Obad-Hai
| Obad-Hai | |
|---|---|
 Obad-Hai, the Shalm, as depicted in Deities and Demigods (2002). | |
| Names and titles | |
| Alias(es): | The Shalm |
| General information | |
| Portfolio: | Nature, Woodlands, Freedom, Hunting, Beasts[1] |
| Home: | Concordant Domain of the Outlands |
| Alignment: | Neutral |
| Race: | Human |
| Gender: | Male |
| Class: | Druid 10/Cleric 20 |
| Symbol: | An oak leaf; or mask of leaves |
| Rules items | |
| Domains: | Air, Animal, Earth, (Fate)[2], Fire, Plant, Water, Weather, Nature[3], (Hunt)[4] |
| Divine rank: | Intermediate |
Obad-Hai (oh-bod-high[5] or OH-bahd HI)[6] is a deity of Nature, Woodlands, Freedom, Hunting, and Beasts—one of the most ancient known. He is also considered the god of summer by the Flan. Originally a Flan deity, Obad-Hai is most favored by druids and other nature priests. His holy symbol is a mask of oak leaves and acorns.
Description
[edit | edit source]Obad-Hai is most often depicted as a lean and weathered older man of indeterminate age, dressed in brown or russet.[7] He carries a wooden staff called the Shalmstaff,[6] and is known for playing a woodwind instrument called a shalm or shawm.[8][1][6] 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.[8]
Relationships
[edit | edit source]Obad-Hai has an unfriendly rivalry with Ehlonna, and is the sworn enemy of Phyton.[6] 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.
Realm
[edit | edit source]"The Deities & Demigods of the World of Greyhawk" in Dragon #69 explains that the home plane of Obad-hai is the Prime Material Plane.[8][1][9]
A chart on page 180 of the Planescape reference book On Hallowed Ground (1996) gives his realm the name of "The Hidden Wood", which can be found on the plane of the Outlands.[10] This information is also found in a table in Warriors of Heaven (1999).[11]
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
[edit | edit source]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
[edit | edit source]
Obad-Hai is revered by humans, dwarves, fey, gnomes, and halflings. His faith is strong among the Flan tribesmen in the Bright Lands, in Geoff, in the Gran March, among the Rovers of the Barrens, in Stonehold, in Tenh, in the County of Ulek, and in Verbobonc.
Clergy
[edit | edit source]"Obad-Hai’s adherents learn to become one with the Shalm in isolation, surrounded by wilderness. Only at the beginning and end of a new cleric’s training does he receive guidance from a senior member of ObadHai’s clergy. The rest of the time is spent living off the land and developing an instinctive connection to Obad-Hai’s will."[5]
Obad-Hai's clerics favor russet-colored clothing and simple quarterstaves. They have no hierarchy; all members are treated as equals.[5] They keep to the wilderness and to themselves, rarely getting involved with society and often living as hermits.[5] Most get along very well with rangers and druids.
Druids
[edit | edit source]"Not surprisingly, Obad-Hai counts more druids among his followers than clerics."[12] 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
[edit | edit source]
Temples of Obad-Hai are wooden structures in rustic settings,[8] almost invariably laden with oak trees.[5] The god's shrines are often stone circles or circles of oaks deep in the wilderness.
The Stone Ring just outside the Free City in the Domain of Greyhawk is often used as a site of worship by druids of Obad-Hai.
Rituals
[edit | edit source]"Services are brief and not particularly ritualized. Living flowers, earth, water, and fire are typical service adornments."[8]
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 and observances
[edit | edit source]Worshippers of Obad-Hai consider Midsummer's Night 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.[13]
Artifacts and relics
[edit | edit source]The Shalmstaff is Obad-Hai's most well-known artifact. Whenever Obad-Hai releases it from his hand, it immediately flies to the nearest hornwood tree, from whence he can call it again whenever he likes.[1] The Shalmstaff keeps its bearer from needing food or drink, and from ever tiring from walking, for as long as they like. It also makes plants part before the bearer and animals will not harm them.[1][6]
The Singing Stones of 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.[14]
There are three Staves of the Unyielding Oak. These staves are actually treants 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.[15]
Myths and legends
[edit | edit source]Obad-Hai and the Summer Tree
[edit | edit source]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 Nerull, 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.[16]
In other media
[edit | edit source]In the movie Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God, a priest of Obad-Hai is one of the main characters.
