Like the rest of the industry, I have not been unaffected by the whole OGL debacle, and I've decided that I can no longer support or use 5E or any system connected to Wizards of the Coast going forward. What will I do if I do not use any format of an existing system owned by Wizards of the Coast? Starting today, I will place this webpage on hiatus, and I will no longer be making 5e Archetypes, and I will be pulling down the website on January 31st.
I've been leaning this way since before the problems with the OGL. I have a serious problem with WOTC's approach to dealing with the creators that established this industry. Instead of treating bad eggs as the individuals they are and addressing those issues as they come, they have thrown a wide net over everything before 5e as problematic and worthy of ignoring. Despite this, it hasn't kept them from selling back issues of old games in PDF and POD on DMsGuild. The simple fact that they do not acknowledge Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson as the creators of the hobby as we know it is disturbing. I'm going to wait and see how the market shakes out after the glut of new systems hits the market and after existing systems have scrubbed out all their previous OGL content, and then make a decision as to which, if any, system I might use to relaunch the project. Thank you to everyone that has visited my website and enjoyed its content. Sincerely, William Henry Dvorak
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Tharizdun is the god of Eternal Darkness, Decay, Entropy, Malign Knowledge, Insanity, and Cold. He was imprisoned ages ago by a coalition of deities to prevent the destruction of existence itself. Although imprisoned, Tharizdun still has a degree of his original multiverse-threatening power.
Tharizdun's doctrine is simple, to destroy everything (himself included). Tharizdun is credited with saying: "The very threads of existence must be torn asunder, then burned, then the ashes scattered, until all is nothing and no one exists to remember existence." Tharizdun's worshippers are often insane, and their ultimate goal is to free their dark deity from his prison. Because of their god's nihilistic doctrine, he is the enemy of all and an ally of none. Tharizdun is sometimes worshiped by nonhuman aberrations such as aboleths, neogi, and grell. Rao is the Flan god of Peace, Reason, and Serenity. His holy symbol is a heart-shaped mask with a calm expression or a simple white heart crafted of metal or wood.
Rao is usually depicted as an old man with bushy white hair, dark skin, slender hands, and a peaceful demeanor. With a mere glance, he can cause any being to fall into a peaceful calmness; even Nerull is not immune to this. Rao teaches that the greatest gift is reason, which leads to discourse, which leads to peace, which leads to serenity. For those who refuse to see reason and resort to violence first, action--governed by reason and wisdom--is required to restore peace. Sometimes this action is violent, regrettably. Rao's priesthood urges its followers to reject strong emotions for the calm and serenity of inner peace. Only when the foundations of law and good are threatened should they take to the battlements Pelor is the Flan deity of light worshipped throughout the Flanaess and on other worlds. He rides a mighty ki-rin named Star Thought. He is depicted as an older man with wild golden hair and a beard, dressed in robes of shining white.
Pelorians believe the sun's rays are the best cure for all Oerth's ills. Justice and freedom are brought about through charity, modesty, perseverance, and self-sacrifice. Pelor's priests teach that the truly strong don't need to prove their power. Pelor is wrathful against the forces of evil and is especially opposed to the undead. Despite having a strong doctrine of opposing the evil that plagues the Flanaess, the religion encourages compassion and the performing of generous and good acts for all. These are what must be emphasized above all. Nerull is the Flan god of Death, Darkness, Murder, and the Underworld. Worshiped on countless worlds, he is known as the Reaper, the Foe of All Good, the Hater of Life, and the Bringer of Darkness. His symbol is a skull and a scythe.
Nerull's faithful believe they will be rewarded for acts of murder, for every living thing is an abomination in the eyes of the Reaper. Ordinary folk do not worship Nerull, although they fear him greatly. It is believed that any appeasement will merely draw his attention, which should be avoided at all costs. Among the Flan and in the Old Faith, Nerull is sometimes considered the god of winter. Clerics of Nerull are feared throughout the lands as cold, calculating murderers. When not in disguise, they are secretive, often solitary, and dress in the rust-red hue of their god. Those who would become priests of Nerull must undergo an arduous initiation that climaxes in being buried alive for a time. Istus is the Baklunish goddess of Fate, Destiny, Divination, and the Future. Her symbol is a golden spindle with three strands. Istus is aloof and considers both mortals and other immortals beyond her concern. The fate of the universe is the only thing that draws her attention. Istus is represented by three aspects, the young, the mature, and the old, and can appear as one of them at will. Regardless of her appearance, she always carries a golden spindle with her. She uses her spindle to spin the future into the present, thus weaving the web of fate.
In the doctrine of Istus, the threads of fate are woven throughout the multiverse. Your fate might be predestined, but you can alter the weave enough to alter your path slightly, thusly altering your destiny. Because of this, even those who can see the threads of fate through can never see it with one hundred percent accuracy. Despite this, clerics of Istus teach that one should embrace your destiny as it has already been determined by Istus and laid out before you to simply discover. Istus has few faithful followers due to the god's lack of interest in her followers. However, many still make small sacrifices to her in a vain attempt to win her favor. Clerics of Itus have a natural talent for divination. Because of this, they are in high demand amongst the rich and influential. Honesty is a virtue that must be upheld, and lying is considered a form of blasphemy. Clerics of Istus wear gray garments, many with web motifs, symbolizing the weave of fate that connects all the planes of reality. While there are men who faithfully serve Istus, nearly all who heed the Goddess of Fate's call are women. |