Damh the Horned Beast

Child of Titania and Oberon, Damh (pronounced DAV) is the revelrous patron of satyrs and korred. Despite his love for wine, women, and song, he is the physically strongest member of the Seelie Court, and the first to come to defense of sylvan lands.

Damh (PDF Version)
(Horned Beast, the Reveler in the Glades)
Lesser Power of the Planes, CN

Portfolio:                 Dance, song, celebrations, revels, alcoholic consumption, satyrs, korred, atomies
Aliases:                     None
Domain Name:           Wanders/the Seelie Court
Superior:                   Titania
Allies:                       Baervan Wildwanderer, Belenus, Dionysos, Ehlonna, Grumbar, Liira, Lydia, Mielikki, Milil, Obad-hai, Olidammara, Pan, Rillifane Rallathil, Sharess, Sharindlar, Sheela Peryroyl, Shiallia, Silvanus, Tapann, Ye’Cind, Zagyg, the centaur pantheon (except Chitza-Atlan), the Seelie Court, the Seldarine, the Tuatha dé Danann (except Arawn, Math Mathonwy, and Morrigan)
Foes:                           Cegilune, Malar, the Queen of Air and Darkness, the goblinoid pantheons
Symbol:                     Flute or pipes and drum
Wor. Align.:              NG, CG, N, CN

As the son of Titania and Oberon and a member of the Inner Circle of the Seelie Court, Damh (DAV) the Horned Beast represents the spirit of revelry that can be found within most of the faerie races. He has taken upon himself the patronage of satyrs, korred, and atomies, all of whom value good music and dance, and he looks after them faithfully. To all faerie folk, Damh is known as the Reveler in the Glades for his great love of music and dance combined with his fondness for drink.

Like all members of the Seelie Court, Damh’s history is shrouded in often-contradictory myth and legend. He is said to be the first-born son of Titania and Oberon, and this is almost certainly true. How he came to adopt his charges is no great mystery or daring story; instead he did so out of an earnest desire to ease some of the burdens his mother put upon herself. Despite the lack of a great myth surrounding this choice, the simple story it tells is itself seen as a lesson for faerie folk on the importance of family and the need to place certain tasks above fun and self-indulgence, and elders use it to remind young faeries of their duties. Contrary to the serious nature of this element of Damh’s personality and the faithfulness with which he protects his charges, he is known best for his rowdy and bawdy nature. He enjoys music and dancing in all forms, as well as bardic verse, jesters, and comic plays, all the more if he has access to great quantities of strong drink. He especially loves the company of dryads, nymphs, and other fey females, and he finds it nearly impossible to turn down opportunities for such indulgences and self-gratification. Many of Damh’s myths tend to be comedic tales of the trouble he finds himself in due to his love of music, drink, or dryads, but invariably he is able to turn his vices into victories. One of his most well-known myths revolves around a situation in which he attempted to aid a group of korred trapped on an island by a powerful giant, sometimes Grolantor or Karontor, but just as often left unnamed. In his attempts to free his followers from their bondage, he is regularly foiled by visions of beautiful sirines or inebriated arguments that act against his goal. This motif repeats in the story a few times until a great sailor, often Manannan mac Lir, arrives and gives aid to Damh and his korred. Together the pair is able to set up an elaborate ruse that confounds the villainous giant and frees the korred, although the story often ends with Damh accidentally revealing some bit of information he tried to keep secret as they are all sailing away.

There is more to Damh than just personal gratification, however. More so than any other member of the Seelie Court save the queen and king, and perhaps Emmantiensien, the Reveler in the Glades is an ancient deity. It is said that he raised the first standing stones with Belenus, and was present when the first human druids were ordained. As such, he has always maintained close relations with druidic deities and those closely tied to natural wild places. Damh has always had a close connection with earth, rock, and stone, a connection that grants him great physical strength, an unusual feature among the Seelie Court. As such he acts as a guardian and protector, rushing to aid any of his fellows should they be attacked. He has instilled this attitude in his mortal wards, making korred among the most militant in the defense of their sylvan lands.

