[EdinSumar]

This was changed awhile ago, but as an FYI, rangers no longer have to select a Nature-based deity when selecting their god. Druids still do have to choose from the nature-base deities though.

Also, rangers will have to match the alignment restrictions of the god's clergy. So no Lawful Good Rangers of Talos for example.

It does allow a lot of nice combinations, such as rangers of Hoar or Sheverash (which really seems in order, Sheverash is a god who promotes vengeance, bowmanship and tracking amongst other very rangerlike behavior, following Hoar's creed will also make one quite the vengeful tracker :))

[Karilynn]

Maybe this is already posted on the forum, and I'm just inept at finding it ( ;) ), but is there a list of gods that are "illegal" to worship in Thay? I know some are frowned upon, but there are some that are beyond that (like Mystra).

Also, for temples with multiple locations (Cyric and Loviatar come to mind since both have temples in Eltabbar and Bezantur), does it matter which you join? Will both recognize you as a member, or only the specific one you join at? Or does only one of each of their temples accept people joining?

And is Velsharoon officially available now for people to select as a god?

[EdinSumar]

Azuth and Mystra are the only two gods that are outright illegal to worship in Thay, rather than just frowned upon. This is because both of these gods advocate the free spread of magical knowledge, which the Red Wizards are a bit iffy about, prefering to keep power to themselves. Openly worshipping Azuth or Mystra is punishable by death or slavery.

As for the second question, yes, it does matter. The two temples of Cyric are actually not that friendly with each other, even, while the two different Loviatarian temples just have nothing to do with eachother when speaking about heirarchy. If you are member of the Eltabbar temple to Cyric, you are not recognised as a member in Bezantur and vice-versa.

As for the third question, yes, should be.

[kta]

And is Velsharoon officially available now for people to select as a god?

He will become a true god in about 5-6 months Thay-time and will then be selectable as a patron god.

KTA

[Arios]

Druids still do have to choose from the nature-base deities though.

Eh? Since when did druids need a deity to spellcast?
Never seen that specified as necessary in any material before, although as I recall most druid spellcasting information is extremely vauge or contradictory.

Gogo house rules! ;)

[kta]

From http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Druid:

A druid is a versatile and often heroic character, capable in both combat and casting evocations. Druids obtain these primal powers from being at one with nature or from one of several patrons of the wild, often gods or powerful nature spirits.

Due to nwn game/engine mechanics it is required for druid PC's to choose a deity to be able to cast.

KTA

[EdinSumar]

Actually, it is a Forgotten Realms thing.

In the Forgotten Realms, all Divine magic is provided exclusively by deities. While in other settings, a Cleric would be able to get power from some vague philosophical ideal, in the realms, only deities grant such power.

All Divine classes, Druids, Rangers, Paladins, Clerics and all others, are granted powers by a deity and only a deity in the Forgotten Realms. At least before 4th Edition, I don't know what happens after the Spellplague.

EDIT: Note that certain powerful local nature spirits (such as those of Rashemen) are on par with demigods or even minor deities, and as such are able to grant spells to druids of the local area. Though most druids still draw spells from one of the bigger nature gods, Silvanus (for the hardliners) and Chauntea (for the much more moderate) being favorites.

[Arios]

[quote='kta' pid='4885' dateline='1302178818']
From http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Druid: [quote]A druid is a versatile and often heroic character, capable in both combat and casting evocations. Druids obtain these primal powers from being at one with nature or from one of several patrons of the wild, often gods or powerful nature spirits.[/quote]

That's the way I always read it :P

Also from the dnd wiki, DnD Wiki
"A druid can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to her own or her deity’s (if she has one)."

Edin's explaination is the theory I mostly heard in support of druid deities, although that then pokes a hole in the logic of rangers not needing them in Thay (which was the crux upon which I began this)...

End of the day, I didn't build the place so I don't care what rules it wants to use :P just raised the issue for discussions sake.

Also, in response to Edin;
"Prior to 4th edition, they gain divine magic from being at one with nature, or from one of several patron gods of the wild, while in 4th edition, they gain primal magic from the world and its nature spirits."

That's from the dreaded wikipedia though, so take it with a pinch of salt.

[kta]

4th edition

Sorry, we do not deal in contraband here, move along!

KTA

[Balanor]

And is Velsharoon officially available now for people to select as a god?

He will become a true god in about 5-6 months Thay-time and will then be selectable as a patron god.

KTA

Yes, the timing of the end of the campaign didn't quite work out as I planned. He doesn't officially ascend until 1369 I believe, which is somewhere in that 3-6 month timeframe. However, according to official lore Talos immediately begins to use him for his own purposes and forces Velsharoon to expend the new powers he received from the ritual at a great rate. Velsharoon realizes he is only being used by Talos and will eventually lose all he has gained, so he strikes a deal with Azuth to 'break free' of Talos' influence, and with Mystra's protection (or her continual meddling as some would call it!) he is shielded from Talos' retribution and is truly a 'free' god at that point.

Sooo....I would consider that is happening *now* in-game. Talos is using Velsharoon and perhaps not allowing him to gather worshippers. But when he breaks free of Talos' influence (say in 1369 DR), that is when he is able to start gathering his own worshippers and is a selectable deity to worship.

And now I just ruined one of my ideas for the next campaign, but this probably needed to be explained in a IC way. ;)


And yes - keep those dirty 4th edition rules off these forums Arios!