I can enjoy the wordplay, but the big problem is his use of the "Common" pantheon. Having them be worshiped beyond their original pantheon is fine, but I really wish it had included their original one. This would allow an understanding of the divine dynamic, especially as it relates to demihumans and their deities (for example, Ull is almost certainly originally from the dwarven pantheon, while Elhonna might be from the elven or possibly gnomish pantheons).I don't know that I'd characterize it quite that way, exactly: while Gygax certainly put some design thought into the overall structure and nature of the pantheons of Greyhawk, he also treated them with more than a touch of his usual wordplay and humor (Heironeous = Erroneus, among others).
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D&D 5E What's your favourite pantheon?
- Thread starter TheAlkaizer
- Start date
grodog
Hero
FWIW, I always took the Common deities as a sign of how Gygax showcased the melting pot nature of the Flanaess---the admixture of the various human races (and demi-human, to a lesser degree) and how the faiths of some deities grew to become more common as the races intermingled. I think that's an aspect of the setting that's largely overlooked, in particular as the the Suel came to be portrayed in a more and more Nazi-like manner over time.
Allan.
R_J_K75
Legend
FR was my favorite just because of the Faiths and Avatars, Powers and Pantheons and Deities and Demigods trilogy of books for 2E. It really fleshed out the the pantheons, gods and their worshippers. Because the gods played such a big role in the setting in 2E I almost always wrote adventures where one god or another had some influence in the plot. You could open any of those books to any page, point, read and come up with an adventure idea.
I ran a campaign where it was monotheistic. It was different because every cleric/priest worshipped the same deity but there were different factions who observed different domains working against each other.
I ran a campaign where it was monotheistic. It was different because every cleric/priest worshipped the same deity but there were different factions who observed different domains working against each other.
TwoSix
Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer
Eberron has my favorite approach to religion of any setting, but the actual Sovereign Host/Dark Six pantheon is only a piece of the setting's overall approach to religion.
The Dawn War pantheon and the pantheon from Green Ronin's Book of the Righteous are my favorite from published works.
My favorite fictional pantheon are the Mother/Father/Son/Daughter/Bastard from Bujold's Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls books.
The Dawn War pantheon and the pantheon from Green Ronin's Book of the Righteous are my favorite from published works.
My favorite fictional pantheon are the Mother/Father/Son/Daughter/Bastard from Bujold's Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls books.
Laurefindel
Legend
As far as kitchen sink pantheons go, i like the Forgotten Realms best, including all "demi-human" pantheons. Of course as with everything with FR, you need to make it "your own" to truly get the most of it.
I like Eberron's too for different reasons, mostly because religious fanaticism and conflict is relatively subdued compared to most fantasy settings. The Silver Flame can be quite fanatic and there are tensions with the Blood of Vol, but it's easier to keep it all together in Eberron.
However, I must admit my lack of knowledge of a wide array of fantasy religion is lacking, so I've got little to compare.
There is one tid-bit from Warhammer 40K that I love however, and it's how the Eldar's trickster god was the only one who managed not to be destroyed because he was tricksy enough, and now has the weight of the whole Eldar heritage on his shoulder.
I like Eberron's too for different reasons, mostly because religious fanaticism and conflict is relatively subdued compared to most fantasy settings. The Silver Flame can be quite fanatic and there are tensions with the Blood of Vol, but it's easier to keep it all together in Eberron.
However, I must admit my lack of knowledge of a wide array of fantasy religion is lacking, so I've got little to compare.
There is one tid-bit from Warhammer 40K that I love however, and it's how the Eldar's trickster god was the only one who managed not to be destroyed because he was tricksy enough, and now has the weight of the whole Eldar heritage on his shoulder.
Voadam
Legend
I'd say Dawn War pantheon is my favorite as a pantheon because of the Dawn War history and the Cosmology. 4e did a great job here.
Golarion probably has my favorite individual deities to use and build world elements around.
I like a lot of pantheons in my D&D.
I am very familiar with and enjoy a lot of the Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms pantheons, and a bunch of Dragonlance's pantheon.
Cthulhu Mythos, Stormbringer Courts of Chaos, and the Chaos pantheon of Warhammer appeal to me a lot as well. Conan's Hyperborea with Marvel serpent Set, Crom, and others are great too.
