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Are there any deities whom favor balance between good and evil over all things? Less emphasis on war/valor/tyranny than Heironeous and Hextor, less about magic than Boccob. I'm looking for a deity or even established (published open content or homebrew) religious organization that would be well represented by something such as the Yin Yang, close to Taoism.

I'm a DM looking to incorporate these elements into a campaign I'm making and am hoping there's a precedent I can borrow from, shamelessly and heavily. The game's primary theme is going to be perspective on good versus evil, and a religious cult or two following this deity will be warring with each other and the character(s) over ideological differences in interpretation.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Any specific campaign setting (FR, GH, Eberron)? Or "core only?" Or "anything, it's only for inspiration?" \$\endgroup\$
    – mxyzplk
    Commented Oct 25, 2012 at 3:11
  • \$\begingroup\$ There probably is such a god in some sourcebook somewhere, but keep in mind that there was no single pantheon in 3.5: Each published setting has its own pantheon. (Yes, Planescape and Spelljammer all defined how gods from different campaigns settings could interact but neither of them were officially adapted to 3.5.) A god from an existing setting might therefore not mesh well with the setting you're planning to use in your game. You are, of course, the GM, so it's your decision, but you might want to consider designing your own god... It's pretty easy, in 3.5. \$\endgroup\$
    – GMJoe
    Commented Oct 25, 2012 at 3:23
  • \$\begingroup\$ Come to think of it, wasn't the chief deity of the gods of neutrality in the Dragonlance setting such a god? Or is my brain lying to me again? \$\endgroup\$
    – GMJoe
    Commented Oct 25, 2012 at 3:24
  • \$\begingroup\$ @mxyzplk any, just for inspiration. I'm most familiar with core, but do know some FR. \$\endgroup\$
    – LitheOhm
    Commented Oct 25, 2012 at 5:22
  • \$\begingroup\$ @GMJoe Already designing a lot, so trying to recycle some other stuff. Ultimately I will if I need to, just trying to save some steps. Not very familiar with Dragonlance but from what I remember hearing secondhand you may be correct. Will look into it \$\endgroup\$
    – LitheOhm
    Commented Oct 25, 2012 at 5:23

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Considering only core and "core plus" (books that mention gods as part of the default setting)…

Rao may fit your needs admirably: the Flan god of reason, serenity, and peace, his followers avoid violence—except when absolutely necessary to defend the rationally-chosen course of action. As we well know from humanity's history, many conflicts arise from the absolute conviction that your own reasoning is correct and that the break-away heretics have made a theological error in their doctrine. Raoans are ripe for sectarian disputes. As a bonus, the theme of Rao is pretty much Taoism with the serial numbers filed off, right down to the name.

You might also consider Cyndor, god of time, infinity, and predestination. The church's dogma is that all paths are predestined, which is a bit like the inevitability of the Way. Now add a power struggle on opposite sides of a prophecy, and you've got sectarian strife.

Both Rao and Cyndor appear in Complete Divine, though their Wikipedia articles alone might be sufficient if you're going to tweak their church and dogma anyway to emphasise your themes and put a fine point on your starting situation.

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    \$\begingroup\$ +1 Wonderful. Rao does look like a really good match, and Cyndor seems that he might be useful in here too. This should be enough for the present time, and will definitely keep an eye out for them in Complete Divine \$\endgroup\$
    – LitheOhm
    Commented Oct 25, 2012 at 5:28

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