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What domains would be available to Clerics of GOD?
- Thread starter Green Knight
- Start date
comrade raoul
Explorer
As we all know, the devil can quote scripture to his purpose. So depending on one's perspective, different real-world religious traditions might have access to different domains, even though they purport to worship the same dude.
Personally, I think God's closest equivalents in the Greyhawk pantheon would be some combination of Pelor and St. Cuthbert. In my own (highly subjective) opinion, I'd say the Big Guy's domains would be Law, War, Destruction, and Sun. Perhaps Glory and/or Domination if you're into prestige domains.
Personally, I think God's closest equivalents in the Greyhawk pantheon would be some combination of Pelor and St. Cuthbert. In my own (highly subjective) opinion, I'd say the Big Guy's domains would be Law, War, Destruction, and Sun. Perhaps Glory and/or Domination if you're into prestige domains.
Cheiromancer
Adventurer
Although there are scriptural references to what looks a lot like a Flame Strike (2 Kings1:9-12)- which belongs to the War domain- most of the prophets and saints are not warlike. Clerics who do wage war are often looked upon as great sinners (like Pope Julius II). Archbishop Turpin (from the Song of Roland) may be an exception.
Don't get me wrong- clerics of GOD have preached crusades and blessed troops and weapons- they rarely fought on their own, though. So I wouldn't include War among GOD's domains.
The domains I would assign to GOD are Good, Healing, Protection, and maybe Law. Prestige domains (from DotF) might be Community, Creation, Exorcism, Glory and Inquisition. Some of these would not be available at different times of History, of course.
-Cheiromancer
Don't get me wrong- clerics of GOD have preached crusades and blessed troops and weapons- they rarely fought on their own, though. So I wouldn't include War among GOD's domains.
The domains I would assign to GOD are Good, Healing, Protection, and maybe Law. Prestige domains (from DotF) might be Community, Creation, Exorcism, Glory and Inquisition. Some of these would not be available at different times of History, of course.
-Cheiromancer
Kaptain_Kantrip
First Post
I'm surprised no one mentioned Greyhawk's Pholtus of the Blinding Light as a real world God correlation. 
Certainly, some fundamentalist sects would see God as this type of divine power.
What about the Inquisition or Fear domains? There is a non-magical inquisitor core class in AEG's Swashbuckling Adventures (7th Sea d20) book tyhat is really scary.
In all seriousness, I ran a dualistic campaign with two rival gods fighting over the world. One was supposedly good (but had a mostly corrupt priesthood and fanatical Inquisition torturing and burning people at the stake as well as agitating for holy crusades against every nation that did not believe as they did) and a god that was supposedly evil (but was seen as a great liberator, espouser of human nature, and dispeller of lies and hypocrisy by his adherants). Both advocated their own race as superior, and their own religion as being the one true path. Each god could grant any domain it wished, so long as it could be justified by their Holy Scripture. The two then set up their mortal followers to clash against each other to see which way was best, in a contest for the amusement of a distant, uncaring overgod who created them both. Man is but a tool for divine debate as to who's theology/philosophy is better. Anyway, this was quite a popular game world that lasted 5 years.
AGAMNON may be right about Ao being the closest interpretation, however. The priests of the Judeo-Christian god do not cast spells, IIRC, but rather beseech God to intervene for miracles to benefit his flock or curse those that stand in their way. So, no spells and no domains would be most accurate and least heretical. however, allowing the priest a chance to receive divine intervention in crisis situations (generally but not always non-magical effects that could be dismissed as luck or natural phenomena) would be appropriate.
HarnMaster Religion has a system like this for its priests, with the DC being 17 to get the attention of the priest's god, and the DC being 2 lower to get the attention of a Jesus or Archangel type figure, and 2 lower than that to get the attention of a saint or lesser servitor. There is also a chance for conditions being imposed or retribution (and no intervention) being imposed for angering the entity. The chance of conditions or retribution increase dramatically when calling upon the major and minor servants.
Certainly, some fundamentalist sects would see God as this type of divine power.What about the Inquisition or Fear domains? There is a non-magical inquisitor core class in AEG's Swashbuckling Adventures (7th Sea d20) book tyhat is really scary.
In all seriousness, I ran a dualistic campaign with two rival gods fighting over the world. One was supposedly good (but had a mostly corrupt priesthood and fanatical Inquisition torturing and burning people at the stake as well as agitating for holy crusades against every nation that did not believe as they did) and a god that was supposedly evil (but was seen as a great liberator, espouser of human nature, and dispeller of lies and hypocrisy by his adherants). Both advocated their own race as superior, and their own religion as being the one true path. Each god could grant any domain it wished, so long as it could be justified by their Holy Scripture. The two then set up their mortal followers to clash against each other to see which way was best, in a contest for the amusement of a distant, uncaring overgod who created them both. Man is but a tool for divine debate as to who's theology/philosophy is better. Anyway, this was quite a popular game world that lasted 5 years.
AGAMNON may be right about Ao being the closest interpretation, however. The priests of the Judeo-Christian god do not cast spells, IIRC, but rather beseech God to intervene for miracles to benefit his flock or curse those that stand in their way. So, no spells and no domains would be most accurate and least heretical. however, allowing the priest a chance to receive divine intervention in crisis situations (generally but not always non-magical effects that could be dismissed as luck or natural phenomena) would be appropriate.
