Seriously, I have always had a soft spot for Tharizdun myself, mystery, betrayal and madness who can resist.
The other Gods (good and evil) to often are protrayed as a celestial ATM's bound by a rigid code of conduct, but with Tharizdun their seems to be no framework or rules, he could kill or help for no rationale whatsoever, so what he's a God, who cares if it's fair...
Tharizdun has no social contact with his followers or anyone else, even the other Gods, which is why they locked him up.
He doesn't care if he is your friend or enemy, if he has a multitude of followers or one, he simply want to destroy everything and start over...like any other artistic perfectionist.
There are others (Cyndor and Beltar, for example) that I love, but more for the details I added than anything inherent in them. I do think Cyndor's status as a "Greater/Lesser" deity was intriguing as hell.
Zagyg
Boccob
Nerull
Orcus (he grants spells, you know)
Wee Jas: Death and Magic, 2nd edition player made info that my DM found online gave her priests access to ALL spells, magical and divine. Too powerful, I know, but imagine the possibilities of a 30th level priest of Wee Jas. She's been messed with too much and I think she should be a greater god.
Vatun: Not alot of info on this guy, which is alright by me. IMHO he has one eye, carries a spear and rides an eight legged horse.
Kelanen: The master of all swords. Nuf said.
I'm Cleo!
and who doesn't like just seeing the name Blibdoolpoolp in print?
hands down
His name is also an homage to Gygax. And if you didn't know that you should be ashamed of yourself. :P
Now there are a lot of things that make Vecna great. First of all there is a lot of myth surrounding him. The stories of his mortal life transcend time in Oerth and are talked about by bards far and wide. He's also a great villain. He's secretive and stealthy, always lurking where you'd least expect, and always planning things to gain the upper hand even though the PCs think they've won. But what really makes Vecna great is what he represents.
Vecna is a dynamic element in a dynamic world. Oerth is a world that is constantly changing and growing and Vecna exemplifies this better than any other god (imho). He proves there is an exception to every rule and that evil can and will grow if left unchecked, and even if that evil is addressed it may still rule the day. Every step Vecna has taken has been a step up, with possibly the exception of his battle with Kas which left him bereft of his hand and eye. He began as a mortal wizard and has crawled his way up to being a lesser god. He is the only lich-god in the entire pantheon and one of a very exclusive club of mortals-ascended. Truly, he is special amongst the gods.
He has broken every precept imaginable, from non-interference in mortal affairs, to being the only god with the distinction of having entered Sigil. He manages to do all of these things, not by force or might, but through cunning and guile. Clearly, he does not play by the rules. His ambition is limitless, and he will not be satisfied until he alone is the single-greatest power in all the multiverse. Vecna is my favorite god of Greyhawk, hands down.
I believe Pholtus deserves an honorable mention, if only for the fact that he is the closest thing Oerth has to a widely accepted monotheism (though it isn't a monotheistic religion in the strictest sense). This also makes him unique among the pantheon. Not to mention I have had more fun role-playing Pholtan PCs and NPCs in Greyhawk than any other kind of holy warrior. Their pompous attitudes and inflexibility can be a great handicap to add to an otherwise extraordinary character, and they enhance the roleplaying environment greatly for a mature group (some may be offended by such a PC's actions and take things personally, so I can understand how this might not apply to all groups).
Anyway, those are my picks, although I must say the entire pantheon of Greyhawk has more character than any other setting's pantheon. (Opinion again, but well-supported)
St. Cuthbert because of his deep rooted rivalry and hatred of Iuz ( one of my favourite evil dieties), I played a Cleric of St. Cuthbert as one of my first characters over twenty years ago and still base my NPC clerics of St. Cuthbert on that character. A champion who will take action to protect the common people and holds honesty and devotion to St. Cuthbert as virtues that should be embraced by all (or they will get a cudgel round the back of the head, and be made to sit on the naughty step).
Tharizdun because I have trembled my way through several temples that have him as their mentor, even though he could not truly care for his followers or the Temples they have. The cult of Tharizdun has many locales that have partys of adventurers quaking in their boots and afraid to touch anything (he gains the respect (even if it is through fear) that all truly evil gods should have).
An eye for an eye.
-
The Dweller on the Horizon is a favorite too because, simply his desire and need to wander. Traveling the face of Oerth, seeing all the sights, seeing the unfolding histories from 3rd person POV... much like GH DMs. That's my kind of god!
I have other likes when it comes to GH dieties, but those are my favorite. I can honstly say that there are very few GH dieties that I don't like. But that is for another thread.
........................................Omote
FPQ
When did Pelor become so popular?
