Guide to Cayden Cailean: Pathfinder’s God of Freedom & Bravery

“So when the devil says to you, ‘Do not drink,’ answer him: ‘I will drink, and right freely, just because you tell me not to.’ One must always do what Satan forbids.”

  • Martin Luther

God of Ale, Bravery, and Freedom, Cayden Cailean is a popular god in the pantheon of Golarion, especially among Pathfinders who enjoy a good time.

He is one of the Ascended Deities, gods who obtained their divinity by passing the Test of the Starstone

Cayden Cailean is often referred to as the Accidental God or the Lucky Drunk because of the events surrounding his rising to Godhood.

Cayden Cailean Deific Lore

Cayden Cailean is the Pathfinder God of Freedom, Bravery, Beer, and Wine. He is a Chaotic Good force who exists mostly for a good time and to make sure everyone else is having a good time.

He resents slavery and imprisonment, asking his followers to strike out against anything that would oppress them.

Cayden Cailean’s favored weapon is the rapier, and his colors are silver and tan.

His symbol is a tankard, typically full of ale. His favored animals are hounds, eagles, and any animal that has escaped bondage.

Personal History

Prior to his ascension to godhood, Cayden Cailean was a human sellsword and noted drunk. His ideals were based on a love of freedom and drink. He would often take jobs to liberate slaves or free the oppressed. 

The few times someone called on him to remove the freedom of someone else, he would leave those jobs without a thought.

His ideals would often get him in trouble, but his skill with his rapier and his wits would always get him out of a dangerous scrape.

There are two different legends that speak of Cayden’s ascension.

The first says he was challenged by another sellsword during a drunken game of dares. The other sellsword challenged Cayden Cailean to take the test of the Starstone as a joke. Undaunted by the danger and fortified by booze, Cayden could not refuse.

The other legend says that Cayden Cailean was attempting to court Calistria, the goddess of Lust, Revenge, and Trickery. The Lady rejected his advances again and again, finally prompting Cayden to attempt the Test of the Starstone.

No one knows exactly what challenges Cayden faced during the Test of the Starstone, but after three days, the new God of Bravery and Freedom emerged, laughing at his fortune.

Cayden does not personally remember the Test and simply explains that to all who asked. As a god, he carries on much the same way he did as a mortal: drinking, freeing the oppressed, and fighting for just causes.

Appearance

Cayden Cailean is an unassuming deity, looking much as he did when he was a mortal.

Cayden appears as a human male with bronze-colored skin and dark hair. He is almost always wearing chainmail and carrying a full tankard of ale in one hand and his rapier in the other.

When he is depicted in art, he is sometimes shown taking on a host of demons and wearing a pair of broken shackles on his wrists. The broken shackles symbolize his need for freedom.

Home Plane

Cayden Cailean does not have his own home plane, choosing to roam the multiverse at will. When he does stop for an extended time, he stays in Elysium.

Allies and Enemies

Cayden Cailean attempts to keep a good relationship with most of the other deities. He does not like to rock the boat and ruin the vibe.

That being said, he does not put up with slavery or oppression at all and will step up to any challenge someone levels his way.

Cayden would number Desna, Sarenrae, and Shelyn as his closest allies. The dwarven god Torag is close as well, as they both share a love of ale. He is close to the other ascended deities Kurgess and Milani as well.

He has a much cooler relationship with Erastil, Abadar, Gozreh, Iomedae, and Irori who see him as undisciplined and his ascension to godhood as a method of cheating.

Cayden has a “special” relationship with Calistra, which goes back and forth between being hot and cold.

Finally, Cayden Cailean has no patience for the evil gods but especially dislikes Asmodeus, whom he is directly opposed to in all ways.

Servants

There are many beings in Elysium who share the Drunken God’s love of freedom and bravery. He has many allies and servants, though he does not like the idea of servitude, even if it is willing.

