Beshaba
Beshaba is the counterpoint to Tymora and is just as frequently acknowledged in daily life as is her more benevolent "sister." She is seen as a cruel and capricious goddess who must be propitiated to avoid attracting her attention and interest in a negative way.
Temples to Beshaba are virtually unknown. It's common, however, for rural folk to erect a post and mount antlers on it at the site of some roadside accident or murder. In cities, where antlers are hard to come by and murders and accidents more prevalent, the fashion is to draw the black antlers of Beshaba with charcoal on a nearby wall, leaving the symbol on display until weather scours it away. These "shrines," in either form, serve as warnings to others about places of ill fortune.
Beshaba’s clerics and paladins are her agents in Faerûn. They are the few granted some protection from a truly calamitous fate, for a time; though, each knows that undeath may be waiting in the end. These agents embrace strife, trickery, and impending doom to stir fear and reverence toward Lady Doom. However, the Maid of Misfortune’s clerics and paladins must have the fortitude to endure their difficult tasks or they’ll certainly face a dreadful demise.
Clerics and paladins of Beshaba pray for their spells at midnight after making an offering to the goddess. They recognize Midsummer and Shieldmeet as holy days in which they often participate in widespread rampages of wanton destruction.
Doom Domain Spells
Cleric Level Spells
1st bane, hex
3rd bane of Beshaba, darkfire
5th animate dead, bestow curse
7th doomtide, misfire
9th misfortune, whip of woe
Bonus Proficiencies When you select this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency in two of the following skills of your choice: Deception, Intimidation, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth.
Bonus Cantrip When you select this domain at 1st level, you learn the jinx cantrip. This is considered a cleric cantrip for you and doesn’t count against the cantrips you know.
Channel Divinity: Bestow Misfortune Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to alter a creature’s luck.
As an action, you present your holy symbol and force a creature within 30 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, choose one of the target’s ability scores; for 1 minute, the creature has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls with the chosen ability.
Blessed Misfortune Beginning at 6th level, whenever you use an ability, feature, or spell to impose disadvantage on a creature’s ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you gain advantage on one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw of your choice within the next minute. You can only have one advantage due to this feature at a time. Necrotic Strike Beginning at 8th level, you can infuse your weapon with negative energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.
Doom Master Starting at 17th level, you can control luck to some extent. You have 3 luck points. Whenever you make an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you can spend 1 luck point to roll an additional d20 and choose which result to use for your roll.
Alternatively, you can use your reaction to spend 1 luck point when a creature within 30 feet of you makes an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. Roll an additional d20; you can force the creature to use either result for the outcome of its roll. You regain luck points after a long rest.
Respect. Beshaba must be respected. She is a jealous god. Doom Master paladins are tasked with conveying proper respect for the goddess through their actions and words. They fulfill this obligation through intimidation and retribution.
Duty. Paladins of Beshaba are devout followers of the faith. Their lives are focused toward bringing about respect and fear of the goddess and dealing vengeance upon whoever has affronted her. They work tirelessly to achieve holy tasks and accept nothing short of total devotion.
Apathy. Paladins of this oath aren’t concerned about the difficulties and struggles of others. Doom is a given and a good life isn’t guaranteed. There is always death in the end for the weak and unfaithful. Those most loyal to Beshaba may be spared the worst of her wrath.
Fortitude. Being a Doom Master paladin is a difficult life. One must be strong of will to ascend through the ranks and earn a respectable place in the afterlife. These paladins cultivate their strengths while exploiting their enemies’ weaknesses.
Oath of the Doom Masters Spells
Paladin Level Spells
3rd bane, hex
5th bane of Beshaba, darkfire
9th animate dead, bestow curse
13th doomtide, misfire
17th geas, misfortune
Channel Divinity When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options. Bestow Misfortune. As an action, you present your holy symbol and force a creature that you can see within 30 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, choose one of the creature’s ability scores; for 1 minute, the creature has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls with the chosen ability.
