Obad-Hai
Encyclopedia
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting
and the default pantheon of deities for the Dungeons & Dragons
role-playing game
, Obad-Hai is the god of Nature, Woodlands, Hunting, and Beasts, one of the most ancient known. He is often called the Shalm.
He is also considered to be the god of summer by the Flan
. Originally a Flan deity, Obad-Hai is most favored by Rangers, druids
and other nature priests. His holy symbol is a mask of oak leaves and acorns.
in Dragon
#69 (1983). Obad-Hai was subsequently detailed in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting
(1983), and in Greyhawk Adventures (1988).
His role in the cosmology of the Planescape
campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996). Obad-Hai is described as one of the good deities that celestials
can serve in the supplement Warriors of Heaven (1999).
(2000).
Obad-Hai is also detailed in the Manual of the Planes
(2001), and Deities and Demigods (2002).
(2004).
He carries a wooden staff called the Shalmstaff, and is known for playing a woodwind instrument called a shalm or shawm
. Obad-Hai can appear as a human, dwarf
, gnome
, or halfling
, and has worshipers among all four races. He is also depicted in the forms of various animals or fey.
Obad-Hai is Neutral with Chaotic Good tendencies.
, and is the sworn enemy of Phyton
. He is an enemy of the vile nature deity Karaan
. The Shalm is often grouped with Beory
and Berei
among the agricultural gods of the Flan.
Obad-Hai's domain is nature in all its forms: wild and tamed, savage and domesticated. All four seasons exist simultaneously in balance within the Shalm's realm. In the space of a quarter-mile, snowfields give way to forests draped in fall color next to orchards heavy with fruit and newly plowed fields. Creatures encountered within the Hidden Wood tend to be axiomatic or anarchic, but include a large number of Prime Material Plane animals, beasts, and plants. These creatures are usually hostile to travelers, an attitude that Obad-Hai encourages.
The Shalm has changed the magic traits within his realm. Spells cast by druids here are enhanced, and all spells targeting animals or plants are heightened. He has the power to make other changes to the traits of his realm if he wishes.
Petitioners serving Obad-Hai appear human and have the abilities of typical Outlandish petitioners. In addition, they gain the ability to speak with animals and plants at will. Petitioners are often gardening, herding, hunting, pruning, planting, or harvesting. Great feasts are common within the Shalm's realm.
, in the Gran March
, among the Rovers of the Barrens, in Stonehold
, in Tenh, in the County of Ulek
, and in Verbobonc.
. They have no hierarchy; all members are treated as equals. They keep to the wilderness and to themselves, rarely getting involved with society and often living as hermits. Most get along very well with rangers and druids.
StoneRing in the Domain of Greyhawk is often used as a site of worship by druids of Obad-Hai.
Worshipers of Obad-Hai work to protect the wilderness from dangers such as unnatural corruption or cataclysms, or from deforestation by woodcutters.
to be the holiest of all. All quarrels between the faith of the Shalm and other sects are set aside, and they join in celebration of the Oerth
and the Balance they serve. This is considered the best night to harvest mistletoe.
There are three Staves of the Unyielding Oak. These staves are actually treant
s who have willingly bound themselves to quarterstaff form in order to aid followers of the Shalm. They have the ability to reassume their treant forms at the command of their wielders.
, who hangs his corpse on the Summer Tree. After seven days, Pelor
cuts him down and buries him in the earth, where Beory
's tears cause a new sapling to grow, which drops the fruit that hatches into the young Obad-Hai once again in the spring.
, a priest of Obad-Hai named Dorian is one of the main characters who perishes in the battle with a White Dragon.
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
and the default pantheon of deities for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, Obad-Hai is the god of Nature, Woodlands, Hunting, and Beasts, one of the most ancient known. He is often called the Shalm.
