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Deities and Demigods
3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons
Source of All Divine Power
The names of Pelor, Loki, Athena, Osiris, and their kind are invoked by the devout as well as the desperate. With abilities that reach nearly beyond the scope of mortal imagination, the splendor of the gods humbles even the greatest of heroes.
This supplement for the D&D game provides everything you need to create and call upon the most powerful beings in your campaign. Included are descriptions and statistics for over seventy gods from four fully detailed pantheons. Along with suggestions for creating your own gods, Deities and Demigods also includes information on advancing characters to godhood.
To use this supplement, a Dungeon Master also needs the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual. A player needs only the Player's Handbook.
The names of Pelor, Loki, Athena, Osiris, and their kind are invoked by the devout as well as the desperate. With abilities that reach nearly beyond the scope of mortal imagination, the splendor of the gods humbles even the greatest of heroes.
This supplement for the D&D game provides everything you need to create and call upon the most powerful beings in your campaign. Included are descriptions and statistics for over seventy gods from four fully detailed pantheons. Along with suggestions for creating your own gods, Deities and Demigods also includes information on advancing characters to godhood.
To use this supplement, a Dungeon Master also needs the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual. A player needs only the Player's Handbook.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 31, 2020
This was one of the first third edition books I ever picked up. Growing in a conservative Christian home, I was very much not allowed to play D&D in any way, so I had to hide to my books, especially stuff like this about various gods and religions. That really just increased the allure, so its no wonder I grabbed this as soon as I had the 30 bucks in hand, hah!
Despite my fond memories of reading this over and over as a teen, sadly it doesn't actually hold up super well as a game supplement. The big issue here is that its mostly stat blocks and feats, which is kind of pointless for deities. Is your party seriously ever going to be battling 57th level enemies who can snuff out hundreds of mortal lives within a 15 mile radius every turn? This would have worked better like the the Forgotten Realms Faiths and Pantheons book if more of the text was devoted to the "fluff" info about the god, their church, and their schemes rather than the "crunch" of the numbers you'll never use.
That being said, there are four full pantheons in here and some cool info, so if you're into Planescape or want to use a setting with Norse or Egyptian gods, there's still a reason to have the book on your shelf.
Despite my fond memories of reading this over and over as a teen, sadly it doesn't actually hold up super well as a game supplement. The big issue here is that its mostly stat blocks and feats, which is kind of pointless for deities. Is your party seriously ever going to be battling 57th level enemies who can snuff out hundreds of mortal lives within a 15 mile radius every turn? This would have worked better like the the Forgotten Realms Faiths and Pantheons book if more of the text was devoted to the "fluff" info about the god, their church, and their schemes rather than the "crunch" of the numbers you'll never use.
That being said, there are four full pantheons in here and some cool info, so if you're into Planescape or want to use a setting with Norse or Egyptian gods, there's still a reason to have the book on your shelf.
April 26, 2019
[Note to Lee - you can skip this one....]
This book is oh so very 3rd edition. That's neither good or bad, but an observation. The first chapter is full of nice organized tweaks to your D&D game to put a good formal system around how gods work in the setting in relation to both Clerics and society. Each subsequent chapter is a pantheon interpreted as D&D stats - the bizarre home brew of Gary Gygax's first campaigns, then some 'classic fantasy' real world myth structures, then some monotheistic takes. It's better than the original Deities and Demigods because there are a lot more social and story hooks, which to my mind is a plus.
If you like 3rd edition's tone, style (which Rich Redman nails) and focus on systemitizing things for universal gameplay. this will work for you. I find it helpful. it's not a numinous book of myth, however, so don't come in expecting Runequest.
This book is oh so very 3rd edition. That's neither good or bad, but an observation. The first chapter is full of nice organized tweaks to your D&D game to put a good formal system around how gods work in the setting in relation to both Clerics and society. Each subsequent chapter is a pantheon interpreted as D&D stats - the bizarre home brew of Gary Gygax's first campaigns, then some 'classic fantasy' real world myth structures, then some monotheistic takes. It's better than the original Deities and Demigods because there are a lot more social and story hooks, which to my mind is a plus.
If you like 3rd edition's tone, style (which Rich Redman nails) and focus on systemitizing things for universal gameplay. this will work for you. I find it helpful. it's not a numinous book of myth, however, so don't come in expecting Runequest.
January 18, 2019
This is another DnD rulebook that I am hoping finds a good home.
March 7, 2015
This sourcebook is not much more than stat blocks of really powerful creatures. Worse, the way it's presented, as four separate pantheons, any typical campaign isn't going to be using more than one pantheon, unless we're talking Planescape.
While the pantheons are well presented and a summary given of the dogma and clergy of each deity, the focus should really have been to expand the dogma and clergy, not merely as a summary. The sourcebook itself acknowledges that it's highly unlikely there'd be a campaign where the stat blocks of deities would even be useful. Much more common would be player characters interacting with the followers of deities.
On the plus side, the sourcebook starts off with rules and guidelines and how to construct your own pantheon and to define the nature of divinity. This is what's really useful. What's missing would be how a religion or organisation would form around the worship of a deity, especially for fledgling deities - there are parts on ascension, but very little actual detail on what really happens; just very general information.
For what it presents, it's pretty good. But for what it should have presented, to be much more useful, it's pretty bad.
While the pantheons are well presented and a summary given of the dogma and clergy of each deity, the focus should really have been to expand the dogma and clergy, not merely as a summary. The sourcebook itself acknowledges that it's highly unlikely there'd be a campaign where the stat blocks of deities would even be useful. Much more common would be player characters interacting with the followers of deities.
On the plus side, the sourcebook starts off with rules and guidelines and how to construct your own pantheon and to define the nature of divinity. This is what's really useful. What's missing would be how a religion or organisation would form around the worship of a deity, especially for fledgling deities - there are parts on ascension, but very little actual detail on what really happens; just very general information.
For what it presents, it's pretty good. But for what it should have presented, to be much more useful, it's pretty bad.
June 7, 2019
Basic Concept: A host of different pantheons for use in D&D 3rd edition.
This is a book for those who want to incorporate different deities into their campaigns. There are stats for the Greek and Norse pantheon here. There are also rules for creating your own pantheon from scratch that are very useful.
This is a book for those who want to incorporate different deities into their campaigns. There are stats for the Greek and Norse pantheon here. There are also rules for creating your own pantheon from scratch that are very useful.
March 20, 2016
It's fun to see real-world deities compared against the D&D ones. Gives a sense of where the D&D ones would stand compared to what we have. (Especially the Greco-Roman ones, which I'm personally the most familiar with.)
Overall, solid splatbook for DMs, and for any players who are interested in divine magic.
Overall, solid splatbook for DMs, and for any players who are interested in divine magic.
May 1, 2015
great book of dieties!
March 11, 2019
"For sure, this time I'm making a cleric with an interesting deity." --the lie you tell yourself as you flip through this book and pick Corellon Lorethian again for the same elf character you've rolled and remixed the last 5 campaigns.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews