Could you make a Christian-oriented RPG?

[Wicht]

A few years back I was working out my own role-playing system (haven't we all). Lack of time and a need to finish other more pressing things put the whole thing on the back burner but my game-world was being designed from a strictly monotheistic predeluge (that is the creation before the great flood) point of view. I pictured a world in which there were seven physical demons who worked to control the free-creatures (those creatures with freewill) and corrupt their souls. Meanwhile an element of creation continued to follow the creator. There were two forms of magic, one divine, one sorcerous. The divine magic was similar to biblical miracles whereas the sorcery was available to anyone but weakened the soul and gave the demons more control over the individual. I had worked out the entire history and the only part of the game I was really stuck on was a mechanism to present the more spiritual struggles involved in the game. It was not a strictly christian game but it relied heavily on my christian worldview for inspiration. This thread has made me want to dig out my notes and polish it up for d20 compatibility.

 

[Berk]

Hi! My name's Berk, and I posted a statement deliberately designed to offend people!

Seriously, Berk, what were you thinking? I hate editing people's threads. Next time you dislike a subject, please just don't post at all.

- Piratecat

Sorry about that PC but I was too tempted by the devil sitting on my shoulder whispering what I was typing into my ear. =o) Did my reply offend people? Most likely. Was it meant to deliberately offend them? Not completely. And to stop myself from saying anything else that people will get offended by reading I'll stop now. =o)

P.S. That really wasn't sarcasm. I have a bad side and a good side. And as to not offend anyone I won't go into explanation about the one thing that gets them both going (almost self explanatory with the subject of this thread). Just the good side handles it slightly better. =o)

 

[Jack Daniel]

I should like to jump here and mention that I use real world religions in my campaign settings, and it's not difficult at all to reconcile Christianity with the existence of magic, or even other religions a the fantasy world with spellcasting wizards and clerics. Heck, if I can do it, I don't see why nobody else could.

 

[Kilmore]

I had a thought in an earlier game I ran. The land's religion was monothiestic, but priests had access to different domains in the form of "Saints". These saints weren't worshipped so much as their intervention was called on in the situations that were important to them, and certain priests had closer relationships with these saints.

Now I was brought up Protestant, so I'm not sure how the saint system works, or what all faiths acknowledge them, but based on what little I know about it, it seems like an interesting way to add variety to the priests.

 

[NoOneofConsequence]

One possible setting for a Christian d20 could be the first century church. What you'd have is an underground Jewish sect, perscuted by both the Jewish religious leaders and by the Roman secular government (in certain places). Characters could be converts struggling to find sanctuary in which to worship, spreading their gospel when possible, going on missions to escort apostles safely into or out of cities, searching for the truth of miraculous events. I think it would make an interesting campaign.

There could be holy, divine magic (miracles); unholy divine magic (pagan Rome or possibly the Qabala); there could be a complete question mark over arcane magic - remembering that the "three kings" or "three wise men" who attended Jesus after his birth were actually astrologers/wizards - or it could be a part of the occult, and therefore exclusively evil.

I think that it would have to be a low magic setting, with adepts making up the main of the magic using classes. Wizards and sorcerers would be extremely rare.

Roman characters would probably quite pragmatic. Of course, to be true to the mythos, Christian divine magic would have to have a pretty serious edge over all other magic - even if only being immune to dispel magic or some such - because the power of the God of Israel, Yahweh, exceeds that of all other forces, including Satan, who is a fallen angel.

 

[kenjib]

I had a thought in an earlier game I ran. The land's religion was monothiestic, but priests had access to different domains in the form of "Saints". These saints weren't worshipped so much as their intervention was called on in the situations that were important to them, and certain priests had closer relationships with these saints.

Now I was brought up Protestant, so I'm not sure how the saint system works, or what all faiths acknowledge them, but based on what little I know about it, it seems like an interesting way to add variety to the priests.

d20 Santería. Even better! That's one nice way of reconciling christianity and magic...

 

[Tonguez]

I'm not a big fan of the new testament but Im pretty sure that there are references in there to the disciples performing miracles. I think that all such magic would have to be divine. Whether it came at their beck and call, well that's another matter!

Jesus gave authority to His followers to command spirits and Ask for anything 'in his name' and also said that they would recieve the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

In the Book of Acts the Holy Spirit came upon the assembly and was confirmed in
ACTS 2.38 "The Peter said to them 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of Sins and you shall recieve the Gift of the Holy Spirit

The Gifts are later explained in the Epistles:
1 Corinthians 12 .4 "There are a diversity of Gifts but one Spirit" 12 .7 "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of ALL"

A List of Spiritual Gifts
Word of Wisdom
Word of Knowledge
Faith
Healing
Miracles
Prophecy
Discerning Spirits
different Tongues
interpretation of Tongues

A Christian game would require mechanics for the manifestation of 'Gifts' through the Authority of Jesus' name.

My Game
I actually used a similar schema to create an alt Priest once with a choice of the following Abilities:
Word of Wisdom: (Discernment of Spirits, Detect Spells)
Word of Knowledge: (Tongues, Rear/Write, Prophecy)
Voice of Authority: (Command etc)
Miracles: (Domain Spells)
Healing

I set the game inside a monastic order (the PCs were escorts to a Neophyte who was being taken to distant Abbey) and during the course of their adventure had to battle imps and lesser demons (kobolds etc) as well as Cultists and Undead. They also had to protect an Orphan (raised in a Church Hospice who was destined to become a powerful Paladin -or a terrible fiend) from the interest of a Fiendish Liche Pirate named 'Lord Vulgus'

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

I second In Nomine. That is a pretty good game. I didn't want to play it forever, but it had it's perks.
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Honestly, my only problem with having a real-world Christian RPG is that the options are kinda limiting. I mean, there are really only three "races": humans, angels, and devils. You only have two sides: Good and Bad. (And you know those are the only two sides because God said so.)

Also, situational ethics (a.k.a Chaos) is generally aligned with Bad and absolutism (Lawful) is aligned with Good. Hence the "Thou shall nots".

This is not meant to be a slight against Christianity, but an observation that it is really easy to make a Christian RPG into a bunch of cardboard cutouts. The guys with the white hats are the Good Guys and the guys with the black hats are the Bad Guys.
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I like Middle-Earth as a good Christian RPG. At least it has some nifty races. Plus, the Christian friends I did have in high school said it was endorsed by God. That must mean it's okay.

 

[Celtavian]

Re

In Tolkien's Middle Earth, magic doesn't really exist. What is called magic by commoners in Middle Earth is really just the ability to manipulate nature and tap into the divine energies present therein.

You could develop a magical system that develops magic along these lines, and work it into a Christian type magic. Though, one could also argue that past users of magic were basically doing the same thing.

 

[Olive]

Re: Re

In Tolkien's Middle Earth, magic doesn't really exist. What is called magic by commoners in Middle Earth is really just the ability to manipulate nature and tap into the divine energies present therein.

how exactly is this not magic? sounds like magic to me...

anyway: james wyatt does several Christian RPGs, and I'm sure that one of the mods on this board, or someone like that (i want to say ranger wicket, but i'm not sure) has the christian religion (or somethig very like it) as the only religion IHC.

I, personally, have no real interest in a Xtian RPG, but why couldn't you make one?