So what is all this about religion, then?
Simply put, clerics get their spells from a god - we think that clerics should know which god they get their spells from, and we also think that the clerics should behave in a way that their god approves of. If they don’t the god punishes then somehow.
So this is only for clerics then?
The biggest effects are for clerics, certainly. However, any character can choose to follow a religion and incorporate the attitudes associated with the religion into their role play.
And if I don’t choose a religion?
You won’t be able to progress as a cleric until you choose a religion to follow, for other classes there is very little effect at all. However, you will miss out on XP awards for religious RP when sacrificing at the altar of the god you follow. You may also miss out on extra healing and rewards given out by the clerics and altars in the temple.
How will my cleric be affected?
Each god favours a particular alignment range - so long as your cleric’s alignment stays within that range you should not encounter any problems. Some deities have favoured weapons that carry minor advantages and disadvantages.
Favoured weapons? Advantages and disadvantages?
Yep. While the cleric uses the deity's favoured weapon they get slightly improved saves which gives a small advantage in combat. The down side is that when they don’t use the favoured weapons - their saves are a little bit worse than normal.
What about Domains?
We chose not to implement clerical restrictions based on Domains, because we felt they were too restrictive. We want to reward players for ‘flavouring’ their RP so it fits in with the world, not make it completely prescriptive. You are free to choose which ever domains you want your cleric to have.
So where do I find these deities then?
None of those deities suit me. What can I do?
That is not too much of a problem, we can always add new deities, it just needs a bit of preparation. However, new deities must be presented consistently and they must add something to the world. If you want to play a typical viking cleric, and you know your subject well enough to help me write the description – wewill add it. The same goes for just about any other deity - HOWEVER, we need to see how they add something concrete to the world before they go in. We are going to be more sympathetic to deities who add a new cultural aspect to the world, or who represent a different portfolio to those already offered.
