ofGood
TheForgottenRealmshasaverylargenumberofgods,enough
sothatmostcampaignswontevenusehalfofthem.Thatsfine.
GodsinD&Dtendtoserveasinspirationforcharactersand
adventures,buteveryDMhastheirownwayofhandlingthem.In
theForgottenRealms,prettymucheverycharacterworshipsa
deity,becausethesoulsofthosewhodonottendtosuffer
afterwardswithnogodtoclaimthem.Exactlywhathappensto
themisunclearpreTimeofTroublestheywereapparently
boundintotheWalloftheFaithless,butwhenKelemvorbecame
GodofDeath,heinstitutedadifferentpolicy.Certainly,thepriests
oftheForgottenRealmsareprettyclearthatyouneedtoworship
adeityandtheyretheoneswhowouldknow,right?
AselectionofdeitiesoftheForgottenRealmsarelistedinthePlayersHandbooktothese
shouldbeaddedthenonhumandeities,whoarealsostandardintheForgottenRealms.In
thisarticle,Imgoingtodiscussafewpertinentdetailsofsomeofthemoreprominentgods
foradventurers,selectedmainlybecauseIlikethem.Andyes,thisisonlyaverysmall
selectionoftheGodsofGood.ItsnotevenallofthemIplantorevisittheminthefuture.
Tymoragivesherlucktothosewhohelpthemselves,andisoneofthedeitiesthatrogues
andbardstendtoworship,aswellasadventurersofallsorts.
DuringtheTimeofTroubles,TymoramanifestedinhertempleinArabel(inCormyr)and
offeredsupportduringthecrisisshegainedagreatdealofpopularityasaresult.
HerclericsareknownasLuckbringers(ortheFortunateamongstthemselves),andthey
seektoaidthosewhopursuetheirowndestinieswhichmakesthemverypopularwith
adventurers.MorethanoneadventuringpartyhasbeenhealedbythelocalLuckbringer,
whoseesitastheirsacreddutytohelppeoplewhotakeriskstoachievetheirgoals.
Tymoraisnotacruelgoddess,anddoesntapproveofthosewhosegoalsaretodominate
orhurtothers.Ifyoureusingthefactionsof5E,theLuckbringerstendtonotgetonthat
wellwiththeZhentarimandLordsAlliance,whilebeingquiteclosetotheHarpers.The
OrderoftheGauntletwouldnumberafewLuckbringerswithinitsranks,althoughittendsto
beamorestructuredorganisationthanworshippersofTymoraarehappywith.Theyprefer
toworkaloneorinsmallgroups.
Honestly,ifyourechoosingagodforyourcharacter,youshouldprobablyfirstlookat
Tymora.Alargenumberofadventurersworshipherwithgoodreason.Herworshipis
widespreadamongstthemainadventuringareasoftheSwordCoastandtheMoonsea(and
theDalelands),sofindingapriestshouldntbethatdifficult.Incidentally,theonlygood
alignedgodwithatempleinMulmasterisTymoraenoughtestamenttoherpopularity!
EdGreenwoodhasagooddescriptionofsomeoftheproblemsofbeingapriestofTymora
inhisfirstnovel,Spellfire.
TormisLawfulGood,ofcourse!
ThefeudwithBanebringsafewinterestingproblemsforcharactersinMulmaster(siteof
thesecondseasonofD&DExpeditions),becauseBaneisthemaindeitythere.Ifyou
worshipTorm,Idkeepyourheaddownifyoudontwanttocausetrouble.
Tormspriestsandfollowersseektoensuregoodrulership:thatlawsarejust,andtheyare
strictlybutcompassionatelyenforced.TheyreveryactiveintheOrderoftheGauntletand
theLordsAlliance(althoughtherearealotofmembersoftheLordsAlliancewhodont
appreciatetheirwork),buthavelittletodowiththeEmeraldEnclave.Theyoccasionallyfind
themselvesworkingwiththeHarpersalthoughtheHarpersareperhapsalittletoofree
willedfortheirlikingbuttheydontgetalongthatwellwiththeZhentarim.Whenyou
considerthatforalargepartoftheirexistencetheZhentarimworshippedBane,youbegin
toseethetensions!(IfyoureinD&DAdventurersLeagueplay,dontuseworshipofTormto
breakpartyunity.TormsfollowersarentgoingtoletTiamatlaywastetheRealmsjust
becausetheydontliketheZhentarimmuch).
TormtendstobeabetterchoicearoundtheMoonseaarea(andtheVast)thanonthe
SwordCoast,butyoucanfindworshippersofhimthereaswell.
