Divine Right in Dungeon Fantasy

[b-dog]

I was thinking about an advantage of Divine Right. I was thinking this advantage could give an automatic high status to the person that has it. It may be present in the king and even the nobility. I would imagine that clerics could detect this aura as well. What do you think? What other benefits might Divine Right have? Maybe Luck or something like that? Thanks.

[Phantasm]

I think this was already covered in Fantasy. Look at the True King template there.

Also, once you get this far outside the narrow confines of the dungeon, you're moving from Dungeon Fantasy to Swords-and-Sorcery. Might be a better description to say "S&S" rather than "DF" for this stuff from now on.

[PTTG]

Yeah, as you present it, it would be a collection of advantages (probably including Charisma, Status, Wealth, and other social advantages), tied to a collective Pact, plus a healthy Unusual Background... maybe around [40] for the background alone, but it could be much more.

Alternatively, the PC could simply have whatever divinity you have in mind as a Patron. Let's see... base cost [30] for ultra-powerful, you get help from it at all times, so that's [x4]. The cost for the advantage would be [120], but we need to add some enhancements. The deity provides equipment (in the form of everything within the kingdom that has been divinely bequeathed to you) [+100%], is Highly Accessible literally as written [+50%], and has Special Abilities that result in unusual reach in space and time [+100%]. On the other hand, your Patron is willful and ineffable, a classic case of Minimal Intervention, for a [-50%]. Total: [+200%], for a mere [360].

Add in a Pact limitation that probably involves like [-20] worth of disadvantages, which becomes [-20%] for [264]. Separately, an Unusual Background [The True King] would probably cost like [100] or more. Literally owning an entire kingdom isn't cheap.

[Lia Valenth]

As pointed out above I would look at True King, Fantasy p.125

If the Divine Right is granted by the god then basically any advantage (and disadvantage) could be explained by it depending on the god and setting. However Blessed, Luck, Power Investiture, Serendipity, and True Faith make the most sense to me as a direct result.

Social effects are much harder, as they almost completely depend completely on the setting.
A religious talent would make a lot of sense to me, as would things like Legal Immunity, and possibly Legal Enforcement Powers, of some kind. Status and Wealth, Clerical Investment, and Religious Rank may be given. If the character is not active in the church, just blessed by their god(s), high Courtesy Religious Rank may be more appropriate than true Rank. The God(s) as a patron could make sense.

It should come with drawbacks through: Vows, Codes of Honor, Duties, etc. Depending on the pantheon and civilization it could make you Enemies, or give you Secret in the right areas (Count it as Embarrassment if it would bring constant beggars and the like, could cause Imprisonment or Death if the Divine Right is from the wrong God).

[b-dog]

What about the more mystical aspects of Divine Right? Clerics would recognize the person as having Divine Right to rule. The Divine Right would be accepted among the gods as the right of the person to rule over a specific land. Wizards might also be able to detect that the person has the Divine Right to rule. Maybe when a king has the Divine Right his subjects will tend to be loyal to him. Maybe if a person becomes king without Divine Right his subjects will not be loyal and he must rule by fear with an iron hand. Maybe the king can lose his Divine Right if he strays from what is right and his subjects will try to rebel. Maybe Divine Right could be achieved by dungeon delvers if they are successful enough and follow good principles.

[b-dog]

Maybe the justicar could have some level of Divine Right? He is administering laws of the state which are in turn backed by the laws of the Divine. Maybe Divine Right could give power over demons too? They are in direct opposition to the laws of the Divine and also by extention those who rule on Earth with Divine Right.

[b-dog]

Maybe the Divine Right powers over demons only works in areas of Dominion. Areas outside of it the Divine Right power has no effect. People will still recognize that the person with Divine Right is a rightful heir to the throne outside of Dominion but the supernatural benefits do not function. Maybe the person with Divine Right has resistance to unholy powers and Infernal magic within areas of Dominion.

[Lia Valenth]

Originally Posted by b-dog

Maybe the Divine Right powers over demons only works in areas of Dominion. Areas outside of it the Divine Right power has no effect. People will still recognize that the person with Divine Right is a rightful heir to the throne outside of Dominion but the supernatural benefits do not function. Maybe the person with Divine Right has resistance to unholy powers and Infernal magic within areas of Dominion.

All possible, and it is your game (rather you are the GM or not I don't know) so there is a lot of options before you. However, what Divine Right means is very open ended, and definitely has tiers of some kind.

King Arthur had the Divine Right to rule all of Britain, I believe. A Lord or Lady may have a lesser Divine Right over just a province. All Paladins may have Divine Right to execute criminals and uphold justice. The Rulers Divine Right may only work within the area they are given to rule, while others like a paladins may work wherever they see great acts of evil occur (or great acts of good, see below).

On the other hand, in many fantasy settings there is not just one god, and often not all good gods. Do not forget the Divine Rights of a follower of an evil god to Lord and Dominate over all those in their sight, like a dark paladin. A cruel dictator may have been given the right to his domain by such a god.

To that end, the evil god's Divine Rights may grant direct or partial control over demons. However, a good god's Divine Rights may grant protect against, or enable truly killing, demons completely.

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by Lia Valenth

All possible, and it is your game (rather you are the GM or not I don't know) so there is a lot of options before you. However, what Divine Right means is very open ended, and definitely has tiers of some kind.

King Arthur had the Divine Right to rule all of Britain, I believe. A Lord or Lady may have a lesser Divine Right over just a province. All Paladins may have Divine Right to execute criminals and uphold justice. The Rulers Divine Right may only work within the area they are given to rule, while others like a paladins may work wherever they see great acts of evil occur (or great acts of good, see below).

On the other hand, in many fantasy settings there is not just one god, and often not all good gods. Do not forget the Divine Rights of a follower of an evil god to Lord and Dominate over all those in their sight, like a dark paladin. A cruel dictator may have been given the right to his domain by such a god.

To that end, the evil god's Divine Rights may grant direct or partial control over demons. However, a good god's Divine Rights may grant protect against, or enable truly killing, demons completely.

I agree with having tiers of Divine Right. But for me evil gods don't seem to care much about whether they have the right to rule, instead they only care if they have the power to do do. Evil gods and demons seem to be in rebellion against God and His Creation so they might not be the rightful rulers of the lands they hold. In my concept God created the world to be harmonious while those who rebelled seek to destroy the creation thus they can not clain the right of rulership of what is not theirs.