HarnMaster Religion has a system like this for its priests, with the DC being 17 to get the attention of the priest's god, and the DC being 2 lower to get the attention of a Jesus or Archangel type figure, and 2 lower than that to get the attention of a saint or lesser servitor. There is also a chance for conditions being imposed or retribution (and no intervention) being imposed for angering the entity. The chance of conditions or retribution increase dramatically when calling upon the major and minor servants.
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Jack Haggerty
First Post
Cheiromancer said:
Hrm... Go reread the story about the Battle of Jericho. Every battle in the Old Testament in which the Jews fought and won (especially against greater odds), was won because God helped them out. Although I suppose you could attribute many of those miracles to a Destruction domain...
Joshua 6:20-21, "So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon the people heard the sound of the trumpets, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat; so the people charged straight ahead into the city and captured it. Then they devoted to destruction by the edge of the sword all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep and donkeys."
Joshua 6:26-27, "Joshua then pronounced this oath, saying,
'Cursed before the LORD be
anyone who tries
to build this city -- this Jericho!
At the cost of this firstborn he shall
lay its foundation,
and at the cost of his youngest
he shall set up its gates!'
So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land."
Pretty bloodthristy, don't you think? And all that time, the Ark of the Covenant was carried by priests as a battle standard.
Xeriar
First Post
Originally Yahweh was a sky/wind god, so if you are going for 'archeological', air/wind/sky (I think these are all valid domains) would be appropriate. If you really want to go this route, though, you would probably do well to research Judaisms roots a bit further - ie Hinduism.
Once you start getting into what is written in the Old Testement, the god Yahweh becomes the LORD G-d YHWH et. al. IIRC, there are believed to be five main authors of the pentatauch, one of whom also wrote a number of the books of the (rest of the) old testement.
The author of Deuteronomy, for example, poses a god who could well have the domains of law, destruction, tyrany and maybe even evil. No wonder evangelicals say 'you don't need to read it'...
The other four are quite thoroughly mixed up. Generally portfolios will include some mix of vengeance and law.
The New Testement can perhaps become the most thoroughly confusing - as there are so many denominations, so many aspects... To say nothing of groups like the Gnostics, Cathars, and Moslems to throw into the mix with Samaritans and Jews still practicing their old faith. Add Baha'i on the end, the only way to get your head even more muddled is recognize the ties to Hinduism, and you are set
Once you start getting into what is written in the Old Testement, the god Yahweh becomes the LORD G-d YHWH et. al. IIRC, there are believed to be five main authors of the pentatauch, one of whom also wrote a number of the books of the (rest of the) old testement.
The author of Deuteronomy, for example, poses a god who could well have the domains of law, destruction, tyrany and maybe even evil. No wonder evangelicals say 'you don't need to read it'...
The other four are quite thoroughly mixed up. Generally portfolios will include some mix of vengeance and law.
The New Testement can perhaps become the most thoroughly confusing - as there are so many denominations, so many aspects... To say nothing of groups like the Gnostics, Cathars, and Moslems to throw into the mix with Samaritans and Jews still practicing their old faith. Add Baha'i on the end, the only way to get your head even more muddled is recognize the ties to Hinduism, and you are set
Cheiromancer
Adventurer
G-d does plenty of destructive things, but a lot of it is directly, and not by means of his prophets and priests.
Though the fall of the walls of Jericho- that sounds like a ritual casting of Earthquake, doesn't it?
David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:59) seems a little much even for a critical hit- heck, even Magic Stone shouldn't knock down an experienced warrior. Maybe GOD uses the "Instant Death" Rule?
Samson may well have add access to the Strength domain. But a lot of what he does is beyond even that. (Book of Judges chapters 13-16)
G-d's chosen people are portrayed as being pretty destructive and warlike at times, but I don't think that one can therefore say that G-d's clerics get access to the Destruction and War domains. Looking at the Domain spells for these domains, they just doesn't seem something like G-d's prophets and priests would go around and do.
It's like the flood; G-d has power to destroy, and can control the weather and the waves, but he doesn't seem to grant any of that power to Noah. Noah sure could have used the Animal Domain, though.
Regards,
Cheiromancer
Though the fall of the walls of Jericho- that sounds like a ritual casting of Earthquake, doesn't it?
David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:59) seems a little much even for a critical hit- heck, even Magic Stone shouldn't knock down an experienced warrior. Maybe GOD uses the "Instant Death" Rule?
Samson may well have add access to the Strength domain. But a lot of what he does is beyond even that. (Book of Judges chapters 13-16)
G-d's chosen people are portrayed as being pretty destructive and warlike at times, but I don't think that one can therefore say that G-d's clerics get access to the Destruction and War domains. Looking at the Domain spells for these domains, they just doesn't seem something like G-d's prophets and priests would go around and do.
It's like the flood; G-d has power to destroy, and can control the weather and the waves, but he doesn't seem to grant any of that power to Noah. Noah sure could have used the Animal Domain, though.
Regards,
Cheiromancer
