The following deities are represented in the Player’s Hand-
book, except for Bahamut, Kurtulmak, Lolth, and Tiamat—
four new additions to the core pantheon.
Bahamut
Lesser God (Lawful Good)
Bahamut, revered by good dragons, is stern and disapprov- ing of evil, but kind and helpful to the downtrodden and dispossessed. He teaches his followers to strive against evil wherever they can, and to help others become strong enough to resist evil by themselves. He appears as a long, sinuous dragon with platinum scales and catlike eyes of shifting colors.
Portfolio: Good dragons, wind.
Domains: Air, Cold*, Good, Luck, Protection
Cleric Training: Bahamut’s few nondragon clerics learn
the Platinum Dragon’s teachings at the foot of a dragon, usually an older gold or silver dragon in humanoid form.
Il lu s. b y R. S ar d in ha Bahamut
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DE IT IE SThe relationship is one of teacher and student, with the duo typically traveling to see the effects of injustice and cruelty fi rsthand.
Quests: Wherever honest folk struggle under the yoke
of oppression, Bahamut’s followers are found, striving to protect the righteous from evil. Sometimes worshipers of Bahamut wear their affi liation proudly, charging into battle with the Platinum Dragon as their standard. Just as often, however, the worshipers work undercover and behind the scenes. Common missions include rescuing a village from a rapacious warlord, breaking up a cabal of foul necromancers, or riding at the vanguard of an army that assaults the gates of Hell itself.
Prayers: Many of Bahamut’s proverbs take the form “To
[action] is [assessment].” For example, “To oversleep is folly,” or “To smite evil is laudable.”
Temples: Temples to Bahamut are almost all shrines
within the current or former lairs of dragons. They’re good places to go to ask about ancient lore or get something trans- lated from Draconic—but they’re often in remote, forbid- ding places. When your fellow worshipers are all dragons, you needn’t bother with elaborate temple defenses.
Rites: Bahamut’s worshipers often celebrate believers
who enter some new stage in their life: starting a busi- ness venture, becoming a soldier, getting married, and so forth.
Herald and Allies: Bahamut generally sends an old or
older gold dragon as his herald. Allies are hound archons, trumpet archons, and planetars.
Relics: Gauntlet of the talon, platinum helm. Table 5–1: Core Deities
Name Portfolio AL Domains Fav Weapon Rank
Bahamut good dragons, wind LG Air, Cold*, Good, Luck, Protection bite or heavy pick L
Boccob magic, knowledge N Knowledge, Magic, Mind*, quarterstaff G
Oracle*, Trickery
Corellon Larethian elves, magic, music, arts CG Chaos, Community*, Good, longsword G Protection, War
Ehlonna forests, flora and fauna, NG Animal, Celerity*, Good, longsword I
fertility Plant, Sun
Erythnul slaughter, panic CE Chaos, Evil, Madness*, Trickery, morningstar I War
Fharlanghn roads, travel, distance N Celerity*, Luck, Protection, quarterstaff I Travel, Weather*
Garl Glittergold gnomes, humor, NG Community*, Creation*, Good, battleaxe G
gemcutting Protection, Trickery
Gruumsh orcs, war, territory CE Chaos, Domination*, Evil, spear G
Strength, War
Heironeous valor, chivalry, war, daring LG Glory*, Good, Inquisition*, longsword I Law, War
Hextor tyranny, war, conflict, LE Destruction, Domination*, Evil, flail I
fi tness Law, War
Kord strength, athletics, CG Chaos, Competition*, Good, greatsword I
courage Luck, Strength
Kurtulmak kobolds, traps LE Evil, Law, Luck, Trickery spear I
Lolth drow, spiders, darkness CE Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Trickery whip I
Moradin dwarves, smithing, LG Creation*, Earth, Good, Law, warhammer G
engineering Protection
Nerull death, murder, underworld NE Death, Evil, Pestilence*, Trickery scythe G Obad-Hai nature, freedom, hunting, N Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Plant, quarterstaff I
beasts Water, Weather*
Olidammara rogues, music, revelry, CN Celerity*, Chaos, Luck, Mind*, rapier I
tricks Trickery
Pelor sun, light, healing NG Glory*, Good, Healing, Strength, heavy mace G Sun
St. Cuthbert retribution, wisdom, zeal, LN Destruction, Domination*, Law, heavy mace I
discipline Protection, Strength
Tiamat evil dragons, conquest LE Destruction, Evil, Law, Trickery bite or heavy pick L
Vecna secrets, intrigue NE Evil, Knowledge, Madness*, Magic dagger L
Wee Jas death, magic, vanity LN Death, Domination*, Law, dagger I
Magic, Mind*
Yondalla halflings, explorers LG Community*, Creation*, Good, short sword G Law, Protection
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DE IT IE S BoccobGreater God (Neutral)
Boccob is described in Chapter 6 of the Player’s Handbook.
