D&D General The Generic Deities of D&D

[Parmandur]

I know based on statistical data that is probably true, but since I was a child in the '70s and an atheist (with agnostic parents), it always feels odd to me. Though I will say the term "people of faith" in the USA covers a very broad spectrum from people who just believe god exists (and are basically ignorant of the church and its teachings) to people you take the bible literally.

The plural of anecdote is certainly not data, however my personal experience backs up @Ruin Explorer here: I know a lot of younger, Gen X and Millennial Catholic Priests here in the USA. D&D nerds, the lot of 'em.

 

[dave2008]

The plural of anecdote is certainly not data, ...

Not sure what you are suggesting, but I was talking about the statistical data with regard to the percentage of the USA population that is broadly "religious." The one that sticks in my head was from about 10 years ago a survey found 75% of Americans believed in Angels (not sure how they defined the term).

 

[Parmandur]

Not sure what you are suggesting, but I was talking about the statistical data with regard to the percentage of the USA population that is broadly "religious." The one that sticks in my head was from about 10 years ago a survey found 75% of Americans believed in Angels (not sure how they defined the term).

Well, sure, that's obvious enough. My point is the D&D crowd is not noticably more nor less religious than the general population. Heck, two of the main co-authors for the Theros book have advanced degrees in theology and are pretty religious.

 

[jasper]

I remember a story I was reading that did a really interesting take on it.

The minor goddess (she had one worshipper at the start of the story) made an off-hand comment about how good the souls of the people around her tasted.

After some freaking out, it was revealed that the Gods of this setting eat the vibrations of the souls that worship them. As a sort of supernatural photosynthesis.

I like the concept, because I like the gods having a reason to be invested in their followers. They care about the people who believe in them, and it also helps explain clerics in the DnD context. Why grant powers to people to spread your faith? Because spreading your faith has a benefit to you.

Another short story is some ancient gawds a little. But the gawd Cobol or internet or gawd of programmers started feeding them data.

 

[Hoffmand]

The plural of anecdote is certainly not data, however my personal experience backs up @Ruin Explorer here: I know a lot of younger, Gen X and Millennial Catholic Priests here in the USA. D&D nerds, the lot of 'em.

When someone has to tell me the plural of anecdote is not data it normally follows with something absurd that just does not jive with reality. And then they quote some study.

 

[gyor]

I mean, to you that's the case, but to other people it could be incredibly interesting and provide commentary about what is actually Good and Evil. That a supposed "Arbiter of Good" could fall into the trappings of what is traditionally considered "evil."

And keep in mind, that, while the gods in D&D worlds are gods, they aren't Gods. That is to say, they aren't the source of reality, they are a part of it, with all the benefits and (in this case) drawbacks that come from it. To use Platonist thought if I may, they could be closer to the source than their servants and mortals, but they still might be very far from it.

While it's true that might not be what D&D has specifically, I think it's still compatible with The Great Wheel style cosmology that a lot of D&D attaches itself to.

Actually at least in FR they are the source of Reality, at least in part, because when a God dies or the Gods are forced into the mortal world by an Overgod reality itself begins to break down. Kill the Goddess of Magic and the Sundering happens, imprsion the God of Death and folks stop dyinga at all, kick the Gods out entirely and the world starts to resemble Limbo increasingly over time. That is the propose of the Wall, if the Gods need worshippers for power and survival, and without the Gods parts of reality start to break down and die, kill all the Gods and you destroy Reapmspace.

And the Gods get power from other things as well, the increased influence of their portfolios, so if a crap load of new wars break out, Tempus grows in power even without an influx of new worshippers. And there are other things that can boost a Gods power, although some of those things are dangerous.

And on FR there are also Gods that sacrifice a part of their Immortality to directly influence the world, they still have full God powers, except they can be killed by mortals. The Mulhorand Gods made this sacrifice for their people, which was noble.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

I tend to have gods getting power from some social phenomena. The more of the phenomena there is in the multiverse, the stronger the god is. For example, Bane is the god of painful discipline (which includes emotionally painful discipline but that isn't as fun), so if a kid gets his knuckles smacked by a nun's ruler, Bane gets some juice, and if a soldier is executed for violating his superior's orders, then Bane gets a big bonus from the multiverse.