Since he hired a new PR consultant during the GH Wars and diversified his brand appeal though product synergy with Mayaheine (she's popular with young people and fighters and paladins, particularly in the level 1-9 cohort). :P :D
Corellon Larethian, because I've always thought elves were cool;
Fharlanghn, because there's always this sense of uncertainty when people try to pronounce his name;
Kord, because he likes to brawl, kill dragons, and drink mead;
Rillifane Rallathil, because he is often overlooked as an elven god. And, he has green skin! Neato!
Vaprak "the Destroyer", because like myself, he is always hungry;
Wastri, because he's wierd, and likes to impale small demihumans on the end of his glaive.
As an added bonus also a god of physical strenght and organisation. Me Likes!
S.H, Ahlissa (Naerie) webslave
Wee Jas - Sexy death magic
Incabulos - Complex evil with ultra cool sounding name
Zarus - Humanity has a racial god and he is not a goody two-shoes
Pholtus - Worshippers align LN, LE, LG
Joramy - Violent, fiery and independent
_Least_ Favorites -
Boccob - Over-exposed, Elminster of the Gods (and his little "Lhaeo" buddy Zagyg too), most likey to become GH's "Mystra," complete with Mordenkainen etc. as "Boccob's Chosen." ::puke::
Nerull - An over-exposed, dumbed down crayon drawing of Doctor Doom as a necromancer.
Tharizdun - Over-exposed parody of a villain who can't be taken seriously after ridiculous dialog in Gord stories.
Zilchus - One dimensional "god of money," made laughable in the LGG.
Iuz - Demi-god of failed plans to conquer everything, a disgrace to both his father and mother. HOOK!
Zilchus - One dimensional "god of money," made laughable in the LGG.
I compare him to the Dagda, an ancient god of the treasures of the earth, fertility, and the arts, once a leader of the pantheon who was later subordinated to younger gods like Pholtus (Lugh to Zilchus' Dagda). In modern times he's been "cleaned up," given a fancy suit, his club replaced with a mace and his cauldron with a coin purse, but the fertility symbols are still there.
Looking through http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/articles/lg20030521deitiessearch I'd forgotten just how many gods were imported to GH in the past several years....
Boccob - Over-exposed, Elminster of the Gods (and his little "Lhaeo" buddy Zagyg too), most likey to become GH's "Mystra," complete with Mordenkainen etc. as "Boccob's Chosen." ::puke::
If anything, Mystra is the Boccob of FR, and Elminster is the Mordy of FR. Greyhawk predates FR by almost a decade*. We just seem to forget these little details because TSR/WotC has over-glorified the realms over the past 15 years.
Edit: I didn't mean "century," I meant "decade."
of the Gods (and his little "Lhaeo" buddy Zagyg too), most likey to become GH's "Mystra," complete with Mordenkainen etc. as "Boccob's Chosen." ::puke::
Where did this chosen business appear? It sounds horrible.
I guess it depends on how you do Boccob. I like to pile on the Uncaring aspect. He doesn't get involved because he doesn't give a damn. He's the ultimate enigmatic, inscrutable god. His priests are bizzare and obtuse in the extreme (in our home campaign, our PCs once went to question a priest of Boccob and ended up having an infuriatingly cryptic conversation with a sideboard and an ornamental carp). Given that magic does fade eventually in the Oerth, it's clear he's not too fussed by the waning either (either that or he's very unsuccessful if he does choose to care about it).
>Tharizdun - Over-exposed parody of a villain who can't be taken seriously after ridiculous dialog in Gord stories.
You're not wrong. I've just been struck by a thought though...
What if other gods and/or demons are using big T as a front? T is in the multiverse's equivalent of a maximum security correctional facility, right? So he can't be everywhere? Also he can retaliate against anyone trading on his name. What if T's name is being used like the godly equivalent of Kaiser Soze from Usual Suspects? "Do my bidding, for I am a servant of He Who Must Forever Slumber?" That'd get your attention for sure.
And let's face it, Incabulos has been awfuly quiet lately... ;)
Zilchus - One dimensional "god of money," made laughable in the LGG.
It's easy to fall into that trap alright, but I like Rip's interpretation. Also, if you bring in the power and prestige angle, and tie it to an Oeridian system of honour, face, status and authority (why else have tribal ritualised combats that have been tranformed and "civilised" into gladiatorial games and formal duels?) - you can get a bit of depth to him.
Iuz - Demi-god of failed plans to conquer everything, a disgrace to both his father and mother. HOOK!
