Another alignment oddity -- clerics of Akadi [Archive] - Wizards Community

Another alignment oddity -- clerics of Akadi [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Perun
03-09-07, 06:12 AM I just noticed an (odd) alignment discrepancy between Akadi and her clerics.

Akadi is Neutral in alignment, yet she allows only CN, LN, and NE clerics (F&P, p. 90). No Neutral clerics. Meaning, none of her clerics share their goddess' alignment (?!).

I suppose it's actually a typo, and "NE" should be "N" instead. That would allow the clerics to pick any Neutral alignment on the ethical (Law/Chaos) axis.

Thoughts?
Faraer
03-09-07, 05:24 PM Likely an error; Faiths & Avatars gives "CLERGY’S ALIGN.: NG, CG, N, CN, NE, CE".
GothicDan
03-09-07, 05:26 PM F&A's alignment spread makes a lot more sense. I'm surprised they didn't do a direct copy and paste, so to speak, to F&P.
Stigger
03-09-07, 07:13 PM True... they did it with whole chunks of deific entries for a lot of other stuff, why not alignments.
Perun
03-10-07, 03:30 AM F&A's alignment spread makes a lot more sense. I'm surprised they didn't do a direct copy and paste, so to speak, to F&P.

Yes, the F&A series is so much superior to the F&P, it's not even funny. It's even odder when you realise Eric L. Boyd worked on all four books (F&A was Julia Martin with Eric L. Boyd, and F&P is Eric L. Boyd and Erik Mona, the rest [P&P, DD] are by Eric L. Boyd).

True... they did it with whole chunks of deific entries for a lot of other stuff, why not alignments.

Who knows?

IMO, and I realise this doesn't work for everyone, the deity stats in F&P were a mistake. They should have retained as much of the F&A format as possible.

Regards.
RedGlacier
03-10-07, 10:30 AM I agree with everything said thus far.:ayyyy!:
Derren S.
03-10-07, 11:05 AM F&A's alignment spread makes a lot more sense. I'm surprised they didn't do a direct copy and paste, so to speak, to F&P.

Maybe it is intentional? When a chaotic god can have paladins in the realms then this is certainly also possible.
GothicDan
03-10-07, 11:32 AM Why would it be intentional when it's pretty blatant that Akadi has some Chaotic tendencies despite being Neutral? The same with Kossuth having some slight Lawful tendencies.
Stigger
03-11-07, 12:35 PM Akadi had that LE mummy cleric lady thing in Calimshan, in some set of ruins in the Calim Desert, I think... so not completely chaotic if I'm not hallucinating that one.
Perun
03-11-07, 01:31 PM Akadi had that LE mummy cleric lady thing in Calimshan, in some set of ruins in the Calim Desert, I think... so not completely chaotic if I'm not hallucinating that one.

Yes, in ruins of... "Dj" something [checking]... The ruins od Dashadjen, and the mummy lady is El Sadhara ("desert flower"), the High Whirlwind Fida'iya ir Iamar (LE human female mummy Airwalker (specialty priest) 14 of Akadi).

But that's from Empires of the Shining Sea, the 2e source on Calimshan, and her alignment was "wrong" even back then (Akadi's clergy could be of any non-lawful alignment [NG, CG, N, CN, NE, CE], and airwalkers could be CG, N, CN, CE).

I suspect, but don't have my 2e MM at hand to check, that the mummies were all LE in 2e. Anyone care to check?
GothicDan
03-11-07, 01:46 PM Yes. Greater Mummies were stated in the 2E MM Tomb as "Lawful Evil."
Stigger
03-12-07, 12:37 AM Ah, the intracacies of alignment conflict... you'd think the priestess part would have overridden the mummy part considering she was still classed as a cleric.
GothicDan
03-12-07, 11:28 AM FR deviated from 'canon' 2E mechanics in a number of cases - typically, more and more as time went on. I liked this a lot. That being said, the person who did the actual little statline for the mummy may not have been the same person who wrote the lore/fluff for the NPC.
Optimystik
03-12-07, 02:08 PM Just thought I'd chime in with her dogma, for those who didn't know it.

Find your own enlightenment in your interests. As soon as your interest fails, all chance of finding further spiritual growth has left that activity or place. Move from activity to activity, from place to place, pursuing a personal dream or series of interests and growing through the changing experiences each new day brings. Worry not if others of the church do not adhere to this doctrine, for all obstacles wear down over time. Few matters are so important as to require a wholesale commitment. Do not ever let yourself be fettered or imprisoned, for constrained life is little better than death.

From that she might be considered Chaotic, especially since her only real opponent is Grumbar, who tends to oppose any sort of change. However, her notion of change is that of a very gradual and timely process (like other ethical neutral deities - e.g. Mask, Chauntea) rather than being rapid/dramatic as a truly chaotic deity's would be. Furthermore, she has a monastic order (The Light Winds) which suggests that she has room in her portfolio for lawful followers - thus her classifcation as true neutral.

