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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ilbranteloth" data-source="post: 7156507" data-attributes="member: 6778044">I was simply responding to the implication that the idea of everybody having a patron deity started with the Forgotten Realms. Clearly it didn't, since it was on the official character sheets long before that. You don't have to have a patron deity in any setting (that I'm aware of), including the Forgotten Realms. Particularly in AD&D, the system was very prescriptive, so if it appeared on the character sheet, their must be a reason.Oh, and there is. From Deities and Demigods:"No fantasy world is complete without the gods, mighty deities who influence the fates of men and move mortals about like chesspieces in their obscure games of power. Such figures can be perfect embodiments of the DM's control of the game. They are one of the Dungeon Master's most important tools in his or her shaping of events.The gods serve an important purpose for players as well. Serving a deity is a significant part of AD&D, and all player characters should have a patron god. Alignment assumes its full importance when tied to the worship of a deity. The possibility of the invocation of divine wrath, should the player make a serious misstep, make alignment conduct a much more vital concern."Of course, it then goes on to say:"...everything contained within this book is guidelines not rules. DDG is an aid for the DM, not instructions. We would not presume to tell a Dungeon Master how to set up his or her campaign's religious system. Probably no facet of AD&D varies more from campaign to campaign than this, and that's the way it should be. Many DMs will choose to use pantheons or systems other than the ones included herin, or will alter the information presented. Feel free."The second part, though, appears to be focused on the specific religion, and not on whether religion is important to AD&D, or on whether they should have a patron deity. The expectation after Deities & Demigods was that every character would have a patron deity, and that expectation is reflected on the official character sheet.Even in the 2e Forgotten Realms supplement Faiths and Avatars it only says "most people...settle on a sort of patron deity..." So the most prescriptive was from the core AD&D rules, and not a setting. At least not the Forgotten Realms.So the answer to the OP is 1980, with Deities & Demigods.</blockquote>

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