An Introduction to the Forgotten Realms: Gods

ofGood
TheForgottenRealmshasaverylargenumberofgods,enough
sothatmostcampaignswontevenusehalfofthem.Thatsfine.
GodsinD&Dtendtoserveasinspirationforcharactersand
adventures,buteveryDMhastheirownwayofhandlingthem.In
theForgottenRealms,prettymucheverycharacterworshipsa
deity,becausethesoulsofthosewhodonottendtosuffer
afterwardswithnogodtoclaimthem.Exactlywhathappensto
themisunclearpreTimeofTroublestheywereapparently
boundintotheWalloftheFaithless,butwhenKelemvorbecame
GodofDeath,heinstitutedadifferentpolicy.Certainly,thepriests
oftheForgottenRealmsareprettyclearthatyouneedtoworship
adeityandtheyretheoneswhowouldknow,right?

AselectionofdeitiesoftheForgottenRealmsarelistedinthePlayersHandbooktothese
shouldbeaddedthenonhumandeities,whoarealsostandardintheForgottenRealms.In
thisarticle,Imgoingtodiscussafewpertinentdetailsofsomeofthemoreprominentgods
foradventurers,selectedmainlybecauseIlikethem.Andyes,thisisonlyaverysmall
selectionoftheGodsofGood.ItsnotevenallofthemIplantorevisittheminthefuture.

Tymora, Goddess of Luck

Whenyouwanttobelucky,youcalluponTymora.(Ifyouwantsomeoneelsetobeunlucky,
thatsBeshabasjob,butIwouldntcalluponherifIwereyou)Itsprobablynotsurprising
thatTymoraisworshippedoratleastinvokedbyalotofadventurers.Ofcourse,being
luckydoesntinvolvemuchplanning,soTymoraisconsideredChaoticGood,butyoullfind
peopleofallalignmentscallinguponher.Imnotsurehowmuchshelistens,butifa
charactercallsuponTymorabeforemakingaroll,youcouldalwaysgivethatcharacter
inspiration.Ornot.Shesthatsortofgoddess,yousee!

Tymoragivesherlucktothosewhohelpthemselves,andisoneofthedeitiesthatrogues
andbardstendtoworship,aswellasadventurersofallsorts.

DuringtheTimeofTroubles,TymoramanifestedinhertempleinArabel(inCormyr)and
offeredsupportduringthecrisisshegainedagreatdealofpopularityasaresult.

HerclericsareknownasLuckbringers(ortheFortunateamongstthemselves),andthey
seektoaidthosewhopursuetheirowndestinieswhichmakesthemverypopularwith
adventurers.MorethanoneadventuringpartyhasbeenhealedbythelocalLuckbringer,
whoseesitastheirsacreddutytohelppeoplewhotakeriskstoachievetheirgoals.
Tymoraisnotacruelgoddess,anddoesntapproveofthosewhosegoalsaretodominate
orhurtothers.Ifyoureusingthefactionsof5E,theLuckbringerstendtonotgetonthat
wellwiththeZhentarimandLordsAlliance,whilebeingquiteclosetotheHarpers.The
OrderoftheGauntletwouldnumberafewLuckbringerswithinitsranks,althoughittendsto
beamorestructuredorganisationthanworshippersofTymoraarehappywith.Theyprefer
toworkaloneorinsmallgroups.

Honestly,ifyourechoosingagodforyourcharacter,youshouldprobablyfirstlookat
Tymora.Alargenumberofadventurersworshipherwithgoodreason.Herworshipis
widespreadamongstthemainadventuringareasoftheSwordCoastandtheMoonsea(and
theDalelands),sofindingapriestshouldntbethatdifficult.Incidentally,theonlygood
alignedgodwithatempleinMulmasterisTymoraenoughtestamenttoherpopularity!

EdGreenwoodhasagooddescriptionofsomeoftheproblemsofbeingapriestofTymora
inhisfirstnovel,Spellfire.