She is neutral on the good/evil axis, of course, because she simply doesn't care much for championing any particular cause.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Perun 03-09-07, 06:12 AM	I just noticed an (odd) alignment discrepancy between Akadi and her clerics. Akadi is Neutral in alignment, yet she allows only CN, LN, and NE clerics (F&P, p. 90). No Neutral clerics. Meaning, none of her clerics share their goddess' alignment (?!). I suppose it's actually a typo, and "NE" should be "N" instead. That would allow the clerics to pick any Neutral alignment on the ethical (Law/Chaos) axis. Thoughts?
Faraer 03-09-07, 05:24 PM	Likely an error; Faiths & Avatars gives "CLERGY’S ALIGN.: NG, CG, N, CN, NE, CE".
GothicDan 03-09-07, 05:26 PM	F&A's alignment spread makes a lot more sense. I'm surprised they didn't do a direct copy and paste, so to speak, to F&P.
Stigger 03-09-07, 07:13 PM	True... they did it with whole chunks of deific entries for a lot of other stuff, why not alignments.
Perun 03-10-07, 03:30 AM	F&A's alignment spread makes a lot more sense. I'm surprised they didn't do a direct copy and paste, so to speak, to F&P. Yes, the F&A series is so much superior to the F&P, it's not even funny. It's even odder when you realise Eric L. Boyd worked on all four books (F&A was Julia Martin with Eric L. Boyd, and F&P is Eric L. Boyd and Erik Mona, the rest [P&P, DD] are by Eric L. Boyd). True... they did it with whole chunks of deific entries for a lot of other stuff, why not alignments. Who knows? IMO, and I realise this doesn't work for everyone, the deity stats in F&P were a mistake. They should have retained as much of the F&A format as possible. Regards.
RedGlacier 03-10-07, 10:30 AM	I agree with everything said thus far.:ayyyy!:
Derren S. 03-10-07, 11:05 AM	F&A's alignment spread makes a lot more sense. I'm surprised they didn't do a direct copy and paste, so to speak, to F&P. Maybe it is intentional? When a chaotic god can have paladins in the realms then this is certainly also possible.
GothicDan 03-10-07, 11:32 AM	Why would it be intentional when it's pretty blatant that Akadi has some Chaotic tendencies despite being Neutral? The same with Kossuth having some slight Lawful tendencies.
Stigger 03-11-07, 12:35 PM	Akadi had that LE mummy cleric lady thing in Calimshan, in some set of ruins in the Calim Desert, I think... so not completely chaotic if I'm not hallucinating that one.
Perun 03-11-07, 01:31 PM	Akadi had that LE mummy cleric lady thing in Calimshan, in some set of ruins in the Calim Desert, I think... so not completely chaotic if I'm not hallucinating that one. Yes, in ruins of... "Dj" something [checking]... The ruins od Dashadjen, and the mummy lady is El Sadhara ("desert flower"), the High Whirlwind Fida'iya ir Iamar (LE human female mummy Airwalker (specialty priest) 14 of Akadi). But that's from Empires of the Shining Sea, the 2e source on Calimshan, and her alignment was "wrong" even back then (Akadi's clergy could be of any non-lawful alignment [NG, CG, N, CN, NE, CE], and airwalkers could be CG, N, CN, CE). I suspect, but don't have my 2e MM at hand to check, that the mummies were all LE in 2e. Anyone care to check?
GothicDan 03-11-07, 01:46 PM	Yes. Greater Mummies were stated in the 2E MM Tomb as "Lawful Evil."
Stigger 03-12-07, 12:37 AM	Ah, the intracacies of alignment conflict... you'd think the priestess part would have overridden the mummy part considering she was still classed as a cleric.
GothicDan 03-12-07, 11:28 AM	FR deviated from 'canon' 2E mechanics in a number of cases - typically, more and more as time went on. I liked this a lot. That being said, the person who did the actual little statline for the mummy may not have been the same person who wrote the lore/fluff for the NPC.
Optimystik 03-12-07, 02:08 PM	Just thought I'd chime in with her dogma, for those who didn't know it. Find your own enlightenment in your interests. As soon as your interest fails, all chance of finding further spiritual growth has left that activity or place. Move from activity to activity, from place to place, pursuing a personal dream or series of interests and growing through the changing experiences each new day brings. Worry not if others of the church do not adhere to this doctrine, for all obstacles wear down over time. Few matters are so important as to require a wholesale commitment. Do not ever let yourself be fettered or imprisoned, for constrained life is little better than death. From that she might be considered Chaotic, especially since her only real opponent is Grumbar, who tends to oppose any sort of change. However, her notion of change is that of a very gradual and timely process (like other ethical neutral deities - e.g. Mask, Chauntea) rather than being rapid/dramatic as a truly chaotic deity's would be. Furthermore, she has a monastic order (The Light Winds) which suggests that she has room in her portfolio for lawful followers - thus her classifcation as true neutral. She is neutral on the good/evil axis, of course, because she simply doesn't care much for championing any particular cause.