Monotheism in Epic Fantasy (Just like DF but with culture)

[b-dog]

The idea is that the gods bestow powers on their clerics. The gods from polytheistic faiths grant powers against evil but the monotheistic god grants powers against evil and those that the god considers false. Thw polytheistic cleric turns undead and resists evil powers from demons while the monotheistic cleric resists the same plus the cleric can turn fairies and other non evil supernatural beings.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by b-dog

The idea is that the gods bestow powers on their clerics. The gods from polytheistic faiths grant powers against evil but the monotheistic god grants powers against evil and those that the god considers false. Thw polytheistic cleric turns undead and resists evil powers from demons while the monotheistic cleric resists the same plus the cleric can turn fairies and other non evil supernatural beings.

So, given that the monotheistic cleric is hands down plain better and more powerful than the polytheistic... what incentive do players have to be poly?

[safisher]

If you read a little about magic in the Middle Ages, you'll see that theology, science, and magic are interlinked in the pre-modern world and the Medieval world has a VERY different worldview than what is normally promulgated. Check the correspondences table here:
https://books.google.com/books?id=7i...dences&f=false

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Nobody cares what the cleric thinks. What you have established is that the polytheistic cleric is objectively wrong. And evil. And inferior in every way so there's no reason to ever become one.

Where is that coming from anyway?
Lots of real world "monotheistic" religions admit to a whole lot of angels, demiurges, subsidiary powers, aspects of godhead and the like that function as separate good powers to one degree or another. Having "one true god" seems to just mean you need a different label for them than "god". Theoretically the one true god could remove them, but then theoretically (s)he could wipe out evil too, and doesn't for some reason. Why should (s)he object more strongly to rival good powers that evil ones?

[b-dog]

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[safisher]

Originally Posted by b-dog

The simple way to have a monotheistic faith in DF style high fantasy game world. Just make all supernatural beings be affected as though they are evil.

Your cosmology could be one where there is Abrahamic God and it's off-shoots, as well as it's heresies, as well as the correspondences (specialties) within that cosmology. So yes, you could have one Roman Catholic-ish religion, but then you have Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, Arabic, and a number of aspected groups within those. On top of that you have honest to goodness evil demon-worshiping cults, and heresies which are more folkorish or pre-Abrahamic in origin.

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

So, given that the monotheistic cleric is hands down plain better and more powerful than the polytheistic... what incentive do players have to be poly?

Maybe it costs more points to play a monotheistic cleric than a polytheistic one? Plus the polytheistic one can get along better with other supernatural being so he may be more fun to play?

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by safisher

Your cosmology could be one where there is Abrahamic God and it's off-shoots, as well as it's heresies, as well as the correspondences (specialties) within that cosmology. So yes, you could have one Roman Catholic-ish religion, but then you have Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, Arabic, and a number of aspected groups within those. On top of that you have honest to goodness evil demon-worshiping cults, and heresies which are more folkorish or pre-Abrahamic in origin.

That is pretty much what I want but I also want polytheistic pantheons active in the world too.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by b-dog

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It's a button at the bottom of the same window used to edit it.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by malloyd

Where is that coming from anyway?
Lots of real world "monotheistic" religions admit to a whole lot of angels, demiurges, subsidiary powers, aspects of godhead and the like that function as separate good powers to one degree or another. Having "one true god" seems to just mean you need a different label for them than "god". Theoretically the one true god could remove them, but then theoretically (s)he could wipe out evil too, and doesn't for some reason. Why should (s)he object more strongly to rival good powers that evil ones?

It's not about the gods. It's about the religion which will eliminate the religions of the false gods both actively because they pose a more insidious threat (by appealing to some well intentioned people and tricking them into damnation, whereas the followers of blatantly evil cults were damned anyway just for being the kind of people who would want to join such a thing.) and passively just by being blatantly more powerful and valid and better at what the religions of the lesser gods do. The evil cults can continue on in a marginal way because they offer things that the false gods can't, power without moral responsibility. In order to survive the false religions have to offer something that the true religion isn't willing to.

Originally Posted by b-dog

That is pretty much what I want but I also want polytheistic pantheons active in the world too.

Well as I said, to survive the polytheistic religions need to have their own unique marketing niches. Unless you're playing in the tiny window when the true religion hasn't finished demonstrating its superiority in every way to the public.