How do Norse gods fit into D&D? [Archive] - Wizards Community

How do Norse gods fit into D&D? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Jvance420
04-21-08, 07:31 AM I often find myself wanting to play a character who worships a norse or egyptian deity, but most of my gaming group seems to think that impossible. Is there no way to fit them into a campaign? I realize Kord could be Thor and all, but humor me :p
gullas
04-21-08, 07:37 AM well , Deitys and Demigods has stats, domains and such for Norse, Egyptian and Greek Deitys so you might want to look into that.
Taeldrin Laesrash
04-21-08, 09:40 AM Deities and Demigods is the book with the stats.

It's not too difficult to slip in the gods into the cosmology (Real gods were name-dropped all the time in the older products), or the setting. You could introduce them as part of a cult or exotic culture.
zeratulcraft
04-21-08, 10:18 AM The CS I play in has a different pantheon per continent. Works for us. We've been playing in the Greek one for a while now.
M-bark
04-21-08, 10:36 AM The CS I play in has a different pantheon per continent. Works for us. We've been playing in the Greek one for a while now.

That's about the same way we go about it, and it does work out greatly. :) The Greek/Norse/Egyptian gods are mostly worshipped by humans, still.
Kain_Darkwind
04-21-08, 04:50 PM Essentially, the Norse gods go around beating up the lesser, lamer core gods and taking their lunch money. Sure, your barbarian can worship Erythnul or Kord if they want to....want to be a total puss in boots, that is. The Norse gods are real gods for real men. And real women. Sissies need not apply for clerichood.
the_baxter
04-21-08, 06:28 PM Essentially, the Norse gods go around beating up the lesser, lamer core gods and taking their lunch money. Sure, your barbarian can worship Erythnul or Kord if they want to....want to be a total puss in boots, that is. The Norse gods are real gods for real men. And real women. Sissies need not apply for clerichood.

Best. Post. Ever.
AngeloftheNight
04-21-08, 09:01 PM Essentially, the Norse gods go around beating up the lesser, lamer core gods and taking their lunch money. Sure, your barbarian can worship Erythnul or Kord if they want to....want to be a total puss in boots, that is. The Norse gods are real gods for real men. And real women. Sissies need not apply for clerichood.

With your permission I will sig you.

angel
Kursk
04-22-08, 02:17 PM How do Norse gods fit into D&D?

If your DM has them as part of his world then you can worship and/or be a Cleric of a Norse god. Simple.
sciborg3
04-22-08, 03:21 PM The Norse gods live in Ysgard in Planescape (and iirc prior). They also had dominion over that plane, or perhaps they developed out of the plane's culture which emphasizes personal heroics and glory - a shade different from the eladrin who champion freedoms. There was incorporation of Rune Magic into Ysgard but I don't remember how it worked. The Norns were also in D&D, and Loki was in Pandemonium. The Norse gods feared Ragnarok but whether this would be the end of them or the entire Multiverse was unclear.

Rip or Shemmy might have better recollections of how it worked in Planescape.
gravenhurst
04-22-08, 04:48 PM Deities and Demigods is the book with the stats.

It's not too difficult to slip in the gods into the cosmology (Real gods were name-dropped all the time in the older products), or the setting. You could introduce them as part of a cult or exotic culture.

And considering many published campaign's have only a quarter or a third of it explored in detail, it can explain why no one has heard of the new deity or pantheon?
navar100
04-22-08, 05:21 PM I don't remember from where, but I once read that Tyr, an acknowledgeed interloper deity in Faerun, is Tyr from the Norse pantheon. Why he underwent an alignment and portfolio shift I don't know.

I'd like to think he came to Faerun after Ragnorak. He was supposed to have been killed but somehow wasn't. Since he wasn't destined to be among the New Pantheon, he came to Faerun. Having witnessed the treachery of Loki bringing about Ragnorak, he dedicated himself to Justice to prevent any further Ragnoraks.

Not that Mystra benefited/will benefit. :)
gravenhurst
04-22-08, 10:06 PM I don't remember from where, but I once read that Tyr, an acknowledgeed interloper deity in Faerun, is Tyr from the Norse pantheon. Why he underwent an alignment and portfolio shift I don't know.

I'd like to think he came to Faerun after Ragnorak. He was supposed to have been killed but somehow wasn't. Since he wasn't destined to be among the New Pantheon, he came to Faerun. Having witnessed the treachery of Loki bringing about Ragnorak, he dedicated himself to Justice to prevent any further Ragnoraks.

