The Unknown Gods is a supplement for fantasy role-playing games published by Judges Guild in 1980.

The Unknown Gods
Cover
AuthorsBob Bledsaw, Mark Holmer, Jennell Jaquays[a], and Mike Petrowsky
GenreRole-playing game
PublisherJudges Guild
Publication date
1980
Media typePrint

Contents

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The Unknown Gods is a supplement with short descriptions of 83 deities, each with illustrations by Jennell Jaquays[a].[1]

The Unknown Gods contains original deities rather than gods taken from real world mythologies, each with descriptions in the format of Deities and Demigods, along with a chart displaying the disposition of each god at the moment.[2]

Publication history

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The Unknown Gods was written by Bob Bledsaw, Mark Holmer, Jennell Jaquays[a], and Mike Petrowsky, and was published by Judges Guild in 1980 as a 48-page book.[1]

TSR chose not to renew their license with Judges Guild for D&D after its September 1980 expiration, leaving The Book of Treasure Maps II (1980) and The Unknown Gods (1980) among the final products from Judges Guild to include the older D&D logo on them.[3]: 201 

Reception

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Aaron Allston, reviewing The Unknown Gods in The Space Gamer No. 38, stated that the described deities are generally original and well presented, and have elegant and useful game mechanics; on the other hand, some examples were rather dull, and the book as a whole was quite fragmented. Allston concludes his review by saying, "This could be a useful volume, especially for DMs whose players are too familiar with the traditional gods. I'd recommend it to referees who suffer from a difficulty in creating deities."[2]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Credited as Paul Jaquays.

References

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  1. ^ a b Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. p. 148. ISBN 0-87975-653-5.
  2. ^ a b Allston, Aaron (April 1981). "Capsule Reviews". The Space Gamer (38). Steve Jackson Games: 35.
  3. ^ Shannon Appelcline (2014). Designers & Dragons: The '70s. Evil Hat Productions. ISBN 978-1-61317-075-5.