Canon:List of core deities (4e)

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The List of core deities of Dungeons & Dragons (4e) comprises the deities for the default campaign setting of 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons (also known as the "Dawn War" setting[1] and informally referred to as the "points of light" setting). The list includes long-time D&D establishments from Greyhawk, the Forgotten Realms, the nonhuman D&D deities, and real world classical pantheons, as well as several original gods.[1] Although some gods are patrons of specific races, they are worshipped by all,[2] and racial pantheons do not exist in this edition. Many lesser gods from previous editions (such as the Seldarine or most members of the dwarven pantheon) now have the status of Exarch, a demipower in service to a greater god.[3]

Good and Lawful Good deities[edit]

Unaligned deities[edit]

  • Corellon - Unaligned God of Beauty, Art, Magic and the Fey. Seasonal God of the Spring and Patron of eladrin.[2]
  • Erathis - Unaligned Goddess of Civilization, Inventions and Law.[2] She is a renamed Athena from the Greek pantheon.[1]
  • Ioun - Unaligned Goddess of Knowledge, Skill and Prophecy.[2]
  • Kord - Unaligned God of Storms, Battle and Strength.[2]
  • Melora - Unaligned Goddess of Wilderness, Nature and the Sea.[2]
  • Raven Queen - Unaligned Goddess of Death, Fate and Doom. Seasonal Goddess of Winter.[2] She is based on the goddesses Wee Jas from the Greyhwak setting, and Hel from the Norse pantheon.[1]
  • Sehanine - Unaligned Goddess of Illusion, Love and the Moon. Seasonal God of Autumn and Patron of elves.[2]

Evil and Chaotic Evil deities[edit]

  • Asmodeus - Evil God of Tyranny and Domination. Lord of devils.[3]
  • Bane - Evil God of War and Conquest. Revered by goblins.[3] He is the same Bane from the Forgotten Realms setting.[1]
  • Gruumsh - Chaotic Evil God of Slaughter and Destruction. Patron of orcs.[3]
  • Lolth - Chaotic Evil Goddess of Shadow and Lies. Patron of drow and their inseparable companions, the spiders.[3]
  • Tharizdun - The Chained God, also known as the Elder Elemental Eye, creator of the Abyss.[3]
  • Tiamat - Evil Goddess of Greed and Envy. Patron of the chromatic dragons and dragonborn.[3]
  • Torog - Evil God of the Underdark. Patron of Jailors and Torturers.[3]
  • Vecna - Evil God of the Undead and Necromancy. Lord of Secrets.[3]
  • Zehir - Evil God of Darkness and Poison. Favoured Deity of the yuan-ti and Patron of Assassins.[3] He is a renamed Set from the Egyptian pantheon.[1]

Deceased/Former deities[edit]

