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Deities and pantheons

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Einlanzer
Jul 23, 2009 9:51:38 Okay so I love the Forgotten Realms, always have. The only thing I have never liked it about it is the omnipresent roles that gods have in the world.
In addition, one of my least favorite changes in 4e was the assimilation of the different pantheons and the simplification of the main one.

Basically, I prefer more realistic takes on religion in the worlds I play in (i.e. mysteries, myths, many different disconnected faiths). I would like to bring back some of the old pantheons, and perhaps write a few new religions for various peoples across the continent. I'm just not sure how best to approach it. I'm okay with the Untheric and Mulhorandi pantheons being gone as part of history (just like Sumeria and Egypt), but I really want to introduce at least one monotheistic faith and and least one alternate pantheon.

Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas for how that should be implemented?
#2
sfdragon
Jul 23, 2009 13:24:36 nevermind.

you could just use the 3.x deities save the ones you dont mind being gone.

as for creating a new pantheon, cant help you. but as for new gods, just look at the other worlds, take what you like of each and create one from that.
#3
Einlanzer
Jul 23, 2009 14:43:57 Yeah, I'm actually thinking I'll just pull all of the core deities as well as all of the Eberron religions into the FR and assigning them how I think is appropriate (i.e. Path of Light in Nathlan, Undying Court for Myth Drannor, Spirits of the Past for Vilhon, Silver Flame for Elturgard, etc.)
#4
lord_karsus
Jul 23, 2009 17:04:42 -Going the "Eberron Route", coupling all of the related deities works, to a degree, sure.
#5
allefcapt
Jul 24, 2009 5:25:19 Okay so I love the Forgotten Realms, AL-QADIM (ZAKHARA) ....

BRASIL GAME!!!

Sds,
#6
suin_bahhar_02
Jul 24, 2009 7:19:54 There was already much precedent for regional pantheons. You could look at these to add, drop or change:
the Adama_______________ Along the lands east of the Sea of Fallen Stars
The Celestial Bureaucracy___ Karatur
The Dieties of Fury_________ Fearuns regions exposed to the elements
Fate and the seven gods__ Zakhara's elemental force of luck and the seven ideals and elements
Untheric Pantheon_________ on Abeir now
Mulhorandi Pantheon_______ likewise on Abeir
the Triad_________________ Fearuns "team lawful good"
Yiur Totems______________ Yuirwoods dead primalspirits/archfey/lost dieties
the Earthmother__________ Moonsheas version of Chauntea
The planescape philosophies__ Sigil's influence might have changed some religious areas
Various "animus" or landscape godlings, ancient dormant immortals and spirits
are spread out over Toril.
#7
Einlanzer
Jul 24, 2009 12:10:41
There was already much precedent for regional pantheons. You could look at these to add, drop or change:
the Adama_______________ Along the lands east of the Sea of Fallen Stars
The Celestial Bureaucracy___ Karatur
The Dieties of Fury_________ Fearuns regions exposed to the elements
Fate and the seven gods__ Zakhara's elemental force of luck and the seven ideals and elements
Untheric Pantheon_________ on Abeir now
Mulhorandi Pantheon_______ likewise on Abeir
the Triad_________________ Fearuns "team lawful good"
Yiur Totems______________ Yuirwoods dead primalspirits/archfey/lost dieties
the Earthmother__________ Moonsheas version of Chauntea
The planescape philosophies__ Sigil's influence might have changed some religious areas
Various "animus" or landscape godlings, ancient dormant immortals and spirits
are spread out over Toril.

Thanks, those will all be helpful. I think simply assuming that the deities are mythical rather than observable in the FR will help a great deal in creating regional variations and entirely separate religions/cults (i.e. are Horus/Mystra/Tyr really dead? perhaps those are just stories people created in the wake of the unexplained spellplague - this is likely already the case seeing as how the "cyric killed mystra" explanation wouldn't hold up outside Faerun, where she is unknown), although I might still very well incorporate a philosophic abstract religion in Nathlan and a monotheistic or silver flame-like religion in Elturgard.

By what way what sources would you recommend for reading some of the more obscure/esoteric realms info regarding religion?
#8
suin_bahhar_02
Jul 24, 2009 12:48:15 With your plans to regionalize the faiths and limit the acces to the truth about gods I''d consider looking at the culture sections in Races of Fearun, the regional books such as Unapprouchable East and the Shining South.

Further try to track down the 2nd edition Faiths and Avatars, Powers and Pantheons and Demihuman Dieties (otherwise try 3ed Faiths and Pantheons, an omnibus of all the previous). Other nice AD&D sources can be Al-Qadim, Oriental Adventures and the Horde campaign setting.

