Eberron Excerpt: Religions

[Klaus]

Eberron Player's Guide Excerpts: Religion

Interesting things!

So while the Dark Six are Evil, and thus innapropriate for PCs, the Traveller is Unaligned, and fair game.

But the biggest thing? The Blood of Vol is now Unaligned!

BTW, the art featured is reused from 3.5's The Forge of War.

 

[Shroomy]

Wasn't the Blood of Vol neutral in 3.5e?

 

[WhatGravitas]

Wasn't the Blood of Vol neutral in 3.5e?

Sort of...
[sblock]Basically, the religion presented in the campaign setting had, AFAIK, the "evil" label, but they always presented the fact that the laymen of the Blood of Vol were actually pretty normal people - as the BoV is an adapted religion from Aerenal. The core, however, centers on Vol herself and is all Evil.

The latter made good villains - and is also the part that had strong ties to the Emerald Claw, the laymen basically just like the "divinity in all of us"-theme.

The new book seems to highlight the laymen a bit more with the "unaligned" label, as players who chose it as religion will probably rather adhere to the rather nice laymen-category in beliefs.[/sblock]

Cheers, LT.

 

[Pseudopsyche]

Hmm, the 3E ECS didn't make this association between the Sovereign Host and civilization versus the Dark Six and wilderness. Did this association appear in later books, or is it new to 4E Eberron? I'm finding it an interesting take on the role of the pantheon.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Hmm, the 3E ECS didn't make this association between the Sovereign Host and civilization versus the Dark Six and wilderness. Did this association appear in later books, or is it new to 4E Eberron? I'm finding it an interesting take on the role of the pantheon.

I believe we (I say "we" because I worked on the book in question) began focusing on that dichotomy in Faiths of Eberron, at least to an extent. Although we also discussed the fact that it's not a perfect split (see Arawai and Balinor).

 

[stonegod]

Hmm, the 3E ECS didn't make this association between the Sovereign Host and civilization versus the Dark Six and wilderness. Did this association appear in later books, or is it new to 4E Eberron? I'm finding it an interesting take on the role of the pantheon.

What the Mouse said. Though, the split works because of the 'civilizing' force of the pantheon, even Arawai and Balinor: Agriculture and the use of natural resources is a very 'civilized' behavior and hunting is part of supply food for civilized life. I believe if you take the pantheon supports civilization/development of socieities, the last two fit like a peach.

I'm also pleased with the Traveller and Vol changes. The minotaur from my game will probably still follow the Dark Six, however.

I do wonder if the relaxation of alignment from 3.5Eberron will translate over to 4Eberron. We see in clerics already, but what about paladins (they were always LG even in Eberron, so probably not), Avengers (can already be unaligned), or Invokers?

I do hope they play up the dictomies in the Silver Flame and not just present as "The good LG church" or the "oppressive dogmatic church" extremes we have seen before (not that Hellcow ever presented either).

 

[Klaus]

I believe we (I say "we" because I worked on the book in question) began focusing on that dichotomy in Faiths of Eberron, at least to an extent. Although we also discussed the fact that it's not a perfect split (see Arawai and Balinor).

There's also the angle of the Dark Six being the pre-Lhazaar deities of Kohrvaire.

Me? I like the 3e linking of Dol Dorn and the orc god Garu'umesh!

 

[Kaodi]

Personally, I think Eberron, of all settings, would have done the best by a complete sacking of alignment. Everything you need to know about a deity's or character's outlook and behaviour should be in their description, or at least inferrable from the company they keep. (For instance, if Elnayra is the last scion of family who lost their lands in the Last War, and secretly a priestess of the Fury, you can guess the sort of trouble she is likely to be up to.)

 

[Klaus]

Personally, I think Eberron, of all settings, would have done the best by a complete sacking of alignment. Everything you need to know about a deity's or character's outlook and behaviour should be in their description, or at least inferrable from the company they keep. (For instance, if Elnayra is the last scion of family who lost their lands in the Last War, and secretly a priestess of the Fury, you can guess the sort of trouble she is likely to be up to.)

I think in that context alignment works as a good shorthand for a person/group/religion's outlook. Saying "The Silver Flame is Lawful Good" is much handier than saying "The Silver Flame spouses the value of community, selflessness, mercy to the repentant and punishment for the wicked".

 

[Kaodi]

I think in that context alignment works as a good shorthand for a person/group/religion's outlook. Saying "The Silver Flame is Lawful Good" is much handier than saying "The Silver Flame spouses the value of community, selflessness, mercy to the repentant and punishment for the wicked".

But how is it less handy to say, " Dol Arrah values A, B, and C, while the Silver Flame values X, Y, and Z, with the Path of Light valuing N, O, and P, " than it is to say, "Dol Arrah, the Silver Flame and the Path of Light are all Lawful Good, " ?