I am working on my first homebrew setting using a spelljammer sort of cosmology, and I have run into some confusion. So far, my understanding is that gods in D&D only exist where they have followers. How, then, does a god create a world from nothing? If no world = no worshipers = no god to create the world?
[RPG] Do gods need to be worshiped
dnd-5elorereligions-and-deitiesspelljammer
Related Solutions
In FR the dragons were created by the primordials. Does this mean many/most/all dragon gods are also primordials, as aspects/fragments of Io?
The Dragon Gods are presented as actual gods rather than primordials (DMG p. 10, PHB p. 296, & SCAG p. 113).
Can a primordial also be (or somehow become) a god?
I'm unaware of this occurring, but I wouldn't rule it out:
- Asgorath/Io is both, but (as creator of the universe) doesn't count.
- Tharizdun is close, but is not a Primordial.
- Kossuth is also close, but he's "not a true god but actually an elemental primordial".
Do primordials need, desire or benefit from followers?
Not normally, but Kossuth is an example of a primordial that benefits from extensive worship.
Do surviving primordials have significant religions associated with them, either in Abeir or in Toril?
On Toril the five Elemental Lords have followings, while The Seven Lost Gods were once worshiped. I believe Abeir would have more significant Primodial worship, but that setting was never detailed.
Do primordials grant spells in the same way as gods?
Not normally, but again: Kossuth is an example of a primordial that both grants spells and has extensive followings.
Can they be warlock patrons?
I don't see anything preventing this. A few homebrewed examples of this can be found here and here.
Is there any obvious difference in the portfolios of primordials versus gods? I would have assumed that since they predate mortals they tend to represent more fundamental forces (like the elements) rather than human concepts like law, love, luck, agriculture.
That might be one way to view it, but 4e's creation myth (Worlds and Monsters p.56, cited below) has the Gods being created at the same time as the Primordials. Another way to view it might be that the Primordials are composed of elemental "physical-matter" while the Gods (and Astral Sea) are more composed of thought (mental-matter).
In short, what is the difference between a god and a primordial? Are they fundamentally the same (just different lineages) or are there fundamental differences?
They are consistently presented as having fundamental differences. From 4e's Worlds and Monsters (p.56): "The gods, beings of divine power, appeared in the Astral Sea, while in the Elemental Chaos arose the primordials, incarnations of tremendous elemental might"... "composed partially of creation-stuff".
I also found this fantastically detailed post on Candlekeep...
That still seems like as good a guide as any.
There is Karsakim. He is the leader of a military force dedicated to eradicating religion in Rahadoum.
Apart from that pathfinder has some abilities that require you to not follow a god.
One example is the feat godless healing
"Godless Healing
You have mastered a specialized and complex technique to ignore pain by focusing your belief on the self rather than relying on faith.
Prerequisites: Cannot have a patron deity.
Benefit: Once per day when you have half your total hit points or fewer, you may heal yourself of an amount of damage equal to 1d8 plus your total Hit Dice as a move action. This is a supernatural ability.
Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time you do, you may heal yourself one additional time per day."
Beside the above mentioned Rahadoum in Garund there are Touvette in the River Kingdoms and Bachuan in Tian Xia that discourage or forbid religious practice.
Best Answer
In the Forgotten Realms setting, there is an Overgod, Lord Ao. (see also this question)
So in answer to your question, there are Overgods who do not need worshipers.