I like Eberron's mix of religions, particularly the druid factions, the Blood of Vol, the Dragon cults, the Silver Flame, and the Dark Six, but I can never remember the individuals of the Sovereign host, they blur together in my head and never really stood out beyond the amorphous host.
I really like the Book of Fiends from Green Ronin for evil archfiend deities, but Book of the Righteous always left me cold other than the Asmodeus story part of it and the gods there blur for me as well. Birthright's pantheon never grabbed me much either.
I particularly like Lothian and the Holy Lothian Empire from Ptolus, but the rest of the pantheon (with a few exceptions like Father Claw and Gaen) leaves me pretty cold. Lothianism is a great way to have a mono/henotheistic sort of medieval church in polytheistic D&D, and a great way to incorporate a bunch of other elements I like in through saints or the displaced Old Gods.
Scarred Lands' Pantheon with its titans and gods is a very D&Dified Greek titanomachy that works well and has a ton of story and flavor potential that reached deep through a lot of the Scarred Lands in great ways.
D&D has also done pretty well with real world Norse, Greek, Egyptian, Babylonian and other pantheons in various versions of Deities and Demigods and third party things like Lore of the Gods.
Golarion probably has my favorite individual deities to use and build world elements around.
I like a lot of pantheons in my D&D.
I am very familiar with and enjoy a lot of the Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms pantheons, and a bunch of Dragonlance's pantheon.
Cthulhu Mythos, Stormbringer Courts of Chaos, and the Chaos pantheon of Warhammer appeal to me a lot as well. Conan's Hyperborea with Marvel serpent Set, Crom, and others are great too.
I like Eberron's mix of religions, particularly the druid factions, the Blood of Vol, the Dragon cults, the Silver Flame, and the Dark Six, but I can never remember the individuals of the Sovereign host, they blur together in my head and never really stood out beyond the amorphous host.
I really like the Book of Fiends from Green Ronin for evil archfiend deities, but Book of the Righteous always left me cold other than the Asmodeus story part of it and the gods there blur for me as well. Birthright's pantheon never grabbed me much either.
I particularly like Lothian and the Holy Lothian Empire from Ptolus, but the rest of the pantheon (with a few exceptions like Father Claw and Gaen) leaves me pretty cold. Lothianism is a great way to have a mono/henotheistic sort of medieval church in polytheistic D&D, and a great way to incorporate a bunch of other elements I like in through saints or the displaced Old Gods.
Scarred Lands' Pantheon with its titans and gods is a very D&Dified Greek titanomachy that works well and has a ton of story and flavor potential that reached deep through a lot of the Scarred Lands in great ways.
D&D has also done pretty well with real world Norse, Greek, Egyptian, Babylonian and other pantheons in various versions of Deities and Demigods and third party things like Lore of the Gods.
Ralif Redhammer
Legend
Dawn War pantheon, definitely. It covers the bases and doesn't get overwhelming. After that, Forgotten Realms, then Krynn.
It's new and I've not used it in a game, but I do really like the deities of Theros. They feel familiar without entirely just being knock-off Zeus, knock-off Artemis, etc.
It's new and I've not used it in a game, but I do really like the deities of Theros. They feel familiar without entirely just being knock-off Zeus, knock-off Artemis, etc.
Aldarc
Legend
I came here to post PRECISELY this!
I've always disiked how priests and clerics (and sometimes all PCs and NPCs) each worship one particular deity. I'd much prefer it if everyone just prays to the appropriate deity as necessary: the goddess of war before a battle, the god of the sea during a storm, and so on.
My favourite fictional pantheon is the one hinted at in "Iron Eyes and the Watered Down World" by Saladin Ahmed. I won't go into detail here, in the hopes that people will be interested and check out that excellent sword & sorcery pastiche by an amazing writer (and yay! I just found out there's a sequel!).
My favourite fictional pantheon is the one hinted at in "Iron Eyes and the Watered Down World" by Saladin Ahmed. I won't go into detail here, in the hopes that people will be interested and check out that excellent sword & sorcery pastiche by an amazing writer (and yay! I just found out there's a sequel!).
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