Not that Mystra benefited/will benefit. :)

Oh, I am such an idiot! Tyr is the Maimed God, the God of Law. He sacrificed his right hand by allowing it to be put in the Fenris Wolfs' mouth (Kezef the Chaos Hound in 2ndE) so that it could be collared! When the Fenris Wolf found that he was bound he bit Tyr's hand off (found in 1st Edition Deities & Demigods, Norse Pantheon).

In 2nd Edition Forgotten Realms, Try became the Greater god of Law and was head of the Triad, which included Torm and Ilmater. Tyr gained a new title as the Blind Overlord as well, when he lost his eyesight from Ao from the Time of Troubles (AD&D forgotten Realms Faith's & Avatars).

Sorry navar100:( , but the source came from Forgotten Realms before 3.0E, unless it is also referenced from 2ndE Planscape. I will have to ask someone on Planescape Lore.
navar100
04-23-08, 03:19 AM Most likely I read it in a book dedicated to the deities of Faerun. I forget the name. It would definitely be 3.0 version because I never bought anything Faerun specific after the 3.5 switch.
ArcTan
04-28-08, 11:59 PM Badly and inappropriately.

(Sorry, had to do it. Seriously, I think you can do a fine D&D campaign centered around the Norse gods, but the Norse gods lose all their point and just become a kind of brand name -- it's that guy with a hammer! -- if you take them out of their setting and mix them up with the other D&D gods in the D&D cosmology.)
gravenhurst
04-29-08, 01:48 AM Oh, I am such an idiot! Tyr is the Maimed God, the God of Law. He sacrificed his right hand by allowing it to be put in the Fenris Wolfs' mouth (Kezef the Chaos Hound in 2ndE) so that it could be collared! When the Fenris Wolf found that he was bound he bit Tyr's hand off (found in 1st Edition Deities & Demigods, Norse Pantheon).

In 2nd Edition Forgotten Realms, Try became the Greater god of Law and was head of the Triad, which included Torm and Ilmater. Tyr gained a new title as the Blind Overlord as well, when he lost his eyesight from Ao from the Time of Troubles (AD&D forgotten Realms Faith's & Avatars).

Sorry navar100:( , but the source came from Forgotten Realms before 3.0E, unless it is also referenced from 2ndE Planscape. I will have to ask someone on Planescape Lore.

No everything is what I said it is. Tyr became the god of law because he honoured the agreement to place his hand in the Fenris Wolfs mouth, considered a lawful act. His sacrifice allowed the dwarf crafters of the collar, to bind the Fenris Wolf! It is also how he became a god in the first place!
navar100
04-29-08, 02:19 AM Oh, I am such an idiot! Tyr is the Maimed God, the God of Law. He sacrificed his right hand by allowing it to be put in the Fenris Wolfs' mouth (Kezef the Chaos Hound in 2ndE) so that it could be collared! When the Fenris Wolf found that he was bound he bit Tyr's hand off (found in 1st Edition Deities & Demigods, Norse Pantheon).

In 2nd Edition Forgotten Realms, Try became the Greater god of Law and was head of the Triad, which included Torm and Ilmater. Tyr gained a new title as the Blind Overlord as well, when he lost his eyesight from Ao from the Time of Troubles (AD&D forgotten Realms Faith's & Avatars).

Sorry navar100:( , but the source came from Forgotten Realms before 3.0E, unless it is also referenced from 2ndE Planscape. I will have to ask someone on Planescape Lore.

Which does not change the fact that I read of a Norse Tyr/Faerun Tyr connection from a 3.0 source.
Kargush
04-29-08, 04:13 AM Essentially, the Norse gods go around beating up the lesser, lamer core gods and taking their lunch money. Sure, your barbarian can worship Erythnul or Kord if they want to....want to be a total puss in boots, that is. The Norse gods are real gods for real men. And real women. Sissies need not apply for clerichood.

Bestest post ever. Simply awesome. ;)

Have one. :cookie:
ShatteredSun
04-29-08, 09:37 AM I run a norse campaign. However, there are 'outlanders' who worship other deities. I just run it like they are different, competing religions that therefore have different deities. That way, you can follow the Norse religion and your buddies can follow the standard Dnd pantheon. One point: whilst the Dnd pantheon is more concerned with good vs. evil, the Norse pantheon is more preoccupied with law verses chaos. This dualism is best understood as the conflict between the gods (harbingers of law) and the giants (harbingers of chaos).
sciborg3
04-29-08, 02:11 PM Badly and inappropriately.

