Custom divine abilities, portfolios, etc.

[DamienWilacoth]

How did I miss that? 0.o

Anyways, thanks for the effort.

As a side question, did the player (or you) come up with any Divine (or higher) Factotum Abilities?

 

[paradox42]

By that time it was too late to really bother with it- he had it as a project to do after the party dealt with the whole waking-Demiurge problem and all, but as it turned out, during the resolution of that his character became half of the new First One and suddenly had greater concerns. So no, never got around to it.

 

[DamienWilacoth]

I'm pretty sure this classification is right, but I'll let Krusty be the ultimate judge. It's an ability that I first thought up for my Supreme Being, which is usually just called the Goddess of Fate.

Akashic Redress [Metempiric]
Whenever a creature enters your divine aura with a divine rank higher than your own, it must make an opposed check of your choice. If it fails the check, you may take control of it permanently. (You lose your body and gain its body.) If it succeeds, it gains immunity to this ability.

This ability is borked, and I know it. I never thought a Supreme Being should play fair, at any rate. *shrugs* ...after all, what better way to defeat someone with even more power than you than by challenging them to a Profession (Children's Card Game Player) check?

What do you think? Is this something appropriate for a *real* Supreme Being to have?

I may start thinking of some other stuff soonish...

 

[Upper_Krust]

Howdy Damien mate!

I'm pretty sure this classification is right, but I'll let Krusty be the ultimate judge. It's an ability that I first thought up for my Supreme Being, which is usually just called the Goddess of Fate.

Akashic Redress [Metempiric]
Whenever a creature enters your divine aura with a divine rank higher than your own, it must make an opposed check of your choice. If it fails the check, you may take control of it permanently. (You lose your body and gain its body.) If it succeeds, it gains immunity to this ability.

This ability is borked, and I know it. I never thought a Supreme Being should play fair, at any rate. *shrugs* ...after all, what better way to defeat someone with even more power than you than by challenging them to a Profession (Children's Card Game Player) check?

What do you think? Is this something appropriate for a *real* Supreme Being to have?

I may start thinking of some other stuff soonish...

Surely the idea only makes sense if it works against those with a divine rank lower than your own who enter your aura?

Incidently I updated my website with an article about the 10 Hells.

Article: Redesigning the 10 Hells Eternity Publishing

 

[DamienWilacoth]

Howdy Damien mate!



Surely the idea only makes sense if it works against those with a divine rank lower than your own who enter your aura?

Incidently I updated my website with an article about the 10 Hells.

Article: Redesigning the 10 Hells Eternity Publishing

Nope. The idea is that the Supreme Being is using its Akashic Records to 'redress' the error of someone stronger than it stepping into its domain. Now, since the other guy has a higher divine rank, they get a 'save' of sorts to avoid the effect, but since they'll stepping into the Supreme Being's space, they have to do it on his terms, which means that the SB gets to pick which check they have to pass.

The idea came to me that if GOD commands the essence of Karma, then it would be able to stop even a more powerful force that would try to defeat it. But, what's the most fundamental part of Karma? The Akashic Records, which can be rewrite *anything* should work, since if the enemy is in range of the SB's divine aura, then it should be in the scope of the Akashic Records to rewrite.

As I said: it's a power of the Supreme Being. It's allowed to get away with a borked power, as long it makes at least a little bit of sense.

It's my way of trying to reconcile the philosophy extreme of what a metempiric power should have to be with the mechanics of it. It also struck me that having this ability (1200 divine ability slots) gelled nicely, thematically, with Uncanny Akashic Mastery (also 1200 divine slots), but that's just me.

So, in those terms... how'd I do?

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hello again Damien mate!

Nope. The idea is that the Supreme Being is using its Akashic Records to 'redress' the error of someone stronger than it stepping into its domain. Now, since the other guy has a higher divine rank, they get a 'save' of sorts to avoid the effect, but since they'll stepping into the Supreme Being's space, they have to do it on his terms, which means that the SB gets to pick which check they have to pass.

Seems somewhat redundant then since the Supreme Being is by default the most powerful being in the Everyverse.

The idea came to me that if GOD commands the essence of Karma, then it would be able to stop even a more powerful force that would try to defeat it. But, what's the most fundamental part of Karma? The Akashic Records, which can be rewrite *anything* should work, since if the enemy is in range of the SB's divine aura, then it should be in the scope of the Akashic Records to rewrite.

As I said: it's a power of the Supreme Being. It's allowed to get away with a borked power, as long it makes at least a little bit of sense.

It's my way of trying to reconcile the philosophy extreme of what a metempiric power should have to be with the mechanics of it. It also struck me that having this ability (1200 divine ability slots) gelled nicely, thematically, with Uncanny Akashic Mastery (also 1200 divine slots), but that's just me.

