Wanting players to take in-game religion more seriously

intently · Sep 25, 2016

I'd like my players to take their characters' in-game religions more seriously, along with that of NPCs, rather than treating the various gods like spell vending machines and clerics as no different from wizards. Any tips, that aren't too heavy handed? I've broached the subject out of character, but haven't achieved what I'm hoping for.

Basically, the characters treat any show of devotion to the gods as a joke. Obviously I'm not offended on behalf of these fake gods, I just want a different tone.

The Crimson Binome · Sep 25, 2016

Start smiting people. The next time someone treats Pelor like a joke, while in a region which worships him, that PC is struck with a pillar of flame for 10d6 damage (no save).

The one deity who everyone takes seriously is Vkandis the Unsubtle.

Warrior Poet · Sep 25, 2016

intently said:
Basically, the characters treat any show of devotion to the gods as a joke. Obviously I'm not offended on behalf of these fake gods, I just want a different tone.

A couple of suggestions:

1) Start withholding spells. Clearly, spells cannot be trusted to devotees who treat their service to the divine as a joke (unless one of them serves the god of sarcasm, or farce, or similar, I suppose). Spells are a means by which gods directly influence the world, and are thus an important and potent incarnation of deific power. If servants don't demonstrate sufficient attention to the rigors and severity of the world's gods, then why would the world's gods ever trust them with something as important as spells or similar means of imparting divine contact?

2) Lure them with temptations by an opposing deity. Divine servant not sufficiently devout in the service of the chaotic good deity of good health and good cheer? Seems like an excellent opportunity to introduce agents of (and eventually the actual) lawful evil god of severe and undiminished retribution (or similar). It gets even better if they decide to throw in with the tempter, because that's a deity that won't hesitate to dispatch devils or other minions if they get out of line.

Best of luck!

Still learning,

Robert

Olrox17 · Sep 25, 2016

You may try to make the gods more active in their interactions with the game world. When divine beings are literally walking the earth on a regular basis (perhaps in their avatar forms), giving awesome boons to their faithful servants and making life harder for silly unbelievers...well, the players might feel more compelled to at least respect organized religions.

When that faithful NPC paladin they laughed at so much receives an holy avenger (that only he can use) from his god for his good service, who's the fool now?

Ath-kethin · Sep 25, 2016

The skald above has it right. If your gods A) exist and B) aren't taken seriously, why would they provide magic for their "followers?" Cut 'em off.

iserith · Sep 25, 2016

Just ask the players to take them more seriously. And be sure to explain what you mean by that. If they want to, they will. If they don't want to, prepare to be accepting of that going forward.

doctorbadwolf · Sep 25, 2016

iserith said:
Just ask the players to take them more seriously. And be sure to explain what you mean by that. If they want to, they will. If they don't want to, prepare to be accepting of that going forward.

Agreed. If a DM in my group took one of the more punishment oriented approaches above, our divine characters would be more inclined to defy the gods than to fall in line.
Mans for some, the point of playing a divine character is to play with old tropes like Aramis and Friar Tuck, which for some, don't work well if the gods walk around, hit you with a stick when you don't take your religious duties seriously enough, etc.

lastly, understand that for some, unironic displays of religious devotion are uncomfortable, for any of a few dozen reasons. Perhaps it's hard for them to take religion seriously at all, or perhaps they do IRL, and so pretend devotion to pretend gods is just a bit much for them.

I suggest more more talking about what you want, And what they want

Eltab · Sep 25, 2016

Have your NPC clerics and paladins do more than just sit around waiting for an Epic Quest of Good to drop in their lap.
- The bandits up Dry Creek were brought to justice by that low-level Classic Paladin that you were laughing up your sleeve at for his piousness.
- Mother Teresa endorsed the local Cleric for his devotion to aiding the poor; he now has more help than he knows what to do with (and there aren't any more desperately poor people locally).
- A Druid figured out the herbal cure for a sickness - it came to him in a dream.
- The multiclass Rogue/Cleric (who secretly has perma-cast Zone of Truth on his office furniture) has started the Grameen Bank (low-interest loans to the debt-enslaved).
- LE multiclass Paladin/Fighter confronted several rampaging demons (CE) and defeated them, praying for might the whole time.
All of them credit their good fortune to the influence of the gods, acting behind the scenes or subtly to help out people who take up the gods' causes.

You can't make the PCs adopt any particular attitude towards religion, but if in your world respect towards the gods makes your life run smoother, they will eventually find it easier to at least ACT IN PUBLIC with respect.

intently · Sep 25, 2016

Thanks, these are all good tips.

Do you think it would be fair and reasonable to have npcs act dismayed or offended by mockery towards the gods? To what extent? If a shopkeeper refused to deal with the party after hearing their jokes, would that be too heavy handed?

(And passive aggressive of me as the DM?)

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Demetrios1453 · Sep 25, 2016

intently said:
Thanks, these are all good tips.

Do you think it would be fair and reasonable to have npcs act dismayed or offended by mockery towards the gods? To what extent? If a shopkeeper refused to deal with the party after hearing their jokes, would that be too heavy handed?

(And passive aggressive of me as the DM?)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Of course NPCs would be dismayed - making fun of the gods would mean likely misfortune in the area the god or gods mocked were in control of. Mocking the rites of, say, the deity of luck or wealth would terrify the locals (and should terrify the players as well). They might even form a mob and hand the characters over to the authorities to be tried for blasphemy. Go ahead and Google some of the historical punishments for blasphemy if you want a hair-raising experience...

Wanting players to take in-game religion more seriously

intently

Explorer

The Crimson Binome

Hero

Warrior Poet

Explorer

Olrox17

Hero

Ath-kethin

Elder Thing

iserith

Magic Wordsmith

doctorbadwolf

Heretic of The Seventh Circle

Eltab

Lord of the Hidden Layer

intently

Explorer

Demetrios1453

Hero

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