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The all new, fully revised edition of an AD&D® game classic! Table of Contents

Introduction 4 Celtic Mythology 57 American Indian Mythology 15 The Wild Hunt 62 Great Spirit 18 Lugh 63 Sun 19 Oghma 63 Moon 20 Goibhniu 64 Earth 21 Daghdha 64 Morning Star 22 Manannan mac Lir 65 Wind 22 Arawn 66 Fire 23 Morrigan 66 Thunder 23 Diancecht 67 Raven 24 Math Mathonwy 67 Coyote 25 Belenus 68 Snake 25 Brigantia 68 Spirits 26 Cu Chulainn 69 Hiawatha 26 Stoneribs 26 Chinese Mythology 71 Qagwaaz 27 Shang-ti 76 Yanauluha 27 Kuan-ti 76 Big Heads 27 Yen-Wang-Yeh 77 Fu Hsing 77 Gahongas 27 Chung Kuel 78 Ohdowas 27 Liu 79 Arthurian Mythology 29 Lu Hsing 79 Arthur 34 Shou Hsing 80 Merlin 34 Kuan Yin 80 Guinevere 35 Chih-Nii 81 Launcelot 35 Lei Kung 81 Lady of the Lake 36 Sung Chiang 82 Mordred 36 Lao Tzu 83 Morgan le Fay 36 K'ung Fu-tzu 83 Gawaine 36 Dragon Kings 84 Galahad 37 Ch'eng Huang 84 The Green Knight 37 Pa Hsien 85 Percivale 38 Neglected Spirit 85 Tristram 38 Generals of the Animals 85 Gareth 39 Kay Sample39 Egyptia filen Mythology 87 Bedevere 39 Ra 92 Geb 93 Naciens 39 Nut 93 Garlon 40 Shu 94 Lamorak 40 Palomides 40 Tefnut 94 Average Knight of Renown 40 Osiris 95 Isis 95 Average Knight of Quality 40 Set 96 White Hart 41 Nephythys 96 Questing Beast 41 Thoth 99 Aztec Mythology 43 Ptah 99 Ometeotl 48 Horus 100 Huitzilopochtli 48 Anhur 100 Quetzalcoatl 49 Bast 101 Mictlantecuhtli 49 Mictanchihuatl 49 Greek Mythology 109 Tezcatlipoca 50 Gaea 108 Uranus 108 Tlaloc 51 Cronus 109 Chalchihuitlicue 51 Rhea 109 Tlazolteotl 52 Zeus 110 Xochipilli 52 Xochiquetzal 53 Hera 110 Aphrodite Ill Metzli 53 Ares Ill Centeotl 54 Artemis 112 Ixtlilton 54 Nezahualcoytl 55 Athena 112 Nezahuldilli 55 Demeter 113 Dionysus 113 Axayacatl 55 Hephaestus 114 Table off Contents

Hermes 115 Red God 163 Apollo 115 Fafhrd 164 Poseidon 116 Gray Mouser 164 Hades 117 Ningauble of the Seven Eyes 165 Hecate 117 Sheelba of the Eyeless Face 165 Titans 118 Movarl 166 Furies 119 Plugh 166 Heracles 120 Nehwon Monsters 167 Theseus 120 Norse Mythology 171 Odysseus 120 Odin 175 Cyclopes 121 Hecatoncheire 121 Frigga 176 Cerberus 121 Thor 176 Sif 177 Gigantes 121 Aegir 178 Indian Mythology 123 Baldur 178 Brahman 128 Bragi 179 Indra 128 Forseti 179 Varuna 129 Frey 180 Mitra 129 Freya 180 Yama 130 Heimdall 181 Agni 130 Hel 182 Surya 131 Idun 182 Savitri 132 Loki 183 Soma 132 Tyr 183 Ushas 133 Norns 184 Siva 133 Thrym 184 Kali 134 Surtr 184 Brihaspati 134 Valkyries 185 Rudra 135 Fjalar 186 Puchan 136 Skirnir 186 Ratri 136 Sigurd 186 Vayu 137 Beowulf 186 Tvashtri 137 Fafnir 187 Garm 187 Japanese Mythology 139 Fenris Wolf 187 Izanagi and Izanami Sample143 file Amaterasu 143 Designed by Troy Denning and James M. Ward Tsuki-Yomi 144 Additional Design by Timothy B. Brown and William W. Connors Hachiman 144 Edited by William W. Connors Susanoo 145 Black & White Art by George Barr and Terry Dykstra Raiden 145 Color Art by Erol Otis, Erik Olsen, Jean Elizabeth Martin, Jeff Easley, O-Kuni-Nushi 146 Carol Heyer, Roger Loveless, John & Laura Lakey, and Kieth Parkinson Ama-Tsu-Mara 147 Icons by Steven Sullivan Inari 147 Graphic Design by Stephanie Tabat Ho Masubi 148 Keylining by Sarah Feggestad and Paul Hanchette Nai No Kami 148 Typesetting by Gaye O'Keefe Cartography O-Wata-Tsu-Mi 149 Suprv. / Designer David Sutherland Kura Okami 149 Artist John Knecht Shina-Tsu-Hiko 150 Special Thanks to Gaye O'Keefe, Karen Boomgarden, Timothy B. Amatsu-Mikaboshi 151 Brown, Dale A. Donovan, Blake Mobley, Bruce Nesmith, Steven Shifukujin 151 Schend, and Dale "Slade" Henson. Raiko 152 Empress Jingo 152 ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, SPELLJAMMER, PRODUCTS OF Tanuki 153 YOUR IMAGINATION, and the TSR logo are all trademarks owned by TSR Inc. Hannya 153 c1990 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A. Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House Inc. and in Canada Newhwon Mythology 155 by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional Nehwon Encounter Tables 158 distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Gods of Lankhmar 160 This product is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Issek of the Jug 160 Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is Gods of Trouble 161 prohibited without the express written permission of TSR Inc. TSR Inc. TSR Ltd. Hate 161 1 POB 756 h- —I 120 Church End Death 162 Lake Geneva nfr I" I Cherry Hinton Kos 162 WI53147 «Tib* Cambridge, CBI3LB Tyaa 163 U.S.A —-—S3*- -'•" United Kingdom Introduction

