...Can someone be devoted to two deities? [Archive] - Wizards Community

...Can someone be devoted to two deities? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
painfool
10-28-07, 02:17 PM I'm actually asking for a NPC in my homebrew campaign, not a PC.

The concept is that I have a major kingdom that is built as a sort of joint tribute to two major deities that together sort of represent strength and honor - the main tower has a massive stone statue of both deities on top of it. I'm curious what everyone thinks about having the ruler be a devoted follower of both?
Witch
10-28-07, 02:20 PM If they don't contradict? Certainly.
painfool
10-28-07, 02:45 PM Any ideas how I'd handle them if they're a cleric? Favored weapon, domains, etc?
Witch
10-28-07, 02:53 PM Either make them collectively worshippable with a shared weapon, or don't allow it at all - Clerics tend to be more focused on an individual deity.
kreesteeyan
10-28-07, 03:23 PM Like what Witch said. If they don't contradict it's fine, especially if both are members of same pantheon.
zook1shoe666
10-29-07, 01:14 AM If they don't contradict? Certainly.

agreed. but being a Cleric would complicate things if you tried to worship 2+ deities.
Neutronium_Dragon
10-29-07, 02:41 AM It's not particularly complicated. The collective pantheon (even if it's just of two) gets its own favored weapon/domains/etc. Going by precedent (there are two major religions like this in Eberron), all of the domains of all of the deities are available to the cleric, and the favored weapon is that of whichever one is the most martial or warlike.
navar100
10-29-07, 03:03 AM In Forgotten Realms it is permissable to worship The Triad - Tyr, Torm, Ilmater.

In Deities & Demigods it does discuss worshipping The Pantheon. For Greek mythology, the cleric prays to Apollo when wanting to heal, Athena or Ares during combat, Hades when dealing with death, etc.
Kain_Darkwind
10-30-07, 12:55 PM Even if they did contradict, you can worship them as a collective. For instance, the Greek Pantheon.

Or, if you wanted to mix it up a bit more, you could have the gods competing for mortal favor, so they might both grant spells/power to individuals. In such a style of campaign, one could easily worship both Hextor and Heronious, or Pelor and St. Cuthbert. It would make for interesting characters, particularly if you worked it so that one domain was from each god.
Witch
10-30-07, 02:56 PM Even if they did contradict, you can worship them as a collective. For instance, the Greek Pantheon.
I doubt the Greeks actually worshipped the entire Pantheon. Certainly, they sacrificed towards the appropriate deity in the case of distinct streaks of luck or unluck, but they did not revere them all in the same way a cleric reveres his gods.
GoukaRyuu
10-30-07, 04:02 PM The Seldarine is more of a fitting example of a pantheon a cleric would worship all deities of.
Kain_Darkwind
10-31-07, 12:27 AM I doubt the Greeks actually worshipped the entire Pantheon. Certainly, they sacrificed towards the appropriate deity in the case of distinct streaks of luck or unluck, but they did not revere them all in the same way a cleric reveres his gods.

Worshiping the Greek pantheon was specified as an option in Deities and Demigods.
Witch
10-31-07, 03:18 PM The D&D version of this Pantheon may perhaps be worshipped in this form, but this proves that the designers either consciously diverted from reality, or made an error.
Kain_Darkwind
10-31-07, 04:43 PM The D&D version of this Pantheon may perhaps be worshipped in this form, but this proves that the designers either consciously diverted from reality, or made an error.

But the man was asking a question about whether he can do it in DnD. Not in RL. In DnD, the rules clearly allow for multiple deities to be worshiped, whether they are similar (ala the Triad in FR) or different (Norse and Greek pantheons) in nature.
The Ubbergeek
10-31-07, 05:45 PM The D&D version of this Pantheon may perhaps be worshipped in this form, but this proves that the designers either consciously diverted from reality, or made an error.

Well, its an EBERRON option mostly.
Aryxbez
11-21-07, 11:40 PM In Deity and Demigods, one can dual worship.

for Domains, a cleric chooses a domain from each diety, so thus one could have a fire and water domains.

Favored weapon? I would guess you either choose one, or get both, not like it's really broken anyway. However since the cleric is overpowered, yet in the name of theme, I say get both as favored and if had War domain, could actively switch focus/proficiency with the weapon, and same for when casting the spell that uses the favored weapon.

Otherwise would praise both equally, like if had a character who dual worship, I would tend to praise them both in the same sentence for whatever reason clerics praise.

I would also think that your alignment would have to have qualities of each. So maybe if one's LN, and the other NG, would likely have to have a Neutral and or a Lawful/good =NG, or LG.

Don't think there is anything I forgot to mention.
1red13
11-22-07, 11:04 PM It seems a bit counter intuitive but certainly doable. I would make the distinction that many people revere multiple dieties when the occasions arise. I envision standard clerics being wholely dedicated to their deity. Leaving little room for a second god. Even so i can still imagine a homebrew setting that could involve this scenario.

As far as opposing gods i would think if they are very far removed the qualities that one god would endorse would disqualify the person from the other god. Competition between gods for a single worshipper would almost seem to demean them. It would make some sense in an epic campaign.

