Anyone who has delved deeply in the lore of D&D has probably noticed...there are a TON of gods.
Like...a lot.
And like anyone who has decided to play a Cleric character...you've probably learned about a few deities here and there.
So I thought it would be interesting for people to name their Top 5 favorites deities in D&D.
These can be good-aligned or evil-aligned deities...and everything in between...and can also encompass the various pantheons / gods from our own mythologies, should you wish (since D&D acknowledges that they exist within the worlds).
They can also be from "Magic: The Gathering" worlds like Theros, or the various gods of Exandria, from "Critical Role".
It's pretty much all fair game...but you only get FIVE.
You can also give a brief description of why you like the deity.
I'll start:
1. Mystra (Goddess of Magic):
Being the literal embodiment of The Weave...and thus magic itself...Mystra is the goddess who represents one of the most fun aspects of the game: the MAGIC.
The fact that she is sort of benevolent about using magic responsibly is also neat, providing a moral compass for mages to follow.
Even Larloch, the notorious lich, pays respect to Mystra...even going so far as to apologize to her when he accidentally let loose an army of clones and Mystra had to intervene.
2. Bane (God of Evil):
What I like about Bane, as opposed to some of the other "evil" gods, is that he is very practical...he wishes to rule everything, and he understands that in order to do so, he must be both powerful...but also efficient.
That's sort of his schtick in a nutshell...he is a tyrant, subjugating and forcing all those around him to serve....and if you serve well, you get rewarded. Just remember who's in charge.
I also like that he isn't terribly chaotic, or laughably evil, like some other deities...his ideal world would actually be quite lawful, with a rigid set of rules....a peak "evil empire".
Physically, he is terrifying...a hulking, gargoyle-esque looking warrior, with a black-armored gauntlet...the same gauntlet used in his symbol, as it closes in a fist around an orb of light, choking it to his will.
But his intimidating figure hides a VERY keen intelligence...this guy is a brilliant tactician, rivaling that of Asmodeus...he's a brutal warrior who can lead an army from the front-lines, and he isn't afraid to form alliances with other evil gods.
...as long as they remember who's in charge.
3. Selune (Goddess of the Moon):
The cool thing of Selune is that she has so many different domains, wrapped up in one deity...the moon, the night, shapeshifters, prophecies, travelers...it's a value bundle!
My favorite thing, probably, is a specific sect of her church...an order of zealous warrior called The Lunatics.
That's just a terribly funny name...and also accurate.
These mad b*stards will run headlong into battle for their goddess, and are entirely unpredictable...I love it.
4. Helm (God of Protection):
I like a deity who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty...and that's Helm in a nutshell...or full-plate, as it were.
He's a deity who wanders across the planes, fighting monsters & other evil creatures...and he's just a dude in armor (or dudette...it's kind of deliberately vague).
Except...he's also a god. So anyone fool enough to harm innocents is going to get the smack-down of their suddenly short life.
He's driven by duty to protect others, and loses himself in his work...sometimes to excess.
The idea that your adventuring party could randomly stumble across this guy on the road, and not even realize you're in the presence of a god until later, is also pretty neat.
5. Lliira (Goddess of Joy):
A lesser-known deity, I just really like her concept...have FUN. Be HAPPY. Be KIND.
Art! Festivals! Food & drink!
Dare I say...there's a lot of need for Lliira.
And while she dislikes violence committed upon innocents, and in general...she isn't a fool.
...which is why she has a clandestine order of warrior-dancers who secretly assassinate wicked villains.
I primarily use the Greek/Roman gods. I have no particular preference among them.
I have a fondness for Sune, the goddess of Romantic Love and Beautiful Things. Her evil counterpart Loviatar, the goddess of all the darker aspects of sex, I wouldn't want a Player Character to worship.
Since I don't usually play in established settings, I'll do some from my homebrew world, Borrelia.
1. Saevaran the Wayward (God of Dragons, Intuition, and the Sky)
I mean, who doesn't love dragons? That's a rhetorical question, by the way. Saevaran is one of the four primordial gods in Borrelia, which means he was there at the creation of the world. A few millennia later, he created the dragons, and they soon went to war with the giants for 1,700 years. Fun, right? Anyway, one of the reasons I like him is the Intuition aspect. He represents a dragon's keen sight, their ability to read their foes almost effortlessly. He's the one who sees best out of all beings, for what can notice more and peer further than the Sky itself?
2. Xenestyä, the Star-Mother (Goddess of Night and Death)
A goddess of death who's not evil! I like subverting tropes. Xenestyä is an elven goddess, so it kind of makes sense that she's LN, since they literally worship the stars. Her name means "Great Night," and she certainly lives (or dies... haha) up to that, as her crescent scythe is quite literally the moon. It's her duty to claim the souls of mortals after death, but to her, death isn't a bad thing- it brings fulfillment and purpose to the cycle of life. When elves die, she ferries them across the sea to the Fair Lands, where the Feywild and Material Plane meet. It's basically paradise, but with magic.
3. Telogi, the Radiant Arrow (God of Light, Purity, and Honorable Warfare)
Ah, yes. Your stereotypical LG god of war for all of your paladin needs. Telogi, however, has a bit of a twist. Well, two. The first is that he's not really a sword n' board or plate kind of guy. As his title suggests, he's actually an archer. The second is that he's a teeny bit jealous of the primordial gods. Saevaran created the dragons, Brogon (god of strength) created the giants, Elanumnar (god of adaptability) created the aboreon, the precursors to the aboleth, and Vastil (god of intellect) was wise and didn't create anything. However, Telogi wasn't lauded with the power to create species, like the primordial gods, or the elven and dwarven pantheons. He believes that he could better protect the world against threats if he could bring into being a race to defend it.
4. Avara (Goddess of Celebrations and the Harvest)
For an NG goddess, Avara is kinda just there. I mean, it makes sense, since her priests aren't fighters, and she's not a deity of war or battle. Her solution to everything: hold a party! War going on? Here's a celebration! Dragon raiding villages and destroying cities? Have a festival! So yeah, she's fun.
5. Exiris (God of Fear and Madness)
Of all the deities in Borrelia, Exiris is by far the one that represents my personality the most. Oh, and its holy symbol is an inverted black star in a silver circle, which is cool.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew (Mostly Outdated):Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
Kellemvor is the quintessential god of death: he is neither good nor evil, he just is and must be. Perfect LN.
Vecna is an absolute icon, arguably the greatest D&D villain ever, and a god of evil secrets is endlessly useful for a DM.
Tiamat is even more iconic, and barring a deity of dungeons there needs to be at least one dragon deity on this list.
Torm, because he’s the one LG deity who isn’t all rah-rah “valorously bring justice to the people by the might of your smite!” but values self-sacrifice instead.
Ralishaz, since he’s the shining example of ill luck and insanity being hallmarks of CN characters (not really, but that’s what I tell players who play CN characters to justify being random ********)
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Off the top of my head and in no particular order:
Kord
God of strength and storms, warriors and athletes with some obvious similarities to Thor. I thought of him first because I'm currently playing a cleric of Kord named Ulvar Mannhammer (not the two Ns, because "Manhammer" with just one would be a silly name) who's initial concept was "viking personal trainer and spiritual life coach."