Using This Book The volume has been expanded from 128 to 192 pages. There comes a desperate moment when every hero looks Where the old Legends & Lore placed its emphasis on game skyward in search of divine favor, when he raises Samplehis arms to mechanicfile s and weapons, the new book is concerned with the heavens and calls upon the cruel fates to spare his life. role-playing and using the gods in a fantasy campaign. It also Who hears him? stresses cultural flavor, beginning each section with a short Legends & Lore is a compendium of possible answers. It summary describing the society and civilization of the people provides AD&D® game statistics and role- playing details for who worshiped the pantheon in question. dozens of deities from the pantheons of eleven different cul- Despite the volume's increased size, the decision to concen- tures. Included in this book are sections on the mythoi of the trate on role-playing has necessitated some difficult deci- American Indians, Aztecs, Celts, Chinese, Egyptians, sions. The entry for each deity has been expanded to at least Greeks, Indians, Japanese, and Norse peoples. In addition, half a page, emphasizing such things as divine relationships there are sections detailing the tales of King Arthur and the with worshipers and the special duties and powers of the gods of Fritz Leiber's Nehwon. priests who follow the god. No doubt, some readers will take Legends & Lore also describes a few of the heroes and mon- issue the content of some of the entries themselves. In a pro- sters from the mythology of each of these societies, as well as ject of this nature and scope, such disagreements are un- presenting a brief summary of their cultures. In short, it is a avoidable. resource book filled with useful information for any When reading and using Legends & Lore, it is important to Dungeon Master who wishes to enrich his AD&D® game keep its intent and purpose firmly in mind. This book is not, campaign. in any way, a judgement on the validity or value of any reli- As many readers will note, this is not the first edition of Leg- gion practiced in any part of the world, either currently or in ends & Lore. With the publication of the AD&D 2nd Edition the past. It does not encourage or discourage belief in any of game, updating the original volume seemed a must. The Leg- the deities listed herein, nor does the omission of any religion ends & Lore revision is much more than a readjustment of reflect in anyway upon that religion's value or validity. Such game statistics. It is a complete rewrite from top to bottom, judgements have no place in fantasy role-playing. with many completely new entries. Even the old entries have Nor does Legends & Lore make any claim to being a schol- been researched again and examined in a fresh light. arly work. A comprehensive study of the mythology of even Introduction

one culture would fill many volumes of this size. To compli- lives. In almost every case, these forces have been given cate matters further, the study of mythology is far from an names, shapes, and personalities which men could, at least to exact science. For the large part, mythology is based upon an some small degree, comprehend. In addition, magical accumulation of stories handed down from generation to powers have been attributed to these forces. To gain the favor generation over a period of thousands of years. As these sto- of these supernatural beings, the people who created them ries passed from one teller to another, the details were quite began offering them gifts of food, wealth, and even life itself. naturally altered, either intentionally to fit the current needs This is how the gods of the ancients were born, and no fan- of the society, or, less obviously, through inaccurate memori- tasy campaign is complete without its own pantheon of such zation or shifting cultural biases. Invariably, the'end result is beings. that several versions of the same myth exist side by side, pre- The nature of a society's gods is both a reflection and a cat- senting the serious student with a tangle of legend, fact, and alyst of its culture. Its pantheon embodies its world-view, fiction that cannot be unsnarled. greatly influencing what the characters in that society desire, Legends & Lore does not even attempt this formidable how they behave, and their motivations for undertaking he- task. Instead, it simply selects the version most suited to its roic deeds. In practical terms, then, gods should be used not purpose and presents it for the Dungeon Master's consider- only to provide flavor to a campaign, but to provide guid- ation. In at least one case, that of the American Indian, many ance and motivations for player characters. Each player of the deities are complete fabrications of the author, de- character should select a deity from his culture's pantheon, signed to capture the spirit of the culture, not to present accu- then use that deity's ethos as guide for his character's actions. rate descriptions of gods once worshiped by true Native For example, while a search for wealth and adventure would Americans. be