09-14-2016, 10:50 AM | #21 | |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Adding Divine Favor to Banestorm
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The end result seems like sectarian conflict as the new prophet's followers clash with orthodox authority (either or the genuine Apocalypse). I suppose it is possible that someone could have God as a Patron and God not expect much in return, but that seems pretty out-of-character for the God of Abraham. |
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09-14-2016, 11:08 AM | #22 | |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Oldenburg, Germany
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Re: Adding Divine Favor to Banestorm
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There is suspicion about these powers among theologians, as p. 27 points out. If one of these mystics can convince the common folk of the Power of God and doesn't lead them away from the Church - that's probably okay, although they need close watching. If they start denouncing the local bishop... well, time to call the Michaelites.
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09-14-2016, 11:10 AM | #23 | |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Oldenburg, Germany
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Re: Adding Divine Favor to Banestorm
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Traditionally, it's angels who talk to saints, although I would leave that out for Yrth-based campaign, in order to better keep the mystery about where those powers come from.
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09-14-2016, 11:22 AM | #24 |
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
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Re: Adding Divine Favor to Banestorm
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09-14-2016, 12:37 PM | #25 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Re: Adding Divine Favor to Banestorm
The two work differently. I also assume that the mage-haters have access to some kind of man-dampening bracelets to keep enemy wizards in check. Maybe a relic that blasts wizards. This doesn't work on the saints.
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“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius |
09-14-2016, 02:17 PM | #26 | |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Oldenburg, Germany
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Re: Adding Divine Favor to Banestorm
Quote:
Of course, the peasantry has no way of distinguishing magic and miracles - what matters is what they believe. However, the more educated people know that such powers manifest among people of other faiths, and might be more skeptical of whether they represent something truly divine.
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GURPS Repository • Sunken Castles, Evil Poodles - translating German folk tales into English! |
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09-14-2016, 03:15 PM | #27 | |
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Re: Adding Divine Favor to Banestorm
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Going the other way - let's assume an unambiguous "this is miracle not mana" test that is widely trusted and not easily manipulated. I. Are the miracle workers reliably subservient to the religious hierarchy? a. If not, what does the church do when they buck religious authority? b. If so, what do the miracle workers do when the bishop lives in a gold house and eats rare delicacies when the peasants are starving? II. What happens when miracle workers from opposing faiths use their powers against one another? III. What happens when a miracle worker fails? The problem of evil is harder when representatives of the divine walk the Yrth. That said, my gut reaction to most of these quandaries is that they generate religious turmoil with the saints at the center of things. Better, you can posit a divine attitude that is much more palatable to modern tastes than the default Yrthian moral situation. Which might be an awesome game, actually. Last edited by martinl; 09-14-2016 at 03:34 PM. Reason: clarify fisrt paragraph with on artistry |
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09-15-2016, 04:30 PM | #28 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Re: Adding Divine Favor to Banestorm
I really don't think Divine Favor would alter the world of Banestorm anymore then the Arcane Magic already existing there. The various people of Ytarria are, for the most part, already a bunch of religious believers convinced of the unquestionable existence of God (or Gods), and of the veracity of miracles.
One thing I would point out, however, is that even if someone has Faith in the existence of a Higher Power, that still leaves how they interpret how to best serve that Higher Power. There's absolutely no reason a particularly devout Archbishop who holds his esteemed position in good faith would be less likely to achieve Divine Favor then a small parish priest. Even if his interpretation of Serving God revolves more around enforcing Orthodoxy and Glorifying God through his Church, as opposed to just tending to the poor and the sick. He might even see himself as being supportive of those common priests who do such things, as by making the Church strong, it can then give support to those priests. For Yrth in particular, my meta-concept for Divine Favor ties directly into the core religious beliefs of the Elder Folk; the Eternal. Which the Elves and Dwarves conceptualize in vague, abstract force that is found in all things, and that all things seek to ascend to the Eternal in their own way. I'd actually take the "Force" analogy even further and give it a "Dark Side" counterpart. Call it the Dark, the Void, the Nothing, the Chaos, whatever you want. But where the Eternal is a force of life and harmony, the Dark is a force of death and discord, that grants more destructive miracles. But these don't necessarily equate to Good and Evil, and could also be interpreted as more of a Yin/Yang relationship of destruction leading to new creation. Not that the Orcs worship the Dark that way. To the Reptile-Folk and Goblins and other natives of Gabrook, the Eternal equates to Uunkuy, and the Dark equates to Bozdaag. Buddhists see the Eternal as the Elven conceptualization of Enlightenment, while Hindus believe the Eternal is reflected in many aspects in their many gods. The various Gods worshipped by the Pagans might also simply be aspects of the Eternal, or might be Nature Spirits or Demons masquerading as Gods, which is what the Church believes anyway. For the most part, the Church is still divided as to whether or not the Elder Folk are in need of salvation through conversion, or whether or not they actually count as Fallen to Original Sin. |
09-15-2016, 05:11 PM | #29 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Adding Divine Favor to Banestorm
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09-15-2016, 05:16 PM | #30 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Re: Adding Divine Favor to Banestorm
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