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  1. - Top - End - #31
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    RogueGuy

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    Default Re: Share your pantheons!

    Switching over to spheres of power, made things easier.
    And gods may be gone, but ideals do remain.
    the first half of the meaning of life is that there isn't one.

  2. - Top - End - #32
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    SolithKnightGuy

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    I've been thinking about a Good and Evil pantheon over the last 3 days that I might insert into a game.

    If follows the Paradise Lost / Biblical Heaven vs Hell setup and series of events but with a specific change. Lucifer waits and doesn't rebel against heaven until after its discovered that Abel has been sent to the 1st layer of Hell.

    Angels didn't know the hells existed, many rebel, the upper 7 of 10 layers are conquered and turned from hellscapes to mildly pleasant or emotionless places.

    The war and displacement of the evil torture energies from the upper 7 layers are consolidated into the bottom 3 layers (renamed Tartares) and Devils are born there, who begin an eternal war against the upper 7 layers of Hell.

    Similar to Dante's Inferno, people who die having lived horrible lives or w/e go to different layers of hell. The 3 unconquered layers contain:
    8th layer: Worst of humanity
    9th layer: Worst humans in history
    10th layer: 4 prisoners, identities unknown


    There's more stuff involved but that's the gist of it. Big swing on the fallen angels being evil or looking out purely for their own interests. The original story's premise of anger purely against god is anted up by the discovery of hell before the Fall and the fact that Abel, who most angels believed deserved to go to at least the 1st of 10 layers of Heaven, was instead sent to the 1st layer of Hell.


    Additional stuff:
    Archangels, Fallen Archangels, and Archdevils of the 3 Tartares are the beings prayed to in conjunction with divine magic
    Arcane magic manipulates chaotic radiation created from particle-energy collisions in the the upper 7 layers of hell (happiness particle/energies colliding with torture/particle energies).

  3. - Top - End - #33
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    KorvinStarmast's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by vasilidor View Post
    Switching over to spheres of power, made things easier.
    And gods may be gone, but ideals do remain.
    My current own world is a variation on the World of Greyhawk (which map I use) that has Forces and Philosophies as the power base for clerics. A given culture can worship The Storm or venerate The Truth, and sometimes they even give it a name.

    This allows me to flex and tailor how a cleric PC (and for that matter NPCs) manifests their class features. If they want a named god or goddess, we can make that work and if they don't I have a way of interacting with them on a deity to character basis.

    What I don't do is C&P the laundry basket full of gods from WoG AD&D 1 or 2e, nor 3e, because there are Too Freaking Many deities and I don't want to be bothered to manage them.

    Beyond that, cults are all over the place worshipping various powers that may be in The Void, an Elemental (to include the cult of Elemental Evil), a devil, a demon, or even a Celestial.

    There is at least one cult worshipping the Titan/Empyrean (named Lagerael) whose domain is the harvest as well as brewing and distilling beer, wine and whisky. He's not Dionysus but he is chaotic. He embodies the ideal that "{deity} made beer because he loves us and wants us to be happy" (falsely attributed to Ben Franklin). Over time I have developed two sacred intonations, two different catch-phrases, among his officials and clerics:

    1. "In the name of the barrel, and of the foam, and of the holy nectar" is intoned as one closes out a ceremony, a prayer, a decree, a judgment, or a blessing. It is also used as part of a formal greeting among adherents.

    2. A slight variation on Ben Franklin's actual reference to divine sources of various spirits:

    “Behold the rain which descends from on high upon our fields; there it enters the roots of the vines, grains, and trees to be changed into beer, wine and spirits; a constant proof that Lagerael loves us and wants us to be happy.”

    Also heard in common utterance among his adherents are these two short adages:
    a. The only thing we have to cheer is beer itself.
    b. Be it ale or bitter, let it flow and let us glow.
    Last edited by KorvinStarmast; 2022-04-21 at 12:22 PM.
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  4. - Top - End - #34
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    RedMage125's Avatar

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    I'm loving all the stuff I'm seeing. This is all great. I hope we're inspiring some up and coming GMs to help make their own, too.

    I'm not replying to everyone, but you all have great stuff.

    Quote Originally Posted by LudicSavant View Post
    I’ve got some pantheon posts in my sig. Lemme know what you think :)
    You know, for years, I assumed you were doing expanded write ups of those deities in a canon sense.
    I read your Wee Jas and Lolth. Pretty cool stuff.

    Quote Originally Posted by LecternOfJasper View Post
    In my current game, the realm the player are in have been cut of from the greater cosmology for about 3000 years, so the gods that are around are either somewhat small or remnants of the ones that came before. I also did many things in 3's, so most lists of gods are multiples of 3.
    This is great stuff. I love the harmony of everything being in 3s.

    Quote Originally Posted by nweismuller View Post
    The current D&D campaign I'm running has gods split between two pantheons, the good gods who were the original creators of the world this game takes place within and a group of evil gods who have intruded and are attempting to seize control of the world, along with one demigoddess who was an accidental byproduct of the lingering power of the world's creation.
    Interesting. You've got something that reminds me of an inversion of what Eberron did. Your evil deities have names, but the good ones are only known by titles.

    Quote Originally Posted by Schlendrian View Post
    The Pantheon of Kyull.
    This is great. I love how you've detailed how different races see the same deity.

    Quote Originally Posted by JusticeZero View Post
    All the gods are evil, and there is no alignment.
    These two sentences together are confusing.

    Quote Originally Posted by PhoenixPhyre View Post
    One thing I do is to discard the idea of creator gods, really.
    We've spoken before about some of your deity stuff. Cool to see the details.

    Also, I noticed none of your deities grant the Twilight domain (and I think I missed seeing Peace). Is that intentional, an oversight, or you just haven't worked that in yet?
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  5. - Top - End - #35
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    KorvinStarmast's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by RedMage125 View Post
    Also, I noticed none of your deities grant the Twilight domain (and I think I missed seeing Peace). Is that intentional, an oversight, or you just haven't worked that in yet?
    As a player in that campaign, and a frequent reader of the extensive wiki that holds the world/multiverse reference material, we were playing already (with the above mentioned structure having been in place for a few years) when Tasha's came out (which has peace and twilight domains). We have, player side, asked about "can we use {X} Tasha's stuff" as our interest arises. On a case-by-case basis stuff from Tasha's (after Phoenix checks it for a good fit) gets used or not used.
    I suspect that none of the players in either of the two groups has asked about those domains, yet, so their inclusion / option never got the right trigger.
    Spoiler: Some Tasha's stuff that did find a home
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    In our two groups, Paladin Oaths of (Glory) and (Watchers) were approved after players proposed them. Our original paladin was (Devotion) but the player asked to swap to (Glory) before level 5 (ye olde respecce) and it was granted. My paladin chose Watchers; after a review it got a thumbs up.

    The 'buyers remorse' on cantrips option from Tasha's has also been embraced.
    Last edited by KorvinStarmast; 2022-04-21 at 12:34 PM.
    Avatar by linklele. How Teleport Works
    a. Malifice (paraphrased):
    Rulings are not 'House Rules.' Rulings are a DM doing what DMs are supposed to do.
    b. greenstone (paraphrased):
    Agency means that they {players} control their character's actions; you control the world's reactions to the character's actions.
    Gosh, 2D8HP, you are so very correct!
    Second known member of the Greyview Appreciation Society

  6. - Top - End - #36
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    Daemon

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    Quote Originally Posted by KorvinStarmast View Post
    As a player in that campaign, and a frequent reader of the extensive wiki that holds the world/multiverse reference material, we were playing already (with the above mentioned structure having been in place for a few years) when Tasha's came out (which has peace and twilight domains). We have, player side, asked about "can we use {X} Tasha's stuff" as our interest arises. On a case-by-case basis stuff from Tasha's (after Phoenix checks it for a good fit) gets used or not used.
    I suspect that none of the players in either of the two groups has asked about those domains, yet, so their inclusion / option never got the right trigger.
    Spoiler: Some Tasha's stuff that did find a home
    Show
    In our two groups, Paladin Oaths of (Glory) and (Watchers) were approved after players proposed them. Our original paladin was (Devotion) but the player asked to swap to (Glory) before level 5 (ye olde respecce) and it was granted. My paladin chose Watchers; after a review it got a thumbs up.