sufficient reason for a Norseman worshiping Thor to un- dertake an unprecedented sea voyage, a mountain of gold Running Divine Beings would hardly motivate an American Indian venerating the When deities in an AD&D® game deign to notice or inter- Great Spirit to paddle his canoe across a small lake. cede in the lives of mortals, it is the Dungeon Master who More importantly, character alignment assumes its full im- must play their roles. Running a god is a far greater challenge portance only when tied to the worship of a deity. When it than assuming the role of a sage, merchant, or talkative mon- comes to behaving properly for one's alignment, the fear of ster. The players will pay careful attention to the words and evoking divine wrath is a much better persuader than the actions of divinities, so the DM must make sure he thor- threat of having one's alignment involuntarily changed. oughly understands his deities and be careful to present them Of course, the presence of deities has a much greater im- in a special light. Samplepac filet upon the priest class than it does on any other. Priests The most important principle in having gods in a fantasy are expected to actively serve their deities, and each entry role-playing campaign is to use them judiciously and spar- contains a special section that delineates exactly what the de- ingly. It is certainly possible to run a high-level role-playing ity in question expects from his priests. At the same time, the game in which gods commonly appear for the purpose of wide range of choices available should make priests a more helping player characters. But such a campaign would stretch important part of the campaign, with even greater possibili- the game's rules to the point where it could hardly be called ties for creative innovation and role-playing on the player's an ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game at all. behalf. The AD&D® game is designed for a more mortal level of play. The player characters are heroic not because of the tre- Deities and the Campaign mendous powers they might or might not accumulate, but At first glance, it may prove difficult for the Dungeon because of the terrible risks they take in the face of imminent Master to choose which gods to make available to his player death. To use a god to save characters from those risks time characters. He should begin by considering the nature of his and time again is to sully the heart of the game. campaign, then selecting the pantheon (or pantheons) which On the other hand, neither are the gods super-powerful has the closest flavor. For example, those running Oriental monsters. Most of them are capable of destroying a mortal at campaigns might consider the Chinese or Japanese panthe- the merest whim. To set the characters into direct conflict ons, those running a medieval campaign could select the Ar- with a deity is, almost always, to ensure a quick and inescap- thurian, Celtic, or Norse mythos, and those running able death for the individual concerned—not much fun, no campaigns set in classical times might select the Egyptian, matter how one looks at it. Greek, or Indian mythos. The different pantheons included Despite the two precautions above, gods are a vital part of in Legends & Lore have been selected to provide a range of a fantasy world. Since the dawn of history, every culture has possibilities wide enough to cover almost any setting. strived to explain the mysteries of the world in terms humans Once the DM has selected the pantheon, players should can understand, and men have always tried to influence their chose their characters' deities from within that pantheon. In fates by appealing to the wondrous forces that shaped their certain cases, a DM might want to use two or more panthe- Introduction

ons in his campaign. Although this must be handled carefully this ability as they pursue their individual agendas. (for each pantheon comes with its own peculiar world-view At the DM's discretion, campaigns that utilize only one that may not be compatible with that of another pantheon), pantheon may take place in an alternate Prime Material it is a perfectly acceptable decision. Perhaps, as in ancient Plane. In this alternate Prime Material Plane, the gods of that times, different pantheons are worshiped in different parts of pantheon (and that pantheon only) are permitted to visit the the world. Perhaps two cultures have only recently come plane in their true forms. In some cases, a god's true form is into contact with each other, and the natives of each society described as being the earth, the sky, the moon, or some are still worshiping the gods of their own pantheon. It is even other natural phenomena. In these instances, the form de- possible to envisage a campaign in which deities from all of scribed is in an alternate Prime