Non-Evil Deities accepting human sacrifice?

[Merudo]

Are there any non-evil deities accepting human sacrifice?

Maybe a follower of Tempus could burn his defeated foes after battle?

Any other examples that spring to mind?

[GreyBlack]

Are there any non-evil deities accepting human sacrifice?

Maybe a follower of Tempus could burn his defeated foes after battle?

Any other examples that spring to mind?

In what pantheon? Tlaloc and Tezcatlipoca would probably be fine with human sacrifice.

[Merudo]

In what pantheon? Tlaloc and Tezcatlipoca would probably be fine with human sacrifice.

It's a Forgotten Realms game but I can just include deities from other settings.

P.S. I though Tlaloc was evil?

[Naanomi]

I’m sure under the right circumstances Neutral Gods would accept such things as well; but Good powers don’t truck in such things as a rule

[Hail Tempus]

Are there any non-evil deities accepting human sacrifice?

Maybe a follower of Tempus could burn his defeated foes after battle?

Any other examples that spring to mind?
Certainly not Tempus. He’s the god of soldiers. His followers would be expected to give their fallen enemies a decent burial. A funeral pyre would be fine. But that’s different from accepting human sacrifice.

[Angelalex242]

Good Gods never want their followers to die for lulz.

Noble Warrior gods might expect you to die nobly in battle if you don't win the fight, but letting yourself be stabbed to death without even swinging your sword against the bad guy?

No point whatever.

[Tetrasodium]

Are there any non-evil deities accepting human sacrifice?

Maybe a follower of Tempus could burn his defeated foes after battle?

Any other examples that spring to mind?

It depends on the deity/faith. in FR/GH there are probably a few. In Darksun, the gods are kinda dead/banished/imprisoned/something like that, but it's equally plausible that a community might sacrifice someone simply to ensure that there is enough food & clean water.

In Eberron the gods themselves may or may not exist & may or may not have existed in the past so no deity comes around saying "this is how you shall worship me" leaving any number of reasons why some deranged nut might sacrifice someone to their faith. With that said, the non-good gods/faiths in eberron shatter the mold that the non-good faiths of other settings slot into in a lot of ways. edit: The "faiths" most likely to sacrifice someone are not so much the evil ones as the cults of the dragon below & those are pretty much what they call anything that looks like a cult. That's mainly because it would be pretty strongly frowned upon by the law. followers of the path of light (https://eberron.fandom.com/wiki/Path_of_Light) might do it to manipulate the prophecy (https://eberron.fandom.com/wiki/Draconic_Prophecy), but that can justify doing just about anything to/with (im)mortals. The Blood of Vol (http://keith-baker.com/dragonmark-the-blood-of-vol/) is a LE faith with the community domain that might do it semi regularly as part of an end of life euthanasia type thing that results in some kind of undead being created with your corpse so it can be used to help your friends & loved ones even after the sovereigns steal your spark of divinity for their schemes.

[Shuruke]

I wouldn't say it was followers

But after Mystryl death and Mystra changed the weave.
High elves would often have high level casters die for level 10+ spells

It was the highest honor u could get

Mystra is LN or N

[Naanomi]

I wouldn't say it was followers

But after Mystryl death and Mystra changed the weave.
High elves would often have high level casters die for level 10+ spells

It was the highest honor u could get

Mystra is LN or N
I’d argue there is a difference between willing self-sacrifice (which a Good God may accept or even encourage if it truly willing) and classic human sacrifice

[JackPhoenix]

I wouldn't say it was followers

But after Mystryl death and Mystra changed the weave.
High elves would often have high level casters die for level 10+ spells

It was the highest honor u could get

Mystra is LN or N

That's not "sacrifice". It's suicide by doing something beyond your power. There's a difference.

[Lord Vukodlak]

The closest you could get to a non-evil deity accepting human sacrifice. Is the execution of a convicted criminal under sentience of death. Dispensing the Law or Justice would be seen as holy by a deity devoted to Law and or Order.

Otherwise human sacrifice would be the domain of evil deities.

[JoeJ]

Think about why the gods want any kind of sacrifice in the first place. If it's giving them something they actually need in order to survive and maintain their portfolio, then a non-evil deity might plausibly require the death either of willing martyrs or of dangerous criminals. OTOH, if sacrifice is about thanking the gods by giving them something they like, only a evil deity would enjoy watching people die.

