Sulphacitezus is an exceptionally intelligent red dragon with high level magic abilities, who is also over 300 feet long. Buried in a hoard within the lair is the Sword of Azor'alq, a proud intelligent sword with an ego that demands a high ranking noble wielder. (Ken Frank, from Tom Prusa’s adventure “A Sword for a Hero” in the AD&D 2e supplement WGR2: Treasures of Greyhawk, TSR, 1992)
Bored at work so I wrote Apologia for each of the evil gods in the standard D&D settings.
These are reasons why someone might convert to actively worshipping "Evil" gods beyond "idk they're just evil" or "idk they're just insane". This isn't me attempting to make a straw-cultural relativism "actually all gods are good if you already worship them" point, the people making these arguments will still probably be driven to do Villainous things, but it should lead to players hearing them out and going "Okay I can see why you came to the conclusion why that would be a good thing to do". I've also tried to stay within 'canon' as much as possible; it's easy to come up with reasons why people might pick a god if you just make stuff up whole cloth. If you want to use these in your own games, either as NPCs, Villains or Morally Complex PCs, feel free - just let me know how the other players respond, because I'd like to hear!
Auril, the Frostmaiden, is a goddess of Winter and the Arctic. She is cruel and harsh, though beautiful, and her favour grants no protection from ice and chill. Mostly, she is Propitiated against, as the subsistence farmers and hunters of the North pray merely for survival during the darkest months. She does still have a corps of dedicated worshippers, though. These clerics travel North for one of two reasons. Firstly, to prepare against the inevitable. Winter is always coming, and you must always be ready to survive it., The starvation makes you lean, cutting out the unnecessary fat, and the cold keeps you sharp. Those who can't make it were never going to make it; what remains when the Spring comes is what was best able to make use of what Autumn's bounty brought. clerics of this type travel light, with only what tools they need to survive, disdaining the ostentatious wealth of those who have never faced a true trial of strength. Secondly, to take in the beauty of ice. Winter is cruel, yes, but the silence carries a sharpness of sound, and the light reflects beautifully. Auril preserves those who she favours most forever in ice that never melts; in this way artists can find true immortality, as their works will remain as frozen perfection until the sun dies and Greyhawk is taken by the final winter that never ends.
Asmodeus is an outlier amongst the evil pantheon, in that he LOVES Civilisation. He loves hierarchies. He loves rules. He loves when people organise themselves and come to agreements. He loves contracts. Humanity has never known such flourishing as it has experiences since the dawn of civilisation, and Asmodeus can't get enough of that. He hates oathbreakers and traitors. He wants the powerful to watch over and protect those who serve them. Deference to the law is a key point of dogma amongst worshippers of Asmodeus. What separates Asmodeus from the Traditionally Lawful Good deities like Ilmater or Torm is that he teaches that even an unjust contract, freely entered into, should be obeyed. Even cruel rulers should be paid deference. If your conscience says that a law is immoral, it is your conscience that should be quieted. There's a relief in that. If you know exactly what the rules are that you need to operate under at all times, you never have to think about your choices. Is it Legal? Then it is Good. If there's no rule against it, then it's fine. Justice is simple when the only two colours are Black and White.
There are gods who serve for specific times and places, and take a backseat at other times. Bane is one of those gods. Bane comes to bring civilisation by the sword, whether you want it or not. Those with power must rule; all else must take their place and serve, or be trampled. Bane watches over those who conquer, and he loves you as long as you keep winning. As for the conquered - why struggle? If your way of life was better, you would have won. What has your fighting profited you? The yoke was inevitable. Make peace with your chains, or find yourself torn down to the roots and fed to the soil of the people who will own your lands after you. Those are your only options.
Beshaba, or Lady Doom, is the necessary counterpart to Lady Luck. As every gambler knows, no matter how solid your apparent string of good luck, there will always be the inevitable return to the mean. The Maid of Misfortune reminds you that, at any time, your fortunes could turn - the wheel of life spins, and those on the top can always find themselves on the bottom. She teaches, therefore, to hedge your bets, and guard against the inevitable turn; to look upon those you consider your lessers, and realise how little separates you from them; and to always know when to cut your losses.
