Stalker (Dungeons & Dragons)
| Game background | |
|---|---|
| Home plane | Wanders |
| Power level | Demigod |
| Alignment | Neutral Evil |
| Portfolio | Hate, death, cold |
| Design details | |
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Stalker is the goblinoid deity of hate, death, and cold. This god has no true worshippers, and is an enemy of all things that live. Its symbol is a creeping shadow.
Publication history
Stalker was first detailed in the book Monster Mythology (1992), including details about his priesthood.[1]
Description
Stalker takes the form of a slow shadow, its size varying from two to twenty feet in length as the entity desires. It continuously radiates magical fear, and is especially proficient with cold-related spells.
Relationships
Stalker is related to the racial root stock of all goblinoid races (in this context, this includes orcs and other races as well). Stalker hungers for all lives and souls, but it is not powerful enough to oppose Gruumsh, Maglubiyet, or the races under their protection, so for this reason it focuses its hate on bugbears, kobolds, urds, gnolls, and mongrelfolk. It particularly despises Meriadar, who works to bring self-respect to the goblinoid races. Stalker occasionally strikes up an alliance with the bugbear god Skiggaret, with whom it has a mutual tolerance. Stalker is sometimes considered by bugbears to be a member of their pantheon.
Stalker will send its single avatar to prey on weak communities or those damaged by war. Other goblinoid gods will often permit Stalker to take a share of souls after such conflict, for they find its stirring up of violence to be useful.
Realm
In pre-history, Stalker is said to have dwelled in a dark underground complex before being driven out by the intrusion of a goblinoid race. Ever since then, Stalker has wandered the world, searching for revenge. It is possible that Stalker is responsible for the pools of animated darkness haunting Darkpool; this is credited to an unnamed humanoid deity.
Dogma
Stalker and its hate are strengthened by the deaths of goblinoids, so it always seeks to inspire war, conflict, and death.
Worshippers
Stalker has no worshippers, but many fear it. It has no priests or shamans. Goblinoids usually do not bother to attempt to propitiate Stalker, as it seldom does any good. The only exception that has found to be effective is ritually dancing to death while promising Stalker a battle with deaths and souls to be devoured; this will sometimes satisfy Stalker enough to turn away from the rest of the community.
References
- ↑ Sargent, Carl. Monster Mythology (TSR, 1992)