Now THIS would be cool. [3.5]

[Darklord Xavez]

I just thought up the following concept, which I will play in an IRL game I am going to be playing soon (the PbP is dead already).

They would be the only favored soul in the game world, which sets them apart from everybody else, which fits, considering their religion. They only believe in one deity, and they also think that all of the "gods" that everybody else worships are all just different aspects of the same god. His prayers would be interesting, such as which facets he would pray to on the day before a big battle:

• Kord for strength in battle;
• Eurythnul to destroy his enemies;
• Halmyr (from Complete Warrior) that his planning may win the day;
• Lyris to give him the luck to defeat his foes;
• and Heironious that he may have the courage to face his enemies.

Interesting idea, huh?
-Xavez

[Crossblade]

If he's saying different names, the by definition, he acknowledges multiple gods. Other than that, if the DM approves you being the ONLY favored soul, more power to ya.

[prufock]

D&D is polytheistic by default, so worshiping different gods for different applications isn't unusual. However, the viewpoint that they are all aspects of ONE deity is a bit unusual. I can see interesting RP possibilities, especially in conversation with others who may be a little more conventional/fanatic in their beliefs. I don't think there are any mechanical differences, but I've never played that class, so I could be wrong.

If he's saying different names, the by definition, he acknowledges multiple gods. Other than that, if the DM approves you being the ONLY favored soul, more power to ya.

Not necessarily. There are real-world analogues in which deities have different "parts." He could recognize them as entities without necessarily being individual gods.

[Godless_Paladin]

I just thought up the following concept, which I will play in an IRL game I am going to be playing soon (the PbP is dead already).

They would be the only favored soul in the game world, which sets them apart from everybody else, which fits, considering their religion. They only believe in one deity, and they also think that all of the "gods" that everybody else worships are all just different aspects of the same god. His prayers would be interesting, such as which facets he would pray to on the day before a big battle:

• Kord for strength in battle;
• Eurythnul to destroy his enemies;
• Halmyr (from Complete Warrior) that his planning may win the day;
• Lyris to give him the luck to defeat his foes;
• and Heironious that he may have the courage to face his enemies.

Interesting idea, huh?
-Xavez

Well, it's just polytheism. I guess polytheism has always been an interesting thing. *Shrug*

Maybe take a look at the pantheistic prestige classes like Sovereign Speaker and grab some 10 domains. Well, if favored souls actually get anything like that... I've never played one.

D&D is polytheistic by default, so worshiping different gods for different applications isn't unusual.

What Greyhawk and FR offer is better described as monolatry than polytheism.

Monolatry is basically the form old school Judaism took: Sure, other gods exist, but our god is coolest!

[Xallace]

...what would happen with your Weapon Focus/Specialization class feature?

[kamikasei]

So where do his spells actually come from? If a god has favoured him, why doesn't that god get annoyed when he doesn't properly acknowledge her? What about the other gods in whose name he's channeling his real patron's power? Wouldn't they be annoyed to be co-opted?

It seems like this would either be pretty straightforward polytheism, or else a really weird combination of either the gods being not-quite-there and divine power coming from the wielder's belief, or one god trying to run some kind of plot against the others using the favored soul as a pawn.

[Hat-Trick]

Over-deity is the real patron, but since it's an over deity, it doesn't really care what it's called, or that a mortal is even channeling his energy, it's like an employee using company computers to look up the definition of a word. It doesn't really matter, and what's the point of getting on 'em for it.

[Yora]

D&D is polytheistic by default, so worshiping different gods for different applications isn't unusual. However, the viewpoint that they are all aspects of ONE deity is a bit unusual.

However such views can actually be found in many historical and current polytheistic religions. While to my knowledge never applied in any of the big D&D setting, it's not such an unusual concept.

[Godless_Paladin]

However such views can actually be found in many historical and current polytheistic religions. While to my knowledge never applied in any of the big D&D setting, it's not such an unusual concept.

Eberron hints vaguely at the possibility of one.

Of course, Eberron hints vaguely at a lot of different and sometimes contradictory possibilities behind the greater mysteries of the universe, without giving you the "real" answer. Which is just fantastic, because it creates a framework for DMs to weave and enhance their own stories, rather than slotting into someone else's.

[Yora]

As omeone who studies these things at university (religion, not RPGs ), most fantasy settings are completely missing the great potential that lies in different religious believes. Usually there's just one great pantheon, and everyone in the world believes that these gods exists and each one is exactly what everyone else claims them to be; they are just really powerful NPCs.
Only Eberron and Dragon Age come to my mind as exceptions, in which some religions just tell the others right to the face "no, you are wrong!". I played Dragon Age with a polytheistic wood elf, and in many situations the choices that seemed the right ones for him, would be completely insane for a follower of the monothestic church. This is something that's sadly completely underused in many works.

[Cyrion]

Sounds a lot like an idea a friend of mine in college went with. He was a Fundamentalist Christian and set up his world so that there was one God, but clerics got support/spells from His angels. It didn't really change the crunch, but the fluff was very different from the typical poly-pantheon or polytheistic D&D setting.

[JeenLeen]

A fluff alteration could have Favored Souls not need be favored by a particular deity, or that it is an overdeity who does not care who he prays for. Also, as I read Favored Soul, nothing in the class states that the character has to remain faithful to the deity; they cannot fall as clerics can. So a person who was blessed by Vecna could eventually become Good and use their accursed powers against the lich-god.

Or, if that is not an accurate possibility of Favored Soul's fluff, the DM can make it so. Polytheism might be the truth in the campaign setting, but the character believes they are all aspects of a single deity or One. That is certainty a logically-consistent view, even if the Aspects say they are not all part of One and rather dislike him lying about them.

[Godless_Paladin]

As omeone who studies these things at university (religion, not RPGs ), most fantasy settings are completely missing the great potential that lies in different religious believes.

This is why I play Eberron :D