Pantheon: Dwarven Deities

Pantheon: Dwarven Deities

Here we have the dwarven pantheon for my setting. Not changed from the one presented in Races of Stone.

Hanseath

Lesser deity
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Symbol: golden cup

Home plane: Arborea

Portfolio: war, carousing, alcohol

Domain (-40%): food spells, spells that improve bravery or make subjects go berserk

Worshipers: brewers, dwarven warriors and berserkers

Hanseath is the dwarven deity of war, carousing, and alcohol. Known as the Bearded One for the thick hair that obscures most of his face, Hanseath represents the festive side of dwarven culture. Brewers hold him in high regard, as do dwarf barbarians and any dwarf who charges headlong into battle heedless of the odds.

            Dogma: Never tolerate traditional enemies of the dwarves: goblinoids, orcs, giants, and drow. In battle use a direct approach, there is no need for subtle or complex strategy. Celebrate every victory, even a small one. Go into battle with a song and a brave heart.

Laduguer

Lesser deity
Alignment: Lawful Evil

Symbol: horned helm and hammer

Home plane: Baator

Portfolio: magic weapons, artisans, magic, duergar

Domain (-20%): meta spells, enchantment spells, mind control spells

Worshipers: duergar

The deity of the duergar, Laduguer occasionally still answers the prayers of other dwarves. The Gray Protector, as he is called, demands constant toil and a rigid hierarchy from his subjects, many of whom are slavers or would-be warlords. Laduguer appears as a tall, gaunt duergar with skin that can change between gray and brown to match the nearby rock. He is bald and perpetually frowning.

Dogma: The Children of Laduguer have rejected the feckless and feeble gods of their forefathers and withdrawn from their lazy once-kin so as to not be tainted by their weaknesses. Strict obedience to superiors, dedication to one's craft and endless toil are necessary to achieve wealth, security and power. Nothing is ever easy, nor should it be. Suffer pain stoically and remain aloof, for to show or even feel emotion is to demonstrate weakness. Those who are weak are undeserving and will suffer an appropriate fate. Adversity is Laduguer's forge, and the harsh trials through which the duergar must pass are his hammer blows - endure all and become stronger than adamantine.

Moradin

Greater deity
Alignment: Lawful Good

Symbol: hammer and anvil

Home plane: Celestia

Portfolio: dwarves, creation, engineering, warfare, smiths

Domain (-30%): making and breaking spells, metal spells

Worshipers: dwarves, metalworkers

Moradin is the chief deity in the dwarven pantheon. His titles include the Soul Forger, Dwarffather, the All-Father, and the Creator. Moradin forged the first dwarves out of metal and gems and breathed life into them. He governs the arts and sciences of the dwarves: smithing, metalworking, engineering, and war. Moradin usually appears as a stern-faced male dwarf with a powerful build. His upper body is particularly robust, with a barrel chest, wide shoulders, and arms corded with big muscles. He has flowing black hair and a beard to match, and he always wears full plate armor. He carries a shield and a warhammer.

            Dogma: Moradin is an adamant defender of the dwarven people he created and of the principles of law and good. He teaches the value of making goods that last, of loyalty to clan, leader, and people, and of meeting adversity with stoicism and tenacity. He tolerates no taint of evil among the dwarves; it was he who drove the derro and duergar out of the dwarven community. It is Moradin’s influence that leads the dwarves toward excellence in craftwork and staunch defense of what is theirs.

Mya

Greater deity
Alignment: Neutral Good

Symbol: stylized mother and child

Home plane: Elysium

Portfolio: clan, family, wisdom

Domain (-30%): food spells, knowledge spells

Worshipers: dwarves

The Mother of Wisdom represents the bonds of family and clan that hold dwarf society together. When dwarves extend their hospitality to their lost or wounded brethren, they often do so in Mya’s name. Mya also figures prominently in many dwarven divinations, because she is said to have peerless wisdom. Dwarf artisans generally depict her as a middle-aged female with improbably long, braided blonde hair.

