Nonevil Sacrifices [Archive] - Wizards Community

Nonevil Sacrifices [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Return of the Flumph
03-17-07, 05:44 PM Is there any well-known god in DnD whose followers sacrifice food or animals to, a la the Old Testament?
Adrez Nesnsid
03-18-07, 07:39 AM I think that there's a minor ritual among the followers of Olidammara that involves pouring out a glass of wine (onto the ground or whatever) in his honor.
Doom_Linnorm
03-18-07, 07:42 AM In ancient greece they used to sacrefice bulls, goats and sheep to certain dieties that are considered benevolent.
The Ubbergeek
03-18-07, 01:44 PM A lot, only the stereotypical killing-under-the-moon sacrices tend be evil or neutral usually.

A lot of deities ask for other kind of sacrifices, like Tymora of Forgotten Realms and cash, if I remember well.
Doom_Linnorm
03-18-07, 02:42 PM A lot, only the stereotypical killing-under-the-moon sacrices tend be evil or neutral usually.

Untrue, they might be viewed that way but that is becouse of a certain religious campaign we will not further discuss in this thread.
Moonlit sacrefices are historicly speaking more often benevolent then you might think.
Becouse most ancient cultures perceived the moon as a good thing, not a bad one.
A sacrefice on a moonless night on the otherhand is a lot more sinister.
JulesCARV
03-18-07, 05:36 PM Maybe you could have a god who offers succor to those in pain or despair, and for those whose pain can't be helped, they have the right to consecrate themselves as sacrifices, going to an altar of the god of succor, lying on it, and drinking hemlock or somesuch, and according to the religion, suicide in this manner is acceptable since it's a sacrifice to a god who brings comfort to the suffering, and not a selfish act of escaping from one's difficulties as most suicides might be regarded.
Thiez
03-18-07, 05:46 PM Self-sacrifice on some grand crusade against X will make many non-evil deities happy. Crusades against evil will make the good gods happy, crusades against chaos will please Cuthbert and his friends, etc.
JulesCARV
03-18-07, 09:15 PM Self-sacrifice on some grand crusade against X will make many non-evil deities happy. Crusades against evil will make the good gods happy, crusades against chaos will please Cuthbert and his friends, etc.

I think that typically good gods would be even more pleased if their followers went on a holy war against evil, succeeded in their mission objective, and didn't get killed.
Return of the Flumph
03-19-07, 01:14 AM Maybe you could have a god who offers succor to those in pain or despair, and for those whose pain can't be helped, they have the right to consecrate themselves as sacrifices, going to an altar of the god of succor, lying on it, and drinking hemlock or somesuch, and according to the religion, suicide in this manner is acceptable since it's a sacrifice to a god who brings comfort to the suffering, and not a selfish act of escaping from one's difficulties as most suicides might be regarded.

I didn't mean human sacrifices.
JulesCARV
03-19-07, 01:17 AM Who says halflings don't get depressed and want to commit suicide sometimes?
Doom_Linnorm
03-19-07, 04:09 AM I think that typically good gods would be even more pleased if their followers went on a holy war against evil, succeeded in their mission objective, and didn't get killed.

A good deity wouldn't be happy with crusades or holy wars at all, even if it is against evil, activly going out to mass murder is considered an evil thing.
A crusade or holy war dangles on the brink of genocide, no selfrespecting deity that is truly good would ever want that.
The Ubbergeek
03-19-07, 10:58 AM Who says halflings don't get depressed and want to commit suicide sometimes?

Gives ideas for a dark halfling cult....
Eric888
03-23-07, 03:46 PM Ilmater of Forgotten realms.
Darth Syntax
03-23-07, 07:34 PM Well, libation pouring has already been discussed, so there dosen't seem to be a pressing need to go over that, so here are some other ideas that popped into my head.

Votive Offerings: The leaving of particular objects in sacred places, such as sacrficing swords to some god of war by leaving them in a cavern considered sacred to the god. Heck, giving books to a library run by acolytes of the god of knowledge could be considered a kind of offering.

Grave Goods: Related to the votive offering, grave goods would be buried along with the dead for use in the afterlife. Food, clothing, weapons, jewelry, and so forth could all be sacrificed in this way.

Animal Sacrifices: offerings of animals were fairly common in all manner of religious traditions, so it would be no surprise to see this sort of practice. The animal's meat might then be eaten by the donor of the sacrifice and the officiator (or by a whole group) in a kind of ritual meal after certain parts of the animal were offered up to the gods.

Voluntary Sentient Sacrifice: Although at first glance, sentient sacrifice might seem 'evil' it need not be so. Symbolic sacrifices could be commonplace, indeed the investiture of clerics and priests may be a kind of sacrifice of personal interests in favor of some higher goal. Often, investiture involves oaths restricting behavior and placing the priest outside of normal society. Also, fasting, self-denial, and related practices can be seen as symbolic sentient sacrifices.

Even overt sentient sacrifice could be allowable, if the person to be sacrifices was willing and the religion did not demand such actions of the people. Martyrs would qualify for this sort of thing. Also, it might be considered a great act of devotion to willingly give up one's life to better serve the gods, so a priest might ceremonially hang himself (or other appropriate death) as an offering to his god.
Azezel
03-29-07, 08:57 PM Joramy, Goddess of Fire (amongst other things) is N or NG (depending on source) and likes burnt offerings, mostly animals and such, though I can see her followers burning people if they're angry enough (She's Goddess of wrath too).
graddlin
03-29-07, 09:23 PM Each of the gods and goddesses within the Kingdoms of Kalamar Campaign Sourcebook has a specific sacrifice involved with him or her.
One involves liquifying silver coins and scattering the molten metal upon a beach on a particular holy day.

