What are gods?

[Henry]

True, Hong. After all, in the Olympian Pantheon, it's old Apollo himself running around in a chariot up there in the sky during the day.

But, Hong, I think the true god of the D&D pantheon would be

ADKISON

but I could be wrong.

Seriously, if you are looking for a metagame explanation, that would have to be the dividing line (granting healing without artifice or spell). Or specifically, having a divine rank of 1 or greater.

 

[Aaron L]

I go with the Lovecraft interpretation of gods. They staggeringly powerful alien beings. And remember, the ability to grant spells does not gaurantee the desire too.

And metagame definition? If it has a divine rank, it's a god!

 

[am181d]

Here's a variant on the initial question in the thread (and some people have already sort of spoken to this):

What makes a D&D-style god worthy of worshipping? (Assuming you're not a Cleric looking for spells--though come to think of it, a Cleric worshipping a deity just to get spells would probably be a pretty lousy Cleric.)

 

[Henry]

Here's a variant on the initial question in the thread (and some people have already sort of spoken to this):

What makes a D&D-style god worthy of worshipping?

Referring back to my above post, a god can be followed or worshipped because of similar goals and outlooks; worshipping a god whose goals are your own can further your cause to the goals.

Past that, let's define "worship." Worshipping can be bowing and scraping, burning offerings, etc. but more to the point, it's putting faith and trust in someone or something. You put trust in your employer to pay you on time and give you safe working conditions. (Laws help, but they don't help you immediately. There has to be trust that they will obey the law.) You put trust in your parents when young to love and support you. You put trust in your friends that they will be loyal to you when times are tough.

A god's trust is not that different. You follow his tenets and give him service, and he will help you follow your goals, which are the same as his. He also offers benefits, and a retirement plan that is out of this world. Simply put, it wouldn't be for obedience, or because he was the only way, truth, and life (there are other deities offering the same package), so much as trust that he will help you in exchange for you helping him.

 

[Henry]

Following up my previous post, the question naturally arises, What makes any one D&D god better for PC's to worship than any other? I will be careful here, because my next statements refer to imaginary pantheons only. Under the standard D&D pantheistic model, it means that NO god is more worthy than any other. Kurtulmak is just as worthy of worship as Pelor or Boccob. The fact is this: which one has a cause I agree with?

The Forgotten Realms Faerunians know beyond a shadow of a doubt what happens to those who don't have ANY patron: the Wall of the Faithless. They know it is a fate to avoid. Therefore, the Faerunians have a choice. They must choose SOMEONE, but all are equally worthy (or equally unworthy, to take a different point of view). So, the choice comes down to which one could I be truest to? And fortunately, the Faerunians have a plethora of gods to choose, so everyone has one deity that they could agree on and trust with their fates.

In the real world, because we do not have 100 percent empirical evidence of specifics of an afterlife, or if there even is one, we also have an issue of choice, and of trust; however, we don't have a "wall of the faithless" to point to and say, "OOPS, gotta make a choice soon! Don't want that to happen to me!" We also don't have miracle-workers amongst us right now to convince us of which way is a correct way - so the trust is an issue, but it is a different Kind of trust.

Opinions?

 

[Davelozzi]

Yeah, IMC, the outer planes are replaced by the moon. I found it just cool to take an astronomical spyglass and look at divine cities on the moon, at night. Also, it's kinda fun because the moon don't show always the same face, it's rotating relatively to the earth, so depending on the day it's a deity or another that's the nearest to the earth and that can influence several things.

Cool idea, Gez.

 

[333 Dave]

IMC, the outer planes are replaced by the moon. I found it just cool to take an astronomical spyglass and look at divine cities on the moon, at night. Also, it's kinda fun because the moon don't show always the same face, it's rotating relatively to the earth, so depending on the day it's a deity or another that's the nearest to the earth and that can influence several things.

When I get around to doing an Astronomy/Astrology book, would you mind if I included this idea in the Moon section? Its a great idea, and gets the noodle going.