Divine alignment stability

[New Hegdeh]

I don't know how many of you follow "order of the stick" and whether that webcomic is based on 3rd or 5th edition (They started as 3rd edition but I think they may have changed) and I am a 2nd edition guy myself... But in the aforementioned source of joy and mirth there is a storyline of deities of one pantheon needing the help of an evil deity from another pantheon so they send a cleric to speak with the deity's high priest (And I believe only cleric) to bring the deity on to their plans, thing is... This evil deity's high priest seems concerned with the wellbeing of goblinoids in general, not really evil if you think about it, so I thought, can an evil deity change ways to neutral if offered a deal that benefits its followers?

And this is my question:

Can deities change alignment?

Is there any btb rules on this? How do you handle it?

[JadedDM]

Order of the Stick is still 3rd Edition. Which kind of highlights how long that comic has been running, as 3E has been defunct for 11 years now. (Looking it up, it seems Order of the Stick is a whopping 17 years old! Man, it's almost old enough to vote. Oh, now I feel really old...)

Anyway, as for your question, I think it depends on the setting. I think there have been examples of gods changing alignment in Forgotten Realms (although I'm not sure if the gods had a change of heart or if it was just edition updates affecting them). Dragonlance, though, the gods have always been very static in their alignment. (Although there is Mina who started Evil and later turned Good, although she was not aware she was a god at the time, so I'm not sure if that matters or not.)

In my own homebrew setting, the gods not only cannot change alignment, they are unable to even conceive of other alignment viewpoints. For instance, the goddess of law can't even consider the idea of lying, cheating or breaking the rules. It wouldn't even occur to her to try these things, no matter how desperate the situation.

[Lukafio]

To my own recollection, I have not heard of such happenings. That does not mean they don't though. I would imagine it as being unlikely though.

[New Hegdeh]

Order of the Stick is still 3rd Edition. Which kind of highlights how long that comic has been running, as 3E has been defunct for 11 years now. (Looking it up, it seems Order of the Stick is a whopping 17 years old! Man, it's almost old enough to vote. Oh, now I feel really old...)

I think they had an issue claim they were upgrading, maybe only to 3.5

Anyway, as for your question, I think it depends on the setting. I think there have been examples of gods changing alignment in Forgotten Realms (although I'm not sure if the gods had a change of heart or if it was just edition updates affecting them). Dragonlance, though, the gods have always been very static in their alignment. (Although there is Mina who started Evil and later turned Good, although she was not aware she was a god at the time, so I'm not sure if that matters or not.)

In my own homebrew setting, the gods not only cannot change alignment, they are unable to even conceive of other alignment viewpoints. For instance, the goddess of law can't even consider the idea of lying, cheating or breaking the rules. It wouldn't even occur to her to try these things, no matter how desperate the situation.

Well a god of law is a god of an alignment axis... But what about a god of horses, a god of goblins, a god of peace? (would a neutral good god of peace remain neutral good if a lawful evil god of tryanny has subdued every rebellion and everyone is tortured but not at war? I mean such a god to me has to choose between their portfolio and turn to lawful neutral or their alignment and become deities of revolution) But yep that's the insight I was thinking of, thanks for your answer.

To my own recollection, I have not heard of such happenings. That does not mean they don't though. I would imagine it as being unlikely though.

Can be a special case...

Now that I read Jaded Dm's post, I think Lolth used to be of good alignment but she betrayed her lover for power and became Lolth. It was a major event and I guess a deity changing alignment should always be a major event.

[JadedDM]

I think they had an issue claim they were upgrading, maybe only to 3.5

Yeah, that was the very first issue, where they upgraded to 3.5E.

[New Hegdeh]

I think they had an issue claim they were upgrading, maybe only to 3.5

Yeah, that was the very first issue, where they upgraded to 3.5E.

I've followed it irregularly since a few years back, so I had to see the older issues randomly, I wonder if there will ever be a call back to when they were 2nd edition (yeah, they have never been 2nd edition, but it would be cool)

Now back on track:

[Lukafio]

Now that I read Jaded DM's post, I think Lolth used to be of good alignment but she betrayed her lover for power and became Lolth. It was a major event and I guess a deity changing alignment should always be a major event.

If Araushnee had that much ambition to begin with, what is to say she wasn't already. That her true self came to the surface?

Yes it is a major event. Something so big that I cannot see it as being a part of normal play. If a sweeping campaign reset was needed, this could be a plot twist used. Given the ramifications and ripple effect it would have, it would take years of real time let alone the eons in game time. Making it very doubtful to happen in one PC's lifetime.

I hope that makes sense, I'm still in the middle of my first cup of coffee this morning.