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<blockquote data-quote="Krensky" data-source="post: 5432650" data-attributes="member: 30936">At it's core though, this is a world building issue.The relevant questions are:Are alignments and religions expressions of irrefutable truth or driven entirely by faith? Does a divine PC derive his power from the blessings of a more powerful entity, or solely from his own belief?If involved in the world, do deities care about their followers ethics, morality, and behavior or do they just want rear-ends in the pew?Depends entirely on the nature of the deity and the answers to the above. Some might upset their god by disrupting the church's power structure. Some might be rewarded for clearing house.Again, depends on the answers to the above.No they don't. They just require universes where you can't tell where power is coming from by looking. Now, the corrupt church hierarchy is easier to do that way, but it's been done without. David Weber's The War Gods series has direct involvement of deities who can cut off the power spigot whenever they desire. But corrupt church hierarchies, religious political infighting, and such still play a part. Especially in the third book.The whole issue about the working of alignment and deities are properly world building issues with some elements of table social contract.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Krensky, post: 5432650, member: 30936"] At it's core though, this is a world building issue. The relevant questions are: Are alignments and religions expressions of irrefutable truth or driven entirely by faith? Does a divine PC derive his power from the blessings of a more powerful entity, or solely from his own belief? If involved in the world, do deities care about their followers ethics, morality, and behavior or do they just want rear-ends in the pew? Depends entirely on the nature of the deity and the answers to the above. Some might upset their god by disrupting the church's power structure. Some might be rewarded for clearing house. Again, depends on the answers to the above. No they don't. They just require universes where you can't tell where power is coming from by looking. Now, the corrupt church hierarchy is easier to do that way, but it's been done without. David Weber's The War Gods series has direct involvement of deities who can cut off the power spigot whenever they desire. But corrupt church hierarchies, religious political infighting, and such still play a part. Especially in the third book. The whole issue about the working of alignment and deities are properly world building issues with some elements of table social contract. [/QUOTE]

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