Deities and Demigods

[Information]

Should Deities and Demigods use statistics for deities, only have avatars, both, or neither?

 

[EOL]

I think statistics are a no brainer, because nothing forces you to use the statistics, nothing forces you to make gods mortal, but there are lots of epic adventure ideas where having the final boss be a god is tremendously cool.

 

[Eye Tyrant]

I'm of the mind that any Power of the Cosmos should be be pretty much invulnerable on it's home plane. Maybe not so much so for lesser deities (by lesser deities I mean Velsharoon, or whatever the name for the necromancer deity in FR is), but certainly for Greater and Lesser Powers. Ohterwise I don't find them very god-like. They should however, be given avatars while on planes that hey are not native to, and the closer said plane is to their home plane, the stronger the avatar...

Just off the top of my head though... Gods haven't played too big a part of any game I've played in since the mid/late 80's

 

[BluWolf]

I am of the opinion that the nature of godhood is totally dependant upon the creators ideas and structure of thier cosmology. So it will depend from campaign world to campaign world whether or not the gods are inviolate or approachable.

That being said, there should be mechanic or at least guidance as to how to represent deities.

 

[A2Z]

Yes.

 

[Jarval]

I think statistics are a no brainer, because nothing forces you to use the statistics, nothing forces you to make gods mortal, but there are lots of epic adventure ideas where having the final boss be a god is tremendously cool.

Pretty much my own view. If you don't want stats, don't use 'em. But it's handy to have some way to compare deities, and I will be using stats for avatars.

 

[MythandLore]

Both.
You want stats for the god? You got 'em.
You want stats for the avatar? You got 'em.
You don't want stats for ether? Don't use 'em.
Puting them in doesn't take away from anyone's game.
Leaving them out on the other hand leaves a lot of people out in the cold.
I personally am not buying it unless it has both.

 

[dcollins]

I really don't like avatars. They're out-of-flavor for every pantheon with the exception of the Indian (Hindu/Vedic). For further thoughts on the subject, see here: www.superdan.net/dndmisc/avatars.html

 

[Sulimo]

Pretty much my own view. If you don't want stats, don't use 'em. But it's handy to have some way to compare deities, and I will be using stats for avatars.

In an ideal world that would be my view, but with limited page counts I would much rather have more details on the religions and worshippers than stats for the gods.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Both.
You want stats for the god? You got 'em.
You want stats for the avatar? You got 'em.
You don't want stats for ether? Don't use 'em.
Puting them in doesn't take away from anyone's game.
Leaving them out on the other hand leaves a lot of people out in the cold.
I personally am not buying it unless it has both.

Exactly.