Post/Author/DateTime	Post
celestialkin 04-06-08, 03:51 PM	That shoes thread got me thinking about a conversation I had with another player a while back. Supposedly, as long as enough people choose to worship something it will receive a divine spark. The player's exact words were "If you could get enough people to worship a rock it would become divine. Sure it's still just a rock, but it's a divine rock!". So, what if that were to happen? I believe many older religions IRL worshiped sacred mountains, underground sites, and such, so what if in D&D a primitive tribe/race decided that a large boulder located at a "sacred spot" was divine? Would it get a spark? What would happen if it did?
X0_Lt_0X 04-06-08, 04:32 PM	This is how I see it going down: "All Hail the Divine Rock!" **The rocks sits there** "Divine Rock, are food supply is low. Help us!" **The Rock sits there** **Half the village dies** "Divine Rock, were under attack. Save us!" **The Rock sits there** **All but a few villagers are slaughtered** "Rock, your starting to **** me off." **The Rock sits there** **The Villagers throw the rock into the lake** "Come on you guys, lets go worship a real Deity like Pelor." **Prosperity soon follows**
Taeldrin Laesrash 04-06-08, 05:32 PM	This is D&D. Who knows how it would turn out. Maybe the rock could become intelligent (Like the Purple Stone from Maure Castle), or it could become a magical item or location. Although I think you'd need an actual divine spark, combined with worship, for the stone to become divine.
MadPrak_Mark2 04-06-08, 06:26 PM	I would say the rock likely already has a divine spark. That of being a part of an elemental diety or Archomental's portfolio. So the rock would, with enough worshippers, likely either become a proxy of the god, or possibly a rival god. IMC, I guess.
Ecalsneerg 04-06-08, 07:28 PM	Genius Loci? (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/geniusLoci.htm)
Awesome_Dude 04-06-08, 07:42 PM	Of course rock already has a divine spark. Why do you think it's so loud, inspiring and overall epic in nature? Oh wait, you said a rock... haha no. Rocks are the losers of geology!
ripvanwormer 04-06-08, 08:59 PM	Well, if you're going by the rules in the 2nd edition rulebook Shaman, or by the "Small Gods" article in Dragon #293, then yes - just about anything enough people worship will eventually become a sapient spirit capable of granting spells. If even more people worship it over a prolonged period of time, it will become a minor god. You have to have a convincing reason to worship the rock if you're going to convince other people to do it, of course, but it has been known to happen in the real world. Jupiter was originally a rock (called the Iuppiter Lapis) before he was the god of the heavens, I'm given to understand. And there's the Black Stone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Stone) in Mecca which is venerated by millions of people even today. If you assume that the rules of the universe are such that such veneration invests divinity in something, the Black Stone would probably be a god in the D&D universe. There's also the Omphalos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omphalos) at Delphi venerated by the Greeks. So yes, it can happen.
ArkhamInmate 04-07-08, 12:25 AM	Of course metal already has a divine spark. Why do you think it's so loud, inspiring and overall epic in nature? Fixed :D
Awesome_Dude 04-07-08, 12:41 AM	Fixed :D Oh right. I forgot for a moment that Linkin Park technically counts as rock.
ArkhamInmate 04-07-08, 03:30 AM	Oh right. I forgot for a moment that Linkin Park technically counts as rock. Hopefully you're saying it like it's a bad thing
Awesome_Dude 04-07-08, 06:09 AM	Hopefully you're saying it like it's a bad thing Ummm... sure.
faghter_hero 04-15-08, 04:49 PM	Imagine a pantheon made of rocks for the Elemental Plane of Earth. The good deities encourage rock collecting, the neutrals are all about doing nothing whatsoever, and the evil ones just want their followers to throw rocks at everyone else. Now Earth Elementals and Delvers have something to do in their spare time.
Rania 04-15-08, 06:46 PM	Imagine a pantheon made of rocks for the Elemental Plane of Earth. The good deities encourage rock collecting, the neutrals are all about doing nothing whatsoever, and the evil ones just want their followers to throw rocks at everyone else. Now Earth Elementals and Delvers have something to do in their spare time.Ya know, that actually makes sense. Well, at least more sense than earth elementals (which isn't saying much).
sciborg3 04-16-08, 04:48 PM	**The Rock sits there** **The Villagers throw the rock into the lake** This hasn't always happened in RL, so why in D&D? Even in Baldur's Gate people worshipped Ao thought he grants no spells and didn't seem to care about them being wiped out. Then again, given the choice of gods in FR I might just go worship a rock as well....
Prime32 04-19-08, 04:21 PM	You can do this in Black & White, can't you? :D
pigknight 04-20-08, 10:23 PM	Rock's archenemy should be Banjo...for the wierdest god.
Rania 04-21-08, 11:11 AM	This hasn't always happened in RL, so why in D&D? Even in Baldur's Gate people worshipped Ao thought he grants no spells and didn't seem to care about them being wiped out. Then again, given the choice of gods in FR I might just go worship a rock as well....And also, IRL religions don't grant any spells. (Even assuming all the stories from all the religions are true, none of those are about granting spells.) People still worship, though. EDIT: Oh, and I probably shouldn't have mentioned IRL religions; please pretend I didn't say anything.
