both before deity creation rather

Draegloth

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

mouth full of sharp teeth. Among the drow noble houses of Menzoberranzan in the Forgotten Realms, a high priestess’s successful creation of a draegloth is seen as a sign of Lolth’s favor

toward her house—and a sign of the demon lord’s disregard for the family’s rivals, who were not thus gifted. The creation prompts the leaders of the house to begin crafting new plans

Mercion

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

natural leader and a protective caregiver. She has a direct manner that reassures and inspires those around her. Mercion does not worship a deity, but rather an ideal: that truth gives life to artistry

Grippli Warrior

Monsters Candlekeep Mysteries

are raised by the community rather than by a single set of parents, and all of a community’s eggs are kept in freshwater pools until they mature. Protecting their eggs is a major concern for

. Grippli religion is based in animism and nature spirits; the frogfolk do not pay reverence to a single deity, but they might beseech a particular nature spirit for aid from time to time.

Yuan-ti Nightmare Speaker

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

: suggestion 2/day each: darkness, fearNightmare speakers are yuan-ti malison priests who make a pact with the Dendar the Night Serpent to feed their deity the fears and nightmares of their victims in

. Nightmare speakers revel in torturing others, keeping their victims in a constant state of fear and dread. They prefer to terrify rather than kill their opponents. They manipulate communities for

College of Lore Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

following the tenets of a deity. A noble who keeps such a bard as a herald or advisor knows that the bard would rather be honest than politic. The college’s members gather in libraries and

Simic Scientist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

ability, enlarge/reduce 3rd gaseous form, water breathing, wind wall 4th freedom of movement, polymorph 5th creation When your magic causes physical

a set of beliefs about the nature of life. Simic members’ bonds and flaws derive from their scientific research — including their creation of new life forms, which they can become very

Young Moonstone Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

… oh my goodness, is that circlet made of silver? 7 I find the waking world tedious and mundane and would much rather spend my time asleep, in the realm of dreams. 8 I find the

1 A young moonstone dragon on the cusp of adulthood refuses to settle down and build a lair. To protect the local populace from the dragon’s chaotic activities, a minor deity sends a deva

Auril (First Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Portraying a deity, even a lesser god such as Auril the Frostmaiden, can be daunting. For roleplaying purposes, the following suggestions might prove helpful: So long as she has mortal worshipers, Auril

rather Auril as she is encountered in this adventure.Lair Actions Auril dwells on Solstice, a frozen island hidden among the titanic icebergs in the Sea of Moving Ice. Few creatures know of this

Auril (Third Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

from the rest of the world, and a shroud of mist conceals her island in the Sea of Moving Ice. Roleplaying Auril Portraying a deity, even a lesser god such as Auril the Frostmaiden, can be daunting

. A stat block is given for each of Auril’s three forms. These descriptions do not reflect Auril at full power, but rather Auril as she is encountered in this adventure.Lair Actions Auril

Hexblood

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

. Heir of Hags One way hags create more of their kind is through the creation of hexbloods. Every hexblood exhibits features suggestive of the hag whose magic inspires their powers. This includes an

considered a gift from the town’s patron deity, who is known as Mother. BECOMING A HAG Hags can undertake a ritual to irreversibly transform a hexblood they created into a new hag, either one of

Charlatan Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

them like they were children’s books. It’s a useful talent, and one that you’re perfectly willing to use for your advantage. You know what people want and you deliver, or rather

weapons of choice. 7 I keep multiple holy symbols on me and invoke whatever deity might come in useful at any given moment. 8 I pocket anything I see that might have some value. d6

Hermit - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

a collection of religious texts stuffed into an attic and forgotten when a believer’s patron deity died. In this solitary work, you’ve learned secrets no one else knows. 5 You killed

a patriar’s scion in an illegal duel. The family swore revenge, and you fled to the slums rather than risk bringing their wrath down on your kin. 6 You aren’t originally from Baldur

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

conceals her island in the Sea of Moving Ice. Roleplaying Auril Portraying a deity, even a lesser god such as Auril the Frostmaiden, can be daunting. For roleplaying purposes, the following suggestions

forms. These descriptions do not reflect Auril at full power, but rather Auril as she is encountered in this adventure.Lair Actions Auril dwells on Solstice, a frozen island hidden among the titanic

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark

perfectly preserved remains. Lamordia. You awoke amid the bizarre experiments of an amoral scientist. They consider you their finest creation or have a task for you to fulfill. Mordent. You emerged from the mysterious device known as the Apparatus, your body a lifeless shell and your past a mystery.