(Sorry, had to do it.

Actually, until I saw you post this I was afraid something had happened to you.;)
Mirtek
04-29-08, 05:29 PM I don't remember from where, but I once read that Tyr, an acknowledgeed interloper deity in Faerun, is Tyr from the Norse pantheon. Why he underwent an alignment and portfolio shift I don't know.
Sorry navar100:( , but the source came from Forgotten Realms before 3.0E, unless it is also referenced from 2ndE Planscape. I will have to ask someone on Planescape Lore.
The 2e planescape supplement On Hallowed Grounds tells about why Tyr went from the norse pantheon to become one of the faerunian pantheon.

Long story short: He felt that his place as war god was slowy ursuped by his fellows (like Thor) and thus he needed a new worshipper base they won't steal lest he fade from existence.

Mielikkie and Talona are also interlopers on Faerun. Mielikki went to Faerun because her native pantheon was ready to pass on to whatever afterlive awaits deities but she felt she was too young for that. Talone just followed her to continue to oppose her.
LordMortanius
05-08-08, 09:47 AM The 2e planescape supplement On Hallowed Grounds tells about why Tyr went from the norse pantheon to become one of the faerunian pantheon.

Long story short: He felt that his place as war god was slowy ursuped by his fellows (like Thor) and thus he needed a new worshipper base they won't steal lest he fade from existence.

Mielikkie and Talona are also interlopers on Faerun. Mielikki went to Faerun because her native pantheon was ready to pass on to whatever afterlive awaits deities but she felt she was too young for that. Talone just followed her to continue to oppose her.

Talona is a native goddess. The one you're thinking about is Kiputtyo, who gets murdered by Talona.
Kain_Darkwind
05-08-08, 10:07 AM Tyche is the non-native goddess of luck, and on Faerun she split into Tamora and....and you guys are talking about Talona, not Tamora. I'll shut up now.
drakir_nosslin
05-13-08, 04:52 PM Essentially, the Norse gods go around beating up the lesser, lamer core gods and taking their lunch money. Sure, your barbarian can worship Erythnul or Kord if they want to....want to be a total puss in boots, that is. The Norse gods are real gods for real men. And real women. Sissies need not apply for clerichood.

Sigged for awesomeness...

Also, the Norse gods go well with barbarians, dwarves and low-magic campaigns. My :twocents:
aelryinth
05-13-08, 05:56 PM Tyche is actually based off the Egyptian goddess of luck originally.

I believe Bast is worshipped as the goddess of pleasure in the Realms (name escapes me atm) and they even go into her history.

The wolf nomads of Greyhawk worship the Native American Pantheon of nature spirits.

The Amedio Jungle savages also worship the South American pantheon, as do the inhabitants of Maztica in the realms.

The Mulhorandi pantheon and the fallen pantheon of Unther are Egyptian and Babylonian, respecitively, in whole cloth.

so yeah, including Earth pantheons is simple. Most of the monsters in D@D have classic roots in such mythology...they fit in very easily.

==Aelryinth
ripvanwormer
05-14-08, 12:03 PM Tyche is actually based off the Egyptian goddess of luck originally.

Which Egyptian goddess of luck would that be?

I believe Bast is worshipped as the goddess of pleasure in the Realms (name escapes me atm) and they even go into her history.

Sharess.

The wolf nomads of Greyhawk worship the Native American Pantheon of nature spirits.

The Wolf Nomad pantheon was given in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer as Geshtai, Istus, and Telchur, with some ancestor worship. The Rovers of the Barrens worship Obad-hai, Pelor, Beory, and Telchur. Dragon #263 also said the Wolf Nomads and Rovers of the Barrens worship Kurell, god of thieves and vengeance, in the form of a black wolf called Black Wolf. Dragon #32 added a god called Red Fox to the Rover pantheon, inspired by the Native American Coyote, but with a different alignment than Coyote was given in AD&D (and he's a fox rather than a coyote). No other Native American-inspired gods are specifically mentioned, though Dragon #32 encouraged the DM to come up with others.

The Amedio Jungle savages also worship the South American pantheon, as do the inhabitants of Maztica in the realms.