Selgard 04-21-08, 12:06 PM	What if the rock isn't a rock? the Gahlub Duhr (fairly certain i completely butchered that spelling..) have been known to masquerade as rocks from time to time. Imagine the would-be worshipppers surprise uponfinding their special rock really /is/ special already. ;p
Rania 04-21-08, 10:12 PM	What if the rock isn't a rock? the Gahlub Duhr (fairly certain i completely butchered that spelling..) have been known to masquerade as rocks from time to time. Imagine the would-be worshippers surprise upon finding their special rock really /is/ special already. ;pWhat is that?
ToastedAmphibian 04-21-08, 11:22 PM	I belive it is a creature in Monster Manual II or III. Basically its a rock elemental with no motivation. It tends to just sit there and do nothing. Basically, its a rock. It could move, if it wanted too, it jsut dosnt want to. I think they ocasionally reach out and smack people who make landslides or something........ Perhapes im thinking of the wrong creature... Ya know, that actually makes sense. Well, at least more sense than earth elementals (which isn't saying much). This is very sad. But only because it is so painfuly and undeniably true. Damn you purposeless elementals. Mabey all DnD rocks are already sentient, but just really depressed/lazy? Elementals are just rageing barbarian rocks...
Rania 04-22-08, 11:07 AM	Damn you purposeless elementals. Maybe all DnD rocks are already sentient, but just really depressed/lazy? Elementals are just raging barbarian rocks...LOL. You get a :cookie: because the idea of barbarian rocks makes me grin.
gravenhurst 04-22-08, 05:39 PM	A soul could be pulled into the rock, thus gaining senses and from there worship would create a divine spark. Or, a soul is given new life from a deity that has allowed the soul to heed the call from his own or similar portfolio (rock, earth, strength, stupidity), thus gaining a divine spark this way? Possibly a great hero of the same portfolio, or a saint, could be reincarnated as a rock to help be the rock of wisdom, like in the 2nd Edition adventure, "To Find A King?" Or, a Fiend of Possession (Fiend Folio) could animate it by possessing the rock in gaining worshippers to perform foul deeds? Furthering this, the Book of Vile Darkness has a chapter on Possessed Objects by fiends. Other than this it is an asinine idea, unless the worshipping creatures aren't advanced in civilization or have a low intelligence? Or there is some kind of plot involved with worshipping a rock?
Joni-san 04-23-08, 08:01 PM	Slight reworking of rips and gravenhursts ideas: *Faith grants spellcasting power -> Rock gets blessed many times over a long time -> Rock slowly becomes a magical totem -> Rock becomes a artifact -> Deityhood *Souls bind themselves to the Rock. Perhaps due to the faith, perhaps after the blessings or anything around and after the totem status. http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/8135/avatar398725sl1.png -Joni
RoyalBlueEyes 04-23-08, 10:43 PM	Or have some advanced civilization glue googly eyes on the rock, give it to an old Shinto Monk, as a joke, who abruptly dies after putting it on top of a shrine while cleaning.
Rania 04-26-08, 03:07 PM	Or have some advanced civilization glue googly eyes on the rock, give it to an old Shinto Monk, as a joke, who abruptly dies after putting it on top of a shrine while cleaning.Sounds like that's part of a joke I haven't heard.
boozerker 05-05-08, 11:50 PM	Which came first, the divine spark or the worshipers? The answer is partly mysterious, as the highest knowledge check reveals that the rock already had divinity, but needed worship in order to form its powers. And the reason as to why or how a rock gains divinity is beyond the grasp of mortal knowledge checks. So that rock wasn't normal. A villager doesn't just nonchalantly begin worshiping a simple looking rock in the dirt. Subtle influence from the rock might nudge a good candidate that picks it up, and feels its essence, slowly detecting it's more than just a pond skimmer (or improved ranged weapon) in the dirt. That villager convinces others, and so the rock's powers grow as its divinity is fed by even more worship. ... .. .
Asra 05-06-08, 08:55 AM	Are we talking about a rock or a boulder? I mean, they're both 'technically' rocks. Perhaps the boulder was thrown by a titan a few miles away and squashed a monster eating village children or something... Then through a series of fortunate events, the villagers began to worship the rock, until it actually started granting blessings on its own! Also, what bad characteristics are you going to attach to a rock? Slothfulness maybe, but at least its not trying to destroy you, tasking you with fighting evil, or secretly evil himself!(I'm looking at you Pelor)
gravenhurst 05-06-08, 06:38 PM	How about a rocks sentience has been granted by the Earth deity (i.e. Beory) of your game world? It becomes the proxy who grants spells to her worshippers? Galeb Duhrs then have a reason to exist as they are the chosen ones? Or better yet, Galeb Duhrs are petitioners of the Earth god?
Joni-san 05-14-08, 05:00 PM	Perhaps the Rock is inhabited by an Animistic Spirit in an age preceeding the gods. http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/7837/gurrendanavatar80x80gi6.png -Joni