To kill a god...

[Hitman187]

I know you mentioned your players care more about crits, but if i was in the game i would love to have each fight with a god taloired more to analyzing the situation, which would be unique to the god's persona, and thinking about how to over come the challenges than just a hard fight hoping you roll a lot of 20's. Especially when you realize deities are the only ones who can make artifacts, if they knew about this becoming mortal thing wouldn't they have decked them self head to toe in artifacts before hand? And if so the 2nd god fight will be ridiculously easier, and it would only get exponentially easier after that.


One way i see of doing this is a knowledge religion check (or if someone is already familiar with the deity) to know his personality.
Say for example someone knows/finds out Kord is a god of personal strength and likes wrestling, the beefiest PC or best escape artist challenges him to a wrestling match. If the PC wins he claims godhood and if the deity wins he can do as he pleases with them (kill them, eternal servants w/e). And allow for the PCs to outsmart the god, either by rigging the wrestling match playing dirty w/e. Like the kids book "Mickey meets the Giant"

Another thing I personally would enjoy is a slight political part before any combats with the gods, like if you get close to Hextor he will bribe the PC's with an item or secret that will help them slay Heironeous if they go for him instead, whether this bribe is real or just a bluff can get really interesting.

 

[Drobney Falcor]

Then you could make new gods that fit your PC's portfolios, or use ones that already match them, or explain what happens when a god is replaced by someone who is disinterested in the former gods dominion.

I feel the friends that I play with are too attached to the standard pantheon and they would feel more of a connection with the world if it were to stay that way. Immersion is the second most important thing to consider (next to fun) and it will be helped in this way. That's not say i won't slip in a previous god or two of my own creation, taken out by one of the current deities.

As for what happens when no interest in the dominion is expressed by the killer, I've already put some ideas on this thread but the more i think about it the more i want to do this: All domains are necessary and at least one deity or more is required to uphold them. So for example the killing of Nerull wouldn't throw the balance out of order but the killing of both he and Wee Jas would. Then at least one of the new gods would have to take up responsibility for death.

I know you mentioned your players care more about crits, but if i was in the game i would love to have each fight with a god taloired more to analyzing the situation, which would be unique to the god's persona, and thinking about how to over come the challenges than just a hard fight hoping you roll a lot of 20's. Especially when you realize deities are the only ones who can make artifacts, if they knew about this becoming mortal thing wouldn't they have decked them self head to toe in artifacts before hand? And if so the 2nd god fight will be ridiculously easier, and it would only get exponentially easier after that.


One way i see of doing this is a knowledge religion check (or if someone is already familiar with the deity) to know his personality.
Say for example someone knows/finds out Kord is a god of personal strength and likes wrestling, the beefiest PC or best escape artist challenges him to a wrestling match. If the PC wins he claims godhood and if the deity wins he can do as he pleases with them (kill them, eternal servants w/e). And allow for the PCs to outsmart the god, either by rigging the wrestling match playing dirty w/e. Like the kids book "Mickey meets the Giant"

Another thing I personally would enjoy is a slight political part before any combats with the gods, like if you get close to Hextor he will bribe the PC's with an item or secret that will help them slay Heironeous if they go for him instead, whether this bribe is real or just a bluff can get really interesting.

The killing of a god will be more than just a romp through a dungeon to a fight only beatable with good rolls. Keep in mind not many gods will be killed (I predict 3-4) and so it will take a few sessions to discover a weak point in the base of the deity or the being them self. Or artifacts needed to counter act the deity's own artifacts.

Speaking of these epic items I'm a little lost on how to handle the creation and inevitable stockpiling of these tools for when the gods descend to mortal-hood. I don't want to just throw them out, deus ex machina, but it's hard to discover an effective alternative. Maybe i can handle them in a story telling way, like the art of creating them has been lost ever since the first round of gods fell. These items are now only known by few and they guard the secret well, even going to great lengths to hide the destructive power from mankind (elvenkind, gnomekind, etc...). Artifacts have never been much a key point in previous games so I wonder if their absence will be missed.

Challenges may be issued against the gods while they remain on the material plane but to claim godhood you must murder one. This point i will remain firm on. Inner pantheon politics is something I've already begun writing many notes on. The confrontation with a god will of course be more than storm the final lair and kill anything that moves. Even as the fight progresses i imagine a god will do almost anything to remain a god. Possibly bribing or lying to weasel out of a losing battle. And if that god's way of doing that is by magic, let's say teleport, then anti-magic fields will have to be put into use to successfully defeat the deity. I hope I've answered everything you inquired about.

