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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 1197024" data-attributes="member: 3146">Good alternatives, but how about:Alternative 3: the magics of the clerics represent divine gifts to them intended to enable them to more fully embody the God's will on earth by performing acts beyond ordinary mortal ken. However, these gifts, once given are irrevocable and if a gifted one falls from the true path, s/he retains at least a portion of the gift to use or abuse. Consequently, they tend to be held to a higher standard than other followers of the deity since their faithlessness has greater consequences.Under this scenario, the two warring nations' priests would receive magic and could even use it in battle since each specific use of their powers isn't necessarily vetted by the deity. However, if their general conduct--including but not limited to the war--were to fall below standard, they would suffer discipline (although not complete loss of powers). And it's always possible that demonic entities would offer to make up the gap in apparent powers or that they could use charlatanery to fake it and retain their moral authority.It's also possible that, under an interpretation of the God that would generally be considered lawful (let me pause to obligatorily repeat the caveat that I believe the D&D version of the Law/Chaos axis to be incoherent), priests on both sides might well be doing the right thing by supporting their lawful leaders in a conflict. And under a Good interpretation, healing the wounded might well be considered an act of mercy (and therefore good) whether or not the God approved of the particular war or the side of the war whose soldiers were being healed. (Such a version of Good is probably not consequentialist but consequentialist arguments relating to the individual salvation and faith of the soldiers could be made).</blockquote>

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