There are some specific allies we should highlight though:

  • The Ataxian are Cayden Cailean’s divine servitor race. They are small pixie-like creatures who have the unbelievable supernatural ability to find the closest bar no matter what plane they are on.
  • Little Thunder is a Cayhound and descendant of the Celestial Mastiff, Thunder. He has a love of good ale and battle but is very conscious of innocent bystanders and will go out of his way to keep them safe.
  • Luther, the Knight of the Vineyard, is a mortal Knight who serves Cayden Cailean as a champion. He has a love of fine wines that makes others underestimate him, but his ability to sober up in a second and take to the field of battle is legendary.
  • Thais, the Accidental Herald, is Cayden Cailean’s Herald. In the time when Cayden was a mortal, Thais was a prostitute who often accompanied him on his adventures. When she passed away, Cayden raised her spirit to be his divine herald.
  • Valon, the Spirit of Spirits, was a historian and priest who died in a pitched battle. He was a particular fan of beer in life, referring to it as mankind’s greatest invention. He sometimes requests from friendly mortals a short time where he can possess them and indulge in his love of ale.

Cayden Cailean’s Church

Cayden Cailean’s church is a popular one among both the poor and the rich. It appeals to the want of freedom and indulgence most mortals crave.

There is no tried-and true-method of venerating Cayden Cailean, so the church indulges everyone in their own way of getting close to the deity.

Dogma

Cayden Cailean asks his followers to eat, drink, and be merry. All should have the freedom to live happy lives with plenty of ale.

The brewing, fermenting, and distilling of alcoholic beverages is sacred with those who take up the mantle of a brewer being specifically blessed.

While a love for alcohol is inherent to the faith, to drink to excess is to waste good booze. Moderation is the key.

In his capacity as the God of Bravery, Cayden asks his followers to reach out and take the opportunity to be brave and adventurous. This does not mean being stupid. He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.

The fight for freedom of oppression is a particularly honorable act, and those who do so, like adventurers and Chevaliers, are to be honored.

Edicts: Drink, free slaves and aid the oppressed, seek glory and adventure

Anathema: Waste alcohol, be mean or standoffish when drunk, own a slave

Worshipers

Cayden Cailean is worshiped all over Golarion by multiple people and civilizations.

He is mostly found in human lands, but he is also venerated by many other races, such as Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings, Half Elves, and Half Orcs.

He is often revered by those who make a living as brewers of alcoholic beverages as a patron.

Adventurers who are devoted to expanding goodness and freedom are often also drawn to his worship and are honored for their bravery by the church.

Clergy

As with most deities, Cayden’s priesthood is mostly made up of Clerics, though just as often, you can find Bards who revere Cayden for his love of revelry and freedom.

A rare few Druids also find themselves drawn to the clergy as they see the freedom that Cayden stands for extending to the good earth they represent.

Just as many Clerics and Priests of Cayden are also bartenders, freedom fighters, agitators, and adventurers.

Priests of Cayden Cailean often don simple garments when in formal situations, the typical garment being a brown tunic with a symbol of a tankard of ale or wine on the chest.

Most will often carry their own tankard that they drink from when they can.

Temples and Shrines

As popular as his church of Cayden Cailean is, there are few dedicated temples to his worship. For the most part, buildings devoted to his worship double as tap houses or breweries. 

Almost every bar room or tavern in Golarion has a small shrine to Cayden in the corner. 

Those temples and shrines that double as tap houses or bars will often donate a portion of their earnings to the community to help benefit the poor.

The church also runs a large number of orphanages from which most children take the surname Cailean when they are adopted or leave the orphanage.

Holy Texts

There is no real holy text for the church of Cayden Cailean. The Accidental God is not known for writing things down and prefers to lead through example.

There is something that is considered close to the concept of a Holy Text known as the Placard of Wisdom. The Placard is typically a sign hung above a shrine to Cayden Cailean with advice on how to live well and fight oppression.

Holidays

The Church of Cayden Cailean does not need an excuse to celebrate anything. There is always a reason to celebrate something, though they do have a few specific holidays:

  • The First Brewing is a holiday celebrated at the beginning of autumn. It happens typically right after the first harvest in a community and is dedicated to sampling the earliest brew of the local beers and ales.
  • Ascension Day is the celebration of Cayden Cailean’s ascension to Godhood. It is typically celebrated on the 11th day of Kuthonia, but the actual date has been lost to time.
  • Merrymead takes place at the end of winter and celebrates the coming of spring and the end of the winter gloom.