    The 'buyers remorse' on cantrips option from Tasha's has also been embraced.
    Quote Originally Posted by RedMage125 View Post
    We've spoken before about some of your deity stuff. Cool to see the details.

    Also, I noticed none of your deities grant the Twilight domain (and I think I missed seeing Peace). Is that intentional, an oversight, or you just haven't worked that in yet?
    Twilight and Peace are not included on purpose. Both are mechanically unsuited (both subclasses are significantly more powerful than I like) and Twilight just doesn't seem coherent as a domain at all. Peace, if I rebuilt the subclass entirely, might have a place. But mainly because I haven't reworked that page since Tasha's came out =)

    Same, incidentally, with the Circle of Stars druid subclass. Poor thematic fit (the stars, for me, being angelic beacons at very close range, not fixed constellations that have meaning). Thematic fit is most important of all.
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  7. - Top - End - #37
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    KorvinStarmast's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by PhoenixPhyre View Post
    Twilight and Peace are not included on purpose. Both are mechanically unsuited (both subclasses are significantly more powerful than I like) and Twilight just doesn't seem coherent as a domain at all.
    Aah, you have probably mentioned that before but I just didn't remember. Also, no need to rebuild Peace, you've got plenty of other home brew for us to play test ...
    Avatar by linklele. How Teleport Works
    a. Malifice (paraphrased):
    Rulings are not 'House Rules.' Rulings are a DM doing what DMs are supposed to do.
    b. greenstone (paraphrased):
    Agency means that they {players} control their character's actions; you control the world's reactions to the character's actions.
    Gosh, 2D8HP, you are so very correct!
    Second known member of the Greyview Appreciation Society

  8. - Top - End - #38
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    Daemon

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    Quote Originally Posted by KorvinStarmast View Post
    Aah, you have probably mentioned that before but I just didn't remember. Also, no need to rebuild Peace, you've got plenty of other home brew for us to play test ...
    Yeah. Hence the not bothering to do anything about it yet thing.

    My stack of homebrew that needs finishing is...yeah. Large. And getting larger with every book WotC puts out--not fond of their new style.
    Dawn of Hope: a 5e setting. http://wiki.admiralbenbo.org
    Rogue Equivalent Damage calculator, now prettier and more configurable!
    5e Monster Data Sheet--vital statistics for all 693 MM, Volo's, and now MToF monsters: Updated!
    NIH system 5e fork, very much WIP. Base github repo.
    NIH System PDF Up to date main-branch build version.

  9. - Top - End - #39
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    Kane0's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by PhoenixPhyre View Post
    Yeah. Hence the not bothering to do anything about it yet thing.

    My stack of homebrew that needs finishing is...yeah. Large. And getting larger with every book WotC puts out--not fond of their new style.
    Feel free to crowd-source in the 'brew forums, some of us have more time than sense
    Roll for it
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  10. - Top - End - #40
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    Daemon

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kane0 View Post
    Feel free to crowd-source in the 'brew forums, some of us have more time than sense
    Sadly my posts there get ~0 responses. Probably because they're too setting-tied (as is all my stuff, because I'm only worrying about my one setting). Like my current racial overhaul post (which probably hasn't fallen off the main page yet).

    And worst of all, most of my ideas are in the inchoate "I really should do something about <X>" stage, but aren't pressing enough to even flesh out enough to make sense when written down.
    Dawn of Hope: a 5e setting. http://wiki.admiralbenbo.org
    Rogue Equivalent Damage calculator, now prettier and more configurable!
    5e Monster Data Sheet--vital statistics for all 693 MM, Volo's, and now MToF monsters: Updated!
    NIH system 5e fork, very much WIP. Base github repo.
    NIH System PDF Up to date main-branch build version.

  11. - Top - End - #41
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    pwykersotz's Avatar

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    I repurposed stock deities, and took heavy inspiration from some threads on this forum. So some people might recognize some of these ideas.

    Tharizdun. The original deity. He was all there was, and all powerful. Until one day he conceived of something that was NOT him. Bam, Taiia came into being. She was everything he was not, and he hated her. So he created space and time just to have somewhere to expel her.

    Taiia. The deity of good, chaos, passion, life, and destruction. She not only embodies existence, but also change, for good or for bad (though she's mostly regarded favorably). She immediately began to fight Tharizdun once she came into being.

    Io. The deity of protection and law. A deity forged by Tharizdun to try to destroy Taiia, as he could not reabsorb her at her full strength. Designed to rip apart the foundations of what made Taiia exist. And he almost won. But while he and Taiia fought over eons, they grew to love each other. She created wonderful things that had brand new rules that were much more intriguing than Tharizdun's nothingness. And so together they turned against him.

    Together, they tried to lock Tharizdun away, but they couldn't do it alone. So Taiia and Io had "children". They created new concepts and filled space and time with them. They started the cycle of life and death, and drove Tharizdun mad, as even a speck of dust was offensive to him, and now the universe teemed with "not him" that he hated. (That madness manifested as the Far Realm.)

    Shar. No resemblance to D&D Shar. I just liked the name. Goddess of death.
    Gaia. Goddess of life
    Cyndor. God of civilization, of travel, and of time.

    Together, they locked Tharizdun away. They inverted space and time around him, locking him in simultaneously an infinite void and an infinitely small container. But they don't realize that Tharizdun was capitulant in this. From his perspective, he locked them away. The things he hates are quieted, but not gone, and not forgotten. He plots his vengeance, and seeks to bring all things to an ultimate end. Meanwhile the deities maintain the cosmos they created.

    There's more to it, but that goes into more cosmology than Pantheons. I took away the deity status of other gods, and made them eidolons, powerful progenitors of concepts or peoples. Corellon Larethian and Moradin exist, but they're not "gods" in my world.
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  12. - Top - End - #42
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    OrcBarbarianGirl

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    Quote Originally Posted by RedMage125 View Post
    These two sentences together are confusing.
    Apologies.
    There is no mechanical alignment. There is no Good plane or Evil plane or what have you. The closest thing to Detect Alignment is an effect to detect what god ("Regent") something that is extraplanar is aligned to.

    However, you don't get to be a god without traumatizing, abusing, and slaughtering a lot of innocent non-combatants in cold blood. It's literally the centerpiece of the process. There is no other way.
    There are no kind, loving, gentle gods. Benevolent and kindly people don't commit atrocities of mass torture and murder, and if they did, they wouldn't be known for their benevolence. For instance, Agon'c is effectively the God of Healing - and they became a god by vivisecting prisoners and conducting horrific medical experiments on them. They are not considered nice, gentle, or kind by anyone, and their priests are recognizable by the way they have had patches of skin flayed off to leave monstrous scars.
    Last edited by JusticeZero; 2022-04-21 at 08:20 PM.
    "We were once so close to heaven, Peter came out and gave us medals declaring us 'The nicest of the damned'.."
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  13. - Top - End - #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by RedMage125 View Post
    You know, for years, I assumed you were doing expanded write ups of those deities in a canon sense.
    I read your Wee Jas and Lolth. Pretty cool stuff.
    They're basically completely new deities using old names to invite comparison.
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  14. - Top - End - #44
    Ogre in the Playground
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    My pantheon is in an interesting state of flux, since the current campaign I'm running is actually focused on the players ascending to divinity due to being at the right place at the right time doing the right wrong thing. So in a while, my pantheon is surely going to be... different. But for now, in addition to the standard Pathfinder pantheons, the team and players primarily congregate around these additional gods.

