I'm sorry, but didn't you accept that Shar is an objectively evil goddess a few posts above? I thought we were past this point.
Characters in the setting don't have copies of Forgotten Realms novels and Player's Handbooks and Deity Folios to peruse. Do you see the difference? It's one thing to accept that there's an omniscient creator of the setting who can publish canon material... it's another thing to think everyone in the setting shares the knowledge of the omniscient creator.
Originally Posted by mrfuji3
People don't join Shar's religion thinking "she's just misunderstood, but is actually good".
This is exactly what I mean by rigid thinking. The fact is, you're just making this up. In all fairness, you're not the authority on who joins Shar and why. But it's like you're so set in your view that you can't imagine anything else.
It's this kind of thinking, which is really two-dimensional, that doesn't allow for different personalities and motivations in NPCs. It demands a black and white interpretation of everything. "All Shar worshipers join because blah." <-- things just don't work that way.
Originally Posted by mrfuji3
Our characters, growing up in the Sword Coast, should know these facts.
Again, this is nothing more than what *you* think everyone should know. And I'm sure some people absolutely believe Shar is evil. I'm sure some probably think it's more nuanced, and you probably have a group of people who are contrary by nature and think that Shar gets a bad rep because some people are lying haters.
The point is, groups of people don't fit into one tidy box, all sharing the same common opinion.
Originally Posted by mrfuji3
But the game should make sure to explain the general knowledge about Shar to the player, so that we can make informed choices roleplaying as Tav.
Knowledge about Shar may be sparse in this area, at least without a sufficient Religion check. It could be that Shar has been operating in the shadows so long that people don't know a lot. Certainly not more than rumor and hearsay.
I guess I just object to the clone-like setting where everyone knows blah and thinks blah.