Wee Jas
I'm not normally really into the dominatrix thing, per se, but the Stern Lady/Ruby Sorceress has some definite appeal to me. I mostly like how she's a non-evil death deity. I may have a thing for goth chicks...I always wanted to roll up a LG paladin who worships her because I figured it would be a bit of an odd but feasible concept and fun to play.
Pelor
The classic "good guy god," the go to deity for NPC healers and priests. Seems a bit generic sometimes, but has that classic air of a good old sun deity.
Vandria Gilmadrith
I became a fan of Steelheart upon picking up Races of the Wild for 3.5. A bit of an odd-one out as the only lawful elven deity, I like to think of her as the only one of Corellon's lot that isn't a ditzy flake most of the time.
Boo Yah
Lacking any standout #5, I'm invoking homebrew and naming "Boo Yah the water god" which was a fire hydrant outside my high school cafeteria that some friends drew a crude face on with a pen (big anime style eyes over the hose port and triangular teeth below it) along with the words "BOO YAH" and "I IS KING." It was a running joke that still brings up fond nostalgia fuzzies when I think of it, and those were also the friends that got me first interested in D&D, where you can always make up something fun for yourself and your weird friends and just run with it.
Kelemvor - Always Kelemvor. Something about the neutrality of Death, even when it has to do with his own, fascinates me.
Lathander - Pew pew, Vampire-b-gone. Smiting evil with the power of the radiant sun feels so... right.
Shar - I like the lore surrounding the Shadow Weave. It also amused me when she helped kill Mystra and couldn't maintain the Shadow Weave. Also the Shadowfell is cool.
Eilistraee - The best of the Drow deities, imo. Fite me.
1. The Raven Queen (She’s great. We all know why she’s great. She’s the best deity)
2. Mystra (Cool Magic Goddess go brrr)
3. Kelemvor (Arguably the best take on a Death Detity beyond the RQ. He was one of my first faves)
4. Vecna (Feck yeah, Vecna’s the best. Absolute king)
5. Veronus (Homebrew deity, goddess of People and Travel. Lots of fun. One of the only deities that is willing to actually come to the Material Plane in-person)
Needless to say... I like my Death Deities, in whatever form they take. I feel like, usually, the various ways that individual settings cover the standard ‘Deity of Death’ are really interesting. Some are more dark and uncaring, others care, just for reasons of order and stability, and still others are... actually kind of nice? Those ones are rare, but I’m pretty sure they exist (don’t quote me on that :p).
Seven there shall be/In the halls of the eighth/Eights shall witness/Eight and eight and eight and eight/Blood of the father/Blood of the sun/Endless darkness/Day is done
Anyone who has delved deeply in the lore of D&D has probably noticed...there are a TON of gods.
Like...a lot.
And like anyone who has decided to play a Cleric character...you've probably learned about a few deities here and there.
So I thought it would be interesting for people to name their Top 5 favorites deities in D&D.
These can be good-aligned or evil-aligned deities...and everything in between...and can also encompass the various pantheons / gods from our own mythologies, should you wish (since D&D acknowledges that they exist within the worlds).
They can also be from "Magic: The Gathering" worlds like Theros, or the various gods of Exandria, from "Critical Role".
It's pretty much all fair game...but you only get FIVE.
You can also give a brief description of why you like the deity.
I'll start:
1. Mystra (Goddess of Magic):
Being the literal embodiment of The Weave...and thus magic itself...Mystra is the goddess who represents one of the most fun aspects of the game: the MAGIC.
The fact that she is sort of benevolent about using magic responsibly is also neat, providing a moral compass for mages to follow.
Even Larloch, the notorious lich, pays respect to Mystra...even going so far as to apologize to her when he accidentally let loose an army of clones and Mystra had to intervene.
2. Bane (God of Evil):
What I like about Bane, as opposed to some of the other "evil" gods, is that he is very practical...he wishes to rule everything, and he understands that in order to do so, he must be both powerful...but also efficient.
That's sort of his schtick in a nutshell...he is a tyrant, subjugating and forcing all those around him to serve....and if you serve well, you get rewarded. Just remember who's in charge.
I also like that he isn't terribly chaotic, or laughably evil, like some other deities...his ideal world would actually be quite lawful, with a rigid set of rules....a peak "evil empire".
Physically, he is terrifying...a hulking, gargoyle-esque looking warrior, with a black-armored gauntlet...the same gauntlet used in his symbol, as it closes in a fist around an orb of light, choking it to his will.
But his intimidating figure hides a VERY keen intelligence...this guy is a brilliant tactician, rivaling that of Asmodeus...he's a brutal warrior who can lead an army from the front-lines, and he isn't afraid to form alliances with other evil gods.
...as long as they remember who's in charge.
3. Selune (Goddess of the Moon):
The cool thing of Selune is that she has so many different domains, wrapped up in one deity...the moon, the night, shapeshifters, prophecies, travelers...it's a value bundle!
My favorite thing, probably, is a specific sect of her church...an order of zealous warrior called The Lunatics.
That's just a terribly funny name...and also accurate.
These mad b*stards will run headlong into battle for their goddess, and are entirely unpredictable...I love it.
4. Helm (God of Protection):
I like a deity who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty...and that's Helm in a nutshell...or full-plate, as it were.
He's a deity who wanders across the planes, fighting monsters & other evil creatures...and he's just a dude in armor (or dudette...it's kind of deliberately vague).
Except...he's also a god. So anyone fool enough to harm innocents is going to get the smack-down of their suddenly short life.
He's driven by duty to protect others, and loses himself in his work...sometimes to excess.
The idea that your adventuring party could randomly stumble across this guy on the road, and not even realize you're in the presence of a god until later, is also pretty neat.
5. Lliira (Goddess of Joy):
A lesser-known deity, I just really like her concept...have FUN. Be HAPPY. Be KIND.
Art! Festivals! Food & drink!
Dare I say...there's a lot of need for Lliira.
And while she dislikes violence committed upon innocents, and in general...she isn't a fool.
...which is why she has a clandestine order of warrior-dancers who secretly assassinate wicked villains.
Very classy.
I also love Lliira. Imagine what life would be like if she was a real world Goddess.
Anyway, my favourite gods are not specifically fantasy ones. I tend to import the Norse pantheon into d&d whenever I can.
I also like Ao. I actually have an order of Clerics in my game that are Clerics of Ao. The thing is, since Ao, doesn’t grant divine blessings, they have instead honed their martial skills to an unholy level. I call them the Sapphire Guard and they exist in every game I run. Though they take on different roles, depending on the story.
The Sapphire Guard, is quite literally an order of warrior poets, dedicated to and worshiping the balance. Which is Ao’s domain - if he could be said to have one.
