Religeon - requires specific alignment ?
- Thread starter Istar
- Start date
Short answer: Yes.
Longer answer: Yes, even when the game seems to say no.
Any character of any alignment can worship any god... unless their class places restrictions on it.
Divine classes have some alignment restrictions on a class by class basis. Paladins must choose the same alignment as their god, for instance.
The catch is that there is no catch. There are no significant game mechanics that refer to alignment. They even flat out say that you cannot lose your class or powers due to an alignment change. So there's no mechanical consequences for ignoring the restriction.
Longer answer: Yes, even when the game seems to say no.
Any character of any alignment can worship any god... unless their class places restrictions on it.
Divine classes have some alignment restrictions on a class by class basis. Paladins must choose the same alignment as their god, for instance.
The catch is that there is no catch. There are no significant game mechanics that refer to alignment. They even flat out say that you cannot lose your class or powers due to an alignment change. So there's no mechanical consequences for ignoring the restriction.
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Dragonhelm
Knight of Solamnia
There's kind of a base assumption in D&D that if a character worships a deity, he worships one god. So if his power is divine, then he is getting that power from a single source.
You don't often see something like a character worshiping a pantheon of deities, or a group of deities. So, for example, the Knights of Solamnia in Dragonlance may all revere the Solamnic Triumvirate (Paladine, Kiri-Jolith, and Habbakuk), but in the end the Knights of the Sword gain their power only from Kiri-Jolith. Eberron is one of the few settings I've seen where you could gain power from a group of deities.
While the D&D rules allow for characters to be off of the alignment of their deity, I personally feel that your alignment should match your deity's. This shows that your moral compass is on the same target as your deity's. One's mileage may vary, of course.
Yeah. There is a huge difference between "worship" and "pray to." In a polytheistic world like D&D, most people will pray to multiple gods. A small village in a farming community that sees a lot of traffic through it might have a temple that includes shrines to Pelor, Avandra, Erathis and Moradin. I forget what book it was that said that many elven temples have three wings, one with a shrine to Sehanine, one with a shrine to Corellon, and one with an empty shrine to represent Lolth.
If a character actively worships a god, it's generally a major part of that character's life, and probably affects his personality in some way. And, they'll usually look to that god for help first. For example, if a town was beset by the walking dead, a cleric of Kord would ask his god for a blessing for the coming battle, while most of the people would pray to Pelor for deliverance.
If a character actively worships a god, it's generally a major part of that character's life, and probably affects his personality in some way. And, they'll usually look to that god for help first. For example, if a town was beset by the walking dead, a cleric of Kord would ask his god for a blessing for the coming battle, while most of the people would pray to Pelor for deliverance.
I definetly do not tie religion and alignment together. Many of the most interesting characters have a disparity between their religion and their alignment. An inquisitor of Pelor out burning heretics (and loving it) is likely Lawful Evil rather than Neutral Good. A dutiful warlord of a 'good' kingdom may well worship Bane, praying for the conquest of his civilisation over the barbarian hordes.
In my games one of the major NPCs is a lawful evil paladin of Erathis. He believes in this families divine right to rule and is utterly merciless. He wants to re-instigate a caste system that will lead to peace and order, but also fascism. He is also fanatical in his dedication to a chivilaric code, he is dependable, honourable, truthful and an utterly steadfast ally.
In my games one of the major NPCs is a lawful evil paladin of Erathis. He believes in this families divine right to rule and is utterly merciless. He wants to re-instigate a caste system that will lead to peace and order, but also fascism. He is also fanatical in his dedication to a chivilaric code, he is dependable, honourable, truthful and an utterly steadfast ally.
Okay so here we have Goliath twins who's tribe passed into the mountains after the clan was brutalised by ravaging orc armies.
Head strong twins from Clan of Grog, LG and NG, have now left the high mountain peaks to venture forth.
They have a fascination with the death (and revenge on Orcs) due to their family being murdered.
So a lean to and fascination with the Raven Queen is quite possible, especially since one of them was recenlty killed by wraiths, allmost became a wraith, and raised by the Mages of Sarune.
Both now also pay homage and worship the raven queen - at least by Epic anyway - and only level 5 right now.
Plus they are not overly bright (Int 8) and being stupid Barbarian / Warden, easily duped into revering such an unaligned god.
Blame the unaligned mages for that.
Head strong twins from Clan of Grog, LG and NG, have now left the high mountain peaks to venture forth.
They have a fascination with the death (and revenge on Orcs) due to their family being murdered.
So a lean to and fascination with the Raven Queen is quite possible, especially since one of them was recenlty killed by wraiths, allmost became a wraith, and raised by the Mages of Sarune.
Both now also pay homage and worship the raven queen - at least by Epic anyway - and only level 5 right now.
Plus they are not overly bright (Int 8) and being stupid Barbarian / Warden, easily duped into revering such an unaligned god.
Blame the unaligned mages for that.
Pentius
First Post
I don't think it's clearly laid out, but most groups I have played with assume that you can only gain mechanical benefit from worshiping one god. So, if you worship Kord and Sehanine, for example, you could take Kord feats OR Sehanine feats, but not both.
DracoSuave
First Post
There's a difference between 'I worship X' and 'I am empowered to do magic tricks by the magical might gifted to me by X and the clergy that directly communes to and espouses their message.'
It's kinda like the difference between being a Cristian, and being St. Paul, or Elijah, or Abraham, or any other prophet or holy man. Not every adherant to a religion necessarily walks the straight and narrow of that belief system. There are some who murder when thou shalt not murder, or steal when thou shalt not steal.
However, when the diety starts handing out the hocus pocus, that stuff's only going to those who actually got their head on straight (by the diety's point of view.)
You might have a lawful good person who worships the Raven Queen, believing that his hunting of vampires is for the common good. He believes he is doing the right thing, and that everyone should do the right thing.
However, The Raven Queen isn't doing it for the common good, she's doing it because fate must not be abated, good or evil... the deathless are as culpable as the undead. But those chosen by her? They're fated to be that way, so do not defy her will, whether they do evil or good. Thus, one entrusted as her cleric, or paladin, would be unaligned. Her clergy doesn't hand that stuff out to shining white knights who don't quite toe the party line.
It's kinda like the difference between being a Cristian, and being St. Paul, or Elijah, or Abraham, or any other prophet or holy man. Not every adherant to a religion necessarily walks the straight and narrow of that belief system. There are some who murder when thou shalt not murder, or steal when thou shalt not steal.
However, when the diety starts handing out the hocus pocus, that stuff's only going to those who actually got their head on straight (by the diety's point of view.)
You might have a lawful good person who worships the Raven Queen, believing that his hunting of vampires is for the common good. He believes he is doing the right thing, and that everyone should do the right thing.
However, The Raven Queen isn't doing it for the common good, she's doing it because fate must not be abated, good or evil... the deathless are as culpable as the undead. But those chosen by her? They're fated to be that way, so do not defy her will, whether they do evil or good. Thus, one entrusted as her cleric, or paladin, would be unaligned. Her clergy doesn't hand that stuff out to shining white knights who don't quite toe the party line.
