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<blockquote data-quote="Ruin Explorer" data-source="post: 8312699" data-attributes="member: 18">Okay so here's the problem - that phrase doesn't apply to 99% of D&amp;D gods.So essentially what you're saying is that you're coming at this using definitions, which are irrelevant and confusing to the vast majority of the subject matter. In the real world, in anthropology, that's a very useful definition, and helps even separate gods and spirits to some extent - though the line is unclear - in D&amp;D? It isn't. Hence the confusion.So we're just left with &quot;a being with powers greater than those of ordinary humans, but who interacts with humans, positively or negatively&quot;Which describes:A) Most PCs above about level 8.andB) Most &quot;serious&quot; monsters and certainly all adult dragons.And this is exactly why people&nbsp; are saying D&amp;D's gods aren't gods. They aren't elevating anyone's consciousness. They're just big thugs, and one day, if you kill enough people and loot enough treasure, you could quite literally join them. Many editions of D&amp;D have had explicit rules for doing so! Its a sliding scale of power. There's no intrinsic difference between an incredibly powerful wizard and an god.You see this in Dark Sun, too - the top wizards there are so powerful that they are indeed granting spells. But are they gods? I mean they're not by your definition there - but again, who in D&amp;D is?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ruin Explorer, post: 8312699, member: 18"] Okay so here's the problem - that phrase doesn't apply to 99% of D&D gods. So essentially what you're saying is that you're coming at this using definitions, which are irrelevant and confusing to the vast majority of the subject matter. In the real world, in anthropology, that's a very useful definition, and helps even separate gods and spirits to some extent - though the line is unclear - in D&D? It isn't. Hence the confusion. So we're just left with "a being with powers greater than those of ordinary humans, but who interacts with humans, positively or negatively" Which describes: A) Most PCs above about level 8. and B) Most "serious" monsters and certainly all adult dragons. And this is exactly why people are saying D&D's gods aren't gods. They aren't elevating anyone's consciousness. They're just big thugs, and one day, if you kill enough people and loot enough treasure, you could quite literally join them. Many editions of D&D have had explicit rules for doing so! Its a sliding scale of power. There's no intrinsic difference between an incredibly powerful wizard and an god. You see this in Dark Sun, too - the top wizards there are so powerful that they are indeed granting spells. But are they gods? I mean they're not by your definition there - but again, who in D&D is? [/QUOTE]

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