D&D (2024) What does the new DMG say about gods?

[Henadic Theologian]

That's kind of what I figured. If a player said they wanted to be a Cleric of Murlynd or Hercules, there's no real impedance in the rules other than standing on canon.

According to mythology, while Hercules in life was a demigod, but he becomes full God in Death, his mortal half burning away like impurity cleansed, leaving only a God behind.

 

[Yaarel]

I havent read the 2024 in detail yet. Generally, I see the following.

There are astral forces − symbols, concepts − linguistic semiotic paradigms that organize the meaningfulness of reality.

The alignment planes are ethical forces.

These astral concepts can become personifications, which case they are an avatar with hit points. Likewise, it is possible for a creature with hit points to be in unity with the concept, thus serve as a representative of the concept.

All of this is the Divine power source.

 

[Voadam]

Greater deities
Lesser deities
Quasi-deities:
*Demigods
*Titans
*Vestiges



Correct. He “wields the power of a lesser god” and is “worshiped as such on the Material Plane, [inspiring] evil cults and sinister Warlocks.”

In the Forgotten Realms didn’t he do some plot in 3e to 4e where he became a full god?

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Nothing really.

The fact that a deities rank can vary between world depending upon their influence there, instead of it being dictated by the Deities raw power suggests it's about influence as oppose to raw power. I doubt it includes the Quasi Deity rank.

Also it sounds like Lesser Deity just absorb Immediate and Demigods (with the name demigod recycled to what had been Quasi-Deity which now means traditional quasi-deities now called Demigods, Titans (from 2014 edition that never really gets explored), and Vestiges (also never meaningfully explored).

 

[Voadam]

Nothing really.

Wait, so quasi deities can now grant spells whereas before in 2014 they explicitly could not?

So you could now be a cleric of Murlynd?

 

[Not a Decepticon]

The glossary includes the following gods (and god-like beings): Bahamut, Corellon, Diancastra, Euryale, Gruumsh, Hadar, Kyuss, Iuz, Moradin, the Raven Queen, Tiamat, and Vecna. EDIT: and Tharizdun!

Since when is Kyuss a god, wasn't the whole point of him that his ascension failed?

 

[Voadam]

Since when is Kyuss a god, wasn't the whole point of him that his ascension failed?

In 2014 terms he was a quasi deity, a powerful being above normal mortals with powers but not a full god who can grant clerics spells.

Some shoot for full ascension.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

In 2014 terms he was a quasi deity, a powerful being above normal mortals with powers but not a full god who can grant clerics spells.

Some shoot for full ascension.

So he was on level Dead Three are in5e Forgotten Realms?

 

[Yaarel]

Yet even in real life, people pray to saints as well.

In traditions that have "saints", it is more a kind of ancestor reverence. The person who is praying (petitioning) is asking the ancestor to pray with them and pray for them. In this case, it is the divinity that is answering these collective prayers.

In some traditions, there is an understanding that the good things that the ancestor did while alive, continue to have a good actively enduring impact. This ongoing influence allows the ancestor to personally influence current events. All of this is understood as participation in blessings from the divinity.

Typically, the "saints" are understood as family members, whether biological or adoptive.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Wait, so quasi deities can now grant spells whereas before in 2014 they explicitly could not?

So you could now be a cleric of Murlynd?

Well Quasi Deities can recieve or hear prayers, so I'm not sure how that would work, but since it only has to be granted once I suppose you go visit the Quasi Deity in person, but this has weird implications.

Here is the list of Titans creatures in 5e

1. Empyreans, kid of a God or 2, so I can see that making sense.

2. Kraken, weirder, but Kraken cults are not unheard of and they do create a kind of divine spellcaster so it could work

3. Atropal aborted God or something, weirder still, but it still makes sense

4. Tarrasque, mentioned in the past as having some worshippers

5. This one is the really weirdest one, Astral Dreadnaught, I find the idea of worshiping one till it ascends to God hood funny and the idea of someone some how becoming a Cleric of a random Astral Dreadnaught funnier.