Preface
This pantheon began in my first ever home game for D&D and has evolved significantly over the past few years. For around a decade, divinity in my games (both those I ran and played in) always seemed like an afterthought or something that was shoehorned in. This attitude was cemented in place after years of it being the status quo and reading stories about nightmare Game Masters using a character's faith as a looming threat: "Your god says you must do this, or you will lose all of your class abilities!"
It wasn't until I stumbled across The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson that I began to rethink the nature of divinity in the fantasy worlds I participated in. While worship isn't front-and-center in Sanderson's Cosmere novels, they introduced the concept of divine beings that are incredibly simple to understand, vague enough to have variations within the same faith, flexible enough to adapt to player desires, and alien enough to feel otherworldly. Part of this also included separating racial deities from their traditional races. For example, Lolth is the Goddess of Solitude, and not the Goddess of the Drow. Anyone can follow her, and the Drow can follow any gods they want to.
As things grew and took form, one of the major goals of this project was to make all of the greater deities interesting and compelling. Part of that involved stripping away any sense of alignment and instead focusing entirely on how each god manifests their Ideal and how that Ideal can be both helpful and useful or harmful and hindering. Each god in this pantheon has one sect that is widely accepted in society and one that is generally ostracized or kept at arms length.
Additionally, I discovered that I would need to overhaul the nature of how divine spellcasting worked. For more information on this, check out the Mortals and Faith section of the Overview.
Additional notes
When I began officially putting together the core of the pantheon I for my game, I started with the Dawn War pantheon listed on pg 11 of the DMG, and assigned each god an Ideal and an Outer Plane to call home and the language within this document will reflect those particular deities and planes. However, if you don't use the Dawn War pantheon, you can swap out one deity for another that has a similar feel.
The Nature of Divinity
The beings that fill this pantheon derive their power from a Shard in their possession. Each Shard is a physical manifestation of the Ideal it contains and appears as a slender, crystalline material that radiates a holy light. Each Shard will bond to whoever carries it and, if the host survives the process, it will eventually corrupt them and turn them into a being that is an extension of its Ideal.
While most mortals assume the gods are truly immortal, a more accurate understanding would be that they are former mortals that are now custodians of their Shard or Splinter. If a deity's avatar is damaged enough, the Shard within can be revealed and claimed by a challenger. In this case, the Shard will claim the challenger's body as its new vessel and the previous body will wither away to dust. However, barring this, deities are effectively immortal; they do not age, and are not generally subject to other lethal things like poisons or curses.
Greater Deities
As the most powerful beings in the cosmos, Greater Deities can have an enormous influence over the spaces they inhabit. Although they cannot act directly outside of their domains, they are effectively omnipotent within them. A divine being in this category can shape the space around them, banish tresspassers, or summon allies to them.
A Greater Deity can also create a Lesser Gods by investing a Splinter of their Ideal within a creature. Lesser gods will all have some affinity for the particular Ideal of the Greater Deity they serve, but they tend to retain their sense of identity. Additionally, a Greater Deity can appoint Champions to do their bidding out in the world beyond their domain. These Champions are quasi-mortal and cannot die from old age, but otherwise are generally a step or two above 20th level PCs with a particular boon from their patron god to help them perform whatever tasks have been given to them.
Divinity and Magic
This pantheon assumes that all magic - both arcane and divine - ultimately come from The Weave. While mortals access the Weave through a wide variety of methods, a god exists partially within the Weave; they can shape magic around them with their subconscious thoughts as long as they are within their Domains. Additionally, this connection to The Weave helps to sustain them and repair damage to their bodies.
However, this connection does not extent outside of a god's home turf. If they are drawn out of their seat of power, this connection is strained and less effective. Because of this, most deities stay in their personal realms.
