Thanks for responding to Archie488's query Physcor_Whelm. (I didn't initially respond because I was unfamiliar with the Piety subsystem that Mythic Odysseys of Theros introduced several years ago.)
Beyond these webpages, I'm unfamiliar with the Piety subsystem, so I can't comment in depth—although I have been considering acquiring Mythic Odysseys of Theros after one of my players mentioned its effort to support game play where characters are the scions of gods. (I had recently reread, listened actually, to Neil Gaiman's American Gods and started looking into the various RPGs that try to represent / structure such games.)
Based on the overview link noted above, the Piety subsystem seems like it could be a useful way to mark a PC's devotion to their deity. Skimming the second link, the subsystem looks like it could risk devolving into a way to increase PC power. What seems most useful to me relates to old school Paladins, Clerics, and atonement: in earlier editions, Paladins were by definition Lawful Good, and losing one's grace, even if inadvertent, required atonement. Of course, even in 1e, variants of the Paladin class were presented (e.g., in Dragon Magazine), which raised the issue of different moralities / ethics and hence different ways to fall from grace.
Flash forward to 5e, and the alignment restrictions have been completely removed from the Paladin (and the Monk). Thus, to me, the Piety subsystem might offer a useful metric by which to adjudicate (and warn) when a PC is in danger of "falling from grace," in a way that could provide nuance (instead of a binary).
Thanks for the links, Marc. I’ll compare to the one I shared and see if anything looks different.
mtg wrote:
Beyond these webpages, I'm unfamiliar with the Piety subsystem, so I can't comment in depth—although I have been considering acquiring Mythic Odysseys of Theros after one of my players mentioned its effort to support game play where characters are the scions of gods. (I had recently reread, listened actually, to Neil Gaiman's American Gods and started looking into the various RPGs that try to represent / structure such games.)
TPO was envisioned as a “capsystem” that could be bolted onto any underlying RPG system mechanics, and I think it managed to pull that off fairly well (at least in the context of 1991-2, when it was first published).
Thanks for the responses. I’ll share here why I’ve been thinking about incorporating a piety system into my Greyhawk campaign. Note that the piety system is specific to 5e.
First, we all know most D&D settings include the conceit that “the gods” are real beings whose power is obvious to the inhabitants of the fictional setting. It makes sense these inhabitants (even non-clerics) would pick one or several to appease and get some value in return for their devotion.
Second, I like role-playing. A lot. I’ve often wondered how to encourage players to adopt a religious and/or cultural set of ideals that make sense in Greyhawk. I’ve looked for ways incentivize a player with, say, a lawful good fighter, to act in accordance with the will of Heironeous, a bard or rogue Olidammara, a wizard Boccob, etc.
The 5e piety system seems to provide a mechanical incentive for role-playing reverence to the gods (FWIW, so does dipping into the cleric class). Previous versions of D&D offered similar opportunities by offering unique classes, prestige classes, etc., which were a bit cumbersome and too narrow for my taste.
I’ve drafted a few piety rules regarding some of the Greyhawk gods, but haven’t put them into play yet. I’m mindful that the rewards for piety, at least as presented in the Mythic Odysseys of Theros, might be a bit overpowered. I’ll share some of my draft rules later and see what feedback it generates among Greyhawk fans.
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