So, in those terms... how'd I do?

I suppose if you were willing to fabricate an entire spectrum of enemies for a (now) non-supreme Supreme Being then it might be viable.

But at that juncture you may as well restart GOD at 1st-level to be fair.

 

[DamienWilacoth]

Seems somewhat redundant then since the Supreme Being is by default the most powerful being in the Everyverse.

Which is not to say that a being from another Everyverse couldn't find their way into its domain.

It's not to say that one SB might be all that powerful in comparison to another one, after all - one Everyverse might have Tetragrammaton as the Supreme Being, who wouldn't even hold a candle to Logos. Of course, the situation might be a bit more complex than that - but then, if it wasn't, they wouldn't be Supernals, now would they?

Also, I wouldn't say that by default the Supreme Being is automatically the most powerful being in the Everyverse - after all, it's more than implied that even they can be defeated by beings from within their Everyverse, even with all of their defenses (including having the Lipikas defend it).

Delving back into some of the older records, with a mild burst of inspiration...

Metaphysical (Ex) [Metempiric]
Your existence is empowered by the Akasha.
Prerequisites: Infinite Constitution or Infinite Charisma , Transmortality
Benefits: You can never be destroyed. Even if you no longer qualify for this ability, you do not lose it.
Special: Although a Supernal with this ability would not necessarily have to surrender, even to a more powerful opponent, it is not unusual for those who have been bested to quietly serve those who have proven themselves the better terabeing.

Metamerism (Su) [Metempiric]
The Akasha will not relenquish you so easily.
Prerequsites: Cha 750 or Con 750, Transmortality, Omnidimensional.
Benefits: If you would be destroyed, instead you gain another manifestation.

Eleventh Sense (Ex) [Metempiric]
The Akasha has revealed the scope of what lies beyond to you.
Prerequisites: Alertness, Eighth Sense, Ninth Sense, Seventh Sense, Sixth Sense, Tenth Sense.
Benefit: You are able to scan beyond your Everyverse to determine potential threats. The DM shares his thoughts and insights into your new slew of extra-Everyverse enemies and how to defeat them.

Perfect Dominance (Su) [Metempiric]
All beneath you bow to your slightest whim.
Prerequsities: Cha 750, Dominance, Greater Dominance, Superior Dominance.
Benefit: Opponents with less than your hit die automatically fail their saving throws against any of your attacks.

Some of these abilities are obvious extensions. Metamerism was an ability that you talked about previously that was never quite written up. Technically, there's almost no reason for a Supernal to have both Metamerism and Metaphysical - they're more meant to be picked, one or the other. Which is picked depends on the style of the Supreme Being involved.

*shrugs* Then again, most of the Metempiric Abilities are just mild thought experiments. That being said... thoughts?

Edit: Now, a thought occurs to me - as Time Lords exist outside of the scope of reality as we know it, then shouldn't they be able to transcend the weaknesses of portfolios, in a way? If so, what level would such an ability be? Transcendental, as marked as normal for Time Lords to have? Omnifics, which are esoteric for Time Lords? Or Metempiric, which are restricted to Supreme Beings/Retired Supreme Beings (people who have had access to the Akashic Records at some point)?

Honestly, I could see a case for any of the three.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey Damien!

Which is not to say that a being from another Everyverse couldn't find their way into its domain.

True but then what?

At this point you have created one Metempiric power for the explicit purpose of taking on a new enemy you have to create...a power which makes such an enemy virtually redundant. It all seems like a bit of a pointless exercise, which I suppose Metempiric (and to an extent Omnific) powers already are.

It's not to say that one SB might be all that powerful in comparison to another one, after all - one Everyverse might have Tetragrammaton as the Supreme Being, who wouldn't even hold a candle to Logos. Of course, the situation might be a bit more complex than that - but then, if it wasn't, they wouldn't be Supernals, now would they?

The more powerful you ascend the less enemies there are to draw from and the less likely you'll be able to sustain a campaign (without a tremendous amount of effort)

Also, I wouldn't say that by default the Supreme Being is automatically the most powerful being in the Everyverse

Actually thats the literal translation of the term...that it IS the most powerful being in the Everyverse.

- after all, it's more than implied that even they can be defeated by beings from within their Everyverse, even with all of their defenses (including having the Lipikas defend it).

Thats like saying a Level 30 PC group can defeat (4E) Orcus...that doesn't make them individually more powerful.

Delving back into some of the older records, with a mild burst of inspiration...