Torm, God of Courage and Self-Sacrifice

IfyoureabitmoreseriousmindedthanafollowerofTymora,thegodTormmaybemore
yourstyle.Tormisfollowedbyquiteanumberofpaladins,andheisoneofthedeitieskilled
duringtheTimeofTroubles.(However,ashedidsoinagoodcause,tryingtodefeatBane,
hewasreturnedtolifeshortlythereafter).TormisnttheonlyLawfulGooddeityassociated
withwarfare,butbecauseTormopposesBane,theGodofTyranny,Ifindhimquiteauseful
deityandagoodoneformynoblewarriorstofollow.Heseekstoprotectpeople,andthats
agoodethosforadventurerstofollow.

TormisLawfulGood,ofcourse!

ThefeudwithBanebringsafewinterestingproblemsforcharactersinMulmaster(siteof
thesecondseasonofD&DExpeditions),becauseBaneisthemaindeitythere.Ifyou
worshipTorm,Idkeepyourheaddownifyoudontwanttocausetrouble.

Tormspriestsandfollowersseektoensuregoodrulership:thatlawsarejust,andtheyare
strictlybutcompassionatelyenforced.TheyreveryactiveintheOrderoftheGauntletand
theLordsAlliance(althoughtherearealotofmembersoftheLordsAlliancewhodont
appreciatetheirwork),buthavelittletodowiththeEmeraldEnclave.Theyoccasionallyfind
themselvesworkingwiththeHarpersalthoughtheHarpersareperhapsalittletoofree
willedfortheirlikingbuttheydontgetalongthatwellwiththeZhentarim.Whenyou
considerthatforalargepartoftheirexistencetheZhentarimworshippedBane,youbegin
toseethetensions!(IfyoureinD&DAdventurersLeagueplay,dontuseworshipofTormto
breakpartyunity.TormsfollowersarentgoingtoletTiamatlaywastetheRealmsjust
becausetheydontliketheZhentarimmuch).

TormtendstobeabetterchoicearoundtheMoonseaarea(andtheVast)thanonthe
SwordCoast,butyoucanfindworshippersofhimthereaswell.

Incidentally,TormspatronTyrwasslainduringtheSpellplagueandgavehispowersto
Torm(per4E),butitsentirelypossibleTyrisnowbackheslistedinthePlayers
Handbook,afterall.Wejustdontknow(yet)whatshappened

Lathander, the Morninglord

OneofmyfavouritedeitiesforgoodalignedclericsisLathander.OrAmaunatorin4E.Itsa
bitconfusing.ImgoingtogowiththeoriginaldeityhereAmaunatorisntinthe5EPHB,
soImgoingtocheerfullyignorehim.

Lathanderrepresentsbeginningsandrenewals.Hesinvokedbythosebeginningajourney,
enteringintoabusinessarrangement,oruponthebirthofachild.Hisclergywantpeopleto
livehappilytogether.Othersmightcallthemidealistic,buttheydontseeanythingwrong
withbeingoptimistic.Aboveall,hisclergytheDawnbringersseektofosterhope.

LathanderisNeutralGood.YourelikelytofindhisfollowersintheOrderoftheGauntlet,
seekingtoguideitstroopsonsomenewmission.Therearelikelyafewfollowersof
LathanderamongsttheHarpersaswell,andthoughitsprobablyunlikelytheZhentarim
havemanydevoteesamongstitsnumbers,theymayinvokehimwhentheystartnew
capers.

YoucanfindtemplestoLathanderaroundtheRealms.Inparticular,therearetemplesin
Tantras,Shadowdale,Daggerford,MarsemberandWaterdeep.

Lathandersoptimisticnaturedoesgrateonsomeothergods,andhesteadfastlyopposes
theevilgodsofBane,Cyric,Loviatar,TalosandespeciallyShar.Healsohatesundead
whichmakeshimanallyofKelemvor.

Mielikki, the Forest Queen

MielikkiisoneofthedeitiesoftheRealmstakenfromrealworldmythologies,inthiscase,
theFinnishpantheon.Herpriestsseektohaveintelligentbeingslivinginharmonywiththe
wild.Theyfrownuponthewantondestructionofnature,andseektoreplantareasthathave
beenblighted.

