Forging ones own damnation?

[Scarycount]

Another thing about the Barovian Gaz. Apparently, in the Barovian cosmology no one goes to hell unless they forge their own damnation without the judgement of the gods. So do they only go to hell if they want to, i.e. a deal with Inajira, or is there some way to unwittingly forge one's own damnation?

[alhoon]

Probably it means that if you don't be evil (i.e forge your own damnation) you won't go in hell. I.e if a vampire turns your daughter to a vampire and she becomes evil, she won't go to hell, since she didn't forge her own damnation (she was forced to become evil).

[HuManBing]

That's easy. The player takes the feat Forge Damnation (Own) instead of Forge Ring.

I know. I'm priceless.

[Scarycount]

Probably it means that if you don't be evil (i.e forge your own damnation) you won't go in hell. I.e if a vampire turns your daughter to a vampire and she becomes evil, she won't go to hell, since she didn't forge her own damnation (she was forced to become evil).

The only problem with that is that the gaz says even those who were generally wicked in life usually go to heaven. I take "generally wicked " to mean evil.

[Hashmalum]

I take "forging one's own damnation" to mean traveling to hell, or giving/selling your soul to a demon (which will take it to hell with him when he returns). There's absolutely no element of moral judgement at all, either in the sense that you have to be very evil to go there, or if you are very innocent you can be saved. It's purely a physical matter--once you go to hell, well, there you are, and you aren't getting out. Being stuck in hell is damnation. Since you have to go out of your way to do that--there aren't hellmouths around every corner--damnation is essentially something you make yourself. Doubtless there are stories about people who deliberately traveled to hell for insane reasons--a great explorer who felt compelled to find the way to hell because he'd been everywhere else, a deranged sorcerer who thought he could control any demon and traveled to hell to try to raise a demonic army, a fanatical paladin who thought he could launch a crusade against the demonic hosts on their own terrain.

[alhoon]

The only problem with that is that the gaz says even those who were generally wicked in life usually go to heaven. I take "generally wicked " to mean evil.

Well, IMO generally wicked is a reference to the woman that cheats on you and then laughs in your face hurting your feelings. The burgomaster that levies quite heavy taxes and although your family survive, you live in misery. The guard that beats you with the end of his spear because you didn't show proper respect to him.

Not a man that sacrifices virgins for power, the woman that poisons babies, the wizard that summons demons etc.

[HuManBing]

So not necessarily inimical to life, but just being seriously anti-social will do?

(And by "seriously" I don't mean "staying in your room listening to heavy metal all the time", I mean things that actually disrupt society and those around you.)

[alhoon]

(And by "seriously" I don't mean "staying in your room listening to heavy metal all the time", I mean things that actually disrupt society and those around you.)

I won't think so, no. Perhaps some Barovians would consider deeply anti-social behavior to be enough to forge one's damnation but that's not what I understand. I.e burning the mayor's manor or your neighbohr fields isn't enough IMO. But as in everything I said, that's just me.