Druid Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

of nature itself or from a nature deity. Many druids pursue a mystic spirituality of transcendent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity, while others serve gods of wild nature

of Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms, druidic circles are not usually connected to the faith of a single nature deity. Any given circle in the Forgotten Realms, for example, might include druids who

Faction Agent

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

knowledge, rather than brute force. Harper agents are often proficient in Investigation, enabling them to be adept at snooping and spying. They often seek aid from other Harpers, sympathetic bards and

to one day rise to the top of my faith’s religious hierarchy. (Lawful) 5 Faith. I trust that my deity will guide my actions. I have faith that if I work hard, things will go well. (Lawful

Bard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

of song, speech, and the magic they contain. Bards say that the multiverse was spoken into existence, that the words of the gods gave it shape, and that echoes of these primordial Words of Creation

necessary, using their magic to bolster their swords and armor. Their spells lean toward charms and illusions rather than blatantly destructive spells. They have a wide-ranging knowledge of many

Charlatan - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

one that you’re perfectly willing to use for your advantage. You know what people want and you deliver, or rather, you promise to deliver. Common sense should steer people away from things that

insults are my weapons of choice. 7 I keep multiple holy symbols on me and invoke whatever deity might come in useful at any given moment. 8 I pocket anything I see that might have some

Warlock Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

relationship between warlock and patron is like that of a cleric and a deity, though the beings that serve as patrons for warlocks are not gods. A warlock might lead a cult dedicated to a demon

gained. Rather, the vast majority of warlocks spend their days in active pursuit of their goals, which typically means some kind of adventuring. Furthermore, the demands of their patrons drive

Tabaxi Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

figure responsible for the creation of the tabaxi, gifts each of his children with one specific feline trait. Those tabaxi gifted with curiosity are compelled to wander far and wide. They seek out

of the world beyond their home. Barterers of Lore Tabaxi treasure knowledge rather than material things. A chest filled with gold coins might be useful to buy food or a coil of rope, but it’s

Cleric

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

Cleric The Arcana Domain has no established place in Dragonlance. The gods of magic are patrons of the Wizards of High Sorcery. Spellcasters revere the deity appropriate to their order through the

study and mastery of arcane magic, rather than through divine power. However, clerics devoted to the neutral gods Gilean (god of knowledge) and Zivilyn (god of wisdom) might have the Arcana Domain.

Power of Nature

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

Power of Nature Druids revere nature above all, gaining their spells and other magical powers either from the force of nature itself or from a nature deity. Many druids pursue a mystic spirituality

of transcendent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity, while others serve gods of wild nature, animals, or elemental forces. The ancient druidic traditions are sometimes called the

Nonhuman Deities

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

domain is incredibly broad, and a cleric of any non-evil deity can choose it. A number of other deities, mostly evil ones, suggest the Death domain, which is detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide

. Most clerics who choose this domain are evil NPCs, but if you want to worship a god of death, consult your Dungeon Master. Nonhuman Deities Deity Alignment Suggested Domains Symbol Bahamut

Divine Knowledge

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide

Divine Knowledge The Commune spell allows its caster to ask a deity (or an agent of the god) yes-or-no questions and receive correct information, and other spells of the Divination school have

term (hence their ability to answer spells such as Augury and Divination). And some gods might be unwilling to reveal their ignorance, choosing to give an unclear answer rather than admit that they don’t know the truth.

