Cradle of Gods: Sound fun?

[Schmoe]

I've been running a campaign off and on (more off now than on) for the last four years. The PC's are reaching higher levels, and they're approaching the end of the major plot arc for the campaign. While I've placed plenty of hooks for continued adventures, even through epic levels, I've had the germ of a new campaign floating in the back of my mind, and I want to see if anyone else finds it interesting.

Setting: The world is a new place, wild and untamed. Humans have only recently begun writing, and there is little lore except that passed down by oral tradition. The people of this land are rugged and hardy, for existence from one day to the next is a struggle. Technology such as metalworking is in its infancy, if it even exists at all. In this land, there are no gods (and thus no clerics). Tribal elders pray to the spirits of their ancestors and the spirits of nature, but beyond that there is nothing. No mighty warrior tames the north winds, no gentle mistress brings the soothing rain, no great charioteer guides the sun across the sky. And yet, there are forces greater than the mortals that tread the earth, for demons prowl in the darkness and vie for their souls.

Into this land step the heroes. They band together in search of adventure, and along the way they become gods.

At this point the germ meets the walls of its cell. I have vague notions of the PC's having epic quests and adventures worthy of divinity, but nothing concrete. I do think that Malhavoc's upcoming book, Iron Lore, might be perfect for this. I also think the Pazuzu article from the recent Dragon has some great ideas that could fit into the campaign.

I guess I have three questions:

First, have you ever run or played in a game along these lines? If so, I'd love to hear about your experiences!

Second, does this sound like something that would be fun to you? Which parts would be fun/not fun?

Third, what kind of adventures would be suitable for a campaign like this?

I probably won't have a chance to run this campaign for quite a while yet, but I want to start working out some of the details for when that opportunity finally comes around.

(Edit: changed "would" to "might")

 

[pogre]

I guess I have three questions:

First, have you ever run or played in a game along these lines? If so, I'd love to hear about your experiences!

No

Second, does this sound like something that would be fun to you? Which parts would be fun/not fun?

The idea of the party creating a pantheon is very cool. What would not be fun would be creating the mechanics from my point of view.

Third, what kind of adventures would be suitable for a campaign like this?

I would guess that the PCs must explore the question: Why haven't there been gods? or Why us? The adventures would revolve around gaining a spark of divinity and gathering mana in some way.

 

[S'mon]

First thing to decide is what powers divinity, whether it's a democratic/ascending system powered by the power of mortal belief (eg my Worshipper Points system, elements in eg Greek mythos), or a hierarchical/descending system where some higher power or Force ascends you to divinty - eg OD&D Immortals system, Christian Saints system. Off-hand I think the first may be what you're looking for, ie the humans start thinking PC X "Is THUNDER!" - and so he now is, but you could also have the PCs "questing to steal the power of THUNDER from the Thunder Spirit" or similar.

 

[Schmoe]

The idea of the party creating a pantheon is very cool. What would not be fun would be creating the mechanics from my point of view.

I guess I'm not so much concerned with what happens after becoming gods, as the path that the characters take to becoming gods. From that standpoint, I don't think the mechanics of divinity will really be that important. Or am I misunderstanding?

I would guess that the PCs must explore the question: Why haven't there been gods? or Why us?

Those are very good questions, but I don't foresee the adventurers starting out with having godhood in mind. The former question may have significant repercussions as to what opposes them in their adventures, but the latter question will be simply answered by looking backward upon the characters' accomplishments.

The adventures would revolve around gaining a spark of divinity and gathering mana in some way.

I'm picturing adventures being along the lines of "Demetra Greensparrow seeded the One Tree, from which sprang the lesser races of X, Y, and Z. Her name will be forever hallowed in the temples of those peoples," rather than "You did X and got 45 Mana points. Only 10 more and you're a god!" I'm interested in "God" more in terms of sociological and cultural impact upon the world, rather than mechanical impact within the game.

 

[Schmoe]

First thing to decide is what powers divinity, whether it's a democratic/ascending system powered by the power of mortal belief (eg my Worshipper Points system, elements in eg Greek mythos), or a hierarchical/descending system where some higher power or Force ascends you to divinty - eg OD&D Immortals system, Christian Saints system. Off-hand I think the first may be what you're looking for, ie the humans start thinking PC X "Is THUNDER!" - and so he now is, but you could also have the PCs "questing to steal the power of THUNDER from the Thunder Spirit" or similar.

The concept of mortal belief determining divinity is very important, but at what point are the mechanics necessary? If I'm playing a 15th level fighter Bob who does epic things, then generations later, devotion to Bob's epic actions may well power a divine force called "Bob." But to me, I'm still playing Bob, having epic adventures that are forging the legend that will later become the divine force "Bob." Does that make any sense, or am I off my rocker? Even if Bob the fighter dies, his legend will carry on and eventually worship of Bob will power some sort of divinity. The legend is the god. The adventure is about creating the legend.