BastionPress_Creech
First Post
I'm editing up the last few pages of Lore of the Gods and have decided to give everyone at EN World an advance look at some of the book even before we put together the pdf previews for download. So, over the course of the next few days I will be putting snippets of the text from each chapter in this thread for you to read, comment and ask questions about... 
And here's the snippet from Chapter one.
Interested yet?
Religion and mythology have long been subjects of historical significance. Dating back to the earliest known written records, evidence of divine belief and its effect on society has been passed from one generation to the next, shaping how whole populations interact and evolve. Legends, folklore and tales are filled with incidents where the gods have intervened in the lives of mortals with unexpected, sometimes catastrophic results. This material is perfect for use in any role-playing game setting, whether it is fantasy, futuristic or modern. Not only are the gods themselves rich and flavorful, but the existing stories about their deeds and conquests comprise the very seeds to sow great adventures and campaigns for many years to come. Imagine your players struggling against the Society of the Serpent to prevent Ragnarok from descending upon modern times, or desert nomads uniting under the cause of Set and taking control of all trade routes in and out of the vast desert in your fantasy world. Perhaps the entire world is in winter’s grip because Persephone has chosen to remain with Hades rather than joining her mother for six months? Are your heroes up to the task of journeying into the Underworld and convincing her of the error of her decision? Can they even make it past the guardian of gates, Cerberus? That’s up to you, your players and a bag of dice to decide.
About this Book
Contained within these pages are the collected tidbits of historical and fantasy-based legend and lore regarding the major pantheons for the Egyptian, Greek, Mesopotamian, and Norse civilizations. Each mythology has its own chapter describing the various deities, their avatars, and any relevant information concerning them. Not every deity has been presented, but rather those that either have a greater significance, such as Zeus, or those that provide excellent opportunities for use in a fantasy setting. Any domains marked with an asterisk (*) are new and should be referenced in the section on domains in chapter ten.
This book provides material that a GM may use to enhance his campaign. It is not the intention of the authors to create a historically accurate interpretation of each deity, but rather to explain the deity in gaming terms that fit the rules of the d20 gaming system and add an element of enjoyment that fits within the confines of the game itself. Religions from role-playing games should never be taken as real for any reason, even when there is historical precedence concerning the specific religion.
* Chapter One discusses avatars, avatar construction, and provides a brief recap of SRD salient abilities.
* Chapter Two examines the Egyptian gods and their influences. It describes each in terms of their specific enneads or trinities as they were worshiped in the various cultural centers, which arose in different parts of Ancient Egypt.
* Chapter Three examines the Greek gods. Not only are the prominent Olympian gods featured, but also some of the lesser known Primordial deities and Titans.
* Chapter Four delves into the Mesopotamian pantheon. Here you will recognize familiar names appearing throughout many of fantasy role-playing games in their historical context of Ancient Mesopotamia.
* Chapter Five presents the Norse gods and includes the history behind Ragnarok, the prophesized end of the world. The fate of each deity as they relate to Ragnarok is also given, including how they are supposed to die in the great battle among the gods.
* Chapter Six provides the statistics for some of the more famous heroes in the various mythologies in d20 game terms.
* Chapter Seven covers magical creations and divine artifacts. Here you will find the descriptions of the many different artifacts favored by the deities along with magic items that have relevance to specific patheons.
* Chapter Eight presents new prestige classes that have foundations based upon their appropriate pantheon or mythology. Game Masters or players who are wishing to achieve a more culturally centered feel to their campaigns or characters will use these classes wisely.
* Chapter Nine outlines new skills and how they apply to the various mythologies or from a historical perspective. You will note that several avatars and prestige classes make use of these skills.
* Chapter Ten outlines new spells and domains as relevant to the four pantheons detailed in this book.
* Chapter Eleven lists the various creatures, monsters and lesser powers that often serve as antagonists for the various mythologies. Here you will find beings who are benevolent, neutral, or truly evil, capable of challenging even epic characters.
And here's the snippet from Chapter one.
Chapter One: Avatars
Perhaps it is one of the flaws of immortality- the lack of urgency that comes with timeless existence, the absence of fear caused by the inevitable death which plagues mortal existence, or some omnipotent insight to the true workings of the universe – but by mortal standards, it may often appear that their deities tend to have a seemingly disturbing disinterest in meddling with earthly affairs. As such, the task of fulfilling their decrees, judgements, and verdicts are left to the woe and frustration of their followers who in turn spend years, sometimes even decades interpreting the meanings of omens and sacred texts only to uncover even greater echelons of enigma and cryptic rhetoric. However, there are also those occasions when the interpretations of mortals fall short, when earthly affairs press their urgency into the heavens and a god needs his presence felt. In such times, a god needs his words translated directly into action and when this urgency calls, he creates an avatar.
An avatar is not the deity himself, rather it is the physical embodiment of the deity’s will. It has its own sentience and its own reasoning, yet it is wholly bound to the intentions and needs of the deity who formed it, and always acts in the best interests of its creator. The avatar’s physical form is often similar in nature (if not identical) to the form in which their mortal followers most commonly portray them. However, they are by no means limited to this choice, and avatars could just as easily appear as a huge elemental, an ancient serpent, or a spotted rabbit.
Since the avatar is but a wisp of the thoughts of a deity brought to solid form, if either the players or an outside encounter should actually destroy the avatar, it may reform at the whim of the deity. Under such an occasion, the deity is more than displeased regarding the event and the reappearance of the avatar should reflect this.
Avatars are not meant to be full NPCs to journey with a party and do their “dirty work”, but rather guide, assist, and occasionally punish party members or NPCs as it relates the overall story. For example, a devout follower of Thor may suddenly find himself encountering the avatar in his search for an ancient artifact that summons storms that may be used against those who are trying to force the early manifestation of Ragnarok. In a contrary circumstance, the players may find themselves assisting a half-god in his battle against a half-god slaying Hunter of Hera, only to wind up defending themselves against her avatar who has come to assist the hunter.
Though this work is filled with avatars, Game Masters are cautioned to use them sparingly, and more as a plot tool than an active component of the adventure. Encountering an avatar is akin to being confronted by the will of a deity, their appearance usually heralding great prophecy and events. Should their appearance become too frequent, they will inevitably begin to lose that wondrous status in the eyes of the players and become just another NPC, like a blacksmith or barkeep. Keeping their manifestation mysterious and rare is the most effective way to create impressive avatar encounters.
Interested yet?
Last edited:
