Picking Faiths for Non-Cleric Characters

[Haven]

I can't be the only one who wishes that they could select a deity to follow on my other characters. My very first D&D character was a half-elf Warlord (4e) that worshipped the dwarven god Moradin. I tried to recreate him as a fighter battlemaster but was disappointed when I couldn't select his deity, a feature that heavily defined the way my character was played. And what of my Drow bladedancer Wizard from Menzoberanzan that secretly worships Eilistraee?

Also, Drow having two "subraces" feels really strange when the options could be summed up with either picking a religion or a hometown.

Anybody else wish they could select a religion for their characters?

[Haven]

I'm a christian and don't understand how Zak had a christian-based faith/redemption. He was in a "good place" or something like that from what he could tell when the moon elves divined to see if his soul was okay. There have been some references to deities plucking people from the fugue who fit their tenets during life so I kinda figured that was what happened.

[Raist]

It would be nice story addition/development, maybe as a side major quest. Unlike cleric, at some point other classes are able to choose a deity to follow or become a deity oneself.

Warlock - defying the servitude and become the master, and work towards godship.

Sorcerer/Wizard - gathers power to become a deity, maybe some quest with Mystra, or just follows the chosen god to the end.

Ranger/rogue/fighter - depending on the chosen deity(maybe even include certain race for different outcomes), each one gets something else for story line towards worship, godship or something else(like becoming a double-agent).

[Lady_Regret]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από ArchmageXin:

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Lady_Regret:

I believe Drow are considered auto claimed by Lloth unless they actively take a deity that isn't her. Even if she doesn't like them she still ends up with their souls which she turns into spider demons.

Tell that to RA. Salvatore, who decided to give Drizzt's father a Christan faith/redeepmtion in the last second...

Newer books imply that he was stolen from Lloth when he was resurrected so...don't know what you're talking about there. Zak was essentially a faithless Drow, given his hatred of Lloth, but she apparently still had possession of his soul both times he died.

[Haven]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Lady_Regret:

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από ArchmageXin:

Tell that to RA. Salvatore, who decided to give Drizzt's father a Christan faith/redeepmtion in the last second...

Newer books imply that he was stolen from Lloth when he was resurrected so...don't know what you're talking about there. Zak was essentially a faithless Drow, given his hatred of Lloth, but she apparently still had possession of his soul both times he died.

When he took his swan dive and died the second time he was an undead puppet in service to Llolth. He still belonged to her, but later on when Drizzt helped out some surface elves, they confirmed to him after some divining that Zak was in a good place, not in Llolth's clutches. Many drow ASSUME that he was stolen from Llolth, but it is never confirmed. Definitely some plot holes in there, but it made for a good story.

[HELLAFLUSH]

You'd have to be a Seldarine drow to choose anything but Lloth, but I get where you're coming from. Sword Coast Legends I think had a deity selection for all characters and it was really nice.

[Ratsplat]

It honestly depends on whether such things come up in the game. If deity dialogue is purely based on clerics, it could add extra work adding deity choices for all other classes as well.

[-]

Agreed.

[HELLAFLUSH]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Ratsplat:

It honestly depends on whether such things come up in the game. If deity dialogue is purely based on clerics, it could add extra work adding deity choices for all other classes as well.

It doesn't have to pop up in dialogue tho. He just wants it there as a flavor option.

[HELLAFLUSH]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από GrandMajora:

Neverwinter Nights let you pick a religion for your character, regardless of what your class was. So yes, I'm disappointed no other D&D game has thus far seen fit to give us the same option.

I also agree that the Drow having subraces is kind of weird, since Lolth Sworn implies that you worship Lolth by default, and therefor wouldn't need to bother picking her as a Cleric.

It's a thing tho. They aren't subraces per-se but Seld drow are ways to represent that you want a Drizzt-like drow. You have to remember that Drow historically are the elves that swore themselves to Lloth during the big elven pantheon war and were thus exiled with her. This isn't a society that "lets" you choose another deity.
At best you're an atheist, in which case you couldn't be a cleric to begin with you know?

