D&D General The Generic Deities of D&D

[Urriak Uruk]

And Zeus is also... not really "Good", by any modern meaning of the word. The closest to morally good out of the Greek Pantheon would arguably be Hades, and even then there's the whole thing with Persephone.

Yeah you're right, Zeus was a bad example. I was thinking of the comparison as the "Big powerful leader god in the sky," but Zeus is a huge ass.

I guess Pelor is really more similar to the New Testament capital G deity, like how he's depicted in that Michelango painting.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I may be the only one who is interested in trying to make a game that's relatively realistic - at least in the way people engage with religion and their gods...

Have you had a look at RuneQuest? It takes a similar approach to that described by @Sepulchrave II.

 

[Aldarc]

I love Pathfinder 2e idea of getting to choose a Pantheon instead of a single God for Clerics and others.

PF2 made it a mechanical choice too.

Let me tell you of a great setting called Eberron and its Sovereign Host back in 2004.

 

[Coroc]

In my greyhawk campaign, since dwarves and elves are not playable races (gnomes and halfelves are), I use Ulaa for dwarves and gnomes, and Ehlonna for Elves. Works out well imho and simplifies the pantheon a bit.
Most orcs would worship (and follow) Iuz though. Halflings would revere Beory (Also not playable race)

The players revere Fharlang, Heironeous (The pally in the group), one is a warlock of Bel and one a Nature priest of Beory. The gnome wizard did not state his belief so far, he would either pray to Ulaa or eventually to Boccob.

I think I could not do similar things in FR eventually, you could replace Ehlonna with the goddess that Drizzt reveres, Milekki or so, but you got no Mountain god like Ulaa wit hties t odwarves and gnomes there (Maybe there is one but I am not aware of this)

My experience is that PC do worry about their own god if they do at all. So a Pantheon with 35 gods is nice fluff but a load of baggage also.

 

[Coroc]

Before attacking the Romans would bribe the enemies' Gods to side with them with opulent offerings. Sometimes Romans and other ancients would adopt the Gods of those they conqouered including stealing holy icons from their enemies.

Contraire to common beliefs Roman catacombs were no secret to the authorities. It was a temporary hiding place from the law for Christians, protected by being a holy site and burial area, which to enter was a taboo in antique, even if you were not of the same faith.

 

[gyor]

Haha you're right! I was just reading Theros and probably confused Zeus with Heliod (who is exactly Zeus, but the sun).

Heliod is basically a representation of the blending of Zeus & Helios, which wasn't unusual in ancient times. Some sources called Helios the eye of Zeus. The hybrid God was seen by later Platonists as the highest Demiurge. Heliod is also partly inspired by Hera as God of Marriage.

The more traditional Zeus as storm God, would be Keranos God of Storms, Wind, and Ephanies, although Keranos has a touch of Muse and maybe Hermes to him as well.

They do this a lot, they combine Hephaestus, well his Roman Vulcan more destructive passionate side, with his wife Aphrodite's domain over passion and art, and part of Prometheus, and minus the disability to make Purphoros. His name actually comes from one of Prometheus' titles.

Thassa is obviously inspired by Poseidon but also Athena as Goddess of Knowledge.

Eberos is a Cross between Eberus, Hades, and Plutus. Maybe a little bit of Pan.

Nylea is mostly Artemis, minus the virginity thing, with a little bit of Athena's warrior side and Demeters domain over seasons.

Karametra is pretty much Demeter, with a little bit of Ares in the common to the settings Amazons.

Iroas is mostly a mix of Nike and Ares with some Centaur/Minotaur like traits thrown in.

Mogis was a mix of Ares' darker side and his sons, with the Minotaur thrown in.

Ephara is inspired by the Goddess Roma (Goddess and personification of Rome), with some elements of Athena, and some elements of Hephaestus.

Phenax is a mix of Hermes and Dionysus as God of rebirth, but corrupted.

Pharmika is a mix of Asclepius God of Medicine and Snakes and Akhlys Goddess of Poison, with some Boreas as God of winter and Chronos in that she was Goddess of old age.

Athreos is basically Charon mixed with the Grim Reaper.

Kruphix this God is hard to compare, but I'd say a mix of Nyx (the Goddess), Uranus, and a touch of Roman Janus.

Xenagos was a mix of Pan, Dionysus, and the Goddess Eris God of discord.

Klothys a mix of the Fates, Hecate, and Persphone, with a touch of Tartarus (Tartarus wasn't just the place where the Titans were Imprisoned, some folks don't realize that Tartarus was a God in their own right, with children

 

[dave2008]

I enjoyed the Dresden Files take on Hades, where the myth of him kidnapping Persephone was just them eloping and her mother refusing to acknowledge of the relationship. Dude gets a bad rap in fiction WAY too often.

Dang, I didn't realize that was a thing, that is basically how I've been writing up my version of Hades. Didn't realize I had been beaten to the punch.

 

[gyor]

True. I was mostly thinking of the "Big Three" when I wrote that (Zeus, Poseidon, Hades). I enjoyed the Dresden Files take on Hades, where the myth of him kidnapping Persephone was just them eloping and her mother refusing to acknowledge of the relationship. Dude gets a bad rap in fiction WAY too often.

That is common problem in India were angry disapproving parents falsely accuse the man of rape when they elope with their daughters, it's one of the things that inflates the rape stats of India along with the fact that promising to marry a woman to sleep with her, then getting cold feet was legally classified as rape, but I think they recently changed the law.

 

[BrokenTwin]

Dang, I didn't realize that was a thing, that is basically how I've been writing up my version of Hades. Didn't realize I had been beaten to the punch.

Considering the absurb amount of Hades=Satan literature out there, I'd say you're still doing it in a relatively unique fashion. Plus, you're probably not doing it in quite the same fashion as Dresden Files, so I'd say you're safe.

That is common problem in India were angry disapproving parents falsely accuse the man of rape when they elope with their daughters, it's one of the things that inflates the rape stats of India along with the fact that promising to marry a woman to sleep with her, then getting cold feet was legally classified as rape, but I think they recently changed the law.

Huh, I was unaware of that. Knowing that's a thing does make it easier to do a take of the Persephone story as a cosmic smear job. I've always liked the idea of Hades just being a chill guy who wants to do his job of tending to the souls of the dead with his loving wife and cute puppy.

 

[gyor]

Considering the absurb amount of Hades=Satan literature out there, I'd say you're still doing it in a relatively unique fashion. Plus, you're probably not doing it in quite the same fashion as Dresden Files, so I'd say you're safe.




Huh, I was unaware of that. Knowing that's a thing does make it easier to do a take of the Persephone story as a cosmic smear job. I've always liked the idea of Hades just being a chill guy who wants to do his job of tending to the souls of the dead with his loving wife and cute puppy.

Cute three headed puppy.