is going for more fighter levels to get that extra Extra Attack and to have that +1d6 to keep popping back up after getting dropped to 0 hit points. This whole thing is wordy enough though isn’t it? Let’s do the numbers! The DMG rubric boils out to 14.75 and the Blog of Holding 14.8, and though that’s a beefy 14 it’s pretty airtight so Cú Chulainn’s final CR is going to land there.

Cú Chulainn​

Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral barbarian (berserker) 9/fighter (brute) 11
Armor Class 19 (Constitution, shield)
Hit Points 199 (9d12+11d10+80)
Speed 40 ft.

STR​	DEX​	CON​	INT​	WIS​	CHA​
18 (+4)​	16 (+3)​	18 (+4)​	10 (+0)​	9 (–1)​	14 (+2)​

Saving Throws Str +10, Con +10
Skills Animal Handling +5, Athletics +10, Intimidation +7, Survival +5; vehicles (land) +9
Senses passive Perception 9
Languages Gaelic
Challenge 14 (11,500 XP)

Background: Folk Hero. Cú Chulainn is always able to rely on the hospitality of commoners to help him hide or rest provided he poses no danger in doing so, going so far as to shield him from being discovered (though not at the cost of their lives).

Action Surge (1/Short Rest). Once on his turn, Cú Chulainn can take an additional action on top of his regular action and a possible bonus action.

Brutal Critical. Cú Chulainn can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack.

Brutal Toughness. Cú Chulainn gains a +1d6 bonus to saving throws and death saves (treating final results of 20 or higher on a death saving throw as a natural 20).

Danger Sense. Cú Chulainn has advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that he can see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, he can’t be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Feat: Athletic. Cú Chulainn can stand up from being prone with only 5 feet of his movement, climbing doesn’t cost him extra movement, and he only has to move 5 feet before making a running long jump or running high jump.

Feat: Master of the Spear. Cú Chulainn can increase his reach with a spear by 5 feet until the end of his turn by using a bonus action. In addition, he can prepare his spear to resist a charge by using a bonus action. Cú Chulainn chooses a creature within 20 feet that he can see and if on his next turn it moves within his reach, Cú Chulainn can use his reaction to make a melee attack against it using his spear. On a hit he deals an extra damage die. A creature that used Disengage does not provoke an attack from Cú Chulainn.

Feral Instinct. Cú Chulainn has advantage on initiative rolls. Additionally, if he is surprised at the beginning of combat and isn’t incapacitated, he can act normally on his first turn, but only if he enters his rage before doing anything else on that turn.

Indomitable (1/Long Rest). Cú Chulainn can reroll a saving throw that he fails but must use the new roll.

Mindless Rage. Cú Chulainn can’t be charmed or frightened while raging. If he is charmed or frightened when he enters his rage, the effect is suspended for the duration of the rage.

Rage (4/Long Rest). On his turn, Cú Chulainn can enter a rage as a bonus action. His rage lasts until Cú Chulainn is knocked unconscious. Cú Chulainn can also end his rage on his turn as a bonus action. Cú Chulainn can go into a frenzy when he rages. If he does so, for the duration of his rage he can make a single melee weapon attack as a bonus action on each of his turns after his first turn raging. When his frenzied rage ends, he suffers one level of exhaustion. While raging, he gains the following benefits:

• advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws,
• when he makes a melee weapon attack using Strength he gains a +3 bonus to the damage roll,
• and he has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Reckless Attack. When Cú Chulainn makes his first attack on his turn, he can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives him advantage on melee weapon attack rolls using Strength during this turn, but attack rolls against him have advantage until his next turn.

Second Wind (1/Short Rest). On his turn, Cú Chulainn can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+11 hit points.

ACTIONS​

Extra Attack. Cú Chulainn attacks three times when he takes the Attack action (and can use a bonus action to attack a fourth time if both raging and frenzied).

Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (1d8+1d6+6) piercing damage.

Spear. Ranged Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d8+1d6+4) piercing damage.

