Obad-Hai

Obad-Hai is the god of Nature, Woodlands,

Freedom, Hunting, and Beasts, one of the most Greyhawk Deity
ancient known. He is also considered to be the god of
summer by the Flan. Originally a Flan deity, Obad-
Obad-Hai
Hai is most favored by druids and other nature
priests. His holy symbol is a mask of oak leaves and
acorns.

Contents
Description
Relationships
Realm
Dogma
Worshipers
Clergy
Druids
Temples
Rituals
Holy days
Artifacts and other associated magical items
Myths and legends
Obad-Hai and the Summer Tree
Obad-Hai in other media
Gallery Obad-Hai, the Shalm, as depicted in Deities and
Demigods (2002).
References
Title: The Shalm
Alias(es): none
Description Home Concordant Domain of
plane: the Outlands
Obad-Hai is most often depicted as a lean and Power Intermediate
weathered old man of indeterminate age, dressed in level:
brown or russet. He carries a wooden staff called the Gender: Male
Shalmstaff, and is known for playing a woodwind Alignment: Neutral
instrument called a shalm or shawm. Obad-Hai can Portfolio: Nature, Woodlands,
appear as a human, dwarf, gnome, or halfling, and Freedom, Hunting,
has worshipers among all four races. He is also Beasts
depicted in the forms of various animals or fey. Domains: Air, Animal, Earth, Fire,
Plant, Water, Weather
 Superior: none
Relationships
Obad-Hai has an unfriendly rivalry with Ehlonna, 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.

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 Geoff, in the Gran March, among the Rovers of the
Barrens, in Stonehold, in Tenh, in the County of Ulek, and in Verbobonc.

Clergy
Obad-Hai's clerics favor russet-colored clothing and simple quarterstaves. 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.

A symbol of
Temples Obad-Hai, as
depicted in
Temples of Obad-Hai are wooden structures in rustic settings, almost Deities and
invariably laden with oak trees. The god's shrines are often stone circles or Demigods (2002).
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
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 A symbol of
name are seasonal, often triggered by events such as the year's first birdsong Obad-Hai, as
depicted in From
or snowfall.
the Ashes
Worshipers of Obad-Hai work to protect the wilderness from dangers such (1993).
as unnatural corruption or cataclysms, or from deforestation by
woodcutters.

Holy days
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.

Artifacts and other associated magical items

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.

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.

Myths and legends

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 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.

Obad-Hai in other media

In the movie Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon
God, a priest of Obad-Hai is one of the main characters.

Gallery

By Jeff Easley, Third edition

Dragon #69 (1983). Player's Handbook The Armor of Fallen Leaves, as
(2000) depicted in Complete Divine
(2004).

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography
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] (http://www.wizard
s.com/rpga/downloads/LG_Deities.zip)
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] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/lg
pg/20080122a)
Moore, Roger E. The Adventure Begins. Renton, WA: TSR, 1998.
Noonan, David. Complete Divine. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2004.
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.

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Index is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, and his work as continued
and updated by Eric Johnson, Richard DiIoia, Jason "PupickDad" Jacobson, a French fan
group, and numerous other fans over the years. The wiki page for the EGI has a list of sources,
full product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Page/Card/Image
Topic Type Description Product

Hidden
Wood
On Hallowed
(Obad- Planar Plane/Dimension, 180
Ground
Hai's
Realm)

The Shalm, Against The

Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: Giants: The
{The Deity 51
Human (Flan), Native Liberation of
Shalm}
of: Prime Material, Geoff

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: Bastion of
{The Deity 87
Human (Flan), Native Faith
Shalm}
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm, The City of

Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: Greyhawk:
{The Deity 75, 76
Human (Flan), Native Folks, Feuds
Shalm}
of: Prime Material, and Factions

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Deities &
Worshipped by:
{The Deity Demigods, 58, 86-88, 213, 214, 215
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} D&D 3.0e
of: Prime Material,

Obad-Hai The Shalm, Defenders of

{The Worshipped by: the Faith,
Deity Human (Flan), Native 35, 36, 72, 78, 92
Shalm} D&D 3.0e
 of: Prime Material,

Defenders of
The Shalm,
Obad-Hai the Faith:
Worshipped by:
{The Deity Web 2
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} Enhancement
of: Prime Material,
(3e)