Central American, not South American. The Maztican pantheon is inspired by Aztec gods, but the Maztican gods have different names, and they don't all have exact parallels. The Olman pantheon is essentially the same as the Aztec pantheon, with a few additions.
gravenhurst
07-13-08, 09:16 AM Sharess...The Wolf Nomad pantheon was given in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer as Geshtai, Istus, and Telchur, with some ancestor worship. The Rovers of the Barrens worship Obad-hai, Pelor, Beory, and Telchur. Dragon #263 also said the Wolf Nomads and Rovers of the Barrens worship Kurell, god of thieves and vengeance, in the form of a black wolf called Black Wolf. Dragon #32 added a god called Red Fox to the Rover pantheon, inspired by the Native American Coyote, but with a different alignment than Coyote was given in AD&D (and he's a fox rather than a coyote). No other Native American-inspired gods are specifically mentioned, though Dragon #32 encouraged the DM to come up with others...Central American, not South American. The Maztican pantheon is inspired by Aztec gods, but the Maztican gods have different names, and they don't all have exact parallels. The Olman pantheon is essentially the same as the Aztec pantheon, with a few additions.

You know what, you never stop to amaze me at the plethora of D&D information you spill out! You always have a correction from some obscure source that not everyone would have, like a Dragon or Dungeon magazine! Kudos to you!:)
ciaran
07-13-08, 09:46 PM Two of the planes that characters venture off to in Expedition to the Demonweb Pits are Yggdrasil and Niflheim (aka the Iron Wastes). There is also a statue of Tyr in a temple of lawful good gods in Sigil.

I like using the core deities in my Greyhawk games - its easier - but there's certainly enough room to expand to any number of gods you like, and I don't think that culturally-centered pantheons are unrealistic at all.
aelryinth
07-14-08, 02:02 AM You know what, you never stop to amaze me at the plethora of D&D information you spill out! You always have a correction from some obscure source that not everyone would have, like a Dragon or Dungeon magazine! Kudos to you!:)

He missed one of the Dungeon Magazines, then! (which is where I'm getting my info).

Specifically, they wrote a module about a ghost totem dancing pole, etc, where a priest of the Horned Society corrupted a Wolf Nomad or Rovers tribe ( I forget which, sorry), and the tribal gods arrange things for the characters to go in and right the wrongs.

The gods they name are the classic ones...Coyote, Raven, Bison, etc, and they describe a native American tribal society whole cloth.

This Dungeon likely would have been before the reissue of the Greyhawk Pantheon/world setting revision...and then again, maybe not. Upon reflection, it probably was the Rovers, adapted after the Sioux.

So, I'm not in error, per se...I'm just quoting a different reference (and I've NO clue what Dungeon it was in...it was a long time ago!)

====================================

Tyche is the name of the Goddess of Luck in Egypt, no? She has this little ball of luck she carried around, and is described as a dwarf like character. I could be mistaken...

==Aelryinth
JulesCARV
07-14-08, 02:50 AM Personally, I prefer not to insert real life religions into my campaign. If I want to draw inspiration from real life religions, I'd rather put them into a blender, then pick out the parts that fit some purely fictional D&D religion and pasting them into a pastiche.

Put Hinduism in the blender... let's see. The Varna/Jati caste system can go to Wee Jas or Hextor. Ehlonna can have the concept of Ahimsa. The ideas of Kama can go to Olidammara.

Put Catholicism in the blender... let's see. Thomism, scholasticism, and the Jesuit education system can go to Boccob. The Spanish Inquisition can go to Hextor. The administration of Catholic hospitals and medical missions can go to Pelor.

Put Norse mythology in the blender... let's see. Well, the valkyries taking warriors off to Asgard is already pretty much core D&D, but it's probably most affiliated with Kord. The human sacrifices every nine years at Yule can go to Nerull, maybe. Loki can be another influence for Olidammara.

I find that unless you're running a very alignment-light game, copy-and-pasting real-life mythologies are too complex and ambiguous for D&D's straightforward good and evil, law and chaos worldview. Huitzilopochtli is an evil god who demands massive human sacrifices -- and also is a sun god, and would probably get the sun domain? (Thus raising the question of how evil clergy use the sun domain's granted power.) Apollo is a good god of medicine, music, and the sun -- and also brutally flayed Marsyas the satyr after he lost a music contest with him? What about God in Christianity, who demands that his followers be willing to sacrifice their sons to him and kills the first-born children of the Egyptians, and then comes to Earth to tell people that that the meek shall inherit the Earth, blessed are the peacemakers, and tells people to love their enemies before dying a torturous death to save humanity?
Aryxbez
07-31-08, 02:28 AM Well I see why not, after all, me campaign uses the Norse, Olympian, and good sum of the D&D Pantheon as well. Also added Alistar, and toldoth from the Deities and demigods book. Although I thinking that I removed Pelor for Allistar and what such.

