Halfling God of Travel?

[Wik]

So, I was thinking of making a third character (roughly in time for December, when I get some more free time), and having her be a halfling cleric of a travel god.

Now, there wasn't a whole lot in the way of deities that really struck me as being worth it, so I was brainstorming adding a new demigod.

Basically, it'd be a hafling god of travel named "Uncle Spider" or something like that, and he'd be your typical halfling hero that wandered the world and did all sorts of crazy, mythical things. Not quite a god, but pretty close (and he grants domains, so I guess he's technically a god, eh?).

Favoured Domains would be Luck, Travel, and Chaos. And it'd be a god that's more or less similar to Fhalanghn. I was also thinking of writing up a feat that grants knowledge (Geography) and knowledge (local) as class skills, and grants some other minor bonus related to traveling (maybe being able to use your turn undead attempts to boost your speed for a round? I don't know).

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[B4cchus]

A halfling specific God of travel strikes me as odd, at least within -my- view of halflings. I tend to see them als the tolkienian homeborrowers, not really into travelling and exploring. But that is just my personal view of the little folk.

I generic god of travel strikes me as far more interresting.

[Velmont]

We have a lesser god of travel: Phyrah

[Trouvere]

Grendath is the god of luck, freedom and exploration, revered by halflings, with the Chaos and Luck domains, but not Travel.
Mongrel is the god of wanderers, with the Travel and Luck domains.
I think I remember reading somewhere that the idea of race-specific deities was generally discouraged - although there are drow and goblin mini-pantheons, so maybe not.

[Rystil Arden]

Originally Posted by Trouvere

Grendath is the god of luck, freedom and exploration, revered by halflings, with the Chaos and Luck domains, but not Travel.
Mongrel is the god of wanderers, with the Travel and Luck domains.
I think I remember reading somewhere that the idea of race-specific deities was generally discouraged - although there are drow and goblin mini-pantheons, so maybe not.

We had the dark elven deities (and I've been trying to get rid of the word 'drow' for the most part to see if I could) before we could decide that we didn't want race-specific deities, but you are correct that we don't (and ugh! One of them had to be a 'spider queen'. Nooooooooo!) . And we do have Phyrah.

[Rae ArdGaoth]

Patlin actually suggested closing the pantheon to new deities, but there was strong resistance to that idea.

That being said, I think that this god doesn't really fill any holes in the pantheon. Nor is it particularly unique. Mongrel sounds like he's right up your alley, minus the halfling focus.

As for the feat... That's a really weird feat. Are you modeling it off of anything?

[Wik]

The basic idea of the character is a clerical wanderer, who more or less repeats lessons that this traveling god "taught" someone in a mythical contest.

I didn't notice Mongrel earlier, and yeah, it does sound pretty close. I actually completely missed that one, when looking for something close.

This god, by the way, would be more of a "demi-god" or a "saint", than a true "Deity". It wouldn't have temples, and it would be a much more mythic character that does have a very minor religion attached to it (a la Heracles).

As for the feat, it's really just a way to put Knowledge (Geography) into the hands of a traveling cleric. Granting class skills through a feat has been done before - nameley in Eberron, I think.

[Rystil Arden]

Originally Posted by Wik

The basic idea of the character is a clerical wanderer, who more or less repeats lessons that this traveling god "taught" someone in a mythical contest.

I didn't notice Mongrel earlier, and yeah, it does sound pretty close. I actually completely missed that one, when looking for something close.

This god, by the way, would be more of a "demi-god" or a "saint", than a true "Deity". It wouldn't have temples, and it would be a much more mythic character that does have a very minor religion attached to it (a la Heracles).

As for the feat, it's really just a way to put Knowledge (Geography) into the hands of a traveling cleric. Granting class skills through a feat has been done before - nameley in Eberron, I think.

We don't generally do it in LEW though. Also, you can get Kn: Geo by going Cloistered Cleric.

[Rae ArdGaoth]

I don't see anything wrong with making Uncle Spider a famous halfling cleric of Mongrel. There are plenty of legends of powerful people in the past (though the relative peace of the present has lowered the power level of the world significantly). I'd much rather see you introduce some flavor to an existing religion than concoct an entire new one.

Also, since it's fluff, I don't think it even needs approval. Just add it to the wiki and make a post in the Gen. Disc. thread. (Though I suppose you'd have to convince a judge to edit the Deities thread here.)

[Wik]

Originally Posted by Rae ArdGaoth

I don't see anything wrong with making Uncle Spider a famous halfling cleric of Mongrel. There are plenty of legends of powerful people in the past (though the relative peace of the present has lowered the power level of the world significantly). I'd much rather see you introduce some flavor to an existing religion than concoct an entire new one.

