Boccob
Al-Zarad, The Uncaring, Lord of All Magics, Archmage of the Deities. N Greater power of magic
Pantheon: Oerth
Realm: Outlands / Ringlands / The Library of Lore
If you’re sure no-one is listening, let me tell you about Boccob, the Lord of All Magics. This cutter, now he’s a sight for sore eyes—a handsome cutter wrapped in loose purple garments, all shimmering with golden runes that dance and shift like they’ve got a mind of their own. He totes the very first staff of the magi, a real piece of work that’s good for all sorts of conjuring tricks. As for followers, he ain’t got a legion, but that doesn’t seem to bother him none.
Boccob’s the distant sort, not the kind to meddle in the affairs of mortals or gods. For him, magic’s the big dark—more crucial than good, evil, law, or chaos put together. His clerics, they walk the middle path, sticking to neutrality like it’s going out of style. The word on the cobbles is that they seek to balance everything out, not to let the scales tip too far one way or the other. Sounds like rilmani to you? Turns out the rilmani give Boccob the nod of approval, which is rare for those bashers.
Now, this stance of his, it doesn’t exactly make him the life of the party. Boccob and his crew, they don’t win popularity contests, but they’re known for their smarts and their knack with spells. When these berks give advice, folks listen, even if they don’t always trust it completely.
Boccob’s as old as the oldest gods, a real ancient power. He’s the one keeping an eye on the magic of the Prime world of Oerth, always sniffing around anything that mucks with its flow. The Uncaring, they call him, because he couldn’t give a toss whether folks worship him or not, but he does care about his precious Prime world. His power, it comes from magic of the Prime itself, not the prayers of the faithful.
Balance, that’s Boccob’s game. He’s not about picking sides or extremes; he’s all about the knowledge and keeping magic alive and kicking. But here’s the rub: he’s seen the future, and it’s not looking bright for magic on Oerth. It’s on the decline, and that’s eating at him something fierce. He’s been to worlds without a whiff of magic, and he reckons they’re dull as dishwater.
He’s got this notion that Tharizdun, the fearsome power of entropy locked up aeons ago, is behind the magic’s fade-out. So, Boccob’s always got his ear to the ground for any news about Tharizdun’s shenanigans.
Boccob can stroll through the planes like a cutter walks through the Market Ward. He’s always on the hunt for more knowledge about magic, the planes, and how it all ties together. He’s a master of mixing energies from the Positive and Negative Energy Planes, conjuring up stuff no one else can.
Some say he can waltz into another god’s realm without asking, but he’s never admitted to doing it, not wanting to ruffle any divine feathers. As for conflict, Boccob’s not one to start a scrap, but he won’t back down from a challenge.
Canonical Sources:
- Deities & Demigods [3e] p60-62,96 (description of Boccob)
- Dragon Magazine #338 [3e] p38-51 (long article all about Boccob and his clergy)
Source: Jon Winter-Holt, mimir.net