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A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
1. The Raven Queen (She’s great. We all know why she’s great. She’s the best deity)
2. Mystra (Cool Magic Goddess go brrr)
3. Kelemvor (Arguably the best take on a Death Detity beyond the RQ. He was one of my first faves)
4. Vecna (Feck yeah, Vecna’s the best. Absolute king)
5. Veronus (Homebrew deity, goddess of People and Travel. Lots of fun. One of the only deities that is willing to actually come to the Material Plane in-person)
Needless to say... I like my Death Deities, in whatever form they take. I feel like, usually, the various ways that individual settings cover the standard ‘Deity of Death’ are really interesting. Some are more dark and uncaring, others care, just for reasons of order and stability, and still others are... actually kind of nice? Those ones are rare, but I’m pretty sure they exist (don’t quote me on that :p).
They definitely exist. Xenestyä isn't nice, per se, but she's far from evil. Like the stars, she's best admired from a distance, but she's not the darker side of death. She's that sense of fulfillment, of bittersweet goodbyes and hopeful futures. But overall, she's pretty well liked for a goddess of death, since her job is basically to collect souls and bring them to paradise.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew (Mostly Outdated):Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
Well, if we can count our own deities.....in my world of Salvera, the original gods abandoned the plane after the Dawn Wars when they believed the world was doomed to collapse on itself due to the overwhelming damage caused from their war with the Primordials. However, several powerful titan/Kaiju-like beings stayed behind and used their combined powers to stabilize the plane. The plane is still heavily scarred and energies from many other planes still leak into the world, but these entities have taken over the various portfolios and domains of the gods and other beings to keep the plane together and follow their own beliefs/goals whether benevolent or otherwise. They are called the Lights by the mortal denizens of the plane. Most of the Lights came from the time of the Dawn Wars though at least one was from the more recent era (and more may be made that were not part of the original set). This is still early concept stuff but that's the jist at the moment. Here are my top 5 I've created so far.
5. Hepsue, the Life Forger
My deity of the Forge, Artificery, and Living Machines. He is said to reside in his magical workshop built on the back of a large cybernetically enhanced Zaratan that roams around the continent of Multa, which is super rich in minerals thanks to the energies of the elemental planes constantly leaking through the planar scars left over from the Dawn Wars. He is the Creator of the Forged, a machine race imbued with a soul and life energy despite being fully mechanical (my version of the Warforged). He is also responsible for the creation of the Living Machines of Multa, constructs of flora and fauna that act like living creatures in every conceivable way and live side by side with their organic counterparts. They can even breed and create young, grow in size and strength as they age, and require some form of sustenance in the form of water, magic, and solid materials whether organic or inorganic in order to thrive.
He isn't a particularly formal godly entity when it comes to the whole worship thing, as he tends to just want to spend all his time making new forged creations, but he does give powers to those who wish to devote themselves to him and his craft. His biggest worshippers are Artificers, the Forged, and Clerics devoted to the Forge Domain but many giants, dwarves and gnomes also view him as a patron deity. Pretty much anyone who follows the path of forge and machines can gain Hepsue's blessing.
I really wanted to create a place on my plane that was filled with constructs that just roamed around almost naturally as if they seem to have always been a part of the ecosystem. Kind of reminiscent of Horizon Zero Dawn in a way. I also like the idea of the lines between natural and artificial life being blurred, but not in a creepy or tragic sort of way. So having a god-like being that was responsible for these creatures was a must.
4. Camalene, Lord of Moonlit Winters
One of the four fey-touched Lights of the seasons, Camalene is the Deity of the Moon and Winter. His true form is a kaiju sized bat-like creature with two pairs of massive wings that shine like the full moon, and fur as white and soft as the purest snow. Despite his frightening and ghostly visage, he is a wise and patient being who encouraged his followers to persevere even in the harshest and most bleak of situations, and to always follow the light even in the darkest of places. Should he ever be threatened however, or those he is allied with be threatened, he will fight with the full force of a devastating blizzard. He, along with the other seasonal Lights, ensure that the natural cycle of the seasons continues on and that the circle of life is maintained.
He considers himself a protector of the Winter Eladrin, Arctic Dwarves, Night-Striders (surface Driders that follow the teachings of Camalene over the other seasonal Lights), Shifters, and Lycanthropes. His worshipers tend to be those under his charge as well as Clerics who follow the Nature, Tempest, and Twilight Domain, as well as Druids and Rangers that thrive in darkness/during the evening or in cold climates. Many creatures that live in harsh and frigid places or thrive under the light of the moon also venerate the Lord of Moonlit Winters.
I will fully admit this is partially inspired by a Pokémon, and I don’t care. I also think bats are very cool and wanted a bat deity. Also, I really wanted to create seasonal deities and felt that Winter and the Moon would work well together. By the way, yes the Summer deity is also the deity of the Sun but no, he is not a lion. He is a Kirin because those are cooler. XD
3. Korzirak, the Shadow Guardian
Korzirak is the Shadowy Deity of Protection, the Purifier of Corruption, and the Defender of the Living. He is a mighty Tarrasque like no other, standing as tall as a mountain and with a pure black carapace tougher than any material on the plane that seems to drip with shadow energy. His eyes are like red hot embers, and deep within his mouth is a pure white light that can exhale a pure blast of positive, radiant energy that causes great harm to all manner of fiend, undead, and shadowy creature. Though he can appear anywhere on the plane due to his natural ability to glide through the earth with out disturbing so much as a speck of dust on the ground, he tends to rise up on Izeron the Land of Shadow and Corruption. There he and his elite followers, the Shadow Guard, fight a never ending battle against the hordes of undead, shadows, and fiends alike that rise from the planar scars of the continent that wish to snuff out the magical molts of white fire that keep these entities from escaping to the rest of the plane. While he frequently comes to the surface to do battle himself, he must rest underground to hibernate after engorging himself on his tainted prey. However, he gives small fractions of power to his worshipers and pact makers who follow in his footsteps to keep these dark forces at bay even as he slumbers.
The Shadar-kai consider him their patron Light, as do many other races of shadows that reject the cruelty of the corrupting forces such as Dhampir, Duergar, Kenku, Gnolls, Night Striders, Svirfneblin, Tieflings, and Twilight Elves (Surface Drow) and Twilight Yuan-ti. Besides these races, many Light and Twilight Domain Clerics follow the Shadow Guardian, as well as Shadow Monks and Sorcerers, Gloom Stalker Rangers, and Hexblade Warlocks.
So basically this is what you would get if you crossed Godzilla, the Tarrasque, and the powers of shadows and the Positive Energy Plane. He was so much fun to come up with.