Power of Nature

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

Power of Nature Druids revere nature above all, gaining their spells and other magical powers either from the force of nature itself or from a nature deity. Many druids pursue a mystic spirituality

of transcendent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity, while others serve gods of wild nature, animals, or elemental forces. The ancient druidic traditions are sometimes called the

Barterers of Lore

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

Barterers of Lore Tabaxi treasure knowledge rather than material things. A chest filled with gold coins might be useful to buy food or a coil of rope, but it’s not intrinsically interesting. In the

from the power such items might confer, a tabaxi takes great joy in unraveling the stories behind their creation and the history of their use.

Secret

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

holy symbol that represents that divinity. Some clerics, especially in a world like Eberron, serve a whole pantheon, rather than a single deity. In certain campaigns, a cleric might instead serve a

Secret No mortal soul is entirely free of second thoughts or doubt. Even a cleric must grapple with dark desires or the forbidden attraction of turning against the teachings of one’s deity. If you

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

sent Kurtulmak to retrieve it. Garl lured his pursuer into a maze-like cavern, then collapsed the exits behind him, trapping Kurtulmak for all eternity. Kurtulmak is a hateful deity, one who despises

other useful items, but if they are at risk of discovery, they run away rather than attack anyone in the house. By fleeing before they can be seen or identified, they avoid getting into a situation

Druids

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

includes Chauntea, Eldath, Mielikki, Silvanus, as well as Auril, Malar, Talos, and Umberlee, for nature is many-sided and not always kind. Unlike clerics, who typically serve a single deity, druids revere

all the gods of the First Circle in their turn, and see them as embodiments of the natural world, which moves in cycles: creation and destruction, waxing and withering, life and death. Thus, Grumbar

Creating Religions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide

among the gods, deeds of creation, past interactions with mortals, or battles between gods and other cosmic forces. Given the incomprehensible nature of the gods, these myths might not actually reveal

circumstances. A person might burn incense to a hearth or family deity at a kitchen altar in the morning, pray to a deity of the hunt while hunting in the afternoon, and join a communal harvest feast at the

Gnomes

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

forest gnomes, and rubies turned into the deep gnomes. Since the time of their creation, gnomes have settled in hidden places away from other races, concerned that their way of life couldn’t survive

, goblinoids, and orcs, but gnomes and kobolds share a special hatred for each other. Both races believe in a legend that, long ago, the deity Garl Glittergold tricked the kobold god Kurtulmak, collapsing the earth and trapping him in an endless underground maze and earning his everlasting enmity.

Other Religious Systems

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

rather than from a specific nature deity, some clerics devote themselves to ideals rather than to a god. Paladins might serve a philosophy of justice and chivalry rather than a specific deity. Forces and

Other Religious Systems In your campaign, you can create pantheons of gods who are closely linked in a single religion, monotheistic religions (worship of a single deity), dualistic systems (centered

Loose Pantheons

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

the affairs of the universe. People gather in public shrines to worship gods of life and wisdom, or meet in hidden places to venerate gods of deception or destruction. Each deity in a pantheon has a

, and it’s easy enough to extrapolate other areas of life each deity controls. The god of Knowledge, for example, might also be patron of magic and prophecy, while the god of Light could be the sun god

Music and Magic

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

. Bards say that the multiverse was spoken into existence, that the words of the gods gave it shape, and that echoes of these primordial Words of Creation still resound throughout the cosmos. The music of

swords and armor. Their spells lean toward charms and illusions rather than blatantly destructive spells. They have a wide-ranging knowledge of many subjects and a natural aptitude that lets them do

Lathander

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

Lathander The Morninglord, Inspiration’s Dawn, the Rose-and-Gold God Lathander is the god of the spring, birth, and renewal, a deity of conception, vitality, youth, renewal, and self-perfection. He

new communities and the growth of civilization, as long as that civilization gives everyone the potential to succeed. They despise the undead, seeing them as both a corruption of the natural order and a disavowal of new beginnings, because undead cling to their old existence rather than moving on.

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