Bhaal is a god who reminds you that, when it comes down to it, every king and saint dies just as easily as you do, and history remembers their killers. Not just remembers - some are even celebrated! And that could be you! You could have your name spoken through history as the Slayer of the Tyrant - or, equally, as the Murderer of the Martyr. No matter how messed up your life had been up to that point, however ordinary or provincial, there's always a chance for you to change the course of history - just little old you and one blade, or arrow, or jar of poison. If history is written by the winners, this is your chance to grab the pen. How many other gods offer that?
Dendar is technically only an Elder Primordial, not a deity, but if you talk to a cultist of the Eater of Nightmares, they'll tell you the distinction is mostly academic. She predates most of the modern pantheon, she fights when the gods go to war, and she answers prayers. What more do you want from a deity? They say Dendar is unfairly maligned as causing nightmares. In fact, they say, a more careful reading of the texts indicates that Nightmares exist regardless of her input; and, in fact, without her devouring the fears and nightmares of mortals, they say, we would remember every nightmare we ever experienced. It's pretty obvious that the world would be a worse place if she wasn't doing that. A priest of Dendar will help you when your nights are no longer restful; the venom of Dendar induces dreamful sleep, and the great servant will devour your night terrors, leaving only peaceful dreams and restful nights. She demands no price for this boon. It is simply her nature. Most servants of Dendar once suffered this way themselves; in their gratitude, they traverse the lands, seeking out others who can benefit from the Night Serpent's aid.
Erynthul loves you. He loves every part of you. He especially loves the parts of you that the 'Good' Deities would prefer you keep hidden. He loves your hate, your fear, and your ignorance. He loves your pettiness and your laziness. He loves your trauma and your brokenness. He loves every part of your existence, and he recognises that most of that is not the stuff that hymns are written about. Everyone faces hardship in life. Everyone's a little bit broken by the cruelty of the world. Erythnul says that this, too, should be celebrated. Let others raise their eyes to the heavens in glory; Erythnul wants you to look down, at the mud and blood and crap and piss and sulphur that surrounds us, and realise that this, too, is holy. Erythnul is there at every barroom brawl, every mass-hysteria witch hunt, every time a debt collector breaks a widow's kneecaps and every acrimonious divorce, because without moments like these we wouldn't know how good we have it when there is kindness and beauty and grace. Erythnul is there when you would otherwise be all alone, when every other deity would leave you behind, and he will laugh joyously at your suffering, but he will love you even then, when you truly believe that there is nothing in you that can be loved. Erythnul will never turn away from you.
Gargauth is a close ally of Asmodeus, though the relationship is a strained one. While Asmodeus holds the contract as sacred, and the breaking of agreements as the highest of sins, Gargauth recognises that contracts can easily be exploited by the powerful, and considers turnabout to be fair play. Gargauth knows that power corrupts and that systems tend to distortion and decay, and says "why not take what you can? Better that it be you, who does it with open eyes and good intent, than that it be done by someone who would turn that benefit to your loss." His worshippers invented the Work-to-Rule, the Jobsworth, and the Malicious Compliance. His holy book is the Simple Sabotage Manual. Stay within the rules that protect you, but always seek to bend or avoid those that would confine you for no benefit. Everyone else does - why shouldn't you?
In the ancient times, survival was purely a matter of strength and conditioning. Did you have enough stamina to keep up with the deer? Were you strong enough to make the killing blow? If you weren't strong, you didn't eat. Nowadays, people are weak. Soft. Civilised. First they sharpened edges to make up for their lack of muscle, and crafted bows and throwable spears to make up for their inability to keep up with their prey. Then they came up with ideas like "Farming" and "Currency" and "Written Records". Now the people who rule you are not the strongest, but those who were best educated by their tutors, who can make the best argument about why they should be in charge. Hextor knows that the Final Argument of Kings has always been Violence, and that when steel fails, all that remains is force of will and strength of muscle. "Why should you take orders from your lessers?" Hextor asks. "If it came down to it, only one of you would be walking out of here alive, and he knows it. He fears you for it. Why don't you just remind him?"
