Underdark General Discussion Thread

[Mammothtruk]

under dark druids and rangers have always been a little weird. Im not going to say its stupid, but I will say its outside of the normal precedence of things that occur in the under dark. Like monks of Lolth, it just doesn't happen naturally. Which is not to say it couldn't happen, its just unlikely to happen.

See I thought the same thing, but then I was reading the v3.5 Forgotten Realms: Underdark manual and they go way into detail about the ecology of the Underdark. So I decided to make one and have her get really into local fauna, flora, rock formations, etc. The only problem now is her deity Haven't quite figured that out yet...

honoring Grumbar primordial of earth might work as still honoring whatever drow deity.

[Gwynn]

Thanks Mammoth Yeah, that's what I currently have her deity set to, but I haven't really RPed it yet. I suppose it's reasonable for her to have run into a follower of Grumbar in her travels through the Underdark. So far I've just been RPing that her power comes from nature itself, but I wasn't sure if druids are required to follow a deity, like clerics.

[MasterSilke]

I obtained this passage straight from the Forgotten Realms Wiki:
A druid is a versatile and often heroic character, capable in both combat and casting evocations. Druids obtain these primal powers from being at one with nature or from one of several patrons of the wild, often gods or powerful nature spirits.

From this description, it seems clear that druids can in fact obtain their powers through nature itself and are not required to have their powers granted by a deity. Granted the lore that FR Wiki uses is based on a later time setting than our server, but I think that this specific aspect of druids is still applicable to our setting.

That's my two-cents on it in any event, so if some of our Lore Masters have evidence to the contrary, then my stance is null.

[Mammothtruk]

I RP that Haji honors but doesnt truly worship any deity. He accepts they posses great power and in the case of Grumbar is a primordial elemental that controls the earth aspect of Toril, but he doesnt pray just honors the deity as without his earth the Imaskari would have perished long ago with no place to retreat to.

Just how Im RPing and I think druids are sort of open ended like MasterSilke said. Deities, nature, primordials, or just about any other aspect related to nature could in theory be the source of their power. I think you will find your niche in the near future and be fine whatever you settle on.

[Rainbow Prism]

Lip service? See you in the wall of Fugue.

The Complete Divine guide also says that clerics may worship not deity, but cause. However some aspects of the guide talk about D&D, not Forgotten Realms. I think that the spirit usage by the druids is not really in the campaign, otherwise druids of Eldreth Veluuthra would not have such troubles getting their powers.

[Mammothtruk]

Lip service? See you in the wall of Fugue.

The Complete Divine guide also says that clerics may worship not deity, but cause. However some aspects of the guide talk about D&D, not Forgotten Realms. I think that the spirit usage by the druids is not really in the campaign, otherwise druids of Eldreth Veluuthra would not have such troubles getting their powers.

not many Imaskari truly worship a deity... sort of their thing really. respect and honor is best case normally.

[Rainbow Prism]

Yes, the fall of Imaskari is more or less known to me. I think its cool they made a barrier through which perhaps even Ao could not do anything on them.

[Eviloth]

Religion: In ancient times, the Imaskari wizard-kings deemed no gods worthy of their worship. Although the deep Imaskari have come to venerate the oldest and most fundamental of Faerûn's deities (including Chauntea, Grumbar, Kossuth, Mystra, and Shar), they still have few clerics and little religious tradition.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20031003b

Again, this is being posted because if 1. You take wizards.com website as Lore and two, if you do want to worship a deity atleast they have some specific ones provided. Surprising though with all of there magic, they didn't have one of their own become a divine being.

[Mammothtruk]

it is a little strange that not even of the the super powerful portal lords didnt become a deity of some kind. There were a few that disappeared when it hit the fan and were never heard from again, but that might be because they portal jumped to safety and left the empire to fall.

Then again on the other side of that the Wizard-Kings did battle with a few of the gods from the other realms and werent winked out of existence so they must have done alright for themselves in the battles. Being a moral with the power to a fight a god on the material plane is no small feat.

[Rainbow Prism]

There are various speculations about their deities. Perhaps Aoskar from Planescape was one of Imaskari. Though no evidence of that.

[Allyn]

I noticed some of the comments relative to UD druids and what deities and such and so forth.

FR lore maintains in one place that there are supposed to be deities amongst every race which allow for druids and rangers. However, this does not appear to be true for either orcs or the drow. (I always thought that Lolth with her spider side ought to allow for druids/rangers as well as Eilistraee who by lore has hunting for an aspect as well as being very proficient with a bow.)

Anyway, my UD druid follows Silvanus (who covers the entire range of aspects as far as alignments go). And this choice of deity is primarily because of the lore concerning the UD city of Fluvenilstra (Garden City of the UD) and home to the Circle of the Depths ( FR Sourcebook Underdark, p 149). Almost all the druids listed there follow Silvanus.

Just my $0.02.

[Lampir]

I know of two UD druids who worship Grumbar...

[Gwynn]

I know of two UD druids who worship Grumbar...

Me too now

And thanks Allyn. I was thinking of using Fluvenilstra in my drow's background too.

[Rainbow Prism]

There is Charnag in Sshamath that is actively RPing for Oghma knows how long. Will they EVER get their own headquarters?

[HollowLaughter]

There is Charnag in Sshamath that is actively RPing for Oghma knows how long. Will they EVER get their own headquarters?

They will be.