ALL gods were cast out of the heavens. Even though Helm guarded the Celestial Stairway doesn't mean the rules didn't apply to him.
-He wasn't.
But, as far as I can recall, he wasn't allowed back into the heavens. He was forced to remain on the stairway and guard it regardless of circumstance.
p.s. the more i'm on these boards, the more i come to the conclusion that the ToT was a gigantic boondoggle and that we'd all be better without it (although Cyric and Kelemvor and resurrected Bane are way cooler than Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul).
He was not stripped of his powers.
But, as far as I can recall, he wasn't allowed back into the heavens. He was forced to remain on the stairway and guard it regardless of circumstance.
-He wasn't stripped of his power, and was tasked with guarding the Celestial Stairs by Ao until the Time of Troubles was over. That wasn't as much punishment or anything as it was "overtime".
Also isn't clerical spells different than magical spells. I know the closer you were to your god the stronger your cleric magic was but the arcane magic affected everyone no matter how close to a god you were(I.e Blackthorne(?)'s failed attempt at polymorphing into a black eagle(?) While standing next to banes avatar) So if Helms power wasn't stripped his clerics should not have been affected.
Helm was not kicked out with the rest of the pantheon. He remained at full strength and was tasked by Ao with guarding the Celestial Stairway from avatars attempting to ascend it. As such, he alone was able to grant spells to his faithful during the Time of Troubles. I believe wild magic affected only arcane spells, not divine magic.
-Divine Magic stems from a deity, who transfers that power to the worshiper. That worshiper still utilizes the Weave to turn that energy into something manifestable (magic). Being as that the Weave was not working properly, and in effect, the entire planet was a massive Wild Magic zone, priests and priestesses would not have their magic work properly either. The difference between Helm and other deities would be that, unlike the followers of other deities, the followers of Helm could replenish their spells per day through meditation and prayer, being as that Helm was still in a position to grant them the power daily, whereas other deities were not. Clerics have the advantage of having some of the variable factors eliminated by proximity to their deity, but in Helms case, being as that he was in the heavens, his followers would not have that advantage. Their magic would be just as problematic as the magic of all other priests and priestesses.
Stairways plural plus all the other entrances to the planes(except for one I can't remember it's name) but I believe HE still had access to his plane.
Um...Ao..."you cannot return"...Celestial Stairway.
If he was worried about the other entrances, they would have been closed or guarded, as well.
Yes, here goes another debate, but, FOR THE SAKE OF SOME SANITY, let's assume all other avenues were covered and that he left this one way open for his own purposes.
Helm was not kicked out with the rest of the pantheon. He remained at full strength and was tasked by Ao with guarding the Celestial Stairway from avatars attempting to ascend it. As such, he alone was able to grant spells to his faithful during the Time of Troubles. I believe wild magic affected only arcane spells, not divine magic.
Can this not be done by a god completely removed from his/her plane?
I'm still recalling that Helm was the only one left with his powers, but only allowed to do so because he was supposed to guard the entrance to the heavens--which stationed him outside the heavens themselves at the top of the stairway (recall him calmly walking down to confront Mystra).
Not saying this is absolute, but it is what I recall and have yet to heard it rejected by the wording referenced therein the novel itself.
-He wasn't stripped of his power, and was tasked with guarding the Celestial Stairs by Ao until the Time of Troubles was over. That wasn't as much punishment or anything as it was "overtime".
And we return to our original exchange where my point was that he was "cast out" with the rest. The fact of what that means is still in debate here.
Yes, here goes another debate, but, FOR THE SAKE OF SOME SANITY, let's assume all other avenues were covered and that he left this one way open for his own purposes.
CENSORED CENSORED F-CENSORED!!!
My bad JD. I should've read your post in depth. Won't happen again.the only other way in Waukeen tried, and failed
But then, she had a nice dinner party, while stupid Mystra was slain and all the other gods had to walk around between boring mortals and solve their problems or answer their stupid questions and petitions.:P
It will--have no doubt. But, I do forgive you. ;)