Dawn War Pantheon - Deities' Favored Animals

[Arkhios]

I tried to look around the internet for this, but I couldn't find any.

As a preliminary knowledge: Dawn War Pantheon is the generic ("default") setting-neutral pantheon for D&D which (as far as I know) originated in 4th edition, but also applies to 5th edition. (Note: I'm aware that most of the deities predate 4th edition, at least nominally)

One thing I found particularly to my liking in Pathfinder (or more specifically - Golarion) pantheon was that each deites had a list of their individual favored animals. Being the animal lover that I am, I'd like to find (or alternatively collectively create) a list of thematically appropriate favored animal lists for each deities for Dawn War Pantheon.

Since this topic spans editions I figured it could be best not to post in either of the sub-forums (4th nor 5th). If I'm mistaken, please let me know.

For reference, here's the list of Dawn War Deities:

Asmodeus, god of tyranny, LE (goat)
Avandra, goddess of change and luck, CG (rabbit)
Bahamut, god of justice and nobility, LG (canary)
Bane, god of war and conquest, LE (horse)
Corellon, god of magic and the arts, CG (elk)
Erathis, goddess of civilization and invention, LN (owl, all city-dwelling and domesticated animals)
Gruumsh, god of destruction, CE (boar)
loun, goddess of knowledge, N (ape)
Kord, god of strength and storms, CN (bear)
Lolth, goddess of spiders and lies, CE (spider)
Melora, goddess of wilderness and the sea, N (all of them)
Moradin, god of creation, LG (bee)
Pelor, god of the sun and agriculture, NG (eagle)
Raven Queen, goddess of death, LN (raven)
Sehanine, goddess of the moon, CG (cats)
Tharizdun, god of madness, CE (none)
Tiamat, goddess of wealth, greed, and vengeance, LE (cockatrice)
Torog, god of the Underdark, NE (centipede)
Vecna, god of evil secrets, NE (spiders)
Zehir, god of darkness and poison, CE (snake)

[Millstone85]

Since Asmodeus is basically Lucifer and snakes are already taken, how about goats? For Avandra, let's have fun and say butterflies. And I guess Bane could have horses.

As a preliminary knowledge: Dawn War Pantheon is the generic ("default") setting-neutral pantheon for D&D which (as far as I know) originated in 4th edition, but also applies to 5th edition. (Note: I'm aware that most of the deities predate 4th edition, at least nominally)

It is more like the 4e core rulebooks and magazines used a new setting, sometimes known as Points of Light, Nentir Vale or The Dawn War. Notably, the Bane of that setting had a very different backstory from the Bane of the Forgotten Realms, having never been a power hungry mortal but instead a divine general forever changed by the Dawn War, a titanomachy opposing the astral and elemental planes.

As someone who started learning D&D lore in 4e, I hated the confusion this brought. The setting is fine, very interesting even, but using names from other settings was a mistake.

Anyway, while the Dawn War pantheon is mentioned in the 5e DMG, I don't think it is any sort of default anymore.

[Arkhios]

@Millstone, fair enough. Dawn War pantheon just seems to fit well for a generic campaign, which is why I assumed it still is sort of "default".

I don't think there's a reason why two deities couldn't share fondness for one animal (e.g. Lolth and Vecna). However, Asmodeus and goat is great match :P

[Inevitability]

Should two people be getting the same animal? Vecna and Lolth are both listed as favoring spiders.

If that's the intention, I'd swap out Asmodeus' animal for snakes.

[Millstone85]

I don't think there's a reason why two deities couldn't share fondness for one animal (e.g. Lolth and Vecna).

Oops, I hadn't noticed.

Dawn War pantheon just seems to fit well for a generic campaign, which is why I assumed it still is sort of "default".

It doesn't look that way to me.

I mean, there is some history to the Dawn War.

Like how Pelor, Ioun and a third god found the Living Gate, a crystal construct in the depths of the Astral Sea that was both a window into the Far Realm and the multiverse's main defense against it. It is likely that the third god was Tharizdun, who would later acquire a shard of pure evil at the edge of the multiverse and throw it into the Elemental Chaos, creating the Abyss. While that sure was a bad turn for the other side of the Dawn War, the Primordials who now had demons on their lawn, the Gods were not happy with Tharizdun either and imprisoned him in the astral dominion of Carceri.

