Theology
Source GM Core pg. 144
Religious traditions are commonly categorized by their belief in one or more divine entities.
Polytheism: This belief system posits the existence of many gods. Polytheistic gods typically espouse particular areas of concern and often reflect the appearance of their worshippers. The primary religious philosophy of Starfinder is polytheistic.
Dualism: This philosophy espouses an enduring conflict between two diametrically opposed cosmic forces; most commonly good and evil or law and chaos. Acolytes of each faith almost always see themselves as righteous, and those of the contrasting belief as false. Some philosophies fuse cosmic duality into a whole. The philosophical cosmic balance of the Cycle focuses on the dual nature of creation and destruction.
Monotheism: A monotheistic doctrine recognizes the existence of only one true god, such as the Jinsul Hierocracy and their supposed devotion to Kadrical. The supreme deity might exhibit more than one aspect yet remain a single entity, like Zon-Shelyn from Starfinder.
Pantheism: Divine power arises from the universe itself or as a byproduct of the collective power of many deities sharing some common facet, either way forming a vast, allencompassing divine entity. Worshippers sometimes appeal to or devote themselves to specific fundamental concepts or aspects of the universe.
Animism: Rather than worshipping gods associated with souls and spiritual essence from beyond, animism sees the life force in each part of the world, whether it be the trees of an old-growth forest or a towering waterfall.
Singularitism: In high-tech campaign worlds, some believe that all life will merge into a vast technological collective hive mind. Believers in machine-life evolution, like the Mechanizers, might see it as an inevitable path all life will eventually pursue. Others believe that life's purpose is creating a perfect AI that will guide life toward machine perfection. While most tend to acknowledge this long-term goal as one that can't be forced, more radical believers might take an aggressive approach, forcefully converting organic life-forms into cyborg bodies.
Atheism: In some campaign worlds, the gods have all died, abandoned their worshippers, or never existed at all. Mortals of this world might still cling to belief and establish religions in the name of the divine, but there are no true deities to answer their prayers.
Polytheism: This belief system posits the existence of many gods. Polytheistic gods typically espouse particular areas of concern and often reflect the appearance of their worshippers. The primary religious philosophy of Starfinder is polytheistic.
Dualism: This philosophy espouses an enduring conflict between two diametrically opposed cosmic forces; most commonly good and evil or law and chaos. Acolytes of each faith almost always see themselves as righteous, and those of the contrasting belief as false. Some philosophies fuse cosmic duality into a whole. The philosophical cosmic balance of the Cycle focuses on the dual nature of creation and destruction.
Monotheism: A monotheistic doctrine recognizes the existence of only one true god, such as the Jinsul Hierocracy and their supposed devotion to Kadrical. The supreme deity might exhibit more than one aspect yet remain a single entity, like Zon-Shelyn from Starfinder.
Pantheism: Divine power arises from the universe itself or as a byproduct of the collective power of many deities sharing some common facet, either way forming a vast, allencompassing divine entity. Worshippers sometimes appeal to or devote themselves to specific fundamental concepts or aspects of the universe.
Animism: Rather than worshipping gods associated with souls and spiritual essence from beyond, animism sees the life force in each part of the world, whether it be the trees of an old-growth forest or a towering waterfall.
Singularitism: In high-tech campaign worlds, some believe that all life will merge into a vast technological collective hive mind. Believers in machine-life evolution, like the Mechanizers, might see it as an inevitable path all life will eventually pursue. Others believe that life's purpose is creating a perfect AI that will guide life toward machine perfection. While most tend to acknowledge this long-term goal as one that can't be forced, more radical believers might take an aggressive approach, forcefully converting organic life-forms into cyborg bodies.
Atheism: In some campaign worlds, the gods have all died, abandoned their worshippers, or never existed at all. Mortals of this world might still cling to belief and establish religions in the name of the divine, but there are no true deities to answer their prayers.