In 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...

game, Balador, Father Bear, is god of werebears, protection, and fraternity. He is wise and thoughtful.

Publication history

Balador was first detailed in the book Monster Mythology

Monster Mythology

Monster Mythology is a sourcebook for the second edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Released by TSR in 1992 and written by Carl Sargent, with interior illustrations by Terry Dykstra, John and Laura Lakey, and Keith Parkinson, Monster Mythology was released as a companion volume for...

(1992), including details about his priesthood. 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

On Hallowed Ground

On Hallowed Ground is an accessory book for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, for the Planescape campaign setting.-Contents:This book contains information about deities' planar domains from 20 separate pantheons...

(1996).

Description

Balador most commonly manifests as a bear, but he may also appear as a tall, tanned, handsome human ranger.

Relationships

Balador is the masculine counterpart to his sister Ferrix

Ferrix

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Ferrix is the weretiger deity of play, curiosity, and hunting.Ferrix can be found wandering the plane of the Beastlands, but has no permanent realm there.-Publication history:...

, goddess of weretigers. Balador has good friends among the fey

Seelie Court (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Seelie Court is a large, loose confederation of gods that consists of the leader Titania and her consort Oberon, as well as the following gods: Caoimhin, Damh, Eachthighern , Emmantiensien, Fionnghuala, Nathair Sgiathach, Skerrit, Squelaiche, and...

 and elven pantheons, as well as those human deities who understand how valuable werebears can be to the forests and woodlands. In myth, Balador is often the servitor of a greater nature or druidic deity. His only enemies are Daragor

Daragor

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Daragor is a god of bestial and instinctual lycanthropes; his portfolio includes marauding beasts, bloodlusts, and pain. His symbol is a werewolf's head.-Publication history:...

, Eshebala

Eshebala

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Eshebala is the foxwoman deity of vanity, charm, greed, and cunning. Her symbol is a female fox.-Publication history:...

, and Squerrik

Squerrik

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Squerrik is the wererat deity of thievery, disguise, and concealment. He normally appears in his hybrid humanoid rat form.-Publication history:...

.

Realm

Balador roams the Beastlands

Beastlands

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Beastlands is a neutral good-aligned plane of existence...

, with his lair, Ursis, in Brux. He takes his food from the rivers and lakes, sometimes persuading other deities to brew honeyed mead for him.

Worshippers

Balador is worshipped by werebears, though he does not grant spells to werebear priests. Instead, he intercedes with the deities worshipped by werebears before they became infected with therianthropy, asking them to continue granting spells as they always did.