Garagos the Reaver

Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Domains: Chaos, Destruction [Rage], Gluttony, Strength, War [Blood], Wrath
Favored Weapon: Longsword

The goal of Garagos the Reaver for all of his followers is to be covered in their enemy’s blood at the heart of a conflict they initiated. Once in ancient past, Garagos was an honored deity of war, a being associated with military victory through fury, more than perseverance through sound tactical decisions. He eventually came into conflict with the young demigod Tempus, who vied for his dominance over warcraft. The Tome of Foehammer’s Triumph, a collection of scriptures held holy by the church of Tempus, tells of a century-long battle in which the Lord of Battle finally defeated Garagos by turning the Reaver’s mindless fury against him. Long thought slain, Garagos reappeared in the recent past, awakened from ageless slumber likely by a devoted cult of worshipers. His newest incarnation seems utterly devoid of the craftiness he once possessed. Instead, Garagos is a being of idiot rage, a violent six-armed whirlwind of carnage that seems to exist only to destroy. Initially chaotic neutral, the debased, insane Garagos tilted over to brink of evil — an elemental force of destruction, with a mind vacant of anything but bloodshed, and along with him, a small but devoted cult of murderous warriors threaten peace wherever they tread.

Dogma: Peace is for the weak and for fools. War makes all who partake strong, and only in head-to-head conflict is honor satisfied. Only cowards avoid battle. Any who strike down a foe from ambush or from behind demonstrate cowardice; face your enemy head on. Retreat is never an option, even in the face of a greater foe, for it a warrior’s heart is focused on Garagos that will provide strength conquer the enemy.

Obedience: At dawn on the battlefield, brandish your weapon of choice, or your unholy symbol, and recount the tactics you have used to conquer your enemies. If you are facing an adversary, use this recounting as a boast, shouting it out to taunt the enemy’s attention upon you. If the enemy charges you before an hour of boasting has passed, then your goading another soul into conflict earns your +1 profane bonus on Initiative checks, attack rolls and your CMB for the duration of the combat; victory in the combat serves as completion of your obedience for the rest of the day. If you are not on the battlefield, spar with your allies to rally their zeal for slaughter, then find someplace to shed blood together to complete your obedience.

1: Hand of Slaughter (Sp) death knell 3/day, weapon of awe 2/day, or deadly juggernaut 1/day
2: Bloodlust (Ex) You may treat any weapon as if you were proficient in it and had the Weapon Focus feat for that weapon. If you already have Weapon Focus for that weapon, your critical hits with that weapon cause the target to bleed as if you had the Bleeding Critical feat, and half of the damage you deal is divine damage, like a flame strike spell.
3: Blade Terror (Sp) You can create a whirling curtain of blades of steel. This ability acts like a blade barrier cast by a cleric of a level equal to your hit dice,  but also sends out waves of fear like a fear spell cast by a Bloodrager of the same level as your hit dice. The Reflex save against the blades’ damage, and the Will save against the fear effect is equal to 10 + 1/2 your hit dice + your Charisma modifier. For the fear effect, you may instead choose to make an Intimidate check opposing the Will saves of those in the area of effect, but this must be chosen before any saves are rolled.

Antipaladin Code

To follow the Reaver is to know victory until you die. This might not take long, but if it does, then by the Reaver, you will be mighty.

• I slaughter wantonly those who dare challenge me, bathing in the blood of the defeated and taking no prisoners.
• I take what I want, and show no quarter because I’m strong; parley and begging are for the weak
• I will rejoice in the blood shed of ally and enemy alike, for blood is repaid with blood.

For Followers of Garagos

Archetypes: Rampager (Antipaladin)

Specialty Priest: Bloodreaver (Bloodrager)

The followers of Garagos are more often warriors than priests — and those that would classify as priests are hardly an organized clergy. The Reaver has little patience for divine theological penitents, and far more focus upon those who slay. Thus it would be that the Bloodreaver — his chosen profane vessel — is more akin to a berzerker, who has found himself gaining divine powers enough to amplify his ability to rage and slaughter.

