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Offline dutch206

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Evil Religions question
« on: November 30, 2013, 08:08:49 PM »
What's the difference between an evil cult that worships a dark god and an evil cult that worships a demon lord?

(And, believe it or not, that's actually not the setup-line for one of my bad jokes.)
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Offline PhillipAEllis

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Re: Evil Religions question
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2013, 10:36:31 PM »
It's not? :( ... ;)
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Offline shorn

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Re: Evil Religions question
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2013, 11:05:54 PM »
I would treat them pretty much the same. Although i would have different powers or perks for the two. For instance the cult of the daemon might be able to summon and control lesser daemons. Where the cult of the god might summon and ask the being to help..difference between free will and dominance...or maybe perceived free will.

Ultimately the goal of the daemon would be different than the god. Gods generally work of worshipers. If they have none then their power is less. Daemons on the other hand could care less about worshipers. They care more about other things like corruption. So i would play the worshipers of a god more like a church and the daemon more like a bunch of punk kids egging someones house. You know..the difference between organized and just spread chaos.
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Offline Cory Magel

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Re: Evil Religions question
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2013, 11:15:28 PM »
All from my perspective...

It really comes down to how much power the followers have to draw upon and how and, potentially, if a Demon Lord could care less about it's followers.

A god would be the power source for its evil cults clerics/priests/etc.  If that gods followers are the source if its power then it will be concerned with its followers.  If its source of power is not its followers (and rather a concept, such as Hate, the power being generated by all the hate in the world) it may not really care about them much.  Lastly, is it possible to completely kill a god in your game?

With a demon lord, is it the source of the cults spell casting followers power?  I would almost always say no.  As such the demon lords followers would not have as much power to draw upon and the demon lord would not care about the welfare of its followers.  Lastly, it almost surely is possible to kill a demon lord in most peoples games.
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Offline jdale

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Re: Evil Religions question
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2013, 11:29:39 PM »
What's the difference between a demon lord and a god? It could be that demon lords have fewer followers and less overall power, but more willingness to get closer to the action. Is a less powerful entity able to grant less power? Maybe fewer options for spell lists? Depending on the nature of its power, perhaps healing is not an option. But the Evil Channeling lists may be options.

I think the idea makes sense that a demon lord cares less about those followers and more about advancing his own interests. A god depends more on followers.

But in some settings those aren't correct. E.g. in many of Brust's books, the difference is only that a demon can be controlled, and a god cannot. And the Demon Goddess is a goddess who was controlled, once, blurring the line.
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Offline Old Man

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Re: Evil Religions question
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2013, 05:55:53 PM »
Quote from: dutch206 on November 30, 2013, 08:08:49 PM
What's the difference between an evil cult that worships a dark god and an evil cult that worships a demon lord?
...

One is local and one is remote (their "God" that is). Is the Demon Lord a source of divine power (aka Channeling PPs)? If yes, then the only difference would be that the Demon may have some very different requirements of worship due to their extra-Planar nature whatever that might be.

Also, you could have some fun with the local Gods (Dark and/or Light) not being fond of other deities poking about in their backyard. (I had a plotline of a similar nature involving deities of Elemental Planes trying to force their way into preeminence vs. the local world's residing Gods. They didn't succeed but did manage to wring some concessions so that they still could be worshiped on the planet.)

(Alternately alternately you would use the Kobold style of Masks and the Demon Lord is simply a remote version of an already existing local Dark God who manifested on that plane(t) where the Demons live and now is worshiped here as well.)
 
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Offline dutch206

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Re: Evil Religions question
« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2013, 08:45:48 AM »
From reading the replies so far, I am guessing it works like this:

A demon lord is more interested in enticing you with gifts until you sell your soul.  An evil god is more interested in gaining/retaining followers in order to boost its power base.
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Offline Ynglaur

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Re: Evil Religions question
« Reply #7 on: December 02, 2013, 05:22:46 PM »
Quote from: dutch206 on November 30, 2013, 08:08:49 PM
What's the difference between an evil cult that worships a dark god and an evil cult that worships a demon lord?

(And, believe it or not, that's actually not the setup-line for one of my bad jokes.)
Who cares?  Either way, you're going to hell.  :p
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Offline Old Man

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Re: Evil Religions question
« Reply #8 on: December 05, 2013, 06:37:35 PM »
Quote from: Ynglaur on December 02, 2013, 05:22:46 PM
...
Who cares?  Either way, you're going to hell.  :p

Depends on whether you want the afterlife of the local pantheon or whatever the other plane has in store. :)
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Offline GrumpyOldFart

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Re: Evil Religions question
« Reply #9 on: December 05, 2013, 07:03:50 PM »
Quote from: Ynglaur on December 02, 2013, 05:22:46 PM
Quote from: dutch206 on November 30, 2013, 08:08:49 PM
What's the difference between an evil cult that worships a dark god and an evil cult that worships a demon lord?

(And, believe it or not, that's actually not the setup-line for one of my bad jokes.)
Who cares?  Either way, you're going to hell.  :p

It may make the difference between being "a customer" and "on the staff." :o
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