Quite possibly the most active of the sylvan deities, Damh’s avatars are almost always found on the Prime Material Plane, wandering from revel to revel and joining in wherever song and dance is to be had in sylvan lands, especially if dryads or nymphs are present. However, he does not hesitate to use his great strength and magical prowess to ambush and destroy powerful despoilers of faerie lands.

Damh’s Avatar (Bard 29, Fighter 20)

Damh appears as a handsome, middle-aged male korred with satyr-like horns sprouting from amidst his tawny-auburn hair, which is braided with gold filigree jewelry. In a sack on his waist he carries a wooden flute, a small hand-held harp, and a set of pipes. He draws his spells from all schools save necromancy.

AC −2; MV 18; HP 168; THAC0 1; #AT 5/2
Dmg 1d10+11 (staff +3, +9 Str, +2 spec bonus in staff)
MR 40%; SZ S (3′ 6″)
Str 20, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 18
Spells W: 6/6/5/5/5/5/1
Saves PPDM 3; RSW 4; PP 4; BW 4; Sp 5

Special Att/Def: In combat, Damh wields Geagmor, a great gnarled oaken staff +3. Once per day, he can touch 2d4 korred, satyrs, or atomies to grant invulnerability, as the potion. He always carries with him 1d4 ropes of entanglement woven from his own hair, and a jug of very strong mead that can heal an imbiber as a potion of extra-healing should he desire it. His magical instruments have great powers, as well, should he spend one full round playing them. Three times per day, his flute can summon 2d4 korred or satyrs if such beings are within one mile or create a forcecage. His harp affects 1d4 listeners chosen by Damh with Otto’s irresistible dance up to three times per day, and with his pipes he can cast charm person or mammal, fear, or sleep within a 60-foot radius at will.

Six times per day, the Reveler in the Glades can unleash a magical laugh that stuns all those within a 30-foot radius for 2d4+2 rounds unless they make a successful Charisma check. At will, he can charm person, with females suffering a −6 penalty to their saving throws. Further, he can cast animate rock, shatter rock (as shatter), stone door (as plant door), shone shape, stone tell, and transmute rock to mud at will. Within woodland environs, and for 10 turns after leaving, Damh can cast detect charm, detect magic, detect invisibility, ESP, faerie fire, forget, know alignment, plant growth, speak with animals, and obscurement at will, and goodberry six times per day. In addition, he is able to pass without trace automatically, and move silently and hide in undergrowth (as hide in shadows) in such areas with a 95% success rate.

Damh is immune to all enchantment/charm, elemental earth, and death magic, as well as caused wounds, poison, disease, and polymorph attacks. He can only be struck by weapons of +1 enchantment or better. Even if magically compelled, no sentient non-evil plants, non-evil faerie creatures, or normal woodland animals will attack him. However, outside of a sylvan environment, his magic resistance is halved and he suffers a +4 penalty to his Armor Class.

Other Manifestations
The Horned Beast mostly manifests his power through earthen or stone effects, favoring large-scale transmute rock to mud effects, a dozen or so Maximilian’s earthen grasps, or animate rock on standing stones in order to aid beleaguered followers. He has also been known to enchant a follower’s staff or club with shillelagh, or create a large entangle effect. His most common effects, however, involve subtle sounds of music and laughter, or brief glimpses of satyrs or dryads to lead followers to safety or distract despoilers or pursuers. In the latter case, such manifestations often lead to traps or the territories of dangerous forest creatures such as green dragons..