The Manual of the Planes and the Planescape campaign setting can give insight in the more philosophic parts of belief of the planes with an absolute top spot for the book On Hallowed Ground.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Einlanzer Jul 23, 2009 9:51:38	Okay so I love the Forgotten Realms, always have. The only thing I have never liked it about it is the omnipresent roles that gods have in the world. In addition, one of my least favorite changes in 4e was the assimilation of the different pantheons and the simplification of the main one. Basically, I prefer more realistic takes on religion in the worlds I play in (i.e. mysteries, myths, many different disconnected faiths). I would like to bring back some of the old pantheons, and perhaps write a few new religions for various peoples across the continent. I'm just not sure how best to approach it. I'm okay with the Untheric and Mulhorandi pantheons being gone as part of history (just like Sumeria and Egypt), but I really want to introduce at least one monotheistic faith and and least one alternate pantheon. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas for how that should be implemented?
#2 sfdragon Jul 23, 2009 13:24:36	nevermind. you could just use the 3.x deities save the ones you dont mind being gone. as for creating a new pantheon, cant help you. but as for new gods, just look at the other worlds, take what you like of each and create one from that.
#3 Einlanzer Jul 23, 2009 14:43:57	Yeah, I'm actually thinking I'll just pull all of the core deities as well as all of the Eberron religions into the FR and assigning them how I think is appropriate (i.e. Path of Light in Nathlan, Undying Court for Myth Drannor, Spirits of the Past for Vilhon, Silver Flame for Elturgard, etc.)
#4 lord_karsus Jul 23, 2009 17:04:42	-Going the "Eberron Route", coupling all of the related deities works, to a degree, sure.
#5 allefcapt Jul 24, 2009 5:25:19	Okay so I love the Forgotten Realms, AL-QADIM (ZAKHARA) .... BRASIL GAME!!! Sds,
#6 suin_bahhar_02 Jul 24, 2009 7:19:54	There was already much precedent for regional pantheons. You could look at these to add, drop or change: the Adama_______________ Along the lands east of the Sea of Fallen Stars The Celestial Bureaucracy___ Karatur The Dieties of Fury_________ Fearuns regions exposed to the elements Fate and the seven gods__ Zakhara's elemental force of luck and the seven ideals and elements Untheric Pantheon_________ on Abeir now Mulhorandi Pantheon_______ likewise on Abeir the Triad_________________ Fearuns "team lawful good" Yiur Totems______________ Yuirwoods dead primalspirits/archfey/lost dieties the Earthmother__________ Moonsheas version of Chauntea The planescape philosophies__ Sigil's influence might have changed some religious areas Various "animus" or landscape godlings, ancient dormant immortals and spirits are spread out over Toril.
#7 Einlanzer Jul 24, 2009 12:10:41	There was already much precedent for regional pantheons. You could look at these to add, drop or change: the Adama_______________ Along the lands east of the Sea of Fallen Stars The Celestial Bureaucracy___ Karatur The Dieties of Fury_________ Fearuns regions exposed to the elements Fate and the seven gods__ Zakhara's elemental force of luck and the seven ideals and elements Untheric Pantheon_________ on Abeir now Mulhorandi Pantheon_______ likewise on Abeir the Triad_________________ Fearuns "team lawful good" Yiur Totems______________ Yuirwoods dead primalspirits/archfey/lost dieties the Earthmother__________ Moonsheas version of Chauntea The planescape philosophies__ Sigil's influence might have changed some religious areas Various "animus" or landscape godlings, ancient dormant immortals and spirits are spread out over Toril. Thanks, those will all be helpful. I think simply assuming that the deities are mythical rather than observable in the FR will help a great deal in creating regional variations and entirely separate religions/cults (i.e. are Horus/Mystra/Tyr really dead? perhaps those are just stories people created in the wake of the unexplained spellplague - this is likely already the case seeing as how the "cyric killed mystra" explanation wouldn't hold up outside Faerun, where she is unknown), although I might still very well incorporate a philosophic abstract religion in Nathlan and a monotheistic or silver flame-like religion in Elturgard. By what way what sources would you recommend for reading some of the more obscure/esoteric realms info regarding religion?
#8 suin_bahhar_02 Jul 24, 2009 12:48:15	With your plans to regionalize the faiths and limit the acces to the truth about gods I''d consider looking at the culture sections in Races of Fearun, the regional books such as Unapprouchable East and the Shining South. Further try to track down the 2nd edition Faiths and Avatars, Powers and Pantheons and Demihuman Dieties (otherwise try 3ed Faiths and Pantheons, an omnibus of all the previous). Other nice AD&D sources can be Al-Qadim, Oriental Adventures and the Horde campaign setting. The Manual of the Planes and the Planescape campaign setting can give insight in the more philosophic parts of belief of the planes with an absolute top spot for the book On Hallowed Ground.