Page 270 - DnD_5e_Players_Handbook_(BnW_OCR)

A p p e n d i x B: G o d s o f t h e M u l t i v e r s e

R ELIGION IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF LIFE IN G r e y h a w k
t h e worlds of the D&D multiverse. When The gods o f Greyhawk com e from at least four different
gods walk the world, clerics channel divine pantheons, representing the faiths of the various ethnic
power, evil cults perform dark sacrifices in groups that populated the continent of Oerik over the
subterranean lairs, and shining paladins ages. As a result, there’s a great deal of overlap in their
stand like beacons against the darkness, it’s portfolios: Pelor is the Flan god of the sun and Pholtus
hard to be ambivalent about the deities and is the Oeridian sun god, for example.
deny their existence.
Many people in the worlds of D&D worship different D r a g o n l a n c e
gods at different times and circum stances. People in The gods of the world of Krynn are three families: seven
the Forgotten Realms, for example, might pray to Sune gods of good headed by Paladine and Mishakal, seven of
for luck in love, make an offering to W aukeen before neutrality headed by Gilean, and seven of evil headed by
heading to the market, and pray to appease Talos when Takhisis and Sargonnas. These deities have been called
a severe storm blows in—all in the sam e day. Many by many different names and held in varying levels of
people have a favorite am ong the gods, one w hose ideals esteem by different peoples and cultures through the
and teachings they make their own. And a few people w orld’s history, but they are the only gods of this w orld—
dedicate themselves entirely to a single god, usually their place fixed in the stars as constellations.
serving as a priest or champion of that god’s ideals.
Your DM determines which gods, if any, are worshiped E b e r r o n
in his or her campaign. From among the gods available, The world of Eberron has many different religions, but
you can choose a single deity for your character to the most important revolves around a pantheon called
serve, worship, or pay lip service to. Or you can pick the Sovereign Host and their malign shadow, the Dark
a few that your character prays to most often. Or just Six. The gods of the Sovereign Host are thought to have
make a mental note of the gods w ho are revered in your dom inion over every aspect of existence, and to speak
DM ’s campaign so you can invoke their names when with a unified voice. But the Dark Six are the primitive,
appropriate. If you’re playing a cleric or a character with bloody, and cruel gods w ho offer a dissenting voice.
the Acolyte background, decide which god your deity Eberron’s other religions are very different from the
serves or served, and consider the deity’s suggested traditional D&D pantheons. The monotheistic Church
dom ains when selecting your character’s domain. of the Silver Flame is devoted to fighting against evil in
the world, but plagued by corruption in its own ranks.
D&D P a n t h e o n s The philosophy of the Blood of Vol teaches that divinity
lies within all mortal beings and reveres the undead
Each world in the D&D multiverse has its own
who have secured that immortality. Various mad cults
pantheons of deities, ranging in size from the teeming
are devoted to the dem ons and horrors imprisoned
pantheons of the Forgotten Realm s and Greyhawk to
in Eberron's Underdark (called Khyber, the Dragon
the m ore focused religions of Eberron and Dragonlance.
Below). The followers of the Path of Light believe that
Many of the nonhuman races worship the sam e gods on
the w orld is heading toward a glorious future where
different w orlds—Moradin, for example, is revered by
the shadows that cloud this world will be transformed
dwarves of the Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, and many
into light. And two related nations of elves revere their
other worlds.
ancestral spirits: the Undying Court, preserved as
spirits or even undead forms, and the glorified Spirits
T h e F o r g o t t e n R e a l m s
D ozens of deities are revered, worshiped, and feared of the Past, the great heroes of ancient wars.
throughout the world of the Forgotten Realms. At least
N o n h u m a n D e i t ie s
thirty deities are widely known across the Realms, and
Certain gods closely associated with nonhuman races
many m ore are worshiped locally, by individual tribes,
are revered on many different worlds, though not always
small cults, or certain sects of larger religious temples.
in the same way. The nonhuman races of the Forgotten
Realm s and Greyhawk share these deities.
T h e L ife a n d D e a t h D o m a i n s
Nonhuman races often have whole pantheons of
Many deities in this section suggest the Life domain, their own. Besides Moradin, for example, the dwarf
particularly if they are closely associated with healing,
gods include M oradin’s wife, Berronar Truesilver, and
protection, childbirth, nurturing, or fertility. As described in
the chapter 3, though, the Life domain is incredibly broad, a number of other gods thought to be their children
and a cleric of any non-evil deity can choose it. and grandchildren: Abbathor, Clangeddin Silverbeard,
A number of other deities, mostly evil ones, suggest the Dugmaren Brightmantle, Dumathoin, Gorm Gulthyn,
Death domain, which is detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Haela Brightaxe, M arthammor Duin, Sharindlar, Thard
Guide. Most clerics who choose this domain are evil NPCs, Harr, and Vergadain. Individual clans and kingdom s of
but if you want to worship a god of death, consult your dwarves might revere som e, all, or none of these deities,
Dungeon Master. and som e have other gods unknown (or known by other
names) to outsiders.