First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons™ Character Creation
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AD&D Deities:  Greek
  Greek gods tend to be jealous, envious, and petty, and throw fits of anger.  They need human worship for power.  Clerics of these gods may not associate with clerics of other gods, even in the same pantheon and of the same alignment.  They may not ride horses, except those of Poseidon, but may ride in wagons, carts, and chariots.  They must be attached to one specific temple, which is the only place at which they can perform the commune spell, the place to which their word of recall spell must return them, and the only place at which they can gain their level six and seven spells.  If this temple is robbed or damaged in any way, its clerics may not use those highest spells until it is restored.


 Zeus is Ruler of the Gods.  God of the Air, this chaotic good greater god is worshipped by all good alignments.  His rule is not absolute, and the other gods will argue with him.  He sometimes gives select worshippers a giant white eagle similar to the one which accompanies him.


 Aphrodite is Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Passion.  This greater goddess is chaotic good, worshipped by all chaotics.  Doves, works of art, and jewelry are the common sacrifices, and her clerics must meet a minimum charisma (15 for females, 16 for males).  She is vain and jealous, and frequently takes vengeance on those who claim to be more beautiful than she.


 Apollo, God of the Sun, Prophecy, Music, and Archery, is a greater godChaotic good, his worshippers extend beyond his alignment to those who love music or worship the sun.  He sometimes aids his worshippers in several different ways, including lending archery skill, giving magic arrows, healing, and granting prophetic advice.  He and his clerics are often harrassed by Pan, from whom the position of God of Music was taken.


 Ares, God of War, is chaotic evil, but is worshipped by those of evil and morally neutral alignments.  God of War, he is a greater god.  He is opposed to Athena, who represents a very different aspect of war.  Ares' province is battle lust and the love of killing.


 Artemis is a lesser goddess, Goddess of the Hunt.  She and her worshippers are true neutral.  All of her clerics are druids, and she is associated strongly with the moon.  She never hunts for sport, but only for food.


 Athena is the Goddess of Wisdom and Combat.  This lawful good greater goddess represents the love of style and the art of battle, and as such is opposed to Ares.  To her lawful good worshippers are added fighters; her clerics promote her worship aggressively, and have contempt for clerics of other gods.


 Demeter, a lesser goddess, is the neutral good Goddess of Agriculture, especially associated with the growth of grains.  All farmers are among her worshippers, in addition to many others of her alignment.


 Dionysus is God of Wine.  This chaotic neutral greater god has followers from among all chaotic alignments.  He represents the fact that wine induces both happiness and madness, and so is associated with joy, pleasure, and camaraderie, but also with savage bloodthirsty senseless violence.


 Hades, for all his fame, is a lesser god.  The God of the Underworld and Death is neutral evil, as are his worshippers.  He has complete power over the element of earth and most things made from it.


 Hecate is worshipped by magic users of all alignments, although she herself is lawful evil.  The Goddess of Magic is a lesser goddess who receives sacrifices on the night of the full moon.  All of her clerics have a natural rapport with hell hounds.


 Hephaestus is the God of Blacksmiths.  As such, this true neutral god is worshipped by all metalworkers, including dwarfs.  A number of fire creatures are known to serve this lesser god in his forge within a volcano, including fire elementals, efreet, and lesser demons.


 Hera is the wife of Zeus, Goddess of Marriage and Intrigue.  This greater goddess is worshipped by wives and intriguers, whether or not they share her true neutral alignment, and has been known to curse errant husbands in response to the prayers of worshippers.  She and her clerics are known for their connection to revenge.


 Heracles is a demigod in the truest sense.  This son of Zeus and a mortal woman is not generally worshipped--he doesn't trust magic, and avoids clerics.  He is chaotic neutral.


 Hermes is God of Thieves, Liars, Gamblers, and Arbitrators.  Most of his worshippers are either true neutral like him, or thieves.  He is known for his speed, and his clerics must all be able to run long distances.  They are also noted arbitrators.  Although he is the messenger of the gods, he is a greater god himself.


 Nike is Goddess of Victory.  This lesser goddess and her worshippers are lawful neutral; she is also worshipped by those wishing victory.  Her clerics are not permitted even a single digression from their alignment.


 Pan, a lesser god, is the chaotic neutral God of Nature and Wild Passion.  His worshippers follow his alignment.  He represents both the fertility of nature and its destructive power.  Although associated with music, he is at odds with Apollo, who took that province from him, and Pan delights in playing practical jokes against the sun god.  Their clerics are also often at odds.


 Poseidon is indeed a greater god.  As God of Seas, Oceans, Streams, and Earthquakes, this chaotic neutral is worshipped by all who depend on the sea in addition to those of his own alignment.  He is also creator of the horse, and will sometimes reward his clerics with paladin-quality horses.  Other responses to their prayers usually involve providing water, including rain, springs, and floods.


 Tyche, the Goddess of Good Fortune, is a lesser goddess.  Although this true neutral is worshipped by those wishing luck as well as those of her alignment, she is not respected by the other members of the pantheon, and tends to dissociate herself from them.

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