nexus Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 This question occured to me while reading the "Super Pope" thread. Mainstream, modern religions are pretty much avoided as fodder for comics stories mainly (I feel) to avoid offending readers/players that follow those beliefs. I was curious if anyone out there had ever had a player that followed a less mainstream belief rxpress concern over how their spiritual beliefs were being portrayed and used of material for fictional stories? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns I've had a Wiccan complain that I was treating her gods disrespectfully in a GURPS Voodoo campaign, and a Born Again Christian couple insist on a no-magic campaign (which lasted one session before I'd had enough). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus Posted April 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns I've had a Wiccan complain that I was treating her gods disrespectfully in a GURPS Voodoo campaign' date=' and a Born Again Christian couple insist on a no-magic campaign (which lasted one session before I'd had enough).[/quote'] Did they do anything to prompt its end or was it the lack of magic was too constricting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Shocker Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns I've had various pagan friends nit-pick things I've gotten wrong about their belief systems.... but then I do the same thing when they screw up Mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns Did they do anything to prompt its end or was it the lack of magic was too constricting? I decided that they were too crazy to continue gaming with. Considering how crazy many adult gamers are, that's saying something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus Posted April 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns I decided that they were too crazy to continue gaming with. Considering how crazy many adult gamers are' date=' that's saying something.[/quote'] Heh, sounds like a story there. Maybe for the "Inexplicable Player behavior" thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns My default preference, when I'm playing (I'm not in an active campaign right now), is something that mirrors the genre. Usually that means God and Satan do not make a special appearence. God and the Big S don't show up in the comics much, if at all (I can't think of one appearence off hand. Well I'm sure the Big S has made a few.) If they did, what would be the point in the heroes (or anyone else) trying to do anything? It doesn't make sense to have an all-powerful, omnipotent entity in a campaign. I do like to have agents of God and The Big S around. Angels and devils fit right into a supers campaign. I also like to make agents and devils from some alternate dimension, so they could be just other beings, or they could be beings pretending to be angels and devils, or they could believe that they are angels and devils yet have no proof of any higher (or for devils, lower) power themselves. This allows *players* who want an agnostic character to have one ("Well, angels can be explained scientifically...") while players who want a religious character to have to rely on faith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tm80401 Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns Lucifer has is own series on DC's Vertigo line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns I allow any god the characters want to worship so long as they don't expect me to make that God Manifest iteslf, but because that's highly unlikely. It'll be much like traditional worship in that you just have to take it on faith that your god is out there. Of the PCs in my campaign.... One is an egyptian avatar with a falcon head. He makes no active attempt to worship. This WILL come back to bite him later, for I am a cruel and merciless god--er, um... GM. My PC, Anthem, is Catholic. She doesn't bring it up in conversation, she doesn't throw it around in her hero ID at all, but she regularly attends church and goes to confession. One player has a strange symbol on his forehead. What he doesn't know is that it is the mystical emblem of an alien god of conflict. But he'll find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns Lucifer has is own series on DC's Vertigo line. Oops. Guess I don't read DC much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sketchpad Posted April 5, 2005 Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns One of my NPCs (former PC) practices the ideas behind druidism ... and another has kind of an expansive belief, mind you the latter is also a mage so he's seen some funky stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted April 6, 2005 Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns My default preference' date=' when I'm playing (I'm not in an active campaign right now), is something that mirrors the genre. Usually that means God and Satan do not make a special appearence. God and the Big S don't show up in the comics much, if at all (I can't think of one appearence off hand. Well I'm sure the Big S has made a few.) [/quote'] Didn't Satan show up in the Marvel _Son of Satan_ series? Or was it just Mephistole -- erm, I mean 'Mephisto' again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zornwil Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns I pretty much leave religion alone. Well, that's not true, I seem to "pick on" the Catholic Church and make it part of conspiracies, but really for no reason other than an obvious one - what better communication mechanism than via an international network with private confessionals? Anyway, as to the actual question, I don't really touch the non-mainstream religions. As a player, though, Blazing Arrow regularly tramples on any Native American spirituality with his half-baked ill-informed intellctually-lazy version of such; it's made clear that he's basically a suburban kid playing at being Indian because he's inspired by being half of that heritage, and so far everyone seems okay with it. I don't think I'd change it even if a Native American started playing, I would hope they would be okay with it. But if they weren't I'd change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alverant Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns God and the Big S don't show up in the comics much' date=' if at all (I can't think of one appearence off hand. Well I'm sure the Big S has made a few.) [/quote'] There was an early issue of The Savage Dragon (#3X I think) where, when having a near-death experience, God and Satan got in a fight. Satan fought dirty, who would have guessed. There are two versions of this issue. In one after defeating Satan, God shouts "Don't mess with God!". The other has God saying a more "iron age" word in place of "mess" as a center page poster. I remember a bit of dialog. (Hopefully this won't be too offsensive...) Dragon: Wait, what happens when you die? God: Whatever you believe will happen happens. You are an atheist, so when you die you will cease to exist. D: I can live with that. Wait, if I solidly believe I'll spend eternity making love to leggy supermodels, that will happen? G: Yes D: (surprised) Woah boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alverant Posted June 23, 2005 Report Share Posted June 23, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns One idea an old GM tried is that the gods are manifisataions of mortal belief in them. Their personalities, abilities, and appearance is a reflection on how their worshipers picture them. They derive power from worship, not just prayer but using their symbols or domains. For example Hermes, god of healers, is worshiped in every hospital or doctor's office that uses his symbol (careus?? the twin snakes around a staff). One of the mystic books in 5th ed has Bachuus receiving worship when anyone listens to his CDs. On the other hand Thor, Heracules, and Gilgamesh were influenced by their Marvel Comics reincarnations. Posiden adopted automobiles in additions to horses since they are a means of transportation. New gods have to pick new domains or share the worship from existing ones. We once met the newly appointed the god of fiber optics. I didn't realize it at first, but it fell apart when it came to the Abarmaic religions since their God is infinitely powerful. By defination it means that no matter how much worship and belief you pump into it, it will never be enough. Worse because the images and beliefs of said God were so diverse among the faithful, the result was a perpetually incomplete god with multiple personality disorder. Fortunately the campaign ended before this came up. But I think all of us figured it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamashii2000 Posted June 23, 2005 Report Share Posted June 23, 2005 Re: Alternative Religions in Champions Campaigns Didn't Satan show up in the Marvel _Son of Satan_ series? Or was it just Mephistole -- erm' date=' I mean 'Mephisto' again?[/quote'] Not sure if he did. I know Satan showed up in marvel's Witches mini-series to have a chat with his daughter santana (who Doc Strange recruited after she returned from the dead - annoying thing they didn't explain how she showed back up.. and seemed to ignore the fact she died saving Doctor Stranges soul....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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