Dime-A-Dozen Deities

[rounser]

The thread on FR deities got me thinking about how many deities people prefer in their homebrew worlds and published settings. How many characters in the "soap opera of the gods" do you prefer (and what other details about your pantheon are there)?

 

[Nifft]

IMC, there are six generally agreed upon gods. Each has several "aspects" which can be worshipped or called upon, in addition to each one's generally agreed upon "main aspect".

Some faiths consider all gods to be mere aspects of a single god. Others consider their favored aspect to be a true separate god. Some even claim that the gods are nothing more than the will of the faithful given form.

The truth? Divinations are not forthcoming on matters of divine truth, for some strange reason, and arcane researchers who strive to delve deep into the matter seem to become mentally unstable.

-- Nifft

 

[LGodamus]

My homebrew has more than one hundred homemade gods and I also use most monster deities and demi human gods as well too....... many parts of the world have regional gods too that arent counted in the above because they are really not much more than nature spirits or whatnot

 

[ph34r]

I use however many Gods there are in the current setting. I always use campaign settings so it all depends on which one I'm DMing at the time.

 

[geezerjoe]

my favorite homebrew campaign world has about 8 deities and each of the races has different names and "takes" on the deities to the point where the sex of the deity changes ... but its still the same deity. (got a little OT there)

Generally though for simplicity's sake, we've been using just the PHB deities lately plus a few "meanies" to round things out.


l8r

Joe2Old

 

[A'koss]

In our Post-Ragnarok setting there are currently 15 adult gods and almost a like number of young to infant godlings. However, because of the number of conflicts going on, marriages and the fact that the gods are mortal in my setting, the numbers aren't static.

With a lifespan of ~1,200 years (providing they survive that long) they tend to share a much closer bond with the mortal races than other pantheons. A lot of carousing goes on between the gods and mortals as well (particularly with other great heroes), whether in disguise or in all their deific glory, you never know when the Lord of the Mountain may decide to quench his cavernous thirst at your inn...


Cheers,

A'koss.

 

[The_Gneech]

Actual gods, or powerful monsters worshipped by crazed cultists? Of the first I have few, but of the second, I have very many indeed.

-The Gneech

 

[Snoweel]

Yeah, IMC it depends who you're asking.

If you ask me, the Creator of the setting, there are no gods, just sublimely powerful mortal spirits. There are also thousands upon thousands of them, with differing levels of power and sentience.

So I guess animism is the real situation in my setting.

If you ask a Commoner, she might answer "There is 1 god" (the local Demon she is forced to acknowledge) or "There are many" (the multitude of spirits). In some isolated areas, she might instead mention the Old Gods (dead elemental gods, whose powers appear in gifted children - Sorcerers), and on the relatively peaceful and civilised island kingdom of my setting, there are the 5 - the New Gods who rescued their subjects from Demonic oppressors. These "gods" live amongst men and rule them, and are based on the children of Geb and Nut (of Egyptian mythology).

I mean, just because they can grant spells, doesn't necessarily make these beings gods, IMO.

 

[diaglo]

if they fit the campaign i use them. from whatever source or made up on the spot.

 

[bwgwl]

i've done homebrew settings with one god, three gods (Lawful / Neutral / Chaotic), 18 (2 per alignment), and 37 (4 per alignment plus an extra Lawful Neutral).

i always make them up myself -- i've never used the canon "Greyhawk" gods or the demihuman deities. sometimes the gods i create will be based on gods from real-world mythologies with the serial numbers filed off.