Do Deities Matter in D&D?
Deities remain a vital part of the 5th edition for some races and classes. Still, overall, there seems to have been a shift away from the importance of gods and deities in D&D. You can find a section in both the PHB and DMG and the newest book, Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, uses the gods of the giants as a significant part of the story. But what about deities when it comes to us, the players? If you create your character on D&D Beyond, you can enter your faith, but it’s tucked deep within the characteristics section, never to be looked at again.
I think that is quite telling, using the word ‘faith’ versus deity. Faith means strongly believing in a god, deity, religion, etc., so it might seem like an inconsequential change. I would assume you throw in the name of your deity in this section and move on. Then, unless you’re playing a cleric or paladin, you never think of it again (just like your alchemist tools). Even if you are playing a cleric, there’s a good chance it won’t come up either unless you do something particularly egregious to piss them off.
This wasn’t always the case. The 1st edition had an entire book, Deities and Demigods, describing in detail a series of pantheons for gods. The 2nd edition had the convoluted adventure The Dead Gods. The 3rd edition, with its seemingly endless number of books, talked about deities in The Complete Divine, the Player’s Handbook, The Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, and others. Deities were important. You needed them throughout a campaign. Nowadays, not so much.
Moving Away from the God Concept
I’ll be honest. I could care less about deities, gods, cults, and so forth, and I primarily play clerics and paladins. My last character to have a god was a cleric I played over five years ago. The GM incorporated them into my character’s storyline. Besides that campaign, I’ve always prayed to some random god to get my spells. The whole idea of gods being important didn’t vibe with me.
Religion is a touchy subject, at least in the United States. I think this is part of the reason for the movement away from ‘forcing’ your character to pray to a god. The DMG gives you a variety of options when picking a religion. Tight pantheons, cults, and animism are examples of how your character can approach religion. What the 5th edition has done is allow you to pick from several different styles to worship a higher power. And while religion does not equal faith, the distinction in this edition is blurred—enough so it’s hard to see the difference between the two.
I think this is the biggest reason people don’t care about picking or worshipping a deity. People have faith in any number of ideas, concepts, and beliefs. Religion, however, is viewed by some as the end all be all, while others shun it completely. I’m glad that the 5th edition uses the term faith, but it needs to move away from the idea that it means you follow a deity who requires you to follow their religious beliefs.
How will Deities work without Alignment?
How will a pantheon for existing Gods work if the alignment system is eliminated in One D&D? The removal of alignment has been a hot topic for a while, and I’m not exactly clear what will happen to it moving forward. Alignment has always been tied to specific deities, allowing characters to understand what they are getting into when they follow them.
I have discussed my thoughts on alignment before. It is still an important part of the game, but it needs to evolve. A character can grow and change, and with that, they can alter the way they see and interact in the world. There’s been a big push to avoid the idea that all creatures are evil. I agree with that to an extent. Devils and demons will always be evil, but that hasn’t changed. Yet. I hope that’s the way it remains.
So, how will deities function if alignment is removed? The idea of ethics and morality would work. It also gives a lot of leeway for how a character can act and remain in the good graces of their god. Ethics is usually defined as the moral principles a person follows. Morals are typically good, bad, or somewhere in between, and there’s a lot of in-between space. It allows a character to work in those grey areas, and a deity does the same. You can’t kill NPC indiscriminately unless you want to play an evil character. But sacrificing lives for the greater good? That’s a grey area, and that’s where most characters reside. Most gods understand that, although you may have to do some penance - dare I say, go on a quest assigned by your god - to remain in their good graces.
Is the concept obsolete?
My answer is no. It can’t be. Deities are intertwined with the game too much to eliminate them from the game. That doesn’t mean how the game addresses and uses gods and deities in the game shouldn’t evolve. Ideas change, and how we address them in D&D must also change. Blibdoolpoolp, Moradin, and Tiamat are here to stay.
Besides, who would the rest of the party scream at to give them heals if a cleric couldn’t pray to their god to get their daily spells?
If you like our articles, love Homebrew, and are looking for a fun and active community to talk about all things D&D, consider supporting us on Patreon. Below are some of the benefits we offer:
Access to our Homebrew Horde with over 500 items and counting!
Vote on upcoming Deep Deep topics
Step by Step assistance in creating your own homebrew
Early access to Deep Dive and Rewind Articles
Free download of every item in the Dump Stat Store
Exclusive audio from our new YouTube Deep Dive series
Art Credit - Wizards of the Coast.
