D&D 5E (2024) Let's make 5e specific setting, starting with a pantheon

[Not a Decepticon]

There is a lot of sicussion about making 5e/5.5 specific setting so I thought we could make a pantheon for one.

Few rules

1. My idea is that in order to be welcoming to 5e/5.5 players the setting needs to have something for all official character options, this includes races/species, classes and backgrounds, so each deity we add should have at least one class and at least one but not more than three species and backgrounds eachas worshippers (if we stick to one species per god we'll be here all day since there is something like 80 species and even more backgrounds in 5e and 5.5 WotC material alone).
2. I will exclude Cleric from classes, since it makes little sense for Clerics to be worshipping gods while also being under "God of Clerics". Instead I think we should split Cleric domains between the deities to narrow down what kind of Clerics a specific god has
3. We will start with official or semi-official classes, domains, backgrounds and species, I will be striking out the ones already used, so there is no overlap. Once we run out of something we can start bringing popular material from 3rd party books
4. You can pick any god from official pantheon from any world or edition of D&D, past or present, including any Planeshift settings and copied irl pantheons. Mystara Immortals are considered gods for this exercise. Please make a note from which setting you pick a deity so that we can keep track it doesn't turn into too much of pantheon from one particular world
5. You can also use any of the "almost a deity but not really" beings like Demon Lords, Archdevils, Celestial paragons, tho I would suggest checking if they're not a god in another setting or have a God who is clearly based off them (eg. Orcus having namesake in Mystara as well as Chemosh in Dragonlance being based on him)
6. One deity per post, first come first serve, if you post a deity with something already taken by another deity, it will not be included. If you pick a species with subspecies, you can select a specific subspecies for it.
7. After you post a deity don't post another one until either 24 hours pass or someone else posts their deity

List of Classes, except Cleric

• Artificer
• Barbarian
• Bard
• Druid
• Fighter
• Monk
• Paladin
• Ranger
• Rogue
• Sorcerer
• Warlock
• Wizard

List of Cleric Domains from official and semi-official materials:

• Ambition
• Arcana
• City
• Death
• Fate
• Forge
• Grave
• Knowledge
• Life
• Light
• Nature
• Order
• Peace
• Protection
• Solidarity
• Strength
• Tempest
• Trickery
• Twilight
• Unity
• War
• Zeal

List of races/species in:

• Aarakocra
• Aasimar
  • Fallen
  • Protection
  • Scourge
• Aetherborn
• Aven
• Bugbear
• Centaur
• Changeling
  • Eberron
  • Lowryn
• Dhampir
• Dragonborn
  • Chromatic
  • Dracoblood
  • Gem
  • Metallic
  • Ravenite
• Dwarf
  • Duergar
  • Hill Dwarf
  • Mountain Dwarf
• Elf
  • Astral Elf
  • Avariel
  • Bishtahar/Tinahar
  • Dark Elf/Drow
  • Eladrin
  • Grugach
  • High Elf
  • Khoravar
  • Juraga
  • Mul Daya
  • Pallid Elf
  • Sea Elf
  • Shadar-Kai
  • Tajuru
  • Vahadar
• Fairy
• Firbolg
• Genasi
  • Air
  • Earth
  • Fire
  • Water
• Giff
• Gith
  • Githyanki
  • Githzerai
• Glitchling
• Gnome
  • Autognome
  • Deep Gnome
  • Forest Gnome
  • Rock Gnome
• Goblin
• Goliath
• Grung
• Hadozee
• Halfling
  • Lightfoot Halfling
  • Stout Halfling
  • Kender
• Harengon
• Hexblood
• Hobgoblin
• Human
• Kalashtar
• Kenku
• Khenra
• Kobold
• Kor
• Leonin
• Locathah
• Lizardfolk
• Loxodon
• Merfolk
• Minotaur
• Naga
• Orc
• Owlin
• Plasmoid
• Reborn
• Revenant
• Rimekin
• Satyr
• Shifter
  • Beasthide
  • Cliffwalk
  • Longtooth
  • Razoclaw
  • Swiftstride
  • Wildhunt
• Simic Hybrid
• Siren
• Tabaxi
• Thri-Kreen
• Tiefling
  • Abyssal
  • Devil's Tongue
  • Chtonic
  • Hellfire
  • Infernal (I will include all bloodlines in Infernal)
  • Winged
• Tortle
• Triton
• Vedalken
• Vampire
• Verdan
• Viashino
• Warforged
  • Envoy
  • Juggernaut
  • Skirmisher
• Yuan-Ti