Player Involvement

As a deity almost tailor-made for most player characters, Cayden Cailean has a large number of options for player characters to use to show just how much they are devoted to the god of beer and freedom.

Below is a list of options for both player characters and NPCs to choose from to show their devotion on their sleeve or in their tankard.

For obvious reasons, these options are separated into Pathfinder 1st Edition and Pathfinder 2nd Edition.

Pathfinder 1st Edition

Archetypes

Below is a list of possible archetypical builds for people who are your typical follower of the Accidental God:

Feats

These feats are often used by adventurers who are devoted to Cayden Cailean:

Magic Items

These magical items are connected to the worship of Cayden Cailean either directly or indirectly. They can often be found on his followers or used as a part of ceremonies honoring him:

Monsters

These creatures are connected directly to the service of Cayden Cailean. They can be potent allies or dangerous enemies:

Prestige Classes

Followers of Cayden Cailean have a pair of Prestige Classes they can take that are typically associated with the Accidental God:

  • The Brewkeeper is an influential person to the worshipers of Cayden Cailean. They are honored individuals to mix the art of brewing beer and distilling spirits with the art of brewing magical potions.
  • The Chevalier is not directly connected with Cayden Cailean, but there are many of his followers who take on this Class. Chevaliers are heroes pledged to a great cause and are drawn from the ranks of those who seek to do good and experience the best in life.

Domains and Subdomains

Clerics of Cayden Cailean have access to the following domains and subdomains:

Subdomains: 

Spells

Many of those who follow Cayden Cailean have these spells prepared on their spell lists:

Traits

Traits are an additional option for characters to take that further customize their character. Typically, a character can have only one trait per campaign they are involved in.

Check with your GM if they are using traits and what rules they are using.

Followers of Cayden Cailean typically have one of the following traits:

Pathfinder 2nd Edition

Devotee Benefits

Divine Intercession

Due to ancient pacts and accords between all (or almost all) of the deities in creation, the gods cannot directly interact with the mortal plane without the possibility of deadly consequences.

To do so could open up the possibility of mortals losing their free will or invite an opposing deity to move against them in an equal manner.

To that end, the Gods of Golarion have the ability to subtly influence their followers with boons and curses. 

Should someone please a deity, they might bestow them with a boon to make their further adventures easier. Conversely, those who displease the deity could end up cursed for an indefinite time. 

Cayden sometimes hands out his blessings and communicates his ire at seemingly random opportunities based on his drunken whims. In particular, Cayden blesses the recently liberated to help secure their freedom.

Cayden is also known to grant particularly trivial and harmless curses to those who disrupt revelry. These curses typically cause the disruptor to change in appearance, taking on a comical or farcical look.

He is quick to lift these curses by dawn or for those who give in to the enjoyment of the evening and join the festivities.

Minor Boon: Cayden Cailean helps you recover from nights of carousing. While you still get drunk and otherwise experience the effects of alcohol normally, you are never hung over the next morning.

Moderate Boon: You share some of the bravery Cayden espoused during his ascension. When you roll a success on a saving throw against a fear effect, you get a critical success instead. If you have the fighter bravery class feature, when you roll a critical failure on a save against a fear effect, you get a failure instead.

Major Boon: An embodiment of freedom, you break fetters with ease. At the end of each of your turns, you can end one effect that is currently making you immobilized (including effects that make you immobilized by grabbing or restraining you) as a free action.

Minor Curse: Individuals who raise Cayden’s passing displeasure awake as if from a hard night of drinking and find that drink tastes foul.

Moderate Curse: Cayden has afflicted you with cowardice. Whenever you roll a critical success on a saving throw against a fear effect, you get a success instead, and each time you roll a failure on a saving throw against a fear effect, you get a critical failure instead.

Major Curse: Cayden curses you to suffer in the presence of drinking, making it hard for you to bear entering any tavern. Whenever any creature drinks alcohol within 100 feet of you, you suffer all negative effects from the alcohol (but only the alcohol) instead. This doesn’t apply if the creature gains any special effect from drinking alcohol.

Source: Gods & Magic pg. 19 2.0