Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes Supplement for Original D&D
Publisher: Tactical Studies Rules (aka TSR)
Item Code: #2006
Title: Supplement IV: Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes
Author: Robert Kuntz and James Ward
Published: 1976
Format: 72 page digest-sized booklet
Comments: Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes added Gods and Heroes (and legendary items) from a number of real world and fictional mythologies to original D&D. Real world mythologies included: Egyptian, Hindu, Greek, Celtic, Norse, Finnish, Mexico/Central America, and China/Far Eastern. Fictional mythologies included Hyborea (Howard’s Conan) and Melnibone (Moorcock’s Elric series). Deities were written up in the same manner as monsters which, unfortunately, is how they were used in many campaigns.
From the introduction to Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes:
Well, here it is: the last D&D supplement. It is with a strange mixture of sadness and relief that I tell you this. My first assignment, fresh out of college, was BLACKMOOR. I came to regard it with a mixture of love and loathing, that has gradually seen the love win out. The loathing grew out of the educational trip that it was for me. They don’t teach you in college what to do when the press breaks down, or your manuscript gets mysteriously misplaced; you just have to wing it.
Well, the same applies to D&D’ers everywhere: we’ve told you just about everything we can. From now on, when the circumstances aren’t covered somewhere in the books, wing it as best you can. As we’ve said time and time again, the ‘rules’ were never meant to be more than guidelines; not even true ‘rules.’
What the authors have done in this volume is to attempt to set down guidelines that will enable you to incorporate a number of various mythologies into your game/campaign.
They make no claims that any of this material presented is exhaustive, or even infallible. Mythology is defined as ‘a body of myths, especially: the myths dealing with the gods, demi-gods and heroes of a particular people, usually involving the supernatural.’ Myth is defined as a legend. Obviously, when dealing with material of this sort, there is a lot of latitude in interpretation. This is what the authors have presented: their interpretations. These interpretations are the result of months of painstaking, arduous research. As earlier defined, mythology is legend, and hundreds of volumes have been printed, each with its own interpretation. Further research and reading is recommended into all of the mythos presented herein. This is the merest of outlines, presented in D&D terms.
This volume is something else, also: our last attempt to reach the “Monty Hall” DM’s. Perhaps now some of the ‘giveaway’ campaigns will look as foolish as they truly are. This is our last attempt to delineate the absurdity of 40+ level characters. When Odin, the All-Father has only(?) 300 hit points, who can take a 44th level Lord seriously?
This volume does not herald the end of new D&D material. There will always be new material; ’tis the nature of the beastie. There were many myths that couldn’t be squeezed into this. Keep looking for new stuff in the future in the pages of our periodicals, those that didn’t fit, as well as those aborning at this very moment. Just don’t wait with baited breath for another supplement after this one. May you always make your saving throw.
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