Ptah
Ptah is an ancient Egyptian creator diety, and historically the patron of craftsmen and architects. Depending on who you ask, he's the husband of Sekhmet and father of Nefertem, though some traditions also have him as the father of Imhotep.
While he's not as popular as some of the other gods in his pantheon (like Ra or Anubis), he is still known enough to feature in several campaign settings in some fashion.
Descriptions of him are fairly constant in the campaign settings he features in: that of a slight, shaven-haired man with jet-black skin like marble, and large black eyes filled with stars (or the fires of inspiration). Another constant is his inherent ability to teleport himself anywhere in the multiverse with pinpoint accuracy.
Pathfinder bucks the trend, of course, and there is portrayed as a man covered in funeral wrappings carrying a staff that shows the three symbols of his authority. Dwarves however portray him as a naked and somewhat deformed dorf, for some reason.
Spelljammer[edit | edit source]
| Ptah (Spelljammer) | ||
|---|---|---|
| An Apis Bull, or a mummified hand. | ||
| Aliases | Opener of the Ways | |
| Alignment | Lawful Neutral | |
| Divine Rank | Intermediate Deity (formerly head god of the Mulhorandi pantheon) | |
| Pantheon | Egyptian | |
| Portfolio | Crafts, knowledge, secrets, travel | |
| Domains | Creation, Knowledge, Law, Travel (3E), Knowledge (5E) | |
| Home Plane | Ethereal plane (Nirvana) | |
| Worshippers | Artists, artisans, travelers | |
| Favoured Weapon | Scepter of the Gods (Heavy Mace) | |
In Spelljammer, Ptah is a Creator Deity and believed to be the founder of the Pharaonic pantheon. Despite this, he's fairly aloof, and doesn't let himself be bothered by the drama that the pantheon regularly amuses itself with. Instead he is fond of traveling the planes, though as a god of craftsmen he is often pleased with those who create works of great quality, and will go out of his way to make sure such a person gets the recognition that they deserve.
Forgotten Realms[edit | edit source]
| Ptah (Forgotten Realms) | ||
|---|---|---|
| An Apis Bull, or a mummified hand. | ||
| Alignment | Lawful Neutral | |
| Divine Rank | Intermediate Deity (formerly head god of the Mulhorandi pantheon) | |
| Pantheon | Egyptian, Mulhorandi | |
| Portfolio | Crafts, knowledge, secrets, travel | |
| Domains | Creation, Knowledge, Law, Travel (3E), Knowledge (5E) | |
| Home Plane | Ethereal plane | |
| Worshippers | Artists, artisans, travelers | |
| Favoured Weapon | Mace | |
In the Forgotten Realms, Ptah entered the picture when Ao informed him of the theft of the Mulan by the Imaskari. Due to the anti-deific barriers the Imaskari put up, they could only indirectly intervene through powerful avatars, and it was up to Ptah to lead them to Toril using a powerful artifact called the Beacon of Light. Thus the Mulhorandi and Untheric pantheon arrived in the Realms, in the area that would become the Godswatch Mountains.
Pathfinder[edit | edit source]
| Ptah (Pathfinder) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Staff composed of the ankh, djed, and was | ||
| Aliases | Lord of Eternity | |
| Alignment | Neutral | |
| Pantheon | Osirion | |
| Portfolio | Architecture, craftsmanship, creation, metalworking | |
| Domains | Artifice, Earth, Fire, Knowledge, Travel | |
| Home Plane | Osirion | |
| Worshippers | Artists, artisans, travelers | |
| Favoured Weapon | Quarterstaff | |
In Pathfinder, Ptah is a god so powerful that he apparently created himself, though he and Ra are both venerated as creator gods. He is the patron of basically any creative, though he seems to favor architects and artisans. Much like his D&D incarnation, he's fairly aloof, but willing to throw down if one of the evil Osirion deities like Set start destroying things.