Damh is served primarily by bacchae, earth elementals, eladrin, and faerie creatures of all sorts, as well as forest creatures of all sorts, amber dragons, bariaurs, cervidal guardinals, galeb duhr, sunflies, treants, and werebears. He displays his favor through the discovery of agates, amber, emeralds, a fallen branch that is the perfect size and shape for a staff or cudgel, standing stones, and unattended jars, bottles, amphorae, and skins of wine, beer, ale, or other alcoholic beverages. The Horned Beast displays his disfavor only through the sudden spoilage of alcoholic beverages while it is being imbibed.

The Church
Clergy:                      Specialty priests, druids, shamans, rangers, bards
Clergy’s Align.:      NG, CG, N, CN
Turn Undead:           SP: No, D: No, Sha: No, R: No, B: No
Cmnd. Undead:         SP: No, D: No, Sha: No, R: No, B: No

All clerics and specialty priests of Damh receive religion (Seelie Court) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency. All members of the clergy must take proficiency in a handheld music instrument upon entering the priesthood.

While most of the sylvan priesthoods are quite reclusive, Damh’s priesthood maintains contacts with many outside faiths, making it the most well-known of the sylvan faiths after Skerrit’s clergy. They maintain close alliances with orders in the proximity of their lands, and often help with the raising of standing stones, in exchange for the right to worship at them. The Reveler in the Glades is also sometimes found as patron to orders of druids and rangers that venerate a group of nature deities, although he rarely holds a pre-eminent position in them. His faith is deeply respected by most nature faiths, while those that seek to despoil natural places greatly fear his followers, thankful only that they are relatively few in number.

The Horned Beast’s priesthood builds no true temples, although they do create places of worship through the use of standing stones. Most such places are ancient, and few new locations are established by his faithful, except in situations where they move to virgin sylvan lands that they have never occupied before. The standing stones they use to mark holy places may be anywhere from mere inches in height to over twenty feet, although three to six feet tall are the most common. They are placed in a circle of varying diameters, usually creating a glade deep within a dense forest. They may be created in large meadows or other open spaces, however, depending on the local terrain and populations. The closest Damh’s priesthood gets to creating shrines are isolated standing stones, often in natural glades or meadows. Members of the priesthood can often interpret a wide amount of meaning in the placement of such isolated stones, but their meaning is indecipherable to all others save followers of other sylvan deities.

All members of the Horned Beast’s priesthood, aspirant and full member alike, are called Sylvan Revelers. Specialty priests are called woodwoses. Damh’s priesthood eschews formal titles, although satyrs and some korred create grandiose titles for themselves after having too much drink. The Damhite priesthood is composed almost exclusively of males (90%). The composition of Damh’s clergy is fairly evenly divided between specialty priests (30%), druids (29%), and rangers (25%), with a small remainder of shamans (10%) and bards (6%). Satyrs (45%) and korred (25%) dominate the priesthood of the Horned Beast, with a surprising number of humans and demihumans (mostly sylvan elves, forest gnomes, and tall fellow halflings; 15%) found within the ranks as well; the remainder is composed of clurichauns (3%), atomies (2%), and other sylvan races (10%).

Dogma: Life is full of joy and pleasure, pursue them with gusto and live your life to the fullest. The greatest pleasures in life are wine and women, music and mirth; seek them out and indulge in the joy they bring. Share your joys with others, and the more the merrier. Life is a celebration, and celebrations are life. Any gathering of individuals has the makings of a party. Stand the stones that mark reverent spaces, and display devotion at these places with song and dance. Wild sylvan lands are full of wonder and fun-loving creatures; protect them from despoilers and aid the active guardians of these lands when they require assistance.

Day-to-Day Activities: What time Damh’s clergy doesn’t spend in parties, revels, and celebrations is spending searching for such events to participate in. They see any meeting of two or more friendly creatures as an opportunity to party, and as accomplished musicians and storytellers, they can provide entertainment if their companions cannot. Their preferred gatherings have an ample supply of drink, the companionship of dryads, nymphs, or other beautiful women, and entertainment in the form of music, verse, jest, or theater. They do not seek to live in communities, however, with most making their abodes in small forested caves or huts. They maintain regular contact with communities of fairies, elves, or other well-intentioned sylvan inhabitants, and try to show up for any celebrations they hold.

