Book of Exalted Deed : Mature ?

[Nightfall]

There's nothing mature about good. (And I have the players to prove it!) (Not my Hollowfaust or Fangsfall game guys!)

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

The title is "Book of Exalted Deeds"... Exalted Deed... (nudges the others on the thread)

I obviously haven't been laid in awhile.

 

[Datt]

I would say that the intended effect has already happened. By slapping the Mature title on it, it makes people wonder and talk about it. The more people talk about it the more people start to wonder. The more people that wonder about it, the more people go to check it out once it hits stands. The more people that go to check it out, the more people buy it. I say it is nothing more than a marketing scheme. And I would that it is working judging by the buzz it is causing.

 

[The Sigil]

I doubt they'd give it "mature" just because it's got religious references and such.

I've thought long and hard about this one... and if the mods feel it is in poor taste, they can delete it.

Perhaps it is "Mature" because it will detail what priests REALLY do with their young converts. *drum kick*

Not really all that funny, but hope you see what I'm getting at... perhaps in dealing with the good that men do, it also details the evils that can be inflicted in the name of good - the Crusades spring to mind - and how the righteous try to avoid such pitfalls.

Dealing with subjects like "goodness" and "faith" is likely to touch a nerve when they deal with the "deeper aspects" of religious worship... like, say, dealing with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - who had multiple wives (I use this as an example because it doesn't call out any particular modern religion). Usually, multiple wives are thought of as "harems" and "decadent pleasures" at best - how could a man of faith such as these possibly engage in such an "immoral" practice?

For good or ill, taking a serious stab at deep religious convictions (even archetypal ones represented across a litany of religious faiths) will be as controversial and requiring every bit as much maturity - perhaps more - than the Book of Vile Darkness.

Subjects that might well be covered:

*Theophagy (Belief in the literal eating of one's God during sacrament/eucharist - as opposed to a symbolic eating - currently practiced among several Christian sects)

*Polygamy (Multiple wives - few Western sects currently practice this - no jokes, please, as the most "infamous," the Mormons, haven't practiced this for over a century and threads that mention polygamy always seem to get derailed)

*Nature, Origin, and Journey of the Soul (How does it journey to "heaven" after life? What does it ultimately become - an angel or something else? Or is it reincarnated? Can it be destroyed - current D&D canon says, "certain monsters can 'eat' souls" - is that offensive/truly possible?)

*Circumcision (Some might call it "mutilation," yet it remains an important physical token of a spiritual covenant in some faiths)

*Nature of "Heaven" (Is it angels on clouds with harps? An oasis filled with nothing but scantily clad young virgins? More or less the same as earth but without sickness, pain, mean people, and beer?)

*Total Celibacy ('Nuff said)

All of these traditions - and more - are not specific to a single religion, which is why I felt safe listing them - I'm NOT looking to spark a discussion on what the "True Way" is in any of these cases... just pointing out that "here are some archetypal spiritual beliefs that are controversial enough to require a mature attitude in discussion.

So could this book reasonably need a mature label? I think that if it gets into deep philosophical discussion of some of these points, yes.

However, if it's anything like the BoVD, its analogue to "Vile Stuff is Bodily Fluids, Piercings, and Boobies" will be something along the lines of "Good Stuff is Disneyized Picket Fences with Birdies that Sing Along with Beautiful Virtuous Princesses, Marshmallow Pies with no calories that nourish you for years at a time, and a dress code akin to No Skin Showing Anywhere but past the wrists, above the neck, and below the ankles - and not even that much for the ladies".

--The Sigil

 

[Gez]

What mature deed do you perform while in an exalted state ?

Sorn, DBS and co. have better hurry up their Unlawful Guide, competition arrive !

 

[kenjib]

Perhaps it's mature in the sense that Sepulcrave's SH is mature; lots of philosophy on good vs. evil, the nature of divinity, the building of churhces and their effect on a fantasy world, etc.

I doubt it's Monte; he's got his hands full with Arcana Unearthed, and he hasn't even dropped a hint about it. Sounds like a job for Mr. Wyatt.

WotC doesn't show a past history of getting into philosophy. The BoVD certainly didn't and I would be very surprised if Exalted Deeds does. People who think about philosophical ramnifications are not the target market. I agree with the speculation that it builds off of and refers to BoVD stuff as well as the marketing angle.

Covering real world religion doesn't seem a likely cause for a label either. Some of this content is already in the Monster Manuals and Deities and Demigods (heck, even Forgotten Realms includes real world religion).

 

[Merlion]

I think when they say real world religion what they mean is real world modern religions...ones that are still practised by good sized bodies of people...Christianity, Judaism, Buddism etc. Their are hints of thease things in DnD products but no real reproduction.
However, I tend to think that the mature title is their mainly due to DnD's symetry obssesion....BOVD has one, so its oposite does to. and it DOES stir up interest.
I look forward to it hugely...the BOVD had nothing really useful to me as I dont run games or play evil characters...but the Book of Exalted Deeds will. Super good spells and prestige classes...items...feats....mmmm....
Any info anyone has on it would be apreciated

 

[Darrin Drader]

Cackles maliciously... err, ahem, Exaltedly.

 

[Aeolius]

Does someone has the slightest idea of WHY this may be called mature ?

"nah nah nah nah nah nah....angel is a centerfold..."

 

[Olive]

in the issue of dragon where they talked about why PCs would go up against celestials, they detailed some different interpretations of good... maybe it will be philisophical along those lines... but that still doesn't seem 'mature' to me, so who knows?