Planar Thrones
This pantheon consists of 16 Greater Deities, and assumes each one is native to a particular Outer Plane that has manifested a physical embodiment of their Ideal. This results in many of the Gods being found in places that do not match Wizards of the Coast's canon. Tiamat is now in Gehenna instead of the Nine Hells, The Raven Queen is in Hades instead of the Shadowfell, and so on. A future project involves making an Atlas of the Planes document to go with this one and outline those locations and the effects the Ideals have on phsyical space.
For now, that project is far in the future, but will still be hinted at in the rest of this codex series.
Mortals and Faith
The nature of Divinity as Ideals makes it incredibly easy for characters and NPCs to venerate multiple deities. A classic lawful-good character might follow the God of Honor and the God of Endurance. Another character might pursue Ambition and Cultivation as a means to grow and reach their goals.
This pantheon doesn't require or gain power from the worship of mortals by default. Instead, there's a trickle-down effect derived from the actions of mortals. When someone acts with or pursues honor; part of the energy of that action contributes to the God of Honor, creating empty spaces lends power to Desolation, and being generous gives energy to Endowment. And the list goes on. While there is a church following for each Ideal, and PCs are welcome to dedicate themselves to a single deity (or none!), it is likely that every person in your world will support several members of the pantheon through their actions. Still, the gods welcome worship as a way to encourage mortals to act in line with their Ideal as often as possible.
Divine Spellcasting Classes
As a consequence of divine power being separated from worship, you might consider unlinking the usual relationship between gods and clerics or paladins. Instead, link a cleric's spellcasting to their faith and let the player decide what that cleric has faith in. It might still be faith in a divine being, but when those divine beings are really Ideals, it can turn into having faith in the Honor of humanity, the Preservation of life, or the Endurance of the world. Likewise, a Paladin can swear an Oath for their power in a similar fashion.
This change doesn't really impact the mechanics of the game but gives the players much more control over how characters can participate in their faith. A cleric losing their own faith is a much more impactful moment than a god showing up and pulling the power plug for breaking the rules. The same can be said for Paladins as well. If they swear an Oath and then break that oath, it is much more compelling than an external figure determining their worthiness.
A Note on NPC Clergy
Each of the deities outlined in this document has two primary denominations, and each of those offers an Optional Rule ability to its higher ranking clergy members. These abilities are powerful and not design for PCs to have access to.
The assumption with these NPCs is that they forego the opportunity to adventure in favor of wholly dedicating themselves to their chosen Ideal. In addition to the obvious ability benefit, these powers can also give the players a reason to seek out other faith leaders instead of just always asking the party cleric or paladin about the Thing at hand.
That said, if your party is seeking out boons from the gods, these abilities can provide a good starting point for the abilities a god could bestow.
Gods of the Pantheon
This document uses the pantheon I've set up for my home game. It is based on the Dawn War pantheon and will ultimately include all of the deities in the table below. However, if you prefer to use other deities to better fit your worlds, feel free to do so! Take what works for you and your and mix it up with other things to make something unique to your group!
Gods & Ideals
| Ideal | Deity | Home Plane |
|---|---|---|
| Ambition | Tiamat | Gehenna |
| Autonomy | Avandra | Limbo |
| Brutality | Bane | Archeron |
| Cultivation | Melora | The Beastlands |
| Desolation | The Raven Queen | Hades |
| Destruction | Tharizidun | Pandemonium |
| Devotion | Moradin | Elysium |
| Domination | Gruumsh | The Abyss |
| Endowment | Ioun | Mechanus |
| Endurance | Kord | Ysgard |
| Harmony | Erathis | Arcadia |
| Hatred | Asmodeus | The Nine Hells |
| Honor | Bahamut | Mt. Celestia |
| Passion | Sehanine | Arborea |
| Preservation | Pelor | Bytopia |
| Solitude | Llolth | Carceri |
Art Credits
Cover image by /u/pfenixartwork
Hatred: Asmodeus
People fear the Lord of the Nine because they do not understand Him. He is not some powerful force of Evil that seeks to impose his will on mortals like you and I; that would be too simple. He is a being of Hatred, and his Power comes from the hatred that we mortals experience. Whenever you act on your anger and hate, you lend Him power. Yet, this is not a bad thing; there are many abhorrent things in the world that deserve the focus of our hatred.” - Tristan Sagona, High Beacon
Divine Names
Asmodeus' Ideal of Hatred makes people think of him with more trepidation than many other deities. While his clergy generally use his name or ideal, many refer to him as The Odious King or The Hateful One. Those that are also familiar with the structure of the Nine Hells of Baator will also refer to Asmodeus as Lord of the Nine.