As a general rule, members of the Damhite clergy are a rowdy, rambunctious, lecherous lot, but always have good intentions. They seek only to share their joy of life with others, and are quick to apologize if they inadvertently give offense with an off-color joke or bawdy tale. They do not hold a grudge against those who spurn their advances or hold distaste for their preferred entertainment, and instead seek out more like-minded individuals and communities.

Despite their fun-loving nature, they can be deadly serious about protecting their lands and allies. They favor quick strikes against despoilers, both to instill a fear of the woodlands in their foes and to swiftly eliminate threats so they can return to their revels and indulgences. In particular, when elves attempt to rally sylvan creatures against a common foe, Damh’s followers are among the first to respond and the last to withdraw.

Important Ceremonies/Holy Days: Followers of the Horned Beast put little stock in regular ceremonies or celebrations, preferring spontaneity. However, they also take any excuse for a party and gleefully feign recognition of a religious ceremony if it means a feast with wine and entertainment is in e offing. As such, many members come to be particularly familiar with any jubilant ceremonies of nearby faiths and communities, although they observe none of their own. To a member of Damh’s clergy, taking part in a revel is itself a form of worship of their patron.

Major Centers of Worship: There are no known holy sites dedicated solely to Damh, and his followers are not the type to engage in pilgrimage. However, they consider any stone circles or henges to be at least partially sacred to the Horned Beast, and those members of the clergy that come across such a site make sure to play a rousing tune on their favored music instrument to honor their patron. Priests who live in proximity to such places try to organize frequent if irregular woodland revels within the circles if they can. This sometimes requires making an agreement with local druids, or holding them in secret if the druids are disinclined to share.

Affiliated Orders: The priesthood of the Reveler in the Glades sponsors no martial or military orders, although there are a number of small bands of satyr rangers who call Damh their patron.

Priestly Vestments: Festive clothing is the garb of choice for members of the clergy when acting in their minimal official roles, at least if their race even wears garments. Satyrs and korred wear very little in general, and there may not be anything to distinguish members of the clergy from unaffiliated members of those races. Otherwise, the type and cut of the festive garb follows local traditions, with no particular constants across all races. The holy symbol used by the clergy is each individual priest’s favored musical instrument, usually pipes or a flute.

Adventuring Garb: When adventuring, members of the Damhite clergy wear comfortable traveling feat appropriate to their race and culture, favoring light armor should they need to defend themselves.

Specialty Priests (Woodwoses)
Requirements:          Constitution 10, Wisdom 12, Charisma 12 (Strength 13, Wisdom 12)
Prime Req.:                Wisdom, Charisma (Wisdom)
Alignment:                CN
Weapons:                   Cudgel (club), dagger, dart, shears, sling, staff
Armor:                       Any non-metallic, no shield
Major Spheres:         All, chaos, charm, combat, divination, elemental (earth), healing, plant, protection, travelers
Minor Spheres:         Animal, elemental (air, water), travelers
Magical Items:         Same as druids
Req. Profs:                Brewing or winemaking (PHBR10)
Bonus Profs:             Dancing, musical instrument (flute, harp, or pipes)

  • Woodwoses may be any sylvan race capable of becoming a priest, as well as elves or forest gnomes. Most woodwoses are satyrs or korred.
  • Satyrs and korred only may use the parenthetical requirements and prime requisites above if drawn more to Damh’s protective aspect. This is chosen at character creation and cannot be changed later.
  • Woodwoses can cast all spells from the sphere of elemental earth as if they were two levels higher.
  • Woodwoses can cast shillelagh (as the 1st-level priest spell) at will.
  • At 4th level, woodwoses can cast entangle or strength of stone (as the 1st-level priest spells) once per day.
  • At 7th level, woodwoses can cast Maximilian’s earthen grasp (as the 2nd-level wizard spell) or spike growth (as the 3rd-level priest spell) once per day.
  • At 10th level, woodwoses can cast plant door (as the 4th-level priest spell) or transmute rock to mud or its reverse (as the 5th-level priest spell) once per day.
  • At 14th level, woodwoses can cast Otto’s irresistible dance (as the 8th-level wizard spell) once per day.

