Umberlee - Piety System Page

Goddess of the Treacherous Seas

Toss a coin to the ocean, or she’ll take the whole lot of us and the treasure to boot.

Umberlee is the goddess of the treacherous seas, a dangerous and quick to anger deity that receives large amounts of tribute in exchange for her mercy.

Umberlee’s Champions

Alignment: Usually chaotic, often evil
Suggested Classes: Cleric, Sorcerer, Druid
Suggested Cleric Domains: Tempest
Suggested Backgrounds: Pirate, Sailor, Marine

Champions of Umberlee are those who revere the ocean and risk their lives by treading the domain of the wavemother.

Umberlee’s Favor

Umberlee drowns ships and sinks coastal towns with vicious and lamentable regularity. She admires those who give her tribute, whether that be in chests of gold or sentimental trinkets - what matters to Umberlee is how much of a sacrifice was made.

Umberlee’s scions are inconsistent in temperament, but share a common bond in their link to the ocean - to live in service to the Bitch Queen (for even amongst evil deities, Umberlee is known to possess a cruel streak) is no easy matter.

Why did Umberlee seek you out as a champion? The following table offers a few suggestions.

d6	Circumstance
1	Your ship and crew tithes generously to the goddess and you have her favour...for now.
2	You fell overboard, and Umberlee carried you to shore. You have no idea why she would spare you.
3	You are close friends with a sea animal or monster.
4	You’ve lived on the sea edge all your life, and Umberlee has been watching you.
5	You were a sea creature, but the Bitch Queen sent you onto land in a new body after you slighted her.
6	You hurled yourself into the sea in a fit of despair, but the goddess had other plans for you.

Devotion to Umberlee

Following Umberlee means dedicating your life to the dangers of the open sea. As a follower of Umberlee, consider the ideals below as alternatives to those suggested for your background.

d6	Ideals
1	Devotion. My devotion to my god is more important to me than what they stand for. (Any)
2	Wealth. Tribute is how people should show they love me.
3	Risk. The sea is a capricious and fickle mistress. I must match it in daring if I am to survive.
4	Courage. Nothing terrifies me as much as the thought of ending my days in a watery grave.
5	Passion. Life is short. Opportunities for happiness are limited. Seize them without regret.
6	Cruelty. You think this is bad? Try sailing the Sea of Stars at midnight in a thunderstorm. That’s real suffering.

Earning and Losing Piety

You increase your piety score to Umberlee when you expand the god’s influence in the world in a concrete way through acts such as these:

• Giving due tribute to the ocean in the form of something that matters to you
• Taking a sea journey having secured Umberlee’s favour
• Showing reverence and deference to the dangers of the ocean

Your piety score to Umberlee decreases if you diminish Umberlee’s influence in the world or contradict her ideals through acts such as these:

• Traveling by sea when the omens are dark and against the wishes of the goddess
• Not offering due tribute from any spoils gained at sea

Deity Traits

Favoured God: Umberlee

Piety 3+ Umberlee trait 
You gain Inspiration when you offer tribute to the sea.

Captain’s Bond

Piety 10+ Umberlee trait 
Choose a sea vessel you know of. You are always aware of its location, crew and state of repair as long as it is on the water and on the same plane of existence.

Sea legs

Piety 25+ Umberlee trait 
Whilst aboard a ship, underwater or in the rain, enemies have disadvantage on attack rolls against you and perception checks to detect you.

Chosen of Umberlee

Piety 50+ Umberlee trait 
You can spend an inspiration die to cast maelstrom with this trait, requiring no material components. Once you cast the spell in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.