Domains
Like all Prime Deities, Asmodeus is associated with a particular Ideal manifests his power. His opponents speak of him as a furious tyrant, but his Ideal acts more like a scalpel than a bludgeon. Within this Ideal are several smaller domains that fall under the control of Asmodeus:
Hatred. The primary domain of Asmodeus, and the core of his divinity is that of Hatred. While this often is associated with a malicious intent, this domain also includes less extreme forms; things like hating the weather or an idea fall into this domain and contribute power to Asmodeus.
Anger. Because of its similarities to Hate, the domain of Anger also falls under Asmodeus’ power. Anytime people use their anger to drive themselves forward, such as fighters and barbarians, will give power to Asmodeus and are likely to at least venerate Asmodeus if they don’t outright worship him.
Leadership. The final domain is that of leadership and allowing hate to spark action. Many people are not driven to action without some bit of hatred involved, even if there are other factors included in their motivation. But whenever anger and hate lead a person to act, it contributes to the Ideal of Hatred and the power of Asmodeus.
Dogma
At its core, the dogma followed by Asmodeus’ more ardent supporters likely feels more intense than the dogma of other deities, but these supporters work to avoid being blinded by their hatred. Although there are some deep divisions within the sects of this faith, the core dogma is as follows:
Hate Should Be Embraced. When someone feels a seed of hatred, they should not avoid it. Embracing the emotion and allowing oneself the room to evaluate the merits of the hate helps with learning coping mechanisms so they do not become overwhelmed by their Passions.
Wrath is Righteous. Although persistent and blind rage can cause widespread Destruction, the core of anger can spur action to solve problems. Anger should be wielded with care, but it should be wielded.
Tenets
The clergy of Asmodeus are diverse in their practices, but preach a few common tenets to their communities.
Anger with Action. Anger should not be allowed to sit and fester. Instead, people use anger to motivate progress and reach their goals. Without a healthy outlet for anger and hatred, a person will be consumed by them.
To Live is to Lead. Action is important, but guiding anger and action to reach a larger goal requires leadership. When someone finds something abhorrent, they should step up to lead those around them to change and eliminate the target.
Temper Your Hate. While Asmodeus doesn’t specifically advocate this perspective, many of his mortal followers do. It is important to make sure hatred does not overwhelm a person, and this can be done by tempering the emotion so that it is kept in check. Like a hearth, hate can provide warmth and safety, but if left unchecked it can burn down them home.
Allies of the Faith
Despite the stigma of the Nine Hells and the devils that live there, the Church of Asmodeus does find allies within the followers of a few other faiths.
Church of Domination
Because of Hatred’s call to lead, its followers often feel kinship with those that worship Gruumsh and the Ideal of Domination. However, this closeness tends to only be one way, with followers of Gruumsh feeling closer to followers of Asmodeus than the other way around.
Church of Passion
The Ideal of Passion and its patron, Sehanine, often work well with that of Hatred, especially when it involves a call to action. While the Church of Passion is more ardent than any other religious group, many that worship Hatred also worship Passion, and lean heavily into the zeal and combine that with the hate they kindle.
Church of Honor
Bahamut and Honor are can work surprisingly well with Hatred at times, although this alliance is tenuous and generally falls along sectarian lines in both religions. Those that hold both faiths closely will often channel their hate to root out those that would be dishonorable.
