which god should they worship?

[Ettina]

OK, in this one setting with an evil overlord, I want a bunch of cleric (and maybe druid) rebels. But I have no idea who they should worship. Or who the opposition should worship.

They worship a Good-aligned God. (I don't care about the Lawful-Chaotic axis.) Up until around 10 years ago, they were the dominant religion of this kingdom, with their king being a paladin following either the same God or a closely aligned God.

As the evil overlord gains more power, he introduces clerics of a non-Good deity. I'd prefer Neutral, but I could make Evil work too. Their religion should raise some eyebrows, but not cause outright alarm, in the general population. In addition, I'd prefer the clerics of the new religion include a mix of positive and negative energy users, which requires Neutral. However, the clerics of the Good religion strongly object to the new religion - maybe some specific enmity between the two deities or a conflict in their portfolios, or maybe just because it's a non-Good deity.

At first, they voice their objections openly, but then some of the more prominent objectors suddenly convert to the new religion, and their behaviour seems off, like maybe they're under some sort of mind control. The others immediately get the message and stop openly objecting, but start secretly planning a revolution.

[137beth]

What pantheon are you working from? Is it from a specific (published) campaign setting? Is it your own pantheon? We can't really answer the question without knowing what the choices are.

[Ettina]

What pantheon are you working from? Is it from a specific (published) campaign setting? Is it your own pantheon? We can't really answer the question without knowing what the choices are.

I haven't decided. It depends on what works best for the story

It's a made-up kingdom, but I can't be bothered to make up my own pantheon, so I'm borrowing one from some other setting.

[JAL_1138]

Back in White Box, 1e, and 2e, St. Cuthbert was Good-aligned instead of neutral, and advocated manually inserting sense into people's heads by pounding it in with a cudgel.

[Coventry]

The real-world mythology for Quetzalcoatl may be a good starting point for you.

The story of the cycle of suns strongly suggests that the old god will return and once again walk the land. Enter Hernán Cortés and his conquistadors - people who match the description of the old god reasonably well, and come with unheard of power. Is the new avatar walking amongst them?

[anti-ninja]

If you are using 3.5 , i believe in complete divine there was trithereon the chaotic good god of freedom ,but i have not looked at complete divine in a while.

[Keltest]

I haven't decided. It depends on what works best for the story

It's a made-up kingdom, but I can't be bothered to make up my own pantheon, so I'm borrowing one from some other setting.

Well, get back to us when you decide on what youre going with then. We cant really help you unless we know what our options are.

[Maglubiyet]

I can't be bothered to make up my own pantheon, so I'm borrowing one from some other setting.

So just pick a random pantheon and use a Good and Neutral god from it. Pretty much all of the fictional ones include this.

What other criteria are you looking for?

[TheCountAlucard]

Mitra, Asura, Crom, and Ishtar to the rescue. If an evil god is needed, you can throw in Set.

EDIT: at Maglubiyet posting in a thread about selecting a god.

[Ettina]

I think I'll go with Pelor and Wee Jas. Wee Jas being a LN deity who grants the Death domain, and Pelor being so strongly anti-undead, should cause some tension.

[Hawkstar]

I'd instead go for Torm and a not-against-evil St. Cuthbert. Lawful Good vs. lAwful.

[Honest Tiefling]

I think I'll go with Pelor and Wee Jas. Wee Jas being a LN deity who grants the Death domain, and Pelor being so strongly anti-undead, should cause some tension.

I believe that both gods have interesting domains and even some prestige classes worth a look, if you are of the 3e inclination. However, I must ask...What are the players of this game like, and where are they going to be based? With Wee Jas, or Pelor?

[Ettina]

I believe that both gods have interesting domains and even some prestige classes worth a look, if you are of the 3e inclination. However, I must ask...What are the players of this game like, and where are they going to be based? With Wee Jas, or Pelor?

With Pelor, probably.

The real conflict isn't Pelorians versus Jasites, though. The evil overlord (who is not interested in either religion) is using the clerics of Wee Jas in order to control a bunch of undead minions by rebuking them. If any of them slipped the leash and figured it out, though, they'd be just as inclined to take him down as the Pelorians are. In fact, I may throw in a Jasite cleric who's done just that, as a potential ally for the players. He won't be too friendly to any who worship Pelor, because the Pelorians have really pissed off the Jasites, but he'll be willing to recognize that they share a common enemy more pressing than their religious dispute.

[LibraryOgre]

Given what you have (Pelor, Wee Jas), may I suggest Iuz? Deceit, Pain, Oppression and Evil makes him a good "evil overlord" god. The tension between Pelor and Wee Jas (who despises chaos) would be real, and you can work in something like the Pholtian Theocracy of the Pale... perhaps having recently conquered Iuz's "Empire of Iuz"?

It would point to using the Greyhawk pantheon, and Wee Jas would be a little out of place (being a Suel deity), but not so out of place that it won't work.