Help me design my pantheon!

[gamecat]

I'm putting the pantheon for my Dominions of Neer campaign setting, and I have a bit of a writers block. I cannot think of anything that isn't an FR ripoff. Dammit.

Here are the nations of my campaign setting:

The Imperium of Greater Axis

An oppressive magocratic nation that persecutes psionic people and sorcerers with a nazi-like fervor, under a law called the "Hereticus Doctrine", complete with jackbooted-SS troops, the Halkur Legion. The nation is ruled by an empress with the title of "Asura". The Asura is supported by several noble houses, each specialized in magic, in some degree. As far as Axis is concerned, I have a pair of deities:

Jakt
CG deity of Duelists

Ryumyo
LN deity of Western Psions

The Blessed Catterick Imperium

A totalitarian empire established by a LN-LE elven race, the Blessed Catterick Imperium believes it is their divine right to rule the universe, and they have pioneered spelljamming technology to those ends. The head of the Catterick Imperium is refered to as the <ripoff>Evincar</ripoff>. The Catterick religious system all features deities with a hindu look (six arms).

Deities

Zerk D'Shekhar
LN deity of Catterick Elves

Trystra
CE deity of Hot-blooded murder

Hiistra
LN deity of Magic

The Maracawa Shogunate

A system similar to Feudal Japan, the Maracawa Shogunate replaces Zen Buddhism with psionics. (not much else)

...

Some ideas would be wonderful.

 

[Azure Trance]

I have a bit of a writers block. I cannot think of anything that isn't an FR ripoff. Dammit.

It's Greenwoods Scry spells. They know everything even before you realize it.

 

[Torx]

A couple of questions will help refine your quest, plus help us with suggestions:

1. Do you want a large pantheon or a small one?
2. Do you want your deities to work together or singularly?
3. Are your deities going to get their hands dirty and get involved in the world, or sit back and watch? Or even not watch?
4. What is your cosmology like? Could a high enough mage or priest visit their god?
5. Do you want ethical balance, a la Dragonlance? Or will five good gods and one evil god serve your purpose (numbers are examples)?
6. How important are the churches? Maybe that varies from society to society, from deity to deity.

As far as some ideas, perhaps an über-god who decides to take some interest in the world (not by punishing the gods like Ao - blech). Perhaps a god of the faithless, he actively seeks to turn people to his faith, only to abandon them to look for more faithless. God of peasantry. God of sacrifice. God of spies and subterfuge.

Take a stab at those questions.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Give me five bucks and a week, and you'll have a pantheon.

HAhahaha! Until then...lemme digest these a bit...see what I can whip up, if anything. Don't hold your breath, but I'll see what I can do....

 

[Kilmore]

Go ahead and rip off the FR gods all you want. Change the names, file off the serial numbers, throw in a few from other sources. Use them in your own world for a while, attach them to certain national identities as you've done, and eventually they will take on a life of their own. You'll find openings in your campaign for whole new gods that you can make up yourself and possibly develop relationships with the other gods, which molds them even further into your own world.

To be honest, FR has done some borrowing itself.