Enemies of the Faith
Asmodeus and Hatred also have many enemies throughout the cosmos due to the tendencies of mortals to act on their Hatred in ways that cause much larger problems.
Church of Harmony
Erathis, the Lord of Harmony, seeks to maintain peace between all people, nations, and worlds. As such, acting on Hatred (and the change it drives) is something this church of vehemently opposed to.
Church of Endurance
Those that follow the Kord and the Ideal of Endurance aren’t generally hostile toward the followers of Hatred, but there is definitely no love lost between these faiths. Where Asmodeus preaches for action, Kord preaches to endure, and this opposition in values is difficult to bridge.
Church of Desolation
Another faith that often conflicts with Asmodeus is the Raven Queen and Desolation. The Raven Queen’s followers preach that emptying oneself of emotions is the path to wisdom, which has no space within the Ideal of Hatred.
Clergy & Temples
Like the devils in the Nine Hells, the Church of Asmodeus has a very strict hierarchy based on experience and capability. Formally, there are only three categories for the dedicated clergy, but newer and less experienced members within a group are expected to defer to those that are older and more experienced.
Torches. Acolytes that have the least experience are called Torches to represent the hate they have begun to kindle. Common responsibilities for Torches include hosting faith workshops to help people learn to channel their emotions in constructive ways. A common sentiment expressed in these groups is “It is good to allow yourself to feel anger and hatred so you can learn how to deal with it in a productive way.”
Firesworn. Those that learn to process their hate and anger in healthy ways are eventually promoted to the rank of Firesworn. These clergy members swear an oath to guide others to action and provide counsel to people with more extreme and difficult-to-control anger and hate issues.
High Beacon. People that reach this level are those that have mastered control of the hate they experience. They operate the highest levels of the temples and churches and are often the guiding leader for an entire geographic region.
Temple Designs
Temples dedicated to Asmodeus often have large open interiors where people have room to pace and roam if they get jittery as they learn to process the emotions that are encouraged here. The temples are often lit with open flames from torches, sconces, and brazers.
These places of worship are generally constructed from stones capable of withstanding immense heat, such as marble or granite. In poorer communities, other types of igneous rocks are used, such as basalt.
Common Symbols & Icons
The most iconic symbol used in temples to Asmodeus depict a simplified image of a humanoid figure rising out of a pit of flames. Clergy can explain that this symbol represents how if you allow yourself to exist within the emotions society labels as “negative” or “bad” that you can learn to find clarity and rise above them. Beyond this particular symbol, simplified symbols of a flame surrounded by twisted horns, or the circular symbol for the Nine Hells are often used to identify centers of worship for Asmodeus.
Fire is a common symbol used in places throughout the religion because of how easily it represents so many aspects of hate; one of the more common (if also a bit pithy) understandings of the core tenets is “Hate is like a hearth. It can warm your home, but can also burn it down if left unchecked.” Similarly, color schemes around this faith include dark reds and golds, along with any other fiery colors, but lean toward deeper, darker hues than brighter and more vibrant tones.
Holy Days & Festivals
Followers of The Odious King aren’t generally a celebratory type, and as such they tend to have few days of celebration. Most festivals are celebrated as part of other local celebrations for local leadership, however, they do have one official holy day.
Night of Fire
The only official Holy Day is the Night of Fire. Generally this is celebrated on the last day of summer or the first day of fall, when the danger of wildfires is the highest. Celebrations involve building a large bonfire after clearing a large area and keeping it burning all night. These rituals are overseen by a Firesworn or High Beacon so the fire doesn’t get out of hand. The night includes time that is dedicated to meditation, and sermons on kindling hatred so it is useful, but maintaining control so it doesn’t destroy everything nearby.
Avatars & Champions
Asmodeus most often uses his avatar form when meeting with the other archevils in the Nine Hells, but he occasionally uses the appearance when meeting with mortal champions that worthy of his counsel. More often, he sends Xargrag, his Champion on quests to deliver messages to various groups.
