Creating a new pantheon

Because I don't have enough different projects underway, I'm starting to design a new campaign world. My players and I brainstormed it for an hour today, and we came up with some things we did and didn't want. One of the things one player wants is a single, simple pantheon of gods which are worshipped by everyone in the world, of all races and places.

So I have decided on Elemental gods. I want 5 elements (because I abhor even numbers), but I don't just automatically want to go with the traditional ones. I also want to tie each God to a few key domains, of course, and to a few special powers which their clerics can choose from, a la turn undead.

I don't have a lot of "sociology" of the campaign world worked out yet - about the only things I know are that there is a single vast empire of ancient origin. The edges of this empire fade off into "the mist", and the empire is now gradually failing, and the edges of the world are fading with it. The campaign center is a region of warring city-states, which are located on a smallish continent that is on the edge of the Mists now, itself. Thousands of years ago, the dragons of the world were shattered, reduced to shards of themselves, which are now prevalent as drakes, wyrms, sea-monsters and other draconic creatures.

If you were creating elemental gods for a campaign world like this, what would you choose?

If you are going to go 5 elements, you kind of have to go with the traditional set up. Anything else is going to feel arbitrary and not remotely balanced. If you randomly said "Our elements are lightning, ice, lava, fog and dark", its just not going to feel right.

Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Wood - those are recognized cross-culturally as a traditional 5 element set up. It is arguably no less arbitrary, but because people are familiar with it, it feels less so.

The first issue you have is that they are too nebulous for the D&D Cleric system. You are going to want to nail down generally what general aspect each one is. Perhaps Water is the "Tempest" Domain, Fire is the "War" domain, Wood is the "Nature" domain, Earth is the "Life" domain and Air is the "Knowledge" domain with Light and Trickery being left out. But that is perfectly arbitrary and you could probably scramble them if you wanted.

The next thing you need to consider is the fact that you are putting together a deity system where, on its face, it is clear that none of them can exist without the others. Even if you have priests devoted singularly to one or another, do most people really wholly dedicate themselves to a single deity or is this a system where which one you are going to pay tribute to entirely depends on what is going on in your life? When there are storms or a lack of rain, you pray to the Water one, when you are going to go to war or enter a sports math you pray to the Fire one, when people are injured or sick you pray to the Earth one, when you are going to be tested or need guidance or want your fortune told you pray to the Air one, when you take from the wild or get lost in the woods or want a good harvest you pray to the Wood one.... The way D&D handles deities, the idea that people would be more or less equally respectful and devoted to each one is something quite different from the expectation-- but in a system like this it seems like the inevitable conclusion.

Also, you might want to consider if your deities have natural alignments. It would be weird to declare the Fire deity "Chaotic Evil" and the Wood deity "Lawful Good" since fire is something that the peoples of the world would be highly reliant on regardless of their society's alignment. It might be best for them all to be "Neutral" and for all 5 to have both good and evil aspects with their wicked priests and devotees (again, presuming anyone is wholly devoted to any one of them) displaying their more evil aspects and their good ones displaying more of their good aspects.

The next thing to consider is where the peoples and monsters of the world come from. With this set up it is easy to see where the elementals come from (and treants and such would likely be considered elementals now under this system), but what about things like Owl Bears, Displacer Beasts, Rust Monsters, Zombies, Oozes, etc. I suppose the different colored Dragons could be representative of each of the 5 Gods (Red is fire, blue is water, green is wood, black is earth and white is air) so they could be said to be divided by devotion to a singular deity and Giants could be said to be the same way.

Some things could be the result of demonic corruption-- perhaps undead fall under that category.

But then you have your peoples of the world. Aarakcocra, Bullywugs, Cyclops, Centaurs, Dopplegangers, Dragonborn, Dwarfs, Elfs, Ettin, Fomorians, Gith, Grell, Gnolls, Gnomes, Goliaths, Grimlock, Halflings, Hags, Harpy, Humans, Githyanki, Goblinoids, Kenku, Kobolds, Kuo-toa, Lamia, Lizardfolk, Medusa, Merfolk, Merrow, Mindflayers, Minotaurs, Myconids, Ogres, Orcs, Pixies, Rakshasa, Sahuagin, Satyrs, Sprite, Thri-kreen, Troglodytes, Trolls, Yuan-ti

I list them all out to get across that there are a crazy ton of intelligent creature species to have to sort out. Even after you decide which ones are even going to exist in your world, you kind of need to know generally where they come from and how they relate to one another. If you randomly just say "The Earth Deity created the Dwarfs", it won't quite feel right because even if the Dwarfs seem more tilted towards Earth and Fire than the others, they absolutely have all 5 aspects in them. In fact, all of them are going to embody the spirit of all 5 elements regardless, they might just be closer to some than others. Some of them you could explain as the result of demon meddling, but the world would probably be more interesting if most of the bad guys are worshipping the same gods as the good guys but just have different ideas on how to express their devotion.