    Spoiler: Nerassus: God of Justice, Knowledge, Life and Death
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    The oldest of the current pantheon, and an extremely distant yet seemingly omnipresent force. He never interacts directly with his followers or petitioners. Instead his commands and dealings are done through his four children, which each represent one of his four spheres. He is viewed as benevolent, if perhaps exceedingly harsh. His children are:

    Caitben: Known as the just, or evenhanded, or even merciless. Caitben maintains the book of judgment in which all your actions are recorded. At the end of days, they weighs your life upon the scale, and there is no mercy in their judgment. Neither pleading nor prayer will save you from the consequences of your actions. But they want you to succeed. They want you to be good, so that you may enjoy the peace and love of heaven for all eternity. Their churches double as courthouses, tax-offices and merchant guilds. To be recognized as such a church is both an honour and a risk. As long as you have his blessing, you'll be known for fair and honest deals. But you also draw their attention, and so any dishonest dealings will be punished tenfold.

    Leiner: All-knowing seeker of wisdom, arbiter of truth. Leiner has by far the most petitioners of their siblings, as they maintain the Akashic Records. A library whose purpose is the collection of all information. Every book, every thought, every written word and every flicker of experience is said to be recorded in these halls. Any question you have can be answered here, if you but know the correct question. Leiner is a patron of librarians, inventors, scientists and sages. They and their petitioners are perhaps the most approachable, because every new meeting is a chance to learn something new. Every church of Leiner is also de facto a public library, even if the book is also the librarian and the stories they keep.

    Shensus: The one who nurtures and grows. Shensus is responsible for life, from conception to birth to growth. All that lives are their children, and like a parent they seek to ensure that every moment of life is a component of growth. To grow wiser, stronger, greater than what you once were, that is what it means to live. They are a patron of healers and midwives, but also farmers, botanists and hunters. Their churches tend to double as hospitals, orphanages and other shelters for the weak and vulnerable, which makes them very popular among the common folk.

    Neryon: When you die, it is Neryon who awaits you. They carry the souls of the dead to their final resting place and ensure that all that ends is ended properly. Their worshippers are rarer than that of their brethren, but morticians and gravekeepers still pay service. In a typical life, Neryon is invoked precisely once. As a ritual prayer for the safe passage of the dead soul to the afterlife, in the hopes that the soul will not be tormented by undeath. Neryon has no real churches of their own, and their priests tend to be travelers who travel the world, hunting the undead and offering prayers and comfort to the bereaved.


    Spoiler: Agaga o le Sami: The Moon, The Ocean
    Show
    Agaga is the divine father of otter-kin. A people who live on islands and specially designed floating cities. They all pray and worship to their god, considering him their creator and protector. Agaga is responsible for the tides and the currents. He controls the waves and is thought to be the creator of all sea life. How true that is, is a matter of debate. What is known is that he is fiercely protective of his otters, and that protective behaviour trickles down to his people.

    In the otter tribes, family is everything. Honour is gained by taking care of children, and while there is a lot of pressure on having a lot of kids, there is no shame in adopting children either, even from other races. If you accept Agaga's love and acknowledge him as your father, then you are his child.

    Beyond that, Agaga is a very jolly god. Life is too short. Live it and love it. Good food, good drink, and good music. Wealth and power are pointless, except a means to spread more enjoyment.


    Spoiler: Nostariel: Lord of Greed
    Show
    Once upon a time, a very foolish wizard made a deal to summon an unbound devil into the world. As per the agreement, the devil did not harm the wizard. But no such promise was made for the rest of his nation.

    Nostariel ended that nation. A poor deal done by a greedy wizard gave him all the opportunity he needed, and every soul in the land was consumed by him, fueling his ascension to godhood. Nostariel is now powerful enough to have carved out his very own part of hell which is all his, existing only at the whims of his delights and indulgences. But his increase in power did little to reduce his greed. More than anything it became fuel for the fire. Nostariel still seeks to own everything and everyone. All should be his, all should bow down to him.

    To those who kneel down and accept him as their ultimate master, Nostariel may seem uncharacteristically generous. He shares freely of his power, and encourages his worshippers to grow their own domains. Accept Nostariel as your lord, and you will enjoy the bliss of utter subservience to a superior Master. Resist, and be broken like fragile glass.

    Nostariel's comparative youth as a god is noticed in his general lack of a drive beyond greed. Being one of his worshippers is thus a surprisingly simple affair. Acknowledge Nostariel as your Lord, and beyond that you can do whatever you desire as long as you don't interfere with Nostariel's drive to acquire more. He does however look favourably upon the greedy, the driven, and the ambitious, and he is more than happy to support up and coming conquerors who promise to conquer in his name.


    Spoiler: The Storm Lord
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    Long ago the wicked brother of Agaga, Sano'o el Kaze, held the title of Lord of Storms. He waged a campaign of genocide against Agaga and his children. Kaze was stronger than his brother and seemed unstoppable in his campaign until one mortal stood against him. Who the mortal was or what he did exactly has been lost to history, if there ever were anyone to witness the fight in the first place. But the mortal won. Kaze's title as the Storm Lord was usurped by the mortal, who became the new Lord of Storms.

    To some he is Ri'cua, who broke the storm of Kaze and granted Agaga and his children a much needed reprieve. To others he is Ricardo, whose fury sinks ships, breaks walls and grinds even mountains to dust. And to his worshippers he is both and so much more. In his doctrine the Storm is a symbol of the struggle. He "blesses" his devout by causing tumult in their lives, with the goal that you leave the storm stronger and more secure than you entered it. When his earthquakes challenge the walls of your city, he teaches you to build better walls. If his storm sinks your ship, then build a better ship.

    He is also the god most known for manifesting directly before mortals, most commonly in his aspect as "the Kid". A seemingly youthful child or young adult who appears weak or helpless, and goads the overconfident into entering some kind of gamble. Once they bet more than they should, he reveals his true powers to claim victory. The Kid is one of his most feared aspects. Even his worshippers acknowledge that the Kid is as capricious and unpredictable as the storms he command, and that the wisest course of action when interacting with him is to simply... not.

  15. - Top - End - #45
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    RogueGuy

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    Default Re: Share your pantheons!

    I once toyed with the idea of basing a pantheon off of popular comic book characters.
    Spider-man, Batman etc.
    the first half of the meaning of life is that there isn't one.

  16. - Top - End - #46
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    I use a truncated version of the Grayhawk Pantheon as it's a familiar ground so I rarely see any reason to not take advantage of it, barring reasons not to, IE: running a game in something like Dark Sun or the Realms.

    I also run in 2e, and with specialty priests, which basically means each god entry is also a miniature priest kit in and of itself and 10 of the 24 page document I currently maintain are descriptions of those deities I've taken or modified from various sources over the years.