Avatar of Asmodeus
Asmodeus’ avatar manifests as an human man that appears to be in his 60s or 70s, except that he has a pair of sleek sweeping horns that curl back around his head. His eyes glow with a fiery golden color and sleek, ash-colored hair falls around a facewith pale skin covered in distinct creases and wrinkles. He stands straight and always appears to be slightly taller than the next tallest person in the vicinity.
He always manifests in pale gray robes with golden trim, and frequently summons an ornate chair to sit on while he conducts whatever business is necessary.
Champion: Xargrag
A monstrous pit fiend, Xargrag is the only creature in the Nine Hells that doesn't hate Asmodeus. Instead, he directs his hatred outward at any that would dare usurp the Lord of the Nine. He wears an intricate set of scale armor constructed from bone fragments of those he has personally slain.
Known Sects & Cults
Asmodeus' clergy generally fall into one of two sects:
Order of the Adamantine Scepter
Welcome in major cities and larger towns, the Order of the Adamantine Scepter is the largest and most mainstream denomination of Asmodeus. This sect often works adamantly to teach others how to control their emotions and focus them towards achieving whatever goals they have.
Optional Rule: Odious Mastery Order members have mastered their emotions to the point of resisting magic. Firesworn cannot be affected by magic that would charm,
dominate, or frighten them unless the spell is cast using a spell slot of sixth level or higher. High Beacons cannot be affected by these spells unless they are cast using a ninth level spell slot.Brotherhood of Iron Flames
This small, secretive, and insular sect of Asmodeus rides the edge of controlling their hitred. Many of these priests tend toward utilitarian and ends-justify-the-means philosophies, and use their hatred as motivation to accomplish whatever goals they work toward. While this group is not often openly welcomed in large cities, they are excellent military leaders, and often find themselves encouraged to fulfill such roles.
Optional Rule: Cleansed by Fire. Priests of this sect are inclined to the more violent aspect of anger and hatred. A Firesworn or High Beacon can use this to manifest their power and create a radius of holy fire around them. Any creature within this radius that the priest is hostile, regardless of ally or enemy status, takes 1d4 fire damage on the priest’s turn, and this damage bypasses resistance or immunity to fire damage. For a Firesworn, the radius of this effect is 15ft, and for a High Beacon, the radius is 30ft.
Xargrag
Large fiend (devil), Unaligned
- Armor Class 23 (bone scale armor)
- Hit Points 300 (24d10+168)
- Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 26 (+8) 14 (+2) 24 (+7) 22 (+6) 18 (+4) 24 (+7)
- Saving Throws Dex +8, Con +13, Wis +10
- Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical weapons
- Damage Immunities fire, poison
- Condition Immunities poisoned
- Senses truesight 120 ft, passive perception 14
- Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft
- Challenge 20 (25,000 XP)
Fear Arua. Hostile creatures that start their turn within 30 ft of Xargrag must make a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is frightened until the start of its next turn. If the creature succeeds, they are immune to Xargrag's aura for 24 hours.
Magic Resistance: Xargrag has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.
Holy Hatred. Xargrag's attacks are considered magical and deal an extra 1d6 radiant damage (included in the attacks below).
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If Xargrag fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Innate Spellcasting. Xargrag's spellcasting ability is Charisma (save DC 21). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: detect magic, fireball
3/day: hold monster, wall of fireActions
Multiattack. Xargrag makes four attacks: one with his bite, two with his claw, and one with his tail.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 22 (4d6+8) piercing damage and 3 (1d6) radiant damage. The target must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned. While poisoned, the target can't regain hitpoints and it takes 21 (6d6) poison damage at the start of each of its turns. The poisoned target can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8+8) slashing damage and 3 (1d6) radiant damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (3d10+8) bludgeoning damage and 3(1d6) radiant damage.
Legendary Actions
Xargrag can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. He can take only one legendary action at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. He regains spend legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Move. Xargrag moves up to half his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Holy Strike. Xargrag makes an attack with his claw or tail, and deals an extra 7 (2d6) radiant damage on a hit.
