"Greying" up the Greyhawk Gods

[LostSoul]

Hey All;

So let's say I'm running a dark game in your basic D&D Greyhawk world, and I want to make the gods creepy. What do you think I should do to achieve that kind of mood?

Here are a few quick thoughts:

Boccob: Boccob is uncaring. His priests are, too. They won't help you with spells no matter how much gold you wave in their faces. If you give them a book, or offer some kind of knowledge, that might be different. But Boccob isn't known for holding up his end of any bargain.

His priests mope around in grey robes in fortress-libraries, reading books and copying them day-in, day-out. Adventuring priests of Boccob are usually after some long-forgotten tome.

Corellon: Elves are crazy. So is he. He promotes xenophobia and no non-elf may set foot in his temple.

Ehlonna: Tree-hugger with violent tendacies.

Any other ideas?

 

[Snoweel]

Priests of Pelor walk around with a constant look of wonder on their faces and speak in infuriating hushed, awed voices.

Kind of like social workers...

And priests (and paladins) of Heironeous are very unreasonable and are likely to see nonintervention against Evil as cowardice at best, and 'aiding and abetting' at worst - and therefore deserving of punishment.

 

[Whimsical]

Priests of Pholtus are intolerant of other faiths and try to spread monotheism while casting Continual Flame on the eyes of anyone that annoys them.

Oh wait...that's default Greyhawk.


"...and they call him Sandy Claws!" — The Nightmare Before Christmas

 

[LostSoul]

Priests of Pelor walk around with a constant look of wonder on their faces and speak in infuriating hushed, awed voices.

And they have a habit of casting Continual Light on their eyes, and others. "Blasphemer! See the light!" blam. Their healing burns

All gods require some sort of sacrifice. Pelor demands burnings or exposure to the unbridled fury of the sun. Boccob likes brains. Heironeous calls for the public death of all law-breakers.

 

[Aeric]

Saint Cuthbert would fit right in on such a world. His priests would be ruthless vigilantes a la Batman.

Kord could promote social Darwinism, where only the strong survive. His priests could go around challenging people in power to make sure that they deserve to remain in power.

 

[diaglo]

priests of Tharizdun see everyone else as crazy.

 

[rbingham2000]

I like creepy gods. Kinda lends the old Sword and Sorcery feel to the game.

If Boccob is uncaring, Obad-Hai is even more so. A personification of nature itself, he leaves living creatures, including sentient beings, to their own devices, and does not care about those that get caught in storms or other natural disasters, because that is the Way of Things. His priests preach a doctrine of self-reliance and survival. An Obad-Hai worshipper is likely to say, "Do not ask the Shalm for help, for it is his will that you live or die on your own or with the help of your fellow man."

Wee Jas is especially creepy, as any god whose worshippers are witches and necromancers is bound to be. Of all the "greyed-up gods," she's perhaps the most likely to require sacrifice before she bestows her gifts upon her chosen.

 

[LostSoul]

If Boccob is uncaring, Obad-Hai is even more so. A personification of nature itself, he leaves living creatures, including sentient beings, to their own devices, and does not care about those that get caught in storms or other natural disasters, because that is the Way of Things. His priests preach a doctrine of self-reliance and survival. An Obad-Hai worshipper is likely to say, "Do not ask the Shalm for help, for it is his will that you live or die on your own or with the help of your fellow man."

Maybe the priests of Obad-Hai have to keep up the sacrifices so they can get their spells. Typical sacrifice would be taking some guy and stringing him up exposed to the elements.

 

[LostSoul]

priests of Tharizdun see everyone else as crazy.

"You mean you DON'T want to be sucked into oblivion? What's wrong with you?"

 

[LostSoul]

Wee Jas is especially creepy, as any god whose worshippers are witches and necromancers is bound to be. Of all the "greyed-up gods," she's perhaps the most likely to require sacrifice before she bestows her gifts upon her chosen.

I love Wee Jas - she's my favourite of all the PHB gods.

I think it would be neat to have orgiastic rituals in the temples of Wee Jas that ended in blood and death.