Clerics of "racial deities" and their parties

[krunchyfrogg]

Would a cleric of a racial deity (such as Correlon Larethian or Moradin) have problems in a party with members that are 1/2 orcs or other "opposed races?" (elves vs. dwarves, for example).

I realize that a cleric of any deity might have a grudge against other party members, but I think it's a little bit of a stretch for a cleric of a racial diety to let go of that grudge. How do you get around it? How does the elf cleric or Correlon use his Cure spells on the Dwarf berzerker?

 

[d4]

in a previous campaign, i played a cleric of Moradin in a party that had both an elf and a half-orc. my character was the only dwarf.

i did grapple with just this issue, and spent some time talking about it with the DM.

here's what i came up with: my character perceived Moradin as not just the god of dwarves, but the god of dwarfishness. in other words, the good qualities one associates with the dwarven race: loyalty, bravery, tenacity, etc. my job as a cleric in an otherwise non-dwarf party was to teach the other races about these fine qualities, and to serve as an example -- to be the quintessential dwarf.

as a cleric, it was my duty to spread these ideals not just among fellow dwarves, but among members of all races.

 

[mooby]

your god trusts your judgement... thats how you became a cleric in the first place. if the character in question is healing a race that is normally an enemy, that character is probably an exception.

 

[Voadam]

Gruumsh is the only one who really has a hatred for another race (elves). This isn't even reciprocated, elves consider orcs a nuisance but not the worst evil ever to plague elves, that designation is reserved for drow followers of Lloth.

Dwarves dislike orcs and goblins, but Moradin does not have racial hatred as one of his core tenets.

In general, the racial gods are more pro their own race than anti others with their core tenets, with Gruumsh being a noticeable exception.

 

[Eye Tyrant]

In the game I run, my PC (yes, I have a PC too) is the party's Cleric, a Half-Orc Cleric of Grummsh... We are playing a predominantly Evil campaign with only 2 non-evil PCs... However, there is one Dwarf (no Elves thankfully), and upon first meeting the two went at it as would be expected (by the way, my Half-Orc was putting the smack down on the Dwarf) when the other PCs intervened. Since then the two have been at odds with one another, but they put up with each other. Gruumsh has (through visions and what-not) shown Gruglak (the Half-Orc) that he can use the Dwarf to his advantage, exhibiting to all that not only is Gruglak physically superior to the puny Dwarf, but also mentally superior.

And anytime I have to heal the dang Dwarf I hit him with an Inflict Light Wounds prior to the curative magic (I usually describe this as "Gruglak snarls has he bites down on *insert wound area*, once the painful stinging and burning subsides you begin to feel the wound heal". I know it uses up my spells, but it's all in character...

***Behold Gruglak's typing deficiency***