Cleric of Athena?

[Ambrus]

I'm at work and don't have my copy of Deities and Demigods close at hand. Could someone tell me what are Athena's alignment, portfolio, favored weapon and domains? :\

 

[BASHMAN]

Don't know the D&D rules for her [anything that makes Hades have Evil Alignment simply for being the god of the Dead and to keep continuity with the Disney Hercules movie I have a big problem with] But I do have reasonable suggestions.

Favored Weapon: Spear or Longspear
Domains: Knowledge, War, Good, and Protection
Alignment: LG

Athena/Minerva is the goddess of Wisdom, Justice, and also Strategy. While her brother Ares is god of War, she is actually a better fighter, because she can employ long-term tactics. While she is good, and generally lawful, she is not above engaging in some of the mean tricks of the Olympian Pantheon-- if it is to punish someone who did wrong. For example, she turned Arachnae into a spider for claiming to be better than the gods (at weaving). She also appears to mortals to give them quests to achieve justice, giving them aid to destroy such creatures as Medusa.

Well, hope this is of use (even if it is not the same as Dieties and Demigods). I often find myself disagreeing with how they wrote things up in that book-- Hades being my biggest pet peeve.

 

[Perun]

I'm at work and don't have my copy of Deities and Demigods close at hand. Could someone tell me what are Athena's alignment, portfolio, favored weapon and domains? :\

Here you go:

Athena
Greater God
Symbol: An owl
Home Plane: Olympus (that's in D&Dg Olympian cosmology) or Arborea/Olympus/Olympus in traditional D&D/PS "Great Ring" cosmology
Alignment: LG
Portfolio: Wisdom, crafts, civilisation, war
Worshipers: Paladins, fighters, monks, judges, constables
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG
Domains: Artifice, Community, Good, Knowledge, Law, War
Favoured Weapon: Shortspear

 

[Ambrus]

Thanks guys! Nice insight epochrpg. My personal pet peeve with Hades is that he's not actually the Greek god of death, only of the dead themselves; the true god of death being Thanatos/Orcus. And I believe that the reason that Athena can beat Ares (and pretty much any other god at their own portfolio) is due to the prosperity and power that the city-state of Athens enjoyed in the ancient world. She being the city's patron goddess it was inevitable that Athenians would claim that their goddess was the best at everything.

 

[taliesin15]

A couple of minor notes on Athena not mentioned...in the Odyssey she plays a prominent role, as Odysseus tends to evoke her...he is a wise, mature fighter type character, which reflects Athena's persona (as much a Goddess of Wisdom as she is of battle) well...also, FWIW, Odysseus also has contacts with Hermes throughout, which might reflect the fact that he uses trickery to get out of sticky situations

Another thing one could consider is Athena's role in the origin of the Trojan War, as she is one of the three goddesses Paris chooses to give the golden apple to (he chooses Aprodite, thus bringing the wrath of Hera and Athena down on Troy)

In Greek myth, she springs from the head of Zeus; however, some archeaologists suggest she was actually the main deity of the Libyans, and was associated with springs (and wisdom and war)--and I'm fairly sure the Libyans female warriors were the model for the so-called Amazons--something else which could be of help in designing interesting characters/campaign milieus...

 

[Klaus]

Thanks guys! Nice insight epochrpg. My personal pet peeve with Hades is that he's not actually the Greek god of death, only of the dead themselves; the true god of death being Thanatos/Orcus. And I believe that the reason that Athena can beat Ares (and pretty much any other god at their own portfolio) is due to the prosperity and power that the city-state of Athens enjoyed in the ancient world. She being the city's patron goddess it was inevitable that Athenians would claim that their goddess was the best at everything.

Actually, Ares didn't have a very good standing in Ancient Greece. He was associated mostly with barbarians. True warriors would evoke Athena, Apollo (specially the archers) and Zeus (after all, he IS the Big Kahuna).

As for Hades, I'd house rule him to LN in no time flat.

 

[taliesin15]

Hm, Hades as LN? Perhaps so, and yet his behavior isn't all that different from Zeus, who is listed as CG (and Poseidon CN). Definitely NE doesn't make sense at all, especially in light of Persephone--I mean, this guy is carrying on one of the great love affairs of Greek Myth!

 

[Klaus]

Hades is the ultimate judge in Greek Myth, presiding over even Eacus, Minos and Radamanthus (sp?). He gets Persephone on a technicality, and only agrees to help mortal heroes if they fulfill certain conditions (Herakles => subdue Cerberus and you can take him; Orpheus => Leave Hades without looking back and Euridice is free to go).

Zeus, IMHO, is far from CG. He's TN, sometimes being the judge, sometimes the daredevil, sometimes compassionate, sometimes cruel and petty. Poseidon as CN I can see.

 

[Psion]

Don't know the D&D rules for her [anything that makes Hades have Evil Alignment simply for being the god of the Dead and to keep continuity with the Disney Hercules

Yeah, because Hades was never depicted as evil prior to that. And every D&D version of him has him with flaming hair and a pair of bumbling imp minions...

There are interpretations of Hades that DO depict him as wicked, not just an impartial judge of the dead. In the tale of Persophone, for example, his involvement is often depicted as outright abduction.

My problem with D&D depictions of Greek gods is not that Hades was depicted as evil, but that so many of them were depicted as good. The Greek Gods were very typically arrogant, vain, and capricious. A neutral alignment is generous for many of them.

ANYWAYS,
for those of you interested in the LN interpretation of Hades, Sword & Sorcery Studios Relics & Rituals: Olympus has one (with domains Death, Earth, and Underworld). Athena's domains are Knowledge, Law, Protection, and War under R&R:O.
(Pruchase Link for PDF)
(Purchase Link for Print)

 

[pawsplay]

I find it bizarre that Athena, goddess of civil defense and Athens, and wielder of the shield Aegis, does not have the Protection Domain in the D&D version.