MonsterEnvy
Legend
For example Dawn War Bane is mostly a renamed Hextor, they decided not to use Hextor straight up because they wanted to use Bahamut as their Justice god instead of Hextor’s brother Heironeous.
D&D General The Greyhawk Pantheon: How Greyhawk Approaches Deities (& Demigods)
- Thread starter Snarf Zagyg
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Parmandur
Book-Friend
I did not know that, but it makes sense: other than the Heironeus (dundunDUndundun) connection, Bane and Hextor are basically the same. And by that I mean they are both Sauron.
MonsterEnvy
Legend
FR Bane is more tyrannical and less focused on War than Hextor, along with several other differences, Dawn War Bane is much closer to Hextor than his FR counterpart.
According to James Wyatt after deciding not to use Hextor Bane was the closest idea for their evil god and his name was used as a placeholder, but none of them could think up a better name so they let the placeholder stick.
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Parmandur
Book-Friend
I mean, the Zhentarim are focused on business as well as war, but Darkhold is a bit militaristic even by the standards of anything Hextor has in Greyhawk.
Like many things, the true impact of the deities is how they get used - and in the RPG sphere, especially in official products.
So, strangely enough, the very first Greyhawk deity to appear... is the Elder Elemental God!
Closely followed by Lolth!
(Of course, there are almost no details about the Elder Elemental God, and then a lot of details about Lolth).
Most of the early adventures are very agnostic - barely a deity to be found. This changes in the Village of Hommlet, which introduces the concept of Elemental Evil and its chief herald... a priest of Lolth.
Oh, wait. (Much ink, real and electronic, has been spent explaining that away).
The folk of Hommlet often revere St Cuthbert or have the druidical "Old Faith".
Finally, in the Temple of Elemental Evil we got to meet a real god. And that god was St Cuthbert. And Iuz. And, honestly, you can run a lot of Greyhawk with just those two. Force of good, force of evil. All set!
The other god to make an appearance in early adventures is the chained god, Tharizdun, in a particularly unsettling adventure. No connection to the Elder Elemental God at this point. But that would change...
(I'm ignoring Tamoachan at present since it's outside the heartlands of Greyhawk).
Cheers,
Merric
So, strangely enough, the very first Greyhawk deity to appear... is the Elder Elemental God!
Closely followed by Lolth!
(Of course, there are almost no details about the Elder Elemental God, and then a lot of details about Lolth).
Most of the early adventures are very agnostic - barely a deity to be found. This changes in the Village of Hommlet, which introduces the concept of Elemental Evil and its chief herald... a priest of Lolth.
Oh, wait. (Much ink, real and electronic, has been spent explaining that away).
The folk of Hommlet often revere St Cuthbert or have the druidical "Old Faith".
Finally, in the Temple of Elemental Evil we got to meet a real god. And that god was St Cuthbert. And Iuz. And, honestly, you can run a lot of Greyhawk with just those two. Force of good, force of evil. All set!
The other god to make an appearance in early adventures is the chained god, Tharizdun, in a particularly unsettling adventure. No connection to the Elder Elemental God at this point. But that would change...
(I'm ignoring Tamoachan at present since it's outside the heartlands of Greyhawk).
Cheers,
Merric
Charlaquin
Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
I’m curious about why you don’t seem to want to write Thariz… err… “that guy’s” name?
Charlaquin
Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
Now, in the 4e pantheon, the elder elemental god and the god-whose-name-Snarf-shall-not-type were one and the same. And I assumed since the latter was originally from Greyhawk, that’s where 4e got the idea. Is that accurate, or no?
Parmandur
Book-Friend
It has been true since the 3E Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil.
Originally they were two seperate vaguely Lovecraftian beings in two seperate Greyhawk Adventures. Gygax was not a fan of them being conflated, but it is D&D canon at this point.
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Charlaquin
Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
Ah, that makes sense.
MonsterEnvy
Legend
Only semi canon, 5e implies they are separate things again.
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