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Dragon
Worshipped by:
{The Deity magazine 29, 30
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} #069
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Dragon
Worshipped by:
{The Deity magazine 50, 54, 57
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} #208
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Dragon
Worshipped by:
{The Deity magazine 11
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} #209
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Dragon
Worshipped by:
{The Deity magazine 77, 78
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} #294
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Dragon
Worshipped by:
{The Deity magazine 103
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} #299
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Dragon
Worshipped by:
{The Deity magazine 20
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} #AN4
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm, From the

Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: Ashes: Atlas
{The Deity 51, 68, 89, 90, 96
Human (Flan), Native of the
Shalm}
of: Prime Material, Flanaess

The Shalm, From the

Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: Ashes:
{The Deity 44
Human (Flan), Native Campaign
Shalm}
of: Prime Material, Book

The Shalm, From the

Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: Ashes:
{The Deity #4
Human (Flan), Native References
Shalm}
of: Prime Material, Card

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Ghosts of
Worshipped by:
{The Deity Saltmarsh, 18
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} D&D 5e
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: Ivid the 22, 70, 71, 74, 77, 109, 111,
{The Deity
Human (Flan), Native Undying 113, 115, 139
Shalm}
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Living 19, 37, 48, 49, 94, 108, 112,
Worshipped by:
{The Deity Greyhawk 116, 117, 131, 139, 140, 164,
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} Gazetteer 169, 178
of: Prime Material,
Obad-Hai The Shalm, Living
{The Deity Worshipped by: Greyhawk 12
Shalm} Human (Flan), Native Journal #0
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Living
Worshipped by:
{The Deity Greyhawk 18
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} Journal #1
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Living
Worshipped by:
{The Deity Greyhawk 17, 27
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} Journal #3
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Living
Worshipped by:
{The Deity Greyhawk 26
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} Journal #5
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: On Hallowed
{The Deity 180, 185, 188, 192
Human (Flan), Native Ground
Shalm}
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Player's
Worshipped by:
{The Deity Guide to 5, 19, 21
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} Greyhawk
of: Prime Material,

Player's
The Shalm,
Obad-Hai Handbook,
Worshipped by: 24, 32, 33, 46, 106, 108, 185,
{The Deity D&D 3.5e
Human (Flan), Native 186, 187, 188, 189, 284
Shalm} (Premium
of: Prime Material,
Edition)

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: Slavers,
{The Deity 8
Human (Flan), Native AD&D 2e
Shalm}
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm, T1-4 The

Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: Temple of
{The Deity 120
Human (Flan), Native Elemental
Shalm}
of: Prime Material, Evil

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai The
Worshipped by:
{The Deity Adventure 45, 74, 75
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} Begins
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: The Scarlet
{The Deity 32
Human (Flan), Native Brotherhood
Shalm}
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: WG6 Isle of
{The Deity 21, 27
Human (Flan), Native the Ape
Shalm}
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: WG8 Fate of
{The Deity 27, 30, 124
Human (Flan), Native Istus
Shalm}
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai WGR3 Rary
Worshipped by:
 {The Deity Human (Flan), Native the Traitor 16
Shalm} of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: WGR4 The
{The Deity 31, 53
Human (Flan), Native Marklands
Shalm}
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: WGR5 Iuz
{The Deity 57
Human (Flan), Native the Evil
Shalm}
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: WGR6 City of
{The Deity 31
Human (Flan), Native Skulls
Shalm}
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: WGS1 Five
{The Deity 25, 32
Human (Flan), Native Shall Be One
Shalm}
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm,
Obad-Hai WGS2 Howl
Worshipped by:
{The Deity From the 56
Human (Flan), Native
Shalm} North
of: Prime Material,

The Shalm, World of

Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: Greyhawk
{The Deity 63, 72, 73
Human (Flan), Native boxed set
Shalm}
of: Prime Material, (1983)

The Shalm, World of

Obad-Hai
Worshipped by: Greyhawk
{The Deity 38, 44
Human (Flan), Native boxed set
Shalm}
of: Prime Material, (1983)

Obad-hai,
Ghosts of
Sea Grove
Building Religious building, Saltmarsh, 18
of
D&D 5e
(Saltmarsh)

Obad-Hai, Living
Silverthorn Item Artifact, Greyhawk 12
of Journal #0

Sea Grove
Ghosts of
of Obad- Geographical
Woods/Forest/Jungle, Saltmarsh, 15(Map), 18
Hai feature
D&D 5e
(Saltmarsh)

From the
Specialty
People Ashes: Atlas
Priest of Religious order, 90
Group of the
Obad-Hai
Flanaess

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