• If a bloodreaver ever kills or initiates combat with someone by stabbing them in the back, rather than face to face in a show of sheer mettle, he loses his divine abilities until he atones.
• Bloodreavers are proficient in all types of armor, and all martial weapons and Garagos’ favored weapon group.
• Raging Blessing (Su): A bloodreaver chooses a warpriest blessing belonging to Garagos; he gains the blessing powers using his bloodrager level as his cleric level, and he may activate these powers while in a bloodrage. This replaces bloodline, uncanny dodge and improved uncanny dodge.
• Sacred Weapon (Su): At 1st level, the bloodreaver gains the sacred weapon warpriest ability equal to his bloodrager level; and the benefits apply to his weapon when he enters a bloodrage, and only when he is in a bloodrage. This replaces bloodline powers and bloodline spells.
• Orisons: At 1st level, the gains a number of orisons from the inquisitor spell list that he may cast at will. Use the Inquisitor table for spells per day to determine how many orisons the bloodreaver may learn as spells known.
• Bonus Feats: Starting at 3rd level, and every 3 levels thereafter, rather than bloodline feats, the bloodreaver chooses a combat feat; for the purpose of qualifying for these feats, he is treated as a fighter of his bloodreaver level. This replaces bloodline feats.
• Spellcasting: At 4th level, the bloodreaver casts spells from the Inquisitor spell list, rather than the bloodrager spell list. Only 1st- through 4th- level inquisitor spells are considered part of his spell list. He casts these spontaneously like a bloodrager, and uses the bloodrager tables for spells per day and spells known. He adds the domain spell for the domain that matches his chosen blessing as a bonus spell known; each time he gains the ability to cast a new spell level, he adds the corresponding domain spell as a bonus spell known. This alters spellcasting.
• Sacred Armor (Su): At 7th level, the bloodreaver gains the sacred armor ability of the warpriest. This replaces damage reduction.

Feats: Breaker of Barriers, Destroyer’s Blessing, Ironbound Master, Merciless Rush, Potion Glutton, Siphon Channel, Squash Flat, Sword Oath (applies to favored weapon; treat BAB as fighter level)

Magic Items: Bloodlight, Redlust’s Daughter

Prestige Classes: Arcane Devotee, Divine Champion, Divine Disciple, Divine Scion (Unchained), Divine Seeker.

Spells: Black Sword of War

Traits: Avowed Inspiration, Battlefield Caster, Destructive Blows, Divine Warrior, Iron Grip, Sacred Smasher, Shield-Trained, Steady Strength, Strength’s Fanfare, Strong Heart, Strong Willed, The Flexing Arm, Veteran of Battle, Wrecking Wrath

Unique Spell Rules

• Rage can be prepared as a 3rd-level Cleric spell
• Lead Blades can be prepared as a 3rd-level Cleric or Antipaladin spell

Unique Summon Rules

• Summon Monster III: Fiendish Worg (CE)

Clergy and Temples

Bloodreavers pray for spells in the morning. Ceremonies to the Lord of War typically involve bloodletting as well as anointing the faithful in the blood of their enemies. Though a few well-kept clergy prefer to sow discord through guile in the courts of cities across Faerun, most of Garagos’s feral clerics eschew bathing, proudly wearing multiple coats of enemy blood. The blood obsession of the cult of the Master of All Weapons has led many to conclude that services to Garagos involve some degree of vampirism, but a direct link has never been proven. Indeed, most vampires would be more likely to treat a blood-soaked cleric of Garagos as a particularly hearty meal than consider him an ally.

The Garagathan faith is not organized at all. It exists as a number of independent cults with individual hierarchies. Two rival temples fight each other for dominance in Amn and Tethyr. Another in the Sword Coast North is seeking to expand its sway over all the Sword Coast and the trade routes that connect to it, and ultimately into Cormyr.

The oldest temple, in Westgate, has always been split into warring cults. The currently predominant clergy members in that church are based in Yondath, and two eastern organizations battle with them for control of this branch of the faith. One of these is located in the Great Dale and is seeking to expand into Damara and Thay; the other has established itself in Raurin and is spreading agents both south and west.