    Spoiler: Boccob - TN
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    Dogma - Boccob teaches that magic is the most important force in the cosmos, and that balance between Law and Chaos, and between Good and Evil, should be preserved. Magic, according to Boccobite dogma, is an energy source of finite extant, and may eventually wane. Boccob promotes the research and creation of new spells and magical items, under the theory that this increases the amount of magic available to everyone.
    Alignment - Any Neutral.
    Attributes - Int 14 or Wis 16
    Weapons allowed - dagger, flail, knife, mace, sling, staff, staff-sling
    Armor allowed - nonmetal
    Symbol: An eye in a pentagon
    Raiments - purple robes with gold trim
    Spheres - astral, charm, creation(min), divination, elemental all (min), guardian (min),summoning (min),
    Special Spells - disc of concordant opposition
    Special Powers -
    1) cast all divination spells as if two levels higher,
    7) commune
    10) able to use magical items normally usable only by wizards;
    Turn Undead - no

    Disc of Concordant Opposition (Evocation)
    Level: 6
    Range: 10 yards
    Duration: 1 attack
    Components: V, S,M
    Casting Time: 6 segs.
    Saving Throw: Special
    Area of Effect: 1 creature
    This spell is granted to clerics of Boccob when they become eligible for 6th level spells. It is a less powerful version of Boccob’s own disc of Concordant opposition. When it is cast, the cleric brings into being a disc which will blast most creatures into nothingness unless they are resistant to magic.
    Creatures with less than 6 hit dice or 35% magic resistance are destroyed, if they fail their save. Creatures with 6 hit dice or more take 75 points of damage, if they fail their save. Creatures with 6 or more hit dice take 40 points of damage, saving to half damage. Any creature with a magic-resistance greater than 35% is unaffected.
    The cleric must have Boccob’s symbol-on his person in order to cast this spell. The material component is a small iron and electrum wheel with a rod rising from the center of one side. The disc is hurled at the target while the cleric completes a prayer to Boccob

    Spoiler: Nerull - NE
    Show

    Dogma - Nerull is the patron deity of those who seek the greatest evil for their own enjoyment or gain. Most common folk do not worship or propitiate him, although they fear him greatly. It is believed that any form of appeasement will merely draw his attention, something that is at all costs to be avoided by the sensible. Nerull seems, in fact, to draw power from the very avoidance of his name. Some of the peasants of the former Great Kingdom do propitiate Nerull with minor rites, begging safe passage for the souls of the dead. Among the Flan and in the Old Faith, Nerull is sometimes considered to be the god of winter.
    Alignment - any evil
    Attributes - base cleric
    Weapons allowed - dagger, knife, great sickle (treat as hookfauchard), staff, staff-sling
    Armor allowed - any
    Symbol: Skull and scythe
    Raiments - rust-red or black garments
    Spheres - Astral, Charm (min), Combat, Divination (min), Guardian, Healing (rev), Necromantic (rev), Sun (rev)
    Special Spells - none
    Special Powers -
    1) surprised only on a 1
    6) Evard’s black tentacles (Wiz4)
    12) destruction (reversed resurrection) 1/week
    Turn Undead - Command Undead

    Spoiler: Pelor - LG
    Show

    Dogma - Pelorians believe that the life-giving sun is the best cure for all of Oerth's ills. Justice and freedom are brought about through charity, modesty, perseverance, and self-sacrifice. Pelor's priests teach that the truly strong don't need to prove their power. Pelorians strive to perform so many good acts that evil has no room in which to exist, though they will fight if necessary. Pelor is wrathful against the forces of evil, and is especially opposed to the undead. However, Pelor urges his followers to remember that excessive attention to things of evil can blind one to the truly important things: compassion and goodness. These are what must be emphasized above all.
    Alignment - any good
    Attributes - base cleric
    Weapons allowed - flail, mace, morningstar, staff, staff-sling
    Armor allowed - leather or chain
    Symbol: a face in a sun
    Raiments - yellow robes (gold-trimmed for priests of level 7+)
    Spheres - Charm, Creation, Elemental (air), Guardian, Healing, Necromantic, Protection, Summoning (min), Sun,
    Special Spells - none
    Special Powers -
    1) all healing spells do at least median healing (5 hp for cure light wounds, 9 hp for cure serious wounds, 16 hp for cure critical wounds, heal cures all but 1-2 hp),
    5) automatic saves vs.spells that deprive priest of sight (darkness, blindness, etc.),
    9) fly (Wiz 3)
    Turn Undead - turn at + 1 level.

    Spoiler: Saint Cuthbert - LG
    Show

    Dogma - The words of St. Cuthbert are wise, practical, and sensible. Among his followers, the Word of the Cudgel is law, and his followers take pains to spread the word so that may all may benefit from St. Cuthbert’s wisdom. Weakness in faith and acting against the Saint’s teachings are intolerable, especially in believers. St. Cuthbert exhorts his followers to make increasing efforts to bring unbelievers into the fold. Honesty, truthfulness, practicality, and reasonability are the highest virtues, says St. Cuthbert.
    Alignment - LG, LN;
    Attributes - Std
    Weapons allowed - club (Ist), flail, mace, morningstar, staff, staffsling, sling, warhammer
    Armor allowed - any (plate mail if affordable)
    Symbol: a crumpled hat (Chapeaux), a starburst (Stars), a wooden club (Billets)
    Raiments - crumpled hat (Chapeaux), dark green robes with starburst (Stars), or brown and russet garments (Billets)
    Spheres - Charm, Combat, Divination, Healing, Necromantic, Protection,
    Special Spells - none
    Special Powers -
    2) friends ;
    3) shillelagh ;
    4) ESP;
    9) true seeing
    Turn Undead - turn at -4 levels

    Spoiler: Ehlonna - NG
    Show

    Dogma - Ehlonna teaches that the animals and plants of the forests are gifts, and not to be stolen. She is often the goddess of rangers and druids and opposes hunters and those who would rape the land for fun or profit.
    Alignment - any good
    Attributes - Wis 13 or Dex 13 or Cha13
    Weapons allowed - dagger, knife, longbow (and arrows), long sword, spear, staff, staff-sling, sling;
    Armor allowed - leather, padded leather, or elven chain
    Symbol: a rampant unicorn or a unicorn's horn
    Raiments - pale green robes
    Spheres - Animal, Charm, Combat(min), Creation(min), Elemental. (air, earth, water), Guardian(min),Healing, Necromantic(min), Plant, Protection(min), Sun,Weather
    Special Spells - stalk
    Special Powers -
    1) Tracking proficiency;
    5) move silently as ranger of same level;
    7) hide in woodland (as per hiding in shadows) as ranger of same level
    Turn Undead - turn at - 3 levels

    Stalk (Alteration/Abjuration)
    Level: 2
    Components: V, M
    Range: Touch
    Casting Time: 2 segs.
    Duration: 5 rounds/level
    Saving Throw: None
    Area of Effect: Creature touched
    This spell makes the target nearly invisible in natural surroundings and almost totally silent, as if he or she were wearing cloak and boots of elvenkind. Furthermore, the recipient’s scent is almost completely masked. The dweomer makes a stationary recipient undetectable by non-magical means a t any range over 30 feet. Movement doesn’t negate the spell; it only makes non-magical detection possible. The spell ends when its duration expires or whenever the recipient attacks. The material components are Ehlonna’s unicorn horn symbol and a piece of dried chameleon skin.

    Spoiler: Erythnul - CE
    Show

    Dogma - The chaos of battle is the sacred charge of the worshippers of Erythnul. In all the myriad forms of terror and suffering that war creates, there is a strange kind of unity. This is part of the reason that Erythnul is called the Many. Battle is a test of merit and strength, and living and dying by the sword is the definition of the good life.
    Many of Erythnul's worshippers believe that blood spilled in battle feeds their god, increasing his madness and bloodlust. Chaotic neutral worshippers believe that non-combatants and weak opponents are meaningless, and that killing them does nothing to satiate their god or prove their ability; killing those unworthy of a warrior's death even angers Erythnul, they believe. Chaotic evil worshippers, who are far more common, disagree, believing that all slaughter is a sacrament, and that the dying screams of innocents are music to Erythnul's ears, hymns in the church of the battlefield.
    Alignment - CE, NE
    Attributes - Str 14 or Con 14
    Weapons allowed - any (mace 1st);
    Armor allowed - any
    Symbol: a red blood drop, or a bestial mask representing Erythnul's changing visage
    Raiments - rust colored garments, blood-stained robes for ceremonies
    Spheres - Combat, Creation., Healing (rev), Necromantic (rev), Protection(min), Summoning, Sun(min)(rev),
    Special Spells - none
    Special Powers -
    4) fear (Wiz4);
    7) strength (increased by ld8 points as for a warrior) (Wiz2);
    9) once per day, the priest may enchant an edged weapon for 1 round/level to act as a sword of wounding
    Turn Undead -command at -4 levels.

    Spoiler: Fharlanghn - TN
    Show

    Dogma - Fharlanghn insists that everyone travel in order to discover and learn new things. He urges people to look to the horizon for inspiration.
    Alignment - NG, N
    Attributes - Std
    Weapons allowed - any nonedged weapon (staff 1st);
    Armor allowed - nonmetal
    Symbol: a disk with a curved line representing the horizon, and an upturned crescent above that
    Raiments - Brown and green robes, very plain and ordinary
    Spheres - Comba(min), Creation(min), Elemental (air, earth), Healing(min), Protection(min), Summoning, Travelers, Weather
    Special Spells - none
    Special Powers -
    1) all MV rates increased by 25%;
    3) all ability checks for jogging/running made with +3 bonus;
    5) dimension door (Wiz4);
    9) wind walk;
    Turn Undead -nil

    Spoiler: Heironeous - LG
    Show

    Dogma - Heironeous sees the world as a deadly place, filled with perpetual challenges and trials for those who battle for justice and defend the weak and innocent. His followers should always act with honor and chivalry, and to uphold justice. Danger is to be faced head-on, with calm and resolve. Those who defeat evil are rewarded with Glory, while those who uphold the tenets of the Arch-paladin are rewarded with Virtue. The Arch-paladin's teachings have been codified in a chivalric code known as the Heironean Code.
    Alignment - LG
    Attributes - Str 16 or Dex 16 or Con 16
    Weapons allowed - any (battle axe 1st);
    Armor allowed - chain or plate only
    Symbol: a silver lightning bolt, often clutched in a fist.
    Raiments - dark blue robes with silver trim
    (senior priests have more ornate silvering);
    Spheres - Combat, Guardian, Healing, Necromantic, Protection, Summoning (min), Sun (min),
    Special Spells - bolt of glory
    Special Powers -
    1) + 2 to all saves versus fear;
    4) cloak of bravery;
    6) immune to strength reducing magic (ray of enfeeblement, etc.);
    11)power word stun (Wiz7)
    Turn Undead - turn at -2 levels

    Bolt of Glory (invoc/evoc)
    Priest 6
    Sphere (combat, summon)
    Components: V, S, M
    Range: 20 yards
    Casting Time: 9 segs.
    Duration: instantaneous
    Saving Throw: spell for half
    Area of Effect: one creature

    By casting this spell, the priest channels a bolt of divine energy from the positive material plane against one creature. No attack roll is needed. Creatures struck suffer varying damage, depending on their home plane of existence and nature.
    A saving throw vs. spell is allowed for half damage. For denizens of the Lower Outer Planes (fiends), undead creatures, and Negative Material Plane creatures, such as saving throw is made with a -2 penalty.
    Creature’s Home Plane: Damage
    Prime Material Plane: 5d6
    Elemental Planes, Outer Planes of Neutrality (Arcadia, Mechanus, Acheron, Ysgard, Limbo, Pandemonium) :5d4
    Positive Material Plane, Outer Planes of Good(Mount Celestia, Bytopia, Elysium, the Beastlands, Arborea) :None
    Outer Planes of Evil (Baator, Gehenna, the Gray Waste, Carceri, the Abyss), undead creatures : 10d6
    Negative Material Plane: 15d6
    Astral, Ethereal Plane: 4d6
    The material component of this spell is a small amber rod banded with bronze

    Spoiler: Hextor - LE
    Show

    Dogma - The church of Hextor teaches that the world is a harsh, unforgiving place. The strong rule the weak, and power is the only reward worth having. Cruelty and mercilessness are necessary tools. Order must be forged from Chaos and law from anarchy, but order is meaningless without the will to enforce it. Tyrants are to be obeyed, and dissenters are to be oppressed or killed. Slaves must obey their masters.
    Alignment - LE, NE
    Attributes - Str 15 or Dex 15
    Weapons allowed - any bow (and arrows or bolts), flail, fork, morningstar, scimitar, staff-sling
    Armor allowed - chain or scale
    Symbol: Fist holding six red arrows facing downward in a fan
    Raiments - black robes adorned with white skulls or gray visages
    Spheres - Combat, Elemental (fire), Healing (rev), Law, Necromantic (rev), Summoning (min), Sun (min)(rev),
    Special Spells - none
    Special Powers -
    1) +1 bonus to Str;
    3) may fight with two-handed weapons with no attack roll penalties;
    5) ray of enfeeblement (Wiz2);
    9) once per day, double damage in melee for 1 round/level
    Turn Undead - no

    Spoiler: Kord - CG
    Show

    Dogma - Kord's followers are urged to scorn cowardice, and taught that the strong and fit should rule the weak. To Kord's faithful, a leader's best quality is bravery. Kord loves physical contests, and this inspires many barbarian tribes to use nonlethal sports as a method for resolving disputes. Because battle claims the weak and cowardly alike, there is nothing to lose by seeking battle; indeed, battle determines who is most worthy of life, and ensures a place at Kord's side after death. Those who flee from battle are often publicly excommunicated.
    Alignment - CG,CN
    Attributes - Str 16, Con 15
    Weapons allowed - any
    Armor allowed - any metal
    Symbol: an eight-pointed star composed of spears and maces
    Raiments - red with white trappings
    Spheres - All, Combat, Creation(min), Healing(min), Summoning, Weather
    Special Spells - none
    Special Powers -
    1)+ 2 to saves vs. fear;
    4) strength (Wiz2);
    7) + 2 to saving throws versus spells cast by lawful-aligned enemies;
    9) may use Elemental (earth) spells
    Turn Undead - no

    Spoiler: Obad Hai - TN
    Show

    Dogma - Obad-Hai teaches that one should live in harmony with nature, and that those who would damage the natural balance deserve swift vengeance. Obad-Hai's faith is colder and less compassionate than Ehlonna's, preaching death in balance with life. When followers of the Shalm hunt, they target the weak and sickly first.
    Alignment - N
    Attributes - Wis 14
    Weapons allowed - As druid
    Armor allowed - As druid
    Symbol: a mask of oak leaves and acorns.
    Raiments - simple russet garments
    Spheres - Animal, Charm(min), Divination., Elemental (all), Healing, Necromantic(min), Plant, Summoning(min), Sun, Weather
    Special Spells - no
    Special Powers - As druid
    Turn Undead -no

    Spoiler: Olidammara - CN
    Show

    Dogma - Olidammara teaches his followers to avoid predictability and routine, to delight in wine, to learn music, to seek out happiness, joy, entertainment, and the company of others. Olidammara advises his faithful to appreciate both the jokes they play and the jokes played on them. He also teaches that misery, temperance, and solemnity are the greatest poisons to the soul.
    Alignment - CN
    Attributes - Dex 13 or Cha 13
    Weapons allowed - as thieves
    Armor allowed - as thieves
    Symbol: a grinning mask
    Raiments - robes of green, brown green and brown, or green and black
    Spheres - Chaos(min), Charm, Creation, Divination, Healing, Protection, Travelers(min)
    Special Spells - no
    Special Powers -
    1) hide in shadows as thief, 5%/level;
    5) alter self (Wiz 2);
    7)Tasha’s hideous uncontrollable laughter (Wiz 2);
    10) confusion
    Turn Undead - no

