Running a fantasy roleplaying campaign
that takes the PCs into space presents some interesting complications
when it comes to the role that divine powers play in the game. After
all, a god who is worshiped on one world might be entirely unknown on
another. What is more, two gods from different planets could have the
same spheres of influence, even though they're supposed to be
universal in the scope of their influence. With that in mind,
presented below are a handful of deities who are more interplanetary
in their scope and scale.
Universal Architect
In a
polytheistic culture, this faith can cause some conflict. After all,
it maintains that a single entity is responsible for the grand scheme
of the universe. Even so, that concept is open to interpretation.
Some followers maintain that there is only one god, and that worship
of any others is little more than superstition. Others contest,
however, that additional deities are those who necessarily implement
the Architect's plans like laborers on a construction site. Even so,
that comparison is not exactly flattering for the other deities.
This
deity's symbol is either a compass and
square (in many different cultures) or
a set of hieroglyphics (in the desert region from which Ptah
originated). Clerics of the Universal Architect wield a warhammer,
which is emblematic of building the universe based on the deity's
plans.
Sun God
On
many worlds, the sun is an obvious symbol of a good influence. After
all, it brings the light of day and the warmth of summer. For that
reason, this god is the epitome of all that is good, making him a
favorite patron of paladins and other such shining paragons of
virtue.
The
Sun God's holy symbol is a circle with a dot in the middle, often
rendered in gold. Clerics and paladins who favor this deity wield the
morningstar, the shape of which is suggestive a sun (and that the
faithful often pair with a heavy shield emblazoned with the sun
emblem).
World Mother
Similarly,
depicting the earth as a female deity seems like a logical notion.
After all, it is her womb that seeds germinate, eventually yielding
all manner of useful herbs, crops and other plants. What is more, the
influence of the sun on the warm growing season and the cold winter
leads to their being connected as husband and wife. While she is
considered to be good and beneficent, she is not so concerned with
the balance between law and chaos.
The
followers of this goddess wear a symbol consisting of a circle with a
cross through it, which represents the four cardinal directions with
which the world is defined. They wield the quarterstaff, a weapon that
grows out of their goddess.
Moon Goddess
In
contrast to the World Mother, the Moon Goddess is an enigmatic
figure. After all, she mostly appears during the night, when darkness
envelops the land. What is more, her face is ever changing, implying
unpredictability (at best) or duplicity (at worst) in her character.
Those who've traveled the spacelanes recognize a similarity between
her and the World Mother, which has led to a belief that she is that
deity's sister. It is believed, however, that she is unwilling to
accept the Sun God's affections, and thus remains aloof and
mysterious. Finally, the connection between her phases and the ties
has led to her association with Homeworld's oceans and seas, and her
nocturnal character means many link her to the animals who only come
out at night.
Followers
of the Moon Goddess—among whom the elves are perhaps the most
devoted—usually wear a crescent-shaped symbol made of silver. Their
chosen weapon is the elven curve blade, which bears similarity to the
crescent moon.
The Void
Those
who study the heavens at night focus mainly on the points of light,
but there are others who obsess with the black that lies between
them. Indeed, some become obsessed with this cold darkness, and thus
come to see its embrace as the ultimate and inevitable fate of the
galaxy. Thus they become obsessed with entropy and all of the harm
that it can bring. Given this nature, cults of the Void tend to be
secretive in nature and small in their scope.
The
cult's symbol is a black disk that represents the cold dark of space.
Its clerics wield starknives, which embody the notions of chaos and
destruction.
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