[Haven]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από HELLAFLUSH:

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από GrandMajora:

Neverwinter Nights let you pick a religion for your character, regardless of what your class was. So yes, I'm disappointed no other D&D game has thus far seen fit to give us the same option.

I also agree that the Drow having subraces is kind of weird, since Lolth Sworn implies that you worship Lolth by default, and therefor wouldn't need to bother picking her as a Cleric.

It's a thing tho. They aren't subraces per-se but Seld drow are ways to represent that you want a Drizzt-like drow. You have to remember that Drow historically are the elves that swore themselves to Lloth during the big elven pantheon war and were thus exiled with her. This isn't a society that "lets" you choose another deity.
At best you're an atheist, in which case you couldn't be a cleric to begin with you know?

Oh, I understand what it is meant for but it still doesn't make much sense to me in its current implementation. Drizzt was from Menzoberranzan but abandoned it and forsook Llolth. So were you try to build him he would be a Seldarin Drow for religion and a llolth-sworn drow for hometown.

Except he wouldn't because those aren't good fits. Seldarin refers to the non-drow elvish pantheon with the drow pantheon being known as the dark seldarin. Except Eilistraee is a part of the dark seldarin and you can only pick her if you are a seladrin drow, but if you are a seldarin drow you're still not even limited to the seladrin options... It is just a really rough fit. Put drow under elves (I understand separating them to signify the large narrative difference, but they ARE elves) and give them two selection fields: religion and origin. For origin, have Underdark/Menzoberranzan, Baldur's Gate, and none/other. For religion, have a highlighted extra bit of detail under Llolth to explain the diferent narrative opportunities and make it the default option for visibility, but let the player switch it if they want. Heck, you can keep the two different drow even if they were under Elves, just call the seldarin drow something like non-Llolthian drow or something that is more accurate.

And yes, I know that this would be creating a bunch of extra work. I'm in the industry and understand the degree of it more than most. But in a perfect world, something like what I've described is what I would change.

[ElHeroe]

If your an atheist in the forgotten realms you will end in the wall of the faithless. Larian save us rom that please.

[Dragon Master]

I find it more hilarious that a lolth-sworn drow who's male can be a cleric, since they're actually not allowed to in lore.

I'm guessing the drow who do that got banished from the Underdark because they learned in secret from someone who got executed and that's how the mind flayers got them. lol.

[Admod, the Equivocal]

To be honest, I'm confused why Lolth-sworn drow don't know more about mind flayers...both of them being in the underdark and everything.

[Siddown]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από GrandMajora:

Neverwinter Nights let you pick a religion for your character, regardless of what your class was. So yes, I'm disappointed no other D&D game has thus far seen fit to give us the same option.

But this isn't really accurate though, at least for humans, since non-clerics will often offer tribute to any number of different deities based on the situation. A farmer might offer tribute to the Gods of the Harvest during parts of the growing season, might pray to the Gods of Thunder in time of drought, will throw a coin to the Goddess of Luck (Tymora) on the day of their daughter's wedding, say a prayer to Waukeen on the day they are going to market to sell their crops, etc., etc., etc.

Based on their profession they might tend to lean more towards one of the others, but they will acknowledge and say a prayer to the others when the situation arises (including praising "evil" gods to avoid bad things), and as silly as that sounds, it makes sense. If you knew that more than one deity existed, you'd probably want to avoid angering any of them if you could.

Other races seem to be a bit more "you praise just one", so your mileage may vary of course, but picking just one deity for anyone but a cleric isn't really consistent with 5E lore (even Paladins now that oaths been removed from religious influence).

[Lady_Regret]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Dragon Master:

I find it more hilarious that a lolth-sworn drow who's male can be a cleric, since they're actually not allowed to in lore.

There actually are male clerics of Lloth they just aren’t allowed in Menzoberranzan. Other Llothite cities are less strict about it. It’s a male cleric of Lloth who heals Drizzt in The Silent Blade.

I think if they’re going to have Seldarine Drow as a whole separate subrace though they should include more non Lloth Drow deities. Not just Eilistraee.