Babarian Deities

[Argentia]

I was wondering, what Deities would be appropriate for a Barbarian to follow? Just as wizards have Selune and Mystra, fighters have Tempus, paladins have Tyr, Torm, and Helm, ect. It's not to say they HAVE to follow them but it is common. So what would be appropriate for barbarians?

Obviously not Tyr or Torm or any lawful Deities, as barbarians are required to be chaotic. Or was it non-lawful? I was thinking Tempus would be common, and maybe Malar for his hunting side, and maybe Chauntea if they come from a farming community? Any ideas on others?

Sorry if I'm thinking ahead on this one. I'm thinking of possible characters before the barbarian class is even available.

[Nysan]

Icewind Dale barbarian tribes worshiped Tempus, according to the Drizzt books. *shrug*

N.R.

[Glim]

Um...maybe the god of Barbarians?

Uthgard

But if you mean coded gods: Tempus would be the most likely.

[Argentia]

How about Talos if they are the "DESTROY! KILL! POWER! BLOODLUST! CHAOS!" kind of barbarians?

[Gwain]

Lots of barbarian trides serve Uthgar and his totems...they are called I think and correct me if I'm wrong...The Uthgart. But there are other gods to serve that exist already in the mud.

[Argentia]

Yes, sorry, my question was more dealing with the Gods we have coded already. They're coded for a reason so we shouldn't just go off revering uncoded Gods.

[Versayir]

In looking through the list of coded deities and keeping in mind the 'flavor' of the barbarian class within the setting, I've narrowed the field. Here, along with the justifications I had in mind, is a list of coded deities I can imagine a barbarian feeling enough connection with to follow.

Ilmater - For his dominance over endurance and perseverance, both traits that would be highly valued in a hunter-gatherer society exposed to harsh elements and a need for survival. Perhaps not the strongest argument for, but I could imagine it.

Selune - I imagine this as fairly self explanitory once one gets past the idea of a barbarian following a goddess. Keep in mind that not all mythical barbarian societies were male dominated (e.g Amazons). Having navigation, stars, moon and non-evil lycanthropes in her portfolio gives alot of reason she would be admired by primitivistic mage-fearing cultures, particularly coastal ones.

Lathander - His portfolio reads like a good-aligned barbarian's wish list.

Meilikki - Quite fitting in a non-patriarchal good aligned barbaric society.

Before leaving the good aligned deities, I should mention I left out Chauntea since in all setting accounts I've seen, barbarians have been strictly nomadic societies. Nomads rarely have time for agriculture, but I imagine someone could make a logical argument for her suitabiility.

Tempus - well, naturally.

Kelemvor - I hesitate here somewhat, since his lawful nature conflicts somewhat with barbarian tendacies to chaotic alignment but in the end I imagine death as an every day common fact among barbaric and nomadic societies and could justify a following. Death gods are always a major consideration in real-world nomadic cultures, it just seems natural that it would be so in fictitional ones as well.

Malar - Imagine, if you will, a marauding tribe of Barbarian Malarite lycanthropes razing frontier villages to the ground. Comes pretty easy to mind, no?

Talos - Portfolio reads like an evil-aligned barbarian tribe's wishlist.

Umberlee - Seems like a natural choice for coastal or seafaring evil-aligned tribes.


A great variation in traits and religions between tribal societies leads to a wide and varied type of barbarian. With a little imagination I'm certain even a few of the gods I haven't included could be figured into the picture somehow.


All of this of course, just my musings. Please do read it in the purely subjective manner it was written.

[Argentia]

Phew, I'd say you hit that one right on the nail. Those are really great ideas and justifications, and I'd say very accurate. Even a few I wouldn't have considered before, Like Ilmater.(Though I can see now why you'd say him) Thanks for the ideas!

[Aegin]

Barbarian *tribes* in FR serve only 2 deities. Tempus and Uthgardt.

Individual barbarians serve as they see fit, however, typical barbarians will serve on of the two above, with Tempus being the only one coded.

[Versayir]

I'm curious as to where you found documentation saying such.

A link posted elsewhere in these forums makes reference to Northmen and Nar tribes worshipping Uberlee, Meilikki, Lathander and even Wuakeen among others. Granted it's a website and not a sourcebook, but I believe it's a credible resource. Please share if you have conflicting information.

http://myth-drannor.net/DlabraddathNet/z-Edain/Main.htm

[Kirkus]

I just wanted to address a couple of points. First to Argentia for suggesting that more people follow Talos..... YOU ROCK!!!!! But don't forget, we arn't all bullies with lightning bolts. These types only appriciate the lesser ceremonies which include torches and pitch forkes and screaming the name of the Destroyer. While the upper cruse folloers of The Storm Lord, myself included, much more appriciate the higher class Talosian rituals of slaying intelligent creatures with lightning bolts and laughing from behind a bush when we strike them in the butt and they scream like a woman. Not to infer that womanly screams are bad, I do them too sometimes.
Now as for the comments of Versayir. Isn't Talos on everyones evil wish list. HAHAHAHA. Sorry. Any way on with the show. Aegin what did you mean by tribes only serve Tempus and Uthgardt? My Faiths and Pantheons book says that, well for startes Talos is a Barbarian, then under worshipers barbarians is listed. To me that is pritty clean cut. Some Barbarians follow Talos if they know whats good for them.
This has been yet another shameless attempt to gather followers on the part of myself. Thank you for listening.