Vow of Doom. As an action, you announce the coming of a creature’s doom as you make a vow to deliver Beshaba’s wrath upon a creature you can see within 10 feet of you. For 1 minute, you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature, or until it drops to 0 hit points or falls unconscious.
Aura of Compounding Misfortune Beginning at 7th level, you are connected to the negative energy of the multiverse through your divine connection to Beshaba. If an enemy within 10 feet of you fails a saving throw, it takes 1d8 necrotic damage. If the creature fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it takes 2d8 necrotic damage instead.
At 18th level, this aura’s radius increases to 30 feet.
Beshaba’s Boon Starting at 15th level, you can roll 1d20 when a creature under the effect of your Vow of Doom makes an attack roll; you can choose which roll the creature uses for the attack.
Avatar of Doom At 20th level, your physical features take on a more dreadful countenance and an aura of impending doom surrounds you. Using your action, you transform into one of Beshaba’s champions of doom; you gain the following benefits for 1 minute or until you use an action to end the transformation:
2nd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a holy symbol and a sliver from a broken mirror)
Duration: Special
Choose one creature within 5 feet of you and make a melee spell attack against it. On a hit, the creature has disadvantage on its next saving throw. This spell’s magic will last until its effect is triggered. A dispel magic won’t end the spell but remove curse cast with a spell slot of equal or higher level than the one used to cast this spell will end it.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the number of saving throws made with disadvantage increases by 1 for each slot level above 2nd.
Darkfire
2nd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch, or 15 feet
Components: V, S, M (a pinch of ash from a cremated creature)
Duration: Instantaneous
Darkfire radiates from your hands and eyes. As part of the action used to cast this spell, you can either make a melee spell attack and touch a creature as you strike it with darkfire or you can make a ranged spell attack against a creature you can see within 15 feet as rays of darkfire shoot from your eyes. On a hit, the creature takes 3d10 necrotic damage.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the necrotic damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 2nd.
Doomtide
5th-level illusion
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 40 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute
This spell creates four 10-foot cubes of swirling black mists, each filled with grasping, shadowy tentacles. You can choose which spaces the cubes occupy within range, but at least 5 feet of each cube’s outer edge must be within or next to another cube. When you cast this spell, you choose whether the mists are stationary, or whether they move away from you at a speed of 5 feet at the start of each of your turns. The mists are heavily obscured, leaving creatures caught within effectively blinded.
A creature that starts its turn within the mists must make a Strength saving throw or it is grappled and restrained by the shadowy tentacles. A restrained creature can attempt a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns to break the grapple and free itself. A creature restrained by this spell moves with the mists if they aren’t stationary. The mists can be dispersed within 4 rounds by moderate winds, or within 1 round by a gust of wind spell.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, you can create an additional 10-foot cube of mists for each slot level above 5th.
Goad of Misfortune
6th-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a mace, staff, or club)
Duration: 1 minute
This spell transforms an ordinary weapon you hold into a powerful magical weapon that dimly emanates a purple-hued aura. You can attack with the weapon using your Wisdom modifier. On a successful hit, the weapon deals 2d6 bludgeoning and 2d6 necrotic damage, and you regain 1d6 hit points.
In addition, if you drop a creature to 0 hit points with the weapon, you can immediately use your reaction to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the hit points you regain, and the necrotic damage dealt both increase by 1d6 for each slot level above 6th.
Jinx
Necromancy cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You utter words of defiance as you touch and bestow misfortune upon a creature within 5 feet. Make a melee spell attack. On a hit, the target has disadvantage on its next ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. After the outcome of the roll is determined, the spell ends.
Misfire
4th-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You gesture toward a creature wishing it ill luck. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature has disadvantage on ranged attacks of any kind for the duration. If the creature attempts to make a ranged attack while under this spell’s effect and misses, it must make a second ranged attack roll against itself. On a hit, the creature takes the attack’s normal damage. The creature can attempt a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, and on a success, the spell ends for that creature.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can affect one additional creature for each slot level above 4th.