Besides, if D&D=good/evil, and Norse=law/chaos, then ye got all the alignments covered.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jvance420 04-21-08, 07:31 AM	I often find myself wanting to play a character who worships a norse or egyptian deity, but most of my gaming group seems to think that impossible. Is there no way to fit them into a campaign? I realize Kord could be Thor and all, but humor me :p
gullas 04-21-08, 07:37 AM	well , Deitys and Demigods has stats, domains and such for Norse, Egyptian and Greek Deitys so you might want to look into that.
Taeldrin Laesrash 04-21-08, 09:40 AM	Deities and Demigods is the book with the stats. It's not too difficult to slip in the gods into the cosmology (Real gods were name-dropped all the time in the older products), or the setting. You could introduce them as part of a cult or exotic culture.
zeratulcraft 04-21-08, 10:18 AM	The CS I play in has a different pantheon per continent. Works for us. We've been playing in the Greek one for a while now.
M-bark 04-21-08, 10:36 AM	The CS I play in has a different pantheon per continent. Works for us. We've been playing in the Greek one for a while now. That's about the same way we go about it, and it does work out greatly. :) The Greek/Norse/Egyptian gods are mostly worshipped by humans, still.
Kain_Darkwind 04-21-08, 04:50 PM	Essentially, the Norse gods go around beating up the lesser, lamer core gods and taking their lunch money. Sure, your barbarian can worship Erythnul or Kord if they want to....want to be a total puss in boots, that is. The Norse gods are real gods for real men. And real women. Sissies need not apply for clerichood.
the_baxter 04-21-08, 06:28 PM	Essentially, the Norse gods go around beating up the lesser, lamer core gods and taking their lunch money. Sure, your barbarian can worship Erythnul or Kord if they want to....want to be a total puss in boots, that is. The Norse gods are real gods for real men. And real women. Sissies need not apply for clerichood. Best. Post. Ever.
AngeloftheNight 04-21-08, 09:01 PM	Essentially, the Norse gods go around beating up the lesser, lamer core gods and taking their lunch money. Sure, your barbarian can worship Erythnul or Kord if they want to....want to be a total puss in boots, that is. The Norse gods are real gods for real men. And real women. Sissies need not apply for clerichood. With your permission I will sig you. angel
Kursk 04-22-08, 02:17 PM	How do Norse gods fit into D&D? If your DM has them as part of his world then you can worship and/or be a Cleric of a Norse god. Simple.
sciborg3 04-22-08, 03:21 PM	The Norse gods live in Ysgard in Planescape (and iirc prior). They also had dominion over that plane, or perhaps they developed out of the plane's culture which emphasizes personal heroics and glory - a shade different from the eladrin who champion freedoms. There was incorporation of Rune Magic into Ysgard but I don't remember how it worked. The Norns were also in D&D, and Loki was in Pandemonium. The Norse gods feared Ragnarok but whether this would be the end of them or the entire Multiverse was unclear. Rip or Shemmy might have better recollections of how it worked in Planescape.
gravenhurst 04-22-08, 04:48 PM	Deities and Demigods is the book with the stats. It's not too difficult to slip in the gods into the cosmology (Real gods were name-dropped all the time in the older products), or the setting. You could introduce them as part of a cult or exotic culture. And considering many published campaign's have only a quarter or a third of it explored in detail, it can explain why no one has heard of the new deity or pantheon?
navar100 04-22-08, 05:21 PM	I don't remember from where, but I once read that Tyr, an acknowledgeed interloper deity in Faerun, is Tyr from the Norse pantheon. Why he underwent an alignment and portfolio shift I don't know. I'd like to think he came to Faerun after Ragnorak. He was supposed to have been killed but somehow wasn't. Since he wasn't destined to be among the New Pantheon, he came to Faerun. Having witnessed the treachery of Loki bringing about Ragnorak, he dedicated himself to Justice to prevent any further Ragnoraks. Not that Mystra benefited/will benefit. :)
