Deities & Demigods - the best AD&D book ever?
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- Halaster Blackcloak
- Lord of Undermountain
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Deities & Demigods - the best AD&D book ever?
I recently picked up (for the first time) a copy of the 1E Legends & Lore hardcover. It's essentially a reprint of Deities & Demigods minus the Chtulhu and Melnibone mythos. (I know, second printings of DDG lacked those pantheons as well - I have 1st & 2nd printings).
Anyway, I was reading through it to see if I could spot any other differences (I didn't), and it reminded me of just how much I love Deities & Demigods. What an awesome book!
I enjoy reading it just for fun, more so than any other AD&D book. It's so fun reading all the bizarre powers and quirks each god has...
Priests of Tlaloc must sacrifice (and then cook and eat! ) babies as part of their worship of Tlaloc.
No being in the universe can engage in an act of violence against Kuan Yin.
No being who has not recently slept for 13 hours can attack Untamo, because they will fall asleep in his presence.
Jormungandr is 25,000 miles long (that's beyond gargantuan size!) and regenerates all damage taken in the previous rounds, meaning he cannot be killed (he has infinite hit points).
I love reading that stuff!
And it makes clerics so much more fun! I despise the idea of a generic cleric. There was a huge debate once on DF, and I (or someone very much like me! ) pointed out how impossible it is to have a generic cleric. Or at least nonsensical. So Deities & Demigods made clerics fun - each one served a different god and had different requirements and abilities. So cool!
And of course, the book created so many adventure ideas in my head. Totally inspiring!
I never used DDG as a MM. The idea of mortals fighting gods, let alone killing them, is utter bullshit in my games. I love to give funny examples of battles between gods and mortals, but perhaps the most succinct would be (for example in a battle between Odin and a group of twelve 20th level PCs):
Round 1: Odin says "You're all dead".
There is no Round 2.
Even as a kid I never understood people who used it as a MM. The gods are not monsters, they're gods!
But yeah, I just love Deities & Demigods!
Anyway, I was reading through it to see if I could spot any other differences (I didn't), and it reminded me of just how much I love Deities & Demigods. What an awesome book!
I enjoy reading it just for fun, more so than any other AD&D book. It's so fun reading all the bizarre powers and quirks each god has...
Priests of Tlaloc must sacrifice (and then cook and eat! ) babies as part of their worship of Tlaloc.
No being in the universe can engage in an act of violence against Kuan Yin.
No being who has not recently slept for 13 hours can attack Untamo, because they will fall asleep in his presence.
Jormungandr is 25,000 miles long (that's beyond gargantuan size!) and regenerates all damage taken in the previous rounds, meaning he cannot be killed (he has infinite hit points).
I love reading that stuff!
And it makes clerics so much more fun! I despise the idea of a generic cleric. There was a huge debate once on DF, and I (or someone very much like me! ) pointed out how impossible it is to have a generic cleric. Or at least nonsensical. So Deities & Demigods made clerics fun - each one served a different god and had different requirements and abilities. So cool!
And of course, the book created so many adventure ideas in my head. Totally inspiring!
I never used DDG as a MM. The idea of mortals fighting gods, let alone killing them, is utter bullshit in my games. I love to give funny examples of battles between gods and mortals, but perhaps the most succinct would be (for example in a battle between Odin and a group of twelve 20th level PCs):
Round 1: Odin says "You're all dead".
There is no Round 2.
Even as a kid I never understood people who used it as a MM. The gods are not monsters, they're gods!
But yeah, I just love Deities & Demigods!
The Back In Print Project - Where AD&D Lives Forever!
One of the best things about 2E was when they did the specialty priests. I totally agree, clerics of different gods should NOT be the same. I still prefer the 1E druid though.
And yes, Gods can't be slain by mere mortals that easily. Most of them have teleport no error at will, how can you kill something when they have that? If they ever get hurt to the point where they might die in another blow, they can just pop out.
The main thing I loved about DDG was learning about mythology that I wasn't familiar with already.
Mira (Latest survey shows that 3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the world's population)
And yes, Gods can't be slain by mere mortals that easily. Most of them have teleport no error at will, how can you kill something when they have that? If they ever get hurt to the point where they might die in another blow, they can just pop out.
The main thing I loved about DDG was learning about mythology that I wasn't familiar with already.
Mira (Latest survey shows that 3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the world's population)
One of the artists was trying to kickstarter a project by redrawing most of his art and selling them as prints. I really hoped he would draw other mythos and expand the others.
There ae a few monsters usable in DDG but not many.
I mentioned it on DF here Jeff Dee Art
But direct link is here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/je ... -and-demig
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/je ... ngeons-and
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/je ... ngs-part-1
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/je ... ngs-part-2
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/je ... ies-and-de
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/je ... -and-demig
There ae a few monsters usable in DDG but not many.
I mentioned it on DF here Jeff Dee Art
But direct link is here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/je ... -and-demig
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/je ... ngeons-and
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/je ... ngs-part-1
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/je ... ngs-part-2
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/je ... ies-and-de
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/je ... -and-demig
- Halaster Blackcloak
- Lord of Undermountain
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- Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:47 am
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Mira wrote:
Hell yeah, 1E druids are probably my all time favorite class from any edition!One of the best things about 2E was when they did the specialty priests. I totally agree, clerics of different gods should NOT be the same. I still prefer the 1E druid though.
Exactly! That and the fact that they always win initiative, know what mortals are thinking, and can summon any sort of servants needed to deal with the mortals just blows away any hope mortals have. Mess with Odin? Have fun getting to him when he summons several hundred pissed off valkyrie to handle his grunt work.And yes, Gods can't be slain by mere mortals that easily. Most of them have teleport no error at will, how can you kill something when they have that? If they ever get hurt to the point where they might die in another blow, they can just pop out.
Absolutely! That's what makes it such fun reading.The main thing I loved about DDG was learning about mythology that I wasn't familiar with already.
The Back In Print Project - Where AD&D Lives Forever!
- Halaster Blackcloak
- Lord of Undermountain
- Posts: 4034
- Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:47 am
- Location: Undermountain
- Contact:
- Halaster Blackcloak
- Lord of Undermountain
- Posts: 4034
- Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:47 am
- Location: Undermountain
- Contact:
- Halaster Blackcloak
- Lord of Undermountain
- Posts: 4034
- Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:47 am
- Location: Undermountain
- Contact: