From the Hebrew myth, here is the creator: Yahweh

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dave2008

Legend
It's sort of like writing up the Norse God's and assigning them all to Chaotic Evil because they are Pagans.

Though you make a compelling case for not using real world deities.
I personally don't have an issue with making game stats for deities, RL or otherwise. I mean have fictionalized version of God and the Devil in movies and literature all the time. We all accept that those accounts are not an indictment of the religions they are based on. We should be able to the same for a game version.
 

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Parmandur

Book-Friend
I personally don't have an issue with making game stats for deities, RL or otherwise. I mean have fictionalized version of God and the Devil in movies and literature all the time. We all accept that those accounts are not an indictment of the religions they are based on. We should be able to the same for a game version.
A film or TV show that depicted Yahweh as an Evil being might cause some trouble, with say the Anti-Defamation League.
 


Warpiglet-7

Cry havoc! And let slip the pigs of war!
Symbol…a cross? For Yahweh and the Hebrews?

Ok….whatever. But as to other considerations:

This is deliberately provocative. Which is fine but the “oh? What? Gosh I didn’t realize I was insulting half the world…gee I didn’t mean to” is more than cloying.

In fact, this really looks like an attempt to get a reaction. Congrats? If you have other things you want people to consider, this is not a good strategy.
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend
So, a Christian or Jewish person, seeing GOD being game-ified into an evil deity . . . being offended is their problem? Not the creator's, not the community's?

Sorry, can't take you seriously with that point of view.
In terms of the history of ideas the "God of the Hebrew Bible is Evil and Primitive, just like the Hebrews" has a very, very ugly history.
 

Obly99

Adventurer
Symbol…a cross? For Yahweh and the Hebrews?

Ok….whatever. But as to other considerations:

This is deliberately provocative. Which is fine but the “oh? What? Gosh I didn’t realize I was insulting half the world…gee I didn’t mean to” is more than cloying.

In fact, this really looks like an attempt to get a reaction. Congrats? If you have other things you want people to consider, this is not a good strategy.
No other reason, neither attention seeking nor provocation. Just wanting to share my work. I hadn't foreseen, however, that so many people would be triggered.
 


Dire Bare

Legend
I personally don't have an issue with making game stats for deities, RL or otherwise. I mean have fictionalized version of God and the Devil in movies and literature all the time. We all accept that those accounts are not an indictment of the religions they are based on. We should be able to the same for a game version.
You are correct that the Christian God (and the Devil, other devils, the angels, the saints . . .) has been fictionalized often, sometimes in a flattering light, sometimes rather less so. And the deities and religious figures of other faiths as well, of course, especially the Nordic deities. Who is everyone's favorite Avenger?

When is it okay? When is it not okay?

There are no clear lines, no easy answers. Using real-world religious figures in your stories or games is not inherently wrong or disrespectful . . . but it is easy, even unintentionally, to put out something negative. Just as it is easy to unintentionally further societal racism and sexism in our stories and games. Audience, context, and community are important factors.

I believe @Obly99 that he has no ill intent in sharing his Yahweh write-up here. But this, to me, crosses the line. "It's just a game" isn't a valid excuse. "This is the old version of Yahweh, not the modern Christian concept" also is not a valid excuse. IMO, of course. Some Christians and Jews will see this and NOT be offended in any way. But others will, especially if they see the unintentional anti-Semitism in the write-up. Is it okay to take someone's religion and turn it into an evil deity for our fantasy elf games?
 


Parmandur

Book-Friend
What do the Jews have to do with this story?! The god of the Old Testament is merciless because THE DAMN WHOLE WORLD was a ruthless and cruel place at the time. What is the point of a specific people?!
I'm not the one who decided to go there. These are anti-Semetic tropes, consciously or unreflectively.
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend
Maybe it has, but it has been done. Though I guess it depends on how you define evil.

To be honest, that is not something I would do. I would probably have gods generally be unaligned in D&D alignment.
When James Wyatt made a Montheist God for 3E in Deities & Demigods, he went with True Neutral covering all Domains and Alignments for worshipers. Thought that was clever, and avoided going anywhere weird.
 

Warpiglet-7

Cry havoc! And let slip the pigs of war!
What do the Jews have to do with this story?! The god of the Old Testament is merciless because THE DAMN WHOLE WORLD was a ruthless and cruel place at the time. What is the point of a specific people?!

You are failing to distinguish between Hebrew and Christian symbolism and culture. They were/are not one and the same.

Secondly, the numbers you propose are absurd rot the point of not being useful as a game construct.

Your purpose here clearly was to slap a LE label on the Hebrew God and then do a not convincing “who me?”

I guess if this was a serious critique being “triggered” might be a response but you’re so deliberate in that purpose I don’t think most would actually have that reaction.
 


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