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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shemeska" data-source="post: 2017320" data-attributes="member: 11697">I tend to treat some of the archfiends as true deities, and some of them not. Being a god brings power, but also restrictions and responsibilities that might make it undesirable for more base beings such as archfiends.I think that alot of the controversy seems to stem from TSR/WotC's drastically changing stance of the deific status of such beings, even among same editions of the game, or even among single settings of the same edition. I tend to take the viewpoint of 2e Planescape, even though I'm playing in 3e, though of course I alter some aspects of it to fit my game. Gods are effectively refined and focused belief, nested within a series of precepts and portfolios, whereas archfiends are more raw and less refined, more base alignment than focused beliefs and specific portfolios. Gods are beholden to their followers and requirements of worship, as well as any restrictions placed on them by the overpower of a specific world they have a deific presence upon. Gods tend to act through worshippers and clerics rather than taking a direct role themselves, whereas Archfiends are more direct, don't require worship, and aren't under the same restrictions of activity and deific politics to the same extent. They may be less powerful in some ways, but their scope and range of power may be massive, especially on their own planes compared to a true deity.But there's always the fact that WotC seems to view archfiends as just BBEGs that are open possibilities for [booming voice]EPIC[/booming voice] PCs to go kill on their lunch breaks with their +42hackmaster swords of kewlness. I find it silly to some extent to view them in the same light as Joe Osyluth, as I find that it deminishes their mystique, the mystique of the planes in general, and dumbs them down from forces of evil that predate many gods into just targets sitting around for level 20 PCs to kill and loot.</blockquote>

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