Diversity and Detail In Religions!

[mmadsen]

The gods were distanced from their real-world inspiration too greatly.

I couldn't agree more. As I said before, "In fact, if anything, they made the gods too uniformly superhuman in ways that they weren't in the original stories -- high Wis scores, immunity to acid and poison, etc." I want my Greek gods capricious, and my Norse gods flawed!

 

[Will]

Anyone seen Spells and Spellcraft?

I wrote a section looking at the background structure of a religion. For example, most D&D religions have this vaguely thought-out dualistic polytheism, but there are many other possible models. There are also quite varying relationships between a cleric and patron gods (or great spirits)

Now the text is unfortunately a bit drier than I would have liked. But it's not too long. There are also several variant religious types (animist, theurgist, worshipper of small gods) which suggest different models of religion.

-=Will

 

[sword-dancer]

is ther another book thet give good ideas for a religion?

For abuilt op of Religion from base, nothing hits GURPS Religions, if you reuse the dis/advantages as duties/Taboos and feats.

Besides the advice for building religions is the real gem.

 

[Voadam]

Knowing previous editions of Deities and Demigods, why would you expect anything more than a monster manual full of gods?

Mmadsen,

There was a progression in the D&D deity books of the past, there was the 1e DDG which was a brief intro on patheons and divine in general followed by the super NPCs and monsters that were the gods heroes and monsters of the book. 2e Legends and lore and monster mythology added avatars and specialty priests for every god, and then the forgotten realms trilogy was awesome, avatars, specialty priests, and tons of info on the gods, their churches, their orders, etc. I never owned the birthright god book but I understand that was the same way just overpowered. 3e DDG seemed a regression to 1e instead of an advancement from 2e.

 

[Voadam]

Norse variations

There are currently at least 3 3e variations of the norse pantheon. The DDG super-epic one, the free bastion press 20th level avatars only one, and the Avalanche press under 20th level Ragnorak ones.

Depending on which ones you choose, the norse gods can be roughly as tough as a standard frost giant or serious dragon butt-kickers in D&D terms.

While the Avalanche levels can work for that specific campaign or style (actually playing the gods), if you play standard mid to high level D&D you want the Norse Gods of War to be tougher than the average PC fighter.

 

[mmadsen]

There was a progression in the D&D deity books of the past, there was the 1e DDG which was a brief intro on patheons and divine in general followed by the super NPCs and monsters that were the gods heroes and monsters of the book.

That's the material I was familiar with: the first-edition Deities & Demigods and Gods, Demigods, and Heroes before it.

2e Legends and lore and monster mythology added avatars and specialty priests for every god, and then the forgotten realms trilogy was awesome, avatars, specialty priests, and tons of info on the gods, their churches, their orders, etc. I never owned the birthright god book but I understand that was the same way just overpowered. 3e DDG seemed a regression to 1e instead of an advancement from 2e.

Back to the dungeon, I guess...