            Dogma: Do not leave your clan in times of need. Always answer the clan’s call for help. Be hospitable to guests, tend to wounded dwarves. If a clanless dwarf asks for a refuge, provide one.

Roknar

Lesser deity
Alignment: Neutral Evil

Symbol: golden hands

Home plane: Hades

Portfolio: greed, intrigue, lies, earth

Domain (-30%): earth spells, mind control spells

Worshipers: dwarven rogies, thieves, and assassins

Roknar the Tempter claims to be Moradin’s brother. Moradin’s clerics say that he is not truly a dwarf at all, but an ancient evil that took dwarf form shortly after the All-Father created the dwarves.

            Dogma: Roknar urges his followers to delve deep into the earth and takes its treasures for themselves. “Power and wealth is all that matters,” teaches Roknar, “and only the weak forego the chance to grab more for themselves.”

Tharmekhul

Demigod
Alignment: Neutral

Symbol: flaming warhammer

Home plane: Elemental Plane of Fire

Portfolio: the forge, fire, warfare

Domain (-30%): fire spells, making and breaking spells

Worshipers: dwarven smiths

The Tender of the Forge, as Tharmekhul is also known, is Moradin’s assistant. He is the deity of furnaces and fire. Usually smiths and other dwarves who revere the creative power of the forge worship him. However, fire has a destructive side, so Tharmekhul is also revered as a minor war deity, primarily concerned with siege engines and other weapons. He is depicted in religious art as an azer or as a bronze-skinned dwarf with hair and beard made of black smoke.

            Dogma: When crafting an item, always try to achieve the best quality. Help dwarven settlers by producing metal tools and weapons. Assist dwarven military operations. Tend to your group’s equipment. Take off metal equipment of fallen non-dwarven foes and reforge it into something new.

Thautam

Intermediate deity
Alignment: Neutral

Symbol: three encircled stones

Home plane: Celestia

Portfolio: magic, darkness

Domain (-30%): making and breaking spells, enchantment spells, spells that create darkness or grant ability to see in the dark

Worshipers: artisans, mages, craftsmen

Thautam’s clerics believe that the spark of magic lies within all things, and they work tirelessly to draw forth the magic in everything from the walls of a dwarven citadel to the axes wielded by its guards. The dwarves dedicate many magic weapons and armor to Thautam. In dwarven folklore, Thautam acts as a kindly uncle to Moradin, content to putter away in his workshop and mutter advice to the Soul Forger. Artistic renderings of Thautam show him as an elderly dwarf with rheumy, blind eyes.

            Dogma: Never slack off when working in the forge. Oversee new mines and tunnels, make sure that they are safe. Do not let dwarven creations fall into hands of traditional dwarven enemies; retrieve such items if they meet this fate. Protect dwarven adamantine and mithral mines. Tend to your group’s equipment.

Valkauna

Intermediate deity
Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Symbol: handshake

Home plane: Ysgard

Portfolio: oaths, death, birth

Domain (-40%): geas spells, spells that ease labor, spells that put spirits to rest, spells that improve senses

Worshipers: dwarven warriors and sentinels, midwives

An elderly, white-haired deity, Valkauna is known as the Runecarver. It is said that whenever a dwarf swears an oath, she records it by carving it into an impossibly tall cliff. Many dying dwarf warriors claim to see Valkauna walking across the battlefield, offering water from a silver pitcher to the fallen.

            Dogma: Never break an oath. Be objective in court. Perform burial rites both for your comrades and for fallen enemies.

Abbathor

Intermediate deity

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Symbol: jeweled dagger

Home plane: Hades

Portfolio: greed

Domain (-30%): making and breaking spells, illusion and creation spells

Worshipers: dwarves, misers, rogues

The deity of the duergar, Laduguer occasionally still answers the prayers of other dwarves. The Gray Protector, as he is called, demands constant toil and a rigid hierarchy from his subjects, many of whom are slavers or would-be warlords. Laduguer appears as a tall, gaunt duergar with skin that can change between gray and brown to match the nearby rock. He is bald and perpetually frowning.