    Spoiler: WeeJas-LN
    Show

    Dogma - Wee Jas thinks of herself as a steward of the dead. Though she is a relatively benign death goddess, she has no problem with undead being created - as long as they are not reanimated against their will, and their remains are procured in a lawful manner. Wee Jas is unconcerned with questions of morality; if it can be done within the confines of the law, she will allow it. Jasidan priests teach that magic is the key to all things. Jasidan are expected to show respect towards their predecessors and the departed
    Alignment - LN, LE
    Attributes - Int 13
    Weapons allowed - as wizards
    Armor allowed - none
    Symbol: a skull in front of a fireball, or just a red skull
    Raiments - black (evil) or gray (neutral) robes
    Spheres - Astral, Charm, Combat(min), Divination, Elemental (all), Guardian, Healing, Necromantic, Protection, Summoning, Sun(min),
    Special Spells - ability alteration
    Special Powers -
    3) + 1 to saves versus magic:
    6) may use 1st and 2nd level wizard spells from the Enchantment,Charm and Illusion schools as priest spells of same level;
    9)may use wizard spells of 1st through 4th level from the schools of Alteration, Enchantment, Charm, Illusion, and Invocation-Evocation as priest spells of same level, and may use magical items normally only usable by wizards
    Turn Undead - priests are only rarely allowed to command undead creatures, having to commune with Wee Jas to see if this is acceptable to her

    Ability Alteration (Alteration)
    Sphere: Creation
    Level 3
    Range: 0
    Components: V
    CastingTime: 6
    Duration: 1turn + 5 rds/level
    Area of Effect: The caster
    Saving Throw: None
    By means of this spell, the priest can enhance one or more of his physical abilities by temporarily suppressing another physical ability. The priest can expend ability points from one physical ability to gain ability points in another. The ratio is 2 points expended to 1 gained. No ability score can be reduced below 8 by this spell, nor can racial maximums or minimums be exceeded.
    Exceptional strength is possible, but costs 2 points spent per 10% gain. Example: A priest with Strength 17 and Dexterity 16 could expend up to 8 points of Dexterity to increment Strength to 18/30 (17 to 18 to 18/10 to 18/20 to 18/30). When the spell expires,the original ability score is restored

  17. - Top - End - #47
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Share your pantheons!

    Quote Originally Posted by vasilidor View Post
    I once toyed with the idea of basing a pantheon off of popular comic book characters.
    Spider-man, Batman etc.
    I mean, that's valid. In future I am likely to move away from a pantheon structure entirely, but my game has been running for years. It has certain nonstandard assumptions, and the standard assumptions behind a pantheon as normal are quite specific.
    I don't allow many of the core classes anymore. I disallow Cleric and Paladin and the assumptions behind them, among other things, and with them I no longer need to lock into those very specific ideas. I can play with cosmology much more. I already am; I can bring a world that is unrepentantly misotheistic, exploring how that affects the world. Last game was entirely psionic, and the theology was deistic. Next time, I can play with myth even more.
    "We were once so close to heaven, Peter came out and gave us medals declaring us 'The nicest of the damned'.."
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  18. - Top - End - #48
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    Default Re: Share your pantheons!

    Quote Originally Posted by RedMage125 View Post
    I'm loving all the stuff I'm seeing. This is all great. I hope we're inspiring some up and coming GMs to help make their own, too.
    Interesting. You've got something that reminds me of an inversion of what Eberron did. Your evil deities have names, but the good ones are only known by titles.
    I'm not really familiar with Eberron; how is my setup an inversion of theirs? The 'names and titles' thing was something that honestly... just sort of happened during development, for its part. The key thing I wanted to accomplish with this was to make both major sides of the religious divide feel like religions people might actually follow, and stepping away from the fairly strange D&D polytheism assumption where everybody has some particular patron god and aren't really engaged with other gods, instead having each major pantheon be its own religious structure. This is also why none of the evil gods end up looking like Erythnul or Nerull or the like, gods that only a certified lunatic would actually follow- I had a design goal that they'd have an actual appealing hook for people, even if the overall patterns of behavior they promote are... not great.

  19. - Top - End - #49
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    Default Re: Share your pantheons!

    Quote Originally Posted by nweismuller View Post
    I'm not really familiar with Eberron; how is my setup an inversion of theirs? The 'names and titles' thing was something that honestly... just sort of happened during development, for its part. The key thing I wanted to accomplish with this was to make both major sides of the religious divide feel like religions people might actually follow, and stepping away from the fairly strange D&D polytheism assumption where everybody has some particular patron god and aren't really engaged with other gods, instead having each major pantheon be its own religious structure. This is also why none of the evil gods end up looking like Erythnul or Nerull or the like, gods that only a certified lunatic would actually follow- I had a design goal that they'd have an actual appealing hook for people, even if the overall patterns of behavior they promote are... not great.
    So "worship of the pantheon" is also pretty common in Eberron.

    Allow me to explain. In that setting, there are several distinct faiths. Not really "competing", because they all sort of have different focus. The Church of the Silver Flame, for example, follows the teachings revolving around the Silver Flame, an energy which is a force for good. They seek to show compassion and generosity, and fiercely oppose supernatural evil.

    Back on topic, the most common religion in the setting is the Sovereign Host. The SH has 9 deities, all of whom have names (Onatar is the god of the Forge and invention, for example). The SH has a dark side, however, the Dark Six. They are only referred to by their titles (The Devourer, The Fury, The Mockery, etc). Obscure religious scholars might know that the Dark Six do have names, but they're rarely invoked (The Mockery's original name was Dol Azur, for example, brother to Dol Dorn and Dol Arrah of the SH). There are those who worship the Six, usually for selfish reasons, but this is often not public.

    The SH is usually worshipped as a whole. A blacksmith might have a special reverence for Onatar, or a farmer for Arawai, but for the most part, people worship the whole Host.

    The kicker is that the SH may or may not even be real. They aren't powerful celestial with bodies, personalities, and agendas, like in FR. Rather, Onatar is thought to be present in every Forge, Arawai in every harvest, etc.

    That's the gist of it. The parallel I saw was that the evil gods of yours had names and the good/Neutral ones didn't. That's all.

    I do like what you've got tho.
    Red Mage avatar by Aedilred.

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    RedMage Prestige Class!

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    "Remember that it is both a game and a story. If the two conflict, err on the side of cool, your players will thank you for it."

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    Default Re: Share your pantheons!

    Worship is also a term fraught with meaning. Rather than being intimately connected with their worshippers, deities may be alien powers which must be placated in matters over which they have control. And their power may be in a spectrum that can include the god of a minor grove all the way up to the god of the seas. Applying a modern model based largely on monotheistic and omnipotent templates to a fantasy construct based more closely on multi-theistic and portfolio templates is sort of a waste of story-telling potential. But since the modern model is the expectation that most players bring to the table, and many of them play classes typified by devotion to a single power, it's hard not to cater to it.

    "Wait, this town has a temple to Baphomet? People worship him openly?"

    "There's a small shrine, stained with the blood of bulls that have been sacrificed, the head of the latest on a spike above the alcove. The prayers of those seeking vengeance or guidance through difficult times have been inscribed in thin copper sheets which are folded like tiny letters and thrust into spaces between the stones. His veneration isn't a daily thing, it's the occasional offerings brought by those who feel they have no where else to turn or that they have been wronged by other gods. Think of it as the spiritual equivalent of getting money from a loan shark because the banks have all rejected you."

    "We should go destroy that!"

    "Uhm, okay."
    Last edited by jjordan; 2022-05-04 at 08:49 AM.

  21. - Top - End - #51
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    Default Re: Share your pantheons!

    Quote Originally Posted by jjordan View Post
    Worship is also a term fraught with meaning. Rather than being intimately connected with their worshippers, deities may be alien powers which must be placated in matters over which they have control. And their power may be in a spectrum that can include the god of a minor grove all the way up to the god of the seas. Applying a modern model based largely on monotheistic and omnipotent templates to a fantasy construct based more closely on multi-theistic and portfolio templates is sort of a waste of story-telling potential. But since the modern model is the expectation that most players bring to the table, and many of them play classes typified by devotion to a single power, it's hard not to cater to it.

    "Wait, this town has a temple to Baphomet? People worship him openly?"

    "There's a small shrine, stained with the blood of bulls that have been sacrificed, the head of the latest on a spike above the alcove. The prayers of those seeking vengeance or guidance through difficult times have been inscribed in thin copper sheets which are folded like tiny letters and thrust into spaces between the stones. His veneration isn't a daily thing, it's the occasional offerings brought by those who feel they have no where else to turn or that they have been wronged by other gods. Think of it as the spiritual equivalent of getting money from a loan shark because the banks have all rejected you."

