Holy Symbol problem - and solution

[TarionzCousin]

Good (and unaligned-leaning good) temples want evil holy symbols. They want them so much that they will pay full market value, or swap you for the proper symbol of equivalent power. Why?

They hang them up in their inner sanctums. It's a matter of pride. This way, when the good guys break into the evil temple, they can "liberate" a dozen or two holy symbols of the non-evil gods.

"He who dies with the most holy symbols wins."

I like to think that radiance comes in a different form for each god, regardless of alignment. Pelor grants his clerics dazzling beams of golden sunlight, Sehanine provides a soft silvery luminiscence, Asmodeus a harsh red glare, the Raven Queen a pale reddish glow like the last glimmer of light from a setting sun, and so forth.

This is a great idea.

 

[Zogmo]

..consecrate (/desecrate) a holy symbol..

Excellent idea. Simple and uh...simple. I like it.

 

[Torchlyte]

...or you could just use generalized holy symbols.

"This Holy Symbol is shiny and has a sword on it."

"It must be a Symbol of Battle. Gimme!"

 

[GnomeWorks]

Good (and unaligned-leaning good) temples want evil holy symbols. They want them so much that they will pay full market value, or swap you for the proper symbol of equivalent power. Why? They have (or believe they have... it doesn't really matter whether it actually works or not) a special ritual that uses the connection forged between symbol and deity, to weaken the enemy god. They hope that, over thousands of such rituals, they can reduce the influence of Evil.

This idea is full of win.

 

[nittanytbone]

I don't think it stretches credibility to have some good symbols hanging out in evil lairs. They make AWESOME trophies. What's better to show off to your evil friends at an Evil Orcus Tea Party than the holy symbol from some ranking clerical mucky muck of Pelor?

 

[Fate Lawson]

It's not so much that they have a ritual to weaken the enemy god, it's that since the enemy god has invested some of its mojo into the holy symbol, if you take that symbol out of play and lock it away behind your own holy wardings you deny the enemy the use of that power.


If, on the other hand you simply destroy the object, the power returns back to the god, and can be re-invested into another holy symbol somewhere else.


Imagine all of those vaults full of unholy/holy artifacts under all of the major temples.


Who guards them?

Who raids them?

 

[Starfox]

The way I read the rules, magical holy symbols are neither alignment-specific nor religion specific. Its like a holy symbol is a white T-shirt, and then you post the icon of your god on in.

This view solves all the mechanical problems, but it is very bland. I wish there was something better.

 

[vagabundo]

The holy symbol is a magic key to unlock the power of the divine.

It sould change slightly depending on the cleric that uses it; to reflect their alignment with their Deity.

So the evil looking rod with a skull on top changes when Gordo of Kord touches it to a sword with a mailed fist.