Publication history
[edit | edit source]First edition
[edit | edit source]Obad-Hai was first detailed for the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game in the article "The Deities & Demigods of the World of Greyhawk", by E. Gary Gygax in Dragon #69 (January 1983) with game statistics on page 29 and a description on page 30, including a black-and-white illustration by Jeff Easley.[17] This information is presented again by Gary Gygax in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting boxed set (1983), on pages 72-73 of the booklet "A Guide to the World of Greyhawk" with game statistics on pages 44-45 of the "Glossography For the Guide to the World of Greyhawk" booklet.[18]
Second edition
[edit | edit source]Obad-Hai was one of the deities described in the From the Ashes boxed set (1992) by Carl Sargent for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons second edition Greyhawk campaign, appearing with a description and requirements for members of his priesthood on pages 89-90 of the "Atlas of the Flanaess" booklet.[19] The Greyhawk Player's Guide (1998) features a color illustration of his holy symbol on an insert.[20]
Third edition
[edit | edit source]Obad-Hai appears as one of the 19 deities worshipped among the common races, by adventurers, and by villains, described in the Dungeons & Dragons third edition Player's Handbook (2000), with notes for Obad-Hai.[21] Obad-Hai's role in the third edition Greyhawk setting was detailed in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000) by Gary Holian, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, and Frederick Weining, on page 178.[22] He is also discussed in Defenders of the Faith (2001)[23] and its web enhancement Called to Serve (2001).[24] Obad-Hai is described in detail in the third edition Deities and Demigods (2002) by Rich Redman, Skip Williams, and James Wyatt, including game statistics for the deity, as well as his avatar.[25][26]
Third edition v3.5
[edit | edit source]Obad-Hai appears in the revised Player's Handbook for the 3.5 edition (2003).[27] His priesthood is further detailed for this edition in Complete Divine (2004) by David Noonan.[12]
Fifth edition
[edit | edit source]Obad-Hai is included on the Gods of Greyhawk tables in the Player's Handbook (2014)[28] and the Dungeon Master's Guide (2024).[29]}
Gallery
[edit | edit source]-
By Jeff Easley, Dragon #69 (1983). -
Third edition Player's Handbook (2000)
References
[edit | edit source]Notes
[edit | edit source]Citations
[edit | edit source]- ↑ a b c d e World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983), p.72-73, Guide.
- ↑ Complete Warrior (2003), p.114.
- ↑ Player's Handbook (2014), p.295.
- ↑ "The Wild Hunt". Dragon #342 (Apr 2006), p.89.
- ↑ a b c d e Deities and Demigods (2002), p.88.
- ↑ a b c d e Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000), p.178.
- ↑ Deities and Demigods (2002), p.86.
- ↑ a b c d e "The Deities of the World of Greyhawk". Dragon #69 (Jan 1983), p.29-30.
- ↑ World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983), p.44-45, Glossography.
- ↑ McComb, Colin. On Hallowed Ground (TSR, 1996)
- ↑ Warriors of Heaven (1999).
- ↑ a b Complete Divine (2004), p.116.
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998), p.45.
- ↑ Complete Divine (2004), p.92.
- ↑ Complete Divine (2004), p.102.
- ↑ Druids of the Old Faith. wizards.com. WotC (22 January 2008). Archived from the original on 29 January 2008. Retrieved on 15 August 2026.
- ↑ Gygax, Gary. "The Deities and Demigods of the World of Greyhawk." Dragon #69 (TSR, 1983)
- ↑ Gygax, Gary. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (TSR, 1983)
- ↑ Sargent, Carl. From the Ashes (TSR, 1992)
- ↑ Brown, Anne. Greyhawk Player's Guide (TSR, 1998)
- ↑ Player's Handbook (2000), p.92.
- ↑ Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000).
- ↑ Defenders of the Faith (2001), p.35, 36, 72, 78, 92.
- ↑ Called to Serve (2001) , p.2.
- ↑ Redman, Rich, Skip Williams, and James Wyatt. Deities and Demigods (Wizards of the Coast, 2002)
- ↑ Deities and Demigods (2002).