Incidentally,TormspatronTyrwasslainduringtheSpellplagueandgavehispowersto
Torm(per4E),butitsentirelypossibleTyrisnowbackheslistedinthePlayers
Handbook,afterall.Wejustdontknow(yet)whatshappened
Lathanderrepresentsbeginningsandrenewals.Hesinvokedbythosebeginningajourney,
enteringintoabusinessarrangement,oruponthebirthofachild.Hisclergywantpeopleto
livehappilytogether.Othersmightcallthemidealistic,buttheydontseeanythingwrong
withbeingoptimistic.Aboveall,hisclergytheDawnbringersseektofosterhope.
LathanderisNeutralGood.YourelikelytofindhisfollowersintheOrderoftheGauntlet,
seekingtoguideitstroopsonsomenewmission.Therearelikelyafewfollowersof
LathanderamongsttheHarpersaswell,andthoughitsprobablyunlikelytheZhentarim
havemanydevoteesamongstitsnumbers,theymayinvokehimwhentheystartnew
capers.
YoucanfindtemplestoLathanderaroundtheRealms.Inparticular,therearetemplesin
Tantras,Shadowdale,Daggerford,MarsemberandWaterdeep.
Lathandersoptimisticnaturedoesgrateonsomeothergods,andhesteadfastlyopposes
theevilgodsofBane,Cyric,Loviatar,TalosandespeciallyShar.Healsohatesundead
whichmakeshimanallyofKelemvor.
MielikkiisNeutralGood,andtendstobealotlessmilitantaboutthenaturalworldthan
someoftheothernaturegods,whichmeansthattheclerics,druidsandrangersthatfollow
herarentopposedtopeopleusingforestresources,orevenchoppingdownatreeortwo
(aslongastwotreesareplantedforeachtreetaken).Theythinkeveryonecangetalong,
butthatdoesntmeantheywonttakedirectactionwhennecessarytoprotecttheirforests.
Asyoumightexpect,MielikkitendstobereveredmoreinthewilderplacesoftheRealms.
ThenorthernpartoftheSwordCoast,forinstanceSilverymooninparticularandthe
Dalelandsaswell.IwouldexpectshedoesnthavemanyworshippersinThay!Mielikki
doesntreallyhavetemples,butthereareanumberofgrovesandnaturalfeaturessacredto
her.
MielikkiisanimportantgoddesstothemembersoftheEmeraldEnclaveandher
worshippersmayalsobealliedwiththeHarpers.Attimes,herworshippersmightaidthe
OrderoftheGauntlet,althoughtheOrdersgoalsdontreallyfitwithMielikkisaimsthe
Orderopposesallevil,Mielikkiwantstodefendthewoodlandsanditspeoplemore.The
LordsAlliancetendtocomeintoconflictwithherworshippersthemost.TheZhentarim
tendtobemorecitybound,andtheirschemeslesslikelytodrawtheoppositionofthe
forestpeople.
IfyoureadthepopularForgottenRealmsbooksbyR.A.Salvatore,DrizztandCattiBrie
worshipMielikki.
ShesalsotheGoddessofMagic,meaningthatshesworshippedbyalotofsorcerersand
wizards.(Warlockstendtoservetheirpatrons).Herpriestsandfollowersseektospread
magic,andnothaveithiddenaway.Theideahereisthatinaworldwithoutmagic,only
brutestrengthruleswouldntitbenicetohaveanalternative?IntheRealms,magicisthat
alternative.
Mystraispotentiallythemostpowerfulgod.Shessopowerfulthatalargepartofherpower
hasbeenhiddenawaywithincertainmortals(althoughhowmortaltheyarebearingher
powerisopentointerpretation).CertainlythemostfamousofherChosenElminsterhas
livedforaverylongtimeindeed.
ThereisatempletoMystrainWaterdeep.InMulmaster,herworshipisoutlawednotall
thatsurprisingasarcanemagicisoutlawedthere!Imnotactuallysurehowmuchshegets
largecongregationsinanycasethatwouldwarranttemplesherclergyarelikelytotenda
smallerflock.Ashrinehereorthere,mostly.Really,thelocalwizardstowerisalltheshrine
sheneeds!
TheHarpersarethemostlikelytohavedevoteesofMystraamongsttheirranks,alongwith
theLordsAlliance.FollowersofMystraamongsttheZhentarimarelikelyfewer,justdueto
thedisagreementsofthegoddesswithBaneandCyric.(Letsfaceit,Mystrawaskilled
becauseoftheactionsofBaneandMyrkul)
MystragetsalotoftimeintheElminsterbooksofEdGreenwood,startingwithElminster,
theMakingofaMage.ThecurrentMystrareturnstolifeinTheHerald.