Melkor Lord Of ALL!
First Post
This is stupid, Gods don`t grant miracles because you are giving money to their churches! They should detail those ritual enchantments that appeared in Lords Of Darkness!
Divine Intervention
- Thread starter Heretic Apostate
- Start date
Cedric
First Post
Well...
I think it's a great little tidbit if you keep a few things in mind...
This isn't what will happen, this is what can happen if you, the GM, thinks it's appropriate.
This is primarily for donations made in the passed tenday.
This introduces a way to have the Gods affect your players and campaign in ways other then a spell bank for clerics.
In all but the most rare of circumstances, the only thing the PC's might get is one of the Orisons...and I would hope we can agree none of those are overpowered.
Lastly, the Gods do have to worry about things like Money, worshipers, conditions of their churches and the like. The pantheons in the Forgotten Realms are dynamic, they change. Gods have died.
Just my thoughts,
Cedric
I think it's a great little tidbit if you keep a few things in mind...
This isn't what will happen, this is what can happen if you, the GM, thinks it's appropriate.
This is primarily for donations made in the passed tenday.
This introduces a way to have the Gods affect your players and campaign in ways other then a spell bank for clerics.
In all but the most rare of circumstances, the only thing the PC's might get is one of the Orisons...and I would hope we can agree none of those are overpowered.
Lastly, the Gods do have to worry about things like Money, worshipers, conditions of their churches and the like. The pantheons in the Forgotten Realms are dynamic, they change. Gods have died.
Just my thoughts,
Cedric
Frostmarrow
First Post
Perhaps this is a sneaky preview of the sacrificice rules of the Book of Vile Darkness. The rules seem a bit Cookish. Oh it was Sean K Reaynolds who authored it... Hm. We know that Reynolds and Cook work together...
In BoVD I would guess your chances of divine intervention increases with pounds of flesh or pints of blood instead of gold.
In BoVD I would guess your chances of divine intervention increases with pounds of flesh or pints of blood instead of gold.
Nightchilde-2
First Post
Prolly what I'm going to end up doing is instead of using a donation chart like the one listed, make a secret Charisma check for the PC and apply it to the NPC attitude chart in the DMG, requiring a helpful result for an Orison and a Friendly result for a domain spell, with the starting attitude of the god depending for the check depending on how helpful or harmful the PC was to the god's portfolio. Still, the PC would have to be doing something related to the god's portfolio; none of this "I pray to Tyr to help me build a ship" crap. 
Other modifiers to the initial attitude would include stuff along the lines of alignment compatibility (No way will Lathander enjoy helping a NE necromancer), donations and in some case class or race.
Modifiers to the roll would be stuff like how well the player phrased the prayer (what, a bonus for roleplaying? Yup.) and similar. Of course, if the god just doesn't *want* to help...
No way would I let the PCs know the DC of the Charisma check; I feel divine intervention should be a relatively unknown factor. Even if they succeeded the god would decide which of its' spells it would splash over the PC.
Just my two platinum.
Other modifiers to the initial attitude would include stuff along the lines of alignment compatibility (No way will Lathander enjoy helping a NE necromancer), donations and in some case class or race.
Modifiers to the roll would be stuff like how well the player phrased the prayer (what, a bonus for roleplaying? Yup.
) and similar. Of course, if the god just doesn't *want* to help...No way would I let the PCs know the DC of the Charisma check; I feel divine intervention should be a relatively unknown factor. Even if they succeeded the god would decide which of its' spells it would splash over the PC.
Just my two platinum.
Heretic Apostate
First Post
Maybe limit it to within so many slots of the deity's alignment? And depending on how well the player has stuck to the alignment? Definitely don't think that Tyr would favor someone who spent the last week cheating, lying and stealing (which goes against his portfolio of justice).
I think that any fundamental 'cash for intervention' system is bad.
Perhaps it may be acceptable for particularly materialistic deities, or particularly powerful and pragmatic ones.
Yet for the vast majority your money is not what they wish, but they want you to follow them. Bob the Fighter can't just trundle along to the church, dump a whole load of cash in the cleric's hands and run off with a free spell.
Whatever next? Avatars coming down for 1000gp/hour? Solars for rent- 20% discount for followers? Special offers on divine favours? There are some things money should not be able to buy- and direct divine intervention is one.
Perhaps it may be acceptable for particularly materialistic deities, or particularly powerful and pragmatic ones.
Yet for the vast majority your money is not what they wish, but they want you to follow them. Bob the Fighter can't just trundle along to the church, dump a whole load of cash in the cleric's hands and run off with a free spell.
Whatever next? Avatars coming down for 1000gp/hour? Solars for rent- 20% discount for followers? Special offers on divine favours? There are some things money should not be able to buy- and direct divine intervention is one.
darkbard
Legend
whoa ... slow down folks! remember: this, like any rule (optional or core), is a starting point for the imagination. what sean's done is provide a simple mechanic for making the presence of the gods a bit more tangible; one can think of this as a twist on hero points even. in no way is it suggested that the gods will always listen to the pleas of their faithful, nor that the duty of the faithful stops at a simple coin donation at the local temple. perhaps the donation must be accompanied by time in prayer and meditation, services in the deity's name (and in the flavor of its portfolio), or whatever else the dm deems appropriate.
say a rogue worships mask as a primary patron. the rogue (and his companions) plan to sneak into the local baron's tower, past the dozen or so well-trained guards to steal a gem-encrusted chalice. this kind of activity is right in line with mask's portfolio, so the rogue character spends the afternoon before the night assault making prayers and offerings of small stolen trinkets in his deity's temple. during the break-in, a guard patrol passes by the party's hiding place in a window alcolve. is it so hard to believe that after the character's whispered prayer an "obscuring mist" trails in from outside, bathing the characters in whisps of fog and causing the guards to pass by in the chill night, the thieves unnoticed? why else would a selfish rogue pay the god of trickery and dark any heed?
say a rogue worships mask as a primary patron. the rogue (and his companions) plan to sneak into the local baron's tower, past the dozen or so well-trained guards to steal a gem-encrusted chalice. this kind of activity is right in line with mask's portfolio, so the rogue character spends the afternoon before the night assault making prayers and offerings of small stolen trinkets in his deity's temple. during the break-in, a guard patrol passes by the party's hiding place in a window alcolve. is it so hard to believe that after the character's whispered prayer an "obscuring mist" trails in from outside, bathing the characters in whisps of fog and causing the guards to pass by in the chill night, the thieves unnoticed? why else would a selfish rogue pay the god of trickery and dark any heed?