Once they get enough juice, gods can venture into non-social things like storms, nature, the sea, and the sun, but these are really just for branding.

Going back to Bane, it doesn't really matter if a hobgoblin, a dwarf, a unicorn, or a dragon is getting the discipline, so long as the discipliner and the disciplinee both know discipline is taking place (any audience knowing it is discipline and taking some meaning from it is a bonus). Bane doesn't get anything if an ogre beats up some farmer because the ogre is bored even if the ogre claims it is discipline.

Bane obviously doesn't want to run out of power, so he set up organized religions to encourage societies to use discipline. Bane focuses his attention on societies that are pro-discipline, often run by races that are pro-discipline (like hobgoblins). Bane may have something to do with those races and societies being pro-discipline. He has discovered that attempting to bring discipline to kender, pixies, and fantasy role playing gamers are all a waste of his time and resources.

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

Actually at least in FR they are the source of Reality, at least in part, because when a God dies or the Gods are forced into the mortal world by an Overgod reality itself begins to break down. Kill the Goddess of Magic and the Sundering happens, imprsion the God of Death and folks stop dyinga at all, kick the Gods out entirely and the world starts to resemble Limbo increasingly over time. That is the propose of the Wall, if the Gods need worshippers for power and survival, and without the Gods parts of reality start to break down and die, kill all the Gods and you destroy Reapmspace.

True, but that just means that they are the source of Toril's reality, not all reality. Just because Mystara died doesn't mean magic in Eberron starts going wack, just magic in the Forgotten Realms.

 

[gyor]

Since this is evovling towards a theological discussion I will point out that Polytheology is a very diverse field.

You have Hard Polythiests, you have Soft Polythiests, and everything in between.

You have Henadic Platonist Theology/Philosophy, Post Modern Polytheology, you have literalist Polyheology, you have Archetype Polytheology, Modal Realist Polytheology, and then you have some types of really out their theologies.

As to why the Gods want morals to worship them, the anwsers vary incredibly between religions and Polytheologies.

Some ancient religions believe the Gods created humanity to cloth and feed the Gods, who no longer wanted to work for themselves. This belief later lead to UFO conspiracies based upon it.

Others believed the Gods don't require worship at all and that it's arrogant to pray for things, one prays to show gratitude, the Gods can't be ordered around.

Others believe the Gods are extremely powerful Thoughtforms called Ergores, created by the beliefs and worship of thousands to millions of people. This is an example of Theros' Theology.

Others believe the Gods are omnipotent, omnibelevolent, whole, and perfect. The Goal isn't to worship the Gods for material gain, its Theurgy, the goal is to work together with the Gods so you can assend towards them, at least for a time.

Others believe that the Gods that made the material world are evil or ignorant and that there are God/s called Aeons belong the material world, and that you want to ascend to the very top so you can reunite your divine sparl with the highest God.

Others don't worship Gods with an expectation that they are perfect, but rather like honouring ones ancestors its about showing due respect.

Others worship a God believing that they too in the afterlife can become a God of another world.

Others worship Gods that used to be mortals, but who were reborn as Gods at the very top of the multiverse, but who don't have anything to do with this universe, they worship them as role models as they wish to achieve this state for themselves.

And there is more.

 

[gyor]

I remember a story I was reading that did a really interesting take on it.

The minor goddess (she had one worshipper at the start of the story) made an off-hand comment about how good the souls of the people around her tasted.

After some freaking out, it was revealed that the Gods of this setting eat the vibrations of the souls that worship them. As a sort of supernatural photosynthesis.

I like the concept, because I like the gods having a reason to be invested in their followers. They care about the people who believe in them, and it also helps explain clerics in the DnD context. Why grant powers to people to spread your faith? Because spreading your faith has a benefit to you.

A better reason to spread your faith, out of selfless love, building a relationship with a God or Gods benifits the worshippers.

As for Clerics it's a skill, to atune yourself to a God's essence well enough that you drink in their freely offered holy divine light like a plant drinks in sun light.