So, my campaign has a Jesus-type figure in the lore who is famous for, among other things, performing seven great miracles. However, the spells in my campaign are the same ones in the Phb, so standard miracles like summoning food would be fairly unremarkable. Does anyone have some ideas for actions which would be considered miraculous within the D&D world?
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For god's sake. Find a hobby or something. Sheesh. Please stop using this font.
It’s not the spells themself but how you roleplay casting them that matter here. I’m playing a character concept like this.
A divine soul sorcerer who cast miracles but doesn't believe he is doing it. He just thinks he is lucky and thanks the LORD and FATHER when stuff occurs.
Depends how high magic your world is too. Do wizards wander down the street every 5 minutes with some powerful summoned elemental in tow, popping potions like soda? Or is magic rare and mistrusted?
Also think of what miracles might have been used for and how the people would have reacted with wonder and awe. What problem did your Jesus fix? Could your figure have ended a year long drought with Control Weather? Or given shelter from wild beasts to a tribe of nomads with Tiny Hut?
As hotshotjoe says - it’s not so much the spell, but the situation - why was it miraculous? And why was it so amazing that it went down in history? Think of how the story would have been passed down and maybe embellished over time - so that it takes on a new dimension.
For example, that drought fixed by Control Weather? Well, after being passed down through the generations, that story has become an epic tale of a battle against a deity who had cursed the land, until your Jesus figure ventured to his plane to bargain for rain.
Maybe in a world with magic, something is considered a 'Miracle' less by its utility and more by its symbolic significance, leaving a real impact on people.
Like say for example you have two kingdoms who have just ended a long peace when the foundation of that peace is all but forgotten. The two armies are set to meet in an evacuated town square where an old, worn statue stands, resembling nobody in particular. Enter your miracle guy. As the generals argue at the statue's feet, as both armies look on, the miracle guy spreads his arms wide and bellows for them all to "REMEMBER!"
At that moment, the sun crests the hill and as it's light spills over miracle guy's shoulders and falls on the decrepit statue, they all see the statue now restored to its former glory as it hasn't been seen for ages. It is of the great king who once united both kingdoms and is regarded as something of a folk hero, half remembered. Seeing him now, blazing, with their own eyes, each soldier and general is awestruck, realizing in their hearts the folly of their struggle and so on and so forth...
That's how I'd depict a miracle in a world where magic is commonplace.
Does anyone have some ideas for actions which would be considered miraculous within the D&D world?
Some notes:
Technically, any divine (i.e. cleric/paladin etc.) spells are "miracles" (even if minor ones).
At 10th level, clerics obtain a "Divine Intervention" option.
Previous editions had a spell called "Miracle".
One of the most notable miracles in the Forgotten Realms was the creation of Eltugard's (permanent) second Sun (note: this was ascribed to a 10th level spell in 3.5e's Faiths and Pantheons sourcebook)
I think miracles gain renown due to application. In a magic world fireballs and such are things that people know about, however few wizards are famous because they casted a fireball.
In the Bible example, Create Food and Water is just a spell BUT Jesus did it to feed hundreds of people without really asking for anything in return. Things that affect the general populace in some manner whether positive or negative gain notoriety because common folk love to talk and spread rumors.
The guy fireballed the bandits - pthptp so what?
The guy spoke to the bandits and they gave up their dastardly ways and became productive members of the town - Fame.
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"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
So, my campaign has a Jesus-type figure in the lore who is famous for, among other things, performing seven great miracles. However, the spells in my campaign are the same ones in the Phb, so standard miracles like summoning food would be fairly unremarkable. Does anyone have some ideas for actions which would be considered miraculous within the D&D world?
It’s not the spells themself but how you roleplay casting them that matter here. I’m playing a character concept like this.
A divine soul sorcerer who cast miracles but doesn't believe he is doing it. He just thinks he is lucky and thanks the LORD and FATHER when stuff occurs.
Depends how high magic your world is too. Do wizards wander down the street every 5 minutes with some powerful summoned elemental in tow, popping potions like soda? Or is magic rare and mistrusted?
Also think of what miracles might have been used for and how the people would have reacted with wonder and awe. What problem did your Jesus fix? Could your figure have ended a year long drought with Control Weather? Or given shelter from wild beasts to a tribe of nomads with Tiny Hut?
As hotshotjoe says - it’s not so much the spell, but the situation - why was it miraculous? And why was it so amazing that it went down in history? Think of how the story would have been passed down and maybe embellished over time - so that it takes on a new dimension.
For example, that drought fixed by Control Weather? Well, after being passed down through the generations, that story has become an epic tale of a battle against a deity who had cursed the land, until your Jesus figure ventured to his plane to bargain for rain.
Maybe in a world with magic, something is considered a 'Miracle' less by its utility and more by its symbolic significance, leaving a real impact on people.
Like say for example you have two kingdoms who have just ended a long peace when the foundation of that peace is all but forgotten. The two armies are set to meet in an evacuated town square where an old, worn statue stands, resembling nobody in particular. Enter your miracle guy. As the generals argue at the statue's feet, as both armies look on, the miracle guy spreads his arms wide and bellows for them all to "REMEMBER!"
At that moment, the sun crests the hill and as it's light spills over miracle guy's shoulders and falls on the decrepit statue, they all see the statue now restored to its former glory as it hasn't been seen for ages. It is of the great king who once united both kingdoms and is regarded as something of a folk hero, half remembered. Seeing him now, blazing, with their own eyes, each soldier and general is awestruck, realizing in their hearts the folly of their struggle and so on and so forth...
That's how I'd depict a miracle in a world where magic is commonplace.
Some notes:
I think miracles gain renown due to application. In a magic world fireballs and such are things that people know about, however few wizards are famous because they casted a fireball.
In the Bible example, Create Food and Water is just a spell BUT Jesus did it to feed hundreds of people without really asking for anything in return. Things that affect the general populace in some manner whether positive or negative gain notoriety because common folk love to talk and spread rumors.
The guy fireballed the bandits - pthptp so what?
The guy spoke to the bandits and they gave up their dastardly ways and became productive members of the town - Fame.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Something "miracle"-like could just be using magic in ways not normally available for a regular creature.
Create food and water? Sure, but he can feed an entire village instead of only 15 people.
He casts Wish? Nothing bad ever happens.
Casts Divine Intervention? The Deity comes down, has a casual and friendly conversation with him before the request, which is granted in a casual way.
Greater Restoration? Clears up everything afflicting someone.
Control Weather? He can set it to whatever weather he wishes, in as localized area that he desires.