Cu chulainn

used with permissiom from Paolo

As seen in Paolo’s thread at Dicefreaks

Cu chulainn
Barbarian 26, fighter 8, legendary Dreadnought 2, ranger 3
DvR0 (hero-deity)
Medium humanoid
Hit Dice	28 d12 + 8d10 + 3d8 + 273 (519 hp)
Initiative	+12 (+4,+8 Dexterity)
Speed	40 feet
AC	33 (+5 armour, +8 Dexterity, +5 shield, +2 deflection, +3 skin), touch 20, flat-footed 33
Base Attack/Grapple	+30/44 (30 + 10 + 4 igrap feat)
Attack	+45 longsword (1d8 +14, 17-20 x3) or +47 gae bolga (+45 if ‘pulling’ the hit) (1d8 +16, 19-20 x3) or +45 longspear melee (1d8 +14, x3), or +42 sling (1d4 +13, x2) or javelin (1d6 +13, x2), or +45 gae bolga (1d8 +16, 19-20 x3) ranged.
Full Attack	+ 45/40/35/30 longsword (1d8 +14, 18-20 x3), or +47/42/37/32 gae bolga (45/40/35/30 if ‘pulling’ the hit) (1d8 +16, 19-20 x3), or +45/40/35/30 (longspear) melee, or +42/37/32/27 sling (1d4 +13, x2), or +42 javelin (1d6 +13, x2)or +45 gae bolga (1d8 +16, 19-20 x3) ranged
Space/Reach	5 ft. x 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Favored enemy (giants), Rage 7/day
Special Qualities	Damage reduction 7/-, Divine blood, Fast movement, Improved uncanny dodge, Indomitable will, Tough skin, Trap sense + 8, Uncanny dodge, Unmovable 1/day, Unstoppable 1/day, Wild empathy
Saves	Fort +32, Ref +25, Will +17.
Abilities	Strength 31, Dexterity 27, Constitution 26, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 14, Charisma 26
Skills	Climb +16, Concentration +11, Diplomacy +18, Gather Information +18, Handle Animal+18, Heal +8, Intimidate +42, Jump +35, Ride +23, Swim +16, Hide +14, Listen +12, Move Silently +14, Perform +18, Search +6, Spot +22, Survival +7
Feats	Cleave, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Diehard, Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (gae bolgae), Far shot, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved critical (gae bolga), Improved critical (longsword) (critical range is 18-20 instead of 19-20), Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting,
Epic Feats	Blinding Speed, Distant Shot, Epic Prowess, Epic Reputation, Legendary Leaper, Terrifying Rage
Climate/Terrain	King Conchobor’s court, or around Ireland
Organization	Solitary, or with 2d6 Uladi warriors
Challenge Rating	43
Treasure	see  possessions, below
Alignment	Chaotic good

Divine blood : Given his divine father, Cu Chulainn is immune to polymorphing, petrification or any form-altering attack, energy drain, ability drain and ability damage; he
has also a +10 ST bonus vs disease, poison, Paralysis, death effects, disintegration; +5 vs binding, soul bind, Temporal Stasis, Trap the Soul; Spell Resistance 25

Fast movement : when wearing medium armor or lighter, Cu Chulainn’s speed is +10 feet

Favored enemy (giants) : Cu chulainn has a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against giants. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against giants

Improved uncanny dodge : (no flanking attack unless the rogue has at least 30 levels),

Indomitable will : +4 on will saves to resist enchantement spells during rage

Rage : 7/day. While raging, Cú Chulainn has +8 to strength and Constitution, +4 bonus on will saves, -2 to AC. He’s not fatigued at the end of his rage, and any enemy seeing him must make a will save opposed to Cu chulainn’s Intimidate check or becomes panicked, or shaken (if has HD equal or up to twice his levels) for 4d6 rounds. As long as Cu chulainn rages, he has the following stats: AC 31, hp 675, +4 to melee attack rolls ad will saves (+8 versus enchantement spells), Strength 39, Constitution 34, lasts for 15 rounds

Tough skin :Cú Chulainn has an unnatural tough skin, giving him a +3 natural AC bonus

Trap sense : Cú Chulainn has a +8 bonus on reflex saves to avoid traps and on AC against attacks made by traps

Uncanny dodge : (retains Dexterity bonus if flat-footed) ,

Unstoppable : 1/day, Cu chulainn gains a +20 bonus on his Strength check to break or burst a door or item once per day. As a special use of this ability, Cu Culainn can attempt to break a Wall of Force (Strength DC 32, and the character applies his or her unstoppable bonus to this check as well). Alternatively, Cu chulainn can apply the +20 bonus to a single attack roll.

