D&D General Build the "Definitive Pantheon"

[EzekielRaiden]

I drafted the below, not as an effort at a "definitive" pantheon, but because I wanted a draconic pantheon I could use for my own work (prose or campaign setting stuff). I rather liked the Whose-X-is-Y model for the titles/"true names" of the gods, with their short names being either elective personal names, or names applied to them by mortals. I feel the "title" thing emphasizes that the deities are in some ways beyond mortal understanding, living concepts that do not cleanly manifest in language.

Spoiler

Title: Whose-Might-Is-Wisdom
Name: Arkhos
Domains: Luck, justice/law, magic, protection, glory, time, and adventure.
Avatars: Platinum dragon, older man (sometimes frail, sometimes hearty)

Title: Whose-Guile-Is-Power
Name: Sutela (formerly Skythis)
Former Domains: Ambition, wealth, individuality, passion, freedom, space, and home.
Former Avatars: Crystalline dragon, mature woman (sometimes delicate, sometimes mighty)
Fallen Domains: Pride, greed, selfishness, destruction, entropy, prison
Current avatar: Dragon with five heads and colors -- never any other avatars

Title: Whose-Laugh-Is-Cutting
Name: Atalesh
Domains: Joy, independence, luck, death, plant
Avatars: An amber dragon, a girl or young woman (just at the cusp of adulthood)

Title: Whose-Eyes-Are-Doorways
Name: Kereska
Domains: Magic, travel, knowledge, transformation, industry
Avatars: An opal dragon, a humanoid figure in dark/concealing robes

Title: Whose-Fire-Is-Change
Name: Syggetnarex (or Narex)
Domains: Fire, earth, death, life, sun
Avatars: A soot-caked blacksmith (any gender), a tektite dragon (sometimes molten)

Title: Whose-Culling-Is-Kind
Name: Llydenne
Domains: Death, justice, wealth, redemption, shadow
Avatars: A blindfolded agender person in stark white robes, an ivory dragon

Title: Whose-Breath-Is-Storm
Name: Korr
Domains: Air, water, weather, war, strength
Avatars: A young man with wild hair and eyes, a smoky agate dragon

Title: Whose-Light-Is-Guiding
Name: Oridas
Domains: Light, shadow, air, stars, knowledge
Avatars: A genderfluid youth in dancing clothes of shifting color, a dragon with scales of every stone and color

Title: Whose-Law-Is-Wild
Name: Neriph
Domains: Animal, protection, strength, freedom, moon
Avatars: Any mythic beast blending two or more animals, female werewolf, moonstone dragon

Title: Whose-Labor-Is-Forever
Name: Pavask
Domains: Industry, fire, home/hearth, war, time
Avatars: Old tinker with a limp, bright-eyed child with a clockwork staff, flint dragon

Title: Whose-Soul-Is-Music
Name: Xyllona
Domains: Art, medicine, language, friendship, whimsy
Avatars: A pair of lovers holding hands who speak in unison, a sunstone dragon

Title: Whose-Step-Is-Regal
Name: Urunak
Domains: Nobility, ancestors, deception, mind, loyalty
Avatars: A finely-dressed prince/ss, an old man with a backpack of scrolls, an alexandrite dragon

Not officially worshipped in present day:

Title: Whose-One-Is-All
Name: Ophion, Father/Mother Ophion, Dead Ophion
Domains: All
Avatars: None. Ophion is dead, Their body becoming the world.

Title: Whose-Fate-Is-Open
Name: Estrelabor, Child Estrel, The Child To Come
Domains: All
Avatars: The Resplendent Egg contains their unborn form (lost long, long ago)

Note that in this setting, Skythis was originally the head of the pantheon, and Arkhos served as "her" advisor (gender is an elective choice for these beings.) "Her" fall is part of what has left reality in a decidedly less-than-ideal state.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Another way we could look at things in this vein (not better, just different) would be to spin things out from the "Are Evil Gods Necessary" threads and rather than make deities for all things good and bad... instead partition the "Gods" or "Angels" into the Lawful Good quarter of our traditional alignment chart of Archbeings, and then use the angels, fey, devils, and demons to be what people have to worship or ask forgiveness on.

