So with the reduction of FR dieties, which gods are you rooting for to come out on top? Who do you find unnecessary, uninteresting, or just
The following are the dieties which I think should rise to the top of the food chain and which ones should be demoted or given the axe.
Auril - At first glance she seems unnecessarily specific. But since a lot of the Forgotten Realms is the frozen north, giving the icy temperatures a diety's malevolence behind it has always been cool. (pun intended)
Bane - It is good to have a calm and calculating LE diety who wishes to imprison and dominate all life beneath a totalitarian bootheel. Bane does as well as anyone sponsoring dark paladins, though I have never found him interesting otherwise.
Chauntea - Finish the job that Doug Niles started in the Moonshae Trilogies and have the "Earthmother" take over from boring Silvanus. While she is at it, she can take over from Mielikki and Larue as well. Also, I like the tension between civilized priests of Chauntea who favor farmers and the wild druids who prefer nature pristine.
Cyric - Not very popular, but I like him because he is a Zhentish/Sembian weasel who is off his nut. Portrayed as he was by James Lowder, he was very much a dark anti-hero who is completely and utterly damned. I like him as a dark trickster figure better than Mask (which is a horrible, horrible name and a too-generic thief diety). I have used Cyric to great effect in my games, and the secret to a good Cyricist cleric is to ensure that the antagonist hates your PC's and goes out of his way to make everything personal.
Denier - Should absorb Oghma for sure. The god of sigils and glyphs is much more visually evocative than just the god of "knowledge".
Eldath - Rather boring to many because she is the goddess of pacifistic non-violence and stillness, but she makes an excellent goddess for looking over sanctuaries in a dark and dangerous world. Of all the Forgotten Realms dieties, she always struck me as the most sane.
Gond - Someone has to be the clever artificer amongst the dieties, and his clerics make for good "professor" or "SCIENCE!" heroes.
Gruumsh - Though I'd cut the rest of the orc pantheon, I'd keep one god who devotes himself to the monstrous undoing of humanity.
Lathander - I'd keep Lathander as Lathander rather than Amaunator simply because in a points of light setting you need someone representing hope and renewal.
Lolth - The drow just aren't the drow without Lolth.
Malar - Excellent as nature tooth and claw, bloodlust, and murder. When you need someone who only cares about the slaughter.
Moander - Probably the most interesting god in the forgotten realms setting. It isn't one you need to fully ressurect either (as a god of decay and rebirth, rising from the dead is kind of his "thing"). Plus, he fills the niche of nature that is corrupt and despoiled. Plus, Finder Wyvernspur as a diety is lame. Cut him back down to being a interesting NPC.
Shaundakul - Has been popular ever since the Myth Drannor set, because he is a natural wanderer's and adventurers god. I would however, do something about his iconography. Who turned him into a bearded old man anyway?
Sune - I would have Sune daintily devour Millil, Sharess, and Lliira.
Talos - I am in favour of Talos destroying Garagos and Tempus, and becoming lord of battle as well as the lord of destruction. Tempus represents the chaotic energies of ruinous war, and it is hard to imagine what is more destructive that that, especially with magic involved.
Torm - The most interesting of the three gods of good paladins. I liked Helm as the god who got the raw deal (he wasn't actually responsible for the Time of Troubles or the plague of Neverwinter, but he got the blame. Tyr was always boring, and justice as a portfolio is too abstract. You know how to roleplay a priest or paladin of Torm though. He will treat you fairly, fight with restraint, and never, ever give up.
Tyche - In an earlier edit I was going to keep Besheba and Tymora seperate. However, I realized luck is much better if it is neither malevolent or benevolent but merely fickle. Of course, I think "The Consolation of Philosophy" is one of the best books ever written.
Ubato - Dinosaurs are awesome.
Umberlee - The underwater civilizations are well developed in the Realms, and Umberlee represents the Ocean's capricious nature as well as anyone. Sure under the ocean it isn't nearly so inhospitable, but the things that live beneath the waves (like kraken and sahuagin) are pretty damn scary.
Waukeen - As a merchant goddess she is boring. But as a goddess of greed, wealth and glorious, glorious ostentation she is a winner. I should know, I played a Sembian paladin of her before the rogue/paladin multi-class became horribly unplayable. Every moment of his justification for money-grubbing, shady dealing, and abuse of civic authority (thanks to the Power of Faerun sourcebook) was magnificently petty.
P.S. sorry about the edits, accidentally posted when I had the names of 4 dieties written down, and needed to post the complete list so it would make sense.
