Deities & Demigods continued

[CRGreathouse]

Re: unsavable DCs

Doesn't D&Dg assume saves are always made on natural 20s?

 

[Ancalagon]

True on that...

But St cuthbert can do this 4 times a round.

Good luck!

Ancalagon

 

[Grazzt]

I was going to point out hercules as a god with below 24 stats, but someone beat me to it.

Anyway...

I'm having trouble with these rules... the "always get 20" is just plain bad... it removes all randmoness, and a god that has a skill of one higher than the other (say, bluff vs sense motive) will ALWAYS succeed, even though the other god is nearly as good.

The worse is anhiliating strike. St-cuthbert can destroy any god with lower ranks than him with it, especialy if he starts wielding his mace 2 handed, smithing, divine might and using feat of strenght. I figure the DC would be on average 136 (!!!).

Ancalagon

St. Cuthbert using Annihilating Strike can POSSIBLY slay any creature of divine rank 14 or less. The DC would be:

10 + 15 (divine rank) + 51 (if he gets lucky and does max damage) = 76

DC 76

If he smites the DC becomes 96. Adding in Divine Might (+9) the DC becomes 105.

Two-handed adds 1/2 Str, so +7 more or a total of DC 112.

But- can you stack Smite with Aniihilating Strike on the same attack? Each requires a standard actions do they not? Either way, the DC will be at least "off the chart" for mortals, which is really how it should be...St Cuthbert is an Intermediate Deity afterall.

 

[Vaeron]

I'm starting to suspect this is going to be a highly errata'd volume. No god's individual ability score bonuses (over 24) are less than 21 + divine rank. But how (or if) class level modifiers are added to that is used with extreme inconsistency.

Most of the Pharaoic deities I looked at followed the 21 + DR + cumulative class modifer scheme, such as Sobek: 21 + DR 3 + 7 = 31 (Str 43 Dex 30 Con 27 Int 25 Wis 25 Ch 25).

Several deities come at at -5 when using the 21 + DR + class modifier scheme, however. And some come at, inexplicable, at -10. Let's look at Hextor.

21 + DR 15 + 10 for a total bonus of 46. But his abilities are actually Str 45 Dex 25 Con 32 Int 24 Wis 25 Cha 29. This bonus of 36 is exactly TEN under what it should be. Did they forget to count his class levels?

It bounces so inconsistently between equalling out, -5 and -10 regardless of pantheon or deity rank that I can only conclude that these are faulty calculations. Unfortunately, the book covered everything EXCEPT how to arrive at ability scores for deities, so it's virtually impossible to know for sure.

V

 

[Keeper of the Dark Realms]

I'm starting to suspect this is going to be a highly errata'd volume.

Nah- I don't think it will be. Sure, if there really is a method to the madness of assigning and generating the deities abilities scores, then there are several that are off (and dont follow the pattern that most do). However, if the ability bonuses and DCs, saves, etc. add up to the deity's listed ability scores, then I don't see them changing that.

For example, using the 24 (base) + 21 + divine rank + class levels for ability scores, Hextor does indeed come in like 10 points under. Note however, that all of his bonuses (BAB, damage, saves, DCs, etc) add up correctly based on his scores. If WotC alters his scores then they would also have to list new saves, DCs, etc or whatever else was affected. And I don't see them doing that. Not worth the effort if the rest of the math is correct.

 

[Knight Otu]

Hello, all!

Thank you for your answers, Asmodeus!

But if I'm not totally mistaken, Hextor should be a blackguard, right?

On a side note, Keeper of the Dark Realms: Have you been around on the old boards, and if yes, what was your old name? (Grazzt, who posted earlier on the thread was Keeper of the Dark Realms on the old boards) - Just curious.

 

[Grazzt]

Keeper of the Dark Realms is me. I accidentally logged out the other day and logged back in under my old name (originally these boards wouldnt take my old name...too long..hence the reason I started going by Grazzt).

Anyway- I still use the "Keeper" on Necromancer's Boards and wasnt paying attention when I logged in.


Sorry about that.

 

[Buddha the DM]

So has anyone been able to solve the mystery of how to determine a god's ability scores? After that how about their skills? Do they, true gods, get skills for their 20 Outsider Hit Dice? If so, what skills are class or cross class?

 

[Aaron L]

Why didn't they list this information in the book in the first place? Things like how many levels you should give a greater god vs a demigod, how many ability points you give a god, etc. For a book about building your own gods and pantheons it's kind of annoying to have to decipher the rules from the examples rather than having them delineated for you.

 

[AmerginLiath]

before ascending!?

- What if it was a dragon that ascended - seemingly Tiamat and Bahamuts Dexterity score is still 10.

Check out the MM -- all dragons have abyssmal Dex -- it may just be a massive racial penalty...