Overview
Ares is the god of battle, killing, and fighting. As the personification of the savage side of war, he is fond of strife, anger, and unrestrained bloodletting, and can inspire terror, hatred, and fear in the heart of any intelligent being. As such, he is not a very popular god, and is only worshipped by militaristic societies.
Ares is obstinate, hateful, quarrelsome, wicked, untrustworthy, jealous of his fellow gods, and easily offended. Transgressions against him are generally punished by swift death. Because he has so few worshipers, Ares is always on the lookout for new converts, and will gladly aid those who call on him in battle. His aid does not come without a price, however, and the individual that called upon him must become a worshiper of Ares — or face the god's wrath.
Description
Ares appears as a huge, powerfully built, armoured warrior, with burning, hateful eyes and a permanent scowl etched across his face, carrying a deadly looking spear.
Holy symbol
Ares's symbol is a spear.
Favored weapon
Ares wields a spear or a sword in battle. His priesthood have selected the halfspear as their favored weapon.
Possessions
Ares possesses a spear that causes fear within 10 yards (9 meters), allows him to blink as per the spell, and inflicts bleeding wounds that can only be healed through magic. He also possesses a sword that can create an anti-magic shell around him at will.
Realm
Great Wheel cosmology
In the Great Wheel cosmology, Ares resides within the planar realm of Olympus, which is located on Arvandor (also known as Olympus), the first layer of the Olympian Glades of Arborea. Ares resides within a great gloomy palace-fortress whose battlements are made of dimly gleaming bone. The fortress lies opposite that of Athena, across the chasm known as the Portal Defile which leads to the material plane and all those worlds that revere the Olympians. The fortress is garrisoned by Ares's warrior-band who quaf the blood of their slain enemies to gain their strength.
Olympian cosmology
In the Olympian cosmology, Ares resides within the outer planar realm of Olympus, a great mountain which stands at the center of the world. This mighty peak rises so high above the world, that its heights form a distinct planar realm. It serves as home to the majority of the Olympian deities, not including Hades, and each deity maintains their own personal domain within this realm.
Worship
Priests of Ares are expected to promote strife and open warfare, and many serve as generals or military advisors to aggressive leaders. Others lead bands of bloodthirsty reavers that terrorise the countryside. When not actually fighting or plotting, they train in the arts of war. Priests of Ares are expected to be multiclassed in a warrior or fighter class. Priests of Ares must oppose those of Athena whenever and wherever they meet, and if members of the two groups do meet, expect blood to flow.
In Spelljammer
The inhabitants of Greatspace revere the gods and goddesses of the Greek pantheon, especially Zeus, meaning that Ares could be considered a native deity. However, the darker gods are not openly worshipped, including Ares, Circe, Hecate, Oceanus, and Hades.