One Annoyed God + One Stuborn Player

[Sejs]

As has been said above - the God of Magic probably wouldn't care one iota. Did the sorcerer go and threaten Magic itself? No? Then we've got no problem. If said god's mortal servitors have a bug up their collective butts about this guy let them deal with it - their problem, after all.


If the clergy wants to punish the sorcerer in a magicy way, I'd say yeah.. bestow curse.

Personal suggestion: in order to cast any spell, the afflicted must succeed at a DC 18 concentration check, just as if they were being distracted by a 3rd level spell (ie, Bestow Curse, clr/3).

 

[Zogg]

I must admit that my sympathy is with the player in this circumstance. The church in question basically has done nothing to learn the truth of the matter, instead merely assuming that the players are "in the wrong" because they attacked someone who had taken shelter in the church. Why? I can think of no other reason for a church to summarily take such a stance, other than pride. After all, the means of knowing the truth are in their hands.

Ditto that. Sounds like you are basically being a jerk and your clergy members are ignoring any concept of justice....just to screw over the PCs. If your PCs have become too powerful you want to 'knock them down a peg', surely you can be more creative and, more importantly, realistic.

Perhaps there is more to the story you are not telling us, because as it stands I agree with the attitude of the "stubborn player".

 

[DMScott]

His character is a Sorcerer. Would I be out of line if I started giving save bonuses in ever increasing levels to the people he casts spells on, as a sort of punishment from the God of Magic? Does anyone have any other in game punishments I should induce on him?

Were I the player, I'd be wondering if there's any other clerical restrictions you planned to impose on my sorcerer, or if next week the restrictions of some other class would apply. I'd also be wondering why the god of the seas doesn't punish pirates, why the god of travel doesn't personally get brigands and waylayers under control, etc. Seems kinda punitive to me.

Now if the church wants to adminster some punishment, that's a different matter. The curse suggestions in this thread are pretty neat, make sense, and can be dealt with in game terms easily enough. But stomping on somebody's class abilities because a god took a personal interest in them isn't too far removed from bolts from the blue raining down on PCs who offend the DM.

 

[Centaur]

I have advice for your stubborn player:

Next time, kill the clergy first, THEN the BBEG (to prevent this raise dead stuff). Oh, and burn all the bodies to ash to make it harder for any of them to be resurrected. In fact, try to reduce the church to rubble (after looting it), to discourage any clergy you might have missed.

Then kill the Guards, including that greedy Captain that took *your* rightfully gained plunder, and get that loot back.

In most game worlds, the God of Magic *STILL* won't give a damn about what you do, or so much as lift a divine finger to either stop you or punish you. The clergy might, but that is why you have to kill them first, and prevent them from being raised.

Hope this helps.

Chris, is that you, For a second there, I thought my Stuborn player was writing that response. Because that is exactly his sort of method, given time and resources.

 

[Centaur]

What are the Gods like in your campaign? Do they take a personal interest in the lives of the people on such a detailed level? What religion does the sorcerer follow? Why were members of that church helping a BBEG to begin with? Is it acceptable to the God of Magic to give sanctuary to BBEGs? Why? What does that have to do with Magic? What are the god's other domains? The amswers to these questions would allow a better and more reasoned response to your query.

The church was unaware as to the reasons that the BBEG was injured. In addition, they weren't even aware that there was a problem in the city. All they knew was that a person came into the church willing to pay for some healing magics. While waiting for said healing to be performed, the two PCs came in using 'Alter Self' to look like a pair of 12 year old sisters and ambushed the BBEG. The BBEG then teleported out of the church.

What has happended here is that a person came into a building and asked for aid. While in the process of providing such aid, the clergy were effectively interupted and prevented from providing.

It is more of a case of the Clerics being annoyed with the PCs than the God. The only reason I thought that the God might get involved is that Chruch in question is the biggest church to this god on the entire continent and has the three hightest level Clerics to this god actively working out of this church.

Basicaly, is a image thing. It's almost the same thing as walking into the vatican in rome and shooting someone who was there asking for assitance from the people there.

 

[Centaur]

I must admit that my sympathy is with the player in this circumstance. The church in question basically has done nothing to learn the truth of the matter, instead merely assuming that the players are "in the wrong" because they attacked someone who had taken shelter in the church. Why? I can think of no other reason for a church to summarily take such a stance, other than pride. After all, the means of knowing the truth are in their hands.

Exactly my point, this is a question of authority and right of domain, nothing to do with right and wrong. The sanctity of the chruch was violated and actions were taken.

Players in this group have a habit of ignoring the rights or authority of religious organizations and Noble houses over the course of many games. I'm just trying to show them they can't always assume they can get away with that.

 

[Tsyr]

Basicaly, is a image thing. It's almost the same thing as walking into the vatican in rome and shooting someone who was there asking for assitance from the people there.

Sorry, no. Getting gods involved in the day-to-day happenings of the mortal world is a very Bad Thing, and a very Bad Precedent to set.

 

[S'mon]

His character is a Sorcerer. Would I be out of line if I started giving save bonuses in ever increasing levels to the people he casts spells on, as a sort of punishment from the God of Magic?

You would be out of line, unless the god of magic is allied with the church he's offended, *and* it's established that sorcerers in your game draw their powers from the god of magic and can have them taken away - ie they're quasi-clerics. Personally I can't see that the sorcerer PC is doing anything wrong, in-character. He should simply be 'punished' by gaining the offended church as an enemy, and its allies. I'd think that was punishment enough.

 

[Tsyr]

I'm just trying to show them they can't always assume they can get away with that.

There are plenty of ways to show a player something. Calling the wrath of a God down on them is just about the absolute worst way to do so, however.

 

[Tsyr]

The church was unaware as to the reasons that the BBEG was injured. In addition, they weren't even aware that there was a problem in the city. All they knew was that a person came into the church willing to pay for some healing magics. While waiting for said healing to be performed, the two PCs came in using 'Alter Self' to look like a pair of 12 year old sisters and ambushed the BBEG. The BBEG then teleported out of the church.

All that magic being flung about freely in the biggest temple to the god of magic in your world? With the highest level priests of that god?

And your telling me that they didn't notice the aura of magic on those two "12 year old sisters"? No wards set up to cancle illusions automaticly? No teleport wards? Nothing?

That god should be ashamed of his high clerics. THAT is where his pride should be wounded.