D&D General Is there an increase in "godless" campaign settings?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I don't think we're actually disagreeing. Lawful Good people will largely view going to the Abyss as awful. Many Chaotic Evil people will not.

But I don't think this mechanism works if the D&D multiverse is a moral one, which I think Gygax at least thought it was supposed to be. A moral multiverse would have planetars in charge of the Abyss and Hell, rather than the prisoners running the joint.

Now, if that's was how it was at one point (I don't know enough deep Planescape/World Axis lore to know), then that all fits together better.

 

[Fanaelialae]

I don't think we're actually disagreeing. Lawful Good people will largely view going to the Abyss as awful. Many Chaotic Evil people will not.

But I don't think this mechanism works if the D&D multiverse is a moral one, which I think Gygax at least thought it was supposed to be. A moral multiverse would have planetars in charge of the Abyss and Hell, rather than the prisoners running the joint.

Now, if that's was how it was at one point (I don't know enough deep Planescape/World Axis lore to know), then that all fits together better.

I don't think we're entirely in disagreement.

However, I'm not so certain that the D&D multiverse is meant to be moral (at least in the sense of some real world religions).

Rather, it's like to like. A sorting ceremony if you will. Good guys go to Gryffindor. Bad guys go to Slytherin. (Yeah, that's a gross oversimplification, but please just roll with it.)

Being a Gryffindor is awesome because you're surrounded by other people with heroic qualities. They watch your back and help each other (ostensibly).

A Slytherin might think that being a Slytherin is awesome, but in actuality they're surrounded by back-biting vipers who are likely to look out for #1 at the first sign of trouble.

In other words, I think the lower planes are punishment because being surrounded by nothing but other evil people is going to be... an unfun experience. Not because the universe is trying to punish you, but simply because you ended up in Slytherin due to your actions in life.

 

[MoonSong]

I don't think we're entirely in disagreement.

However, I'm not so certain that the D&D multiverse is meant to be moral (at least in the sense of some real world religions).

Rather, it's like to like. A sorting ceremony if you will. Good guys go to Gryffindor. Bad guys go to Slytherin. (Yeah, that's a gross oversimplification, but please just roll with it.)

Being a Gryffindor is awesome because you're surrounded by other people with heroic qualities. They watch your back and help each other (ostensibly).

A Slytherin might think that being a Slytherin is awesome, but in actuality they're surrounded by back-biting vipers who are likely to look out for #1 at the first sign of trouble.

In other words, I think the lower planes are punishment because being surrounded by nothing but other evil people is going to be... an unfun experience. Not because the universe is trying to punish you, but simply because you ended up in Slytherin due to your actions in life.

The only actual punushment is being stuck in the damn wall.

 

[Fanaelialae]

The only actual punushment is being stuck in the damn wall.

That only applies to Faerun. People from Krynn, Oerth, or Mystara don't need to worry about the wall.

It's a raw deal for people on Faerun, but also easily avoidable. I don't like the wall, so I've never used it in any of my homebrewed worlds - and I don't run FR.

Sure, maybe punishment is the wrong word for it. What's a word for putting a bunch of jerks and sadists into the same room after they die because I think they'll have a lot in common with each other?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Sure, maybe punishment is the wrong word for it. What's a word for putting a bunch of jerks and sadists into the same room after they die because I think they'll have a lot in common with each other?

A political convention. Speed-dating. Networking events.

 

[DammitVictor]

There's certainly an increase in the number atheistic fantasy settings but, despite my own vocal preference for them, I don't think it's a movement or a trend or a repudiation of Gygaxan theism.

It's simply more and more D&D creators recognizing that such fantasy worlds are plausible, and wanting to try them on.

Which is even better than catering to my preferences, in my opinion.

 

[hopeless]

Makes you wonder if there aren't multiple "paradises" but the same one tailored to the soul's expectations?

So heaven for one is hell for the other so to speak?