Thanks! Some good things to consider here...

I always lean towards pantheistic worship; there will be lots of generic clerics, and a few shrine priests devoted to individual gods. I'm going with spirit instead of wood, and giving each God either a chaotic or lawful bent (spirit is neutral) but not good or evil.

There are two common systems of elements that I am aware of. In Chinese mythology the elements are Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. In Japanese and Hindu mythology the elements are Earth, Fire, Air, Water and Sky (void). Jim Butcher wrote an excellent series (The Alera Codex) that uses the elements of Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, Air, and Metal.
In my world, I have several pantheons, though for my elemental gods I use seven rather than five, by combining the traditional systems and tweaking it slightly. (Air, Fire, Earth, Magic, Metal, Water, and Wood) Using this method actually made aligning certain things much easier...for me and my players that is.

One of the better created polytheistic pantheons created around a 5 way division is the Chalion pantheon created by Bujold especially in 'Curse of Chalion' and to a lesser extent 'Paladin of Souls'. While later innovations in the Pantheon are in my opinion not of as high esteem, the division into Winter+Father/Summer+Mother/Spring+Daughter/Autumn+Son/Bastard was very well done.

In this case, your elements would probably be Air, Earth, Water, Fire and Void.

I would certainly go with the cardinal 4 + Spirit as your 5th.

When working on a makeshift game system built around "4s", I came up with a pantheon of 8 deities, a lord/king and lady/queen of each of the cardinal elements.

I would also direct you to my D&D "Tarot-based" deck of many things that is using an air/earth/fire/water/spirit 5 suit system and the races/elements of life associated with each. It's in my blog, here on ENworld.

Off the top of my head, I believe I went with something like this (plus new thoughts for this 5-deity pantheon set up).

Humanity, we can presume will worship each of these gods in varying importance from region to region. Seaside communities will, undoubtedly revere the water god/goddess above others, desert empires probably revere the fire and earth deities with their version of the water deity being some kind of savior figure, mining communities/peoples are going to hold the earth god in the highest esteem, etc...

Other than that...

Air: An Element of Change (Chaos). Most opposed to/by the Deity/Element of Earth. Concerns with: Intellect & wit, Communication and, thereby, Knowledge in general, Inspiration, Individuality, Frivolity, Music/Song, [most] Weather, "the breath of" Life, also Fickleness (ranging from the gentle refreshing breeze to the destructive howling gale). This deity is the patron most revered by Elves but enjoys followers among gnomes, halflings, some dragonborn, and many humans that value intelligence and knowledge.

Imagery: a cloud, spiral, or swirling and/or feathered/wing designs. The colors blue, grey, and white. Associated with the flickering stars, the season of Winter, birds in general (eagles in particular), spears, bows and other ranged/missile weapons.

I'd go with a sky-god/all-father kind of guy here...but a woman (to counter Earth whom I would make a male god). The Celestial Queen. Uber-ruler/superman/warrior-wizard of the cosmos. Gatherer/Knower of all knowledge. More pensive/thoughtful [female] Odin than lightning-flinging [female] Zeus but very capable in a battle if you force her/she needs to be.

Water: An Element of Solidity (Law). Most opposed by the Deity/Element of Fire. Concerns with: Emotions, particularly romantic love, Devotion, Dependability, Peace & the stability thereof, Healing, Weather [in/near coastal areas], more closely associated with Green/Plants and vegetative growth (vs. the stone and ground of the Earth deity), this combined with the area of weather make the Water deity a primary Agricultural figure among many peoples, also Fanaticism and/or Vindictiveness (an over-abundance of devotion or emotions gone imbalanced/out of whack). This deity is the patron most revered by halflings but also enjoys followers among all races that value agriculture, healing powers/prowess, and/or peace.

Imagery: waves, rain/tear drops, fish scales and tails. The colors blue, green and white. Associated with the Moon, the season of Spring, all aquatic/marine life (dolphins in particular), no weaponry but wreathes and wildflowers.

I'd probably go with some kind of motherly female, matron spellcaster here. The Healer/Lifegiver type. A water-themed Demeter or Isis type. But I could see going the emotional/scheming/vindictive Hera or Aphrodite types also. Perhaps two faces of the same goddess...a "high tide" and a "low tide", as it were.

Fire: An Element of Change (Chaos). Most opposed by the deity/element of Water. Concerns with ["burning"] Passions in the sense of "untamed" emotion, [not surprisingly, this often leads to], personal Power [specifically the accumulation thereof], Battle and War, also Light, Crusading (as in a passion for a cause), the act of "Creation" [and so artistry in many forms], also Destruction and [insatiable] Consumption, in general. This deity is most followed by -and by some races viewed as a race solely for- humans: Burning bright and fast, consuming all in their path, etc... Of course, dwarves and other races that would enjoy empire-building, the arts of [or seeking success in] battles/war or revere the sun would also worship this deity in some form.