Material Plane. If the cam- the pantheons are worshiped. paign takes place in the true Prime Material Plane, then the The most important thing to remember in selecting a pan- description refers simply to the god's essence, which has been theon and using Legends & Lore is that it presents resource in- projected into the appropriate body in the true Prime Mate- formation, not rules. Although all of the material in this rial Plane. book has been carefully researched, the information pre- sented here should be considered as a collection of guidelines, Avatars to be altered and changed according to the specific needs of When a god has business upon the true Prime Material the campaign. Plane, he must send an avatar. An avatar is simply a manifes- For the most part, the relationship between the gods in tation of the god upon the Prime Material Plane. This mani- this book and player characters is of the same magnitude as festation is not nearly as powerful as the god himself, and is that of men to ants. While the gods are certainly aware of merely a projection of the god's power to the Prime Material the existence of men, and occasionally find them interesting Plane. Always remember, there is great difference between or annoying, men hardly merit all of their attention. If a the god and the avatar. The avatar embodies just a small por- man is foolish enough to irritate a god, he will almost cer- tion of the god's power. tainly be noticed—and then quickly crushed by the deity's Unlike the god himself, an avatar can be destroyed, which supernatural finger. is never looked upon kindly by the true god, and often results Unlike the relationship between men and ants, though, in some sort of divine retribution. Although avatars may there does seem to be something more vibrant in the associ- take many different forms, the number that can be created ation between a god and his worshipers. The exact nature of and the frequency with which they may be replaced depends this connection, unfortunately, remains a mystery far be- upon the god's stature (explained below). Often, avatars pos- yond the comprehension of mortals and (some say) immor- sess magic items of incredible power. Unless stated other- tals alike. Suffice it to say that gods need worshiperSamples and wise file, these items always teleport back to the god when the will often go to some little trouble to make sure they have a avatar is destroyed. good supply. Avatars are unaffected by the restrictions which apply to Another interesting aspect of the gods is that they cannot normal characters. For example, they often have attribute be killed by anything save another god of greater stature, or scores over 18, magic resistance, can be of any class without by a god of any stature using an artifact. This means that no regard to alignment, dual- or multi-class restrictions, and can mortal may ever kill any god. He might be capable of in- even possess a character class while in animal form. They flicting enough damage to drive off or dissipate a god, espe- also receive a damage (but not THACO) bonus for strengths cially if he is wielding an artifact, but the god will always of over 18. In order to reflect their supernatural natures, recover from its damage. Needless to say, gods that have however, their statistics are presented more in a monster- been attacked, and especially injured to such an extent, will type format than in that of a character. Their hit points are al- not be very happy with the responsible mortal. More often ways calculated at 8 points per hit die, and they use the than not, they will deal with such fools quickly—and per- THACO, saving throw, and other statistical tables for mon- manently. sters. Always use the listed THACO for the avatar; they do Fortunately for such daring and unwise mortals, even find- not receive any THACO bonuses for Strength or magical ing a god is no easy matter. For the most part, they inhabit weapons. the outer planes. They nevervisit the Prime Material Plane in Many avatars use weapons in combat. When they have their true forms, for this plane is the focus of so much divine multiple attacks with the same weapon, the weapon's dam- attention that it is impossible for any deity, no matter how age is listed only once, followed by any magical bonus it powerful, to enter it personally. Therefore, heroes wishing to may receive, the weapon's name (in parentheses), and then confront a true god must first find a way to travel to the outer the avatar's strength bonus. If multiple weapons are em- planes and then track down the god they wish to find. The ployed, the word "weapon" will appear and if attacks are latter action, of course, is no easy matter, since the gods can made unarmed, then no parenthetical information will ap- move between the planes at will, and often take advantage of