Specialty Priests (Druids)
Requirements:          Wisdom 12, Charisma 15
Prime Req.:                Wisdom, Charisma
Alignment:                N
Weapons:                   Club, dart, dagger, knife, scimitar, sickle, sling, spear, staff
Armor:                       Padded, leather, or hide and wooden, bone, shell or other nonmetallic shield
Major Spheres:         All, animal, combat, elemental (air, earth, water), healing, plant, sun, time, wards, weather
Minor Spheres:         Travelers
Magical Items:         Same as druid
Req. Profs:                Brewing, musical instrument (flute, harp, or pipes)
Bonus Profs:             Survival (woodland)

Some of Damh’s specialty priests are druids. Their abilities and restrictions, aside from changes noted above and later in this section, are detailed in full in the Player’s Handbook.

  • Damh’s druids may be elves, humans, satyrs, or korred.
  • Druids of Damh are not allowed to multiclass.
  • At 2nd level, druids of Damh can cast shillelagh (as the 1st-level priest spell) once per day.

Damhite Spells

1st Level
Sharpen Horns (Pr 1; Alteration)
Sphere:                    Animal
Range:                     0
Components:           V, M
Duration:                 1 rd. + 1 rd./level
Casting Time:          1 rd.
Area of Effect:         The caster
Saving Throw:        None

By stroking a stag’s or antelope’s bone along his horns and calling upon his god for strength, the caster can sharpen and strengthen his horns so that they cause an additional 1d4 points of damage to a foe upon a successful hit. This spell only functions for those with horns, including those gained through the use of a spell such as alter self.

2nd Level
Woodland Party (Pr 2; Conjuration/Summoning)
Sphere:                    Animal
Range:                     50 yds./3 levels
Components:           V, S
Duration:                 1 turn
Casting Time:          1 turn
Area of Effect:         Special
Saving Throw:        Neg.

Originally used to attract denizens of the woodlands for celebrations, this spell can be used to summon 1d10 intelligent woodland creatures (to a maximum of 2d10 HD total) for a single purpose (including attacking the caster’s foes). The caster must play a music instrument they are proficient with and dance for the duration of the spell’s casting time. The creatures show up within 1–3 rounds and can include dryads, satyrs, sprites, and other creatures of higher than 3 Intelligence that live within the spell’s range. (DMs can use the table under the call woodland beings spell if they wish.) Those called forth receive a saving throw to avoid the call, and if one of the priest’s party is a known despoiler of nature, then they receive another one to see if they can leave. If the caster personally knows a being in the area, then he can double his range for that one being.

The summoned creatures expect a reward of dancing, singing, and eating afterward, however. If the caster does not provide at least four songs (about 30 minutes) worth of frivolity and joy, the spell will not work for the caster again until he provides some sort of festivities for the summoned creatures. The party can continue after the caster leaves if they called forth a satyr (30% chance to do so).

3rd Level
Follow the Music (Pr 3; Enchantment/Charm)
Sphere:                    Charm
Range:                     10 yds.
Components:           V, S
Duration:                 Up to 1 hr.
Casting Time:          1 rd.
Area of Effect:         Special
Saving Throw:        Neg.

By playing a music instrument (that the priest must be proficient with) and dancing around in a bit of a jig, the caster can draw away a number of foes and set them on a merry chase. The music first attracts those listening at a rate of 1 Hit Die per caster level (up to a maximum of 12 HD) and mildly distracts them from their fight (adds a –1 cumulative penalty to attack and damage) for the first 5 rounds. Targets receive a saving throw vs. spell to negate the effects.

