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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Aug 2012 : 20:24:07
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Okay, after much frustration I finally found the list of 4e gods (spread between two books, and the ones for PCs were in such a weird place I couldn't find them for quite some time).
In the DMG it 'details' (being generous with that word) the evil gods, and next to them is a great little symbol I can easily use on maps. This is a GOOD thing. I can differentiate between temples that way. Then when I finally found the good/neutral deities, I find no such useful symbols - these do not exist for the PC gods? 
I found the regular heraldry/symbols for those gods, but no small, font-like symbol. Also, while researching this, I have to ask - why the hell does Corellon and Lolth have the same symbol? 
Okay, so now I am both frustrated and scratching my head. Is there a 'god book' for 4e? Whether there is or isn't, does anyone know if there are those small 'font-like' symbols for ALL the gods somewhere?
I don't really use the deities much IMG, so this is one area where my knowledge is really lacking. I'm actually embarrassed I never really looked too closely at the deity symbols before. Any help would be appreciated.
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"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 26 Nov 2012 17:43:00
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Rils
Learned Scribe
USA
108 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2012 : 15:57:19
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Umm, which two books are you looking at? Because checking my 4e FR Player's Guide and FR Campaign Guide, the section on the deities in each of them is quite obvious:
- FRPG: "Deities of Toril", pages 150-154
- FRCG: "Chapter 5: Pantheon", pages 70-81
Each entry for the Greater Gods has a depiction of their symbol next to them. Not what I'd call "font-like", they are like an inch by an inch in size, slightly bigger maybe. Both good and evil deities are in both books; in fact, both books have exactly the same list of deities. The difference is that the info on the gods in the FRPG is more aimed at "why you as an adventurer would serve this god, and here's the god's sumamary in three bullet-points", while the the FRCG has a bit more background info on them. Granted, it's only a couple paragraphs each, but enough to get the average DM/player going. It's not Faiths and Avatars, you really need a separate book for that.
The lesser gods and exarchs were mostly relegated to a table in the FRCG outlining their domains and interests, and some have been expounded on in subsequent DDI articles. But 4e never reached the insanely detailed level of the 2e splatbooks, mostly I'd say because the business model is different.
The art for the symbols can be downloaded off the WotC page, will have to find the link. Again, none of it is what I'd call "font-like", it's better. Only the greater gods got this treatment afaik, they never really dug into the details of the lesser gods. You're right, Corellon and Lolth are very similar, both an eight-pointed star with a gem in the center; the difference is the coloring (silver with green gem for Cor, red gem for Lolth) and Lolth's star has webbing between the points of the star while Cor's is clean.
Hope that helps.
Edit: Here's the linky to the FRCG art gallery:
http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4art/20090930/frcg
and the linky to the FRPG art gallery:
http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4art/20090930/frpg |
Dugmaren Brightmantle is my homey. |
Edited by - Rils on 09 Aug 2012 16:02:27 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36965 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2012 : 17:38:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Rils
You're right, Corellon and Lolth are very similar, both an eight-pointed star with a gem in the center; the difference is the coloring (silver with green gem for Cor, red gem for Lolth) and Lolth's star has webbing between the points of the star while Cor's is clean.
Why did they change that? Neither deity used the described holy symbol in 2E... |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2012 : 17:46:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Rils
You're right, Corellon and Lolth are very similar, both an eight-pointed star with a gem in the center; the difference is the coloring (silver with green gem for Cor, red gem for Lolth) and Lolth's star has webbing between the points of the star while Cor's is clean.
Why did they change that? Neither deity used the described holy symbol in 2E...
They changed them to match up with the new holy symbols for Corellon and Lolth in the 4E core. I played with a hypothetical matching symbol for Angharradh in one of my Musings long ago, but the holy symbols have definitely changed since earlier editions. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2012 : 17:49:54
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Okay, I was looking in the PHG and DMG.
The DMG has those little font-like symbols next to the god-entries, but the PHB does not. I also noticed this in a lot of the 4e books - the use a little dragon-head symbol to denote an encounter/threat, and an arrow to denote a trap (and their are others I saw, but I can't think of them ATM). I happen to like this format very much - it makes it easy to find stuff while running an adventure. They also make great map symbols (any time you can use the same symbols on maps as you do in the books is brilliant, IMHO).
The normal, larger 'artsy' symbols are pretty, but useless when making maps.
Strangely enough, I hadn't even thought to look in the FR books; the gods I was looking for were core as well as FR. In the PHB, the deities are listed in the alignments section, not under the priests as it was in 3e.
I understand why the deities were split between the two books, and agree with that decision.
EDIT: And to follow-up on Brian's comment above, I think there is/was a lot of background stuff that went on with 4e (there had to be a point in making Lolth and Corellon's symbols nearly identical), but I think we never really got to see any of that get fully developed. We 'may' get to see that plot hook get developed down the road, since the Drow seem to be getting featured prominently as part of 5e's release.
All IMHO, of course. I do believe they had a plan, even if it did go awry. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 09 Aug 2012 17:55:50 |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2012 : 18:03:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
The DMG has those little font-like symbols next to the god-entries, but the PHB does not. I also noticed this in a lot of the 4e books - the use a little dragon-head symbol to denote an encounter/threat, and an arrow to denote a trap (and their are others I saw, but I can't think of them ATM). I happen to like this format very much - it makes it easy to find stuff while running an adventure. They also make great map symbols (any time you can use the same symbols on maps as you do in the books is brilliant, IMHO).
Ah! You mean the fabled "Adventure" font, which wasn't all that much of a font at all.
Here you go. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2012 : 18:15:47
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Thank you, that is most excellent! 
Now if I could just get my grubby little hands on the ones they used in the DMG - someone must have them, if they were used in that book.
If I still had Illustrator/CS I'd be able to just go into the books and convert them all into vectors myself. Thats how I made one out of the D&D symbol (the Ouroboros-like dragon head), and also the MtG symbols (which also make great map symbols).
Heres a 5e suggestion - GIVE US a font with all the official symbols, so everyone can make their own maps (or at least, make it easier). The more people you have using your tools, the more people you have interested in your products. 
For example, an extended version of this font you just pointed me too - and thanks again. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 26 Nov 2012 : 17:42:14
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While looking for the above link Garen Thal provided (thanks again), I happen across THIS Page, which has the core deity symbols in png format, which makes them fairly easy to use for map-makers and others. I was hoping to find the deity symbols in a font, but this will work. I figured some of you might be able to use them as well. 
NOW... if only we could get WotC to create symbols like these for ALL the (FR) gods, and then create a font with them, that would be pretty neat.
Thats actually secondary to my wish for them to create a standardized set of map symbols in the same (font) format. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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4th edition gods? {Fonts/symbols}