gravenhurst 04-22-08, 10:06 PM	I don't remember from where, but I once read that Tyr, an acknowledgeed interloper deity in Faerun, is Tyr from the Norse pantheon. Why he underwent an alignment and portfolio shift I don't know. I'd like to think he came to Faerun after Ragnorak. He was supposed to have been killed but somehow wasn't. Since he wasn't destined to be among the New Pantheon, he came to Faerun. Having witnessed the treachery of Loki bringing about Ragnorak, he dedicated himself to Justice to prevent any further Ragnoraks. Not that Mystra benefited/will benefit. :) Oh, I am such an idiot! Tyr is the Maimed God, the God of Law. He sacrificed his right hand by allowing it to be put in the Fenris Wolfs' mouth (Kezef the Chaos Hound in 2ndE) so that it could be collared! When the Fenris Wolf found that he was bound he bit Tyr's hand off (found in 1st Edition Deities & Demigods, Norse Pantheon). In 2nd Edition Forgotten Realms, Try became the Greater god of Law and was head of the Triad, which included Torm and Ilmater. Tyr gained a new title as the Blind Overlord as well, when he lost his eyesight from Ao from the Time of Troubles (AD&D forgotten Realms Faith's & Avatars). Sorry navar100:( , but the source came from Forgotten Realms before 3.0E, unless it is also referenced from 2ndE Planscape. I will have to ask someone on Planescape Lore.
navar100 04-23-08, 03:19 AM	Most likely I read it in a book dedicated to the deities of Faerun. I forget the name. It would definitely be 3.0 version because I never bought anything Faerun specific after the 3.5 switch.
ArcTan 04-28-08, 11:59 PM	Badly and inappropriately. (Sorry, had to do it. Seriously, I think you can do a fine D&D campaign centered around the Norse gods, but the Norse gods lose all their point and just become a kind of brand name -- it's that guy with a hammer! -- if you take them out of their setting and mix them up with the other D&D gods in the D&D cosmology.)
gravenhurst 04-29-08, 01:48 AM	Oh, I am such an idiot! Tyr is the Maimed God, the God of Law. He sacrificed his right hand by allowing it to be put in the Fenris Wolfs' mouth (Kezef the Chaos Hound in 2ndE) so that it could be collared! When the Fenris Wolf found that he was bound he bit Tyr's hand off (found in 1st Edition Deities & Demigods, Norse Pantheon). In 2nd Edition Forgotten Realms, Try became the Greater god of Law and was head of the Triad, which included Torm and Ilmater. Tyr gained a new title as the Blind Overlord as well, when he lost his eyesight from Ao from the Time of Troubles (AD&D forgotten Realms Faith's & Avatars). Sorry navar100:( , but the source came from Forgotten Realms before 3.0E, unless it is also referenced from 2ndE Planscape. I will have to ask someone on Planescape Lore. No everything is what I said it is. Tyr became the god of law because he honoured the agreement to place his hand in the Fenris Wolfs mouth, considered a lawful act. His sacrifice allowed the dwarf crafters of the collar, to bind the Fenris Wolf! It is also how he became a god in the first place!
navar100 04-29-08, 02:19 AM	Oh, I am such an idiot! Tyr is the Maimed God, the God of Law. He sacrificed his right hand by allowing it to be put in the Fenris Wolfs' mouth (Kezef the Chaos Hound in 2ndE) so that it could be collared! When the Fenris Wolf found that he was bound he bit Tyr's hand off (found in 1st Edition Deities & Demigods, Norse Pantheon). In 2nd Edition Forgotten Realms, Try became the Greater god of Law and was head of the Triad, which included Torm and Ilmater. Tyr gained a new title as the Blind Overlord as well, when he lost his eyesight from Ao from the Time of Troubles (AD&D forgotten Realms Faith's & Avatars). Sorry navar100:( , but the source came from Forgotten Realms before 3.0E, unless it is also referenced from 2ndE Planscape. I will have to ask someone on Planescape Lore. Which does not change the fact that I read of a Norse Tyr/Faerun Tyr connection from a 3.0 source.
Kargush 04-29-08, 04:13 AM	Essentially, the Norse gods go around beating up the lesser, lamer core gods and taking their lunch money. Sure, your barbarian can worship Erythnul or Kord if they want to....want to be a total puss in boots, that is. The Norse gods are real gods for real men. And real women. Sissies need not apply for clerichood. Bestest post ever. Simply awesome. ;) Have one. :cookie:
ShatteredSun 04-29-08, 09:37 AM	I run a norse campaign. However, there are 'outlanders' who worship other deities. I just run it like they are different, competing religions that therefore have different deities. That way, you can follow the Norse religion and your buddies can follow the standard Dnd pantheon. One point: whilst the Dnd pantheon is more concerned with good vs. evil, the Norse pantheon is more preoccupied with law verses chaos. This dualism is best understood as the conflict between the gods (harbingers of law) and the giants (harbingers of chaos).
sciborg3 04-29-08, 02:11 PM	Badly and inappropriately. (Sorry, had to do it. Actually, until I saw you post this I was afraid something had happened to you.;)
Mirtek 04-29-08, 05:29 PM	I don't remember from where, but I once read that Tyr, an acknowledgeed interloper deity in Faerun, is Tyr from the Norse pantheon. Why he underwent an alignment and portfolio shift I don't know. Sorry navar100:( , but the source came from Forgotten Realms before 3.0E, unless it is also referenced from 2ndE Planscape. I will have to ask someone on Planescape Lore. The 2e planescape supplement On Hallowed Grounds tells about why Tyr went from the norse pantheon to become one of the faerunian pantheon. Long story short: He felt that his place as war god was slowy ursuped by his fellows (like Thor) and thus he needed a new worshipper base they won't steal lest he fade from existence. Mielikkie and Talona are also interlopers on Faerun. Mielikki went to Faerun because her native pantheon was ready to pass on to whatever afterlive awaits deities but she felt she was too young for that. Talone just followed her to continue to oppose her.
LordMortanius 05-08-08, 09:47 AM	The 2e planescape supplement On Hallowed Grounds tells about why Tyr went from the norse pantheon to become one of the faerunian pantheon. Long story short: He felt that his place as war god was slowy ursuped by his fellows (like Thor) and thus he needed a new worshipper base they won't steal lest he fade from existence. Mielikkie and Talona are also interlopers on Faerun. Mielikki went to Faerun because her native pantheon was ready to pass on to whatever afterlive awaits deities but she felt she was too young for that. Talone just followed her to continue to oppose her. Talona is a native goddess. The one you're thinking about is Kiputtyo, who gets murdered by Talona.
Kain_Darkwind 05-08-08, 10:07 AM	Tyche is the non-native goddess of luck, and on Faerun she split into Tamora and....and you guys are talking about Talona, not Tamora. I'll shut up now.
drakir_nosslin 05-13-08, 04:52 PM	Essentially, the Norse gods go around beating up the lesser, lamer core gods and taking their lunch money. Sure, your barbarian can worship Erythnul or Kord if they want to....want to be a total puss in boots, that is. The Norse gods are real gods for real men. And real women. Sissies need not apply for clerichood. Sigged for awesomeness... Also, the Norse gods go well with barbarians, dwarves and low-magic campaigns. My :twocents:
aelryinth 05-13-08, 05:56 PM	Tyche is actually based off the Egyptian goddess of luck originally. I believe Bast is worshipped as the goddess of pleasure in the Realms (name escapes me atm) and they even go into her history. The wolf nomads of Greyhawk worship the Native American Pantheon of nature spirits. The Amedio Jungle savages also worship the South American pantheon, as do the inhabitants of Maztica in the realms. The Mulhorandi pantheon and the fallen pantheon of Unther are Egyptian and Babylonian, respecitively, in whole cloth. so yeah, including Earth pantheons is simple. Most of the monsters in D@D have classic roots in such mythology...they fit in very easily. ==Aelryinth
ripvanwormer 05-14-08, 12:03 PM	Tyche is actually based off the Egyptian goddess of luck originally. Which Egyptian goddess of luck would that be? I believe Bast is worshipped as the goddess of pleasure in the Realms (name escapes me atm) and they even go into her history. Sharess. The wolf nomads of Greyhawk worship the Native American Pantheon of nature spirits. The Wolf Nomad pantheon was given in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer as Geshtai, Istus, and Telchur, with some ancestor worship. The Rovers of the Barrens worship Obad-hai, Pelor, Beory, and Telchur. Dragon #263 also said the Wolf Nomads and Rovers of the Barrens worship Kurell, god of thieves and vengeance, in the form of a black wolf called Black Wolf. Dragon #32 added a god called Red Fox to the Rover pantheon, inspired by the Native American Coyote, but with a different alignment than Coyote was given in AD&D (and he's a fox rather than a coyote). No other Native American-inspired gods are specifically mentioned, though Dragon #32 encouraged the DM to come up with others. The Amedio Jungle savages also worship the South American pantheon, as do the inhabitants of Maztica in the realms. Central American, not South American. The Maztican pantheon is inspired by Aztec gods, but the Maztican gods have different names, and they don't all have exact parallels. The Olman pantheon is essentially the same as the Aztec pantheon, with a few additions.
