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How Might D&D Religions Differ From Real Life Religions?
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<blockquote data-quote="Snoweel" data-source="post: 4512979" data-attributes="member: 4453"><p>An important point we haven't yet touched on is that of the afterlife.</p><p></p><p>I mean, any powerful extraplanar ('immortal' in 4e) being that can kick your ass can demand worship - and receive it when they or their agents are around to enforce this worship.</p><p></p><p>But what about when they're not around?</p><p></p><p>4e deities are explicitly stated as not being omniscient.</p><p></p><p>On top of that, but real-world religions (which is where the idea of 'gods' come from) all offer some kind of eternal afterlife. Or maybe not all of them do but the big (ie. most successful) ones all do to some degree.</p><p></p><p>This is perhaps their biggest appeal, as well as the main reason they have been embraced by the ruling class - their promise of a blissful afterlife is an important element in their function of social control.</p><p></p><p>Sure your life might be comparatively crap now but if you stay faithful and behave yourself an eternity in paradise awaits.</p><p></p><p>Do D&D deities need to offer a similar 'afterlife' package to make them gods?</p><p></p><p>Certainly the idea of power in this life is an incentive but if that power only goes to the gods' chosen (ie. clerics and other 'divine casters') then what's in it for the little people?</p><p></p><p>Sure the clerics of said deity could feel compelled to offer free (or cut-price at least) magical aid to the faithful but if that was the long and short of what a god offers its followers then the 'worship' (or at least the loyalty) would end up focused on the clergy, rather than the god.</p><p></p><p>Your thoughts (yes you).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Snoweel, post: 4512979, member: 4453"] An important point we haven't yet touched on is that of the afterlife. I mean, any powerful extraplanar ('immortal' in 4e) being that can kick your ass can demand worship - and receive it when they or their agents are around to enforce this worship. But what about when they're not around? 4e deities are explicitly stated as not being omniscient. On top of that, but real-world religions (which is where the idea of 'gods' come from) all offer some kind of eternal afterlife. Or maybe not all of them do but the big (ie. most successful) ones all do to some degree. This is perhaps their biggest appeal, as well as the main reason they have been embraced by the ruling class - their promise of a blissful afterlife is an important element in their function of social control. Sure your life might be comparatively crap now but if you stay faithful and behave yourself an eternity in paradise awaits. Do D&D deities need to offer a similar 'afterlife' package to make them gods? Certainly the idea of power in this life is an incentive but if that power only goes to the gods' chosen (ie. clerics and other 'divine casters') then what's in it for the little people? Sure the clerics of said deity could feel compelled to offer free (or cut-price at least) magical aid to the faithful but if that was the long and short of what a god offers its followers then the 'worship' (or at least the loyalty) would end up focused on the clergy, rather than the god. Your thoughts (yes you). [/QUOTE]
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