- ↑ Player's Handbook v3.5 (2003), p.108.
- ↑ Player's Handbook (2014), p.295.
- ↑ Player's Handbook (2024), p.148.
Bibliography
[edit | edit source]- Brown, Anne. Player's Guide. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 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:[1]
- Grubb, Jeff, David Noonan, and Bruce Cordell. Manual of the Planes. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
- Gygax, Gary. "The Deities and Demigods of the World of Greyhawk." Dragon #69. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1982.
- ———. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.
- Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K. Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
- Menge, Eric. "Power Groups: Druids of the Old Faith." Wizards of the Coast. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2008. Available online:[2]
- Moore, Roger E. The Adventure Begins. Renton, WA: TSR, 1998.
- Noonan, David. Complete Divine. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2004. Item code 88036.
- Perkins, Christopher. Warriors of Heaven. Renton, WA: TSR, 1999. Item code TSR11361.
- Redman, Rich, Skip Williams, and James Wyatt. Deities and Demigods. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002.
- Sargent, Carl. From the Ashes. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.
- Ward, James M. Greyhawk Adventures. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1988.
| This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia: Obad-Hai (view authors). |
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden Wood (Obad-Hai's Realm) | Planar | Plane/Dimension, | On Hallowed Ground | 180 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Against The Giants: The Liberation of Geoff | 51 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Bastion of Faith | 87 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | The City of Greyhawk: Folks, Feuds and Factions | 75, 76 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Deities & Demigods, D&D 3.0e | 58, 86-88, 213, 214, 215 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Defenders of the Faith, D&D 3.0e | 35, 36, 72, 78, 92 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Defenders of the Faith: Web Enhancement (3e) | 2 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Dragon magazine #069 | 29, 30 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Dragon magazine #208 | 50, 54, 57 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Dragon magazine #209 | 11 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Dragon magazine #294 | 77, 78 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Dragon magazine #299 | 103 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Dragon magazine #AN4 | 20 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess | 51, 68, 89, 90, 96 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | From the Ashes: Campaign Book | 44 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | From the Ashes: References Card | #4 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Ghosts of Saltmarsh, D&D 5e | 18 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Ivid the Undying | 22, 70, 71, 74, 77, 109, 111, 113, 115, 139 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Living Greyhawk Gazetteer | 19, 37, 48, 49, 94, 108, 112, 116, 117, 131, 139, 140, 164, 169, 178 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Living Greyhawk Journal #0 | 12 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Living Greyhawk Journal #1 | 18 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Living Greyhawk Journal #3 | 17, 27 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Living Greyhawk Journal #5 | 26 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | On Hallowed Ground | 180, 185, 188, 192 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Player's Guide to Greyhawk | 5, 19, 21 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Player's Handbook, D&D 3.5e (Premium Edition) | 24, 32, 33, 46, 106, 108, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 284 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | Slavers, AD&D 2e | 8 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil | 120 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | The Adventure Begins | 45, 74, 75 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | The Scarlet Brotherhood | 32 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | WG6 Isle of the Ape | 21, 27 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | WG8 Fate of Istus | 27, 30, 124 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | WGR3 Rary the Traitor | 16 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | WGR4 The Marklands | 31, 53 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | WGR5 Iuz the Evil | 57 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | WGR6 City of Skulls | 31 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | WGS1 Five Shall Be One | 25, 32 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | WGS2 Howl From the North | 56 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) | 63, 72, 73 |
| Obad-Hai {The Shalm} | Deity | The Shalm, Worshipped by: Human (Flan), Native of: Material Plane, | World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) | 38, 44 |
| Obad-hai, Sea Grove of (Saltmarsh) | Building | Religious building, | Ghosts of Saltmarsh, D&D 5e | 18 |
| Obad-Hai, Silverthorn of | Item | Artifact, | Living Greyhawk Journal #0 | 12 |
| Sea Grove of Obad-Hai (Saltmarsh) | Geographical feature | Woods/Forest/Jungle, | Ghosts of Saltmarsh, D&D 5e | 15(Map), 18 |
| Specialty Priest of Obad-Hai | People Group | Religious order, | From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess | 90 |