 

[Hitman187]

I gave a bad example with the outsmarting of the god's. What i meant was after the PC's do find their way to hopefully the final confrontation with a god, have a way they can beat the god with more ease if they use a more intelligent method then just straight to combat, but while still involving possible combat after they have gained a upper hand from being clever.

 

[Drobney Falcor]

I gave a bad example with the outsmarting of the god's. What i meant was after the PC's do find their way to hopefully the final confrontation with a god, have a way they can beat the god with more ease if they use a more intelligent method then just straight to combat, but while still involving possible combat after they have gained a upper hand from being clever.

Yes, this kind of thinking will be necessary as I plan to scale the gods according to where the party is at. It won't be some magic gun they can use but a piece of information, unique magical item, other aid or all three if the PCs can manage it. The gods have plans so the players will need them as well. I've been scribbling notes on possible plot hooks and whatnot concerning this aspect; careful not to be too detailed as I'm not sure what deities will be on the list to kill in the first place.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

If one of the now-mortal-gods directly kills another now-mortal-god, does he assume the power of both himself and that other god? does his portfolio double? What if one god tries to personally take out all the others, to assume complete and total power?

 

[Drobney Falcor]

If one of the now-mortal-gods directly kills another now-mortal-god, does he assume the power of both himself and that other god? does his portfolio double? What if one god tries to personally take out all the others, to assume complete and total power?

Yes, but only if they have ownership of the soul when the time comes to return to their former status. If, for example, an evil god kills all of the good deities that grant access to the good domain, obviously you can't be an evil and good god so the duty would land on him/her to find a suitable replacement. Evil can't completely vanquish good and vice-versa.

Theoretically a god could gain power beyond all the others by taking out most of his peers so long as he/she keeps the balance in check. Still, most deities couldn't handle the power we are talking about here. It's not that their power has increased exponentially but that it is too far reaching for their complete control. Their divine rank can never exceed 20. Unless with intervention from those with 21+ divine rank.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Yes, but only if they have ownership of the soul when the time comes to return to their former status. If, for example, an evil god kills all of the good deities that grant access to the good domain, obviously you can't be an evil and good god so the duty would land on him/her to find a suitable replacement. Evil can't completely vanquish good and vice-versa.

Theoretically a god could gain power beyond all the others by taking out most of his peers so long as he/she keeps the balance in check. Still, most deities couldn't handle the power we are talking about here. It's not that their power has increased exponentially but that it is too far reaching for their complete control. Their divine rank can never exceed 20. Unless with intervention from those with 21+ divine rank.

So, what would be the mechanics of finding a suitable replacement? And if I, as the Evil deity, assumed all the Good portfilios and needed to find somebody to elivate to godhood to pass the portfolio along, can I determine that new, Good god, be of a very low divine rank? Can I be the rank 19 Evil god and see that a rank 2, Good patsy be created to maintain the "official" balance, while really just ruling to universe?
I ask the annoying mechanics questions with the intention of helping you flesh out what all the rules are, so it's balanced before you dive into your campaign. I think this is going to be an awesome adventure, enjoy!

 

[Summer-Knight925]

Okay, so i skipped all the others because I am a bad person, so there might be some repetition in my post

BUT

why give it a time scale at all? the cycle should be beyond time (since time is relative and all)

just simply start off the ENTIRE campaign like this

"They say that when the stars are right in the night sky the gods become restless and vulnerable, that with the stars in JUST the right pattern it opens the gates of power and the gods drain away, for a time.
As you sit outside the tavern on this perfect night, you look up and see the stars in a pattern you have never seen, as you and your comrades gaze upon the stars, you feel their brilliance strike you, somehow, you know, the stories are true."


THATS all you need, if the players what that much more background story than perhaps they shouldn't be gods

as to how you develop it, well I know how I would start it and how I would end it (battle of god's? Armies of divine beings marching on each other?)

 

[jefgorbach]

Rereading the intro question, I dont think the PCs -ARE- gods, but rather normal characters who should/will discover the truth to the ancient myths by eventually encountering 1+ of the now-mortal gods.

as such, he's not questioning how to setup the campaign but rather seeking ideas to work into his plot.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

. . . if the players what that much more background story than perhaps they shouldn't be gods

They aren't.