Two related rules: Christianity and Earth

[cmbarona]

Perhaps Corellon or Melora could be Saint Francis of Assisi? He's hard to classify according to the standard pantheon, but I'd love to get him in there somehow (I'm a big fan, personally).

 

[erf_beto]

You know, I didnt mention any saint because the names I know are in portuguese and they might have been different than yours (for example, from what I know, James is translated as Tiago, and both Joseph and Joshua are "José"), but mostly because I'm not very "knowledgeable" when it comes to christian saints. I know what I know.

Also, there are loads of regional saints. I'm devoted to a brazilian saint, Frei Galvão, consacreted only a few years ago, who helped me with my kidney stones! It might be better to research the arthurian myths and see wich saints play a part in the story or were worshiped during that time.

Perhaps Corellon or Melora could be Saint Francis of Assisi? He's hard to classify according to the standard pantheon, but I'd love to get him in there somehow (I'm a big fan, personally).

I'm a devotee of "São Francisco de Assis", and I think having him take Melora's place as the guardian of nature is perfect. As for Corellon, his 'art and beauty' aspect should be enphasized over his 'magic and fey' patronage, IMO. Who is the patron saint of the Arts? Are there christian muses?

The other suggestions are also great. At first I thought Avandra would be portrayed by Saint Antony of Padua, but that was because he is mistankenly called for match-making and wedding patronage (at least here in Brazil). Saint Joseph of Arimathea as the Raven Queen paralel feels great.

I really hope to see this list expand.

 

[MonkLover]

You can also look to some old 2nd Edition splat books like the Keltic, Norse, Rome, and Charlemangnes paladines (green books) produced by TSR if you can find them for inspiration and possible conversion to 4E, they give excellent historicaly inspired storylines and some unique class and monster ideas that could probably be converted with a little work.

 

[On Puget Sound]

Well, any setting that has a god that is truly omnipotent and omnicient, the Only God of Everything, is going to have to find reasons for that god to choose not to intervene on behalf of His faithful followers, at least not very often and not very obviously.

Ars Magica does a good job of combining fey, magical, infernal and holy realms and powers in a way that allows for monotheism, faith and limited miracles while still leaving room for magic. I'm not sure how I would translate these concepts into 4E, though. For starters, all clerics should probably be NPCs as they will either be gimped (their prayers are not answered), overpowered (their prayers are answered), or will suck the mystery and faith out of religion (there are definable rules on how and when their prayers are answered).

 

[Garthanos]

* Races: Humans only. I wouldn't even reskin the others. Teleporting and small size and all that other stuff just makes it complicated and disjointed.

Nyeah I find I can do it very improvisationally but if you want pre-planned stuff...
Key Our Cars » Blog Archive » Humanocentric World?

Additionally I might allow fey races as humans who have traded portions of their souls ... to become fey.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Well, any setting that has a god that is truly omnipotent and omnicient, the Only God of Everything, is going to have to find reasons for that god to choose not to intervene on behalf of His faithful followers, at least not very often and not very obviously.

Ars Magica does a good job of combining fey, magical, infernal and holy realms and powers in a way that allows for monotheism, faith and limited miracles while still leaving room for magic. I'm not sure how I would translate these concepts into 4E, though. For starters, all clerics should probably be NPCs as they will either be gimped (their prayers are not answered), overpowered (their prayers are answered), or will suck the mystery and faith out of religion (there are definable rules on how and when their prayers are answered).

Eh, only in a fairly simplistic monotheistic system like Christianity. You could build a campaign setting that was perfectly consonant with Mazdayasna (Zoroastrianism in common parlance). There is one supreme creator who operates through various spirits of different grades. Angra Mainyu is the force of evil and chaos, while the Spenta Mainyu, the creation itself is the operating of Ahura Mazda's benevolence. You could pray to Ahura Mazda, but that doesn't mean your prayer will be answered and who are you as a mere mortal to say what the rules are?

 

[cmbarona]

Update:

I've posted a list of the god/saint pairs thus far. Any more suggestions?

 

[cmbarona]

Well, any setting that has a god that is truly omnipotent and omnicient, the Only God of Everything, is going to have to find reasons for that god to choose not to intervene on behalf of His faithful followers, at least not very often and not very obviously.

Ars Magica does a good job of combining fey, magical, infernal and holy realms and powers in a way that allows for monotheism, faith and limited miracles while still leaving room for magic. I'm not sure how I would translate these concepts into 4E, though. For starters, all clerics should probably be NPCs as they will either be gimped (their prayers are not answered), overpowered (their prayers are answered), or will suck the mystery and faith out of religion (there are definable rules on how and when their prayers are answered).

Although to be fair, 4e actually provides a good explanation for the answering of prayers: Divine power source characters go through an ordination ritual. From that point on, any powers they use are up to them. I think this can be explained in a monotheistic context as God needing humans to participate in God's plans (a common theme found in Christianity, e.g., we participate in building God's kingdom here on earth). I could go into further detail, but I think part of this tension lies in the assertion of omnipotence that tends to go with monotheistic concepts. Some Jews/Christians/(perhaps) Muslims would disagree with that assertion.

 

[Amaroq]

Our current low-magic campaign has the players very much enjoying characters who don't know the rules; e.g., the player can choose to have the character use a standard action to invoke her daily power, but the character doesn't know exactly what is going to happen. This leads to entertaining "discovery" of their latest power(s), with the players willingly holding them in reserve to create sufficient dramatic tension to explain the new power; intentionally sub-optimal play (at one point, our sorcerer was trying to bash people with a rock rather than simply lashing out with her at-wills); and unique on-the-spot flavor descriptions of how their power manifested this time.

Its actually kept the magic a lot more "wondrous" in feel than previous campaigns and their "Okay, I eldritch blast him again for ... 8 points" routine.

 

[Garthanos]

Although to be fair, 4e actually provides a good explanation for the answering of prayers.

There is an old joke where this woman is stranded on a roof top during a flood... a sequence of people show up... each time asking if they could help she repeatedly answered "no, god will provide". Finally the flood kills her in heaven she complains to the divine why didnt you help me. The answer came "I sent you half a dozen people and you turned everyone of them away."

Healing can be pure "inspiration" flavored. HPs not = wounds. So being able to heal which is the forte of the Christian cleric, doesnt need to change any where but in the narative its just not this blatant thing. Clerics feel a little more warlord like but....shrug. Poets, priests and politicians have words to say for their positions.