What are the rules exactly?

[petermcleod117]

OK, so I read through the rules for posting on this site, and while all of them make sense, one of them seems a little to... vague to be useful as a guideline for discussion topics. Or maybe it isn't, and I'm just a noodle brain. Who knows?

Anyways, so the rule that I am having difficulty understanding the limits of, is the restriction against real-world religions.

The problem I have is that there are a number of supplements that I absolutely adore which sometimes borrow wholesale from real-world religions. I am guessing that religions that nobody really follows anymore are exceptions, such as Egyptian and Homeric religions. That's not an issue. However, you have manuals such as Green Ronin's Mystic Vistas: Testament and Mythic Vistas: The Medieval Player's Guide, which together deal with Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and Roman Catholicism in game terms, and rather respectfully I might add.

So, my question is, is it against the rules to talk about contemporary real-world religions at all, or can I, say, discuss the play-ability of the Levite Priest and the Saint base classes on the forum?

In either case, I have no intention of debating religion on this site or anything else like that. I just happen to really, really like those two manuals, and I am concerned that I might get hit with the ban hammer if I bring them up.

[Psyren]

The line is real world vs. fiction. So you could talk about the fictional version of the Egyptian pantheon as portrayed in Dungeons & Dragons, or the Mummy movies, or a video game like SMITE, etc. But not the real world versions. Similarly, you could talk about Thor as fictionally portrayed in Order of the Stick, or D&D (again), or the Marvel Universe - but not the real-world Thor.

For relevant Roland quotes on the subject, the forum search turns up a bunch.

[Khedrac]

My understanding (I am not a mod) is:

1. You can discuss any religion as it pertains to a game world (but see below).{I wouldn't say this exactly. You can talk about the fictional version of a religion, but you can't talk about a real world religion, even if it pertains to a game world. - Roland}

2. You cannot discuss any religion (fictional or otherwise) as it pertains to the real world.

For example, back in the day Imagine magazine published a write-up of Sobek as a deity for AD&D, basing it on the historical Egyptian deity.
It is legal to discuss the ramifications of the class abilities.
It is legal to discuss how the worship of Sobek works in your campaign world.
It is not legal to discuss whether they captured the real religion accurately.
It is not legal to reference the real world when discussing how the religion works in your campaign world.

There remain grey areas - if your campaign world is Earth, they you have to be very clear that this is your version of the religion and Earth, it is not the real world, and tbh it is probably best not to post here at all - as any reply would probably break the forum rules. This gets easier the further your world departs from reality as it becomes to tell the worlds apart.

So, with regards to your specific question, yes you can discuss the play-ability of the Levite Priest and the Saint base classes on the forum, but do not reference the real-world when you do so.

Same goes for politics.

[Douglas]

I think that pretty much covers it, I'll just make one additional point.


I am guessing that religions that nobody really follows anymore are exceptions, such as Egyptian and Homeric religions.
You'd be surprised how many people "nobody" really is.

[LibraryOgre]

I am guessing that religions that nobody really follows anymore are exceptions, such as Egyptian and Homeric religions.

To add on to Douglas, I find this to be a constant source of confusion for folks. Just because you don't personally know folks who follow those deities doesn't mean they aren't there, or here. I have personally met people who sincerely follow the Seldarine. (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Seldarine) I've got marks to two deities carved on my flesh... three, depending on how you count the d20 tattoo.

It's fine to discuss deities in the fictional context of the Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, or your homebrew, but not in the context of the real world ("How do you bring more Hanali Celanil to your bedroom?"). If you're going to talk about the theology of specialty priests of Thor, the prime reference work is Legends and Lore, NOT the Prose Eddas.