MielikkiisNeutralGood,andtendstobealotlessmilitantaboutthenaturalworldthan
someoftheothernaturegods,whichmeansthattheclerics,druidsandrangersthatfollow
herarentopposedtopeopleusingforestresources,orevenchoppingdownatreeortwo
(aslongastwotreesareplantedforeachtreetaken).Theythinkeveryonecangetalong,
butthatdoesntmeantheywonttakedirectactionwhennecessarytoprotecttheirforests.

Asyoumightexpect,MielikkitendstobereveredmoreinthewilderplacesoftheRealms.
ThenorthernpartoftheSwordCoast,forinstanceSilverymooninparticularandthe
Dalelandsaswell.IwouldexpectshedoesnthavemanyworshippersinThay!Mielikki
doesntreallyhavetemples,butthereareanumberofgrovesandnaturalfeaturessacredto
her.

MielikkiisanimportantgoddesstothemembersoftheEmeraldEnclaveandher
worshippersmayalsobealliedwiththeHarpers.Attimes,herworshippersmightaidthe
OrderoftheGauntlet,althoughtheOrdersgoalsdontreallyfitwithMielikkisaimsthe
Orderopposesallevil,Mielikkiwantstodefendthewoodlandsanditspeoplemore.The
LordsAlliancetendtocomeintoconflictwithherworshippersthemost.TheZhentarim
tendtobemorecitybound,andtheirschemeslesslikelytodrawtheoppositionofthe
forestpeople.

IfyoureadthepopularForgottenRealmsbooksbyR.A.Salvatore,DrizztandCattiBrie
worshipMielikki.

Mystra, Goddess of Magic

Ifyouwantacomplicatedhistoryofadeity,Mystrasgotit.Imnotevensureofher
alignment.ShewasoriginallypresentedasaLawfulNeutraldeityintheoriginalForgotten
Realmsboxedset.IntheTimeofTroublesshewasslain,andreplacedbytheadventurer
Midnight,whothentookMystrasnameaswellasherportfolios.MidnightasMystrawas
NeutralGood.ThenCyrickilledMystra,whichcausedtheSpellplaguethatdevastatedthe
land(leadingtothe4ERealms),butduringtheSundering,Mystrawasreturnedtolife.And,
itseemsthattheMystrathatgotreturnedtolifewasactuallytheonekilledduringtheTime
ofTroubles.SowhydoesthePlayersHandbooklistheralignmentasNeutralGood?No
idea.Perhapsshecamebackasakinderdeity.OrthePHBiswrong.Anyway,Mystrais
eitherLNorNG.Chooseoneandhavefunwithit.

ShesalsotheGoddessofMagic,meaningthatshesworshippedbyalotofsorcerersand
wizards.(Warlockstendtoservetheirpatrons).Herpriestsandfollowersseektospread
magic,andnothaveithiddenaway.Theideahereisthatinaworldwithoutmagic,only
brutestrengthruleswouldntitbenicetohaveanalternative?IntheRealms,magicisthat
alternative.

Mystraispotentiallythemostpowerfulgod.Shessopowerfulthatalargepartofherpower
hasbeenhiddenawaywithincertainmortals(althoughhowmortaltheyarebearingher
powerisopentointerpretation).CertainlythemostfamousofherChosenElminsterhas
livedforaverylongtimeindeed.

ThereisatempletoMystrainWaterdeep.InMulmaster,herworshipisoutlawednotall
thatsurprisingasarcanemagicisoutlawedthere!Imnotactuallysurehowmuchshegets
largecongregationsinanycasethatwouldwarranttemplesherclergyarelikelytotenda
smallerflock.Ashrinehereorthere,mostly.Really,thelocalwizardstowerisalltheshrine
sheneeds!

TheHarpersarethemostlikelytohavedevoteesofMystraamongsttheirranks,alongwith
theLordsAlliance.FollowersofMystraamongsttheZhentarimarelikelyfewer,justdueto
thedisagreementsofthegoddesswithBaneandCyric.(Letsfaceit,Mystrawaskilled
becauseoftheactionsofBaneandMyrkul)

MystragetsalotoftimeintheElminsterbooksofEdGreenwood,startingwithElminster,
theMakingofaMage.ThecurrentMystrareturnstolifeinTheHerald.