2. Cisriel, the Mother Wyrm (Buckle up this is a long one, sorry)
My world's Deity of All Things Draconic as well as one of the Deities of Knowledge, Balance, and Arcana, the Mother Wyrm is a Dragon like no other. Said to be able to grow as large and as long as a massive mountain range, this dragon’s sinuous body was covered in scales like diamonds that seemed to reflect all the known colors and hues of the multiverse. Six pairs of powerful wings allowed this dragon to be a master of the sky with little to no equal. The biggest defining feature however were her three heads. The left head looked fierce and predatorial, and her roar was like a terrible and thunderous howl that struck fear into the hearts of all who heard it. The right head looked regal and courageous, and her roar was like a vaillant war cry that filled all who the dragon saw as allies with renewed hope, courage, and vigor. The center head looked wise and motherly, and her roar was like a beautiful symphony of pure arcanic power that seemed to demand respect and attention.
Unlike most of the other known Lights of Salvera, the Mother Wyrm is a fairly new arrival to the plane. Despite this, she has left a lasting impression on the mortals of the world by arriving during the peak of the War of Domination, a century long conflict between the Lights of metallic and chromatic dragon kind, Mephilia (Daughter of Bahamut) and Zartakor (Son of Tiamat). The war was reaching a cataclysmic crescendo as chromatic and metallic dragons fought each other throughout the plane, having expanded from Thaczil (the continent of dragons) to the other continents, destroying anyone and anything that stood in the middle of their conflict. As many of the kingdoms of the plane watched on in horror, fearful that their doom was upon them, the sky was suddenly ripped asunder. A seemingly innumerable army of dragons flew out of the sky tear, alongside Kobolds, Dragonborns, and smooth skinned creatures the realm would soon come to call “humans” riding atop all manner of draconic creatures or flying on wings of their own. And leading the charge was the Mother Wyrm herself.
With her army, the Mother Wyrm fought off the forces of Mephilia and Zartakor (even fighting both Lights herself) forcing them to retreat back to Thaczil where she followed. Though it is not fully known how the conflict truly ended, the Mother Wyrm became the Queen of Asgorath, the City of Dragons while the other two lights were forced to retreat to their personal strongholds on the far east and west sides of the dragon continent. Her victory over the two Lights is what solidified her as a new Light of Salvera. Her title of Mother Wyrm comes from the fact that she is capable of giving birth to any dragon or creature of draconic blood that exists in the multiverse, as well as her stern but motherly nature to those who follow her. She is considered the Light of all dragonkind, accepting all those of draconic origins, dragons or otherwise. She is also the patron deity of Humans who arrived on the plane when she did. Many Dragonborns, Kobolds, and Lizardfolk, also consider her their patron deity. Due to her wide range of power and knowledge, various individuals worship her or seek her tutelage.
So Cisriel was my first character that I played in 4e and her original story ended with her becoming Io, the original dragon god thanks to one of the epic destinies that a dragonborn could pursue. Originally she only cared about becoming Io in order to be the most powerful dragon possible but as she grew more powerful she began to awaken the ancient memories of the old dragon god (as the epic destiny stated that your soul is the last remaining free shard of the original dragon not taken by one of his children). Soon her goal was less about her own power and more about bettering dragonkind. She saw how fractured the dragons were by serving two extremes in Tiamat and Bahamut and believed that unifying them would make things better. Then she absorbed Tiamat and Bahamut and Io was resurrected, only to gain perspective of not only dragonkind as a whole, but the universe itself as she had ascended to the status of one of the most powerful Greater Deities of the outer planes. Then the second Sundering happened and her divinity was lost, given back to Tiamat and Bahamut who were resurrected. All of this gave Cisriel a vast amount of knowledge and insight that few beings could hope to understand. The mind of a god fractured and mutated into various extremes only to be violently fused together more powerful than ever before only to be stripped of it all again. Yet despite it all she survived, and while no longer a true god, she was not weaker for it. And she remembered it all. After all those events, she traveled to the plane where her first incarnation was slain, a place where her knowledge and power could be better served, away from the gods and their planar schemes. That is why she traveled to Salvera. Honestly this probably sounds rather confusing and I’m still working on all the details but the Mother Wyrm is a very important entity to me and I’m so happy to have evolved her in such a way. It’s ironic that she isn’t #1.
1. Letheus, the Guardian of the Boundless
The Guardian of the Boundless, The Keeper of the Wellspring of Souls, The Purifier of Souls, The Spirit River. These are the names given to my World’s Deity of Death and Reincarnation. Letheus (named after the river Lethe, one of the five Greek rivers of the underworld) is a titanic undead eel with two heads on the ends of it’s massive body. The front head is nothing more than a skeleton that is seemingly animated with ghostly energy. Every time it breathes in, little ghostly wisps of various colors are drawn into the beast’s mouth. As you go down the length of the eel, the body begins to gain more and more living tissue, going from a skeleton, to a half rotted corpse, to a living body. The second head looks like a beautiful eel with pure white skin and glowing blue eyes. Every time it exhales, pure white wisps fly out of this head’s mouth.
These wisps that the creature breathes in and out are the Boundless, souls not anchored to any of the Light’s demiplanes. Normally, when a soul dies, it goes to an appropriate Outer Plane that matches strongest with their moral views or to a plane connected to a creator god or god they worshipped in life. For Salvera however, the soul's connection to the Outer Plane was severed when the gods abandoned their creations and the Lights banded together to stabilize the plane. Though the Lights were powerful, they did not contain the level of divinity necessary to pull any normal follower to them in order to be reborn on the Light’s demiplane like the Gods could. Only the truly devout could achieve the ability to anchor themselves to their Light in life, so they could be properly drawn to their afterlife in death. This meant that most souls would have simply wandered Material and Ethereal Planes to be tormented and preyed upon by all manner of horrid creatures until they faded alone into oblivion. Likewise, new souls would have ceased to be created as they stemmed from the Outer Plane as well. However, Letheus would not allow the mortals who had fought and died so valiantly for their traitorous creators to suffer such a fate. So, in an act many claim to be the breaking point between the gods and their creations, Letheus attacked the very foundation of a floating structure in the Astral Sea that contained the most powerful artifact the gods have ever created, the Wellspring of Souls, causing it to fall onto the Material Plane.
The Wellspring of Souls is the Artifact larger than the largest lake on the plane, said to have been made by the gods to infuse all their creations on the plane with a spark of their divine essence, a soul. Soon after the Lights stabilized the plane, Letheus created a huge demiplane to house the Wellspring, which now both the artifact and the great Eel reside.
So I had fun coming up with this fellow. He isn’t a god that ferries people over the river of death to the underworld. He is the river of death itself. Souls are purified within him and then reincarnated to live new lives until they eventually find their proper afterlife. He doesn’t discriminate either, all creatures regardless of alignment or creature type that have souls are given the same change at new life. He also despises those that destroy or trap unwilling souls, because it is denying those souls their chance at a proper after life. I’m still fleshing him out but he is a super important Deity to my world because of what he does and I love him a lot.
Sorry for all the text but I just love coming up with lore for things in my world. And this is the cliff notes version. XD
I'm a big fan of some gods from 3e and 4e that aren't represented in 5e. My top deities in no particular order are Kord, Erathis, Rao, Ilsensine, and Tem-Et-Nu. Kord is still around. Erathis was the 4e goddess of civilization. Rao is an older god of peace. Ilsensine is an illithid power. Tem-Et-Nu was a goddess of rivers, wealth, and victory in the 3.5e Sandstorm book whose domain and nature I like.