Take care, friend.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Return of the Flumph 03-17-07, 05:44 PM	Is there any well-known god in DnD whose followers sacrifice food or animals to, a la the Old Testament?
Adrez Nesnsid 03-18-07, 07:39 AM	I think that there's a minor ritual among the followers of Olidammara that involves pouring out a glass of wine (onto the ground or whatever) in his honor.
Doom_Linnorm 03-18-07, 07:42 AM	In ancient greece they used to sacrefice bulls, goats and sheep to certain dieties that are considered benevolent.
The Ubbergeek 03-18-07, 01:44 PM	A lot, only the stereotypical killing-under-the-moon sacrices tend be evil or neutral usually. A lot of deities ask for other kind of sacrifices, like Tymora of Forgotten Realms and cash, if I remember well.
Doom_Linnorm 03-18-07, 02:42 PM	A lot, only the stereotypical killing-under-the-moon sacrices tend be evil or neutral usually. Untrue, they might be viewed that way but that is becouse of a certain religious campaign we will not further discuss in this thread. Moonlit sacrefices are historicly speaking more often benevolent then you might think. Becouse most ancient cultures perceived the moon as a good thing, not a bad one. A sacrefice on a moonless night on the otherhand is a lot more sinister.
JulesCARV 03-18-07, 05:36 PM	Maybe you could have a god who offers succor to those in pain or despair, and for those whose pain can't be helped, they have the right to consecrate themselves as sacrifices, going to an altar of the god of succor, lying on it, and drinking hemlock or somesuch, and according to the religion, suicide in this manner is acceptable since it's a sacrifice to a god who brings comfort to the suffering, and not a selfish act of escaping from one's difficulties as most suicides might be regarded.
Thiez 03-18-07, 05:46 PM	Self-sacrifice on some grand crusade against X will make many non-evil deities happy. Crusades against evil will make the good gods happy, crusades against chaos will please Cuthbert and his friends, etc.
JulesCARV 03-18-07, 09:15 PM	Self-sacrifice on some grand crusade against X will make many non-evil deities happy. Crusades against evil will make the good gods happy, crusades against chaos will please Cuthbert and his friends, etc. I think that typically good gods would be even more pleased if their followers went on a holy war against evil, succeeded in their mission objective, and didn't get killed.
Return of the Flumph 03-19-07, 01:14 AM	Maybe you could have a god who offers succor to those in pain or despair, and for those whose pain can't be helped, they have the right to consecrate themselves as sacrifices, going to an altar of the god of succor, lying on it, and drinking hemlock or somesuch, and according to the religion, suicide in this manner is acceptable since it's a sacrifice to a god who brings comfort to the suffering, and not a selfish act of escaping from one's difficulties as most suicides might be regarded. I didn't mean human sacrifices.
JulesCARV 03-19-07, 01:17 AM	Who says halflings don't get depressed and want to commit suicide sometimes?
Doom_Linnorm 03-19-07, 04:09 AM	I think that typically good gods would be even more pleased if their followers went on a holy war against evil, succeeded in their mission objective, and didn't get killed. A good deity wouldn't be happy with crusades or holy wars at all, even if it is against evil, activly going out to mass murder is considered an evil thing. A crusade or holy war dangles on the brink of genocide, no selfrespecting deity that is truly good would ever want that.
The Ubbergeek 03-19-07, 10:58 AM	Who says halflings don't get depressed and want to commit suicide sometimes? Gives ideas for a dark halfling cult....
Eric888 03-23-07, 03:46 PM	Ilmater of Forgotten realms.
Darth Syntax 03-23-07, 07:34 PM	Well, libation pouring has already been discussed, so there dosen't seem to be a pressing need to go over that, so here are some other ideas that popped into my head. Votive Offerings: The leaving of particular objects in sacred places, such as sacrficing swords to some god of war by leaving them in a cavern considered sacred to the god. Heck, giving books to a library run by acolytes of the god of knowledge could be considered a kind of offering. Grave Goods: Related to the votive offering, grave goods would be buried along with the dead for use in the afterlife. Food, clothing, weapons, jewelry, and so forth could all be sacrificed in this way. Animal Sacrifices: offerings of animals were fairly common in all manner of religious traditions, so it would be no surprise to see this sort of practice. The animal's meat might then be eaten by the donor of the sacrifice and the officiator (or by a whole group) in a kind of ritual meal after certain parts of the animal were offered up to the gods. Voluntary Sentient Sacrifice: Although at first glance, sentient sacrifice might seem 'evil' it need not be so. Symbolic sacrifices could be commonplace, indeed the investiture of clerics and priests may be a kind of sacrifice of personal interests in favor of some higher goal. Often, investiture involves oaths restricting behavior and placing the priest outside of normal society. Also, fasting, self-denial, and related practices can be seen as symbolic sentient sacrifices. Even overt sentient sacrifice could be allowable, if the person to be sacrifices was willing and the religion did not demand such actions of the people. Martyrs would qualify for this sort of thing. Also, it might be considered a great act of devotion to willingly give up one's life to better serve the gods, so a priest might ceremonially hang himself (or other appropriate death) as an offering to his god.
Azezel 03-29-07, 08:57 PM	Joramy, Goddess of Fire (amongst other things) is N or NG (depending on source) and likes burnt offerings, mostly animals and such, though I can see her followers burning people if they're angry enough (She's Goddess of wrath too).
graddlin 03-29-07, 09:23 PM	Each of the gods and goddesses within the Kingdoms of Kalamar Campaign Sourcebook has a specific sacrifice involved with him or her. One involves liquifying silver coins and scattering the molten metal upon a beach on a particular holy day. Take care, friend.