Hello again!
Center-of-All said:
Well, yes, more or less. And it's both parts that I have a strong disagreement with. Immortals should certainly be more powerful, but an increased versatility further contributes to the fungibility between characters, a situation that (in my experience) has never lead to anything other than a decrease in character differentation (not elimination, just a decrease).
Well let me address this point. Firstly, this is a versatility that the game has always had up to now and its a versatility that the game still has in 4E - it still has multi-classing, simply that the mechanics are far tighter. Secondly, its not something thats going to be forced. Characters will still be more powerful specialising in their roles. Obviously the person with four "Controller" based encounter and daily powers will be a superior controller to someone with a mere one (thats even before we count things like feats and ability scores that also play a big part in shaping a characters role).
The relevance of mortality is probably just a taste thing, but I prefer not to have characters 'abandon' such an important part of their lives. Sidelined, perhaps, but not eliminated.
Well then you may want to peruse 4th Editions ruleset a little longer because thats basically how the game works between levels 1-30. For instance, once you get your four encounter powers, the next encounter power replaces the first one you got. By the time you are 30th-level you will have an almost completely different attacking power set than at 15th-level. You don't have any of those old powers (or almost none). Just like how magic items change as you level up and you won't have the same items at 30th as you did at 15th.
My idea operates no differently from that.
I'll pipe in and say that I perfered your earlier idea of them as elites with minions,
I've toyed with this and at one point I was thinking that the monstrous immortals would be solo while the humanoid immortals would be elites. But I am sort of thinking that if you were designing an encounter around battling a deity, you still want them to be the focus.
Remember also that solo monster scan still operate in tandem with other creatures (thats not even counting the possibility of summoned monsters built into their stat blocks - as with the Pit Fiends), you use the total EXP to plan encounters, not simply level and power role. So if Odin was a Level 40 solo encounter, you could always plan that 'final battle' at Level 41 or 42 and include additional forces.
but the solo thing is probably best for keeping in line with future published products from WotC.
Lower levels promote more interaction, so it makes sense from that perspective. It also makes sense from the perspective of workload (for me).
I do think, though, that any given deity could be given multiple stat blocks.
Well I think certainly two power roles (but not combat roles) is likely, though probably with the solo as default.
For example, Orcus as a master of the undead, with him creating and enhancing powerful undead monsters, would use different stats than Orcus as the blighter, bringing ruin and death to those around him. One would be a leader, while the other would probably be a skirmisher or artillery.
I don't like this idea (and given your above comments about versatility I find them surprising). Orcus is Orcus, hes not Orcus the Controller one minute and Orcus the Skirmisher the next. Hes an individual, not a race unto himself trying to fulfill multiple combat roles. If we want a demon prince Brute we can have Demogorgon, if we want a Demon Prince Soldier we can have Graz'zt, a Demon Prince Skirmisher...Pazuzu.
Same with the gods.
Oh, and have you considered non-ascention methods of increasing power? I was just thinking that demilich might make a good epic destiny, and your further extensions of that line could concievably be put out as alternatives to godhood. Ideas?
Absolutely. I definately see undead as one (or rather four) path you might take. Possession is another and I have a list of others written down somewhere.
