Do you enjoy the deity/cult while playing a preist/warlock or enjoy the storypoints and hazards it causes when placed into a campaign? Do you enjoy the deity as a worthy oppenent, compelling power, or as an interesting character?
I've enjoyed reading about Guanadaur and Moander lately, these two using Oozes and gibbering mouthers as avatars/preferred agents in the material realm besides mortal worshippers, respectively. I don't think I'll ever play a drow, even though they both of these deities are part of the drow pantheon; I'm thinking maybe an indoctrinated overworlder or a duergar with a fondness for underdark oozes if I ever play as a cultist PC. Maybe as a dark gnome who's been separated from a gibbering mouther he's been part of for a while? An unhinged underdark gnome sounds like stand-out PC to me.
Already mentioned this on this topic elsewhere, but Eilistraee was always my favorite, since my main dark elf PC was raised by her worshipers as part of her background. And I leaned into her devotion to Eilistraee, particularly when I remade her as a cheesy sorcerer/paladin build during the 3e era*, where I explained her paladin benefits (Cha-based save bonus) as blessings from Eilistraee. Then later redid her as a "Favored Soul" sorcerer avatar of Eilistraee in 5e.
Also delved into Lolth as part of my dark elf research, but rarely used her cult in actual play (as a DM I mean). More like bring up my knowledge of it when it came up during conversations (or when RPing my character speaking against her cult).
(https://www.belloflostsouls.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/eilistraee-header-image.jpeg)
*Yeah, I'm one of those evil min-maxer types :P
So, apologies in advance, as this isn't technically D&D. I was raised on Palladium Books RPGs.
The cult of Dragonwright. It worships four super-dragons as gods. Sort of. They're not gods, but power levels, immortality, and ability to empower clerics all put them on the same level as a god.
What is most interesting is that the gods are good, but the majority of their worshipers are evil. The gods would like to see their religion get cleaned up. So you already have a motive for adventures around the Palladium Fantasy world just for choosing that religion.
Personally? When I can get away with it I like to play characters who worship Rizzo the Rat God (from a Dragon Magazine short story).
I love bringing Law and Chaos from Moorcock's cosmology into a fantasy setting to start kicking the shit out of the established gods. Reformation movements all around!
Blood and souls for Arioch!
I had a lot of fun playing a druidette of Eldath who was an important NPC and a total pacifist. She was spirited and opinionated but I never rolled to hit even once. Playing a pacifist in a D&D setting was refreshing and called for a lot of thinking out of the box (to be clear, she hadn't any problems when the other characters smashed skulls).
Eldath in general is a minor deity, often overlooked, but I like her a lot.
Talking about Eilistraee, the joke around my table was that she was the only deity who hold a yearly meeting of all her followers - in a pizzeria 😃
I favor the Greyhawk deity Tritherion the Summoner. I like all of the Greyhawk deities a lot.
Tharizdun, hands down for me. Before that one, it was the Cat Lord.
My campaign exists in Greyhawk, so it's the Greyhawk deities for me. Pelor, St. Cuthbert, Nerull, and Orcus all play major roles.