[Naanomi]

The closest you could get to a non-evil deity accepting human sacrifice. Is the execution of a convicted criminal under sentience of death. Dispensing the Law or Justice would be seen as holy by a deity devoted to Law and or Order.

Otherwise human sacrifice would be the domain of evil deities.
An example of human sacrifice dedicated to a neutral God is that sometimes followers of Silvanus (True Neutral nature God) sometimes demand sacrifice when civilization has defiled nature and a balance needs to be struck

[Lord Vukodlak]

An example of human sacrifice dedicated to a neutral God is that sometimes followers of Silvanus (True Neutral nature God) sometimes demand sacrifice when civilization has defiled nature and a balance needs to be struck

I've found no evidence to support that statement

[qube]

Closest thing I can think the city of Tantras. During the Times of Troubles, when the Gods were mortal, Bane & Torm fought. Torm - knowing he had not enough power to defeat the (former) God of Tyrrany - absorbed the thousands of willing souls of the people of Tantras, who folllowed him. At the risk though that it would not be enough, Torm chose not to absorb those of age 14- (these became known as the Martyr's Progeny ).

But, like the high elves, these were acts of self-sacrifce. (they were willing - and Torm didn't even accept all of them)

[Unoriginal]

Some evil gods like human sacrifices because on top of getting their followers to do something horrifying in their name, they also get to claim the soul of the sacrificed person (at least in some cases). It also can have other effects, but that's spoilers for Dungeon of the Mad Mage.

Needless to say, good gods would never partake in this. They abhor people being forced in their dominion.

[Theodoric]

Depends on the type of sacrifice. Self-sacrifice, dedicating oneself to a divine cause and dying for it, that's A-ok. A neutral deity might appreciate some form of ritual fight to the death, where both parties accept the possibility of death, or a ritual hunt were the hunter is unlikely to make it out alive.

The sacrifice of unwilling participants seems less likely except maybe in edge cases.

[Naanomi]

There is also the factor that some neutral Gods have Evil factions/sects/denominations within their church that do Evil things and they allow it. Kossuth’s church in Thay burns sacrifices alive, and he doesn’t stop them despite still being a neutral God

[Unoriginal]

There is also the factor that some neutral Gods have Evil factions/sects/denominations within their church that do Evil things and they allow it. Kossuth’s church in Thay burns sacrifices alive, and he doesn’t stop them despite still being a neutral God

Is that still 5e lore? 'cause that kind of "god let you do atrocities in their name" alignment-related stuff changed a lot through the editions. For the better, IMO.

Of course, being neutral can mean that you allow some bad stuff.

[Naanomi]

Is that still 5e lore? 'cause that kind of "god let you do atrocities in their name" alignment-related stuff changed a lot through the editions. For the better, IMO.

Of course, being neutral can mean that you allow some bad stuff.
He’s still the main God of the Red Wizards, and is still a Neutral Fire God, but no the specifics of worship are not spelled out in 5e that I know of.

To be fair, all of the Elemental Gods are the ‘I don’t care at all what you do’ brand of Neutral; which probably has something to do with it

[loki_ragnarock]

Is Odin still considered a good god in D&D 5e?

Because, oof, that guy really dug human sacrifice. Just oodles and oodles of it.

I mean, if they've decided to walk away from Norse practices for the purposes of the game, that's cool.


I think he was Chaotic Good in 2e, so there's at least one example of a good god being all about it.

[Naanomi]

Is Odin still considered a good god in D&D 5e?
He’s listed as NG in the PHB

[Unoriginal]

Is Odin still considered a good god in D&D 5e?

Because, oof, that guy really dug human sacrifice. Just oodles and oodles of it.

I mean, if they've decided to walk away from Norse practices for the purposes of the game, that's cool.


I think he was Chaotic Good in 2e, so there's at least one example of a good god being all about it.

D&D Odin isn't the same character as Norse Mythology Odin.

Though we're already close of breaking the forum's rules, so let's avoid pushing things further, please.

[Beleriphon]

D&D Odin isn't the same character as Norse Mythology Odin.

Though we're already close of breaking the forum's rules, so let's avoid pushing things further, please.

D&D Odin is more like Marvel Odin or Prose Edda Odin, rather than what we know about Odin worshippers Odin.