Beltar (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting
for the Dungeons & Dragons
role-playing game
, Beltar is the Suel
goddess
of Malice, Caves, and Pits. Her holy symbol is a set of opened fangs poised to bite.
(1983), by Gary Gygax
. Beltar was further detailed by Lenard Lakofka
in Dragon
#89 (1984), in the article "Gods of the Suel Pantheon III."
Beltar was one of the deities described in the From the Ashes
set (1992), for the Greyhawk campaign.
Beltar's role in the 3rd edition Greyhawk setting was defined in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer
(2000). Beltar's priesthood is detailed for 3rd edition in Complete Divine
(2004).
, red dragon
, or marilith
. Some regard the later form as a likely cause of rumors of the existence of a Suloise snake-cult.
Beltar hates nearly everything, even other deities.
and Garl Glittergold
, according to Complete Divine
), until her only worshipers were nonhuman slaves. It is perhaps for this reason that Jascar
is one of her greatest enemies.
Beltar will often take mates in her various forms, but few survive, as she eats them afterward, as well as any young born from such a union.
, and other powerful creatures. Her followers are relentless explorers and raiders who take whatever they can find in the darkness and make it their own.
Beltar is worshipped in the Bone March, the Pomarj
, Stonehold
, and even in Erelhei-Cinlu. Some regard her marilith form as evidence that she is the Suloise snake-goddess worshipped in the Vale of the Lamia and the Isle of Serpents.
, or spiked gauntlets. Devoted priests, within a year of their deaths, often rise from the grave as undead
, often to return to their original tribes.
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, Beltar is the Suel
Suloise
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Suloise, also known as the "Suel," are one of the major races of humans inhabiting the Flanaess....
goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
of Malice, Caves, and Pits. Her holy symbol is a set of opened fangs poised to bite.
Publication history
Beltar was first detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game SettingWorld of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting
The World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting and the World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting are two closely related publications from TSR, Inc. that detail the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
(1983), by Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
. Beltar was further detailed by Lenard Lakofka
Lenard Lakofka
Lenard "Len" Lakofka is an American writer of material for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. He was an influential voice in the development of the game, as well as the author of what has been called one the greatest D&D adventures ever written...
in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#89 (1984), in the article "Gods of the Suel Pantheon III."
Beltar was one of the deities described in the From the Ashes
From the Ashes (Dungeons & Dragons)
From the Ashes is a supplement for Dungeons & Dragonss World of Greyhawk campaign setting. It was published in 1992 by TSR as a boxed set of materials...
set (1992), for the Greyhawk campaign.
Beltar's role in the 3rd edition Greyhawk setting was defined in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer
The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer is a sourcebook for the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Despite the title, the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer is not exclusive to the Living Greyhawk Campaign...
(2000). Beltar's priesthood is detailed for 3rd edition in Complete Divine
Complete Divine
Complete Divine is a supplemental rulebook for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game published by Wizards of the Coast...
(2004).
Description
Although often depicted as a haglike human female, Beltar is known to also appear as a beholderBeholder
The beholder is a fictional monster in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It resembles a floating orb of flesh with a large mouth, single central eye, and lots of smaller eyestalks on top with deadly magical powers....
, red dragon
Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
, or marilith
Marilith (Dungeons & Dragons)
A marilith is fictional creature in many official Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings. Mariliths are presented as powerful, six-armed demons with the lower body of snake.-Publication history:...
. Some regard the later form as a likely cause of rumors of the existence of a Suloise snake-cult.
Beltar hates nearly everything, even other deities.
Relationships
Beltar was formerly a goddess of earth and mines, but was supplanted by other Suel gods (as well as nonhuman deities such as MoradinMoradin
Moradin is the chief deity in the dwarven pantheon in the Dungeons & Dragons game and is a member of the default D&D pantheon. Moradin's domains are Creation, Earth, Good, Law, and Protection. His titles include Soul Forger, Dwarffather, the All-Father, and the Creator...
and Garl Glittergold
Garl Glittergold
Garl Glittergold is the patron deity of gnomes in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, and a member of the game's default pantheon of deities. His symbol is a gold nugget.-Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition :...
, according to Complete Divine
Complete Divine
Complete Divine is a supplemental rulebook for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game published by Wizards of the Coast...
), until her only worshipers were nonhuman slaves. It is perhaps for this reason that Jascar
Jascar
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Jascar is the Suel god of Hills and Mountains...
is one of her greatest enemies.
Beltar will often take mates in her various forms, but few survive, as she eats them afterward, as well as any young born from such a union.
Worshippers
Beltar's followers are encouraged to mine and explore caverns for riches and foes to kill. Her worshippers are mostly savage humans and evil nonhumans, barbaric dwellers in vast subterranean caverns. She encourages her faithful to join together in great armies and ally themselves with beholders, demons, red dragons, lichesLich (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the lich is an undead creature; a spellcaster who seeks to defy death by magical means.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, and other powerful creatures. Her followers are relentless explorers and raiders who take whatever they can find in the darkness and make it their own.
Beltar is worshipped in the Bone March, the Pomarj
Pomarj
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Pomarj can refer either to a large peninsula located in the central Flanaess, or to the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj, located in the same region....
, Stonehold
Stonehold
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Stonehold is a political state of the Flanaess. The nation was formerly known as the Hold of Stonefist.-Geography:...
, and even in Erelhei-Cinlu. Some regard her marilith form as evidence that she is the Suloise snake-goddess worshipped in the Vale of the Lamia and the Isle of Serpents.
Clergy
Beltar's priests preach hatred of one's enemies, rather than fear. They are expected to take positions of leadership in their tribes, or to form their own. The priesthood makes examples of the weak-willed and traitors. They usually fight with their natural weapons, cestiCestus
A cestus is an ancient battle glove, sometimes used in pankration. They were worn as are today's boxing gloves, but were made with leather strips and sometimes filled with iron plates or fitted with blades or spikes, and used as weapons.-Terminology:...
, or spiked gauntlets. Devoted priests, within a year of their deaths, often rise from the grave as undead
Undead (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, undead is a classification of monsters that can be encountered by player characters. Undead creatures are most often once-living creatures, which have been animated by spiritual or supernatural forces....
, often to return to their original tribes.
Rituals
Services to Beltar are usually held in caves or points of low ground, and often involve sacrifice of sentient beings.Additional reading
- Brown, Anne. Player's Guide (TSR, 1998).
- Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0 (Wizards of the Coast, 2005). Available online: http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LG_Deities.zip
- Niles, DouglasDouglas NilesDouglas Niles is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, and the Top Secret S/I espionage role-playing game.-Early life:Niles was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, and...
, and Carl SargentCarl SargentCarl L. Sargent is a British author of several roleplaying game-based products and novels.-Early career:...
. The City of Greyhawk (TSR, 1989). - Reynolds, Sean K.Sean K. ReynoldsSean K Reynolds is a professional game designer who has worked on and co-written a number of D&D supplements for Wizards of the Coast, as well as material for other companies. He does not put a period after his middle initial.-Background:...
The Scarlet Brotherhood (TSR, 1999). - Reynolds, Sean K, and Chris PramasChris Pramas-Career:His works for Dungeons & Dragons include: Slavers , Guide to Hell , Apocalypse Stone , Vortex of Madness , as well as some work on the third edition Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide .He has also done work for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.He quit Wizards of the Coast in 2000 to...
. SlaversSlaversSlavers is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Publication history:The 128-page book was published by Wizards of the Coast in 2000 for second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules...
(TSR, 2000). - Sargent, Carl. Ivid the Undying (TSR, unpublished). Available online: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads