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Originally posted by GothicDan

Ed's reply concerning the rumors of the EV's allied lich gaining power directly from nature is just that - a rumor. In FR, he says that divine magic comes from deities.

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Originally posted by Kazzaroth

What comes to archivist I myself have started recently play one and my char is coming from Candlekeep. I would imagine every bloody monk from Candlekeep is actually archivist or archivist/monk if we go more martial focused archivist ;). I would imagine most scholars would be archivists if not bardic sages.

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Originally posted by GothicDan

That really doesn't have much to do with what I was saying, does it Zanan?

Nature itself is Chauntea, in FR, anyway. All of Abeir-Toril is just her physical manifestation - literally, according to Ed, not metaphorically.

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Originally posted by GothicDan

Nature itself is Chauntea, in FR, anyway. All of Abeir-Toril is just her physical manifestation - literally, according to Ed, not metaphorically.

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Originally posted by Zanan

Without checking for definitions et al, IMHO herecy is something within a faith. Such as sects or cults interpreting the dogma of a deity other than the mainstream clergy did/does. The latter will view the former as heretics.

If you broaden the point of view, a quasi-monotheistic society (such as a drow city ruled and dominated by Lolthites) may view any mentioning, support or the like of another deity or any actions against e.g. Lolth as herecy too.

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It has. In so far that - with all due respect to Ed - there is nothing in the book that hints on any nature deity backing up what the lich teaches and what the EV druids / rangers / et al do. I know the rules, I know the ifs and buts, but the mentioned text just adds something "new" (as was e.g. the one step rule). Whether this will be changed or whether there is a (non-elven) deity actually backing this remains to be seen.

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Then how does Silvanus fit in to that then?

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Originally posted by GothicDan

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It has. In so far that - with all due respect to Ed - there is nothing in the book that hints on any nature deity backing up what the lich teaches and what the EV druids / rangers / et al do. I know the rules, I know the ifs and buts, but the mentioned text just adds something "new" (as was e.g. the one step rule). Whether this will be changed or whether there is a (non-elven) deity actually backing this remains to be seen.

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So what if the book doesn't say anything about it? *Confused*

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Originally posted by GothicDan

It is canon, because Ed's words are canon and it hasn't been contradicted by a more modern sourcebook. That's what I mean. :)

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July 13, 2005: Hello again, fellow scribes.

Kuje, Ed hasn't forgotten your Purple Lady queries, and will reply soon. In the meantime, however, he answers your divine spells question:

In 2nd Edition, 1st and 2nd level spells could be gained or renewed without direct connection to any deity (and so were obtainable during a Godswar, as I suggested in DRAGON #54, and we later all saw in the Time of Troubles). As a general rule, divine spells should be granted by deities (or their servant creatures) only as a result of direct prayer: in other words, yes, divine casters must worship a specific deity and not a cause or broad aspect.

However (weasel time), there will be exceptions, because in the endless game of one-up-god-ship that Faerūnian deities play, subtly struggling for supremacy over each other, dominance over intelligent races and events that affect their societies, and defense of personal portfolios, gods (and their loyal servant creatures) will often grant spells to mortals "out of the blue," or under false pretenses, or whatever - - just to try to influence those events and achieve some unknown-to-mortals aim or temporary victory in the ongoing godly struggle. As I've said before, there are secrets about the gods I can't yet reveal, but all of this boils down to: MOST divine casters get their spells by praying directly to a deity and serving that deity adequately (serve poorly, and your prayers may not be answered at all; serve superbly, and you may even receive extra magic), but A FEW divine casters may, for indefinite periods, receive spells when venerating only a cause, broad aspect, or even a dead or "the wrong" god.
So saith Ed.

Exhibiting his usual love for compromise and all-inclusive attempts to please.

love to all,
THO

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Originally posted by GothicDan

Temporarily being the key word.

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