With that 'need' being defined by the inscrutable power of God (the GM)
Hence the GM's ability to create and destroy game balance by their very whim!
is absolutely indistinguishable from leaving the matter to taking no action whatsoever, as the only way to distinguish a granted prayer from a declined prayer is by waiting for the opportunity for intervention to pass.
Except in game terms where True Believers have the ability to say a prayer and then roll Conviction for ANYTHING! Then the success or failure is dependent upon the roll of the Dice or the Whim of the GM!
Contacts Roll.... get me a damned Knight of the Cross!
When their arrival is arranged by 'coincidence' or 'feeling', they don't generally get the opportunity to call ahead.
Hey, Same difference to me so long at they are there!
If they show up, they show up, if they don't, they don't.
And either way the GM's job is to provide an interesting story! If the players are in it to be terrified and unable to defeat a huge monster then that's awesome for them! Don't let ANYTHING I say get in the way of your fun guys! But if not, someone needs a way to get rid of that evil dude!
To me, when someone is giving themselves a +0 catch it means that the only time it should really come up is at a dramatic moment that really has meaning to the character.
I think I was trying to say something like that in my post and I lost track in my ramblings... anyway, AGREE! If it shows up AT ALL!
I think that last post pretty well sums up the argument without debating the forest for the trees. Denarians and Knights are a bad example case because they have a divine intervention thing built into back story.
For me it comes down to ARE THE PLAYERS HAVING FUN. If they really are then EVERYTHING IS OKAY! If they aren't well maybe it's time to change some things!