Misfortune
5th-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
As part of the action used to cast this spell, you make a melee spell attack against a creature within your reach. On a hit, you can choose one of the creature’s ability scores. The creature has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws with the chosen ability for the spell’s duration. The creature can attempt a Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of its turns; on a successful save, the creature can end one of the disadvantages affecting it (either ability checks, attack rolls, or saving throws). Once a creature makes three saving throws, the spell ends for that creature.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, you can affect one additional creature for each slot level above 5th.
Whip of Woe
5th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a lock of human hair anointed with a drop of holy water and consecrated on an altar of Beshaba)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You conjure a spectral whip that sparkles with crimson colored darkfire. As part of the action used to cast the spell, and by using an action on each of your turns, you can make a melee spell attack against a creature of your choice within 10 feet. On a hit, the target takes 5d4 necrotic damage, and if it is a living creature, it must make a Strength saving throw or it drops whatever it is holding as it is wracked with excruciating pain.
Alternatively, you can lash out with the whip and make a melee spell attack against up to three creatures that are within 10 feet of you and who are adjacent to each other. Make one melee spell attack and compare the result to each target’s AC. On a hit, the creature takes 2d4 necrotic damage, and if it is a living creature, it must make a Strength saving throw or it drops whatever it is holding in its hands due to the excruciating pain.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the necrotic damage increases by 2d4 against a single target or 1d4 against multiple targets for every two slot levels above 5th.
Temples to Beshaba are virtually unknown. It's common, however, for rural folk to erect a post and mount antlers on it at the site of some roadside accident or murder. In cities, where antlers are hard to come by and murders and accidents more prevalent, the fashion is to draw the black antlers of Beshaba with charcoal on a nearby wall, leaving the symbol on display until weather scours it away. These "shrines," in either form, serve as warnings to others about places of ill fortune.
Beshaba’s clerics and paladins are her agents in Faerûn. They are the few granted some protection from a truly calamitous fate, for a time; though, each knows that undeath may be waiting in the end. These agents embrace strife, trickery, and impending doom to stir fear and reverence toward Lady Doom. However, the Maid of Misfortune’s clerics and paladins must have the fortitude to endure their difficult tasks or they’ll certainly face a dreadful demise.
Clerics and paladins of Beshaba pray for their spells at midnight after making an offering to the goddess. They recognize Midsummer and Shieldmeet as holy days in which they often participate in widespread rampages of wanton destruction.
Divine Domain
Clerics of Beshaba can choose the Doom domain.Doom Domain
Clerics who choose the Doom domain focus on despair, misfortune, and negative energy as ultimate forces that determine fate. These clerics are tasked with promoting fear and dread of a terrible demise unless homage is paid to Beshaba in full. Clerics without resolve shall pay a steep price while those with fortitude shall rise in power to claim their rightful places among the ranks of the faithful in eternal undeath.Doom Domain Spells
Cleric Level Spells
1st bane, hex
3rd bane of Beshaba, darkfire
5th animate dead, bestow curse
7th doomtide, misfire
9th misfortune, whip of woe
Bonus Proficiencies When you select this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency in two of the following skills of your choice: Deception, Intimidation, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth.
Bonus Cantrip When you select this domain at 1st level, you learn the jinx cantrip. This is considered a cleric cantrip for you and doesn’t count against the cantrips you know.
Channel Divinity: Bestow Misfortune Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to alter a creature’s luck.
As an action, you present your holy symbol and force a creature within 30 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, choose one of the target’s ability scores; for 1 minute, the creature has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls with the chosen ability.
Blessed Misfortune Beginning at 6th level, whenever you use an ability, feature, or spell to impose disadvantage on a creature’s ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you gain advantage on one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw of your choice within the next minute. You can only have one advantage due to this feature at a time. Necrotic Strike Beginning at 8th level, you can infuse your weapon with negative energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.
Doom Master Starting at 17th level, you can control luck to some extent. You have 3 luck points. Whenever you make an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you can spend 1 luck point to roll an additional d20 and choose which result to use for your roll.
