Frank Mentzer J Conrad, I think a more detailed answer is appropriate.
To address your point -- Belief Systems, aka Religions.
I very specifically avoided all mention of any major real-world faiths in the entire BECMI line.
I avoided derivatives of their beliefs, too. (Compare to extensive Christian influence on Gary's works; he was a Jehovah's Witness, and I'm agnostic.)
I also avoided lesser-known Beliefs as much as I could. Frex, some people still believe in Astrology or Phrenology, so I didn't go there.
I toyed with a religious setup that was 100% fictional, but it turned out indistinguishable from Parody, so I stopped.
You want details of the religion in your game? Fine, please make your own. But don't mock others.
Underlying: Think about it. In this fantasy world, high-level clerics know what comes after death. Some of them chat with gods/immortals on a regular basis. They also control health care, and probably education. So why don't they take over? The Only Possible Answer: the gods/immortals rule that off-limits; if you covet mortal power, leave the faith and start a Dominion (and forget about cleric spells). It's a matter of multiversal balance, preventing excessive power from congealing in one place (clerics) and ruining the balance of Everything... thus upsetting the Prime Plane in general, and thus decreasing the likelihood of getting more Immortals thru ascension.
So for the gods/immortals, it's just a matter of self-interest. It's about getting more Immortals.:)
To address your point -- Belief Systems, aka Religions.
I very specifically avoided all mention of any major real-world faiths in the entire BECMI line.
I avoided derivatives of their beliefs, too. (Compare to extensive Christian influence on Gary's works; he was a Jehovah's Witness, and I'm agnostic.)
I also avoided lesser-known Beliefs as much as I could. Frex, some people still believe in Astrology or Phrenology, so I didn't go there.
I toyed with a religious setup that was 100% fictional, but it turned out indistinguishable from Parody, so I stopped.
You want details of the religion in your game? Fine, please make your own. But don't mock others.
Underlying: Think about it. In this fantasy world, high-level clerics know what comes after death. Some of them chat with gods/immortals on a regular basis. They also control health care, and probably education. So why don't they take over? The Only Possible Answer: the gods/immortals rule that off-limits; if you covet mortal power, leave the faith and start a Dominion (and forget about cleric spells). It's a matter of multiversal balance, preventing excessive power from congealing in one place (clerics) and ruining the balance of Everything... thus upsetting the Prime Plane in general, and thus decreasing the likelihood of getting more Immortals thru ascension.
So for the gods/immortals, it's just a matter of self-interest. It's about getting more Immortals.:)
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