Making New Races, and Belief

I now officially have a problem with Belief. Supposedly, all that is required for 'worhip' is d4 mind and d4 spirit. So our residential God of Genetics has created the Bunny Belief Battery. He's basically pumping up rabbits to the minimum stats they need to produce belief, and letting them breed true.

Why do you need humans if you can do this? Tsetse flies have generations of three days - why not let them be the base critter? (Okay, you'll want something that lives two or three years so that you have worshippers that last the entire year, but you surely see my point.)

The point of this thread is: what is required to generate belief? I'll open other threads.

Now we are getting technical, but the book covers this.

From Chapter 3 of the NGoM NGH

Belief is one of the most powerful forces in the Known World. Living mortals wield this power, and it has far-reaching consequences in the afterlife. Only mortals who go through the trials and tribulations of earthly life can generate Belief. It can empower beings of spirit, who would just be ghosts or demons. Mortal tales say that belief can move mountains or turn water into wine. Immortals know that these tales are true, as every deity, from the highest elder god to a new god of mankind to Leviathans who prey on humanity, depend on such powers from mortals. After death, a mortal’s powers of Belief fade. Without belief a person is dead.

Did the bunny rabbits go through anything other than existing? Are they even sentient enough to know how to worship. This is entirely the basis of having faith and belief. It is entierly a human function to worship a god. Animals do not do such things. They just exist.

Also note, gods cannot create or destroy spirits. If you as a god create something, your creation draws on the well of souls. But unless it generates belief, (like a sentient race does) it will go right back to the well or might get diverted to the Celestial Gardens for a stay.

What is the actual answer to Rhishisikk's question? I re-read everything in Chapter 3 of NGH and it is very vague.

I guess what I am trying to say is how exactly does belief points/score work? I am still trying to wrap my head around it....

Hi goddessofmercy,

Belief is generated by sentient, intelligent, loyal followers (humanoids who have a culture and language) who are adults in their tribe. The reason for this and not children or lesser animals is plain and simple. They have not generated a faith in anything yet except themselves and their enviroment. Even this cannot be tapped for anything as the spirit is weak.

Think of your followers like a living, breathing wizard's mana battery. Its a source of power that is fickle and needs to be pleased. Also this source of power is intelligent and capable of reason.

Hope that helps.

On the score part.

For every 10 followers you have they generate 2 Belief.

You start off with 50 belief.

You have to spend miracles on your followers to keep them believing in you. (You as a god have to show your followers miracles so they know they are favored and keep believing in you. A locust or bunny would not care about such devotions from a god.)

The minimum on this (miralces you need to spend on your followers) is 1 Belief for every 10 followers.

Now there are several ways to generate more belief.

1. Conflicts (your followers vs. others)

2. Temples and Shrines (Your temple is a place where people go to pray and it gives off extra belief by reminding your people you are among them.)

3. Legends (this is a new rule in the Celestial Gardens).

4. Gaining more followers.

5. Yearly festival

6. Causing Terror (This generates Terror points but you can use Terror points to create Terror Miracles.)

Would you please elaborate on the Temples/shrines and Yearly festivals? How much do we gain from these?

Fate wrote:

On the score part.

For every 10 followers you have they generate 2 Belief.

You start off with 50 belief.

You have to spend miracles on your followers to keep them believing in you. (You as a god have to show your followers miracles so they know they are favored and keep believing in you. A locust or bunny would not care about such devotions from a god.)

The minimum on this (miralces you need to spend on your followers) is 1 Belief for every 10 followers.

Now there are several ways to generate more belief.

1. Conflicts (your followers vs. others)

2. Temples and Shrines (Your temple is a place where people go to pray and it gives off extra belief by reminding your people you are among them.)

3. Legends (this is a new rule in the Celestial Gardens).

4. Gaining more followers.

5. Yearly festival

6. Causing Terror (This generates Terror points but you can use Terror points to create Terror Miracles.)

sdknight wrote:

Would you please elaborate on the Temples/shrines and Yearly festivals? How much do we gain from these?

Well in the board game rules, if you have a shrine in the map hex your Black Tokens there generate 1 extra belief a season. If you have a temple in the map hex all your Tokens there generate 2 extra belief per season and gain the edge during defensive combat. but there is no mention of any bonuses garnered from them in the RPG Rules in the NGoM NGH. However there are rules for Shrines and Temples (and Large Temples and Legends) on page 131 in the Celestial Gardens sourcebook/expansion. As well as how many you can build and how much Belief they earn each year.

I gather you can have 1 shrine per 50 people, 1 temple per hundred people and one large temple per two-hundred people. They earn 1, 2, and 5 belief each year, respectively. Oh, if you build a large temple you cannot have any shrines or temples until an additional 100 followers are gained.

Legends have to be real tales told about you as a god that happen in the real world or the celestial realm, and earns 1 Belief per season told. Each legend must be a complete story with a beginning, middle end, cast of characters etc. Each tale must also show you in a good light.

Hope this helps and I don't get in trouble for sharing...

Must portray you in a good light?

Why Coyote Created Forests? Remember that one?
Zeus and the Lombards? (Though, to be fair, this one could be Hera's tale.)

Meh. Anyway, THAT belongs in a seperate thread.

Rhishisikk wrote:

Must portray you in a good light?

Why Coyote Created Forests? Remember that one?
Zeus and the Lombards? (Though, to be fair, this one could be Hera's tale.)

Meh. Anyway, THAT belongs in a seperate thread.

Not my rules, I just state em as I read em...

Alright I know when you create a sentient being anything besides a human spirit can worship. But what if you just wanted to make a sentient creature meant for battle. Not exactly to worship you buy just to work for you.

You can do that.

The only thing a god cannot do is create a soul.

And to rehash this discussion and kill it, unless a sentient being has a soul and goes through mortal trials of life they cannot generate belief.

Since gods cannot create souls but only vessles to contain souls, it is up to the Fate of each game if any spirits will inhabit those bodies.