  • Amoth - Former master of the Dominion of Kalanduren, Amoth was the God of Justice and Mercy during his life. He was killed by the demon princes Orcus, Demogorgon and Rimmon during the Dawn War.[4]
  • Aoskar - God of Portals. Killed by the Lady of Pain.[5]
  • Aurom- Aurom, also known as the Shattered One, is one of the most ancient deities in the Dawn War setting and one of the first to be displaced by an ambitious mortal. The Unaligned God or Goddess (nobody really knows anymore; s/he might have even been both) of "The Cycle of Life", Aurom held a disproportionate amount of power due to holding multiple diffuse portfolios, predominantly Life and Death. As such, when Nerull, one of the world's first necromancers, slew Aurom, he was able to win the favor of the other gods for his act by letting them divvy up most of Aurom's portfolios amongst themselves and taking only Death for himself. Nerull did his best to erase Aurom's existence to strengthen his powers, and so the Raven Queen reversed this decision to weaken Nerull's own grasp on power.[6]
  • Gorellik - God of Hunting, Beasts, and Gnolls. Killed by the demon lord Yeenoghu.[7]
  • Haramathur - Known as the Guardian In Stone and the Eternal Watcher, this Lawful Good God of Guardians was the protector of his fellow deities during the Dawn War, fighting constantly to thwart invasions of the Astral Sea from the Elemental Chaos, and earned the respect of all his kin. When Io was slain, this led to the creation of a mighty rift-gate between the two planes, and Haramathur knew that this couldn't be allowed to stand. Plunging into the rift, he used his powers to turn himself and his surroundings into stone, closing the rift for eternity through an act of self-sacrifice. The other gods do their best to keep this lore secret; if some well-meaning soul were to restore Haramathur, that would re-open the rift and allow the Dawn War to be rekindled. Haramathur's corpse now exists simultaneously in the Astral Sea and in the Elemental Chaos.[6]
  • He Who Was - A god of good and possibly peace, he was killed by his archangel and exarch, Asmodeus. Implied to be the creator of humans, the devils wiped out all knowledge of his name, which they fear is powerful enough to revive him if it is ever spoken aloud again. The Nine Hells were originally his astral domain, now a prison for Asmodeus and his devils.[4]
  • Io - God of all dragons, in his hubris he fought alone in the Dawn War and meet his demise in the hands of the primordial Erek-Hus, who cut Io in twain and split him into Tiamat and Bahamut. Some believe Zehir betrayed Io to the primordials.[4]
  • Khala - Goddess of Winter, wife of Zehir, mother of Kord, Khala sought to trap the natural world in an eternal winter to secure power over it. Her plans convinced the primal spirits to expel gods and primordials from the world. She was killed by the other gods in a conflict called the War of Winter, who afterwards made a compact to balance darkness and light (Zehir and Pelor), and the natural seasons (Corellon, Pelor and Sehanine). Her power over winter was taken by the Raven Queen.[4]
  • Laeris - God of trickery, a shapeshifting Unaligned deity who lived to play pranks on his fellow gods, the primordials, and anyone else who caught his attention. It's generally accepted that Vecna killed him after Laeris infiltrated Citadel Cavitius and tried to steal a powerful magical elixir called the Final Moment, but many argue that faking his death is just the sort of thing that the Trickster would do, leading to cults dedicated to him being quite active in the world still.[6]
  • Lakal - Goddess of Healing and Mercy who was also her own Astral Dominion. She was an impersonal deity who communicated with her chosen people, the Quom, through "ecstatic moments of personal communion." She extolled mercy and urged her followers to dedicate themselves to pursuits that benefitted the whole cosmos. Lakal's death was accidental- when Bahamut battled Nihil, the primoridial of nothingness, the pair crashed into Lakal. Bahamut was able to use the distraction to slay Nihil, but the primoridal's death throes also caused Lakal to explode. The surviving quom now roam the planes, retrieving any shards of Lakal that they can find, including those unknowingly consumed by living creatures. Such creatures, including humanoids and player characters, are considered collateral damage in the quom's quest to restore Lakal. Ironically, even if the quom succeed in their quest, the restored Lakal would be disgusted with their methods.[8]
  • Nerull - The original God of Death and the Dead, who greedily hoarded the souls of the dead for his own pleasure. Eventually, one of those souls rose up and managed to slay him, becoming the Raven Queen.[4]
  • Nusemnee - Nusemnee was the daughter of Zehir. When she failed to assassinate a high priest of Pelor, she was abandoned and then mortally wounded by a paladin’s holy blade. Expecting only death, she was surprised when the high priest healed her, showing her compassion and forgiveness. Intrigued, she decided to honor a promise to the high priest and aid him in his holy quest until a time that she could save his life in turn. Nusemnee thus became a symbol of redemption. When she finally died at the end of the high priest’s quest, she rose again, this time as a minor goddess. In this form, she opposed her father by offering redemption to all who would turn away from evil. She was later killed by a poison that could kill anything—even a deity—that was distilled from Zehir’s blood.[6]
  • Sagawehn - Known as the Winged Mistress and the Hive Mind, this Unaligned Goddess of Vermins was slain in Arvandor by an eladrin band of heroes when she tried to crush all individuality.[6]
  • Semuet - All-Seeing God or Goddess whose bodily remains are inhabited by the Far Realm essence called Kabu-Athla.[9]
  • The God of the Word - Little is known about this deity; this Creation God was the ruler of the shattered Dominion of Shom, a former ally of Ioun who fell in battle during the Dawn War, leaving behind his orphaned servitors the Illumians.[8]
  • Tuern - A God of Conquest and Fire, Tuern was the former ruler of the Dominion of Chernoggar, until he was murdered by Bane.[4]
  • Zorthos - The God of Doubt and Lassitude, little is known about this deity beyond that he was slain in the Dawn War and his carved-off but miraculously intact face still floats through the Astral Sea, broadcasting a spiritual malaise that makes it a true hazard to encounter.[8]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6  (2014). Dungeon Master's Guide (5e). (Wizards of the Coast)
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11  (2008). Player's Handbook (4e). (Wizards of the Coast)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9  (2008). Dungeon Master's Guide (4e). (Wizards of the Coast)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5  (2009). Divine Power. (Wizards of the Coast)
  5. ↑  (2009). Dungeon Master's Guide 2 (4e). (Wizards of the Coast)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4  (2010). Dragon #390, "Power Play - Dead Gods". (Wizards of the Coast)
  7. ↑  (July 2008). Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Yeenoghu, Demon Prince of Gnolls. (Wizards of the Coast)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2  (2010). The Plane Above - Secrets Of The Astral Sea. (Wizards of the Coast)
  9. ↑  (2010). Tomb of Horrors (4e). (Wizards of the Coast)

External links[edit]

  • The Gods List - Available at Planewalker contains basic information on all gods released in the Dungeons & Dragons product line.
  • Encyclopedia of the Planes - Some more detailed information on a lot of deities from Dungeons & Dragons (among many other things).
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