Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:31 pm
FYI, I decided to join the Sunset Court.
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I'm not sure if you're addressing my concern.Xar wrote:As I said, you can still do things outside your domains, it's just much more difficult. So, to take Maeror's example, you could still raise a spire out of the earth - it would just be much more expensive in terms of DRP, but you can do it (unless the goddess of Earth doesn't give you permission).
Also, more specific domains are more limited in scope, but more powerful in function. A god of forests doesn't have control over, say, plains or over the underwater fauna (competences of the god of Nature and possibly the god of the Sea), but when dealing with forests, the god would be able to do more with the same expenditure of DRP than the god of nature. A god of forests could control forests - animate them, grow them, wither them, give birth to special kinds of trees, and the like (asking permission from other deities if appropriate, in the latter case). In the case of the god of forests, you might vaguely imagine the kind of power of the Ents of Lord of the Rings, only more so.
Let's summarize it in a principle:Zephyr wrote:I'm not sure if you're addressing my concern.Xar wrote:As I said, you can still do things outside your domains, it's just much more difficult. So, to take Maeror's example, you could still raise a spire out of the earth - it would just be much more expensive in terms of DRP, but you can do it (unless the goddess of Earth doesn't give you permission).
Also, more specific domains are more limited in scope, but more powerful in function. A god of forests doesn't have control over, say, plains or over the underwater fauna (competences of the god of Nature and possibly the god of the Sea), but when dealing with forests, the god would be able to do more with the same expenditure of DRP than the god of nature. A god of forests could control forests - animate them, grow them, wither them, give birth to special kinds of trees, and the like (asking permission from other deities if appropriate, in the latter case). In the case of the god of forests, you might vaguely imagine the kind of power of the Ents of Lord of the Rings, only more so.
Some domains are Greater domains, and some Lesser. For example, Mutation and Forests. The God of Mutation could decide to infuse a forest with 5 DRP's, and do to it what was done to southern Immerill. The mutated followers would certainly question their faith in their god. "Why the heck am I following this weakling God of Forests who can't protect us from Malice?" Yes, I could put up shields, or any number of other ideas.
But the point is that the God of Forests cannot do anything similar against Mutation. Mutation is not a physical thing that can be acted upon. Mutation (and Love, Fear, Pleasure, etc etc) can change the very nature of Forests (and Seas, Air, Earth, etc etc), but there's no possibility of Forests doing anything to Mutation. The Greater domains have no need to fear the Lesser domains, and need not waste DRP's putting up shields against them.
Does that explain my thinking? It's certainly better to have a Greater domain. If this was not the situation, Zephyr would inherit Bhakti's domain of Forests instead of Love. But even though Mutation is not necessarily evil (Forests vs Mutation is just the example that's been on my mind for more than a year now.), Forests is a Lesser domain, and cannot operate in as many kinds of ways as a Greater domain.
Unless you're saying that, if there is a God of Forests, Mutation couldn't throw 5 DRP's of mutation at a forest without permission. Love could not make Love Maples there without permission. Fear could not infuse it with fear so that even the God of Forest's followers would no longer enter. If that's what you're saying, Zephyr is the God of Forests instead of Love.
I get the impression that they could, but it would be more difficult than if there were no god of Forests.Zephyr wrote:Unless you're saying that, if there is a God of Forests, Mutation couldn't throw 5 DRP's of mutation at a forest without permission. Love could not make Love Maples there without permission. Fear could not infuse it with fear so that even the God of Forest's followers would no longer enter. If that's what you're saying, Zephyr is the God of Forests instead of Love.
Well, keep in mind that I'm talking about direct divine intervention... A god who wanted to bring a change to your followers' state of peace could simply send an army and bring war to your doorstep. Since this would not be a direct change (i.e. the god didn't spend DRPs to purposely force your people's wills so as to war with each other), he/she wouldn't need to ask permission nor would he/she be prevented from sending the army in the first place.Murrin wrote:I get the impression that they could, but it would be more difficult than if there were no god of Forests.Zephyr wrote:Unless you're saying that, if there is a God of Forests, Mutation couldn't throw 5 DRP's of mutation at a forest without permission. Love could not make Love Maples there without permission. Fear could not infuse it with fear so that even the God of Forest's followers would no longer enter. If that's what you're saying, Zephyr is the God of Forests instead of Love.
Edit: but Xar's post suggests I'm wrong. Interesting. So if there is a god of Forests, no other god can affect forests directly without his permission? That seems alright, until you consider the more abstract domains: The same principle applied to Peace means that no god may bring a change to a state of Peace without his permission. A god cannot stop Crime among his followers without asking an Carraig. And so on.
You refer to my own followers specifically--do you then speak only of forests that the god of Forests has specifically extended his protection over? Or do you say my followers only for the purpose of example (where in fact the same applies to all people in a state of peace)?Xar wrote:Well, keep in mind that I'm talking about direct divine intervention... A god who wanted to bring a change to your followers' state of peace could simply send an army and bring war to your doorstep. Since this would not be a direct change (i.e. the god didn't spend DRPs to purposely force your people's wills so as to war with each other), he/she wouldn't need to ask permission nor would he/she be prevented from sending the army in the first place.
Your followers were only an example.Murrin wrote:You refer to my own followers specifically--do you then speak only of forests that the god of Forests has specifically extended his protection over? Or do you say my followers only for the purpose of example (where in fact the same applies to all people in a state of peace)?Xar wrote:Well, keep in mind that I'm talking about direct divine intervention... A god who wanted to bring a change to your followers' state of peace could simply send an army and bring war to your doorstep. Since this would not be a direct change (i.e. the god didn't spend DRPs to purposely force your people's wills so as to war with each other), he/she wouldn't need to ask permission nor would he/she be prevented from sending the army in the first place.
Yes, in the case of opposing domains, you can influence an instance of the other deity's influence with yours. For example, if a water deity flooded your lands, your fire deity could summon divine fire to heat up the water and make it evaporate (probably cooking everyone in the area, but you can't have everythingMurrin wrote:An example of something I'm still not sure seems to work, exactly: Say you have both a god of Madness and a god of Sanity. Because of the restrictions you mention, the god of Madness could not by direct intervention make the sane mad, nor could the god of Sanity directly make the mad sane; in which case, there is not a lot they could do. Is there, in such cases, an exception made for directly opposed domains, where the two opposites do have influence?
Yeah, this is fine. And it means the Greater and Lesser domains I brought up don't exist. Because I could just as easily make Trees grow through an enemy's cities. Or make certain Forest plants bloom in huge quantities so as to attract certain insects. Etc. All things seem equal.Xar wrote:Well, keep in mind that I'm talking about direct divine intervention... A god who wanted to bring a change to your followers' state of peace could simply send an army and bring war to your doorstep. Since this would not be a direct change (i.e. the god didn't spend DRPs to purposely force your people's wills so as to war with each other), he/she wouldn't need to ask permission nor would he/she be prevented from sending the army in the first place.
Who's gonna stop me!?Zephyr wrote:What makes you think you're gonna gain in power?
There is the potentiality that may change...Balon wrote:As of right now I am the only deity with Air as a house.