Lolth represents Ambition Above All. It's never wrong to want better for yourself. It means you can better look after the things you care about. For Lolth, however, there's no difference between ambition achieved because your value is finally recognised, and ambition achieved because there's no-one left to stop you from taking what could be yours. Lolth doesn't care if you're the best candidate, what matters is that you want it more than they do. Lolth doesn't care if you have the right family or if you know the right people or the special handshake. As long as you're looking forward and pushing to get where you want to be, Lolth is right there with you. The greatest sin to Lolth is Despair; deciding that your lot in life is fixed and that there's nothing you can do about it.
Pyremius is the god of the Crucible. His primary worshippers are alchemists and assassins, but he will take in anyone willing to throw themselves into the fire to purify what remains. As iron sharpens iron, all human improvement comes through struggle and contest. How this contest happens is immaterial; what matters is that two worshippers pit themselves against each other in earnest, and are forever changed by the trial. The Great Work can never be achieved through stasis, and the cleric of Pyremius seeks constantly to refine both themselves and the things around them. The hierarchy of his temples is a true meritocracy - only the most worthy are capable of surviving the constant testing from all directions, for what better measure of worth is there than Survival? They sponsor torunaments and marathons, seeking to find the strongest and most able among the people, and when nations fall into complacency, they engineer Challenges. Pyremius knows that hard times create strong people, and he will not stop until he has refined humanity to perfection.
Shar is the goddess who watches over the hidden and forgotten. Shar looks over those who would be considered inconvenient, and all those who suffer the unspeakable behind closed doors. Shar sees your private pains, your unspoken grief, and your silent regrets. Shar is there to acknowledge your pain, and to bring the hope that, one day, the door will open, and all will be forced to reckon with what was done unto you. Shar tells you that your suffering makes you a better person than your oppressors, and that those responsible deserve to be brought low before you.
Tharizdun is the God of Darkness, Entropy and Despair, creator of the Abyss. History textbooks will tell you that he is one of the few truly Evil gods, seeking only the destruction of the universe as a whole, including himself, and that this is why worship of him must be rooted out wherever it remains. His few followers who survive whisper that this is a short-sighted view. "The world," they tell you, "tends to destruction. All lives must end, and all bodies will rot. Monuments will crumble, parchments will fragment, and in time even the most influential will be forgotten. This is because creation as a whole is flawed. Look to the gods - constantly struggling and feuding. They are only worshipped because people feat the outcome if they don't. Our souls are held captive by their machinations - when we die, we are snatched up by whichever deity took the biggest claim, and set to either serve them in the heavens, or suffer for eternity in the hells. But our souls would exist regardless! Among people, we call it slavery, and rage against those who run the machine - but amongst gods, we simply shrug and accept it as the natural order. Nothing could be further from the truth, and Tharizdun shows us this. Should Tharizdun triumph, he would bring an end to the flawed hegemony of the gods, including himself, and return us to the perfection of pre-existence. Then we shall all be free of the delusions of Creation and the chains of Divinity, and all shall be one."
Vecna values knowledge above all. Not cleverness, or wisdom, or expertise. Not even scholarship, or writing, or learning. Vecna values Knowing Things. He's the god of the Shibboleth, of the Secret Sign, the god of Blackmail and Numbered Lists. Knowledge is what gets you ahead in the world - whether that's knowing who to talk to, or what to say and how to say it, or simply where the bodies are buried. The world is divided into Those who Know and Those who Don't, and those who Don't don't even know what they're missing. For those who Know, the Knowing can be worth any price - this is why Vecna is missing his left hand and eye. If you Know, the world is open to you - and if you can't bring yourself to sacrifice something as minor as an Eye or a Hand for the sake of gaining the World, you will always be left outside.
Finally, a quick view of some simple gods that require no further explanation, and some brief considerations of the canonical "Racial Pantheons", such as they are.
The Orc Pantheon
Malar, God of the Hunt. It's not fun if it's a foregone conclusion.
Mask, God of Spies and Thieves. It's a living.
Iuz. Literally emperor of a state. You do not have another option here.
Talos, God of Destruction. Sometimes you need to burn down the forest to let new shoots grow.
Incabulos, God of Disasters. Mostly you just want him somewhere else.
