Polytheism

[Tuerny]

Greg Stafford's Runequest is based on the most solid principles for polytheism I have ever encountered. My advice pales in comparison to Stafford's example but here it is anyway:

In short, polytheistic religion is not just about plurality of gods, it is about plurality of thought. If people are interested, I can post my cosmology somewhere so you can see how I've done this, or I can e-mail it along to you (obviously, I don't want to clutter this thread with 8 pages of data on my homebrew world and i don't knwo enough about the protocol here to know where or if I should). My theology is usually the only part of my campaigns I feel 100% happy with.

I would definitely be interested in taking a look at this. My e-mail is jessedn@yahoo.com if you want to send it my way.

I also agree with you about Glorantha's faiths being an example of a polytheistic pantheon done right. Exalted has a similar example methinks (the recently released Games of Divinity is an excellent work IMHO).

The main reason I started this thread was that I wanted to see what everyones techniques were for creating polytheistic pantheons. I have personally done quite a bit of work in the area trying to create pantheons that both capture the feel of the culture and hint at the exoticness and integrated contradiction that often was in ancient religions and such stories as the Fool Wolf saga and the Songs of Fire and Ice.

Have you done anything to adapt the cleric class with your particular religous style?
I am personally a fan of animistic faiths but the cleric doesn't seem to be quite a fit, Mongoose's shaman requires too much homework (though it has a really nice pay-off), and the druid is too standardized and fails to reflect the bredth of the spirit world.

 

[Tuerny]

Also unlike D&D, the gods of classical mythology had little in the way of organized religion. Unlike religions today, in the ancient world there was little in the way of formal dogma and doctrine. People would pray to the appropriate god for a certain situation, or honor certain gods out of fear and respect. (This is one reason I see describing the "dogma" and creeds of D&D gods a little silly.)

So what are you suggesting should be presented in this particular matter as a guide for characters who worship a particular god or collection of gods?

 

[Tuerny]

Well unsurprising to some I'm sure, I like the Polytheistic approach of the Scarred Lands Gods. They don't always make appearences, BUT if you curse the name of Corean while trying to forge a weapon...don't expect much. Seriously, all one needs to look at is the Sourcebook for Mithril and one can CLEARLY see that even the EVIL gods get their due in a city of light.

Nightfall I have a question for you. While it is not the case here as your reply is topical and fairly relevant, why do you feel the need to post something related to the Scarred Lands in almost every thread in the General section of ENWorld even if it only barely has anything to do with the subject at hand? I do not mean to be insulting in any way, shape or form, I am just curious and this seems to be as good of a time to ask as any.

 

[Tuerny]

I wanted to set up a religion where not all priests were clerics, and give a good reason for "evil" or "good' cities to exist since they would be influenced by their patron deity. With the gods of Earth taking care of needs more important to the day-to-day life of mortals, the worship of the commoners is taken care of as well. I've cut out some of the finer details since I'm really hankering for this bacon sandwich which has been waiting for me the last hour. Hope this is interesting.

Actually that is quite interesting. Would you mind posting these finer details you mentioned?

So would priests of the gods of the earth be just normal members of the various classes?

How do wizards/sorcerers/psions and alternate forms of magic work into your cosmology?

 

[Tuerny]

The homebrew I'm working on combines both monotheism and polytheism into (I hope) a believable coexistence. Mankind used to be polythesitic, but through a number of divine wars, trickeries, and other behind-the-scenes hullabaloo, the pantheon of gods had to combine their powers into one essence in order to overcome Evil (TM).

I'm not sure how realistic this is, but it seems like it will make a nice backdrop for some gaming.

Sounds cool.
What is the nature of the reemerging gods? Are they the typical "Hi I am Thorax God of Insects and War" types or is there something more distinctive about them?

 

[Nightfall]

Nightfall I have a question for you. While it is not the case here as your reply is topical and fairly relevant, why do you feel the need to post something related to the Scarred Lands in almost every thread in the General section of ENWorld even if it only barely has anything to do with the subject at hand? I do not mean to be insulting in any way, shape or form, I am just curious and this seems to be as good of a time to ask as any.

Uhm I hadn't noticed that I did that. Maybe you see it that way, (and I certainly DON'T think you are being insulting intentional or otherwise) I just give my two cents. Sure some of it deals with the Scarred Lands, but not EVERYTHING. I don't denigrate anyone for liking a "realistic" geography, nor do I post that a "monothestic" world should change to be more suitable to the Scarred Lands. I'm just here to offer advice and see if anyone WANTS to know about the Scarred Lands. That's it. No hidden agenda, no political motivations. Not even just I get a gold piece for every soul. I just talk about SOMETHING I feel passionately about. That's basically it.

 

[Tuerny]

Nightfall,

Fair Enough. I had just noticed it a few times and was curious. Thanks for answering my question.

 

[Nightfall]

Nightfall,

Fair Enough. I had just noticed it a few times and was curious. Thanks for answering my question.

No problem Jesse. I'm just here to talk and listen. Well among other things.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Nightfall I have a question for you. While it is not the case here as your reply is topical and fairly relevant, why do you feel the need to post something related to the Scarred Lands in almost every thread in the General section of ENWorld even if it only barely has anything to do with the subject at hand? I do not mean to be insulting in any way, shape or form, I am just curious and this seems to be as good of a time to ask as any.

He's our resident Scarred Lands fanboy.

 

[Nightfall]

He's our resident Scarred Lands fanboy.

That too Meepo. Btw Iconic Scaly one, did you finish R&R2 yet?