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Discussion: Removing Deities & Gods
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<blockquote data-quote="Matthias" data-source="post: 6028123" data-attributes="member: 3625"><p>Well, there's a few ways you could make a world that would fit the definition of "atheist". Which kind do you mean?</p><p></p><p>First let's establish what constitutes a deity from a mechanical perspective. If I understand the intent behind this part of PF, it's that deities (a) are statless characters and (b) can do pretty much anything they want (notwithstanding intervention by a more powerful deity or divine alliance). Not that I intend to comprehensively examine what qualifies a character to be a deity, but I only mention these characteristics to distinguish them from characters which may be super-powerful but are not deities.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Different methods for doing an "atheist" world could include the following:</p><p></p><p>(a) There's no godlike beings anywhere--the most powerful beings in the universe are just high-level mortals (20th level or epic). No matter how powerful, everyone still dies of old age when their time is up (if nothing else gets them first). There are no game rules in this world (i.e., no in-game method) for achieving anything that could be considered immortality or divine ascension.</p><p></p><p>(b) Godlike beings do exist, but they are just really super-high-level characters who started out at 1st level like everyone else and/or who have been around a lot longer than the PCs. Perhaps they are like the Goa'uld from the <em>Stargate</em> series: they can intimidate "inferior" creatures into worshipping them as deities but it is a great big scam that doesn't work on other beings of relatively similar power level because they know better. These beings could be immortal, sustained indefinitely through magic or other means, but they can still be killed like anyone else--if you know how and have the means to do it.</p><p></p><p>(c) Once there were actually "true gods" (genuine statless characters with virtually unlimited power), but they were all killed, destroyed, and/or disappeared under unknown circumstances. There is no more true faith to be found anywhere in meanstream society. Perhaps there is an anti-religious movement or organization that actively discourages or suppresses the open exercise or teaching of religious belief. In any event, even if the gods once existed, they are all gone (or have no more influence among mortal affairs) and it is impossible to "restore" them or to become divine oneself, if that was ever possible to begin with.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Matthias, post: 6028123, member: 3625"] Well, there's a few ways you could make a world that would fit the definition of "atheist". Which kind do you mean? First let's establish what constitutes a deity from a mechanical perspective. If I understand the intent behind this part of PF, it's that deities (a) are statless characters and (b) can do pretty much anything they want (notwithstanding intervention by a more powerful deity or divine alliance). Not that I intend to comprehensively examine what qualifies a character to be a deity, but I only mention these characteristics to distinguish them from characters which may be super-powerful but are not deities. Different methods for doing an "atheist" world could include the following: (a) There's no godlike beings anywhere--the most powerful beings in the universe are just high-level mortals (20th level or epic). No matter how powerful, everyone still dies of old age when their time is up (if nothing else gets them first). There are no game rules in this world (i.e., no in-game method) for achieving anything that could be considered immortality or divine ascension. (b) Godlike beings do exist, but they are just really super-high-level characters who started out at 1st level like everyone else and/or who have been around a lot longer than the PCs. Perhaps they are like the Goa'uld from the [i]Stargate[/i] series: they can intimidate "inferior" creatures into worshipping them as deities but it is a great big scam that doesn't work on other beings of relatively similar power level because they know better. These beings could be immortal, sustained indefinitely through magic or other means, but they can still be killed like anyone else--if you know how and have the means to do it. (c) Once there were actually "true gods" (genuine statless characters with virtually unlimited power), but they were all killed, destroyed, and/or disappeared under unknown circumstances. There is no more true faith to be found anywhere in meanstream society. Perhaps there is an anti-religious movement or organization that actively discourages or suppresses the open exercise or teaching of religious belief. In any event, even if the gods once existed, they are all gone (or have no more influence among mortal affairs) and it is impossible to "restore" them or to become divine oneself, if that was ever possible to begin with. [/QUOTE]
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