Alternatively, you can use your reaction to spend 1 luck point when a creature within 30 feet of you makes an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. Roll an additional d20; you can force the creature to use either result for the outcome of its roll. You regain luck points after a long rest.
Paladin Oath
Paladins of Beshaba can take the Oath of the Doom Masters.Oath of the Doom Masters
An Oath of the Doom Masters is a personal vow taken by the most martially adept of Beshaba’s faithful. These paladins are tasked with spreading fear of Lady Doom’s wrath across Faerûn. They are often multiclass rogue assassins who work as paladin enforcers for the church. Through their quests and actions, these paladins endeavor to inspire fear at the sound of Beshaba’s name. They are deliverers of dark justice upon those who don’t show proper respect for the Maid of Misfortune.Tenets of the Doom Masters
A paladin of Beshaba must swear to revere and loyally serve the goddess in this life and the next. An Oath of the Doom Masters is personal for each paladin, but each shares these basic tenets:Respect. Beshaba must be respected. She is a jealous god. Doom Master paladins are tasked with conveying proper respect for the goddess through their actions and words. They fulfill this obligation through intimidation and retribution.
Duty. Paladins of Beshaba are devout followers of the faith. Their lives are focused toward bringing about respect and fear of the goddess and dealing vengeance upon whoever has affronted her. They work tirelessly to achieve holy tasks and accept nothing short of total devotion.
Apathy. Paladins of this oath aren’t concerned about the difficulties and struggles of others. Doom is a given and a good life isn’t guaranteed. There is always death in the end for the weak and unfaithful. Those most loyal to Beshaba may be spared the worst of her wrath.
Fortitude. Being a Doom Master paladin is a difficult life. One must be strong of will to ascend through the ranks and earn a respectable place in the afterlife. These paladins cultivate their strengths while exploiting their enemies’ weaknesses.
Oath of the Doom Masters Spells
Paladin Level Spells
3rd bane, hex
5th bane of Beshaba, darkfire
9th animate dead, bestow curse
13th doomtide, misfire
17th geas, misfortune
Channel Divinity When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options. Bestow Misfortune. As an action, you present your holy symbol and force a creature that you can see within 30 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, choose one of the creature’s ability scores; for 1 minute, the creature has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls with the chosen ability.
Vow of Doom. As an action, you announce the coming of a creature’s doom as you make a vow to deliver Beshaba’s wrath upon a creature you can see within 10 feet of you. For 1 minute, you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature, or until it drops to 0 hit points or falls unconscious.
Aura of Compounding Misfortune Beginning at 7th level, you are connected to the negative energy of the multiverse through your divine connection to Beshaba. If an enemy within 10 feet of you fails a saving throw, it takes 1d8 necrotic damage. If the creature fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it takes 2d8 necrotic damage instead.
At 18th level, this aura’s radius increases to 30 feet.
Beshaba’s Boon Starting at 15th level, you can roll 1d20 when a creature under the effect of your Vow of Doom makes an attack roll; you can choose which roll the creature uses for the attack.
Avatar of Doom At 20th level, your physical features take on a more dreadful countenance and an aura of impending doom surrounds you. Using your action, you transform into one of Beshaba’s champions of doom; you gain the following benefits for 1 minute or until you use an action to end the transformation:
- You can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against an enemy that makes an attack within 5 feet of you. If the enemy misses the attack, you have advantage on your roll.
- You emanate an aura of doom in a 30-foot radius. An enemy that starts its turn within the aura must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws until the start of its next turn. On a successful save, the creature isn’t affected that turn.
Spells
Bane of Beshaba2nd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a holy symbol and a sliver from a broken mirror)
Duration: Special
Choose one creature within 5 feet of you and make a melee spell attack against it. On a hit, the creature has disadvantage on its next saving throw. This spell’s magic will last until its effect is triggered. A dispel magic won’t end the spell but remove curse cast with a spell slot of equal or higher level than the one used to cast this spell will end it.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the number of saving throws made with disadvantage increases by 1 for each slot level above 2nd.
