D&D General Forgotten Realms: Real World Gods Still Present in the Old Empires

[Nicholas Reed]

As the title says. I remember this was a major topic in some other threads.

 

[pukunui]

As the title says. I remember this was a major topic in some other threads.

I don't really understand the issue with this. I mean, they're called the Forgotten Realms because the idea was they were once connected to our world, allowing people to move back and forth, but those connections have been lost and the realms of Toril have now been forgotten by Earthlings. It makes sense there would be groups of ancient human civilizations (Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, etc) in Toril from the time when those connections were still known about, and thus it makes sense that their gods would be present too.

 

[Selas]

I think it's more that they kept it. There have been some people online complaining that WotC is removing any kind of Real World reference from newer products because of how they did deities on the DMG24

 

[Henadic Theologian]

This makes the Deity erasure in Planescape utterly pointless.

Anyways they are there, but its just enough to know they are there.

Also Chessenta mentions Alien Gods, but really only mentions Tchazzar and Entropy, doesn't really detail them.

Also fun fact Bladekingdoms are part of the Old Empires Region for some reason, but Sultim the Mulhorandi city for some reason appears in the Arcane Empires Region and Skyclave is still there for some reason, no explanation for either.

Also Calimport mentions semi Forgotten Gods that are diminished, but not gone. Alot could be done with those.

Also note the Reputation System for the Faerun Pantheon that we were lead to believe existed doesn't, its lore for the more popular Faerun Pantheon Gods, it even acknowledges its incomplete.

Side note Vesharoon exists again, although not one of the listed deities.

Also

 

[Yaarel]

I am sure WotC vetted the decision for sensitivity to refer to the reallife heritage of Egypt.

Cultural misrepresentation can be an issue. I wouldnt have done it.

In any case, there is a difference between placing reallife gods in a specific opt-in setting, versus baking them into the core rules.

It is easier to fix a setting.

 

[Necropolitan]

Good.

 

[dave2008]

This makes the Deity erasure in Planescape utterly pointless.

I actually think that is the opposite of the truth. Planescape is more similar to the "default" D&D setting. It should therefore be more generic or at least accommodating. FR is a specific setting and can lean into is particular unique items.

 

[Parmandur]

I actually think that is the opposite of the truth. Planescape is more similar to the "default" D&D setting. It should therefore be more generic or at least accommodating. FR is a specific setting and can lean into is particular unique items.

Good point.

Interesting that thisnis the first WotC publication to name check a real world deity since Spelljammer over 3 years ago.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Good point.

Interesting that thisnis the first WotC publication to name check a real world deity since Spelljammer over 3 years ago.

It also helps that there's not really more on them than their names. No alignments, nothing but examples of Mulhorandi deities, and that they are relatively benevolent. They just kind of leave it at that - saying that they are there, but virtually nothing else.

Compared to that tyrant Gilgeam next door, of course. It would have been nice to have mentioned the other Untheric deities in that section, especially under Messemprar.

 

[Scribe]

This makes the Deity erasure in Planescape utterly pointless.

I have thoughts, but I stayed up for the Jays game last night and I probably shouldnt share them.