In a different forum, I postulated a new deity. Her name is Flower.
She's the Goddess of Life and Fertility. She's deeply Evil. She must be kept appeased at all times or she starts slaughtering things and destroying whatever she likes. She is a bringer of plagues, the creator of famine, and her favorite sacrifices are people. Her real name is unknown. They call her "Flower" and other nice things. They hope that by calling her pretty names, she won't kill them.
Her worshippers travel the lands, killing as they go. They take entire families, burn their crops and their homes, kill their animals, and salt the fields before they leave. They do this as much as possible, as a holy duty, so that Flower doesn't kill everyone in a given region.
She's not all bad though. Flower hates the undead, for example. She won't allow the dead to rise under any circumstances and she's delighted to kill anyone who tries to raise some. There are no vampires in Flower's domain. She protects her own people from all the things she likes to visit upon them, because she wants to do it herself and she's not letting any other deity in on the fun.
She's the Goddess of Life and Fertility. She's deeply Evil. She must be kept appeased at all times or she starts slaughtering things and destroying whatever she likes. She is a bringer of plagues, the creator of famine, and her favorite sacrifices are people.
None of those things have anything to do with life and fertility. That's just a generic deity of death and destruction [REDACTED]. You're just calling her Flower instead of Dark Lord Axemungus Slaughtercoffin or somesuch.[REDACTED]
She's the Goddess of Life and Fertility. She's deeply Evil. She must be kept appeased at all times or she starts slaughtering things and destroying whatever she likes. She is a bringer of plagues, the creator of famine, and her favorite sacrifices are people.
None of those things have anything to do with life and fertility. That's just a generic deity of death and destruction [REDACTED]. You're just calling her Flower instead of Dark Lord Axemungus Slaughtercoffin or somesuch.[REDACTED]
I'm stealing this name for my next oneshot villain, lol
To answer the OP's question, my favorite D&D god is Ilmater, followed by Tyr, followed by the trio of Oghma, Mystra, and Savras.
Anyone who has delved deeply in the lore of D&D has probably noticed...there are a TON of gods.
Like...a lot.
And like anyone who has decided to play a Cleric character...you've probably learned about a few deities here and there.
So I thought it would be interesting for people to name their Top 5 favorites deities in D&D.
These can be good-aligned or evil-aligned deities...and everything in between...and can also encompass the various pantheons / gods from our own mythologies, should you wish (since D&D acknowledges that they exist within the worlds).
They can also be from "Magic: The Gathering" worlds like Theros, or the various gods of Exandria, from "Critical Role".
It's pretty much all fair game...but you only get FIVE.
You can also give a brief description of why you like the deity.
I'll start:
1. Mystra (Goddess of Magic):
Being the literal embodiment of The Weave...and thus magic itself...Mystra is the goddess who represents one of the most fun aspects of the game: the MAGIC.
The fact that she is sort of benevolent about using magic responsibly is also neat, providing a moral compass for mages to follow.
Even Larloch, the notorious lich, pays respect to Mystra...even going so far as to apologize to her when he accidentally let loose an army of clones and Mystra had to intervene.
2. Bane (God of Evil):
What I like about Bane, as opposed to some of the other "evil" gods, is that he is very practical...he wishes to rule everything, and he understands that in order to do so, he must be both powerful...but also efficient.
That's sort of his schtick in a nutshell...he is a tyrant, subjugating and forcing all those around him to serve....and if you serve well, you get rewarded. Just remember who's in charge.
I also like that he isn't terribly chaotic, or laughably evil, like some other deities...his ideal world would actually be quite lawful, with a rigid set of rules....a peak "evil empire".
Physically, he is terrifying...a hulking, gargoyle-esque looking warrior, with a black-armored gauntlet...the same gauntlet used in his symbol, as it closes in a fist around an orb of light, choking it to his will.
But his intimidating figure hides a VERY keen intelligence...this guy is a brilliant tactician, rivaling that of Asmodeus...he's a brutal warrior who can lead an army from the front-lines, and he isn't afraid to form alliances with other evil gods.
...as long as they remember who's in charge.
3. Selune (Goddess of the Moon):
The cool thing of Selune is that she has so many different domains, wrapped up in one deity...the moon, the night, shapeshifters, prophecies, travelers...it's a value bundle!
My favorite thing, probably, is a specific sect of her church...an order of zealous warrior called The Lunatics.
That's just a terribly funny name...and also accurate.
These mad b*stards will run headlong into battle for their goddess, and are entirely unpredictable...I love it.
4. Helm (God of Protection):
I like a deity who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty...and that's Helm in a nutshell...or full-plate, as it were.
He's a deity who wanders across the planes, fighting monsters & other evil creatures...and he's just a dude in armor (or dudette...it's kind of deliberately vague).
Except...he's also a god. So anyone fool enough to harm innocents is going to get the smack-down of their suddenly short life.
He's driven by duty to protect others, and loses himself in his work...sometimes to excess.
The idea that your adventuring party could randomly stumble across this guy on the road, and not even realize you're in the presence of a god until later, is also pretty neat.
5. Lliira (Goddess of Joy):
A lesser-known deity, I just really like her concept...have FUN. Be HAPPY. Be KIND.
Art! Festivals! Food & drink!
Dare I say...there's a lot of need for Lliira.
And while she dislikes violence committed upon innocents, and in general...she isn't a fool.
...which is why she has a clandestine order of warrior-dancers who secretly assassinate wicked villains.
Very classy.
Hmm. I think these are my top 5:
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
I primarily use the Greek/Roman gods. I have no particular preference among them.
I have a fondness for Sune, the goddess of Romantic Love and Beautiful Things. Her evil counterpart Loviatar, the goddess of all the darker aspects of sex, I wouldn't want a Player Character to worship.
<Insert clever signature here>
Since I don't usually play in established settings, I'll do some from my homebrew world, Borrelia.
1. Saevaran the Wayward (God of Dragons, Intuition, and the Sky)
I mean, who doesn't love dragons? That's a rhetorical question, by the way. Saevaran is one of the four primordial gods in Borrelia, which means he was there at the creation of the world. A few millennia later, he created the dragons, and they soon went to war with the giants for 1,700 years. Fun, right? Anyway, one of the reasons I like him is the Intuition aspect. He represents a dragon's keen sight, their ability to read their foes almost effortlessly. He's the one who sees best out of all beings, for what can notice more and peer further than the Sky itself?
2. Xenestyä, the Star-Mother (Goddess of Night and Death)
A goddess of death who's not evil! I like subverting tropes. Xenestyä is an elven goddess, so it kind of makes sense that she's LN, since they literally worship the stars. Her name means "Great Night," and she certainly lives (or dies... haha) up to that, as her crescent scythe is quite literally the moon. It's her duty to claim the souls of mortals after death, but to her, death isn't a bad thing- it brings fulfillment and purpose to the cycle of life. When elves die, she ferries them across the sea to the Fair Lands, where the Feywild and Material Plane meet. It's basically paradise, but with magic.