So you'd have your Archangels in the upper left Lawful Good quadrant, with the angels domains being positive aspects of civilized culture... the orderly organization of things that intelligent beings put into practice...

Your Archfey would be in the upper right Chaotic Good quadrant, with the fey domains being positive aspects of natural life, the wild and untouched things that "people" can't or haven't tried to control...

Your Archdevils would be in the lower left quadrant, with the fiendish domains being the negative aspects of civilized culture...

And your Archdemons would be in the lower right quadrant, with the abyssal domains being the negative aspects of natural (or unnatural) things.

This would be for the type of setting where one might desire to remove overlap of extra-planar beings and their innate wants/needs/desire. So instead of having an Archdemon of the Undead and a God of Necromancy / Undeath who are both potentially fighting for the space logistical space, one could just use the Archdemon only and keep "the gods" (or "archangels") separate from them.

When I've dabbled around with this idea... I've always seen it as a monotheistic setting, where there is only a singular "god" (your Ao or equivalent) that sits above everyone and everything... and it is the Archangels, Archdevils, Archfey, and Archdemons that are the actual divine conduits to all the creatures and peoples of the world. Granted this is much farther afield from traditional D&D divinity and the thread's premise for a 'definitive pantheon' so it really doesn't apply to what we are talking about here... but it's a potential other way to look at divinity if one was so inclined.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

I like the Nine Powers from the Primeval Thule campaign setting. Each god fits nicely in with one of Schwartz's basic human values (which fit in somewhat with the nine D&D alignments).

Mithra
God of the Sun, Lord of the Sky, King of the Gods
Symbol: A sunburst and eagle
Motivation: Security
Portfolio: Sun, justice, sky, rulership and dominion
Key Teachings: Obedience, stability, health (physical, mental, social and emotional)

Kishar
Goddess of Grain, Mother of Rivers, Queen of the Gods
Symbol: A sheaf of grain
Motivation: Conformity and Tradition
Portfolio: Agriculture, the earth, rivers, motherhood
Key Teachings: Obedience, tradition, self-discipline, moderation

Tarhun
God of Storms, Lord of Battle
Symbol: A three-forked lightning bolt
Motivation: Benevolence
Portfolio: Storms, sky, battle (with the subtext of vanquishing evil)
Key Teachings: Loyalty, true friendship/comradeship

Asura
Goddess of Dawn, Messenger of the Gods, Flame of Atlantis
Symbol: A crown or tiara with rays of sunlight
Motivation: Universalism
Portfolio: Dawn, fire, beginnings, inspiration
Key Teachings: Welfare of all people and of nature, equality, beauty, peace

Ishtar
Goddess of Love, Luck and War
Symbol: Eight-pointed star
Motivation: Self-Direction
Portfolio: Love, beauty, art, fortune, passion
Key Teachings: Live passionately, in all senses of the word

Tiamat
Mother of Dragons, Goddess of the Sea, Queen of Chaos
Symbol: A dragon skull with five horns
Motivation: Stimulation
Portfolio: Chaos, destruction, monsters, vengeance, the sea
Key Teachings: The world is without order, those who serve chaos and seek her favour will be rewarded

Nergal
God of the Underworld, Lord of War, King of the Dead
Symbol: A black lion with a mane of flame
Motivation: Power
Portfolio: War, death, avarice, the underworld
Key Teachings: Use a strong hand in dealing with any and every problem you face

Set
God of Night, the Great Serpent
Symbol: Twin serpents
Motivation: Achievement
Portfolio: Night, secrets, treachery, poison, snakes
Key Teachings: Free will is an illusion, the only path to understabnding is submission to him in body, mind and soul

Herum
Lord of Beasts, The Ape God
Symbol: Broken bones
Motivation: Hedonism
Portfolio: Beasts, savagery, rage, destruction
Key Teachings: None. Do whatever you want.