Portfolio: Magic, knowledge
Domains: Knowledge, Magic, Mind*, Oracle*, Trickery.
Cleric Training: Boccob’s clerics are alert for signs of magical aptitude among youngsters, and they offer edu- cation to any youth they deem worthy of the privilege, whether noble or commoner. Clerics of Boccob almost always learn their prayers and sacraments in a classroom at a major temple-college.
Quests: Anything that involves powerful magic involves the followers of Boccob. Creating or destroying artifacts, uncovering new kinds of magic, and traveling the Outer Planes are all common quests. A follower of Boccob might rescue a sorcerer captured by bugbears, brave a ruin to retrieve an ancient spellbook, or break up a cult of ur-priests seeking to cut off magic power to all but themselves. Prayers: Prayers to Boccob have remarkably fl orid lan- guage. One common one begins, “Hail and I greet you, Boccob, Master of Magic, All-Seeing, All-Potent Revealer of Mysteries Beyond Compare, Whose Perspicacity knows no boundaries, most puissant protector of the eldritch realms, both known and unknown…”
Temples: Boccob favors tall, round towers for his tem- ples. Almost all have colleges for the study of both divine and arcane magic, and visitors are as likely to meet wizards as clerics inside. Most Boccob temples provide magic item identifi cation and a number of divinations to the public. Rites: Boccob’s followers celebrate powerful magic in all its forms, performing ceremonies when a magic item is made or a new spell discovered. Many high-level followers make pilgrimages to other planes to see magic in action. Herald and Allies: On the rare occasions when Boccob deigns to use a herald, it’s almost always a 20th-level wizard. Allies are janni genies, invisible stalkers, and Huge elemen- tals (any kind).
Relics: Rod of reversal, tome of ancient lore.
Corellon Larethian
Greater God (Chaotic Good)
Corellon Larethian is described in Chapter 6 of the Player’s
Handbook.
Portfolio: Elves, magic, music, arts.
Domains: Chaos, Community*, Good, Protection, War.
Cleric Training: Because elves are so long-lived, Corel- lon’s clerics can afford to spend years observing potential recruits before initiating them into the mysteries of the faith. Once a new cleric-to-be gets an invitation to join the clergy, he spends much time in meditation, quiet academic study, and artistic endeavors.
Quests: Corellon wants to protect the elven people from harm, naturally. Beyond that, he wants to return to the elves the lost artistic masterpieces of their heritage, and he tries to
thwart the drow at every opportunity. Corellon’s followers fi nd themselves protecting villages from gnoll incursions, stealing into evil temples to recover ancient elven tomes of lore, and destroying underground fortresses full of vampiric drow clerics.
Prayers: Corellon’s prayers are always in Elvish. They often begin, “Hei-Corollon shar-shelevu,” which means “Corellon, may your grace grant…”
Temples: In an elven city, the temple to Corellon Lar- ethian is often an alabaster wonder of minarets and parapets. In smaller communities, the temple often takes the form of a massive treehouse hundreds of feet above the forest fl oor. Most temples are eager to aid traveling elves in any way they can—and other races as well if they’re fi ghting the hated drow.
Rites: Corellon’s rites are integrated with elven society, celebrating births, honoring deceased believers, and bless- ing marriages. Before a battle, believers often recite a Litany of the Arrows.
Herald and Allies: Corellon uses celestial elves who are 20th-level clerics as his heralds. They are always consum- mate archers. Allies are bralani eladrins, ghaele eladrins, and planetars.
Relics: Bow of the wintermoon, millennial chainmail.
Ehlonna
Intermediate Goddess (Neutral Good)
Ehlonna is described in Chapter 6 of the Player’s Handbook.
Portfolio: Forests, fl ora and fauna, fertility. Domains: Animal, Celerity*, Good, Plant, Sun.
Cleric Training: Clerics of Ehlonna are often trained one-on-one by higher-level clerics, and the forest is the classroom. Even a low-level cleric can identify a tree by its leaf and a bird by its song.
Quests: Anything that threatens the health and growth of the forest is anathema to Ehlonna’s followers. They root out goblin warbands hiding in the woods, stop raging forest fi res, and defeat evil blighters who twist the forest to their evil ends.
Prayers: A typical prayer to Ehlonna fi rst references two positive aspects of the forest. For example, a sunset prayer might start with “Golden leaves/And tall trees/Shelter us this night.”
Temples: Almost every temple to Ehlonna is a camou- fl aged lodge deep in the forest. They’re good places to fi nd healing and rangers who can track evil interlopers in the forest or guide visitors safely through the woods.
Rites: Ehlonna’s ceremonies take place in the forest when possible. Most cover various aspects of fertility, and children fi gure prominently in many.
Herald and Allies: Ehlonna’s herald is a planetar angel riding a celestial charger unicorn. Allies are hound archons, leonal guardinals, and planetars.