Imagery: Flames, blood, dragons, lions, swords. The colors red, yellow, and black. Associated (unsurprisingly) with the Sun and the season of Autumn, wild animals in general (lions in particular), and all [bladed/melee] weaponry, in general.

The Male [in his youth or prime] Warrior archetype. An Ares or Apollo. A Ra or Horus. A Balder or Frey...in fact, a deity emobidying elements of all six of those would be this guy.

Earth: An Element of Solidity (Law). Most opposed by the deity/element of Air. Concerns with [physical and metaphoric] Strength, Immobility, Monetary wealth [and the accumulation thereof], Protection, Mining/Stone-/Metalworking [of course], craft work in general, but also Greed and [limiting/detrimental] Stubborness. This deity, obviously, is the most revered of dwarfkind, but also enjoys many followers among gnomes, halflings, certain dragonborn, many many humans and anyone else obsessed with the acquisition of wealth [and the "earthly power" gained thereby].

Imagery: Rocks, mountains, anvils, hammers, and coins (particularly gold). The colors brown, gold, and grey. Associated with the Earth/ground (vs. anything in the sky), the season of Summer, hammers, picks, chisels and other mining or metalworking tools.

An aging male, possibly dwarfish or otherwise deformed, but surprisingly effective in battle but often outwitting their opponents versus direct combat. This is Hephaestus with touches of Heimdall and Loki...or just use Moradin. haha.

Spirit: An Element of Balance (Neutrality). Not opposed by any of the other four, though there are constant tensions among them all. Concerns with the "spark" of Life, the Afterlife and so the transition thereof, i.e. "Death", the Unkown, particularly unknown Knowledge (e.g. prophecy or fate), Secrets in general, "the Veil" between the living and dead [and maintaining the balance to keep that veil intact! Crossing/breaking it is a biiiig no no, for mortals and spirits], Justice and general fairness in dealings (so often entreated among merchants and those looking to make deals), etc... This deity is probably worshiped the most by humans (whose short lives give them significantly more cause for concern over death and the afterlife), but enjoys a degree of reverence among all mortals and particularly those seeking unknown or hidden knowledge and those seeking to fight/destroy the undead.

Imagery: the hourglass, the candle, spiders, webs, and curved scythe/sickle-like blade. The colors white, grey, and black. Associated with darkness/night, desolation, those times/dates when one season transitions into another, life & death, shears, scythes, sickles, and [mistakenly] the undead.

I'd go with a faceless, sexless, robed figure here. Kind of a Grim Reaper/Ghost of Christmas Future that is embodied/visualized as the figure in the heavy hooded robe, that can communicate its intentions, but never actually "speaks." Just a bottomless blackness within a hood.

TheHobgoblin said:

Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Wood - those are recognized cross-culturally as a traditional 5 element set up.

Click to expand...

Those are the Wu Xing elements, from Chinese philosophy.

But, the Hindu and Buddhist traditions give us: Earth, Water, Fire, Air/Wind, and Void/Ether/Space*

And that can easily get us to Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Spirit...

And, heck, let's add Magic, the Gathering: White, Black, Green, Blue, Red make a fine set of five.





*Depending if you are talking Indian tradition, or Japanese, and what era. Later traditions also add "consciousness" as a sixth element. This void/space is not so much the dark, cold destructive void, since sometimes the words used also translate as "sky" or "heaven", but it is separate from "wind/air" - it sometimes translates as "quintessense", for the Mage players out there.

I had forgotten Curse of Chalion had 5 gods! One of my all-time favorite novels. I like especially the role of the Bastard, outside the normal seasonal/familial pattern. An excellent patron for adventurers. If I go with Void as the 5th "element", I could definitely use the idea of the familial roles with the other four, and name the 5th as the outsider.

I'm torn between "Void" and "Spirit" as the 5th element. I may have to combine them. I really have a lot to think about.

The other thing is how this all relates to the dragons, and their "shattering". I'm thinking that that act is what has caused the beginning of the death of the world. Did the Gods break the dragons? Were the dragons immortal? Were they the first gods? Hmmm... or did they merely rival and threaten them? If the gods didn't break the dragons, who did? Was it with the approval of the gods? Or were the dragons the servants of the gods, and their breaking was taken as an assault on the gods?

This is what I've come up with so far:

http://vishteercampaign.pbworks.com/w/page/103042861/A Short Campaign

(The table in the middle is the "Gods" section - can't really copy/paste it here).

edit: fixed link

One way of doing this is to consider Time as two elements.

A 5-E system could be Light, Dark, Blue, Was and Will Be.

Blue... or a better name... would constitute vapors, air, water, liquids, etc. A sort of binding element.
Fire could be a manifestation of light.
Earth could be a manifestation of dark.
Was... could imply spirits, ancestors and creatures.
Will Be... magic and the future.