3. Telogi, the Radiant Arrow (God of Light, Purity, and Honorable Warfare)
Ah, yes. Your stereotypical LG god of war for all of your paladin needs. Telogi, however, has a bit of a twist. Well, two. The first is that he's not really a sword n' board or plate kind of guy. As his title suggests, he's actually an archer. The second is that he's a teeny bit jealous of the primordial gods. Saevaran created the dragons, Brogon (god of strength) created the giants, Elanumnar (god of adaptability) created the aboreon, the precursors to the aboleth, and Vastil (god of intellect) was wise and didn't create anything. However, Telogi wasn't lauded with the power to create species, like the primordial gods, or the elven and dwarven pantheons. He believes that he could better protect the world against threats if he could bring into being a race to defend it.
4. Avara (Goddess of Celebrations and the Harvest)
For an NG goddess, Avara is kinda just there. I mean, it makes sense, since her priests aren't fighters, and she's not a deity of war or battle. Her solution to everything: hold a party! War going on? Here's a celebration! Dragon raiding villages and destroying cities? Have a festival! So yeah, she's fun.
5. Exiris (God of Fear and Madness)
Of all the deities in Borrelia, Exiris is by far the one that represents my personality the most. Oh, and its holy symbol is an inverted black star in a silver circle, which is cool.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
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If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
Rao, god of Peace, Reason, and Serenity, cause he's just a chill, cool, god with an item that makes for a great plot hook.
Iuz, demigod (is he still just a demigod?) of Oppression and Pain, because he's basically the equivalent to Sauron in D&D.
Jergal, Scribe of the Dead, because he's the biggest troll in the multiverse of D&D gods.
Zagyg (Zagig), for basically the same reason as Jergal.
Pelor, god of Light Strength, and the Sun, because he's been my go-to god for many clerics and paladins I made.
Kellemvor is the quintessential god of death: he is neither good nor evil, he just is and must be. Perfect LN.
Vecna is an absolute icon, arguably the greatest D&D villain ever, and a god of evil secrets is endlessly useful for a DM.
Tiamat is even more iconic, and barring a deity of dungeons there needs to be at least one dragon deity on this list.
Torm, because he’s the one LG deity who isn’t all rah-rah “valorously bring justice to the people by the might of your smite!” but values self-sacrifice instead.
Ralishaz, since he’s the shining example of ill luck and insanity being hallmarks of CN characters (not really, but that’s what I tell players who play CN characters to justify being random ********)
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
Off the top of my head and in no particular order:
Kord
God of strength and storms, warriors and athletes with some obvious similarities to Thor. I thought of him first because I'm currently playing a cleric of Kord named Ulvar Mannhammer (not the two Ns, because "Manhammer" with just one would be a silly name) who's initial concept was "viking personal trainer and spiritual life coach."
Wee Jas
I'm not normally really into the dominatrix thing, per se, but the Stern Lady/Ruby Sorceress has some definite appeal to me. I mostly like how she's a non-evil death deity. I may have a thing for goth chicks...I always wanted to roll up a LG paladin who worships her because I figured it would be a bit of an odd but feasible concept and fun to play.
Pelor
The classic "good guy god," the go to deity for NPC healers and priests. Seems a bit generic sometimes, but has that classic air of a good old sun deity.
Vandria Gilmadrith
I became a fan of Steelheart upon picking up Races of the Wild for 3.5. A bit of an odd-one out as the only lawful elven deity, I like to think of her as the only one of Corellon's lot that isn't a ditzy flake most of the time.
Boo Yah
Lacking any standout #5, I'm invoking homebrew and naming "Boo Yah the water god" which was a fire hydrant outside my high school cafeteria that some friends drew a crude face on with a pen (big anime style eyes over the hose port and triangular teeth below it) along with the words "BOO YAH" and "I IS KING." It was a running joke that still brings up fond nostalgia fuzzies when I think of it, and those were also the friends that got me first interested in D&D, where you can always make up something fun for yourself and your weird friends and just run with it.
I have now appended my homebrew canon to state that Boo Yah the fire hydrant water god is Blibdoolpoolp's divine consort and paramour.
1. The Raven Queen (She’s great. We all know why she’s great. She’s the best deity)
2. Mystra (Cool Magic Goddess go brrr)
3. Kelemvor (Arguably the best take on a Death Detity beyond the RQ. He was one of my first faves)
4. Vecna (Feck yeah, Vecna’s the best. Absolute king)
5. Veronus (Homebrew deity, goddess of People and Travel. Lots of fun. One of the only deities that is willing to actually come to the Material Plane in-person)
Needless to say... I like my Death Deities, in whatever form they take. I feel like, usually, the various ways that individual settings cover the standard ‘Deity of Death’ are really interesting. Some are more dark and uncaring, others care, just for reasons of order and stability, and still others are... actually kind of nice? Those ones are rare, but I’m pretty sure they exist (don’t quote me on that :p).
Seven there shall be/In the halls of the eighth/Eights shall witness/Eight and eight and eight and eight/Blood of the father/Blood of the sun/Endless darkness/Day is done
Savior/Sovereign/Saint Foresworn/Traitor/Trusted/Tortured Truthborn/Chosen/Cursed
Created by deities/Created by mortals/Created by powers unseen/Unheard of
Fate speaks of one/Fate speaks to none/Eternal shadows/Day is Done.
I also love Lliira. Imagine what life would be like if she was a real world Goddess.
Anyway, my favourite gods are not specifically fantasy ones. I tend to import the Norse pantheon into d&d whenever I can.
I also like Ao. I actually have an order of Clerics in my game that are Clerics of Ao. The thing is, since Ao, doesn’t grant divine blessings, they have instead honed their martial skills to an unholy level. I call them the Sapphire Guard and they exist in every game I run. Though they take on different roles, depending on the story.
The Sapphire Guard, is quite literally an order of warrior poets, dedicated to and worshiping the balance. Which is Ao’s domain - if he could be said to have one.
A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
They definitely exist. Xenestyä isn't nice, per se, but she's far from evil. Like the stars, she's best admired from a distance, but she's not the darker side of death. She's that sense of fulfillment, of bittersweet goodbyes and hopeful futures. But overall, she's pretty well liked for a goddess of death, since her job is basically to collect souls and bring them to paradise.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
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If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
A lot in common on this list with others.
Well, if we can count our own deities.....in my world of Salvera, the original gods abandoned the plane after the Dawn Wars when they believed the world was doomed to collapse on itself due to the overwhelming damage caused from their war with the Primordials. However, several powerful titan/Kaiju-like beings stayed behind and used their combined powers to stabilize the plane. The plane is still heavily scarred and energies from many other planes still leak into the world, but these entities have taken over the various portfolios and domains of the gods and other beings to keep the plane together and follow their own beliefs/goals whether benevolent or otherwise. They are called the Lights by the mortal denizens of the plane. Most of the Lights came from the time of the Dawn Wars though at least one was from the more recent era (and more may be made that were not part of the original set). This is still early concept stuff but that's the jist at the moment. Here are my top 5 I've created so far.
