D&D 5E Atheism/Agnosticism in 5e?

[Umbran]

Y...probably due to character sheets having a blank line for "Deity" as though everyone, not just clerics, was expected to pledge their loyalty to one. (I know the 1E goldenrod character sheets made me and my friends think that was what was supposed to happen.)

Yes, I remember that line on the goldenrod sheets. And often enough, we did choose single deities.

But then, it also has spaces for "Spells Known", if I recall correctly - and that didn't imply that fighters should have things in those spaces. And we didn't always put in the player's name.

More to the point, though, is that those were PCs. Back in 1e, NPCs (so, the world lat large) was understood to work under different rules than PCs. So what I write on my sheet doesn't imply that everyone in the world has it.

 

[Hussar]

Back in 1e, NPCs (so, the world lat large) was understood to work under different rules than PCs. So what I write on my sheet doesn't imply that everyone in the world has it.

*HERESY!!!!*

((I kid, I kid))

 

[Nemio]

I ordered a copy of "Ed Greenwood presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms" to learn more about the FR setting.

On the first pages I came across something that made me think of this topic I noticed.
Thought I'd share.

Deities are paramount in Faerunian life. Everybody believes in all the gods and worships every god (even if only in token "Please don't frown upon me in the days ahead" venerations).
The existence, power and influence of the divine are unquestioned by all sane beings, so no god ever need be taken strictly on faith.
Specific directives given by mortal clergy might be taken on faith ---or more often, questioned or reinterpreted--- but everyone knows the gods are real.
Atheists and agnostics are rare indeed, yet organized religion doesn't dominate daily life because ordinary folk, and not just priests, know that divine aims, deeds, utterances, and desires are complex, confused and sometimes contradictory.
etc.

 

[Emerikol]

Yes, I remember that line on the goldenrod sheets. And often enough, we did choose single deities.

But then, it also has spaces for "Spells Known", if I recall correctly - and that didn't imply that fighters should have things in those spaces. And we didn't always put in the player's name.

More to the point, though, is that those were PCs. Back in 1e, NPCs (so, the world lat large) was understood to work under different rules than PCs. So what I write on my sheet doesn't imply that everyone in the world has it.

And yet every single module of that era that had a fighter or magic user npc had the stats for a class and level. Sure the great unwashed masses were not leveled. But if you had any skill in a class related ability you had class levels.

 

[Lanefan]

I've long thought about how an atheist or non-believing character could work in D&D, and even tried to play one or two. Problem is, unless your party has no Clerics or Druids and never interacts with the outside world you can't help but frequently come across hard evidence that there is divinity out there; and while you can choose to ignore it (always an option for non-Clerics/Druids) you cannot deny its existence.

However, if you want to take gods right out of the game you'll need to give some serious thought to the mechanics of how and from where Clerics (and Druids) get their spells. You could, I suppose, make them all work like Sorcerers but with bigger spell lists; but I'm not sure that's the answer, and not sure what is.

Also, you'd need to take a lo-ong look at spells like Commune that rely on some sort of divine presence being there to answer the phone when it rings.

Lan-"on a character sheet, listing "self" on the 'deity' line is always an option"-efan

 

[sunshadow21]

I've long thought about how an atheist or non-believing character could work in D&D, and even tried to play one or two. Problem is, unless your party has no Clerics or Druids and never interacts with the outside world you can't help but frequently come across hard evidence that there is divinity out there; and while you can choose to ignore it (always an option for non-Clerics/Druids) you cannot deny its existence.

That's easy. Make a character that simply chooses to lump all magic users into one pot, and have them believe that clerics and druids are simply delusional fools and/or charlatans who are manipulating the same sources of energy that arcane casters are and don't want to admit it. Be prepared to have the world think your character is a bit nuts at times, but it works in resolving the belief aspect, even in FR. Especially if you come from a commoner background, it wouldn't be that far-fetched, and many commoner NPCs who never deal directly with magic and only see the flashy results might end up silently agreeing with your conclusions.

 

[Beleriphon]

Which faction is that? My Planescape box is long, long gone.

The Athar who believe the "gods" are simply immensely powerful mortal beings unworthy of worship or adulation.

 

[Lanefan]

Bards can heal, but are named arcane casters.

That to me represents two major design mistakes in one sentence!

Bards should be neither arcane nor divine. They generate their effects through manipulation of sound, and should have a different-than-other-casters list of available abilities based on this.

And they shouldn't be able to heal, period.

Lanefan

 

[Hussar]

That to me represents two major design mistakes in one sentence!

Bards should be neither arcane nor divine. They generate their effects through manipulation of sound, and should have a different-than-other-casters list of available abilities based on this.

And they shouldn't be able to heal, period.

Lanefan

Umm, Lanefan, AFAIK, bards have been able to heal in every single edition of the game. And, the idea that their effects are generated by the manipulation of sound does not match any definition of a bard I've ever seen in D&D. Where are you getting this?

 

[Elderbrain]

The DMG mentions forces and philosophies as a source of divine power on page 13.

The Athar believe that the gods (or "powers" as Planescape calls them) are not true deities because they are failable and can die, whereas a true God would not be. Some of the Athar worship (and gain spells from) a hypothetical true God they call the Great Unknown, including their leader.