Deities & Demigods

[FireLance]

Replies to Queries

Hey FireLance, maybe you can help answer some of the pending questions?

Cheers
NPP

OK, will reply to as many queries as I've managed to scan in this thread. Please pardon any inaccuracies as I've just knocked off work and I'm not at my most alert.

Salient Abilities
A quick count indicates that there are exactly 100 salient abilities, and some deities have unique abilities, e.g. Longsword Finesse (does exactly what you expect it to do) for Corellon Larethian (DR19/Ftr19/Wiz20/Clr10; 993 hp).

One salient ability that improves metamagic is Automatic Metamagic which allows free use of one selected metamagic feat without increasing the spell level. Interesting ELH reference: "Any metamagic feat selected cannot have a level requirement of 21st or higher." Does not work with feats that depend on making the spell level higher, e.g. Heighten Spell.

Divine Shield stops 10 points of damage per DR (total, not per round), lasts 10 minutes and can be created 3+Con times per day.

Divine Splendor kills mortals who see the deity, no save. Has prerequisites of DR16, Cha 26. Useful for those "you cannot see my glory or you will die" types of deity. For less lethal mind-affecting presence powers, try Divine Inspiration or Frightful Presence.

Avatars are a salient ability. Essentially, an avatar is exactly like the deity, but with half the divine rank (and correspondingly reduced salient abilities, which the deity selects), and does not have remote sensing or remote communication powers.

Deity Statistics
Kurtulmak (DR15/Ftr16/Clr8/Rog8/Sor8; 1064 hp)
Nerull (DR17/Nec10/Clr10/Rog10; 840 hp)
Odin (DR19/Ftr20/Wiz20; 980 hp)
Osiris (DR18/Clr18/Mnk12/Rgr10; 1580 hp)
Pelor (DR17/Clr20/Drd10/Ftr10; 1040 hp)
Poseidon (DR17/Bbn20/Clr20; 1220 hp)
Re-Horakhty (DR19/Pal20/Mnk20/Clr10; 1230 hp)
Set (DR16/Ftr10/Blk10/Clr10; 1200 hp)
Thor (DR18/Bbn20/Rgr20; 1260 hp)
Tiamat (DR10; 906 hp)
Zeus (DR19/Bbn20/Ftr20/Clr10; 1550 hp)

The "new gods" are:
1. Taiia, the Iconic Monotheistic Deity (DR20/Bbn20/Clr20; 1580 hp)
2a. Elishar, one half of the Iconic Dualistic Pantheon (DR15/Clr20/Ftr15; 1020 hp); and
2b. Toldoth, the other half of the Iconic Dualistic Panthoen (DR15/Rog20/Ftr15; 870 hp)
3. Dennari, the Iconic Mystery Cult Deity (DR10/Clr20; 1120 hp)

From my quick scan, there is an illustration of every deity in the book. The deity to illustration ratio is almost one to one, because Heironeous and Hextor have to share the same space (and are not very pleased about it, apparently).

Monsters
There are monster gods, but the only deity-level "monsters" that I can see are the Einherjar (DR0/Ftr20 or Bbn 20) from the Norse pantheon. These are CR20. Statistics are also given for Jotunheim Frost Giants (DR0/Bbn20), Muspelheim Fire Giants (DR0/Ftr20) and Valkyries (DR0/Pal20), also from the Norse pantheon, but no CR that I can see.

Fauns are closely related to satyrs and are suspected to be satyr/human or satyr/elf crossbreeds. Although not explicitly stated, they look to be a viable EL0 PC race.

Deity Meta
Chapter One presents a few options on the question of whether deities can die and the implications of each. Essentially, the options are: Gods can die, Gods cannot die and Gods can only die under special circumstances. The option of some Gods can die and others cannot is left as an exercise to the reader.

Uber-Gods are defined as those with DR21+. Apparently, they are beyond the ken of mortals, care nothing for worshippers, do not grant spells, do not answer prayers, do not respond to queries and effectively may as well not exist at all in your campaign except maybe as a plot device to explain why all the gods in your world have been banished from the Outer Planes and are making a mess in your backyard.

Okay, gonna go home and really digest this book now.

Edit - Just noticed Derulbaskul posted some replies before me. Oh well.

