Religious Power... Literally [Archive] - Wizards Community

Religious Power... Literally [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
AnonymousInternets
09-15-07, 06:02 AM So I was thinking about the possibility of mortals becoming gods, and I was wondering what the source of godly power could be, and then I thought, 'What if holiness is relative? What if your power and divinity is simply the result of people worshiping and idolizing you as a god?'

The idea is sort of growing into a campaign setting in my head with religious strife and godly power being in constant flux, and really liked the idea of high-level PC's being able to acquire religious powers by acquiring enough followers and worshipers (I don't have my own campaign setting yet), and then it hit me: this must've already been done tons of times. XD

Is there any system material for this on the boards? I haven't been checking this subforum too often, so I'd probably miss it.
xXOblivionXx
09-15-07, 07:44 AM This http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=922263
and this http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=922278 are the most recent threads.
AnonymousInternets
09-15-07, 07:47 AM Ah, there you go.

Wait, both those topics have the same first post... :0
Neutronium_Dragon
09-15-07, 11:29 AM I tend to find the idea of, "worshippers = power" to be a bit old hat, myself. It turns the whole thing into a popularity/ego-flapping contest rather than anything particularly godly.

The Elder Scrolls has a different take on it which I think works better. You become a god through mantling. As in "to wear another's mantle" - if you act like a god, you become one. This isn't as easy as it sounds - you have to embody and emulate the attributes and mythic deeds of the god in question, though the details might vary slightly. Worshippers aren't strictly necessary (though will probably follow later).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
AnonymousInternets 09-15-07, 06:02 AM	So I was thinking about the possibility of mortals becoming gods, and I was wondering what the source of godly power could be, and then I thought, 'What if holiness is relative? What if your power and divinity is simply the result of people worshiping and idolizing you as a god?' The idea is sort of growing into a campaign setting in my head with religious strife and godly power being in constant flux, and really liked the idea of high-level PC's being able to acquire religious powers by acquiring enough followers and worshipers (I don't have my own campaign setting yet), and then it hit me: this must've already been done tons of times. XD Is there any system material for this on the boards? I haven't been checking this subforum too often, so I'd probably miss it.
xXOblivionXx 09-15-07, 07:44 AM	This http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=922263 and this http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=922278 are the most recent threads.
AnonymousInternets 09-15-07, 07:47 AM	Ah, there you go. Wait, both those topics have the same first post... :0
Neutronium_Dragon 09-15-07, 11:29 AM	I tend to find the idea of, "worshippers = power" to be a bit old hat, myself. It turns the whole thing into a popularity/ego-flapping contest rather than anything particularly godly. The Elder Scrolls has a different take on it which I think works better. You become a god through mantling. As in "to wear another's mantle" - if you act like a god, you become one. This isn't as easy as it sounds - you have to embody and emulate the attributes and mythic deeds of the god in question, though the details might vary slightly. Worshippers aren't strictly necessary (though will probably follow later).