Or how the Mortal World eventually awoke its own supreme entities, beings both divine and elemental known as the Primal Spirits, who would banish gods and primordials alike from it.

It isn't so generic and it works better with the World Axis Cosmology than with the Great Wheel Cosmology, which is the one presented in the 5e PHB.

Now, I guess you could just use the table from the 5e DMG and otherwise make up your own lore from scratch but... Well, it might as well be 100% your campaign.

[awa]

I feel like an ant would work better than a mole for a god of creation

[Arkhios]

I feel like an ant would work better than a mole for a god of creation

True. Also, beaver might work, since they're remarkable builders.

[Arkhios]

It doesn't look that way to me.

I mean, there is some history to the Dawn War.

Like how Pelor, Ioun and a third god found the Living Gate, a crystal construct in the depths of the Astral Sea that was both a window into the Far Realm and the multiverse's main defense against it. It is likely that the third god was Tharizdun, who would later acquire a shard of pure evil at the edge of the multiverse and throw it into the Elemental Chaos, creating the Abyss. While that sure was a bad turn for the other side of the Dawn War, the Primordials who now had demons on their lawn, the Gods were not happy with Tharizdun either and imprisoned him in the astral dominion of Carceri.

Or how the Mortal World eventually awoke its own supreme entities, beings both divine and elemental known as the Primal Spirits, who would banish gods and primordials alike from it.

It isn't so generic and it works better with the World Axis Cosmology than with the Great Wheel Cosmology, which is the one presented in the 5e PHB.

Now, I guess you could just use the table from the 5e DMG and otherwise make up your own lore from scratch but... Well, it might as well be 100% your campaign.

Oh, I know that Dawn War has an unique history behind it. It's just that the pantheon itself, having deities from all over the earlier settings, is very easy to import anywhere as is. That's what makes me feel it's a good "generic"/"default" pantheon.

[Joe the Rat]

Bees make for good builders. Tie in a shift from "ale" to "mead" as the dwarven beverage-of-choice.

Evil secrets: something that collects and hoards. magpies and crows would work, but blurs the line with ravens (too many corvids spoil the plot). Rats are notorious collectors. Bats are quiet night fliers, that secret themselves away, and in some traditions take the role of messenger.

Madness: whichever of rats and bats you do not take (rats in the walls, bats in the belfry). Toads carry a consistent chaos theme in D&D (Herzou, Slaadi). Anything chimeric (owlbears, winged cats, actual chimeras) or multiheaded (hydra), or go cliche (cephalopods, fish, snails). Or something that shouldn't count as a creature (fungi, oozes).

Traditionally (in D&D), Bahamut is accompanied by 7 gold dragons, or when traveling in human guise, 7 gold canaries.

[Millstone85]

Well, today's UA makes me doubt my position on what is "default" in 5e. The Raven Queen is apparently going to be a warlock patron. Not "The Reaper" or "The Psychopomp", no, the Raven Queen.

[Inevitability]

Well, today's UA makes me doubt my position on what is "default" in 5e. The Raven Queen is apparently going to be a warlock patron. Not "The Reaper" or "The Psychopomp", no, the Raven Queen.

5e seems to be 'there are X material planes, some deities are worshipped on some planes and others aren't' to me.

The description for Ioun stones, for example, says:

An Ioun stone is named after Ioun, a god of knowledge and prophecy revered on some worlds. Many types of Ioun stone exist, each type a distinct combination of shape and color.

[Millstone85]

5e seems to be 'there are X material planes, some deities are worshipped on some planes and others aren't' to me.

It is no less strange to find the Raven Queen as "the" Shadowfell patron for all worlds. Anyway, I made a thread.

[Arkhios]

Ooh, nice catch about Bahamut! I wasn't aware of the canaries. Really flavorful!

Anyone know if Tiamat has similar non-draconic "companions"? Maybe cockatrice?

About Tharizdun the Mad, he's basically the enemy of all creation so it kinda makes sense he doesn't really have a favorite animal.

And yes, bees make a lot sense for Moradin, in regards to dwarves, and ale (Fuller's Honeydew <3) or mead.