Cleric Deities? Do we make them up?

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Weegeeman256
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Cleric Deities? Do we make them up?

Post by Weegeeman256 »

So I've aged the system for a while hut never had a cleric or played a cleric. Reading the rules it mentions that they get their spells from a God they pray to each morning and are restricted by which one they pray to. Meaning If they pray to a healing do they won't really be able to receive damage spells. That being said are there actual gods in the book somewhere I can find or is this to the description of the PC to create their God and religion?
daryen
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Re: Cleric Deities? Do we make them up?

Post by daryen »

Deities are a setting specific item. BFRPG studiously has no default setting. Ergo, there are no standard gods for BFRPG.

That said, there is a supplement in the Showcase that talks about how to build gods for your setting, and there are innumerable settings available that you can take from and use, including classic mythologies. (Some form of the Norse myths seems the most popular for some reason.)

Or, just keep it light and abstract. That's what most adventures seem to do. And, just to be clear, just because a god gives healing doesn't necessarily mean they won't grant harm. It is for the GM to decide what each god will and won't do.
Weegeeman256
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Re: Cleric Deities? Do we make them up?

Post by Weegeeman256 »

Oh ok! Thanks for the knowledge, I think because I'm playing with newer players I'll keep it light and simple, 2 or 3 basic gods or something or just let the cleric PC deside what they feel their character would like :)
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Re: Cleric Deities? Do we make them up?

Post by Dimirag »

Unless a player wants to use a Deity-centered Cleric, let the character pray to the pantheon itself, later you can give bonuses and penalties to clerics devoted to specific deities.
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Re: Cleric Deities? Do we make them up?

Post by Solomoriah »

Also read the introductory parts of BF1 Morgansfort, which presents a capsule view of religion in the Western Lands, the campaign world described therein.
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Rosisha
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Re: Cleric Deities? Do we make them up?

Post by Rosisha »

daryen wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 9:01 pm That said, there is a supplement in the Showcase that talks about how to build gods for your setting, and there are innumerable settings available that you can take from and use, including classic mythologies. (Some form of the Norse myths seems the most popular for some reason.)
*cough cough cough* Marvel Cinematic Universe *cough cough cough*

:D
daryen
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Re: Cleric Deities? Do we make them up?

Post by daryen »

Rosisha wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 8:39 am
daryen wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 9:01 pm (Some form of the Norse myths seems the most popular for some reason.)
*cough cough cough* Marvel Cinematic Universe *cough cough cough*
Nah, this has been true for way longer than the MCU has existed. It's been true for my entire life. Honestly, from my experience (in the United States; I have no idea elsewhere), the two ancient pantheons/mythologies that are best know are the Greek(/Roman) and Norse. And that's been true for my entire life. And since most of the Greek gods are horrible as-, uh, jerks, and the Norse are not, the Norse win. (Sure, the Norse have their own peculiarities, but they are generally not serial rapists and murderers.) Plus, the mythic Norse ethos just seems to fit adventuring way better, that probably helps.
Seven
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Re: Cleric Deities? Do we make them up?

Post by Seven »

I don't know about the serial rapists and murders part.
It's pretty equivalent.

Reference to the Norse Mythology became common in fantasy literature and role-playing games, especially in Scandinavia, Germany and Britain.

The Greeks and Romans peaked at least a thousand years before the Norse, so they might be less relatable.
Rosisha
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Re: Cleric Deities? Do we make them up?

Post by Rosisha »

daryen wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 11:54 am
Rosisha wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 8:39 am
daryen wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 9:01 pm (Some form of the Norse myths seems the most popular for some reason.)
*cough cough cough* Marvel Cinematic Universe *cough cough cough*
Nah, this has been true for way longer than the MCU has existed. It's been true for my entire life. Honestly, from my experience (in the United States; I have no idea elsewhere), the two ancient pantheons/mythologies that are best know are the Greek(/Roman) and Norse. And that's been true for my entire life. And since most of the Greek gods are horrible as-, uh, jerks, and the Norse are not, the Norse win. (Sure, the Norse have their own peculiarities, but they are generally not serial rapists and murderers.) Plus, the mythic Norse ethos just seems to fit adventuring way better, that probably helps.
Ah okay I get it. Yeah when I was growing up it was the Egyptian pantheon or Gaelic. So the Norse thing for me I didn't start seeing till I started reading OSR blogs about ten years ago. Sadly that doesn't take me back far enough to be a kid :(
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Pirate GM13
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Re: Cleric Deities? Do we make them up?

Post by Pirate GM13 »

Weegeeman256 wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 8:31 pm So I've aged the system for a while hut never had a cleric or played a cleric. Reading the rules it mentions that they get their spells from a God they pray to each morning and are restricted by which one they pray to. Meaning If they pray to a healing do they won't really be able to receive damage spells. That being said are there actual gods in the book somewhere I can find or is this to the description of the PC to create their God and religion?
I think BFRPG avoids trying to force you down into one setting, since there isn't a standard setting and almost all of the adventures they have on the downloads page can be used for your specific setting.
I think that instead of making deities up and all these pantheons and what not, start with asking your Cleric what they want believe in : healing /peace for instance, or maybe war, or perhaps even death. Then you make a deity (or a billion) around that idea. And then from there I put in more deities starting with an "enemy" deity, so in this case if your Cleric wanted to worship the being of volcanoes, I would create an opposing deity of glaciers, and you can choose whether or not to use this deity at all. Then I add friends (in this case the one of lava or earthquakes) and then enemies of those friends and repeat the cycle. And soon you get an entire pantheon of deities.
Is it the dice against you or you against the dice?
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