He is also considered to be the god of summer by the Flan
Flan (Greyhawk)
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Flan are a race of humans living in the Flanaess. The Flan peoples were the first humans known to have settled the eastern portion of the continent of Oerik, the Flanaess, which is named for them...
. Originally a Flan deity, Obad-Hai is most favored by Rangers, druids
Druid (Dungeons & Dragons)
The druid is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Druids wield nature-themed magic. Prior to 4th edition, they gain divine magic from being at one with nature, or from one of several patron gods of the wild, while in 4th edition, they gain primal magic...
and other nature priests. His holy symbol is a mask of oak leaves and acorns.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
Obad-Hai was first detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game in the article "The Deities and Demigods of the World of Greyhawk" by Gary GygaxGary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#69 (1983). Obad-Hai was subsequently detailed in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting
World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting
The World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting and the World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting are two closely related publications from TSR, Inc. that detail the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
(1983), and in Greyhawk Adventures (1988).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
Obad-Hai was one of the deities described in the From the Ashes set (1992), for the Greyhawk campaign, and appeared again in Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins (1998).His role in the cosmology of the Planescape
Planescape
Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...
campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996). Obad-Hai is described as one of the good deities that celestials
Celestial (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, celestials are a class of creatures and monsters known as outsiders who are of wholly good alignment....
can serve in the supplement Warriors of Heaven (1999).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
Obad-Hai appears as one of the deities described in the Players Handbook for this edition (2000). Obad-Hai's role in the 3rd edition Greyhawk setting was defined in the Living Greyhawk GazetteerLiving Greyhawk Gazetteer
The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer is a sourcebook for the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Despite the title, the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer is not exclusive to the Living Greyhawk Campaign...
(2000).
Obad-Hai is also detailed in the Manual of the Planes
Manual of the Planes
The Manual of the Planes is a manual for the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. This text addresses the planar cosmology of the game universe....
(2001), and Deities and Demigods (2002).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)
Obad-Hai appears in the revised Players Handbook for this edition (2003). His priesthood is detailed for this edition in Complete DivineComplete Divine
Complete Divine is a supplemental rulebook for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game published by Wizards of the Coast...
(2004).
Description
Obad-Hai is most often depicted as a lean and weathered old man of indeterminate age, dressed in brown or russet.He carries a wooden staff called the Shalmstaff, and is known for playing a woodwind instrument called a shalm or shawm
Shawm
The shawm was a medieval and Renaissance musical instrument of the woodwind family made in Europe from the 12th century until the 17th century. It was developed from the oriental zurna and is the predecessor of the modern oboe. The body of the shawm was usually turned from a single piece of wood,...
. Obad-Hai can appear as a human, dwarf
Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, dwarves are a humanoid race, one of the primary races available for play as player characters...
, gnome
Gnome (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, gnomes are one of the core races available for play as player characters. Some speculate that they are closely related to dwarves; however, gnomes are more tolerant of other races and of magic, and are skilled with illusions...
, or halfling
Halfling
Halfling is another name for J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobbit which can be a fictional race sometimes found in fantasy novels and games. In many settings, they are similar to humans except about half the size. Dungeons & Dragons began using the name halfling as an alternative to hobbit for legal reasons...
, and has worshipers among all four races. He is also depicted in the forms of various animals or fey.
Obad-Hai is Neutral with Chaotic Good tendencies.
Relationships
Obad-Hai has an unfriendly rivalry with EhlonnaEhlonna
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and in the default pantheon of deities for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Ehlonna is the goddess of Forests, Woodlands, Flora, Fauna, and Fertility...
, and is the sworn enemy of Phyton
Phyton (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Phyton is the Suel god of Nature, Beauty, and Farming. Phyton's symbol is a scimitar in front of an oak tree.-Publication history:...
. He is an enemy of the vile nature deity Karaan
Karaan
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Karaan is a vile god of savage lust and wanton destruction, representing the dark side of nature...
