Aphrodite
Chaotic Goddess of Love, Beauty, Passion, & Pleasure
* Smile often, showing your beauty
* Incite passion, especially the unbridled kind
* Engage in pleasure whenever possible
* Encourage beauty and the making of pretty things
Priestesses of Aphrodite
Special: Aphrodite is usually served by priestesses.
Allowed Weapons: None
Allowed Armor: None
Holy Symbol: Seashell, Dove, Dolphin
Can Turn: Those who are armed
Mysteries of Aphrodite: Priestesses of Aphrodite are quite attractive, gaining a +2 Charisma bonus as a result. What is more, their blessed beauty gives them a natural AC bonus equal to their Charisma bonus plus 1 per level as well (so a 2nd level priestess with a CHA of 17 would have an AC of 5) - it’s hard to want to hurt them!
Magical Side-Effects
Love can create life itself, but it can also make it quite challenging. Roll 1d12.
1. Bearer Epistrophia: The magic will only work if it directly involves love, beauty, passion, or pleasure. Otherwise, a sacrifice of something beautiful worth at least 1d6 gold pieces per spell level would be an attractive substitute.
2. Praxis-Porne: The spell’s target must save vs. death or fall in love with the next individual he or she sees. And unless it would be very inappropriate, that love will be very sexual.
3. Embrace of the Hetaira: If the spell would help the recipient, then the priestess must pleasure them for at least 1 turn first. If not, or if such pleasuring would upset the recipient, then the priestess must find someone else to pleasure within the next hour. Not doing so would be very unpleasant, provoking a divine test!
4. Anaduomene-clad: As Great Aphrodite arose from the sea, the priestess too must be fully nude or else the magic only has 50% of its normal effect. Even if not bathed in water at the time, it must be so, for she will be stunning.
5. Sweetest Kallisti: If the spell is meant to aid the target, then its effects are adjusted by their Charisma modifier. Therefore, someone with CHA 15 would gain a +1, while another with CHA 8 would suffer -1. It’s only fair that the most beautiful should receive the most benefit.
6-8. Standard Magic: The spell occurs without side-effect this time.
9. Pasiphaessa Glow: The priestess’s beauty shines bright, blinding all who gaze upon her for the next round. Those affected can save vs. spell to ignore the effects, otherwise the blindness ends 1d3 rounds later even if the desire for her does not.
10. Way of Eros: If the priestess lies with the next remotely appropriate individual she sees for at least 1d3 turns, then the magic’s effect, range, or duration can gain a 50% bonus. Such lovemaking pleases Aphrodite, especially if it is wanton!
11. Where Zeus Loves Dione: The spell occurs for double the effect, range, or duration, but only if the priestess is nude at a beach, is bathing, or does so soon after. In addition, men who have lower HD than her who witness her doing so must also save vs. death or die.
12. Carnal Blessing: Aphrodite arouses the magic to have twice its effect, range, or duration, plus it is not expended and can be cast again that day. Also, if it’s meant to benefit the target, she improves all their rolls by 1 for the next 1d6 hours as long as they engage in carnal pleasure at least once every hour.
DCC RPG Conversion notes:
Can turn= Unholy creatures
Charisma= Personality (or Comeliness, if using that optional rule from Volume I)
AC 5= AC 14
Save vs. death= make a Will save DC 10
Save vs. spell= make a Will save DC 15
Spell not expended that day= +2 bonus to its spell check
Additional notes:
Aphrodite is often equated to Venus, though she is different, the latter being concerned more with appropriate passion and ritualized worship in the Roman fashion. See Volume II for more information about her. Other related goddesses of love include Freya (in Volume I), Ishtar (in Volume III), and even, in a twisted way, Unharmonia (also in Volume I).
Next week: priestesses of Aphrodite, Part II!