Berronar Truesilver

Intermediate deity

Alignment: Lawful Good

Symbol: two silver rings

Home plane: Celestia

Portfolio: safety, honesty, home, healing, marriage, loyalty

Domain (-20%): food spells, healing spells, protection and warning spells

Worshipers: children, dwarves, homemakers, husbands, parents, wives

Berronar is Moradin’s wife, a defender who is also the dwarven deity of healing. She rules over the affairs of the home, but is no passive homebody. Her protection extends to all of dwarven civilization, and she guards records and archives of dwarven attainments. Berronar is merciful and generous.

Clangeddin Silverbeard

Intermediate deity

Alignment: Lawful Good

Symbol: crossed silver battleaxes

Home plane: Arcadia

Portfolio: war, valor

Domain (-40%): protection and warning spells

Worshipers: dwarven soldiers

Clangeddin Silverbeard is the dwarven deity of battle and honour in warfare. He is known as the Father of Battle and the Lord of the Twin Axes. He delights in battle, although he does not tolerate treachery or deceit, and he expects his followers to do the same. He and his followers hate giants and train their fellow dwarves in special ways to fight them.

Deep Duerra

Demigod

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Symbol: broken illithid skull

Home plane: Acheron

Portfolio: psionics, conquest, expansion

Domain (-30%): mind control spells, communication and empathy spells

Worshipers: dwarves, fighters, psions, travelers in the Underdark

Deep Duerra is the duergar demigoddess of conquest, expansion, and psionics, and is venerated by those dwarves skilled in the mysterious Invisible Art. Ever the imperialist, the Axe Princess of Conquest is a resolute believer in the supremacy of psionics and the manifest destiny of the duergar to rule all the Underdark.

Dugmaren Brightmantle

Lesser deity

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Symbol: an open book

Home plane: Outlands

Portfolio: discovery, invention, scholarship

Domain (-30%): making and breaking spells, knowledge spells

Worshipers: artisans, loremasters, scholars, tinkers, wizards

Dugmaren Brightmantle is a lesser dwarven deity of learning and innovation, and patron of dwarven scholars and free thinkers. His domain is the gathering of knowledge regardless of its utility and the creation of novel inventions using the various findings.

Dumathoin

Intermediate deity

Alignment: Neutral

Symbol: cut, faceted gem inside a silhouetted mountain

Home plane: Outlands

Portfolio: buried wealth, ore, gems, mining, exploration

Domain (-20%): earth spells, knowledge spells, metal spells

Worshipers: dwarves, gemsmiths, metalsmiths, miners

Dumathoin is known as “Keeper of Secrets Under the Mountain”, and he hides the secrets of the earth until deserving and diligent dwarves are ready to be guided to them. He lays veins of metals where he feels they will best benefit his followers when they are found. He watches over the safery and security of miners, and has a special role as protector of mountain dwarves.

Gorm Gulthyn

Lesser deity

Alignment: Lawful Good

Symbol: shining bronze mask with eyeholes of flame

Home plane: Celestia

Portfolio: guardian of all dwarves, defense, watchfulness

Domain (-40%): protection and warning spells

Worshipers: dwarves, fighters

Gorm Gulthyn is a lesser dwarven deity of vigilance and defense, patron of those dwarves that protects their home and kin from external attack.

Haela Brightaxe

Demigod

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Symbol: unsheathed sword encircled by a flaming bolt (a two-ended spiral of flame)

Home plane: Celestia

Portfolio: luck in battle, joy of battle, dwarven warriors

Domain (-40%): protection spells, luck spells

Worshipers: dwarves, fighters

Haela Brightaxe is a dwarven demigoddess of battle and luck, one in spirit with goodly dwarves who love to fight and who live to cleanse the world of evil monsters.

Muamman Duathal

Lesser deity

Alignment: Neutral Good

Symbol: upright mace in front of a fur-trimmed leather boot

Home plane: Ysgard

Portfolio: expatriates, guides, travelers

Domain (-40%): movement spells

Worshipers: dwarven expatriates and wanderers

Muamman Duathal is the young dwarven god of wanderers and patron of dwarves who had left the clanholds to explore the world. He approaches life with a gnome-like demeanor, curious to see what lay beyond the horizon and always willing to trade stories of travels. His is the rare spirit of dwarven exploration and the spark of curiosity.

