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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sir Whiskers" data-source="post: 368021" data-attributes="member: 6941">I too have decided to move away from the polytheistic nature of most DnD campaigns. It began as monotheistic, but I'm not sure that's strictly true anymore. In simple terms, it works like this:The Creator made the world. In order for life to exist, he imbued the world with a part of his essence. Life arose (first Dragons, then lesser races) and learned how to use the energy of the world. Arcane spellcasters simply move energy around. Divine spellcasters, however, tap into the life energy itself, not just creating spells and effects, but changing the world's energy in the process. This means that the more the energy is used for evil, the more corrupted the world's energy becomes, and vice versa.To avoid the problems inherent in the Creator bestowing spells on priests of wildly different alignments, I've thrown out that part altogether. Basically, when a divine spellcaster reaches a certain point (character level), he crosses a threshhold in his understanding of the world, and a whole new branch of spells is available to him. A 3rd-level priest is able to cast 2nd level spells because that is the limit of his understanding, while a 17th-level priest can cast 9th level spells. This is very loosely based on how science works in the real world, where researchers beat their brains out for years and decades, then someone makes a breakthrough, and suddenly knowledge expands dramatically (until the next problem comes up). So far there are three main churches:The ErthLords, who seek to do good and heal all injuries to the world itself and its inhabitants. They avoid using violence when possible. They believe in a Creator.The Clave, who believe the strong should rule and use power accordingly. They believe in a Tyrant.The Druids, who seek to keep the world's energy in balance. They beleive a Life-Giver.Each group refers to the Creator in its own way, and has its own myths (and I'm careful not to tell the players which are "true" and which aren't). Within each church, however, there are individuals of various personal beliefs and alignments, with differing politcal and moral motivations. It is possible for the ErthLords to become corrupted (or, at least, fixated on the wrong goals), while a LN priest of the Clave could rise to power as a "benevolent dictator", using power to enforce good behavior. Politics, as opposed to strict alignment, determines the collective behavoir of each organization.By the way, I've found it necessary to forbid Detect Good/Evil spells from detecting alignments for this reason. Otherwise, organizations would use these basic spells to cull their ranks, and I want differing alignments within the groups. Detect Good/Evil only detect inherent natures, such a demon's Evil nature. This also adds a little more "gray" to the world, as the party can't simply use Detect Evil to justify attacking someone.Also, there are a host of temples, shrines, etc. devoted to various false gods (cults). The gods don't exist, but the followers believe in them. Such individuals are seen by others as mis-guided, but are rarely persecuted or driven out (unless, of course, their beliefs include things like human sacrifice).To sum up, there's only one "god", the Creator, who made the world and left a whole lot of energy in it. The inhabitants use the energy as they will, creating entire belief systems to justify its use, which in turn molds the world itself.  Virtually all "gods" in the world are creations of the various belief systems, but demons, devils, celestials, etc. do exist. The churches are political organizations, though devoted to different goals than a typical kingdom or empire.</blockquote>

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