Clerics who would get spells from worshippers rather than deities

[Turanil]

Look at the bible and the Aesir and Vanir in both religions sacrificed animals would be eaten, with parts of them going to the gods.

Well, this thread was not meant to discuss what is good or evil, and even less discuss true life's religions. This is just about having D&D clerics getting their spells not from actual deities, but from worshippers through the use of a magical focus. Determining if what they believe to be good is actually good or not, is not really the point. The point however, is that a cleric could pretend to be good and get his clerical powers from a god of good while he actually is and performs evil. But the definition of wether doing X is good/evil is left to a campaign's specifics. As far as my campaign is concerned, good cannot allow ritual sacrifices, but where a ritual feast is concerned, this may be okay.

<...> if you actually want some tables, first of all:
there should be two variables, level of the cleric and number of worshippers... <...>

Cool, that sounds good. Tomorrow I will give it more thought and make some calculations.

 

[sword-dancer]

my intend was to explain with a few examples that there could be a difference between a volunteering sacrifice and a sacrificed victim.

 

[adwyn]

For sometime IMC I've been doing something similar - the main church has no god and its clerics derive their power from the faithful. As a rule of thumb, it takes 20 or so parishioners per the square of the cleric's level to provide the necessary support which is passed on via daily ritual like prayer sessions. Thus large urban churches can support several clerics while several smaller hamlets must join together to support even one.

This keeps the clerics interested in what is happening "back home" as without their support the cleric is in danger of losing his power. To this end trophies and epistles are reguraly sent back, campaign stop like trips made, deeds are dedicated - all great plot hooks.