Portfolio of Deities?

[Shin Okada]

Some supplements and sourcebooks show portfolios of various deities. Are they just for flavor? Or are there any rule or rules which actually use portfolios?

 

[Jdvn1]

Pretty sure they're just flavor. The give you an idea of what sort of ideals and followers the god would care about.

 

[Voadam]

I think deities and demigods had some rules about gods being omniscient to differeng degrees (based on divine rank) in the areas of their portfolios. So a smith god may be aware of the forgings of mighty artefacts while a war god would not. I think it still left a lot of room for DM interpretation but gave some effect to the portfolios.

 

[dcollins]

Yeah, here it is from the Divine SRD:

Portfolio: Every deity of rank 1 or higher has at least limited knowledge and control over some aspect of mortal existence. A deity’s connection to its portfolio gives it a number of powers.

Portfolio Sense: Demigods have a limited ability to sense events involving their portfolios. They automatically sense any event that involves one thousand or more people. The ability is limited to the present. Lesser deities automatically sense any event that involves their portfolios and affects five hundred or more people. Intermediate deities automatically sense any event that involves their portfolios, regardless of the number of people involved. In addition, their senses extend one week into the past for every divine rank they have. Greater deities automatically sense any event that involves their portfolios, regardless of the number of people involved. In addition, their senses extend one week into the past and one week into the future for every divine rank they have. When a deity senses an event, it merely knows that the event is occurring and where it is. The deity receives no sensory information about the event. Once a deity notices an event, it can use its remote sensing power to perceive the event.

 

[Shin Okada]

Yeah, here it is from the Divine SRD:

Divine SRD? Do you know which book originally had that rule?

 

[dcollins]

Deities & Demigods.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Divine SRD? Do you know which book originally had that rule?

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and gues Deities and Demigods.

 

[Shin Okada]

Deities & Demigods.

Thanks. Now I found it.

 

[JackGiantkiller]

You mean, other than the fact that the god needs something to be god of?

As we are playing a roleplaying game, isn't what a god represents arguably more important than his stats...in most games where we aren't fighting gods?

Isn't a gods portfolio where we get their domains?

This sort of question puzzles me immensely.