Obediences and Alignment

[Xuldarinar]

There are four (or more if I am missing something) feats that I would like to talk about:

Agonizing Obedience (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/agonizing-obedience)
Celestial Obedience (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/celestial-obedience)
Deific Obedience (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/deific-obedience)
Demonic Obedience (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/demonic-obedience)

For the sake of discussion, lets just call them obedience feats. These each require a particular practice to be done based upon a choice associated with each. Three of them pertain to worship, where as one does not. My questions here relate to these, and alignment.

1. While there is none listed, are there any alignment requirements associated with these?

2. Should these obediences be considered evil/chaotic/lawful/good acts in of themselves (pendent upon the individual of one's obedience), or should that be a case by case basis? Essentially, if an obedience wouldn't otherwise necessarily be an X act, should it be considered an X act because it is in devotion to an individual of X alignment?

3. Relevant to three of these, and perhaps the first question, what does it mean to worship an entity? What does that exactly entail?

4. Are there any other feats that behave in a similar matter to these, perhaps pertaining to other entities?

5. Between Celestial, Demonic and Deific, can you ever possess more than one of these? That is to ask, can you worship more than one entity and therefore qualify for both Deific and Demonic, Deific and Celestial, Demonic and Celestial, or all three?

[LordOfCain]

1. While there is none listed, are there any alignment requirements associated with these?

2. Should these obediences be considered evil/chaotic/lawful/good acts in of themselves (pendent upon the individual of one's obedience), or should that be a case by case basis? Essentially, if an obedience wouldn't otherwise necessarily be an X act, should it be considered an X act because it is in devotion to an individual of X alignment?

3. Relevant to three of these, and perhaps the first question, what does it mean to worship an entity? What does that exactly entail?

4. Are there any other feats that behave in a similar matter to these, perhaps pertaining to other entities?

5. Between Celestial, Demonic and Deific, can you ever possess more than one of these? That is to ask, can you worship more than one entity and therefore qualify for both Deific and Demonic, Deific and Celestial, Demonic and Celestial, or all three?
1. You should probably be within one alignment shift of the creature.
2. Taking one of these obedience feats in my POV would be a evil/chaotic/lawful/good act.
3. To pray to that entity for guidance and attempt to help that entity accomplish it's goals and believe in that entity's goals.
4. I don't believe so.
5. I would say you can not take more than one as from my POV you can only truly worship one entity in D&D.

[grarrrg]

1. While there is none listed, are there any alignment requirements associated with these?

Strictly speaking, no.
More usefully speaking, all come with alignment requirements (3 because you must choose a deity to worship, and Agonizing because those are not exactly "good" acts).

A character is most likely to worship a deity within one alignment step of their own, as they are more likely to believe in what their deity believes in (and some classes such as Cleric REQUIRE you be within one step).
A character that is 3 or more steps away from their deity will have one of 2 things happen over time: either their alignment will shift closer to their deity, or they'll find a different deity that more closely matches their alignment/beliefs.
A 'non-drifting' character that is 2 steps away may be possible, e.g. small village and EVERYONE worships "the farm goddess", the alignment may not perfectly match, and you aren't a rabid devotee, but there's no one else around worth worshiping.


2. Should these obediences be considered evil/chaotic/lawful/good acts in of themselves (pendent upon the individual of one's obedience), or should that be a case by case basis? Essentially, if an obedience wouldn't otherwise necessarily be an X act, should it be considered an X act because it is in devotion to an individual of X alignment?

If it isn't otherwise an [aligned] act it does not become one.


3. Relevant to three of these, and perhaps the first question, what does it mean to worship an entity? What does that exactly entail?

Basically choosing them as the one and only deity you (currently) worship, to the exclusion of all others (and/or a pantheon as appropriate).
You choose them based on them matching up with your own personal beliefs.
A Druid will likely worship a Nature deity, as they believe in the same things.
A Necromancer who summons an army of Skeletons will NOT be worshiping Pharasma (or at least not for very long) as Pharasma abhors undead.


5. Between Celestial, Demonic and Deific, can you ever possess more than one of these? That is to ask, can you worship more than one entity and therefore qualify for both Deific and Demonic, Deific and Celestial, Demonic and Celestial, or all three?

You can NEVER have Celestial and Demonic at the same time, Demonic requires a "demon lord" who are all Chaotic Evil, and Celestial requires an "empyreal lord" who are all Good aligned, thus there is no overlap (technically you could _have_ both feats if your alignment/worship shifted at some point, but you would not be able to benefit from both at the same time).

Celestial is not likely to combine with Agonizing, as in order to use Agonizing you have to commit some non-good acts, and Celestial requires worship of a Good deity.

Deific can potentially combine with any of them, so long as the chosen deity qualifies for both > not every deity has a qualifying obedience entry in the books (although you can potentially work with your DM to write one up).

[Xuldarinar]

6. Can the worship of a pantheon allow one to qualify for one (or more than one) of the obedience feats?