[3.5] Your favorite deity? (Pantheans KEEP OUT!)

[goken04]

I'm making a dungeon as a lair for a magical creature the PCs have to track down. My initial thought is that this dungeon was designed to protect the magic item of [Insert Deity Here]. I don't intend to make retrieving this magic item a viable option for the PCs, but it's good to know it's there (as I attempt to maintain consistency).

My question is, what deity and what magic item should I use as a focus? The campaign world is filled with the ruins of literally DOZENS of ancient civilization, so it can be from any pantheon you imagine! It need not even be something the PCs should be expected to be familiar with.

It doesn't need to be consistent with the monster at all; it simply found the dungeon (or the first level of it, more likely) and makes use of it. I intend to fill the dungeon with lots of magical, resetting traps (as the central point of the episode will be chasing down the critter), constructs, and hopefully undead.

Who's your favorite deity? Why should I use him/her in the dungeon? What would be a good, thematic item for the deity?

Right now I'm leaning towards Nike, because the previously ruling pantheon (it's now a monotheistic world) was the Greek and the monster they're chasing is a fast little guy. But I am far from decided! Help me out!

(If you're interested, this is the monster I will be using.)

[Coidzor]

I like Vecna. Vecna has several items associated with him and is the god of secrets, so artifacts found in ancient, forgotten ruins would be fitting. The hand, eye, and head of Vecna for instance. Also, the Sword of Kas which wants to kill him.

[HamsterOfTheGod]

Nike's shoes! Just do it!

[Draxonicar]

Cas? maybe?

God of vengeance and spite

[Berserk Monk]

Thor. Gotta go with Thor.

But if I want to play a viscous, brutal character, gotta go Ares.

But, St. Cutbert will always have a place in my heart.

[Eldariel]

Corellon Larethian. 'cause I have a thing for Elves. Although Mystra would be up there too.

[Harperfan7]

Trithereon. Why wasn't he in the PHB?!?

Why should there be a dungeon with a relic of Trithereon?

-He is the god of freedom in a world where many more powerful deities espouse LE and have many more servants of higher power. So, some item of freedom is hidden in a vault somewhere where it is better defended than in some wandering clerics possession. OR it could hold some powerful summoning item (see below).

-Another aspect of Trithereon is summoning, so stock the dungeon with summon monster traps (maybe with augment summoning applied).

- Maybe the dungeon can only be entered through a portal, and is actually deep within a mountain in Arvandor, so it is heavily chaotic and good aligned. If you do this, make some of the summoning spell traps summon eladrin.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Obad-Hai.

If it's ruins, there'd bound to be some sort of nature creeping back in (fungus even). The item could be something like a magical plant.

Or if you want to be silly, the meatball of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

[Rhawin]

Wee Jas! Gotta love a Death goddess. Plus, Ruby Knights are awesome.

[goken04]

-Another aspect of Trithereon is summoning, so stock the dungeon with summon monster traps (maybe with augment summoning applied).

Liking this. Plus I just came up with a teleporting trap.

[woodenbandman]

Thor. Gotta go with Thor.

+1.

Also Grumbar.

[Overlord Nicy]

Olidammara doesn't get enough temples.

[herrhauptmann]

Ghaunadar(sp?) Forgotten realms god of oozes.

Throw the ooze template onto a few monsters, and you've suddenly made a nightmarish dungeon.

[goken04]

Grumbar.

Who is this? What pantheon?

[Berserk Monk]

Corellon Larethian. 'cause I have a thing for Elves. Although Mystra would be up there too.

Yeah, Corellon Larethian is a hot goddess.

[arguskos]

Who is this? What pantheon?

Grumbar, god of elemental earth, brother to Akadi (goddess of air), Ishtasha (god of water), and Kossuth (god of fire). Found in Faerun.

As for my favorite god(s), I have several choices for you. Consider, if you will:
-Grumbar, as above. As the god of earth, he has innumerable reasons to have a hidden object far below the surface.

-Asmodeus. Though not a god, as the prime archdevil, he could well have commanded a sect to hide a powerful artifact of the faith.