The following are the dieties which I think should rise to the top of the food chain and which ones should be demoted or given the axe.
Auril - At first glance she seems unnecessarily specific. But since a lot of the Forgotten Realms is the frozen north, giving the icy temperatures a diety's malevolence behind it has always been cool. (pun intended)
Bane - It is good to have a calm and calculating LE diety who wishes to imprison and dominate all life beneath a totalitarian bootheel. Bane does as well as anyone sponsoring dark paladins, though I have never found him interesting otherwise.
Chauntea - Finish the job that Doug Niles started in the Moonshae Trilogies and have the "Earthmother" take over from boring Silvanus. While she is at it, she can take over from Mielikki and Larue as well. Also, I like the tension between civilized priests of Chauntea who favor farmers and the wild druids who prefer nature pristine.
Cyric - Not very popular, but I like him because he is a Zhentish/Sembian weasel who is off his nut. Portrayed as he was by James Lowder, he was very much a dark anti-hero who is completely and utterly damned. I like him as a dark trickster figure better than Mask (which is a horrible, horrible name and a too-generic thief diety). I have used Cyric to great effect in my games, and the secret to a good Cyricist cleric is to ensure that the antagonist hates your PC's and goes out of his way to make everything personal.
Denier - Should absorb Oghma for sure. The god of sigils and glyphs is much more visually evocative than just the god of "knowledge".
Eldath - Rather boring to many because she is the goddess of pacifistic non-violence and stillness, but she makes an excellent goddess for looking over sanctuaries in a dark and dangerous world. Of all the Forgotten Realms dieties, she always struck me as the most sane.
Gond - Someone has to be the clever artificer amongst the dieties, and his clerics make for good "professor" or "SCIENCE!" heroes.
Gruumsh - Though I'd cut the rest of the orc pantheon, I'd keep one god who devotes himself to the monstrous undoing of humanity.
Lathander - I'd keep Lathander as Lathander rather than Amaunator simply because in a points of light setting you need someone representing hope and renewal.
Lolth - The drow just aren't the drow without Lolth.
Malar - Excellent as nature tooth and claw, bloodlust, and murder. When you need someone who only cares about the slaughter.
Moander - Probably the most interesting god in the forgotten realms setting. It isn't one you need to fully ressurect either (as a god of decay and rebirth, rising from the dead is kind of his "thing"). Plus, he fills the niche of nature that is corrupt and despoiled. Plus, Finder Wyvernspur as a diety is lame. Cut him back down to being a interesting NPC.
Shaundakul - Has been popular ever since the Myth Drannor set, because he is a natural wanderer's and adventurers god. I would however, do something about his iconography. Who turned him into a bearded old man anyway?
Sune - I would have Sune daintily devour Millil, Sharess, and Lliira.
Talos - I am in favour of Talos destroying Garagos and Tempus, and becoming lord of battle as well as the lord of destruction. Tempus represents the chaotic energies of ruinous war, and it is hard to imagine what is more destructive that that, especially with magic involved.
Torm - The most interesting of the three gods of good paladins. I liked Helm as the god who got the raw deal (he wasn't actually responsible for the Time of Troubles or the plague of Neverwinter, but he got the blame. Tyr was always boring, and justice as a portfolio is too abstract. You know how to roleplay a priest or paladin of Torm though. He will treat you fairly, fight with restraint, and never, ever give up.
Tyche - In an earlier edit I was going to keep Besheba and Tymora seperate. However, I realized luck is much better if it is neither malevolent or benevolent but merely fickle. Of course, I think "The Consolation of Philosophy" is one of the best books ever written.
Ubato - Dinosaurs are awesome.
Umberlee - The underwater civilizations are well developed in the Realms, and Umberlee represents the Ocean's capricious nature as well as anyone. Sure under the ocean it isn't nearly so inhospitable, but the things that live beneath the waves (like kraken and sahuagin) are pretty damn scary.
Waukeen - As a merchant goddess she is boring. But as a goddess of greed, wealth and glorious, glorious ostentation she is a winner. I should know, I played a Sembian paladin of her before the rogue/paladin multi-class became horribly unplayable. Every moment of his justification for money-grubbing, shady dealing, and abuse of civic authority (thanks to the Power of Faerun sourcebook) was magnificently petty.
P.S. sorry about the edits, accidentally posted when I had the names of 4 dieties written down, and needed to post the complete list so it would make sense.
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