If the combat hasn’t ended after these first 5 rounds have passed, the affected individuals get an itchy sense that the foes they’re fighting aren’t the ones they should be facing. They break off from combat completely and start looking around for their true foes. At that point, the victims are still somewhat aware of the caster’s compatriots, so they avoid blows (no attacks of opportunity) as normal but do not return any. By the seventh round of combat, the caster can either guide the affected foes away from the combat by breaking away himself or simply allow things to stand as they are. If the priest heads away, still playing, the victims of the spell follow him bemusedly. The spell continues for as long as the caster plays or until the duration ends, whichever comes first. If the caster tries to lead the victims to their deaths (by sending them off a cliff or something similar), then the victims receive another saving throw to negate, with a +4 bonus.  This spell can be cast anywhere, but a priest must play their instrument and dance to maintain the spell.

4th Level
Forest Feast (Pr 4; Enchantment/Charm)
Sphere:                    Animal, Travelers
Range:                     200 yds.
Components:           V, S
Duration:                 1d3 + 1 hrs.
Casting Time:          1 turn
Area of Effect:         Special
Saving Throw:        Neg.

By playing an instrument and dancing, the caster can alert the denizens of the forest that it’s time for a feast. Those within the range of the spell can make saving throws to avoid gathering food, drink, or other supplies, but most want to take part in the celebration, so they receive a –4 penalty to the saving throw. All manner of animals bring food for themselves and for one other of their kind. Satyrs bring wine, dryads gather dead wood for the firepit, nearby nymphs help provide water, and smaller creatures bring forth vegetables, insects, or whatever their own appetites run to. In the end, the spellcasting priest has enough food and drink to feed every one roughly twice over.

Any non-forest-dwelling, intelligent being in the area might be drawn into the feast by one of the participants so that they can help prepare for the festivities. The only way the caster will have meat at the feast is if a satyr, humanoid, or carnivorous creature comes forward with a recent kill (or with meat provisions of some sort). There is a flat 30% chance that someone brings meat. At the feast, everyone is on their honor not to kill another being attending, but if a conflict arises—such as a puma killing an attending rabbit family—the feast immediately falls apart in a rather chaotic manner. Once the spell is cast, the priest calling the feast can take part in the fun, though he might be called upon to help settle tempers if they start to fray. Thankfully for the forest creatures, this latter situation happens very rarely. Those attending this feast gain not only food and drink, but also heal 1d8+1 points of damage for every two levels of the caster, which usually takes 1d3+1 hours. If an evil outsider attempts to break into the feast, every animal attending leaps to the defense, so PCs can also gain the benefits of a temporary safe haven.

7 Responses to Damh the Horned Beast

  1. Arnwyn says:

    Woot! The Seelie Court!

  2. William says:

    As patron of satyrs, it would be interesting to explore Damh’s relationship with Pan (I assume they are allies, perhaps friends). Another name for Damh is Prince of the Pipes.

    According to Wizards of the Coast’s “Underdark” supplement, Damh is the master of the Summer Queen’s servants in the Feydark, ranging across it and leading a small elite contingent of korred, satyrs, darklings, and pech to see to Titania’s interests there. He is especially skilled at sabotaging mindflayers and drow, two of the Summer Court’s most hated enemies in the underground realm.

    • AuldDragon says:

      Yeah, Pan shows up in Damh’s list of allies. :) Do you have a source for the title “Prince of the Pipes”?

      I haven’t read much of the post-2e material, because a lot of things get changed, and I prefer the material as established in 2e. I know very little about the Feywild/Feydark and other places inserted into the game after AD&D was defunct. It limits the amount of contradictory information I need to sift through. :)

  3. camelotcrusade says:

    This one still needs fixed, Auld Dragon. We love this entry, by the way!

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