-On a similar vein, Baphomet. Once more, not a god, but instead the demon prince of minotaurs and other things. He is fond of mazes and traps, and loves dungeons for his worshippers (almost always minotaurs) to lurk in.

[Ganurath]

That's because his temples are in the basements of taverns.

Go with Hextor, and make the relic one of his Sacred Relics in Complete Divine. Heck, use one of the Sacred Relics regardless of what deity you pick. Bahamut's Platinum Helm, Boccob's Tome of Ancient Lore, Corellon's Bow of the Wintermoon, Ehlonna's Raptor's Arrow, Erythnul's Executioner's Hood, Fharlanghn's Rapier of Unerring Direction, Garl's Gem of Glitterdepth, Gruumsh's Spear of Retribution, Heironeous's Sword of Virture Beyond Reproach, Hextor's Chain of Obeisance, Kord's Belt of the Champion, Kurtulmak's Enveloping Pit, Lolth's Robe of Ebonsilk, Moradin's Axe of Ancestral Virtue, Nerull's Censer of the Last Breath, Obad-Hai's Armor of the Fallen Leaves, Olidammara's Rapier of Desperate Measures, Pelor's Shard of the Sun, St. Cuthbert's Cudgel That Never Forgets, Tiamat's Chromatic Rod, Vecna's Tome of the Stilled Tongue, Wee Jas's Scrolls of Uncertain Provenance, and Yondalla's Map of Unseen Land are all fine candidates.

[The Blackbird]

Yeah, Corellon Larethian is a hot goddess.

...I thought Corellon was a dude.

Pelor FTW

[arguskos]

...I thought Corellon was a dude.

Pelor FTW

Corellon is a male.

I could see Pelor, the Burning Hatred as a good god for this as well.

[Coidzor]

...I thought Corellon was a dude.

Pelor FTW

Therein lies the joke.

Come to think of it, does anyone have a link to the whole Evil Pelor thing?

I lost the bookmark and can't find it.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

My fav deity is Wee Jas. Death AND love? Yes please!

Edit: Death, and love, and MAGIC TOO, oh my!

[Seatbelt]

I'm fond of Kelemvor. He doesn't make for good dungeons though...

[arguskos]

Therein lies the joke.

Come to think of it, does anyone have a link to the whole Evil Pelor thing?

I lost the bookmark and can't find it.

Ask and ye shall receive.

[Berserk Monk]

Corellon is a male.

I could see Pelor, the Burning Hatred as a good god for this as well.

Oh, I get it. You guys are trying to pull a joke over on old BM. "Corellon Larethian's a dude." Yeah, good one.

[HamsterOfTheGod]

Corellon is a male.

Your godesses' portrait says differently.

Spoiler

Show

ME-OW! Your goddess is seriously hot. She's hawt with a capital "HAW."

[Blackjackg]

I'm going to go with Fharlanghn.

Of course, all the official magic items for him are lame, so I suggest homebrewing a Portable Road. You keep it in a pouch, pull it out and unroll it to create a clear path through wilderness for [X] miles. 10' wide of clear terrain, good for running and charging on. It goes around medium sized obstacles (like trees and boulders) and stops dead at large ones (like mountains, oceans and Great Walls). Maybe even a permanent, low DC Sanctuary effect to keep those pesky wild animals and low-level bandits off.

EDIT: Removed shameless self-congratulation.

[deuxhero]

The King of All Cosmos. Make the item a Katamari.

[Faulty]

I like Vecna. Vecna has several items associated with him and is the god of secrets, so artifacts found in ancient, forgotten ruins would be fitting. The hand, eye, and head of Vecna for instance. Also, the Sword of Kas which wants to kill him.

I concur. Vecna is a very interesting deity.

[ex cathedra]

Cyric, of course. He's just fun!

Of course, the amount of cruelness that should be associated with a Cyric-flavored dungeon might be off-putting for your players.

[Berserk Monk]

You know who else I like: Gruumsh. He's like Ares (viscous, spear-wielding god) and Balor (one eyed god) combined.