Divine Minion

Every god of an ancient desert pantheon commands a host of fanatical magical servants called minions, who carry messages and do the god's will at any cost. A minion looks like a powerfully built man or woman well over 6 feet tall, in bronze plate marked with the deity's holy symbol, wielding a huge khopesh, scimitar or two-handed sword. Minions of the serpent god of evil also act as assassins and soldiers for his mortal followers; they wear black, scaled plate and favor khopeshes or broad swords.

Each minion can turn into one or more animals chosen by its god. The change is total, swallowing clothes and gear and leaving no trace of the human shape. Forms include baboon, brown or cave bear, wild cat, giant cobra, horned cow, crocodile or giant crocodile, large hawk, ibis, jackal, lion, leopard, huge scorpion and giant poisonous snake, each with its own natural attacks.

Whatever it looks like, a minion's weapon strikes as a +2 magical weapon for deciding what it can hurt, yet always deals 1d12 points of damage regardless of form or target size. A quarter of minions carry true magical weapons forged in the Outer Planes, none better than +2.

Minions open a fight in human shape and keep their animal forms secret, since a revealed shapechanger is less useful to its god. If things go badly or the need is great, they transform in under a round with an initiative modifier of 5. An animal-shaped minion has the same AC, Hit Dice and hit points as before, but takes on the beast's movement, attacks and special attacks. Bear, hawk, scorpion and snake forms each act on their own; crocodiles and ibises swarm; lions and jackals plan intricate ambushes together.

Utterly devoted, minions ignore morale entirely, and spells of fear or doubt (cause fear, scare, phantasmal killer, doubt) have no effect on them. Every form has 10% magic resistance, and all minions make saving throws as 10th-level fighters.

Hundreds dwell at the main home of each god's avatar, whether a tower in a temple city, a great eastern desert or the Outer Planes. All share their god's alignment. Most are volunteers who gave up mortal life for an eternity of service. The serpent god's minions are the exception: his touch can turn a victim into one, though once changed they serve faithfully. They are also the busiest minions by far; the others avoid mortal notice unless summoned, for example with summon divine minion, a 7th-level priest spell.

Minions are supernatural and need no food or drink. When one dies its armor and belongings vanish, leaving no treasure, and its god rebuilds it in the Outer Planes. Each gives off a faint aura tied to its alignment and its god's portfolio that sways animals: beasts dislike and flee the serpent god's servants, while frightened, hurt or pregnant animals seek out minions of the goddess of love and calm at their touch.