 

[Hand of Vecna]

Kurtulmak could pick Odin's pockets, and out-fight Nerull!

Kurtulmak r00ls, Nerull & Odin dr00l !!!

 

[LordMelkor{Talos}]

Deity Of Death a 10th level Necromancer? I would rather they gave Gods more class levels instead of outsider`s Hit Dice.

 

[Upper_Krust]

In the name of god...

Odin got the Gungnir suppository!

Don't worry All-Father; we have the technology to rebuild you!

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi Firelance!

Thanks for the info.

Monsters
There are monster gods, but the only deity-level "monsters" that I can see are the Einherjar (DR0/Ftr20 or Bbn 20) from the Norse pantheon. These are CR20. Statistics are also given for Jotunheim Frost Giants (DR0/Bbn20), Muspelheim Fire Giants (DR0/Ftr20) and Valkyries (DR0/Pal20), also from the Norse pantheon, but no CR that I can see.

No Fenris Wolf!?
No Cerberus!?
No Sliepnir!?
No Titans!?

Uber-Gods are defined as those with DR21+. Apparently, they are beyond the ken of mortals, care nothing for worshippers, do not grant spells, do not answer prayers, do not respond to queries and effectively may as well not exist at all in your campaign except maybe as a plot device to explain why all the gods in your world have been banished from the Outer Planes and are making a mess in your backyard. .

The 'cop-out' I suspected, not to worry though, soon sorted.

 

[ruleslawyer]

U_K:

I take it that you plan to stat these overgods in your WPS?

BTW: Note how butch the CoC deities appear to measure up in comparison to these folks. Shub-Niggurath, for example (an Intermediate god) has about twice as many hp as even the greater deities listed in the book; the CoC deities usually have access to some seriously mighty divine abilities; AND some of the more magically-powerful deities (Nyarlathotep, for example) have essentially infinite spellcasting abilities, compared to the relatively feeble Wiz20 or Clr20 class abilities of the deities in DDG. Hmmm...

 

[Arani Korden]

Re: Replies to Queries

Fauns are closely related to satyrs and are suspected to be satyr/human or satyr/elf crossbreeds. Although not explicitly stated, they look to be a viable EL0 PC race.

Thanks! That's just what I wanted to know (and just what I was hoping to hear.)

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi ruleslawyer mate!

U_K:

I take it that you plan to stat these overgods in your WPS?

Elder Gods: Divine Rank 21-25 (eg. GAEA)
Overgods: DR26-30 (eg. AHRIMAN)
Entities: DR31-35 (eg. ZURVAN)
Time Lords: DR36+ (DR36-40 +1 Extra Dimensional being) (eg. )

I'll have a few examples, nothing extensive (at least one example of each status though! Probably two).

BTW: Note how butch the CoC deities appear to measure up in comparison to these folks. Shub-Niggurath, for example (an Intermediate god) has about twice as many hp as even the greater deities listed in the book; the CoC deities usually have access to some seriously mighty divine abilities; AND some of the more magically-powerful deities (Nyarlathotep, for example) have essentially infinite spellcasting abilities, compared to the relatively feeble Wiz20 or Clr20 class abilities of the deities in DDG. Hmmm...

I should have CoC D20 by Monday.

Most of the Cthulhoid types should be more powerful than Greater Deities (remember our chat with Monte Cook on the matter last week).

I would guess though, that the majority of Cthulhoid special abilities were derived from the Salient Divine Abilities in D&Dg. I would hope Boccob has something akin to the ability of Nyarhlothotep you mentioned above!?

 

[ColonelHardisson]

When will the WPS be completed?

 

[Vuron]

Actually I'm glad that Outer Gods like Azathoth and company appear more potent than the standard mythologies. Considering Nodens is pretty much a conglomeration of Posiedon etc and is for all intents a piker in comparison to Shubbie and Gnarleytoes the mastery of CoC gods is assured!

Furthermore don't be too concerned with changes ELH brings the DDG seem like they will continue to be significantly more potent that epic heroes even without too many changes.

I do have some questions though did proxies ( a 2e Planescape term) get a template of any sort?

Are some of the gods in theory mortal in the aspect they can be destroyed like the norse gods at ragnarok.

Is there any talk about gods fading from existence like the dead gods of planescape?