FR gods, too many?

[AFGNCAAP]

I've only recently began to run a game set in FR, mainly due to its popularity with my players, as well as the relative plethora of info on it out there. It can be a great setting, & has potential for great games.

However, IMHO, the setting can be improved by actually smoothing out the setting a bit more. It still feels like older editions of AD&D to me--a basic ruleset with a lot of tacked-on systems that don't mesh well with the core, and allows elements that aren't too balanced out. While I don't think that it's as bad as Rifts (IMHO) for lack of balance, I do think that it can easily go that way.

Frankly, IMHO, the FR gods don't really feel like gods--more like powerful place-spirits to me, esp. with the large number gods in the setting, despite divine rank (I think it'd help if a lot of the lesser deities only had adepts instead of clerics, but that's another issue). And, since the divine structure is so mutable (Time of Troubles as well as some pre-ToT myths have established that), I wonder why the large number of deities still exists? Why hasn't Tempus absorbed the aspects & portfolios of Anhur, or Azuth the portfolios & aspects of Thoth (or vice-versa)?

I know that GMs can initiate any changes they desired into their version of the FR campaign setting, but then again, there are some players & GMs who'd prefer to stick with the default, "canon" setting. A strictly-adherent group of fans just a concerned about issues of "canon," not unlike the fans of the "original" form of Greyhawk, or some Star Trek & Star Wars fans. As a result, the growing amount of "crunch" for the setting, IMHO, makes it a bit less friendly for new players. And I think that, ultimately, the vast number of deities exists to feed the "crunch" factor of the setting.

 

[Dark Jezter]

In my opinion, FR has plenty of gods, plenty of god stats, and plenty of prestige classes.

What it needs is a book on religions in Faerun. There's a smattering in the FRCS, but not much, and in my mind, it's pretty inconsistent.

I would like to see a chapter on each religion, which includes:
1) a description of the hierarchy in the church, including titles. Also, more information on rituals, rules and moral behaviours.
2) where the church is influential, where it is not, where it is outlawed, etc. Numbers of followers,
3) relations with other churchs
4) location of temples, shrines, and monestaries. Maps and NPCs would be nice as well.
5) spells and relics that are specific to the faith (but go easy on the prestige classes and feats - we have too many already)
6) a history of the church - what challenges, schisms, heros have gone by in the past
7) rumours, quest ideas and politics - enough to run a religion-centric campaign.

I highly recommend that you try to find the three 2nd Edition AD&D books that are devoted to the Forgotten Realms deities. Although the information isn't as up-to-date as the 3e suppliment Faiths & Pantheons, the information in these older books is much more in-depth.

Faiths & Avatars covers all of the greater, intermediate, and lesser deities of the Faerunian pantheon, as well as dead deities. For every religion, you will find a description of it's philosophy, descriptions of holy days, duties of the clergy, and much more.

Powers & Pantheons covers demigods and lesser-known deities in Faerun such as Valkur, Sharess, Uthgar, etc. It also talks about the Mulhorandi, Chultan, and Untheric panteons.

Demihuman Deities goes into great detail describing the deities in the dwarf, elf, drow, halfling, and gnome pantheons.

The books aren't in print anymore, though, so you might have to look around if you want to find them.

 

[MulhorandSage]

I've only recently began to run a game set n FR, mainly due to its popularity with my players, as well as the relative plethora of info on it out there. It can be a great setting, & has potential for great games.

. And, since the divine structure is so mutable (Time of Troubles as well as some pre-ToT myths have established that), I wonder why the large number of deities still exists? Why hasn't Tempus absorbed the aspects & portfolios of Anhur, or Azuth the portfolios & aspects of Thoth (or vice-versa)?

Because the Mulan pantheons were largely isolated from the rest of the Realms pantheons for cenruries. They've only really begun to interact since the Time of Troubles, about fifteen years ago (Realms time). Given sufficient time (and the emergence of a religious leader with sufficient charisma and drive), a merger of the pantheons will probably occur, but the logical preconditions of a merger have not yet been met.

Scott Bennie

 

[Norfleet]

Also, they had to go and make the CG "good dark elf" god. Why wouldnt they just choose from the normal Elven Pantheon? Argh.

How do you know they didn't? Maybe it's really the same god.

 

[Malicene]

(Jergal, anyone?).

Jergal isn't suppose to have any worshipper, and he supposed to lie somewhere in the Astral. Don't mix up Netheril's time God and Nowadays.

anyway, too many gods ! I agree mostly because there is no common history among them : What the hell Tyr is doing here ? and Mielekki ? and Azuth or Mystra are not known to exist in other prime plane .... so Why all these gods are so close forn FR mortals don't have any cement between them ??

Gods are a way to express Metaphysical question like Where do we come from ? what/who created the world .... all of these questions a left aside !

totally dumb IMO !

 

[diaglo]

How do you know they didn't? Maybe it's really the same god.

you are talking about WotC, right?

don't give them too much credit.

 

[diaglo]

Gods are a way to express Metaphysical question like Where do we come from ? what/who created the world .... all of these questions a left aside !

not in the FR. they are there for the stat boosts and domain frills.

totally dumb IMO !

as opposed to the rest of the Realms.

 

[LuYangShih]

The number of Gods is fine. It actually makes more sense, from a world building standpoint, and provides more options for players. Forgotten Realms characters seem to be encouraged to have a personal connection to their deity, and I think that is a good thing. Almost all of the Gods are well detailed, you simply have know where to look. The plethora of information present in the Realms simply is not easily compressed into a few books which focus more on crunch than fluff.

If you do not have the information you want on a given deity, go looking for it. The best way to do this is to have a fellow player, or better yet, the DM, relate to you the details you need. The Forgotten Realms experience truly increases the better you know the intricacies of the setting, and if you can find a DM who knows it well, it is perhaps the best campaign setting you can possibly play in.

 

[John Crichton]

anyway, too many gods ! I agree mostly because there is no common history among them : What the hell Tyr is doing here ? and Mielekki ? and Azuth or Mystra are not known to exist in other prime plane .... so Why all these gods are so close forn FR mortals don't have any cement between them ??

Perhaps you should read the setting a bit more. There is a basic cohesiveness between the Gods of the FR pantheon. And you also have to use the assumption that in this world, mortal can become Gods and have done so very recently. It is some of the allure. It's fantasy - these things happen.

Gods are a way to express Metaphysical question like Where do we come from ? what/who created the world .... all of these questions a left aside !

They are one way to express these notions and ask these questions. They are also there as guides on how to live and better oneself. Gods exist to fill holes in one's life. Gods are there to give comfort and sometimes cause fear. The FR deities fill many of these mortal emotional needs. Don't forget that every religion has there own "creation" theory as well. Just because you haven't read about it doesn't mean that it is not there.

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

Once again the FR shows its own strength and weakness: its a patchwork setting.

PRO: You can slap whatever you want in there and its not out of place.
CON: It doesn't usually make a lot of sense.

In fairness, I've witnessed that entire campaigns can progress where no one notices the internal inconsistencies.