Sectarianism in DF

[b-dog]

I am interested in how sectarianism might work in a DF type fantasy world. There is true evil in this world and also true good. In typical dungeon delving everything that is good geta along to some degree.Evil factions fight each other but rarely do the good guys. But what if they did fight each other? That might make a more complex world and would seem much more like the real dark ages. One idea I have is that good clerics may use the force of good or holyness to do things like fight monsters and so on. But some religions may feel that using holy energy must be done is certain way or it is a perversion of the power that the Divine has granted. Thus some religions, even though they use holy energy, are considered heretics or blasphemous by other good religions who have a strict set of rules to follow. What do you think?

[Nereidalbel]

Ah, but, the Good factions do fight each other quite frequently. They tend to use things like tariffs and heavy border taxes more often than war, but, one should not assume they get along. The human inability to just get along is probably why there are so many dungeons for bands of murder hobos to go and loot, while the armies stare at each other across borders.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by b-dog

I am interested in how sectarianism might work in a DF type fantasy world. There is true evil in this world and also true good. In typical dungeon delving everything that is good geta along to some degree.Evil factions fight each other but rarely do the good guys. But what if they did fight each other? That might make a more complex world and would seem much more like the real dark ages. One idea I have is that good clerics may use the force of good or holyness to do things like fight monsters and so on. But some religions may feel that using holy energy must be done is certain way or it is a perversion of the power that the Divine has granted. Thus some religions, even though they use holy energy, are considered heretics or blasphemous by other good religions who have a strict set of rules to follow. What do you think?

I think that you are using the words good, evil, and real in the same paragraph. How do you even reconcile that? Either you want realism in your game or you don't.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

I think that you are using the words good, evil, and real in the same paragraph. How do you even reconcile that? Either you want realism in your game or you don't.

are you saying good and evil aren't real? Many people believe otherwise, though it can be hard to pin down exact lines, even for those who believe in it.

The trickiest part of what b-dog is describing is getting two religions powered by the forces of 'good' to declare each other heretical. It might be doable. It might not. I'd personally want an explanation of just what the gods were up to, or possible use the bane-storm version.

One version might be a focus on civilization vs monstrosity, rather than good vs. evil. There are several versions of civilization, and their gods have deep rivalries, despite their granted powers being fairly similar.

[Greg 1]

The good gods complicate matters a lot.

For good societies to fight each other, you have to either have the good gods be likewise in conflict, or you have to have the good gods somehow fail to make their displeasure at the conflict clear.

The first option is probably the most interesting.

You could even have "good" and "evil" be relative to the standards of different societies, so that a "Detect Good" spell detects good by some society's standards, rather than by some universal standard.

[simply Nathan]

I think having multiple good societies that all largely worship the same deity fighting each other could work out...if said deity refuses to let his clerics heal the wounds people incur from infighting. The powers of the priests are there to fight against the forces of evil!

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by b-dog

I am interested in how sectarianism might work in a DF type fantasy world. There is true evil in this world and also true good. In typical dungeon delving everything that is good geta along to some degree.Evil factions fight each other but rarely do the good guys. But what if they did fight each other? That might make a more complex world and would seem much more like the real dark ages. One idea I have is that good clerics may use the force of good or holyness to do things like fight monsters and so on. But some religions may feel that using holy energy must be done is certain way or it is a perversion of the power that the Divine has granted. Thus some religions, even though they use holy energy, are considered heretics or blasphemous by other good religions who have a strict set of rules to follow. What do you think?

I think I hate it. Religions who do that aren't Good. They may worship a Good god, but that doesn't mean their leadership are Good. You want to simulate the real dark ages? Then bear in mind that the real wars of the dark ages were not between men who were Good (more like a grab bag of Evil and Neutral) and the mythical miracle working holy men weren't described as taking part in them as combatants.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by Greg 1

You could even have "good" and "evil" be relative to the standards of different societies, so that a "Detect Good" spell detects good by some society's standards, rather than by some universal standard.

Go fully consistent and make it by the standards of the god providing it ... if you align with that god's value system, you ping as good, oppose it, you ping as evil. More of a "detect sinner" than a "detect evil".
Of course, you could also have it pantheon based (if you've got a functioning polytheism in your campaign world instead of the fantasy standard henotheism) - so that a godi's spell might not detect the machinations of Loki and his followers, but should pick up the Jotunn or trolls even if the creatures in question were benevolent.

Having "good" and "evil" as external cosmological constants is somewhat jarring once you get outside the cheesier end of fantasy.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

I think I hate it. Religions who do that aren't Good. They may worship a Good god, but that doesn't mean their leadership are Good. You want to simulate the real dark ages? Then bear in mind that the real wars of the dark ages were not between men who were Good (more like a grab bag of Evil and Neutral) and the mythical miracle working holy men weren't described as taking part in them as combatants.

Add to that the fact that, for the most part, Good is a synonym for "aligns with my beliefs."

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by RyanW

Add to that the fact that, for the most part, Good is a synonym for "aligns with my beliefs."

No. I'm not going to add that because it isn't relevant in a setting where Good and Evil actually exist as supernatural forces.