    "We should go destroy that!"

    "Uhm, okay."
    Yeah I do like the more polytheistic approach. It is not in your best interests to favor one deity to the exclusion of others unless you make that your 'career path', each one has a functional place and you would do well to observe that when and where appropriate.
    Roll for it
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    Default Re: Share your pantheons!

    My main setting has four primary gods, demigods they create, spirits, and some big gold dude. While named/interpreted in a number of ways, no matter where you go they are quite recognizable in the broad strokes.

    The Gods:

    Aspects of reality that have sentience these beings are beyond the concepts of 'power'. They may spawn more divines limited by mortal faults (demi-gods) but no new full gods can come into existence, or can any be removed.

    Spoiler: Thamos, the Creator
    Show
    Thamos - Maker of the World (in historical context), Scholar King (in present), Bright Phanos (by southerners and Varac's followers- not a good name)
    Alignment: NG
    Symbol: A sun in-between the pages of a open book.
    Portfolio: The Sun, Knowledge, Magic, Higher-Ideals
    Common Worshippers: People who value structure, the progress of civilization, or simply goodness in authority.
    Home Plane: The Throne
    Description: The youngest of the four gods, Thamos appeared in myth for the first time when he took the Throne from Varac in a surprise attack (thus creating death) to end his Gray Age. It is said that he made the world due to loneliness among the other gods (who did not appreciate the newcomer), and that he taught animals how to walk on two legs as well as magic right after(creating most of the races).

    He is distant out of fear of other gods taking the Thone were he to loose focus, yet still deeply cares for mortals and sends many servants to act as intermediaries and guides. He is the source of all higher thought, the will to overcome baser urges or selfish desire, as well as the architect of civilization. While Thamos sees civilization as a needed tool that must be maintained, his passion is with research and discovery, something he spreads across the world.

    Clergy/Temples: Clerics to Thamos take on many forms, but the stereotypical version would be a woman in white/blue robes carrying around her spellbook as she smites uncivilized creatures raiding a town, heals the sick, or gives lectures to children.
    Favored Weapons: Magic, but in leu of that a staff.


    Spoiler: Ahlys, the Demon Queen
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    Ahlys - Heart of All, Lady Love (by her followers), Demon Queen (by her enemies), the Lady (by most folk who don't want to be on here bad side), the Fair and Horrifying Ailah
    Alignment: CE (she frequently accepts CG clergy)
    Symbol: A heart, followers are encouraged to add personal flare to this.
    Portfolio: Emotions, War, Fire, Demons
    Common Worshippers: Love-struck youths, passionate anarchists, pyromaniacs, warriors, elves, demons
    Home Plane: The Hells
    Description: Second of the gods, Ahlys has had turbulent relationships with all of her fellow deities since ancient times. It is by her design that elven kind brought about the Crusade which snuffed out uncountable sentient species, and despite Thamos's best attempts he failed to truly have them learn the error of their ways; it was only by Ahlys will that the elves let go of their hate and embraced shame.

    As the heart of all things, it is by her will that all mortal creatures feel the way they do; a fickle thing that can turn sour or sweet in an instant. Ahlys loves to see strong emotions run through the world, no matter the source. She glorifies the hero who feels in his heart he is doing the right thing or fights out of love, she also glorifies the demons who slaughter and torment others for laughs. Ahlys is the patron of lovers, with many poems being written about how Lady Love brings people together. Yet most don't wish to acknowledge the toxic love that Ahlys also represents, and can only give silent prayers and offerings to perhaps have the Lady to avoid such love (people are absolutely terrified of Ahlys because of this- she can and frequently does mess with people's hearts).

    As source of emotions Ahlys is also the mother and queen of all demons (who are embodiments of extreme emotions or desires, which in this setting includes eladrin for positive emotions/desires).
    Clergy/Temples: Most civilized land heavily discourages the open practice of worshiping Ahlys, but none dare ban it's practice entirely and often are forced to rely on some number of shrines in every major city to appease the goddess. Youths frequently go to these shrines in hopes of gaining good luck finding love, while others come to perhaps heal broken hearts. Clergy at these shrines tend to be charismatic, empathetic, and insightful. They typically wear the local style of commoner clothing, but with better materials dyed red.

    It is an open secret that the majority of Ahlys's worship does not come from these shrines, but instead from secret underground anarchists, demon cultists, debased hedonists, and worse. While those who work in the open may be tolerated, these kinds of worshipers of the Queen of Demons are often exterminated on sight when uncovered.
    Favored Weapons: Whatever is the most popular weapon in the region the cleric hails from.


    Spoiler: Jahk, the Beast
    Show
    Jahk - the All Beast, Urahk the Inner Eye (by Orcs), Lord of Frost (by northerners), Master of the Unseen Jungle (by southerners); [and a lot of other titles, they have more than any other god due to representing all aspects of nature]

    Alignment: TN
    Symbol: Jahk rejects symbols made to represent them. Artists use a multiheaded beast.
    Portfolio: Nature, Inner-Power, Psionics
    Common Worshippers: Tribesmen, farmers, travelers, individualistic individuals, psionic practitioners, orcs
    Home Plane: Unknown (Jahk's body is thought to be both the Moon, the lush plane of life Gaia, and also a beast with all species heads)
    Description: The All-Beast was the third god to come into existence, their innumerable maws clashing with Ahlys during the first hunt. Myths of their involvement in the events of the world are few beyond the making of the world, the creation of dragons, and the sinking of the first city. They are a very private god that sees the world being in a prosperous state that does not need it's involvement, frequently responding to prayers for better weather with even harsher conditions.

    Jahk is said to believe that all mortals must strive to find their own potential, as all things are gifted with the power they need to survive if they just try. Animals understand this, but sentient races have thoughts clouding their mind from the power each is born with. The All Beast offers no path nor aid to this goal (anymore), mortals already knew of Jahk's gifts before Thamos's meddling; they simply need to remember.

    Clergy/Temples: Jahk offers no magical powers to mortals, yet their worship is common simply out of fear and respect for the All-Beast. Those who do dedicate worship to Jahk often are psionic practitioners who study the inner power hidden in mortals. Ancient temples to Jahk can be found abandoned in places of great natural wonder or brutality from the brief time when Jahk spoke to mortals frequently to remind them of the power within.
    Favored Weapons: Natural weapons


    Spoiler: Varac, Death
    Show
    Varac - The Shadow, the Gray Tyrant/Ebon King (in the beginning), Eye in the Dark, the Once and Future King
    Alignment: LE
    Symbol: Skull with glowing eyes (old)/All-Seeing eye in darkness (modern)
    Portfolio: Death, the Dead, Darkness, Nobility
    Common Worshippers: Nobles, undead, power-hungry politicians, necrophiliacs
    Home Plane: Varac (he's the plane of the dead itself)
    Description: The Once and Future King Varac was the original god to come into existence and ruled the Gray Age before the other gods appeared. When he was dethroned Varac was slain by Thamos, banishing them to be beyond the realms of the living never to return. Spiteful, embarrassed, yet still believing in their own superiority, Varac pronounced that Thamos may have the Throne, but all would eventually return to the Ebon King's rule; thus death was invented and all condemned to die. Despite this, Varac was too weak to stay conscious after pronouncing his curse and went into a deep slumber that lasted a thousand years.

    During Varac's slumber a number of power-hungry individuals (called Ur-Priests) learned how to tap into the power of death and founded empires of undeath with it. Varac's awakening has made this practice impossible to replicate but existing ur-priests (liches and vampires) have been seen to retain their power.