. The Shalm is often grouped with Beory
Beory
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Beory is the Flan goddess of the Oerth, Nature, and Rain. She is also known as the Oerth Mother...
and Berei
Berei
A lesser deity originally known to the Flan, Berei is goddess of Agriculture, Family, and Home in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
among the agricultural gods of the Flan.
Realm
The Hidden Wood of Obad-Hai is a patchwork of thick woods,open glades, and rolling fields. Explorers' notes place the Hidden Wood in several specific locations in the Outlands, often near the gate-towns of Fortitude or Faunel. It's rarely found at all except by travelers who become lost in the woods, and by those souls who were dedicated to the Shalm during their mortal lives.Obad-Hai's domain is nature in all its forms: wild and tamed, savage and domesticated. All four seasons exist simultaneously in balance within the Shalm's realm. In the space of a quarter-mile, snowfields give way to forests draped in fall color next to orchards heavy with fruit and newly plowed fields. Creatures encountered within the Hidden Wood tend to be axiomatic or anarchic, but include a large number of Prime Material Plane animals, beasts, and plants. These creatures are usually hostile to travelers, an attitude that Obad-Hai encourages.
The Shalm has changed the magic traits within his realm. Spells cast by druids here are enhanced, and all spells targeting animals or plants are heightened. He has the power to make other changes to the traits of his realm if he wishes.
Petitioners serving Obad-Hai appear human and have the abilities of typical Outlandish petitioners. In addition, they gain the ability to speak with animals and plants at will. Petitioners are often gardening, herding, hunting, pruning, planting, or harvesting. Great feasts are common within the Shalm's realm.
Dogma
Obad-Hai teaches that one should live in harmony with nature, and that those who would damage the natural balance deserve swift vengeance. Obad-Hai's faith is colder and less compassionate than Ehlonna's, preaching death in balance with life. When followers of the Shalm hunt, they target the weak and sickly first.Worshipers
Obad-Hai is revered by humans, dwarves, fey, gnomes, and halflings. His faith is strong among the Flan tribesmen in the Bright Lands, in GeoffGeoff (Greyhawk)
Geoff is a fictional land that is part of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Geoff was first described in 1983 in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting, where Geoff is properly known as the Grand Duchy of Geoff, and is a ducal political state of the fictional continent called the...
, in the Gran March
Gran March
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Gran March is a political state of the Flanaess.-Geography:...
, among the Rovers of the Barrens, in Stonehold
Stonehold
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Stonehold is a political state of the Flanaess. The nation was formerly known as the Hold of Stonefist.-Geography:...
, in Tenh, in the County of Ulek
Ulek States
In the Dungeons and Dragons World of Greyhawk campaign setting, the Ulek States refers to the three easternmost nations of the Sheldomar Valley...
, and in Verbobonc.
Clergy and temples
Obad-Hai's priests favor russet-colored clothing and simple quarterstavesQuarterstaff
A quarterstaff , also short staff or simply staff is a traditional European pole weapon and a technique of stick fighting, especially as in use in England during the Early Modern period....
. They have no hierarchy; all members are treated as equals. They keep to the wilderness and to themselves, rarely getting involved with society and often living as hermits. Most get along very well with rangers and druids.
Druids
Many druids of the Old Faith revere Obad-Hai. Druids of the Shalm are found within the Adri Forest, where they are led by Archdruid Immonara. Archdruid Reynard Yargrove in the Sheldomar Valley is another worshiper of the Shalm.Temples
Temples of Obad-Hai are wooden structures in rustic settings, almost invariably laden with oak trees. The god's shrines are often stone circles or circles of oaks deep in the wilderness.StoneRing in the Domain of Greyhawk is often used as a site of worship by druids of Obad-Hai.
Rituals
Prayers in honor of the Shalm often begin with references to birth and growth and end with references to death and dying. Services involve the consecration of earth, fire, living flowers, and water. Rites in Obad-Hai's name are seasonal, often triggered by events such as the year's first birdsong or snowfall.Worshipers of Obad-Hai work to protect the wilderness from dangers such as unnatural corruption or cataclysms, or from deforestation by woodcutters.