5. Hepsue, the Life Forger
My deity of the Forge, Artificery, and Living Machines. He is said to reside in his magical workshop built on the back of a large cybernetically enhanced Zaratan that roams around the continent of Multa, which is super rich in minerals thanks to the energies of the elemental planes constantly leaking through the planar scars left over from the Dawn Wars. He is the Creator of the Forged, a machine race imbued with a soul and life energy despite being fully mechanical (my version of the Warforged). He is also responsible for the creation of the Living Machines of Multa, constructs of flora and fauna that act like living creatures in every conceivable way and live side by side with their organic counterparts. They can even breed and create young, grow in size and strength as they age, and require some form of sustenance in the form of water, magic, and solid materials whether organic or inorganic in order to thrive.
He isn't a particularly formal godly entity when it comes to the whole worship thing, as he tends to just want to spend all his time making new forged creations, but he does give powers to those who wish to devote themselves to him and his craft. His biggest worshippers are Artificers, the Forged, and Clerics devoted to the Forge Domain but many giants, dwarves and gnomes also view him as a patron deity. Pretty much anyone who follows the path of forge and machines can gain Hepsue's blessing.
I really wanted to create a place on my plane that was filled with constructs that just roamed around almost naturally as if they seem to have always been a part of the ecosystem. Kind of reminiscent of Horizon Zero Dawn in a way. I also like the idea of the lines between natural and artificial life being blurred, but not in a creepy or tragic sort of way. So having a god-like being that was responsible for these creatures was a must.
4. Camalene, Lord of Moonlit Winters
One of the four fey-touched Lights of the seasons, Camalene is the Deity of the Moon and Winter. His true form is a kaiju sized bat-like creature with two pairs of massive wings that shine like the full moon, and fur as white and soft as the purest snow. Despite his frightening and ghostly visage, he is a wise and patient being who encouraged his followers to persevere even in the harshest and most bleak of situations, and to always follow the light even in the darkest of places. Should he ever be threatened however, or those he is allied with be threatened, he will fight with the full force of a devastating blizzard. He, along with the other seasonal Lights, ensure that the natural cycle of the seasons continues on and that the circle of life is maintained.
He considers himself a protector of the Winter Eladrin, Arctic Dwarves, Night-Striders (surface Driders that follow the teachings of Camalene over the other seasonal Lights), Shifters, and Lycanthropes. His worshipers tend to be those under his charge as well as Clerics who follow the Nature, Tempest, and Twilight Domain, as well as Druids and Rangers that thrive in darkness/during the evening or in cold climates. Many creatures that live in harsh and frigid places or thrive under the light of the moon also venerate the Lord of Moonlit Winters.
I will fully admit this is partially inspired by a Pokémon, and I don’t care. I also think bats are very cool and wanted a bat deity. Also, I really wanted to create seasonal deities and felt that Winter and the Moon would work well together. By the way, yes the Summer deity is also the deity of the Sun but no, he is not a lion. He is a Kirin because those are cooler. XD
3. Korzirak, the Shadow Guardian
Korzirak is the Shadowy Deity of Protection, the Purifier of Corruption, and the Defender of the Living. He is a mighty Tarrasque like no other, standing as tall as a mountain and with a pure black carapace tougher than any material on the plane that seems to drip with shadow energy. His eyes are like red hot embers, and deep within his mouth is a pure white light that can exhale a pure blast of positive, radiant energy that causes great harm to all manner of fiend, undead, and shadowy creature. Though he can appear anywhere on the plane due to his natural ability to glide through the earth with out disturbing so much as a speck of dust on the ground, he tends to rise up on Izeron the Land of Shadow and Corruption. There he and his elite followers, the Shadow Guard, fight a never ending battle against the hordes of undead, shadows, and fiends alike that rise from the planar scars of the continent that wish to snuff out the magical molts of white fire that keep these entities from escaping to the rest of the plane. While he frequently comes to the surface to do battle himself, he must rest underground to hibernate after engorging himself on his tainted prey. However, he gives small fractions of power to his worshipers and pact makers who follow in his footsteps to keep these dark forces at bay even as he slumbers.
The Shadar-kai consider him their patron Light, as do many other races of shadows that reject the cruelty of the corrupting forces such as Dhampir, Duergar, Kenku, Gnolls, Night Striders, Svirfneblin, Tieflings, and Twilight Elves (Surface Drow) and Twilight Yuan-ti. Besides these races, many Light and Twilight Domain Clerics follow the Shadow Guardian, as well as Shadow Monks and Sorcerers, Gloom Stalker Rangers, and Hexblade Warlocks.
So basically this is what you would get if you crossed Godzilla, the Tarrasque, and the powers of shadows and the Positive Energy Plane. He was so much fun to come up with.
2. Cisriel, the Mother Wyrm (Buckle up this is a long one, sorry)
My world's Deity of All Things Draconic as well as one of the Deities of Knowledge, Balance, and Arcana, the Mother Wyrm is a Dragon like no other. Said to be able to grow as large and as long as a massive mountain range, this dragon’s sinuous body was covered in scales like diamonds that seemed to reflect all the known colors and hues of the multiverse. Six pairs of powerful wings allowed this dragon to be a master of the sky with little to no equal. The biggest defining feature however were her three heads. The left head looked fierce and predatorial, and her roar was like a terrible and thunderous howl that struck fear into the hearts of all who heard it. The right head looked regal and courageous, and her roar was like a vaillant war cry that filled all who the dragon saw as allies with renewed hope, courage, and vigor. The center head looked wise and motherly, and her roar was like a beautiful symphony of pure arcanic power that seemed to demand respect and attention.
Unlike most of the other known Lights of Salvera, the Mother Wyrm is a fairly new arrival to the plane. Despite this, she has left a lasting impression on the mortals of the world by arriving during the peak of the War of Domination, a century long conflict between the Lights of metallic and chromatic dragon kind, Mephilia (Daughter of Bahamut) and Zartakor (Son of Tiamat). The war was reaching a cataclysmic crescendo as chromatic and metallic dragons fought each other throughout the plane, having expanded from Thaczil (the continent of dragons) to the other continents, destroying anyone and anything that stood in the middle of their conflict. As many of the kingdoms of the plane watched on in horror, fearful that their doom was upon them, the sky was suddenly ripped asunder. A seemingly innumerable army of dragons flew out of the sky tear, alongside Kobolds, Dragonborns, and smooth skinned creatures the realm would soon come to call “humans” riding atop all manner of draconic creatures or flying on wings of their own. And leading the charge was the Mother Wyrm herself.