Sharindlar

Intermediate deity

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Symbol: flame ring rising from a steel needle

Home plane: Celestia

Portfolio: courtship, dancing, fertility, healing, mercy, romantic love

Domain (-30%): healing spells, communication and empathy spells

Worshipers: bards, dancers, dwarves, healers, lovers

Sharindlar is the dwarven deity primarily known as the goddess of healing and mercy. Although dwarves do not hide their worship of her, they call her the Lady of Mercy among non-dwarves to hide another aspect of her identity. Much more important to modern dwarves than her healing role is the Lady of Life's status as their patron of romantic love, courtship, and most of all, fertility.

Thard Harr

Lesser deity

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Symbol: upright mace in front of a fur-trimmed leather boot

Home plane: Ysgard

Portfolio: wild dwarves, jungle survival, hunting

Domain (-30%): animal spells, plant spells

Worshipers: druids, jungle inhabitants, wild dwarves, rangers

Thard Harr is the dwarven deity of jungle survival and hunting, one that lives with the beasts of the wild as kin. The Disentangler is also the patron protector of the wild dwarves, watching over them and working to ensure their continued survival against the rampaging beasts within the jungle and the incursions of intruders without.

Vergadain

Intermediate deity

Alignment: Neutral

Symbol: gold piece

Home plane: Outlands

Portfolio: chance, luck, negotiation, trickery

Domain (-30%): communication and empathy, illusion and creation

Worshipers: dwarves, merchants, rogues, wealthy individuals

Vergadain is the dwarven deity of luck, trickery, negotiation and wealth. While it seems that Vergadain represents the dwarves' well-known dedication to the mercantile art of bargaining, those who know better are aware that he has an aspect that seldom fills the more legal-minded dwarves with pride. As such, Vergadain also watches over those dwarves who use less-than-legal means to gain wealth. Regardless of how he is viewed, Vergadain delights in the art of the deal, no matter what it is, so long as it turns a profit.

Dennari

Lesser deity

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Symbol: warhammer with leaves sprouting from handle

Home plane: Material Plane

Portfolio: earth, liberation, suffering

Domain (-20%): earth spells, plant spells, healing spells

Worshipers: dwarves, oppressed and poor people, farmers and peasants

Dennari is an earth-mother deity of dwarven origin, yet she has found a surprising popularity among poor and oppressed people of many races. Like other earth goddesses, Dennari represents agriculture and fertility, but these aspects are not as important as her association with the earth proper and its fruits. Her faith is not connected with the agricultural cycle; it has become a symbol for the strength of oppressed peoples.

DEITY-SPECIFIC SPELLS

Benediction of the Forge (Moradin)

Keywords: Buff.

Full Cost: 34 points for level 1 + 10 points/additional level.

Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: 1 day.

This blessing makes the subject a perfect artificer. For each level of this spell, he gains a level of Artificer (p. 90).

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Blessing of the Forge 1, +100%; Costs 1 FP, -5%; Divine, -10%; Extended Duration, 1,000x, +120%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%) [34]. Note: Each level of “Blessing of the Forge” is Artificer (Divine, +0%) [10].

  

Curse of Toil (Laduguer)

Keywords: Resisted (Will).

Full Cost: 48 points.

Casting Roll: Will.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Permanent.

The subject gains the Workaholic (p. B162) disadvantage. This cannot be undone via Dispel Magic (GURPS Thaumatology - Sorcery, p. 21); countering it requires Remove Curse (GURPS Thaumatology - Sorcery, p. 21).

Statistics: Affliction 1 (Will; Based on Will, +20%; Cosmic, Immune to Dispel Magic, +50%; Costs 1 FP, -5%; Disadvantage, Workaholic, +5%; Extended Duration, Permanent, +150%; Divine, -10%; Malediction 2, +150%; No Signature, +20%) [48].

