D&D 5E Should WotC Keep the Love Domain as is?

[cbwjm]

Fyi, Zeus is her father, not her husband. Her husband is Hephaestus, who is also her brother. She cheats on him with her other btother, Ares. Zeus’s wife is Hera (though he had another wife before, whom he ate and who continued to live on inside his head, providing him with advice).

Never said Zeus was her husband only that he was running around cheating on his marriage. He's also not Aphrodite's father, she was born from the blood of Ouranos when it fell into the ocean, she's older than Zeus. Though admittedly there could be a myth I'm unaware of that claims her as Zeus's daughter.

 

[Rikka66]

Never said Zeus was her husband only that he was running around cheating on his marriage. He's also not Aphrodite's father, she was born from the blood of Ouranos when it fell into the ocean, she's older than Zeus. Though admittedly there could be a myth I'm unaware of that claims her as Zeus's daughter.

That origin for her is from the Illiad.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Silly mortals. All love comes from the gods, and is artificially bestowed! But I suppose consent is sexy, so nobody should feel love until they mutually ask a Cleric to bestow it on them.

The essence of D&D, really:

"You'll need magic for that."

 

[Tonguez]

Marvels Purple Man of Jessica Jones fame, makes a great 'charm' based villain, obsessed with 'love' but being creepy mind controlling and abusive rapist instead. But it does need to be renamed to something like Obsession

The Unity domain does a better list of spells to inspire and protect.

the English term Love is too broad a concept ...

 

[Seramus]

Never said Zeus was her husband only that he was running around cheating on his marriage. He's also not Aphrodite's father, she was born from the blood of Ouranos when it fell into the ocean, she's older than Zeus. Though admittedly there could be a myth I'm unaware of that claims her as Zeus's daughter.

Aphrodite Ouranous was born from genital sea-foam and was associated with both familial bonds (brotherly love, parental love) and mischievous desire. Later there was Aphrodite Pandemos born from Zeus and Dione, and people started getting really confused. For a while everything mischievous and lustful got moved to Pandemos (silly teenager) and all the non-lustful love went to Ouranous (mature but never old).

Eventually... they just got syncretized together into a mush.

 

[cmad1977]

It’s not particularly well done.

 

[Keravath]

Personally, I think "Love" Domain is a bad choice for ANY character archetype associated with D&D. No matter how it is implemented, it couldn't appropriately represent the concepts involved. It also comes along with a wide range of expectations in terms of what the word could or should mean.

I haven't read the UA but I did read a summary. The cleric domain abilities were mostly associated with mind control and making others adore and react positively to the cleric, removing choice. I believe the effects were similar to charm person or friends spells only more so. They didn't have anything to do with "Love" from what I could tell so, at the very least, it was a really bad choice for the archetype name.

I also agree with those objecting to the choice of name in the context of the abilities. Some pretty impressionable people play this game and having an archetype following the Love Domain that uses spells and other divine abilities to force others to "like" or "love" them really sends a message that shouldn't be associated with this game, again in my opinion. So, at the very least, IMHO, WOTC should change the name. I also find it a bit surprising that this name even made it out the door (unless the distribution was pretty limited).

 

[CleverNickName]

I also find it a bit surprising that this name even made it out the door (unless the distribution was pretty limited).

Rumor has it that the distribution of the first draft was unintentional, when someone guessed the URL or filename or something and typed it into their browser...then promptly shared their findings on Reddit. WotC took the file down pretty quickly and/or renamed it, but you know how it is, "they can't stop the signal, Mal."

 

[Bohandas]

D&D has always had plenty of spells that forcibly change characters' emotions amd nobody's ever complained about it before. There's nobody complaining that "the Good Hope spell is false hope" or that "Crushing Despair makes light of depression" or anything like that. Why should this be any different?

 

[Immoralkickass]

I think there's nothing wrong with the name Love Domain. Love has always been strongly associated with passion, amorous activities and seduction. It is about using the power of seduction, charm and whatnot instead of straight up violence. I always hear the argument that love is not sex, but the term 'making love' exists, and its not what it means literally. Goddesses of Love are usually portrayed as nubile young women in skimpy clothing.

I also cannot take ones opinions seriously if one is offended by mind control/altering abilities, when there are spells like Dominate Person in the game. Its not that i don't allow people to be offended, its the fact that they choose to be offended by imaginary acts of imaginary characters in an imaginary world. Every thing is made up and only exists in our imagination. In short you could say, its just a game.

Its not what the ability does that matters, its who you do it to. Any mind altering ability used on an NPC would be fine, but using it on a PC would be frowned upon, unless with the players consent (which would be rare).