Holy days
Worshippers of Obad-Hai consider Midsummer's NightSummer solstice
The summer solstice occurs exactly when the axial tilt of a planet's semi-axis in a given hemisphere is most inclined towards the star that it orbits. Earth's maximum axial tilt to our star, the Sun, during a solstice is 23° 26'. Though the summer solstice is an instant in time, the term is also...
to be the holiest of all. All quarrels between the faith of the Shalm and other sects are set aside, and they join in celebration of the Oerth
Oerth
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Oerth, pronounced as "Orth" or "oyth", is the name of the fictional planet on which one of the earliest campaign settings, the World of Greyhawk, is located...
and the Balance they serve. This is considered the best night to harvest mistletoe.
Artifacts and other associated magical items
The Singing Stones of the Vesve are a very ancient artifact of Obad-Hai taking the form of a stone circle that, according to divination, seems to be waiting angrily for some response. The Armor of Fallen Leaves is a relic sewn together from actual leaves by Ehlonna and presented as a gift to Obad-Hai during a time when they had better relations.There are three Staves of the Unyielding Oak. These staves are actually treant
Treant
Treants are creatures found in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.Treants are sentient trees with human characteristics. They are typically portrayed as protectors of the forests and antagonists to industrialization and despoiling of nature...
s who have willingly bound themselves to quarterstaff form in order to aid followers of the Shalm. They have the ability to reassume their treant forms at the command of their wielders.
Obad-Hai and the Summer Tree
According to the ancient traditions of the Old Faith, Obad-Hai is reborn every spring, hatching in the form of a young boy from the fruit of a sapling that grows from his own grave. By summer Obad-Hai takes the form of a strong young man, the Stag King, leading the Wild Hunt against those who would defile Nature. By autumn he has grown into the weathered old man of his standard depictions. When winter begins he is slain by NerullNerull
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, as well as in the game's default pantheon of deities, Nerull is the Flan god of death, darkness, murder, and the underworld. He is known as the Reaper, the Foe of All Good, the Hater of Life, and the Bringer of...
, who hangs his corpse on the Summer Tree. After seven days, Pelor
Pelor
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Pelor is the god of the Sun, Light, Strength, and Healing. Pelor is also a prominent member of the third edition of the game's default pantheon, and is a popular choice among player character clerics because he...
cuts him down and buries him in the earth, where Beory
Beory
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Beory is the Flan goddess of the Oerth, Nature, and Rain. She is also known as the Oerth Mother...
's tears cause a new sapling to grow, which drops the fruit that hatches into the young Obad-Hai once again in the spring.
Obad-Hai in other media
In the movie Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon GodDungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God
Dungeons and Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God is a 2005 fantasy film directed by Gerry Lively. It is a made-for-TV sequel of sorts to the 2000 film Dungeons & Dragons, which in turn was based on the popular role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . The only returning actor is Bruce Payne reprising his...
, a priest of Obad-Hai named Dorian is one of the main characters who perishes in the battle with a White Dragon.
Additional reading
- Brown, Anne. Player's Guide to Greyhawk (TSR, 1998).
- Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online:http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LG_Deities.zip
- Gygax, GaryGary GygaxErnest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
, and Frank MentzerFrank MentzerJacob Franklin "Frank" Mentzer III , is an American fantasy author and game designer best known for his work on early materials for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He was a performing folk musician from 1968 to 1975, and played one concert at the White House during the...
. The Temple of Elemental Evil (TSRTSR, Inc.Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
, 1985). - Menge, Eric. "Power Groups: Druids of the Old Faith." Wizards of the Coast. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2008. Available online:http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/lgpg/20080122a
- Living Greyhawk Journal no. 3 - "Gods of Oerth"