    In the modern era Varac is perhaps the most active of the four gods, making deals with mortals who are afraid of death, founding holy orders to spread his iron grip over countries, letting blights of undead spread across lands that do not build ornate temples to him in major cities (especially capitals, Varac demands a temple with an onyx throne in each, a demand most states comply with). It is only with Varac's permission that mortals may return from the dead, something that Varac uses to extract favors and long term service from adventurers. Due to this it is commonly known that Varac has a cold, alien personality, but one with a deep sense of fairness and willingness to keep to both the word and spirit of any agreement he makes.

    Clergy/Temples: With the passing of the Ur-Priests, Varac's clergy has had to dramatically change in fairly recent history. Graveyards are tended to by priests of Varac, who guard the rest of the dead diligently and have taken on the role of those who bless the newly dead in funerals. Onyx jewelry is needed for the holy symbols of Varac, who often wear new in-fashion clothing dyed gray. Temples were previously very rare for Varac, but with the god's awakening new constructions of elaborate modern temples are being made across the world. It is a common feature for these temples to have an empty onyx throne when possible, to represent the authority of the Once and Future King.
    Favored Weapons: Natural Weapons (Ur-priests)/Rapier (Modern)


    Demi-Gods:

    Powerful children of the gods, these beings govern some aspect of reality but are not sentient aspects like their divine parents. Many demi-gods have been born over the history of the world, though most are now dead with empty temples and tales left behind. A limited list is presented for attention sake, but there are more options for players and new demi-gods can be created if needed.

    Spoiler: Hades, Lord of Excess
    Show
    Portfolio: Undead, Hedonism
    Favored Weapon: Dagger
    Divine Parents: Ahlys and Varac

    The vile spawn of the shadow and queen of hell, Hades has inherited none of his mother’s love for the world and none of his father’s emotional stability. He self-aggrandizes himself as the god of the self, espousing a dogma of selfishness and undeath. Very few besides the politically weak and greedy necromancers worship him.


    Spoiler: The Violet Lady
    Show
    Portfolio: Sorcerers, the Violet Moon
    Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff
    Divine Parents: Thamos, Ahlys

    Not much is known about this enigmatic demi-goddess, yet it is common knowledge that she is the head of a mystery cult that gathers when the violet moon is full. Patron of sorcerers many claim that she is the reason why sorcerers appear at all, blessed or cursed by her at birth.


    Spoiler: Marduk the Inventor
    Show
    Portfolio: Inventions, spontaneous creativity, 'extreme' field testing
    Favored Weapon: Warhammer
    Divine Parents: Jahk and Thamos

    The only child of the light of civilization and wild nature, Marduk is a creature of the earth and forge. Also known as the Inventor he likes to create new weapons and mechanical devices then test them out in the most extreme fashion possible. This is not very productive, or scientific, making most of his work not very useful for civilization’s development. Both his mother and father seem to favor him, and he has a strong following among both dwarves and nilbogs.


    Spoiler: Ba'al the Murderer
    Show
    Portfolio: Murder, assassins, drow
    Favored Weapon: Scimitar
    Divine Parents: Ahlys

    Ba’al is the lord of murder, both accidental and premtive. He is one of the most favored sons of Ahlys, which is something he mentions to nearly everyone at every meeting. Ba’al acts impulsively upon his whims (which often leads to muder), bluntly speaking what he is thinking and normally being unable to think of complicated lies. Those that worship him take on a ‘friendship’ with the demi-god, being far more casual with their relationship than most outsiders would assume from the god of assassins.


    Divine Spirits:

    Existing throughout the world are innumerable lesser divine spirits that represent various natural features and concepts. While not powerful like demi-gods, most of these sentient aspects of the world share the true-gods inability to die. Most creatures that are CR 15 or higher have only a single example of their species, a being which acts as a divine spirit in the setting (I use an E8 setting). I've only had one player play as a cleric of these beings and admittedly rarely include them in my games.

    Examples of a few spirits:

    Maharaja - The father of all Rakshasas he is the Lord of Tigers and a member of the Unseelie Fae. He lives deep in the untamed jungles of the world, rarely stepping out into the civilized world yet still desiring the comforts it provides. Information and illicit good flow into his lair like water down a stream.

    The Lady of the Lake - Near the golden capital there is a large lake which sits unnaturally still, a mist covering it most of the year. Magic cannot see what lies below the water and those that dive into the lake rarely return; but those that do are gifted with the power of foresight and a champion of the Lady to act as a bodyguard.

    Dust-Beard - On the Burning Isles this spirit is known for their grumpy attitude and harsh rebuke of those who follow Ahlys or try to bring more water or greenery into his barren domain. Thri-Kreen and dust-born (mortals born with a connection to the plane of dust) are known for being able to appease Dust-Beard enough to get him to open up, and for promises to bring blessings of dust to other lands he has given mortals the power to turn anything they touch to dust and burn the land with harsh desert winds.

    Great Grandum:

    A notable figure in history, Great Grandum was an extreme anomaly born at the end of the Crusade. Born a mortal human he was gifted with as of then unseen power. He was basically a magical Chuck Norris. He forged an empire which to the modern day bears his name; his decedents gifted with heightened capabilities beyond normal mortal limits. While he is long dead and gone his power was so strange and his impact on history was so massive that cults to him have been formed in his empire. Typically these cults are lead by a descendent of Grandum who bears enough of his golden magic to shock and wow crowds.
    Last edited by AlexanderML; 2022-05-05 at 12:10 AM.

  23. - Top - End - #53
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Bohandas's Avatar

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    Feb 2016

    Default Re: Share your pantheons!

    I had an idea, which I've never used in a game, for a crystal sphere ruled by a pantheon of all trickster gods. Summer and winter are caused by the god of the north and the god of the south stealing the sun from one another, the gods won most of the planets in bar bets,etc
    Last edited by Bohandas; 2022-05-05 at 02:16 PM.
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  24. - Top - End - #54
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: Share your pantheons!



    I took deities from greyhawk, forgotten realms, and golarion to make what I consider to be a very well-rounded set of gods for players to choose from, specifically with clerics in mind. However, just because I used a name doesnt mean the deity is exactly the same as the one from the official source. These are the only "gods" in the cosmology, and you may notice there are no racial deities.
    Last edited by Eladrinblade; 2022-05-21 at 07:53 PM.

  25. - Top - End - #55
    Troll in the Playground
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    Default Re: Share your pantheons!

    Dominion of Kaamata
    • Kaamata – Head of the Dominion - Lord of Civilization
      • Ingstra – Kaamata’s daughter - Goddess of Cities
      • Ontral – Kaamata’s son - God of Agriculture
    • Unita – Goddess of Freedom, Battle, and Wealth
      • Nurok – God of Trade and Merchants - one of Unita's children
    • Uro – god of wilderness
    • Assa – goddess of the winds and weather


    Kaamata was definitely a real mortal person at one point during the magical apocalypse that created a safe place for people to gather while the world burned. Whether he actually achieve apotheosis is debatable. His clerics definitely have divine magical powers, but there's nothing that shows direct power that can't be attributed to something else... maybe.

    If they deities are real, they live out there some place else that isn't the mortal world.

    Church of the Singularity
    The Church of the Singularity is a monotheistic religion thought to have evolved during the fall of the ancient world. The Church believes that an ancient entity collided in battle with another unnamed entity and destroyed the world. From this destruction the Singularity emerged. The Church is controlled by the College of Clergy who in turn are lead by the Grand Cleric. Strong central organization that has created a few different militant orders.

    Nature Spirits
    These are powerful spirits that inhabit the world. They exist in some way in all things but only the most impossibly ancient have personalities and represent more than a single object or creature. They're comparable to gods but live in the mortal world. They real distinct being that possess incredible power but don't grant miracles. They'll intercede on behalf of worshiper, and can be placated by even those they don't worship. The three strongest are Kalag the Wily Raven, Xers the Mother Bear, and Gorbe the Wild Lynx.
    Last edited by Beleriphon; 2022-05-31 at 01:54 PM.

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