This is just my take on a generalized overview of clerics. I don't see why your own take on it isn't just as valid.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
painfool 10-28-07, 02:17 PM	I'm actually asking for a NPC in my homebrew campaign, not a PC. The concept is that I have a major kingdom that is built as a sort of joint tribute to two major deities that together sort of represent strength and honor - the main tower has a massive stone statue of both deities on top of it. I'm curious what everyone thinks about having the ruler be a devoted follower of both?
Witch 10-28-07, 02:20 PM	If they don't contradict? Certainly.
painfool 10-28-07, 02:45 PM	Any ideas how I'd handle them if they're a cleric? Favored weapon, domains, etc?
Witch 10-28-07, 02:53 PM	Either make them collectively worshippable with a shared weapon, or don't allow it at all - Clerics tend to be more focused on an individual deity.
kreesteeyan 10-28-07, 03:23 PM	Like what Witch said. If they don't contradict it's fine, especially if both are members of same pantheon.
zook1shoe666 10-29-07, 01:14 AM	If they don't contradict? Certainly. agreed. but being a Cleric would complicate things if you tried to worship 2+ deities.
Neutronium_Dragon 10-29-07, 02:41 AM	It's not particularly complicated. The collective pantheon (even if it's just of two) gets its own favored weapon/domains/etc. Going by precedent (there are two major religions like this in Eberron), all of the domains of all of the deities are available to the cleric, and the favored weapon is that of whichever one is the most martial or warlike.
navar100 10-29-07, 03:03 AM	In Forgotten Realms it is permissable to worship The Triad - Tyr, Torm, Ilmater. In Deities & Demigods it does discuss worshipping The Pantheon. For Greek mythology, the cleric prays to Apollo when wanting to heal, Athena or Ares during combat, Hades when dealing with death, etc.
Kain_Darkwind 10-30-07, 12:55 PM	Even if they did contradict, you can worship them as a collective. For instance, the Greek Pantheon. Or, if you wanted to mix it up a bit more, you could have the gods competing for mortal favor, so they might both grant spells/power to individuals. In such a style of campaign, one could easily worship both Hextor and Heronious, or Pelor and St. Cuthbert. It would make for interesting characters, particularly if you worked it so that one domain was from each god.
Witch 10-30-07, 02:56 PM	Even if they did contradict, you can worship them as a collective. For instance, the Greek Pantheon. I doubt the Greeks actually worshipped the entire Pantheon. Certainly, they sacrificed towards the appropriate deity in the case of distinct streaks of luck or unluck, but they did not revere them all in the same way a cleric reveres his gods.
GoukaRyuu 10-30-07, 04:02 PM	The Seldarine is more of a fitting example of a pantheon a cleric would worship all deities of.
Kain_Darkwind 10-31-07, 12:27 AM	I doubt the Greeks actually worshipped the entire Pantheon. Certainly, they sacrificed towards the appropriate deity in the case of distinct streaks of luck or unluck, but they did not revere them all in the same way a cleric reveres his gods. Worshiping the Greek pantheon was specified as an option in Deities and Demigods.
Witch 10-31-07, 03:18 PM	The D&D version of this Pantheon may perhaps be worshipped in this form, but this proves that the designers either consciously diverted from reality, or made an error.
Kain_Darkwind 10-31-07, 04:43 PM	The D&D version of this Pantheon may perhaps be worshipped in this form, but this proves that the designers either consciously diverted from reality, or made an error. But the man was asking a question about whether he can do it in DnD. Not in RL. In DnD, the rules clearly allow for multiple deities to be worshiped, whether they are similar (ala the Triad in FR) or different (Norse and Greek pantheons) in nature.
The Ubbergeek 10-31-07, 05:45 PM	The D&D version of this Pantheon may perhaps be worshipped in this form, but this proves that the designers either consciously diverted from reality, or made an error. Well, its an EBERRON option mostly.
Aryxbez 11-21-07, 11:40 PM	In Deity and Demigods, one can dual worship. for Domains, a cleric chooses a domain from each diety, so thus one could have a fire and water domains. Favored weapon? I would guess you either choose one, or get both, not like it's really broken anyway. However since the cleric is overpowered, yet in the name of theme, I say get both as favored and if had War domain, could actively switch focus/proficiency with the weapon, and same for when casting the spell that uses the favored weapon. Otherwise would praise both equally, like if had a character who dual worship, I would tend to praise them both in the same sentence for whatever reason clerics praise. I would also think that your alignment would have to have qualities of each. So maybe if one's LN, and the other NG, would likely have to have a Neutral and or a Lawful/good =NG, or LG. Don't think there is anything I forgot to mention.
1red13 11-22-07, 11:04 PM	It seems a bit counter intuitive but certainly doable. I would make the distinction that many people revere multiple dieties when the occasions arise. I envision standard clerics being wholely dedicated to their deity. Leaving little room for a second god. Even so i can still imagine a homebrew setting that could involve this scenario. As far as opposing gods i would think if they are very far removed the qualities that one god would endorse would disqualify the person from the other god. Competition between gods for a single worshipper would almost seem to demean them. It would make some sense in an epic campaign. This is just my take on a generalized overview of clerics. I don't see why your own take on it isn't just as valid.