Backgrounds (not included the ones specific to location or organization from existing setting, will add them with more neutral names tomorrow):

• Aberrant Heir
• Acolyte
• Anthropologist
• Archeologist
• Astral Drifter
• Athlete
• Caravan Specialist
• Carouser
• Celebrity Adventurer's Scion
• Charlatan
• City Watch
• Clan Crafter
• Cloistered Scholar
• Courtier Criminal
• Dead Magic Dweller
• Dissenter
• Entertainer
• Facelss
• Faciton Agent
• Failed Merchant
• Far Traveller
• Feylost
• Fisher
• Folk Hero
• Gambler
• Gate Warden
• Gate Urchin
• Gene Touched
• Giant Foundling
• Guild Artisan
• Guild Merchant
• Harborfolk
• Haunted One
• Hermit
• House Agent
• House Heir
• Ice Fisher
• Inheritor
• Initiate
• Inquisitive
• Inquisitor
• Investigator
• Knight
• Marine
• Mercenary Veteran
• Noble
• Outlander
• Pirate
• Plaintiff
• Planar Philosopher
• Rewarded
• Rival Intern
• Ruined
• Rune Carver
• Sage
• Sailor
• Scribe
• Secret Identity
• Shipwright
• Smuggler
• Soldier
• Spellfire Initiate
• Spy
• Trade Sheriff
• Urban Bounty Hunter
• Urchin
• Vampire Hunter
• Vampire's Plaything
• Vizier
• Wildspacer

Spoiler: Deities already submitted

• Name: Bahamut
• Titles: Lord of (the) Scales, The Platinum Dragon, King of Justice
• Domain: Solidarity (Bahamut represents good overcoming evil because mortals stood firm together)
• Followers
  • Background: Folk Hero (Bahamut smiles upon those who risk life and limb for innocent strangers)
  • Class: Paladin (Those for whom their word is a sacred bond are dear to Bahamut)
  • People (race/species/lineage): Metallic Dragonborn. (Also, honorable rulers, knightly orders, good dragons, philanthropists.)
• Setting taken from: "Points of Light"/"World of Nerath"/Dawn War Pantheon
• Additional information you want about this version of the deity:
  This version of Bahamut has a neatly-summarized doctrine which shows that, while Bahamut is both Good and Lawful, he is not a slave to evil laws. He commands:
  • Uphold the highest ideals of honor and justice.
  • Be constantly vigilant against evil and oppose it on all fronts.
  • Protect the weak, liberate the oppressed, and defend just order.
  The text notes that "Monarchs are crowned in his name", implying that the divine justice and scrupulous order he represents is held in sufficiently high regard that rulers invoke his name to beef up their legitimacy.
  Further, this Bahamut is notable for being the only one among his divine brethren, in the setting I'm drawing upon, who is actively trying to do something about the plight of the many souls who did not get an afterlife in that setting. That is, because of the damage to the Astral Sea during the Dawn War, many souls simply...can't go to their afterlife. They are stuck wandering the dangers of the Astral Sea for eternity. Bahamut has commissioned several divine asteroid ark-ships(!!!) to act as safe havens for these souls, regardless of their alignment, so long as they agree to play nice, more or less. Or, in brief, this is not a dragon who sits on his pile of gold--he's using it to help the universe at large, in a concrete, discernible way.

Name: Mephistotheles
Title: Lord of Contradictions
Domain: Ambition
Class: Warlock
People: Devil's Tongue Tieflings, Fallen Aasimars, Vampires
Backgrounds: Guild Merchants, Nobles, Rival Interns
Setting taken from: inyerplanar, so I will consider him Planescape rep
Additional notes: Mephistotheles is not formally worshipped by Warlocks, but he is so well know for being through and precise with contracts he forms and that he never breaks the word of his deal, even if he may exploit the wording. As such even good beings, when forming Warlock pacts, will turn to him with writing the deal or adjucating disputes between Warlocks and patrons. He enjoys privledged position this gives him to the point he will draft a deal between two of his mortal enemies without backstabbing them in any way. However, this association results in Warlocks, even those of Celestials, being seen as at least somewhat shady and facing mistrust.