Metaphysical (Ex) [Metempiric]
Your existence is empowered by the Akasha.
Prerequisites: Infinite Constitution or Infinite Charisma , Transmortality
Benefits: You can never be destroyed. Even if you no longer qualify for this ability, you do not lose it.
Special: Although a Supernal with this ability would not necessarily have to surrender, even to a more powerful opponent, it is not unusual for those who have been bested to quietly serve those who have proven themselves the better terabeing.

Metamerism (Su) [Metempiric]
The Akasha will not relenquish you so easily.
Prerequsites: Cha 750 or Con 750, Transmortality, Omnidimensional.
Benefits: If you would be destroyed, instead you gain another manifestation.

Eleventh Sense (Ex) [Metempiric]
The Akasha has revealed the scope of what lies beyond to you.
Prerequisites: Alertness, Eighth Sense, Ninth Sense, Seventh Sense, Sixth Sense, Tenth Sense.
Benefit: You are able to scan beyond your Everyverse to determine potential threats. The DM shares his thoughts and insights into your new slew of extra-Everyverse enemies and how to defeat them.

Perfect Dominance (Su) [Metempiric]
All beneath you bow to your slightest whim.
Prerequsities: Cha 750, Dominance, Greater Dominance, Superior Dominance.
Benefit: Opponents with less than your hit die automatically fail their saving throws against any of your attacks.

Some of these abilities are obvious extensions. Metamerism was an ability that you talked about previously that was never quite written up. Technically, there's almost no reason for a Supernal to have both Metamerism and Metaphysical - they're more meant to be picked, one or the other. Which is picked depends on the style of the Supreme Being involved.

*shrugs* Then again, most of the Metempiric Abilities are just mild thought experiments. That being said... thoughts?

As you yourself note, Metempiric abilities are simply excuses for gaming hypotheticals and endgame exaggerative nonsensicalism. I suspect that at some point the statistics become meaningless (and/or breakdown) and you may as well just play rock-paper-scissors or tic-tac-toe.

Edit: Now, a thought occurs to me - as Time Lords exist outside of the scope of reality as we know it, then shouldn't they be able to transcend the weaknesses of portfolios, in a way? If so, what level would such an ability be? Transcendental, as marked as normal for Time Lords to have? Omnifics, which are esoteric for Time Lords? Or Metempiric, which are restricted to Supreme Beings/Retired Supreme Beings (people who have had access to the Akashic Records at some point)?

Technically each Time Lord would have Double Every Portfolio...but I wouldn't want to have to type out that stat-block.

I believe there already exists a Transcendental power which gives you every Portfolio.

Honestly, I could see a case for any of the three.

I wonder if my (superior) 4E approach to immortality could easily be ported to 3E...on reflection probably not, at least not without a complete rescaling of 3E divinity (which would defeat the purpose).

 

[DamienWilacoth]

Technically each Time Lord would have Double Every Portfolio...but I wouldn't want to have to type out that stat-block.

I believe there already exists a Transcendental power which gives you every Portfolio.

Technically? Not really - each Time Lord has 2 Portfolios automatically, but can change them as a free action.

The Transcendental power that you're thinking of (Intrinsic) seems to be the same thing that Time Lords have, as seen above.

Question still stands: I'm assuming that any power that lets you forgo the weaknesses of portfolios would be Transcendental, at the least, but what level would they be? ...offhand, I'd just label it Transcendental. Your description of the final powers that any given Portfolio should offer is something to the effect of "The ability to transcend the portfolio altogether in some manner," which is good enough for my purposes. To a lesser extent, the ability to negate one of a portfolio's weaknesses is probably Cosmic. Given that a Transcendental could probably apply to a double portfolio, but the Cosmic version of it would need to be taken six times to cover a double portfolio, so the math works out.

Besides, there's something inherently right about a Sidereal of Knowledge that you know is lying because its (metaphorical) mouth is open.

As to whether or not a 4th edition remapping of 3E divinity would work, I don't know. I haven't seen your finished ideas on it.

As to the other stuff... probably. The only real reason I posted them here is that it gives me a way to sort through my thoughts on the Supreme Beings (plural) in my story.

 

[Mr.Satan]

Are these balanced as feats?

Exception Exemption [Psionic]
Prerequisites: Erudite level 1st.
Benefit: You regain/retain the ability to add additional powers (above and beyond the two gained at each new erudite level) to your repertoire of powers known, regardless of your levels in other psionic classes.
Normal: If you gain at least as many levels in another psionic class as you have in your erudite class, you permanently lose the ability to add additional powers (above and beyond the two gained at each new erudite level) to your repertoire of powers known.

Freeform Psyche [Psionic]
Prerequisites: Erudite or Psion level 1st.
Benefit: You can freely multiclass between psion: erudite and psion.
Special: You lose the “discipline” class feature.