Darkfire
2nd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch, or 15 feet
Components: V, S, M (a pinch of ash from a cremated creature)
Duration: Instantaneous
Darkfire radiates from your hands and eyes. As part of the action used to cast this spell, you can either make a melee spell attack and touch a creature as you strike it with darkfire or you can make a ranged spell attack against a creature you can see within 15 feet as rays of darkfire shoot from your eyes. On a hit, the creature takes 3d10 necrotic damage.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the necrotic damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 2nd.
Doomtide
5th-level illusion
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 40 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute
This spell creates four 10-foot cubes of swirling black mists, each filled with grasping, shadowy tentacles. You can choose which spaces the cubes occupy within range, but at least 5 feet of each cube’s outer edge must be within or next to another cube. When you cast this spell, you choose whether the mists are stationary, or whether they move away from you at a speed of 5 feet at the start of each of your turns. The mists are heavily obscured, leaving creatures caught within effectively blinded.
A creature that starts its turn within the mists must make a Strength saving throw or it is grappled and restrained by the shadowy tentacles. A restrained creature can attempt a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns to break the grapple and free itself. A creature restrained by this spell moves with the mists if they aren’t stationary. The mists can be dispersed within 4 rounds by moderate winds, or within 1 round by a gust of wind spell.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, you can create an additional 10-foot cube of mists for each slot level above 5th.
Goad of Misfortune
6th-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a mace, staff, or club)
Duration: 1 minute
This spell transforms an ordinary weapon you hold into a powerful magical weapon that dimly emanates a purple-hued aura. You can attack with the weapon using your Wisdom modifier. On a successful hit, the weapon deals 2d6 bludgeoning and 2d6 necrotic damage, and you regain 1d6 hit points.
In addition, if you drop a creature to 0 hit points with the weapon, you can immediately use your reaction to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the hit points you regain, and the necrotic damage dealt both increase by 1d6 for each slot level above 6th.
Jinx
Necromancy cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You utter words of defiance as you touch and bestow misfortune upon a creature within 5 feet. Make a melee spell attack. On a hit, the target has disadvantage on its next ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. After the outcome of the roll is determined, the spell ends.
Misfire
4th-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You gesture toward a creature wishing it ill luck. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature has disadvantage on ranged attacks of any kind for the duration. If the creature attempts to make a ranged attack while under this spell’s effect and misses, it must make a second ranged attack roll against itself. On a hit, the creature takes the attack’s normal damage. The creature can attempt a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, and on a success, the spell ends for that creature.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can affect one additional creature for each slot level above 4th.
Misfortune
5th-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
As part of the action used to cast this spell, you make a melee spell attack against a creature within your reach. On a hit, you can choose one of the creature’s ability scores. The creature has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws with the chosen ability for the spell’s duration. The creature can attempt a Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of its turns; on a successful save, the creature can end one of the disadvantages affecting it (either ability checks, attack rolls, or saving throws). Once a creature makes three saving throws, the spell ends for that creature.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, you can affect one additional creature for each slot level above 5th.
Whip of Woe
5th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a lock of human hair anointed with a drop of holy water and consecrated on an altar of Beshaba)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You conjure a spectral whip that sparkles with crimson colored darkfire. As part of the action used to cast the spell, and by using an action on each of your turns, you can make a melee spell attack against a creature of your choice within 10 feet. On a hit, the target takes 5d4 necrotic damage, and if it is a living creature, it must make a Strength saving throw or it drops whatever it is holding as it is wracked with excruciating pain.
Alternatively, you can lash out with the whip and make a melee spell attack against up to three creatures that are within 10 feet of you and who are adjacent to each other. Make one melee spell attack and compare the result to each target’s AC. On a hit, the creature takes 2d4 necrotic damage, and if it is a living creature, it must make a Strength saving throw or it drops whatever it is holding in its hands due to the excruciating pain.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the necrotic damage increases by 2d4 against a single target or 1d4 against multiple targets for every two slot levels above 5th.
Worshipers; Assassins, auspicians, capricious individuals, gamblers, rogues, sadists
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