House of the Dragon in D&D: Part 3 - Magic & Religion
With Season 1 of House of the Dragon coming to a close on HBO, let’s look at how we can build a D&D Campaign in the rich world that George R. R. Martin has created for us. Whether you’re a fan of the book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, the two HBO Series, Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, or all of the above, you know how special and complex that world is. In Part 1, we discussed options for building out a world deep in fantasy and political intrigue. In Part 2, we provided Character options specifically dealing with the Martial Classes. And in the final part, let’s break down just some of the Magic and Religion options for your Players.
There are many different systems of Magic, and quite a few Religions named in the Books and Shows. As we go over some of the more prominent ones, remember that for every option mentioned by George R. R. Martin, there are just as many that haven’t been introduced yet. Feel free to develop your own to fit the type of character you want to play. Without further ado, here are some options that could be fun in a D&D campaign:
The Old Gods: Whether its in the shape of the Children of the Forest, The White Walkers, the Three-Eyed Raven, or the act of Worging, we’ve seen powerful magic come from the worship of the Old Gods. Druids come to mind first as a playable option. But I can also see Sorcerers and Warlocks working as well.
The Faith of the Seven (aka The New Gods): As the more dogmatic option, Clerics and Paladins would fit perfectly. We’ve seen them be kind and helpful, and we’ve seen them develop a militant side. But let’s dive just a little deeper with the Seven. What if there are small sects out in the vast world that only choose to worship ONE point on that seven-pointed star. Perhaps they believe that it’s blasphemous to place their “true” God on the same level playing field as the other six. Then, you might choose just one to get your powers from and narrow your focus of your belief system.
The Father: represents divine justice and judges the souls of the dead
The Mother: represents mercy, peace, fertility and childbirth
The Maiden: represents purity, innocence, love and beauty
The Crone: represents wisdom and foresight
The Warrior: represents strength and courage in battle
The Smith: represents creation and craftsmanship
The Stranger: represents death and the unknown
R’hllor: Also known as the Lord of Light, this religion is most prominent in Essos, but has definitely found a foothold in Westeros as well. We’ve seen them raise the dead, set stuff on fire, foretell the future, and much more. Red Priests could take the form in D&D of Clerics, Sorcerers or Warlocks. You could also make a case for a religious Wizard.
Maesters of the Citadel: Scholars that have a disdain for magic and aren’t particularly religious either. Maesters could play as antagonists to some of magic-using characters … OR … there have also been renegade Maesters from time to time that reach beyond their set guidelines in the pursuit of knowledge. Those individuals could become Wizards.
Many-Faced God: I would LOVE to play a Faceless Man from the House of Black & White! They are a guild of assassins that change their face for each mission. They respect death and know that once a person has been named, a life is owed to the Many-Faced God. In D&D terms, these spell casters of a sort specialize in the school of Illusion. Spells like Disguise Self, Invisibility, Mirror Image and Silence are their go-tos. But they also have to be handy with a blade and great with poisons. I can see multi-classing as a Rogue and a Sorcerer or Wizard.
Honorable Mention: There are other sources of Magic in the world that have either been hinted at that could be a viable option. You can easily play a Warlock from the House of the Undying. Or you could play an Alchemist Artificer who makes (and uses) wildfire among other potions for the Alchemists Guild. The Drowned God from the Iron Islands hasn’t been fully developed. But hey, “What is dead may never die.” It would be interesting to explore that sentiment as a pirating Cleric or Paladin.
CONCLUSION
Those are my ideas on the types of characters you can play that deal with magic. Overall, take what’s been established, but remember we haven’t been introduced to everything and every place. There are other religions, sects, magics that have only been hinted at. What else is happening in and out of Westeros that hasn’t been revealed to the world yet? Let your imagination run wild.
I hope you enjoyed this 3-Part Series on playing D&D in the world brought to life by George R.R. Martin. Read through the books or use Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon as inspiration for more ideas. Have fun!
