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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A truckload of information, as always..., 28 Nov 1998
By A Customer
Eric Boyd truly amazes me not only with the depth of the material he presents in his sourcebooks, but also with the sheer quantity. Wholly 192 pages of very small print, Demihuman Deities certainly fulfills its role as a sourcebook; nearly anything you'd think of to ask about a deity is in there, elaborated and placed within the context of Toril's rich history. The only complaint with regard to quantity would be that the focus could not be broadened to include other non-human races, like the goblinkin...saving it for a fourth volume? What it lacks in breadth, this sourcebook more than makes up in depth; Demihuman Deities stays true to the incredible detail the Faiths and Avatar series of accessories exhibits.
At first glance, one can see the extremely powerful avatars in the book are presented for more than just show and tell. This was the first thing I noticed. Each god's avatar is fully described and ready to duke it out with the characters in any Realms campaign, which seems absurd, considering the sheer might of some (well, nearly all) of these avatars. But the Realms has ever been the place for a power-hungry, magic-happy player. While the amount of information concerning the avatars seems extraneous, it merely follows the pattern of the book itself. Little is left out; the book aims to please all. Boyd throws everything into it: over-powered avatars, a detailed history, a thorough description of the clergy, and some really smoking spells, many unique and not found elsewhere. Everything a gamer could ask for.
Well, perhaps not EVERYTHING. As a reader, albeit a selective one, of Realms novels, I would like to have seen more of the ideas introduced in some of the novels incorporated into this sourcebook. So much of the material is new and exciting that nevertheless it would be nice to see some familiar material being explored more thoroughly. For example, while the entry for Lolth was well-written and useful, there seemed only scant reference to the works of R.A. Salvatore, whose Dark Elf Trilogy practically redefined the drow in the Realms. Instead, the city of Menzoberranzan is hardly mentioned, the Quest spell Zin-Carla, which was the focus of an entire novel does not even appear. Rather, bits and pieces were taken from an earlier sourcebook, Drow of the Underdark, with little regard to the excellent material in Salvatore's novels.
Final verdict? Still an excellent book, a must-have for any demihuman campaign, with or without priests. The material is incredible and certain to add flavor and depth to any Realms campaign. With a little work (and tinkering with the avatar stats), this sourcebook can be used for any AD&D setting.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful view of the demihuman cults in the Realms, 20 April 1999
By A Customer
As in all the Faiths & Avatars line of products, the religious practics and points of view are fully detailed in this book, that adds and enriches role-playing for priests on the Forgotten Realms. The only problem: the goblinoid, giant, and other humanoid priests are not detailed here. This put them below the demihuman priests and deities of this book.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great pictures and very informative, a must for clerics +DMs, 22 Sep 1999
By A Customer
demihuman deities is one of the best books for clerics i have ever read. it tells you the storys of most of the major cods for Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, Gnomes ect....
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