| From: | Boehme Christian <boehmec@******.UNI-MARBURG.DE> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Priests |
| Date: | Tue, 24 May 1994 15:47:02 CST |
Recently there have been some discussions about the possibility of
using religion as a source for magic and creating a character
class similar to the priest which most FRP systems include.
I think if you use this kind of magic, you could easily endanger
the hole SR timeline. Just think of the power the RCC would have if
only a few percents of their priests could use magic just because of
their strong believe in God. They would be a strong force in future
history, just as every other of the big religions.
On the other hand you'll miss much fun if you don't allow magic coming
from religions with roots younger than 5500 years. Imagine your party
visiting Egypt. No power in the pyramids ? No power coming from the
sphinx ? No dog headed high priest wielding fearful spells at you ?
That's impossible. Or try to involve the cthulhu mythos without allowing
priests. What about a mad fundamental christian priest with a powerful
focus in the shape of the cross fighting a vampire ? BTW, the druidic
cult places on the British isles are not older than 5500 years referring
to radiocarbonmethod.
So I think you should allow priests in your world, but make some
restrictions. Religion with its books and rules certainly doesn't offer
the direct emotional approach of the shaman. On the other hand the
scientific way of the hermetics is difficult, too, because real science
requires a free mind without religous prejudices. So a priest certainly
only can use magic when it is for the purpose of the religion. Not for
himself, not for the party, not for anything else. Additionally in very
large religious communities, as christianity for example, this use of
magic is blocked by the hierarchic and dogmatic structure, which leads
the members of these communities to look for the force in the next rank
above but not in oneself. In these communities only a few loners or members
of small sects may use magic.
But what about the gods themselves ? They could be very powerful beings
on a metaplane which just cannot be reached by todays magicians and who
cannot (or don't want to) reach our plane as well. They may act through
their minions (angels, demons, spawn of cthulhu, the sphinx...) though, but
this may also be restricted in some way. Everything just IMHO, of course.
Christian (still no signature).