Name: Nebelun
Titles: The Meddler, God/dess of Invention,
Domain: Forge, Trickery (Luck) (Nebelun represents invention, playful experimentation, and bold, unpredictable creativity)

Followers
Background: Guild Artisan (Nebelun smiles upon those who tinker, experiment, and push the boundaries of invention—even when their plans go hilariously awry)
Class: Artificer (Those who mix magic and mechanics, bold inventors, and clever engineers are dear to Nebelun)
People: Gnomes (including autognomes) also eccentric inventors, clever rogues, tricksters, experimenting alchemist and engineers who embrace creative chaos

Setting taken from: Greyhawk and 5e Update

Additional information you want about this version of the deity:
Originally from Greyhawk, Nebelun was an ascended gnomish hero-god known for his audatious inventiveness, trickery, playful sense of humour and approach to tinkering; which was chaotic to the point of insanity. His holy symbol is "a bellows and a lizards tail" which stems from the famous occasion when he cut off the tail a lizardfolk god while he was bathing, then skinned and inflated it with hot air creating the first blimp. Surprisingly it worked - at least until it got it back to the ground where it exploded.

In Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes a female form of Nebulen is mentioned wherein any accident that fortuitously results in a new discovery might be credited to Nebelun's benevolent meddling in the affairs of mortals.

(NB The people of the Forgotten Realms claim that Nebulen is just an aspect of Gond, the gnomes of course know that to be ridiculous)

Nebulen is a divine provocateur of creativity and invention, inspiring mortals to experiment, play, and innovate with energy, daring, and joy. She inspires audacious ideas, acceptance of mistakes as opportunities to learn and create something new and suprising in the world

Nebelun’s shrines sit in the corner of workshops and laboratories and any other place filled with the whirring of gears, the hiss of pistons and contraptions that surprise, delight and often confuse observers. Her priesthood are tinkerers and tricksters, delighting in the chaos of invention and unexpected ingenuity.

Deity template

• Name:
• Titles
• Domain:
• Followers
  • Background
  • Class
  • People (race/species/lineage)
• Setting taken from:
• Additional information you want about this version of the deity

I will post my first pick tomorrow.

 

[aco175]

This seems like we are going to have a giant list of gods with most not really being ones that get used. Would in not be better to have a list and then pare it down to 10-25 or so?

A god of luck. Worshipped by adventurers and explorers, but especially by thieves and gamblers.

 

[Brendan Byrd]

#3
"We will start with official or semi-official classes, domains, backgrounds and species, I will be striking out the ones already used, so there is no overlap. Once we run out of something we can start bringing popular material from 3rd party books"

Since there are only twelve classes available...you will have a pantheon of twelve, if there is no overlap.

 

[Minigiant]

#3
"We will start with official or semi-official classes, domains, backgrounds and species, I will be striking out the ones already used, so there is no overlap. Once we run out of something we can start bringing popular material from 3rd party books"

Since there are only twelve classes available...you will have a pantheon of twelve, if there is no overlap.

Well you'll still have the evil gods.

You really can't have a class patron deity be evil. And making them outright good is a stretch outside of a few.

So you'd have maybe 10 neutral gods and two good ones just from there..

So you'll have to have nonclass deities or double up.

 

[Brendan Byrd]

Well you'll still have the evil gods.

You really can't have a class patron deity be evil. And making them outright good is a stretch outside of a few.

So you'd have maybe 10 neutral gods and two good ones just from there..

So you'll have to have nonclass deities or double up.

Which is a good argument for a pantheon of new Powers/Immortals IMHO.

(Reality shifting an Immortal of the Sphere of Energy who has an interest in elves and technology...I'm not convinced it would work well.)

 

[Zardnaar]

Easy.

NG Sun God. Rolep
N God of artificer Dnog
CG love goddess. Sunev

Etc

 

[Tonguez]

I no longer build pantheons for my homebrews, especially polytheistic ones. Instead, I focus on Religious Institutions, which function as the true “adventure engines” for PCs.