 

[Yaarel]

Pantheons should be regional, like one pantheon for the City of Greyhawk and its area of cultural influence, a different pantheon for the City of Menzoberranzan and its area of cultural influence, and so on.

For any particular sacred tradition to matter to players, would depend on the player investing in and immersing in the cultures of ones character.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I like the Nine Powers from the Primeval Thule campaign setting. Each god fits nicely in with one of Schwartz's basic human values (which fit in somewhat with the nine D&D alignments).

Mithra
God of the Sun, Lord of the Sky, King of the Gods
Symbol: A sunburst and eagle
Motivation: Security
Portfolio: Sun, justice, sky, rulership and dominion
Key Teachings: Obedience, stability, health (physical, mental, social and emotional)

Kishar
Goddess of Grain, Mother of Rivers, Queen of the Gods
Symbol: A sheaf of grain
Motivation: Conformity and Tradition
Portfolio: Agriculture, the earth, rivers, motherhood
Key Teachings: Obedience, tradition, self-discipline, moderation

Tarhun
God of Storms, Lord of Battle
Symbol: A three-forked lightning bolt
Motivation: Benevolence
Portfolio: Storms, sky, battle (with the subtext of vanquishing evil)
Key Teachings: Loyalty, true friendship/comradeship

Asura
Goddess of Dawn, Messenger of the Gods, Flame of Atlantis
Symbol: A crown or tiara with rays of sunlight
Motivation: Universalism
Portfolio: Dawn, fire, beginnings, inspiration
Key Teachings: Welfare of all people and of nature, equality, beauty, peace

Ishtar
Goddess of Love, Luck and War
Symbol: Eight-pointed star
Motivation: Self-Direction
Portfolio: Love, beauty, art, fortune, passion
Key Teachings: Live passionately, in all senses of the word

Tiamat
Mother of Dragons, Goddess of the Sea, Queen of Chaos
Symbol: A dragon skull with five horns
Motivation: Stimulation
Portfolio: Chaos, destruction, monsters, vengeance, the sea
Key Teachings: The world is without order, those who serve chaos and seek her favour will be rewarded

Nergal
God of the Underworld, Lord of War, King of the Dead
Symbol: A black lion with a mane of flame
Motivation: Power
Portfolio: War, death, avarice, the underworld
Key Teachings: Use a strong hand in dealing with any and every problem you face

Set
God of Night, the Great Serpent
Symbol: Twin serpents
Motivation: Achievement
Portfolio: Night, secrets, treachery, poison, snakes
Key Teachings: Free will is an illusion, the only path to understabnding is submission to him in body, mind and soul

Herum
Lord of Beasts, The Ape God
Symbol: Broken bones
Motivation: Hedonism
Portfolio: Beasts, savagery, rage, destruction
Key Teachings: None. Do whatever you want.

set has never been a snake, that was apep, set was a animal which no one can find at all even bones

 

[cbwjm]

set has never been a snake, that was apep, set was a animal which no one can find at all even bones

It's possible that Set is based on the demon-god from Conan the Barbarian.

As for Seth/Sutekh, I recall a theory that he isn't based on a singular animal. As the god of chaos he was an amalgamation of other animals.

 

[Mind of tempest]

It's possible that Set is based on the demon-god from Conan the Barbarian.

As for Seth/Sutekh, I recall a theory that he isn't based on a singular animal. As the god of chaos he was an amalgamation of other animals.

I am aware of that and I still hate it, hell given he was described in one place as a god of storms, foreigners and fights a snake monster every night I wonder if he is related to Zeus, Indra and Susanoo?

 

[Voadam]

Primeval Thule is heavily inspired by Conan so Stygian serpent evil Set.

 

[cbwjm]

I was looking at the names of the gods, definitely a few of them have shown up in Conan, and if you want to have a good ol' sword and sorcery setting, you need an evil serpent god.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I was looking at the names of the gods, definitely a few of them have shown up in Conan, and if you want to have a good ol' sword and sorcery setting, you need an evil serpent god.

could they just change the name then?