Nobody makes religious characters "just 'cuz"

[Weslocke]

I find the OP's post to be rather saddening. Role-playing a characters religious motivations can add numerous layers of depth to a non-divine character. I feel a twinge of pain hearing that your players habitually "switch" these options off. They probably do not know what they are missing. My advice would be to try and show them with a religious wizard or fighter NPC. It is worth a try.

[TriOmegaZero]

Ellis Mirari wrote:

One one hand, a particularly devout person might be sensitive to pretending to worship another deity.

Indeed, I had a player who was just that way.

[_Cobalt_]

Grey Lensman wrote:

Ivan Rûski wrote:

those who are especially religious in real life and would be uncomfortable playing a character who worships a made up god

Oddly enough, most of the Christian gamers I know have less problems roleplaying what they consider to be a made up god granting powers than putting their own into the game.

I can second this. As a Christian gamer, I am perfectly comfortable having one of my characters "worship" a made-up deity. Dropping the Judeo-Christian God into a place like Golarion would be clumsy and lazy, so I say whatever and just find deities similar to Him. Iomedae, Sarenrae, and Ragathiel seem to have the best fits in terms of aesthetics and even some bits of basic theological theme.

[thejeff]

Dropping the Judeo-Christian God into a place like Golarion is also likely to lead to all sorts of arguments about how he really should respond to events and too the behavior of his followers.

I don't know how you'd avoid that without treating him as a largely unknowable, non-openly-interventionist diety, with multiple religions and sects arguing about his nature: much like the real world.

And somebody would be upset by that portrayal anyway.

[Snorter]

_Cobalt_ wrote:

Dropping the Judeo-Christian God into a place like Golarion would be clumsy and lazy, so I say whatever and just find deities similar to Him.

The ironic thing is, the GM in a case like this, probably thinks they're doing their religious players a favour ("I'm adding content, tailored just for you!"), and don't get why the option isn't being taken up.

[Ivan Rûski]

Ivan Rûski wrote:

those who are especially religious in real life and would be uncomfortable playing a character who worships a made up god

Just in case this part of my post was vague, that comment came directly from what those players told me when asked why nobody wants to play a cleric.

[Orthos]

I think we follow. That's the same response I had from the one guy in my old group who was the same way.

I just think he and your players are the exception more than the rule, at least in my own experience and apparently several others' here.

[Ellis Mirari]

Orthos wrote:

I think we follow. That's the same response I had from the one guy in my old group who was the same way.

I just think he and your players are the exception more than the rule, at least in my own experience and apparently several others' here.

Mhm. Honestly I think it's the lack of personal spirituality that many of my gamer friends have that makes them not think of creating religious characters for their own sake, as opposed to playing a class.

[Chris Lambertz]

Removed a few posts. Let's keep posts on topic, please.

[Orthos]

Thank you Chris.

[Klaus van der Kroft]

thejeff wrote:

Dropping the Judeo-Christian God into a place like Golarion is also likely to lead to all sorts of arguments about how he really should respond to events and too the behavior of his followers.

I don't know how you'd avoid that without treating him as a largely unknowable, non-openly-interventionist diety, with multiple religions and sects arguing about his nature: much like the real world.

And somebody would be upset by that portrayal anyway.

In my experience this doesn't happen as often as one would think. While using Capital G God in Golarion would seem strange, let's not forget there are plenty of games where He appears quite actively.

For instance, one of my favourite games is Ars Magica, which takes place in a mythical version of medieval Europe. God is not only important, but also very active in the game (having even revived a roman emperor at the requests of the Pope, but essentially warning him not to ask that again). At the same time, however, it is also presented in a manner that could, theoretically, ruffle some feathers: God works through Christians, but also through Muslims, Jews, and even some pagans (though the latter are usually more related to the Realm of Magic/Realm of Faerie rather than God, who is the Realm of the Divine). Yet I've never heard of anyone having a problem, and I play with some pretty devout Catholics, several of which belong to the Opus Dei (which is quite orthodox).

[Ellis Mirari]

Let's remember, though, that there's no reason one HAS to play in Golarion, especially someone going to the lengths of using a custom deity (real-world inspired though it may be).

[Slaunyeh]

Klaus van der Kroft wrote:

For instance, one of my favourite games is Ars Magica, which takes place in a mythical version of medieval Europe. God is not only important, but also very active in the game

Not to mention Demon: the Fallen where God may not be terrible active, but has played a rather important role in shaping the setting. :)

[Zombieneighbours]

I play religious character without mechanical benifit relatively regularly.

My 20's and 30's Cthulhu character are often religious, my current 4e fighter is a follower of Asmodius.

I am especially fond of playing religious characters in games where there the setting means that their faith is miss places. There is good roleplay fodder in a character who's faith is destroyed by the truths of the world, and who must find a way to live without that crutch.