Pathfinder God help

[ArrixGrimm]

I will be running a Pathfinder game hopefully in the next coming weeks for my friends that involves them learning about their corrupt Homeland while jumping from plane to plane trying to get home. One of the NPCs is going to be a cleric of a god of Fire and Ash....But the question is...What should this gods favored weapon be?

[legomaster00156]

What is the setting?

[ArrixGrimm]

Set in the Pathfinder rule set but setting is custom made, as is this god. Most gods have a favored weapon that fits their flavor but I am drawing a blank on this one.

[CharonsHelper]

It's a bit on the nose - but you could go with Battle Poi. Maybe a firearm of some stripe? (it does go off with a burst of fire & ash)

Is fire & ash god into using ash for concealment & being sneaky? You could go for a traditionally sneaky weapon like a dagger, cane sword, fighting fan, or combat scabbard.

Or just pick one which seems cool. There are plenty of gods with little to no reason for their favored weapon.

[GrayDeath]

Are Fire and Ash its only aspects?

Is it a "born" God, then who are his parents, or did it have a mortal life once, if yes, what was it like?

[ArrixGrimm]

The god is a Dragon, having gained godhood from being worshiped during it's mortal life by those that lived in a volcanic region. Through his teachings, these people learned how to harness the power of hazardous home to become blacksmiths and farmers (as volcanic soil is very fertile.) His domains would over Fire, Ash, Blacksmithing and Agriculture.

[Honest Tiefling]

Maybe a firearm of some stripe? (it does go off with a burst of fire & ash)

Wasn't gunpowder made with charcoal? I like this idea, if you do not mind firearms.

If you DO mind fire arms, perhaps a n axe? While the scythe is more associated with farming, the axe clears the forest for farming and for wood for blacksmithing. A weapon of both agriculture and war.

[ArrixGrimm]

Personal firearms tend to be rare in our games, with cannons and mortars being the most common type of black powder weapons. Though a cleric with firearms as their favored weapon would be interesting

[ArrixGrimm]

On another note...Could gods have more then one favored weapon?

[Honest Tiefling]

On another note...Could gods have more then one favored weapon?

To my knowledge, it changes nothing other than what clerics are automatically proficient with, and what weapons can be used with the Guided Hand feat.

If your pantheon has a more limited number of gods, I don't think it'll wreck balance. Perhaps one sect or region uses one weapon, and another uses a different weapon better suited to that area or associated with a local hero. You could also have people channel from an overgod via a demigod which might represent a more limited aspect of the Overgod.

[Particle_Man]

One of the NPCs is going to be a cleric of a god of Fire and Ash....But the question is...What should this gods favored weapon be?

1) Chainsaw.

2) Boom Stick.

[GilesTheCleric]

A (spiked) shield could represent a bowl of incense. A (heavy) mace or flail could be used as a censer. Scimitar and flamberge blades are reminiscent of a fire. Many desert deities offer the whip. Axes are the tool used for breaking wood/ making fires. A war fan or needle-pointed fan could be combined with ash for attacking or stirring a flame.

[CharonsHelper]

Since he also has blacksmithing - you could just go with a hammer.

[ArrixGrimm]

I was thinking of going with Warhammer and Battle axe, one for the Smiths and one for the farmers. Scimitars and Flamberges sound amazing too, always been a fan of the scimitar.

[Calthropstu]

Suggestions:

Warhammer fits the "blacksmithing" aspect.
A polearm would be best for ashes, kind of like a giant poker.
Scythe fits the agriculture aspect.

[GilesTheCleric]

I was thinking of going with Warhammer and Battle axe, one for the Smiths and one for the farmers. Scimitars and Flamberges sound amazing too, always been a fan of the scimitar.

In 3.5, many deities have multiple favoured weapons (some as many as 5 or more), but I don't know about PF.

[ArrixGrimm]

Warhammer looks good, Battleaxe is more or less the same just slashing. Flamberge is fun but I can't find the stats for it. Also..does guided hand work with ranged and melee? If so, they combined two of my favorite Cleric feats from 3.5

[VonMuller]

How about alchemist fire and -don't remember if it's the right name- smokesticks? Give bonus range and smoke size to clerics of that deity for free.

[ArrixGrimm]

I don't think that is how that works since you don;t need prof in those

[GilesTheCleric]

Flamberge is fun but I can't find the stats for it.

Technically just about any weapon can be a flamberge, but it's probably best to just make them identical to greatswords.

[ArrixGrimm]

Technically just about any weapon can be a flamberge, but it's probably best to just make them identical to greatswords.

If I remember right, one of the Ultimate Equipment guides for 3.5 had the Flamberge

Found it, 3.5 has it listed as 2d6 18-20/x2 and 16lbs and is an Exotic 2hander

[theasl]

Interestingly, the D&D Forgotten Realms god of elemental fire, Kossuth, has a spiked chain named "Tendril of Flame" as his favored weapon. (Yes, Forgotten Realms deities have specific names for their favored weapons.) Joramy, the closest match in D&D Greyhawk (volcanoes, fire, wrath, anger, quarrels) has a quarterstaff for some reason. I would second a hammer of some sort (light hammer or warhammer) for blacksmithing; most gods of that nature have a warhammer as their favored weapon (Golarion Torag - forge, protection, strategy, dwarves - and Greyhawk Tharmekhûl - forge, fire, warfare - for example). I generally have a problem with the scythe, since it's basically unusable as a weapon in its agricultural form; a scythe as used for actual fighting (search "war scythe") was modified to become more akin to a fauchard. Sickle, on the other hand, would be a good choice if playing up the agricultural aspects.

It's also worth noting that while many gods have favored weapons that make sense for their portfolio, many also don't. There is a preponderance of quarterstaffs among major Greyhawk gods for reasons that I can't fathom, not being too familiar with the setting. Also, sometimes favored weapons are a feature of the gods' story - see Golarion's Shelyn and her glaive, for example - and not related to their portfolio. Now, since this god is a dragon, that's less relevant, but still something that bears consideration (can natural weapon be a favored weapon? :smallbiggrin:).


To my knowledge, it changes nothing other than what clerics are automatically proficient with, and what weapons can be used with the Guided Hand feat.

I believe it also determines the effects of the spell Spiritual Weapon (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/spells/spiritualWeapon.html).

EDIT: and now I realize that I just suggested the hammer and sickle (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer_and_sickle), maybe it's also the god of communism? :smallwink:

[ArrixGrimm]

That does seem very strange that most sport quarterstaves, might have to do something with clergy being more monk like then fighters. Also I will apologize for not giving more info on the God I am creating, was on my phone for most of the day and posted during breaks, but in the morning I should be able to answer any questions about the deity

[legomaster00156]

Now, since this god is a dragon, that's less relevant, but still something that bears consideration (can natural weapon be a favored weapon? :smallbiggrin:).
Yes, actually. The dragon god Apsu in Golarion has two favored weapons: quarterstaves for mortal worshipers, and breath weapons for dragons.

[GrayDeath]

Given his History I`d go with the Scythe and natural Weapons for Humans/Dragons.

[ArrixGrimm]

Scythe only fits with grain farming honestly, and he is more geared to pyromancy and Blacksmithing , agriculture being smaller part of his portfolio

[Bucky]

Spiked Gauntlet, like his claws.
Torches, if you're feeling exotic.

[ArrixGrimm]

I forgot that in Pathfinder there were rules for get Prof with torches