Avatar of Hatred
Large celestial, Unaligned
- Armor Class 24
- Hit Points 615 (30d20+300)
- Speed fly 100 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 20 (+5) 26 (+8) 30 (+10) 24 (+7) 30 (+10) 23 (+6)
- Saving Throws Dex +17, Int +16, Wis +19, Cha +15
- Skills Arcana +16, History +16, Perception +19, Religion +16
- Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning
- Damage Immunities Bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons, Radiant
- Condition Immunities Blinded, Charmed, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Restrained, Stunned
- Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 29
- Languages Celestial, Sylvan, telepathy 120 ft.
- Challenge 30 (155,000 XP)
Shard of Divinity. When an Avatar's hitpoints drop below 100, the Shard of Divinity within them is exposed and can be pulled free. Removing a Shard requires a DC 30 Strength check. For every 10 hit points below 100 the Avatar has, the DC is reduced by 1, down to a minimum of DC 20.
Odious Aura. Hostile creatures that start their turn within 60 ft of the Avatar of Hatred take 5 (1d10) radiant damage from the divine flames that fill this area. Damage from this effect bypass resistance and immunity to radiant damage.
Intimidating Visage. As a physical extension of his Ideal, Hatred is overwhelmingly intimidating, even to the bravest of heroes. Creatures that can see him within 120 ft must make a roll a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened.
Legendary Resistance (5/day). If Hatred fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Limited Magic Immunity. Unless he wishes to be affected, Hatred is immune to spells of 6th level or lower. He has advantage on saving throws against all other spells and magical effects.
Magic Weapons. Hatred's weapon attacks are magical.
Regeneration. Hatred regains 25 hitpoints at the start of his turn.
Innate Spellcasting. Hatred's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 27, +19 to hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Cantrips: eldritch blast, sacred flame, true strike
1st level (4 slots): bane, burning hands, searing smite, shield, witch bolt
2nd level (3 slots): crown of madness, hold person, ray of enfeeblement, spike growth
3rd level (3 slots): call lightning, counterspell, dispel magic, fireball, lightning bolt
4th level (3 slots): blight, confusion, polymorph, staggering smite
5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, destructive wave, dominate person, flame strike, wall of force
6th level (1 slot): chain lightning, circle of death, disintegrate, eyebite
7th level (1 slot): forcecage, fire storm, prismatic spray, symbol
8th level (1 slot): incendiary cloud, maze
9th level (1 slot): meteor swarm, power word killActions
Infernal Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit 25 (4d6+8) piercing damage and 7 (2d6) radiant damage.
Legendary Actions
Hatred can take 5 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. He can take only one legendary action at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. He regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Move. Hatred moves up to half his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Holy Strike. Hatred makes a strike with his Infernal Rapier.
Cast a Spell (2 actions). Hatred casts a spell of 5th level or lower.
Font of Magic (5 actions). Hatred channels magic through his divine connection to The Weave. He rolls a d10 and regains that many spell slots.
Hatred's Lair
Hatred lives in the Nine Hells of Baator and his Planar Throne is located in the bottommost layer of Nessus. He rules the Nine Hells from a wicked palace called Malsheem, the Citadel of Hell, surrounded by flaming forests, firewinds, and sheer cliffs.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Hatred takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; he can't use the same effect two rounds in a row.
- Rifts to the various levels of Baator open and allow reinforcements through. Up to five CR 4, four CR 5, or two CR 10 fiends join the battle. They act immediately, but vanish on initiative count 20 on the next round.
- Toxic fumes ignite in a 20 ft radius around a point Hatred can see. Creatures in the radius must make a DC 20 saving throw or take 10 (3d6) fire and 10 (3d6) poison damage. A Dexterity saving throw avoids the fire damage, and a Constitution saving throw avoids the poison.
- Hatred draws on The Weave to heal himself, regaining 100 hitpoints.