With her army, the Mother Wyrm fought off the forces of Mephilia and Zartakor (even fighting both Lights herself) forcing them to retreat back to Thaczil where she followed. Though it is not fully known how the conflict truly ended, the Mother Wyrm became the Queen of Asgorath, the City of Dragons while the other two lights were forced to retreat to their personal strongholds on the far east and west sides of the dragon continent. Her victory over the two Lights is what solidified her as a new Light of Salvera. Her title of Mother Wyrm comes from the fact that she is capable of giving birth to any dragon or creature of draconic blood that exists in the multiverse, as well as her stern but motherly nature to those who follow her. She is considered the Light of all dragonkind, accepting all those of draconic origins, dragons or otherwise. She is also the patron deity of Humans who arrived on the plane when she did. Many Dragonborns, Kobolds, and Lizardfolk, also consider her their patron deity. Due to her wide range of power and knowledge, various individuals worship her or seek her tutelage.
So Cisriel was my first character that I played in 4e and her original story ended with her becoming Io, the original dragon god thanks to one of the epic destinies that a dragonborn could pursue. Originally she only cared about becoming Io in order to be the most powerful dragon possible but as she grew more powerful she began to awaken the ancient memories of the old dragon god (as the epic destiny stated that your soul is the last remaining free shard of the original dragon not taken by one of his children). Soon her goal was less about her own power and more about bettering dragonkind. She saw how fractured the dragons were by serving two extremes in Tiamat and Bahamut and believed that unifying them would make things better. Then she absorbed Tiamat and Bahamut and Io was resurrected, only to gain perspective of not only dragonkind as a whole, but the universe itself as she had ascended to the status of one of the most powerful Greater Deities of the outer planes. Then the second Sundering happened and her divinity was lost, given back to Tiamat and Bahamut who were resurrected. All of this gave Cisriel a vast amount of knowledge and insight that few beings could hope to understand. The mind of a god fractured and mutated into various extremes only to be violently fused together more powerful than ever before only to be stripped of it all again. Yet despite it all she survived, and while no longer a true god, she was not weaker for it. And she remembered it all. After all those events, she traveled to the plane where her first incarnation was slain, a place where her knowledge and power could be better served, away from the gods and their planar schemes. That is why she traveled to Salvera. Honestly this probably sounds rather confusing and I’m still working on all the details but the Mother Wyrm is a very important entity to me and I’m so happy to have evolved her in such a way. It’s ironic that she isn’t #1.
1. Letheus, the Guardian of the Boundless
The Guardian of the Boundless, The Keeper of the Wellspring of Souls, The Purifier of Souls, The Spirit River. These are the names given to my World’s Deity of Death and Reincarnation. Letheus (named after the river Lethe, one of the five Greek rivers of the underworld) is a titanic undead eel with two heads on the ends of it’s massive body. The front head is nothing more than a skeleton that is seemingly animated with ghostly energy. Every time it breathes in, little ghostly wisps of various colors are drawn into the beast’s mouth. As you go down the length of the eel, the body begins to gain more and more living tissue, going from a skeleton, to a half rotted corpse, to a living body. The second head looks like a beautiful eel with pure white skin and glowing blue eyes. Every time it exhales, pure white wisps fly out of this head’s mouth.
These wisps that the creature breathes in and out are the Boundless, souls not anchored to any of the Light’s demiplanes. Normally, when a soul dies, it goes to an appropriate Outer Plane that matches strongest with their moral views or to a plane connected to a creator god or god they worshipped in life. For Salvera however, the soul's connection to the Outer Plane was severed when the gods abandoned their creations and the Lights banded together to stabilize the plane. Though the Lights were powerful, they did not contain the level of divinity necessary to pull any normal follower to them in order to be reborn on the Light’s demiplane like the Gods could. Only the truly devout could achieve the ability to anchor themselves to their Light in life, so they could be properly drawn to their afterlife in death. This meant that most souls would have simply wandered Material and Ethereal Planes to be tormented and preyed upon by all manner of horrid creatures until they faded alone into oblivion. Likewise, new souls would have ceased to be created as they stemmed from the Outer Plane as well. However, Letheus would not allow the mortals who had fought and died so valiantly for their traitorous creators to suffer such a fate. So, in an act many claim to be the breaking point between the gods and their creations, Letheus attacked the very foundation of a floating structure in the Astral Sea that contained the most powerful artifact the gods have ever created, the Wellspring of Souls, causing it to fall onto the Material Plane.
The Wellspring of Souls is the Artifact larger than the largest lake on the plane, said to have been made by the gods to infuse all their creations on the plane with a spark of their divine essence, a soul. Soon after the Lights stabilized the plane, Letheus created a huge demiplane to house the Wellspring, which now both the artifact and the great Eel reside.
So I had fun coming up with this fellow. He isn’t a god that ferries people over the river of death to the underworld. He is the river of death itself. Souls are purified within him and then reincarnated to live new lives until they eventually find their proper afterlife. He doesn’t discriminate either, all creatures regardless of alignment or creature type that have souls are given the same change at new life. He also despises those that destroy or trap unwilling souls, because it is denying those souls their chance at a proper after life. I’m still fleshing him out but he is a super important Deity to my world because of what he does and I love him a lot.
Sorry for all the text but I just love coming up with lore for things in my world. And this is the cliff notes version. XD
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Characters for Tenebris Sine Fine
RoughCoronet's Greater Wills
I'm a big fan of some gods from 3e and 4e that aren't represented in 5e. My top deities in no particular order are Kord, Erathis, Rao, Ilsensine, and Tem-Et-Nu. Kord is still around. Erathis was the 4e goddess of civilization. Rao is an older god of peace. Ilsensine is an illithid power. Tem-Et-Nu was a goddess of rivers, wealth, and victory in the 3.5e Sandstorm book whose domain and nature I like.
In a different forum, I postulated a new deity. Her name is Flower.
She's the Goddess of Life and Fertility. She's deeply Evil. She must be kept appeased at all times or she starts slaughtering things and destroying whatever she likes. She is a bringer of plagues, the creator of famine, and her favorite sacrifices are people. Her real name is unknown. They call her "Flower" and other nice things. They hope that by calling her pretty names, she won't kill them.
Her worshippers travel the lands, killing as they go. They take entire families, burn their crops and their homes, kill their animals, and salt the fields before they leave. They do this as much as possible, as a holy duty, so that Flower doesn't kill everyone in a given region.
She's not all bad though. Flower hates the undead, for example. She won't allow the dead to rise under any circumstances and she's delighted to kill anyone who tries to raise some. There are no vampires in Flower's domain. She protects her own people from all the things she likes to visit upon them, because she wants to do it herself and she's not letting any other deity in on the fun.
<Insert clever signature here>
My thought on that is that peace makes a great goal/ideal for heroic characters who live in a world full of monsters, villains, violence, and strife.
None of those things have anything to do with life and fertility. That's just a generic deity of death and destruction [REDACTED]. You're just calling her Flower instead of Dark Lord Axemungus Slaughtercoffin or somesuch.[REDACTED]
I'm stealing this name for my next oneshot villain, lol
To answer the OP's question, my favorite D&D god is Ilmater, followed by Tyr, followed by the trio of Oghma, Mystra, and Savras.