Also, since it's fluff, I don't think it even needs approval. Just add it to the wiki and make a post in the Gen. Disc. thread. (Though I suppose you'd have to convince a judge to edit the Deities thread here.)

Yeah, I think I like that idea. Really, except for knowledge: geography, mongrel has everything I want, anyways.

[Wik]

So, here was what I was thinking:

Uncle Spider
A saint of Mongrel, Uncle Spider is a mythical figure that is respected (and occasionally even worshipped) by some halflings.

There are many stories told about Uncle Spider as he travels the world. Some stories (such as how he caught the fire from a giant's breath and used it to warm a village in the north for a year) are obviously mythical, while others (such as how he taught a man that abusing his children and animals was bringing about his own ruin) contain muchy more truth. Many of the stories about "uncle spider" are, in fact, allegorical; they all, in the end, relay a moral.

Some halfling clerics, rather than worshipping Mongrel, instead worship Uncle Spider, respectfully repeating his tales to any who will listen. While not technically a god, halflings who are true to Uncle Spider's worship often receive spells. Most sages agree that the true source of these spells comes from Mongrel, who is greatly respected by followers of Uncle Spider.

[Rae ArdGaoth]

Sounds great. I caught a typo. muchy -> much. FIFY

Originally Posted by Wik

Uncle Spider
A saint of Mongrel, Uncle Spider is a mythical figure that is respected (and occasionally even worshipped) by some halflings.

There are many stories told about Uncle Spider as he travels the world. Some stories (such as how he caught the fire from a giant's breath and used it to warm a village in the north for a year) are obviously mythical, while others (such as how he taught a man that abusing his children and animals was bringing about his own ruin) contain much more truth. Many of the stories about "uncle spider" are, in fact, allegorical; they all, in the end, relay a moral.

Some halfling clerics, rather than worshipping Mongrel, instead worship Uncle Spider, respectfully repeating his tales to any who will listen. While not technically a god, halflings who are true to Uncle Spider's worship often receive spells. Most sages agree that the true source of these spells comes from Mongrel, who is greatly respected by followers of Uncle Spider.

[Patlin]

Originally Posted by Rae ArdGaoth

Patlin actually suggested closing the pantheon to new deities, but there was strong resistance to that idea.

Well, as I am on record as being opposed to new dieties generally, I might as well also be on record as opposing racial dieties specifically. If there is a god of travel, his hafling clerics might illuminate him as a halfling, but couldn't his other clerics of other races see him differently?

[Wik]

Anyone mind if I add Uncle Spider to the Wiki, as a side-version (as patlin suggested), or even Saint, or Mongrel?

[Bront]

Yes, since it's not approved.

[Wik]

Ha ha. Whoops. I kinda thought it had been approved, and all that.

Could I get some of the judges weighing in on this proposal:

1) That there is a sect of halflings who, rather than directly worship Mongrel, instead worship a halfling saint known as Uncle Spider.
2) That these halflings do not see Uncle Spider as exactly a "God", but more of a spiritual icon, and hero.

[B4cchus]

I approve to adding Uncle spider to the ethos of Mongrel

[Boddynock]

Although "not technically a god", I think we need to define the domains which Uncle Spider gives access to for those halfling clerics (would it only be available to halfling clerics?) who venerate him as a shining example of faithful service to Mongrel.

I like the idea but I do think we need to be a bit more rigorous in the wording of the proposal before approving it. So, would there be anything else besides domains and possibly the race of the cleric which we should be defining?

My own sense is that we say "domains as per Mongrel".

[B4cchus]

Originally Posted by Boddynock

Although "not technically a god", I think we need to define the domains which Uncle Spider gives access to for those halfling clerics (would it only be available to halfling clerics?) who venerate him as a shining example of faithful service to Mongrel.


I like the idea but I do think we need to be a bit more rigorous in the wording of the proposal before approving it. So, would there be anything else besides domains and possibly the race of the cleric which we should be defining?
My own sense is that we say "domains as per Mongrel".

Since uncle spider is not a god he doesn't grant any domains the way i see it. It's Mongrel who grants acces to spells and domains.

[Rae ArdGaoth]

Sorry, I thought Uncle Spider was just a flavorful addition to the faith of Mongrel. Much like adding a city to the map, or putting a new NPC in your character's BG, I don't think we need approval to add a specific saint to Mongrel's faith. If we were changing the domains, yes, or restricting it to halflings, yes, or changing any rules at all, yes, we'd need judges approval, to make sure the rule was balanced. But as there are no rules being changed here, no official approval should be necessary, right?