[FR] Portfolio's

[Janos Audron]

Let's say Shar somehow manages to slay Selune, what would happen to Selune's portfolio?

Can Shar take some elements of her portfolio, can she take all of it? Can other Gods take something before Shar had a pick? Could Shar use portfolio's as a bribe (Here Mystra, take this Good an Neutral Lycanthrope thingy, and now stop bothering me.)?

What happens to Shar's Domains? Would she gain extra domains for each added 'thing' in her portfolio or are there a limited number of domains you can grant?

Would Shar's alignment (have to) change if she absorbs something like "Good and Neutral Lycanthropes"?

What would happen to the lycanthropes who worshipped Selune for he portfolio "Good and Neutral Lycanthropes"? Would the Good ones seek some other God and the Neutral one Worship Shar (or Malar)?

What happens to the other worshippers? Would the neutral ones start worshipping Shar and the good ones just go away? What would, in this case, happen to Shar's Divine Rank?

What happens to the Clerics of Selune (the ones who survive the slaughter, of course)? Do they all have to Atone to another God?

Would AO (try to) stop Shar's absorbing? If so, how and why?

 

[ZSutherland]

From my understanding, Greenwood & Co. have always played this part of FR a bit fast & loose, relying more on story and character than any set mechanical element. See the combined histories of Savras, Bane, Myrkul, & Cyric.

Is there a maximum number of Domains any diety can posses? No, I don't think so. Even if there is, Shar's not near it. Look at all the Domains available to Set & Velsharoon.

Port folio pieces are a different matter. I would think Shar's alignment would have to change if she absorbed the Good Lycanthrope bit, but I don't know that there's a rule for it.

Your real problem is the story aspect. Based on your questions, I would guess, you have an idea already, but this is an especially rough celestial outcome considering the hatred the two have for one another and the sheer opposition that each one's portfolio represents to another. What really happens, storywise if Shar destroy's Selune? Given their history, I think it might unmake Toril. If it doesn't, what other gods might be born out of such a struggle? Do they get any of Selune's portfolio. What happens to the mortal world? Does the moon disintegrate? Things of that nature.

Z

 

[Argus Decimus Mokira]

Hey

Maybe you could have Shar maintain Selune's divinity, pretending that nothing has changed. After all, She Who Slinks in the Night would prolly be pretty good at pretending to be her sister, and the info she could gain from Mystra under such a guise would be very very very useful. Keep in mind that she has already done this to Ibrandul and Eshowdow (and prolly some other minor deities). Most liekly such a charade wouldn't last for very long before Ao or a group of other major deities catches on and forces her from the position, but until then she could learn/do a lot.

As far as domains, she could maintain the same ones as Selune save for the Good domain. The clergy might notice something is a little off, but once they realize that their spellcasting is unaffected, Shar could start restructuring the church, adding a few more sinister rituals and stuff.

To more directly answer your questions ...
Selune's stats are:

Selune (Intermediate)
Alignment: CG
Domains: Chaos, Good, Moon, Mysticism, Protection, Travel
Favored Weapon: heavy mace
Symbol: Pair of female eyes surrounded by seven silver stars
Portfolio: Moon, stars, navigation, prophecy, questors, non-evil lycanthropes
Worshipped by: female spellcasters, good and neutral lycanthropes, navigators, monks, sailors, Durparians, Estagundites, and Varrans (as Lucha), the Bedine (as Elah), inhabitants of the Farsea Marshes (as Bright Nydra)

and Shar ...

Shar (G)
Alignment: NE
Domains: Cavern, Darkness, Evil, Knowledge
Favored Weapon: chakram
Symbol: Black disk with deep purple border
Portfolio: Dark, night, loss, forgetfullness, unrevealed secrets, caverns, dungeons, the Underdark
Worshipped by: anarchists, assassins, avengers, monks, nihilists, rogues, shadow adepts, shadowdancers, those who travel the Underdark (as Ibrandul), Chultans (as Eshowdow)

1)Selune's portfolio would most definitely be split up. Navigation (and possibly the moon and stars, but see below) might go to Valkur. Lycanthropes might be split up or kept whole, with jurisdiction possibly given to Malar, Nobanion, or Lurue (maybe Mielikki or Silvanus at a stretch). I don't really know what the hell a questor is, so I can't help you there. Shar herself might be able to nab prophecy, but it would be a darker interpretation of it ... maybe renaming the portfolio to "Fate" or "Doom". Other options would be Tymora or Beshaba. Shar could also grab the stars, maybe focusing on the black night sky that surrounds them rather than the stars themselves. Finally, the moon itself is the physical representation of Selune, much as Toril is to Chauntea. It is possible that the removal of Selune would erase the moon from the sky, blow it up, or maybe have it slowly swallowed up by darkness (depending on how much Shar feels like gloating).

2)Different deities have lost their portfolios different ways. Some have had their portfolio completely subsumed by the deity that defeated them (Cyric to Kelemvor), others have lost their portfolio to some one completely unrelated to them (Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul to Cyric), and others have lost their portfolios without anyone ever picking them up (Amaunator to ... well, no one). No hard and fast, or for that matter, any, rules here.

3)I think domains would stay with the aspects of Selune's portfolio they represent. Have the moon domain go with the moon portfolio, mysticism with prophecy, and travel with navigation. Chaos and good shouldn't switch, as every deity grants the domains of their alignment, and I don't really see the point of protection ... maybe have that go with lycanthropes (a stretch, I know).

4)Shar's alignment wouldn't have to change, no. I think the lycanthropes would change after awhile, or they would stop worshipping her.

5)See 4.

6)Same thing ... they either hang with the portfolio aspect and switch gods, or move on. A cleric with the Chaos and Good domains would prolly seek out another CG deity, while one focused on the navigation portfolio would stick with whatever new god takes it.

7)Ao hasn't really stopped this kind of nonsense before, and I don't think he would now. It's kinda hard fitting him into the whole FR creation myth anyway, which only mentions Shar and Selune. Figure out his relationship with the gods in your own campaign (like, does he really care at all?) and you'll prolly get you answer.

That's my ideas for now. Very interesting topic.

Thanks
-Matt

[edit: hasty posting]