First, decide what type of religious structure exists in your world:
Polytheist – Many gods. Your deity could be a village god, trade patron, nature or war god—one of thousands. There are many temples, small shrines, and roadside altars. The religion is highly tolerant of new gods.
Henotheist – One divine “royal dynasty.” Your deity is a relative or aspect of this royal family of gods. There is a Royal Cult Temple and an elite priesthood; all clerics and sects owe fealty to the Royal Cult.
Duotheist – Two cosmic forces. Your god is aligned with one side. The institution may take the form of a philosophical school or militant order, with seasonal rituals to maintain balance between the paired sects.
Monotheist – One supreme being. Your deity is a saint, angel, or intermediary. The religion has a central hierarchy and elite priesthood, but is prone to schisms and heretical sects.
Animist – The world is full of spirits of the land, rivers, storms, or ancestors. Your deity is a powerful spirit, immortal entity, or even a dragon. There may be no central structure or formal priesthood.


Once the institution is defined, players can create their own gods by choosing:

• 1 Major Domain and 2 Secondary Domains
• Name and Symbol/Description eg Gruumsh One-Eye, Father of Orcs
• A statement of why the PC follows the god (tradition, family duty, personal vow, direct revelation, seeking power)

From there, the discussion expands (if required) to include:

• The PC god’s status in the religious institution and society (major diety, minor, demigod, messenger, aspect, servant, exile, enemy)
• One core myth/backstory
• PC devotions: morning prayer, ritual, offerings
• Priestly roles/sacraments: healer, scholar, warrior, judge, oracle
• Sacred sites and seasonal rites
• Core Tenets
• Common miracles (for channel divinity or divine intervention)

This approach allows me, as DM, to focus on the important elements: religious factions, heresies, and adventure hooks, while giving players freedom to shape the divine landscape.

 

[Minigiant]

I no longer build pantheons for my homebrews, especially polytheistic ones. Instead, I focus on Religious Institutions, which function as the true “adventure engines” for PCs.


First, decide what type of religious structure exists in your world:
Polytheist – Many gods. Your deity could be a village god, trade patron, nature or war god—one of thousands. There are many temples, small shrines, and roadside altars. The religion is highly tolerant of new gods.
Henotheist – One divine “royal dynasty.” Your deity is a relative or aspect of this royal family of gods. There is a Royal Cult Temple and an elite priesthood; all clerics and sects owe fealty to the Royal Cult.
Duotheist – Two cosmic forces. Your god is aligned with one side. The institution may take the form of a philosophical school or militant order, with seasonal rituals to maintain balance between the paired sects.
Monotheist – One supreme being. Your deity is a saint, angel, or intermediary. The religion has a central hierarchy and elite priesthood, but is prone to schisms and heretical sects.
Animist – The world is full of spirits of the land, rivers, storms, or ancestors. Your deity is a powerful spirit, immortal entity, or even a dragon. There may be no central structure or formal priesthood.


Once the institution is defined, players can create their own gods by choosing:

• 1 Major Domain and 2 Secondary Domains
• Name and Symbol/Description eg Gruumsh One-Eye, Father of Orcs
• A statement of why the PC follows the god (tradition, family duty, personal vow, direct revelation, seeking power)

From there, the discussion expands (if required) to include:

• The PC god’s status in the religious institution and society (major diety, minor, demigod, messenger, aspect, servant, exile, enemy)
• One core myth/backstory
• PC devotions: morning prayer, ritual, offerings
• Priestly roles/sacraments: healer, scholar, warrior, judge, oracle
• Sacred sites and seasonal rites
• Core Tenets
• Common miracles (for channel divinity or divine intervention)

This approach allows me, as DM, to focus on the important elements: religious factions, heresies, and adventure hooks, while giving players freedom to shape the divine landscape.

That's mostly what I do but all at once.

Basically I create religions. And each Religion chooses which powers they consider deities, quasi deities, or patron. So giants might be polytheistic and dragons duothiestic, and both see the other's deities as just powerful fiends and celestials.

Which is a good argument for a pantheon of new Powers/Immortals IMHO.

(Reality shifting an Immortal of the Sphere of Energy who has an interest in elves and technology...I'm not convinced it would work well.)

Basically a Dawn War style pantheon with all new faces that can do double duty split classes and species? Like 3 different war gods?

 

[Brendan Byrd]

Basically a Dawn War style pantheon with all new faces that can do double duty split classes and species? Like 3 different war gods?

My primary point is that, with the restrictions given by the OP...there are only 12 positions to be filled.
I don't think that works well with the idea of importing powers/immortals/dieties/gods from across all settings and editions of D&D.
I'm not sure that the OP has realized the corner that they've painted themselves into.

 

[TwoSix]

One god for each class seems enormously gamist, unless the setting is intended to have the existence of classes as a recognizable social pillar.