Eliminating the divine power source?

[2eBladeSinger]

On Undead... I see them as a staple of S&S! I would leave them as is. There will still be spiritual things and souls. Basically, my idea would be that the real god or gods either does/do not get involved in the workings of men, or act so subtly that only the faithful are aware of it (and the unfaithful would explain away as mere chance). On the other hand, you have any number of false gods with associated dark cults working to recruit followers, amass powers, and pull off stunts like the villains were trying at the end of the Hellboy movie (that's how I would interpret an ultimate Star Pact ritual, btw). It wouldn't be all Cthulhu, of course... you'd have the usual suspects, including your spider and snake cults too.

I'm glad someone else agrees that Undead are essential to a good S&S campaign. I don't mind them being a bit tough, though their effective level and exp may have to be adjusted. While I haven't read the PHB (not so lucky to get them early) and do not fully understand pacts, It seems they'd be an excellent symptom of evil forces, reaching from the nine hells, the far realm, somewhere else?, etc. I think I would leave in the alternate planes as well, perhaps rename them to suit the campaign.

For Religion rituals... there actually aren't too many listed in the Heroic tier, are there? I might use them on a case-by-case basis. "Speak with Dead" certainly sounds appropriate, though some dead might be unaccessible for some reason, whereas others might be lonely and all too ready to hold discourse with the living.

I'm not sure what to do about Religious rituals (again no PHB for now) but I'm sure some of them will be necessary to a good campaign. Fluff-wise, they may be only religious in name, but actually part of the 'magic' of the different planes - the denizens of the middle world being painfully naive in making use of them.

I think once the splat book for martial come out (and arcane but I think this will be a while, no?) it will be easier to build a good campaign.

Does anyone have thoughts on alternative player races. I tend to like to go primarily human - though I think teifling (without over-the-top horns and tails) would make an excellent alternative - very human-like in appearance, as they are basically human, but the failing light brings a luminescence to their eyes... etc.

What about other power sources besides martial and arcane - good or no? I understand we haven't seen them, but in theory how does primal or shadow reconcile well with S&S?

 

[fletch137]

Y'know, I never would have thought of this concept if I hadn't seen this thread. But now that you've planted the idea in me, I love it. Limiting divine casters exclusively to rituals feels very S&S novelly and could easily be explained away as a world with very distant and disinterested gods (or very weak ones).

This is a very neat and doable idea.