Divine Intervention in Dungeons and Dragons

Divine intervention is the nuclear weapon of Dungeons and Dragons. It is the weapon of last resort. One calls for help from a god with reservation. For to anger a god is possible worse than anything else that could happen to you. Using this method of survival might well come at too costly a price.

The gods are all different. The help they may send could come in different forms.

Before asking for help from one’s deity one might want to ask themselves a few questions first

A deity may not be inclined to lift a finger to help an adventurer. Or perhaps they might. It really just depends. Of course some factors that might be considered are:

  • How closely has the petitioner followed their alignment?
  • If they are good in alignment have they been charitable?
  • Have they donated money to the church?
  • Are they currently following a path that their deity would approve of?
  • Are they currently involved in a quest on behalf of their god or deity?
Sometimes the gods send a powerful minion to aid the adventurers in a time of need

Divine Intervention in 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons

In 1st edition Divine Intervention is discussed on page 111-112 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Of course, when the DMG was published, no compendium of gods or deities had yet been released for AD&D. One could, and did, go back to Original Dungeons and Dragons for information on gods. I had a copy of Gods, Demigods and Heroes which had information on many of the deities that would later appear in Deities and Demigods which was later published for AD&D.

But these books were merely a little background information and stats for the gods. There was not (much) discussion about how to call upon these gods in a time of crisis.

Praying for intervention might come in the form of years of prayer or it might happen in a moment of crisis

The Advanced Dungeons and Dragons attitude was that gods have their own affairs and take little interest in the lives of mere mortals. It takes a great deal to make a god feel interested in what is happening down below. If a deity answered even one call in a hundred they would have no time for their own business.

The DMG suggests that Evil gods, Demon Princes, and Arch Devils might be more willing than good aligned deities to appear in person as they might gain converts to their cause. Even mentioning one of their names might be enough to bring about their interest.

Of course….in Advanced Dungeons and Dragons the spells attained by clerics come directly from their deities. They pray for them. So, to some extent, these gods are already helping the adventurer.

The devout followers of an alignment are more likely to receive help….or are at least more likely to receive help that matters

One question that the Dungeon Masters, themselves, must ask is how involved in my campaign do I want the gods to be? Gods might well be an integral part of a campaign. Perhaps the adventurers are on quests that directly achieve the goals of deity. In that case the god might send a powerful creature (such as a Shedu or Kirin) to help the adventurers. Or perhaps they might send a Planetar or Deva or some similar angelic presence. Or they might send an Avatar or even make an appearance if the matter is important enough.

Even surly Dwarven clerics pray to the gods

But how do I rule on a spur of the moment call to a deity for help in a crisis situation? To set some parameters the DMG states the following:

  • If the player has been exemplary in following the strictures of alignment and faith then a standard 10% chance should be used for a deity to answer by sending some creature or minion to help
  • If a 00 is rolled then the deity shows up in person
  • Each previous intervention has a -5% chance modifier
  • If the alignment behavior is less than exemplary (but not down right opposition) -5%
  • Borderline alignment behavior -10%
  • If direct confrontation with another deity is required -10%
  • If the adventurer is opposing creatures of diametrically opposed alignments +1%
  • If the adventurer is serving the deity through direct instruction or as a proxy +25%
  • In no circumstances will a deity intervene on a plane that is inhabited by other deities (such as the outer planes) or on the positive or negative material planes
The gods are always watching….and if they are not then perhaps their minions are……

Divine Intervention in 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons

Fifth Edition has a totally different attitude about Divine Intervention. In fact now it is a feature of clerics 10th level or higher. The cleric implores their deity for help. This takes the place of an action. One describes the assistance that they are requesting and then rolls percentile dice. A roll of equal to or less than the cleric’s level indicates a successful result. The DM at this point will choose the form of the intervention. Successful rolls do not mean the cleric will get exactly what they are requesting.

This feature can only be used once every seven days (if the deity actually intervenes in some way). Otherwise it can be used again after a long rest.

At 20th level the cleric will always succeed when requesting intervention.

As you can see….. this is a total turnaround from the First Edition attitude. Now a cleric can pretty much call on a deity every week if they want to. And at 20th level they will always succeed in getting some form of help.

To most worshipers in the Dungeons and Dragons campaign the face of a god is usually some statue that they worship. In their lives they never expect to actually meet a god (at least not while alive)

Also note, one other very important difference, between the 1st Edition and 5th Edition rules for Divine Intervention. First Edition puts a huge emphasis on closely following alignment. Fifth Edition puts none at all. These rules are laid out clearly in the 5th Edition Player’s Handbook on page 59. Strangely, enough, the Dungeon Master’s Guide for 5th Edition is silent on the subject.

Also, note one other important difference, between editions. In 1st Edition anyone could petition for help. In 5th Edition it is a class feature of the cleric. This is peculiar to me as 5th edition has basically blurred class skills compared to earlier editions. Early editions of the game had classes with skills that were very specific. If you wanted to pick a lock you had to be a thief. If you wanted to bash down doors then you were probably a fighter (with high strength). If you wanted to cast devastating magic spells then you played a magic user (wizard). Now 5th Edition does not specifically state that no other class could call upon a deity but it offers no rules suggesting that they can.

Angering the gods is not advisable

Is Divine Intervention an Instant Win Button?

Regardless of which edition played the Dungeon Master should keep a few things in mind before having a Deity come crashing in and saving the day:

  • Does the adventurer really need any help?
  • Is the adventurer really serving the deity? or are they serving themselves?
  • Is the adventurer closely following their alignment (just because the PHB in 5th Edition does not mention it does not mean that the deity would not consider it)

What level of help that the adventurer gets is up to the Dungeon Master in either edition. A deity that is not particularly enthusiastic about helping a character may do the least that they feel might help the adventurer. They might send some weak minion or perhaps offer some small token of their support (limited use of a magic item for example). A deity that has been called upon many times for questionable reasons might not be inclined to offer much help at all.

The help of a god can be the difference between life and death

Involving Deities in a Dungeons and Dragons Game or Campaign

Not every Dungeon Master is going to feel comfortable about including deities in their campaigns. Some will design their campaigns around deities and their motivations. It just depends upon the Dungeon Master. A well thought out conflict between two powerful gods (or devils or demons) could lead to a very interesting campaign. But it is not for everyone.

The power of the gods is immense

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St. Cuthbert was an important deity in the Greyhawk campaign of Gary Gygax
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4 Replies to “Divine Intervention in Dungeons and Dragons”

  1. I would like to see an article on a PC becoming a deity or demigod or even a demon or devil. In other words an immortal with possible followers. A lich not this.

    1. Thank you for the idea. I will put it on my list of potential articles. I will need to think some on this topic to see how I can develop it.

  2. I have to say, I really like your topics and attitude when writing about them. You have tackled some interesting stuff, and this article highlights that. Keep up the exemplary work. And thank you.

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