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Zale
2011-08-15, 06:26 PM
So, I was reading this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=211510) and some of the ideas began to ricochet around in the vast echoing emptiness I call a mind.

One idea that intrigued me was that a god's power could not reach everywhere.

I blather to much. Basically, what if a god's power has to reach from their home plane to the material? Temples and holy sites for that deity are the main places where the power reaches through. Because of this, divine magic drawn from a god is stronger the closer one is to those sites, and weaker the farther away it goes.

If something like this was added to DnD, how would it affect the game as far as balance goes?

And darn it I lost The Game.

Yitzi
2011-08-15, 09:09 PM
It would make clerics a strategically defensive class, far more powerful on their home ground than in enemy territory. Balancing for both situations would be nearly impossible; the best you could go for is balance for the further-away places and have a quick dropoff (and any raid on an enemy temple is a huge undertaking.)

Domriso
2011-08-15, 09:58 PM
Also, if special holy relics (think Arc of the Covenant) could act as a portable divine source, they would become huge aspects of divine casting. Honestly, the addition of this sort of mechanic would be very interesting, if, say, a cleric who possessed a minor relic was actually extremely powerful, but they always had a little piece of their deity with them to power at least minor spells, whereas other clerics would just be cut off.

I like this idea. I might need to steal it.

Glimbur
2011-08-15, 10:10 PM
It makes it harder to be an adventurer. It also means cults, evil priests, etc which are a staple monster are comparatively more powerful than the PC's are. It depends how the idea is implemented mechanically, but that is how it will probably play out. Whether that is good or bad is a matter of taste.

Mewtarthio
2011-08-15, 10:18 PM
It makes it harder to be an adventurer. It also means cults, evil priests, etc which are a staple monster are comparatively more powerful than the PC's are. It depends how the idea is implemented mechanically, but that is how it will probably play out. Whether that is good or bad is a matter of taste.

What if you flipped it around? Say the gods tend to favor, ah, "aggressive evangelism." The clerics are the soldiers on the front lines. They're at their weakest if they stay home on holy ground, because the gods figure they've already got those areas covered. When they're deep in enemy territory, on the other hand, their patrons pump them full of extra energy, so they can better defend themselves from the heathens.

erictheredd
2011-08-15, 11:31 PM
You could even say that some gods cover the temples of their nemesis, or need very little effort to do so. Perhaps there is a simple ritual to turn the altar of the god of tyranny into an altar of the god of valor, In which case a raid turns into either a stealthy approach or a mad dash to the altar, a desecration, and then calling for reinforcements.

I have been considering this a lot recently because of the setting in my signature. In it most sites grant bonuses to the followers of a specific god. My thought for balancing it was just considering the added bonus as part of the difficulty. Of course, that deals with just a moderate bonus, not dead spots for the cleric.

I suggest making ways for the cleric to get loop holes. Perhaps he can cast a little in the dead areas. perhaps he can create an area in which he can channel divine energy (and destroy the areas of the other cleric). Perhaps he can carry around artifacts that allow casting where they are (and suddenly the cleric has a weak spot)

if your worried about balance vs. the monsters, you can just account for the change. use your GM skills. If you are worried about balance within the party, Cleric is a powerful class in the first place. You could see the cleric depending more on the rest of the party to get him to the places where he can shine.

Amechra
2011-08-15, 11:42 PM
Hmmm...

I had an idea similar to this for a campaign setting once; the idea was that cities were built around mystical fonts of magic (just as IRL cities are built around/near valuable resources.)

As you went out to adventure, you would get magically weaker (sure, you would keep any prepped spells/spell slots you have, but you can't RECOVER them while your out there.)

So basically, maybe divine casters can "store" a bit of power (maybe 1~2 spells of each level), and they can access that magic wherever they are; however, they gain access to all their slots when in a place sacred to their deity, and can't prep spells except in their deity's area.

Melayl
2011-08-16, 10:09 AM
What if they could temporarily "consecrate" areas away from their temples? Make temporary mimi-temples, if you would. Make it some type of ritual (with appropriate materials and costs), with a defined range (or range/level) and duration.

They could then replenish spells/power away from home, and possibly provide themselves with a "stronghold" to fight from in enemy lands.