Yup, there's also nothing wrong with the setting conceit "Just because." (Or, the God/s is/are ineffable, to be polite.) The only real demand is that the GM be reasonably consistent and up front about this, especially to priest players.

Do be aware that the power of priest classes are often controlled by these setting tethers, so carte blanche tends to have unintended consequences.

I pay no mind to the subject.

Sure there's gods. Maybe they exists? There's extant petty gods that exist in the material world as well.

But such matters are not my concern.

Quote from: Opaopajr;643432Yup, there's also nothing wrong with the setting conceit "Just because." (Or, the God/s is/are ineffable, to be polite.) The only real demand is that the GM be reasonably consistent and up front about this, especially to priest players.

It's like magic in that way, the game or GM can say that your magical power is based on how often you wear purple shoes or drive a three wheeled wagon widdershins around the market square. Since it doesn't have to obey the laws of physics or indeed any internal logic, you can do what you like, once the players are reasonably aware of it.

Quote from: daniel_ream;643350Then you didn't look at the system very closely. So you get active religions but less gods directly shit-disturbing.

Criticism accepted. I will sit down and read my copy now, rather than let it gather dust on my bookshelf.

Quote from: Spike;643370I'm not entirely sure about the need for this thread.
Now: Maybe some of that was merely childish thought rather than a 'state of the hobby', but if you want to limit the gods, maybe it helps to think like that. As I noted in another thread: the Cleric can be a simple button mash for a specific power, religion and divinity need not apply for it to fill its roll in the meta-game structure.

Sure, you can just not have gods turn up or be a big part of your game if the players aren't fussed about such things. But my players like to ask questions about the game world, and a simple explanation for why the gods aren't showing their divine asses every day to aid their specific aims is something they are bothered about.

There are many ways that Gods can exist in a fantasy setting.

Runaround - Deities are present and active, running around, making things, blowing things up and generally terrorising mortals.

Olympus - Deities are present and occasionally come to the mortal world and interact with mortals. Demigods are active heroes and play parts in the world.

Asgard - Deities are present and very occasionally come to the mortal realm, but are more active in the supernatural realms. Demigods are rare and play little part in the mortal world.

Compromise - The Deities were once active in the world, but have returned to their sacred homes and can play no active role. However, Demigods are still present and can influence the world, until they become Compromised and leave the world.

Mythical - Deities only exist in fairy tales, myths and religious books. They play no active part in the world and have no way to prove their existence.

I am sure there are many other ways they can manifest, but can't think of them off the top of my head.

Now, as for Deities granting magic/Divine Assistance, it varies quite a lot.

In a Runaround setting, the Deities actually come and physically help their petitioners. They don't normally grant their worshippers magic, but can do under exceptional circumstances. This is a setting for the Deities themselves, rather than for mortals.

In an Olympus/Asgard setting, not restricted to the Greek/Germanic pantheons, the Deities grant magic to their worshippers, but occasionally come to answer petitioners, or send their representatives.

In a Compromise setting, the Deities routinely grant magic to their worshippers and act through special Heroes or cult champions.

In a Mythical setting, Deities may, or may not, grant magic to their worshippers.

So, what settings fit these categories?

Runaround: Exalted (I think), can't think of any other examples.

Olympus: Homeric Greece, Hittites, Ancient Egypt, Heroic Ireland

Asgard: Heroic Germanic/Norse, Heroic Wales, Age of the Saints

Compromise: Glorantha, Medieval Earth, Most D&D Settings

Mythical: Post-Renaissance Earth, SciFi Settings

Quote from: Malygris;643516Sure, you can just not have gods turn up or be a big part of your game if the players aren't fussed about such things. But my players like to ask questions about the game world, and a simple explanation for why the gods aren't showing their divine asses every day to aid their specific aims is something they are bothered about.

It bothers people in the real world as well. No need to explain everything anyways.

Great stuff there, soltakss! Very useful tool for those pre-campaign brainstorms where the group decides on the nature of the gods on the setting.

Thanks.

Quote from: daniel_ream;643189It is a crime against gaming that WotC won't reprint The Primal Order, although it doesn't seem too hard to get a reasonably-priced copy .

It's (also) a crime against gaming that the other books teased therein — The Underworld Order, and so forth — were never written.

Fucking lawsuits. Fucking Magic.

In Albion, the gods are naturally distant, and only tend to act through their intermediaries (clerics in the case of Law, elemental spirits in the case of Neutrality, and sorcerers/mutants/monstrosities in the case of Chaos).

In Arrows of Indra, the gods are very active; I didn't feel any need to limit them in particular, except that they are bound to their own set of universal rules or Dharma; Gods in Jagat are NOT the most powerful things around, they are subject to karma and to dharma just as all other beings are.

In my DCC campaign, there's only one God (called G.O.D.) and he's limited on account of being "insane" (actually, malfunctioning).

RPGPundit

I like invasive and troublesome gods which is one of the big sells of Mazes & Minotaurs because Greek gods are teenagers run amok. They are powerful, petty, but can be tricked.

In my OD&D campaign, I went a different path and only have 3 gods (goddess of the Empire, god of Wolf and Man, god of secrets) and they don't have much, if any, interaction with each other.

The Gemini Queen, goddess of the Empire, only cares about the human empires. She may take different forms in other human nations, or they may simply be worshiping her wrong. She is a chatty goddess, most likely to be everwatchful and communicative with her clerics. She will invade dreams and often advise/chastise her priests.

The White Wolf only cares about the hunt, the savagery of his acolytes and the reincarnation cycle. He's not a talker, but may communicate using nature or maybe that's just his clerics mistaking a cold wind for a message. His clerics evangelize heavily, promising followers they will be reincarnated as wolves and thus live forever being born as wolf and man.  

The Iron Cobra, the god of secrets known by many names, revels in things being hidden and things being found and aids those who seek to do both. The cobra doesn't care much for worship, clerics aren't encouraged to set up temples, but instead make many hidden shrines. They also don't evangelize, unlike the other clerics because the cobra doesn't need a flock. The cobra isn't a talker either, but may send puzzling symbols as clues in dreams to its clerics. Or was it just a dream?

Opposing the world are demons who are legion, but none have attained the true power of a god and only the Imperial Goddess really cares about them because they pose a threat to humanity and her cult. However, you can summon demons and they can give you goodies which led to the collapse of one human empire.

My elves don't have gods, for they believe themselves to be demigods themselves for they are immortal. My dwarves venerate their ancestors, empowering their future with the strength of their past.