Religion and Alignment

To avoid the classic, morally ambiguous, flame-inducing shitstorm that are alignment debates, we're removing the alignment system entirely. Additionally, we're shedding the confines of the traditional deities of Golarion in favor of more realistic, flexible religious systems. This means that a large number of character options are going to see some changes.

Religion
All content that specifies a specific deity is still available for play with a few stipulations.

If you select a character option that requires the worship of a specific Golarion deity, it is expected that you follow a set of tenets that aligns with the Golarion deity. You may not select character options from a second Golarion specific deity, even if they follow a similar ideology.

For example, if you played a devoted cleric of a church who believes in defending the weak and striking against those who would do harm to others, you could reasonably pick up an Iomedean religion trait. However, you may not then select a feat that requires the worship of Sarenrae.

Religiously Inclined Classes
Classes who devote themselves to specific religions will no longer be as limited in their class feature choices.

Domains
Each religion presented for this setting will have a list of suggested domains, however you may select any domain you feel appropriately reflects your character's worship. If you choose a domain that conflicts with the religion in any way, expect to be asked to justify your choices during the character approval process. If a religion includes a list of excluded domains, you may not select from those domains.

Favored Weapons
Religions will no longer have favored weapons. Instead, you'll select a weapon at first level that you've prayed about and that will be your favored weapon. You can change your favored weapon by performing a special ritual that costs 200 gp per class level. The ritual takes 8 hours to complete and you must have the new weapon on hand to act as a focus. For example, if a cleric originally chose to make their favored weapon a sickle but wanted to instead shift their focus to scythes, they would perform this ritual over a scythe and presto change-o now their favored weapon is a scythe.

Spells
All alignment descriptors are removed from spells. If a spell's effects are only partially based on alignment, simply ignore the alignment dependent aspects of the spell and carry on. If a spell has an effect that changes based on the creature's alignment, the spell now defaults to the neutral effects of the spell. Spells that only affect creatures with a specific alignment, such as holy word and detect evil, are being reworked. For ease of access, these spells will be listed here as well as with the first party spell changes or homebrew spells as appropriate. Spells that only affect creatures of a specific alignment but are not listed here are effectively banned (because they are non-functional, not because we're actually banning them) until reworked.

Alignment Detection and Masking
Any spell that blocks alignment detection, such as undetectable alignment, instead shields a creature from spells such as detect ill intent. Any spell that masks your alignment, such as aura alteration, can instead alter the strength of your ill intent by one step in either direction.

Exceptions
When a character option specifies that it affects spells with a specific alignment descriptor, such as the drow's champion of dark powers alternate racial trait that bolsters the DC of evil spells, it still applies to spells that originally had the correct alignment descriptor.

Feats and Traits
All alignment prerequisites are removed from feats and traits. Feats and traits that have an effect that relies on alignment are effectively banned (because they are non-functional, not because we're actually banning them). These feats and traits are often so niche and obscure (though still numerous, thanks to Pathfinder's infinite bloat) that trying to rework them all is an unnecessary task. If there is a feat or trait with alignment dependent effects that you feel still fits within our new system and setting, we encourage you to suggest them on the forums. For ease of access, feats and traits with effects that rely on alignment to function but have still been approved or reworked will be listed here as well as in first party feat and trait changes.

Exceptions
If a feat or trait states that it limits your choice or what it affects to "evil creatures", "spells with the evil descriptor", or similar types of wording, then you use these built in limitations despite the removal of the alignment system.

Magic Items
Remove alignment restrictions and variations from magic items and their effects.

Classes
All alignment requirements are removed from classes. Classes such as paladins and monks are still expected to follow codes of conduct, vows, and other restrictions as applicable to the class or risk their ability to progress or access their class abilities.

There are many class features that are effected by these system changes.

Aura
The aura class feature is being removed entirely with no replacement as it was more of a fluff feature anyways.

Channel Energy
Classes who may choose between channeling positive or negative energy based on alignment may now freely choose which type of energy to channel.

Cure and Inflict Spells
Classes such as the cleric and oracle who gain the cure spells or inflict spells as determined by their alignment instead choose between the two. Characters who also have the channel energy class feature must base this selection off their channel energy feature. For example, a cleric who channels negative energy must select inflict spells, where as one who channels positive energy must select cure spell.

Detect Alignment
Detect good, detect evil, and every other type of detect alignment class feature is replaced by detect ill intent.

Detect Ill Intent (Sp): At will, you can use detect ill intent, as the spell. As a move action, you can concentrate on a single individual within 60 feet and determine if it has ill intent against you or your allies, learning the strength of their intent as if having studied them for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual, you do not detect ill intent in any other individual within range.

Smite Alignment
Smite good, smite evil, and every other type of smite is no longer dependent on alignment. They are all just smite and you can smite whatever you please regardless of their moral standing.

Spellcasting
Classes whose spellcasting is limited by alignment is freed of this restriction due to the removal of alignment descriptors from spells.

Other Class Features
As a general rule, simply remove the alignment component of the class feature. If there is a class feature that becomes entirely useless or nerfed into an unusable state, please assist the staff by bringing it to our attention!

Exceptions
If a class feature states that it limits your choice or what it affects to "evil creatures", "spells with the evil descriptor", or similar types of wording, then you use these built in limitations despite the removal of the alignment system.