gravenhurst 07-13-08, 09:16 AM	Sharess...The Wolf Nomad pantheon was given in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer as Geshtai, Istus, and Telchur, with some ancestor worship. The Rovers of the Barrens worship Obad-hai, Pelor, Beory, and Telchur. Dragon #263 also said the Wolf Nomads and Rovers of the Barrens worship Kurell, god of thieves and vengeance, in the form of a black wolf called Black Wolf. Dragon #32 added a god called Red Fox to the Rover pantheon, inspired by the Native American Coyote, but with a different alignment than Coyote was given in AD&D (and he's a fox rather than a coyote). No other Native American-inspired gods are specifically mentioned, though Dragon #32 encouraged the DM to come up with others...Central American, not South American. The Maztican pantheon is inspired by Aztec gods, but the Maztican gods have different names, and they don't all have exact parallels. The Olman pantheon is essentially the same as the Aztec pantheon, with a few additions. You know what, you never stop to amaze me at the plethora of D&D information you spill out! You always have a correction from some obscure source that not everyone would have, like a Dragon or Dungeon magazine! Kudos to you!:)
ciaran 07-13-08, 09:46 PM	Two of the planes that characters venture off to in Expedition to the Demonweb Pits are Yggdrasil and Niflheim (aka the Iron Wastes). There is also a statue of Tyr in a temple of lawful good gods in Sigil. I like using the core deities in my Greyhawk games - its easier - but there's certainly enough room to expand to any number of gods you like, and I don't think that culturally-centered pantheons are unrealistic at all.
aelryinth 07-14-08, 02:02 AM	You know what, you never stop to amaze me at the plethora of D&D information you spill out! You always have a correction from some obscure source that not everyone would have, like a Dragon or Dungeon magazine! Kudos to you!:) He missed one of the Dungeon Magazines, then! (which is where I'm getting my info). Specifically, they wrote a module about a ghost totem dancing pole, etc, where a priest of the Horned Society corrupted a Wolf Nomad or Rovers tribe ( I forget which, sorry), and the tribal gods arrange things for the characters to go in and right the wrongs. The gods they name are the classic ones...Coyote, Raven, Bison, etc, and they describe a native American tribal society whole cloth. This Dungeon likely would have been before the reissue of the Greyhawk Pantheon/world setting revision...and then again, maybe not. Upon reflection, it probably was the Rovers, adapted after the Sioux. So, I'm not in error, per se...I'm just quoting a different reference (and I've NO clue what Dungeon it was in...it was a long time ago!) ==================================== Tyche is the name of the Goddess of Luck in Egypt, no? She has this little ball of luck she carried around, and is described as a dwarf like character. I could be mistaken... ==Aelryinth
JulesCARV 07-14-08, 02:50 AM	Personally, I prefer not to insert real life religions into my campaign. If I want to draw inspiration from real life religions, I'd rather put them into a blender, then pick out the parts that fit some purely fictional D&D religion and pasting them into a pastiche. Put Hinduism in the blender... let's see. The Varna/Jati caste system can go to Wee Jas or Hextor. Ehlonna can have the concept of Ahimsa. The ideas of Kama can go to Olidammara. Put Catholicism in the blender... let's see. Thomism, scholasticism, and the Jesuit education system can go to Boccob. The Spanish Inquisition can go to Hextor. The administration of Catholic hospitals and medical missions can go to Pelor. Put Norse mythology in the blender... let's see. Well, the valkyries taking warriors off to Asgard is already pretty much core D&D, but it's probably most affiliated with Kord. The human sacrifices every nine years at Yule can go to Nerull, maybe. Loki can be another influence for Olidammara. I find that unless you're running a very alignment-light game, copy-and-pasting real-life mythologies are too complex and ambiguous for D&D's straightforward good and evil, law and chaos worldview. Huitzilopochtli is an evil god who demands massive human sacrifices -- and also is a sun god, and would probably get the sun domain? (Thus raising the question of how evil clergy use the sun domain's granted power.) Apollo is a good god of medicine, music, and the sun -- and also brutally flayed Marsyas the satyr after he lost a music contest with him? What about God in Christianity, who demands that his followers be willing to sacrifice their sons to him and kills the first-born children of the Egyptians, and then comes to Earth to tell people that that the meek shall inherit the Earth, blessed are the peacemakers, and tells people to love their enemies before dying a torturous death to save humanity?
Aryxbez 07-31-08, 02:28 AM	Well I see why not, after all, me campaign uses the Norse, Olympian, and good sum of the D&D Pantheon as well. Also added Alistar, and toldoth from the Deities and demigods book. Although I thinking that I removed Pelor for Allistar and what such. Besides, if D&D=good/evil, and Norse=law/chaos, then ye got all the alignments covered.