• Unmovable : 1/day, Cu chulainn can make himself unmovable once per day, gaining a +20 bonus on any one of the following:
• A grapple check made to avoid being grabbed with the improved grab ability.
• A Strength check to avoid the effects of a bull rush, trip attempt, or similar effect.
• A Strength check against any effect that would move him either physically or magically.
• Any one saving throw.

If an effect that would move Cu chulainn either physically or magically does not normally allow a saving throw, he can use this ability to gain a Will saving throw. He still gains the +20 bonus on the saving throw in such a case.

Wild empathy : Cu chulainn can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person: he rolls 1d20 and adds +20 to determine the wild empathy check result. Cu chulainn and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time. Cu chulainn can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a -4 penalty on the check.

Possessions

•  +3 leather amour which enable him to retain his full Dexterity bonus.
• +3 heavy wooden shield (+2 ac, -2 on Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, hide, Jump, move silently, Sleight of Hand, Tumble checks) of blinding
• eight +3 shortswords, eight +3 javelins (1d6, x2, 30ft), a +4 longspear (1d8, x3), a +3 sling (1d4, x2, 50ft), a +4 longsword (1d8, 19-20 x2)

Gae bolga. Cu chulainn’s Gae Bolga was made with the bones of a sea dragon by the great sorceress Scathatch. It has the same characteristics of a gae bolga as described below, with the following additional powers: is an epic +6 weapon with double normal throwing range. The +6 enchantment bonus adds to the damage inflicted automatically when the Gae Bolga is stuck inside the wound, to the penalties to attack rolls, trs, skill checks and AC, to the damage if trying to extract it and to the relative fortitude check. If it scores a critical, the victim must succeed in a fortitude save with the same DC as the damage done, or die as the barbs tear the entire body. Size modify the saving throw by a +2 bonus every category higher than medium, and by a -2 penalty every category lower than medium.

Helm of terror: this helm grants the wearer a +2 CA deflection bonus and a +6 bonus on intimidating checks. Furhermore, three times/day the wearer by shouting may create a sonic attack in a 60-ft cone in front of him, dealing 10d6 hp of damage (half if fortitude save DC 20 is made)

Cloak of invisibility: the wearer may activate a invisibility spell three times per day, as cast by a 7° level caster

Gae bolga (gae bolgae, gae bulg) is basically a longspear (1d6 or 1d8 damage, x3, 20 ft, 12 lb, piercing), but it has a given number of barbs (usually thirty), which open inside the wound. The Gae Bolga can be used as a melee weapon or as a ranged weapon. However, throwing a gae bolga is not easy, since the thrower must use a foot for additional strength, requiring a minimum 16 Dexterity.

A user of the Gae Bolga can ‘pull’ a hit, preventing the opening of the barbs: the weapon is used as a normal longspear, but the user has a -2 penalty on all attack rolls. It’s not possible to ‘pull’ the hit if the gae bolga is thrown.

When the gae bolga is used normally, without ‘pulling’ the hit, if the attack roll is four points higher than the necessary score to hit a given armour class, it is assumed the thrust has been deep enough to open the barbs, stucking the Gae Bolga inside the body of the opponent. As long as the Gae bolga is inside the body, the victim has a -6 penalty on all attack rolls, trs and skill checks, as well as on the AC. This penalty is reduced or augmented by a +/- 2 factor, depending on the size of the victim, so a large victim has a -4 penalty, a huge victim -2 and a gargantuan or larger victim has no penalty. A small victim has a -8 penalty, and so on.

Furthermore, the gae bolga inflicts automatically 2 hit points of damage/round if the victim moves (4 in case of strenuous activity, like fighting or running, and 1/round if the victim stays still), until it is pulled off the wound.

Extracting a Gae Bolga is no easy task. It can be pulled after cutting the wound all around, or pushed further inside and extracted from the other side of the wound. In both cases, the victim suffers 3d8 hp of additional damage, and must succeed in a DC 21 fortitude saving throw or die for the shock. If someone with heal skills helps extracting the barbs, it can reduce the fortitude DC by as many points as his result of his heal check, and the damage by 1d8 if taking at least three rounds to extract the weapon.

Constructs, elementals,  oozes, undead and other creatures with no discernable anatomy are immune to the killing effect of the gae bolga extraction, and they only have a -4 penalty on AC, attack rolls, trs and skill checks (size may additionally alter the penalty, as described above).

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