Fantasy Pantheon: Difference between revisions

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[[File:endless7.jpg|link=Sandman|~~right~~|The Endless, going clockwise starting left: Death, Destiny, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Delirium, and Despair.]]

[[File:endless7.jpg|link=Sandman|frame|The Endless, going clockwise starting left: Death, Destiny, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Delirium, and Despair.]]

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* It can [[Religion Is Magic|provide a base]] for a world's [[Functional Magic]], particularly clerics, monks and paladins.

* It promotes conflict, especially if you have [[Character Alignment|good vs. evil gods]] or just [[Jerkass Gods]].

* It may be that [[~~Gods Hands Are Tied|~~God's Hands Are Tied]] and they need the hero to carry out their mission.

* It may be that [[God's Hands Are Tied]] and they need the hero to carry out their mission.

* It provides unique euphemisms for characters to swear [[Oh My Gods]] by.

* What better way to mess with with the character's lives?

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Roughly 9 times out of 10 [[hottip:*:[[Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics|and remember, 68% of all statistics are made up on the spot]], the [[Fantasy Pantheon]] will be polytheistic and each god and goddess will have an [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]. Being a [[Flat Earth Atheist]] is a potentially dangerous prospect. Non-godly spirits, demons and ordinary magical beings don't count, but various lesser gods, demigods and [[Odd Job Gods]] do. Note that while the title says "pantheon", single Gods count too, but they are rarer.

Interestingly, and possibly because of the non-polytheistic background of most sci-fi and fantasy writers, fantasy religions tend to be far more inclined to [~~http://en.~~wikipedia~~.org/wiki/~~Henotheism Henotheism] than most real-world polytheisms. Expect fantasy characters to pick one deity and stick to them rather than worship whichever holds the portfolio most appropriate to the business of the moment.

Interestingly, and possibly because of the non-polytheistic background of most sci-fi and fantasy writers, fantasy religions tend to be far more inclined to [[wikipedia:Henotheism|Henotheism]] than most real-world polytheisms. Expect fantasy characters to pick one deity and stick to them rather than worship whichever holds the portfolio most appropriate to the business of the moment.

Compare [[Crossover Cosmology]], [[All Myths Are True]], [[Crystal Dragon Jesus]]. May overlap with [[Original Generation]], if they co-exist with pantheon from actual mythology.

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** The Skaven only have a single god as well: the Horned Rat. Although the jury's still out on whether he's simply a minor Chaos god or not...

* The pantheons of the world of Glorantha in Chaosium's ''[[Rune Quest]]''.

* The deities of Tekumel in Professor M.A.R. Barker's ''[~~http://en.~~wikipedia~~.org/wiki/Empire_of_the_Petal_Throne~~ Empire of the Petal Throne]''

* The deities of Tekumel in Professor M.A.R. Barker's ''[[wikipedia:Empire of the Petal Throne|Empire of the Petal Throne]]''

* The Passions in FASA's ''[[Earthdawn]]''

* The Invisible Clergy in Atlas Games' ''[[Unknown Armies (Tabletop Game)|Unknown Armies]]''

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[[Category:Fantasy Pantheon]]

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