Gods and Pantheons

[Nifft]

/SUPER MOD POWERS ACTIVATE!

"Other" is now a choice.

Hey, check that out! Now I can vote. Thanks, -- N

 

[Angel Tarragon]

I had to very, because thats the closest my homebrew comes to on your poll. In all actuality I do have a detailed pantheon, but the gods interact with PCs occasionally.

 

[Voadam]

How important are the gods in your game?

I'm developing a new adventure campaign, and I'm at the point where I need to decide how important to make religion. I'm curious to see how important religion, the gods, churches, and so forth are in other game worlds.

With PCs playing religious classes I tend to have plot elements involving their religions. Generally gods are behind the scenes metaplot type of things and there are church politics going on. But relgious issues do not dominate, even in the game with a theocratic civil war, diabolic cults, a PC paladin of an old god questing for his god, a PC exalted druid who rejects orthodox druidism, and a PC dwarven cleric relgious/community champion.

Religion is a background detail included in the game a lot, but not the most important theme (fighting evil is probably the most important campaign theme).

 

[Desdichado]

Gods are not important at all. In fact, there are no gods known--what people worship as gods are really more like archfiends anyway.

That said, churches and religion are very important. But they don't really have any more connection to the divine than anyone else. I guess my campaign is a bit cynical in some ways, and the world is currently undergoing an Apostasy or Dark Age in regards to religion.

Anyways, there was no option for disassociating gods and religion in your poll.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

As a general rule:

The gods are completely distant. The churches are *extremely* important.

I've never had a god or avatar appear in a campaign, but it's common for PCs to be affiliated with or opposed to a church (or affiliated with one and opposed to another). This is one aspect that Eberron hit pretty much perfectly for me, as I've always run games that way.

 

[Wombat]

We have an extremely detailed pantheon, including myths, counter-myths, demigods, "saints", holidays, etc. Every character has religious views.

But the gods do not get involved directly in our campaigns and we do not allow "planewalking" or godkilling.

So this doesn't exactly fit the options in your poll...

 

[Jaguar]

Is there a God?

Gods are just a spell batery for cleric players. Churches lives from selling spells and potions. Doesnt mater much wich god you revere. If you have the gold you got the spell.

 

[maddman75]

I'm starting up my classic D&D feeling game, and as such I'm not getting into details. There's a religion with clerics of The Light, as well as The Dark and The Shadow depending on alignment. PCs choose their domains as they will.

So nope, don't care about gods.

 

[paradox42]

I picked "Very" for now, but it's rapidly evolving to "Extremely" in both of the games I run. Not only are gods actual NPCs that have showed up numerous times in-game, but PCs in both games are now on the way to becoming gods themselves.

One in my secondary game already is partly divine, thanks to Upper_Krust's Immortal's Handbook: Ascension rules (glad I got in on the preorder); the rest as of last session will probably follow very soon. My primary game features characters who have all acquired "divine sparks," and are evolving gradually towards full godhood, but do not yet know what's involved in the process. Honestly, they're juggling so many plots right now it'll likely take them awhile to get around to it.

 

[Treebore]

What el remmen said. In my homebrew, I have a detailed pantheon and the choice of deity is much more important in a cleric's choice of spells than in standard D&D. Also, the rogue has actually met his deity. However, other than the one instance, encountering deities has been non-existant (unless one dies). Furthermore, the players are not seeking for their characters to become gods.

I'm pretty much the same, except I actually have god calls in my game. More as an extra mechanic to prevent TPK's and PC death's, but to earn bonus points towards their next god calls some players take worship and donations seriously. Base chance is 5% in my campaigns. Divine types get an extra 1% bonus per level. Devoutness shown by huge donations to a church, building shrine, temples, and hospices, etc... can earn some serous bonuses to the next attempt. All such bonus' go away when the attempt is made. Successful or not.

Plus I highly recommend the "Book of the Righteous" by Green Ronin games. I think it is the best treatment of religion in the D&D genre ever. I like it more than "Faiths and Avatars" from 2E.