Underworld Domain
The Underworld Domain exists in more than one d20-era source, and the old page had blended those variants together. They are now separated so their granted powers and spell lists can be used as written rather than as a hybrid.
At a Glance
| Divine Sphere | The Underworld, the dead, darkness, burial, confinement and chthonic authority |
|---|---|
| Published Variants | Relics & Rituals: Olympus; Lore of the Gods: Greek Gods |
| Campaign Patrons | Hades, Persephone |
| Rules Era | d20 / D&D 3.5-era third-party material |
| Other Editions | No official same-named Pathfinder 1e, D&D 5e/2014 or 5.5e/2024 domain is presented here |
Edition Applicability
Both rules panels below are d20-era third-party Underworld Domains. They are different published variants, not stages of one progression. Choose one version for a character or campaign and keep its granted power and spell list together.
Underworld Domain — Relics & Rituals: Olympus
Rules status: published third-party d20-era domain.
Granted Power
You gain darkvision 60 feet. If you already possess darkvision as a racial trait, its range increases by 60 feet.
Domain Spells
| 1st | Cause Fear |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Darkness |
| 3rd | Speak with Dead |
| 4th | Death Ward |
| 5th | Hounds of the Underworld |
| 6th | Antilife Shell |
| 7th | Shadow Walk |
| 8th | Symbol of Death |
| 9th | Imprisonment |
Underworld Domain — Lore of the Gods: Greek Gods
Rules status: published third-party d20-era domain.
Granted Power
You gain a +1 inherent bonus to AC, attack rolls and damage rolls against celestial outsiders.
Domain Spells
| 1st | Bane |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Desecrate |
| 3rd | Deeper Darkness |
| 4th | Corrupt Weapon |
| 5th | Commune |
| 6th | Dark Gift |
| 7th | Blasphemy |
| 8th | Unholy Aura |
| 9th | Purge of Darkness |
How the Two Underworld Domains Differ
The Olympus version is chthonic and funerary: darkness, speaking with the dead, death wards, underworld hounds, shadow travel and imprisonment. The Lore of the Gods version is more openly hostile to celestial powers and leans into desecration, corrupt weapons and unholy magic.
That distinction is useful in play. A priest guarding the proper boundary between living and dead fits the first version; a darker cult that defines the underworld in opposition to celestial powers fits the second.
Hades, Persephone and the Underworld
The campaign directory associates the sphere with both Hades and Persephone. Their shared rule of the realm of the dead makes them the primary campaign patrons, while the exact rules variant should be chosen to match the cult and tone of the character.
What Are Underworld Priests Doing Now?
They are policing tomb boundaries, questioning the dead, pursuing escaped spirits, investigating forbidden traffic between the living world and the realm below, and deciding whether supernatural punishment has exceeded the lawful authority of the dead.
Related Domains and Character Options
Rules Sources and Licensing
- Relics & Rituals: Olympus: W. Jason Peck, Aaron Rosenberg, Christina Stiles and the sourcebook team, White Wolf / Sword & Sorcery Studios, 2004.
- Lore of the Gods: Greek Gods: Steven Creech and Kevin Ruesch, Bastion Press.
- Correction: the earlier page had combined granted powers and spells from separate Underworld-domain variants. They are now presented independently.
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