  

Dwarven Clanship (Mya)

Keywords: Buff.

Full Cost: 30 points.

Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: 1 day.

This blessing makes the subject familiar with dwarven cultures and traditions of all clans and dwarven subraces. When dealing with dwarves of any clan, the subject never suffers the -3 “cultural unfamiliarity” penalty given under Culture (p. B23). This blessing can only be cast on dwarves.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accesibility, Only on dwarves, -20%; Advantage, Dwarven Clanship, +100%; Costs 1 FP, -5%; Divine, -10%; Extended Duration, 1,000x, +120%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [30]. Note: “Dwarven Clanship” is Cultural Adaptability (Divine, +0%) [10].

Intoxicating Rush (Hanseath)

Keywords: Buff.

Full Cost: 42 points.

Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: 3 minutes.

You increase the target’s ST by 4 for 3 minutes. This affects the damage, HP, and Basic Lift, but  does not heal the wounds. When the target performs a physically strenuous action under this effect, such as heavy lifting or combat, he becomes drunk (p. B428) for a minute, and can roll against HT once per minute after that to recover.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Intoxicating Rush, +320%; Costs 1 FP, -5%; Divine, -10%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [42]. Note: “Intoxicating Rush” is ST+4 (Backlash, Drunk, Automatic, -20%; Divine, +0%) [32].

   

Miner’s Vision (Thautam)

Keywords: Information.

Full Cost: 21 points.

Casting Roll: Per.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Indefinite.

When this spell is active, the caster can see which walls are safe to break, dig through, or collapse without collapsing the whole structure. The GM will secretly roll against the caster’s Per minus range penalties (p. B550) to the subject, which the caster must be able to see. If the roll is successful, the caster will know if the wall is safe to break. For very thick walls, “safe to break” means “safe to dig one yard into it”. This spell is useful when overseeing mining operations, siege engineering, and escaping imprisonment. Despite the name, the spell covers not only rock or dirt walls, but walls of any material.

Statistics: Detect (Walls Safe for Digging; Costs 1 FP, -5%; Divine, -10%; Reflexive, +40%; Vision-Based, -20%) [21].

Molten Missile (Tharmekhul)

Keywords: Missile, Obvious.

Full Cost: 4 points/level.

Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Projectile) to hit.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Instantaneous.

You throw a ball of molten metal at a single target. Use Innate Attack (Projectile) to hit, applying normal range penalties. It does 1d crushing incendiary damage per level of this spell. The missile can be blocked. The GM must determine what the maximum level available in the campaign is.

Statistics: Crushing Attack (Blockable, -5%; Costs 1 FP, -5%; Divine, -10%; Incendiary, +10%; Requires Gestures, -10%) [4/level].

   

Roknar’s Temptation (Roknar)

Keywords: Resisted (Will).

Full Cost: 49 points.

Casting Roll: Will.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Permanent.

The subject gains the Heliophobia (12) (p. B150) disadvantage. This cannot be undone via Dispel Magic (GURPS Thaumatology - Sorcery, p. 21); countering it requires Remove Curse (GURPS Thaumatology - Sorcery, p. 21). Dwarves subjected to this curse often try to go as deep underground as they can, while surface dwellers try staying indoors with closed windows.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (Will; Based on Will, +20%; Cosmic, Immune to Dispel Magic, +50%; Costs 1 FP, -5%; Disadvantage, Heliophobia (12), +15%; Extended Duration, Permanent, +150%; Divine, -10%; Malediction 2, +150%; No Signature, +20%) [49].

Truthfulness (Valkauna)

Keywords: Resisted (Will).

Full Cost: 27 points.

Casting Roll: Will.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: 3 minutes.

This prayer makes the subject unlikely to tell a lie. The subject gains the Truthfulness (6) (p. B159) disadvantage for the duration of the effect.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (Will; Based on Will, +20%; Costs 1 FP, -5%; Disadvantage, Truthfulness (6), +10%; Divine, -10%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Malediction 2, +150%; No Signature, +20%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [27].