I wouldn't write him off just yet. He's only a couple of centuries old after all. he's seen he can't forge an oerthly empire with his current resources, so being the son of his mother and father, he's bound to have some new scheme
up his sleeve. That said, you can bet Iggwilv won't hesitate to stick one in his back if she can.
http://www.greyhawkonline.com/wogcomic/title/wogstrip13a.htm
I compare him to the Dagda, an ancient god of the treasures of the earth, fertility, and the arts, once a leader of the pantheon who was later subordinated to younger gods like Pholtus (Lugh to Zilchus' Dagda). In modern times he's been "cleaned up," given a fancy suit, his club replaced with a mace and his cauldron with a coin purse, but the fertility symbols are still there.
I also had the idea that Zilchus was a secret god, a faith only taught by the merchant guilds. Outsiders know merchants have rites they do not share with the uninitiated, but not anything about them.
I like this. A lot.
The LGG treatment just struck me as dull and pretty mindless.
Where did this chosen business appear? It sounds horrible.
I guess it depends on how you do Boccob.
The "Chosen" stuff is FR. GH, IMO, flirts with too close an FRing of Boccob. Too much like unto Mystra, FR's deity of magic, even down to a proto-Chosen in Mordenkainen etc..
Boccob is too ubiquitous, IMO. Any legitimate mystery surrounding the figure is, IMO, diminished by his near continual invocation by authors everytime some mage or sorceror pulls a rabbit out of their hat. In this way, Boccob is sort of like that Rocky and Bullwinkle J. Moose gag -
Bullwinkle - "Hey, Rocky! Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!"
Rocky - "Again!"
Yes. Again with Boccob. And again. And yet - again! With results that are much like those achieved by Bullwinkle - not what was had in mind.
Zagyg only makes Boccob's overexposure worse as he serves as a jackanape standin for his ponderously overblown patron.
I'd like to put Boccob and Zagyg in a sealed room with Tharizdun and not let any of them out - ever.
I also had the idea that Zilchus was a secret god, a faith only taught by the merchant guilds. Outsiders know merchants have rites they do not share with the uninitiated, but not anything about them.
He's the chief patron of House Darmen in the United Kingdom of Ahlissa, meaning he's pretty important in the former Great Kingdom. There's a series of Living Greyhawk adventures that has you assisting the church of the Money Lender in discovering the reason behind a murder of one of their members and the church has pretty high exposure. I've always seen the church of Zilchus as an important fixture in many civilized nations. They oversee trade negotiations, help mediate the terms of contracts, and advise kings and nobles on financial matters. He's actually one of the more flavorful deities in my opinion.
Sehanie Moonbow: Wife of Corellon Larethian. Lendore Isles. 'Nuff Said.
Tharizdun: So mysterious, dark and forbiding. Gotta love Madness.
Fharlanghn: Well our group travels ALOT. So we try to keep the god of travel appeased.
Iuz: Parents: Graz'zt & Iggwilv , as if that wasen't enough he "controls" a huge empire, slaughters good-do-ers and consorts with demons.
Elder Elemental Evil: Very mysterous god, dont know much about him, but still like him
Vatun: I like snow so...
Xan Yae: Mysterious, god of shadows.
Beings:
Graz'zt: By far the coolest demon prince.
Don't forget Zug-it-mwah(Zuggtmoy), Goddess of Shrooms. Can't quite remember if she's actually a goddess or just a demon. I just remember her from the Temple of Elemental Evil.
If I recall correctly she is a demoness that has been sealed, I seem to recall her giveing you a wish in the RtToEE if you free her.
Likes:
Al'Akbar: I'm not sure but I have always loved this deity and most of the clerics I make are of him n_n most of the time I see at least a few people say they like him I am suprised that nobody has said him yet.
Wenta: Got to love a Goddess of Brewing among other things.
Wastri: Just becuase he is so werid and cool at the same time, I have done a quite a few games with him as both a villian (at least the clergy is) and something in the background
Trithereon: God of the mob and overturning of oppressive laws and evil, My kind of deity. Made a cool Paladin of Freedom (CG Paladin from Unearthed Arcana) that prayed to him.
Miles.
go go kuo-toas!
Sehanine Moonbow
Tharizdum
Heironeous
He's so old most people have forgotten his original name. That provides a lot of room for back story, old feuds, older lost temples, etc.
Mayaheine has good points too. A female god of justice instead of the prototypical blond hair, blue eyed ubermensch.
Definitely taking a page from all the strange and uncanny beings that would end-up being worshipped by cultists in classic S&S lit rather than the standard "half-assed pseudo-Greek pantheon" approach that is more common in D&D.
you all deserve to die for not mentioning him
ollidammara(wasnt he based on a pc played in the protoypical version of D&D)
I don't think so. Gygax's PCs first encountered him as a prisoner in the dungeons beneath Castle Greyhawk.
but how did he ascend then?
ahhh
but how did he ascend then?
He had already ascended. He was a god at the time.