Talona, Goddess of Poison, Disease and Medicine. The Dose Makes The Poison.
Myrkul, God of Death. Memento Mori.
Velsharoon, God of Necromancy and Undeath. Okay I know I just said Memento Mori but come on who really wants to die
Gruumsh: God of Survival. Orcs are hated by the "Civilised" Races. When everyone you meet wants you dead, the only virtue is in finding ways to live.
Ilneval: God of Strategy. Charging straight forward gets you killed. Survival comes from being smart enough to avoid falling into traps, and strong enough to push through what you can't avoid.
Luthic: Goddess of Humility. Not all of life is war. If you don't know how to live peacefully, you'll get yourself killed.
Bahgtru: God of Simplicity. Other gods make things too complicated. Be as strong as you can be, and let others worry about how to best make use of you.
Shargaas: God of Cunning. Being underestimated makes it easier to position yourself for survival.
Yurtrus: God of Rot. Death is inevitable. Make sure you have a good one.
The Goblinoid Pantheon
Maglubiyet: God of Leadership. Being a goblinoid is pretty cool, actually.
Bargrivyek: God of Cooperation. Please stop stabbing each other for five minutes.
Khurgorbaeyag: God of Doing What You're Told. If you don't defend your position, you'll lose it.
Meriadar: (Mongrelfolk) God of Patience. We'll win in the end. Why rush?
Nomog-Geaya: (Hobgoblin) God of Authority. Maybe that whole 'Civilisation' thing has some stuff going for it.
Hruggek: (Bugbear) God of Violence. Pick your battles. Fights are won by the person willing to escalate fastest.
Grankhul: (Bugbear) God of Ambush. Move Quietly and Carry a Big Sword.
Skiggaret: (Bugbear) God of Fear. The best battle is the one you don't have to fight.
[Unnamed]: (Nilbog) God of Fools. Sometimes things just work out! Don't question it, just take as much advantage as you can before anyone else notices.
Stalker: God of Death. Enemy of all that live. What do we say to the God of Death?
The Drow Pantheon (I am particularly not a fan of this one)
Lolth: Goddess of Ambition, discussed above. It is always correct to seek to better yourself.
Ghaunadaur: God of Adaptability and the Food Chain. All life has its uses. You'll never find where you fit by standing still.
Selvetarm: God of Aggression. Combat is the ultimate test of power and strength. Give it the reverence it is due.
Chaeraun: God of Rebellion. Being a Drow kinda sucks, actually? Maybe we could improve society somewhat? Is a chump.
Kiaransalee: Goddess of Death. Death is not the end; once the soul leaves the body, there's no point being precious about it. Make use of those who have gone before you.
Eilistraee: Fake Goddess. Unnecessary. Cut this one. Why is there both a "Goddess of Good Drow" and a "God of Drow who Dislike Drow Society"? Pick one.
Evil Deities of 'Good' Races
Abbathor: Dwarven God of Greed. Why shouldn't you have the best?
Deep Duerra: Dwarf Goddess of Psionics. Fuck Illithids. Drow are next on the shit list.
Laduguer: Dwarf God of Crafting. Function wins over Form every time.
You know, I really wish WotC would allow settings other than Forgotten Realms to advance their timelines. Eberron is one thing because having a static starting point was always its thing, but the version of Greyhawk they have in the new Dungeon Master's Guide rewinds time back to 576 CY, and the Dragonlance adventure they put out took place during the War of the Lance. Heck, even FR barely gets to advance with how much the Sundering just reset things to an earlier state.
And, like, I get it. You want to give players a starting point to build from instead of a metaplot they might feel bound by. But at least let the past have happened.
Playing a 2e ADND campaign as a silly mushroom girl in the Underdark! Her name is Truffle, other than being a cleric she likes to skip around the party and nap on the ground a lot <3
I just opened my Acggoods store and I have my Ravengotchi Pocket Darklords available as keychains. I have Strahd, Azalin and Soth, clear and rainbow versions. I’m planning on designing more stuff so be tuned, here’s my store’s link
Also, What would you like to see in Ravenloft/dnd fan made merch?
I’m still figuring out how the plataform works so any tips are very much appreciated 👉👈
