Nightshade Posted February 20, 2004 Report Share Posted February 20, 2004 One of the things that have had a huge impact on the history of our world has been the transformation or addition of religion. I was thinking of doing something with this in my Fantasy HERO game. Has anyone done this in their game before? Was it a good experience, bad, somewhere in between? Say you were in a game and this started to evolve as part of the plot line (the rise in popularity of a new religion). Would that interest you? What if it was the drive behind a plot? Nightshade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MordeanGrey Posted February 20, 2004 Report Share Posted February 20, 2004 I think it's a great idea. Something to upset the politics and populace. Imagine the charismatic leader of the new order as it spreads through the world. He/she may appear as a hero to the poor, playing to their needs, inciting them to rise up and disrupt the current government/religion. This could lead to small clashes of faith between factions, or large scale religious wars. The leader could only be posing as a "good" guy. Maybe he is motivated by power, or something darker. (Like the devil in disguise, spreading conflict to weaken the former religion or government and open the area up for conquest!) Lots of possibilities! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eosin Posted February 20, 2004 Report Share Posted February 20, 2004 I think evolution and revolution in religion is one of the things that will really bring a world to life. Most systems use a 3 fold approach - those who fight, those who work, and those who pray as the foundation on which society rests. I take a little different approach - 1. Those who fight 2. Those who work 3. Those who pray 4. Those who enchant 5. Those who sell My game is set in a fantastical 900-1100 and the beginnings of the rise of mercantilism. The whole point is that depending on the game you want to run and when you want to run it, you focus more or less on the different foundations of society. Most games focus on #1 and occassionally #4 .... I think a the most engaging games incorporate NEARLY equal parts with number 2 lagging behind the pack but still not totally ignored. I really recommend two books on religion if you get the chance: GURPS religion and The Book of the Righteous by Green Ronin (d20 but still in the top 5 RPG books I own). Even if you do not use either in your game the ideas they can inspire/codify are well worth the price tag. I also think that one of the best things that you can do to bring a religion along is to create internal schisms. Maybe the paladins have removed themselves from the authority of the church? Or a heretic with a large following was burned at the stake and now has inspired a sect that seems to be getting stronger instead of weaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkdguy Posted February 20, 2004 Report Share Posted February 20, 2004 The religion in my campaign is based mainly on the Catholic Church with a few eastern influences (belief in reincarnation, for one). It is generally much more tolerant than the Medieval/Renaissance Church, although it has had its share of heresies and offshoots (versions of the Anglican, Calvinist and Lutheran faiths). Definitely it is a major factor in the campaign. Also, it can be used as a plot device. On their fist adventure, the party was sent to protect a bishop who was once the mentor of one of the PCs, a defrocked priest. The PC took pains to keep the bishop safe, only to be betrayed by him. No, it wasn't a nice thing to do, but I was trying to show my players just how treacherous certain powerful men were. BTW, that bishop has since become a cardinal, and will eventually become the Paragon (my version of the Pope). And his policies will turn the continent upside down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanguard00 Posted February 20, 2004 Report Share Posted February 20, 2004 I played in a long-running campaign (7-8 years) wherein the original church (based on a triad of equal and related gods) split when one influential cardinal came up with "proof" that one of the triad was actually the "supreme being". For two years or so (real time) the story came to us in bits and pieces about this squabble at a conclave, or that disagreement between rulers adopting the faith of their patron churches...that sort of thing. Then it turned into a religious war, and things got ugly. Everyone basically chose sides. To top it all off, in the middle of this, a new sect began to push their pantheon, and as people were fed up with the ongoing war in the "established" church, they began seeking guidance from the new gods. This, of course, was the point. Turns out the original cardinal proposing the "supreme" being was an agent of the new pantheon, and it was his job to stir up trouble in order to give the new gods a foothold. It was our party's job to put an end to it. Oddly enough, we embraced the new gods and helped drive out the established religious order. The GM did such a good job of making them sound appealing we all bought into it. Quite the campaign. Just an example of what you were asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 The main problem, of course, is that the deities that underpin both the new and old religions are real... Hmm... I don't think you would want to be around when the gods go to war... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkdguy Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 Originally posted by assault The main problem, of course, is that the deities that underpin both the new and old religions are real... Hmm... I don't think you would want to be around when the gods go to war... Even better. The gods don't go to war. They deliberately set up conflict among mortals and place bets on the outcome. Then after a few centuries, the losing team returns with new names and a new sect to start it all over again. It's all a game to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjbrown Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 You need to have a general underlying concept of what religion is in your campaign. If your campaign assumes a pantheon of gods, then you need to deal with out this new god came to be a god in the first place. Is it possible without being born to a god? Is it possible only with the help/consent of other gods? Is there a way to become a god without the help of other gods? (Any organized pantheon of gods would certainly come up with methods for preventing new godships without the express approval of the pantheon). The method by which this new entity becomes a god will drive how other gods view the newcomer, and what they might do to aid and/or hinder a god. (And why can't existing gods just destroy the new god?) The 'legitimacy' of the new godship will also affect how mortals percieve the new god and preisthood surrounding the god. A preisthood around a god who has the sanction of other gods will draw less controversy than a priesthood around a god that somehow forces its way into godhood. If religion in your campaign focuses more on the belief system and organization, rather than involvement of an actual god, then reaction to the new religion will be more political. The important factors are how appealing the message of the new religion is, the charisma and organizational skills of its leaders, and it's abilitiy to mobilize alliances with other powerful institutions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightshade Posted February 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Religion on my world works a whole lot like the religions of Earth. You can't truly "prove" the existance of divinity. The beliefs of anyone is completely up to their faith. Gods don't walk the planet. Gods don't grant spells. Miracles are, well, miracles. That being said, religion plays a huge role in the world (just like it does here). There are theocracies, holy men, zealots bent on bringing their vision of the faith to the world, etc. But there are also athiests, agnostics, and people searching for their place in the world. What I am talking about here is adding a whole new religion, not a god to the existing pantheon. This religion would reject the entire pantheon even exists. Sounds like it could be fun. Nightshade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 Another alternative might be a heresy emerging in the existing "True Faith". The orthodox religions leaders might be corrupt, and the fundamentalists who want to clean up their corruption could be in error. End result: two bunches of sinners at war. Bring on the tribulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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