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2012-05-13, 02:35 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2012
- Location
- Greece
- Gender
Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??
A friend and I, thought to make our own setting (or should i say"world") to play our campaigns on it...
nothing complecated... a custom World map, towns societies,economy etc etc..
we ll use class and races available in 3,5 .. nothing homebrewed..
My question is...
Why i need to have a pantheon???
the problems I see,i solve em this way:
- Divne Casters: Will draw their powers from the raw powers of the world.
- Pr.C. Requiremnts: Patron deity changes to Alignment with 1 step diff.
- Interaction with Gods spells: Changes to "Oh! you just had an Epiphany" or "you must be a subject of a mutation!"
either way...
is there any other reason(s) to have a pantheon?Spoiler: Characters' Codex
The following are character concepts that are created as TheoryCraft, and i would be most delighted to try in a game.
The Whip Tank!
20lvl Cavalier
Sources used: Core, Monsters of the Multiverse, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn
Looking for an adventure...
The Assassin!
Currently on the road...
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2012-05-13, 02:43 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2008
- Location
- Trapped in England
- Gender
Re: Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??
Not really. Dark Sun more or less handles it this way, with the clerics drawing from elemental powers or being directly empowered by the sorcerer-kings.
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2012-05-13, 02:59 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2010
- Location
- In a cave w/piles of gold
- Gender
Re: Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??
Then there are real-life religions such as Shintoism that believes in the spirits in everything, mostly in natural items rather then gods (although they did have them).
I once tried to make a world that didn't rely on deities at all, but rather had divine casters like Clerics rely on their own spirit or the spirits of others/nature. Granted I never truly finished making the world I can't say how well it worked out.
"Words ought to be chosen with greater care then either clothing or weaponry. For they can last much longer than the former, and cut deeper than the latter."
-Doomraga's Revenge by T.A. Barron
Extended Homebrew Signature
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2012-05-13, 02:59 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2011
Re: Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??
Yeah, unless you intend to introduce a god into your campaign at some point in time, it's not really necessary.
78% of all DM's start their first campaign in a tavern. If you're among the 22% who didn't, copy and paste this into your signature and tell us where you DID begin.
I had my players wake up almost naked in a goblin-crafted dungeon, a voice booming in their ears over a speaker system that they were now a part of a trial experiment for a new piece of magitech.
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2012-05-13, 03:06 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2008
Re: Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??
There's no need for a pantheon mechanically, due to how easily the mechanics are replaced. Not having any gods is a valid setting choice, as is one god or true pantheism that goes way beyond a mere pantheon. You'll be fine.
I would really like to see a game made by Obryn, Kurald Galain, and Knaight from these forums.
I'm not joking one bit. I would buy the hell out of that. -- ChubbyRain
Current Design Project: Legacy, a game of masters and apprentices for two players and a GM.
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2012-05-13, 05:04 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2011
Re: Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??
3.0's Deities and Demigods offers advice on creating a Dual-Divine faith and a Monotheistic faith. Dual-Divine is the typical one god is Good, the other is Evil. Their Monotheistic faith is a sun goddess who is not directly active upon the world. She's Neutral. Good favors her creation aspect while Evil favors her destroyer aspect, but they recognize they worship the same deity.
You can also have faiths of Philosophy. They may or may not recognize the existence of deities but don't worship them. They're more likely intellectuals who adhere to Reason and Logic. For the game world magic exists, and the so called Divine Path is just a separate branch. A Wizard of Reason and Cleric of Reason would be of the same college.
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2012-05-13, 09:37 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2008
Re: Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??
Mechanically, clerics will need a way to pick domains and favored weapons. Of course, you could just let the player choose. There may be a certain temptation to powergame, but probably not game-breakingly.
Looking for a monster? Making a monster?
Age of Wariors,, A Homebrew Sequel to Tome of Battle (see also the original thread, disciplines table and prestige class table)
All My Homebrew
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2012-05-13, 09:50 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2012
- Location
- Middle of Nowhere!
Re: Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??
You can always follow an ideal, and draw strength from yourself and what represents your soul and idea. I always play that kind of cleric or wizard, if you can dig it. You don't need gods, they're just there to give you more of a magic feel to the setting if you can dig it, but there aren't neccesary.
Edit: Incarnum does that doesn't it?Last edited by Righteous Doggy; 2012-05-13 at 09:53 PM.
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2012-05-13, 10:54 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2005
- Location
- Vancouver, BC, Canada
Re: Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??
That said, you might have people *believe* in gods, without there being any. And you might have very powerful beings set themselves up as "gods", like a Great Wyrn Red Dragon deciding she wants to be worshipped.
And you might want to have a "mechanical" explanation of things like reincarnation, resurrection, ghosts and other undead, etc.
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2012-05-13, 10:56 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2012
- Location
- Middle of Nowhere!
Re: Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??
Or.... what if... Everyones right. People do reincarnate sometimes, there really is a giant world creating dragon, and an evil deity, and the world was formed on its own and doesn't need them, but they disagree. Also, there are robot overlords in space who give cyborg powers.... Yeah, that sounds cool. Everyone wins! or goes crazy.
edit: the joke was that all of these are options, be you have all or none..Last edited by Righteous Doggy; 2012-05-13 at 10:57 PM.
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2012-05-13, 10:57 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
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2012-05-13, 11:02 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2007
- Gender
Re: Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??
The Pantheon is there for story. Your story can include whatever you want, as long as you have one.
Mechanically the only thing they affect is clerics. Some way to limit domain selection should prevent clerics from becoming more powerful. There's also a loose fluff-mechanic connection where a cleric cannot go strongly against their diety's ideals or he'll fall. But such is rare and usually falls more under story than any significant mechanical risk.So you never have to interrupt a game to look up a rule again:
My 3.5e Rules Cheat Sheets: Normal, With Consolidated Skill System
TOGC's 3.5e Spell/etc Cards: rpgnow / drivethru rpg
Utilities: Magic Item Shop Generator (Req. MS Excel), Balanced Low Magic Item System
Printable Cardstock Dungeon Tiles and other terrain stuff (100 MB)
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2012-05-13, 11:06 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2011
- Gender
Re: Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??
You don't need a pantheon, just let divine characters decide for themselves where they get their powers from and that's about it. The only things gods are good for is restricting access to domains, favoured weapons and PrCs. They are really more of a nuisance than an advantage, unless you do what I did and make them actually important in the setting and the campaign's plot. And even then they're likely to be more trouble than they're worth.
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2012-05-13, 11:08 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2012
- Location
- Middle of Nowhere!
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2012-05-13, 11:27 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2011
- Gender
Re: Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??
Huh? What are you trying to say? I don't follow.
If you play a cleric of Pelor, your domains ARE restricted, whether you like it or not. You cannot pick the Water domain, or the Magic domain, if you worship him. Hence why I'm saying that having gods around restricts the domains a character can choose from. You cannot play a cleric of a god and still have the freedom to pick whatever two domains you like best, unlike the cleric of an ideal.
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2012-05-13, 11:30 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2012
- Location
- Middle of Nowhere!
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2012-05-13, 11:32 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2011
- Gender
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2012-05-14, 01:08 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
- Gender
Re: Is a Pantheon Really Νecessary ??