Anyone else buying the Dieties & Demigods even though they won't use the stats?

[Zerovoid]

I think stats for gods seem kind of stupid. I don't want anybody trying to kill Torm or Tempus or something. I always figured the only way to kill a god was kill everyone who believed in them. OTOH, high level characters might be able to survive a run in with avatars, which are only a very tiny portion of a god.

Also, it lets players become gods, and is apparently another option to the epic level book. It wouldn't really bother me for some PC's to be come really minor demigods, while the others were epic level.

 

[Zappo]

I certainly won't even look at the stats, at least not with any intention of actually using them. But I might buy the book if it gives stuff like background info, details on worship, religious material, maybe new rules for priests of specific deities, things like that.

 

[Paragon]

I understand people's point about gods having stats and becoming monsters and all. It does sometimes border on elitism it seems. My question is: so your groups char's never interact with the gods? Cool, your campaign. What about all the stories from Greek, roman, Norse, Babylonian, Finnish, etc, about gods walking among mortals? Children of the gods? The gods themselves teaching the mortals lessons? The gods going against mortals only to be foiled by a particularly crafty or intelligent mortal? These stories are scattered through all the mythologies that D&D draws it's source of creation from and many of those gods are talked about in the new book! Having a god in your campaign is not in itself munchkin. But just like anything else in gaming it's how you use it that makes all the difference.

Paragon

 

[BluWolf]

True, it really depends on the style of game you want to run and what part religion plays in it.

In my current campaign world the gods (there are only 3) are inviolate and unapproachable. Religion is a an excercise in mortally interpreted Doghma. Its intentional. Characters cannot learn languages like infernal or celestial. Immortals can only speak to them (when they actually dane too) in mortal tongues.

But I have run other camapigns were the gods were very petty and invovled in alot of what mortals did. The prime was essentially the gods playground and battelfield. Avatars were encountered but never fought as the game never got that far.

I'm kind of glad it didn't. I think older versions of the game used a poor model to explain or express godly power.

 

[Crothian]

I might use the stats, I might not. I'm not going to foolishly decide that before hand. Perhaps I'll be in a game that goes really high level and the PCs will want to battle the gods. Perhaps I'll read the book and figure out a great campaign that will end with the battle of a god. It's really hard to say either way until I actually get to a point and make the choice. I'm not one to eliminate my options ahead of time. Who know what the future of my games will bring?

 

[NiTessine]

Of course I will buy it... Even though it has no gods of my campaign world, and I won't use the stats, either...

 

[The Lemon Merchant]

Yeah I'm gonna buy it, I'm not fond of the idea for Deity stats but I'm sure there is going to be some useful information in the book beyond the stats. Besides I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to having complete sets of gaming material. Took me years to complete my 1E collection (just did that a year ago) and I had a complete 2E collection (tho' I'm not proud of owning the Complete Gnome/Halfling Handbook), I even have every book published for Shatterzone (an underappreciated precursor to the WEG Masterbook system), including a never opened box.

Hmm...I think I may have a problem...

 

[mmadsen]

From what I've seen of the previews bandied about here, the real travesty is that the gods are given stats (and new rules are introduced) with very little attempt to emulate the original myths.

I don't want an acid-proof Heracles with a high Wisdom and a magic composite bow; I want a violent manic-depressive Heracles with superhuman strength and amazing skill with a bow. If I'm going to give gods stats, I'm going to give them stats that match the source material.

 

[shadow]

Stats for Dieties!

Yes, Yes, Yes STATS FOR DIETIES!!!
I'm really looking forward to this book, especially the stats for dieties! If you want the gods in you're campaign to be abstract beings that never intervene in the affairs of mortals that's fine. I, however, want to start a campaign that emulates epic mythology with petty gods intervening in the affair of mortals. If you look at Classic mythology, the gods frequently intervened in the affairs of mortals. Zeus had many sexual encounters with mortal women, during the trojan war many gods and demi-gods took sides. I'm not saying that PC's will just go around killing gods, but rather the appearence of a god would make an intriguing adventure for epic level characters (especially in conjunction with the Epic Level Handbook). Has anyone read the Belgariad series by David Eddings? The series deals with the hero Garion fighting against the evil god Torak. This is the kind of adventure I would like to conclude an epic level adventure. If you don't like stats for dieties, more power to you; just don't use them. I however am really looking forward to an epic game with epic PC's allying with good gods and challenging evil gods.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Re: Re: Anyone else buying the Dieties & Demigods even though they won't use the stats?

A 20th level character can still be physically grappled by a mob of zero level shmucks then held down and throat slit. Being 20th level doesnt make you immortal compared to the average person.

On the other hand a mob (or even a mob of mobs) of 20th level characters is not going to do the same to even a minor God.

There is a big difference between the two.

20th level characters are far above 1st level NPCs and stats CAN describe them.

When compared to first level people of NPC classes, 20th level characters might as well be gods. From the stats I've seen, gods compared to 20th level people is basically the same as 20th level people next to commoner 1 people. In most cases, I can't see the stats being particularly relevant, but, then again, most campaigns don't reach teh point where 20th level threats are relevant either.