Gods Campaign Help?

[Moe Ronalds]

Okay, my friend is going to be DMing a gods campaign for our group. The basic gist is that it's the beginning of the earth, and the players are the creators of it. We all start with 5 levels, and we also have the abilites of a Cleric of our level (though not the saves, HD, or BaB) and one special ability each. (these are our stats on the godly plane, on the material plane we'd be so massively powerful it'd be boring as hell) My friend needs help figuring out what we can do for adventures, what kind of conflict there could be, etc... Any ideas for the campaign would be fiercly appreciated, thankee!

 

[Crothian]

Give yourselves an evil nemisis and start plotting and counter plotting

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi there Moe!

Okay, my friend is going to be DMing a gods campaign for our group.

Played in one of those for fifteen years, have fun!

The basic gist is that it's the beginning of the earth, and the players are the creators of it.

Okay. As I see it that could be the first of a number of problems.

You are starting the campaign at God-level (instead of building up mortal characters and roleplaying them through Divine Ascension). This means that the players won't have the same respect for the characters and additionally what makes them different.

Also by making them the creator deities your not allowing much of a history for them.

We all start with 5 levels, and we also have the abilites of a Cleric of our level (though not the saves, HD, or BaB) and one special ability each.

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of playing a god in the first place!?

Why start them on 5 levels - you will be playing a god-level campaign in name only! It won't truly reflect anything that makes such a campaign different.

(these are our stats on the godly plane, on the material plane we'd be so massively powerful it'd be boring as hell)

I would disagree.

Its the juxtaposition of the divine and the mundane that makes such a game interesting!

My friend needs help figuring out what we can do for adventures, what kind of conflict there could be, etc...

Well as I said above you have already limited yourself by making the characters deities from the start.

My suggestion would be to start a normal campaign and roleplay them up to 'epic' level and through divine ascension.

If you wanted to speed up the process you could start a normal campaign then (after a few adventures) have the PCs deities elevate them to Hero-deity status for a special purpose (a grand quest) with the option of retaining their power if they are successful.

Any ideas for the campaign would be fiercly appreciated, thankee!

I could give you a few dozen ideas but I am not sure your campaign knows what it wants!? I could outline a number of directions and adventures for deities but I don't think they would fit with your current plans?

Incidently I am writing a book on this subject - you can find a little information on it here:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18636

 

[Moe Ronalds]

Thanks for the Reply Uper_Krust, I guess I wasn't very clear. The earth is fairly new, but the realm of the gods isn't. Also, as gods, we're allowed to create Races, defend and help them, and basically plot and plan as gods normally would. Also, I may have given the impression that this is our primary campaign. This is more of a side-campaign that we play whenever we want to do something different. The link looks cool, I've skimmed over it, I'll be sure to keep reading though. As for not having a history for our characters, I actually have a fairly decent history of mine, though I'm going to have to modify it somewhat. Also, if it helps anyone at all, here's the characters that have been created so far.

Taiyou, the sun god. Chaotic Good. Domains- Sun, Fire, Good, Protection.

Dranic- Goddess of dragons and dragon-like creatures (Kobolds, pseudo-dragons, etc...) True Neutral Domains- Magic, Knowledge, Fire, Protection

Darin, protector of the forest (yes, it does seem like our group tends to look out for other people.) Neutral Good Domains- Nature, Protection, Plant, Animal

So far, each god has created a race if that matters.

 

[Desdichado]

Why don't you just play Black and White?

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hello again Moe!

Thanks for the Reply Uper_Krust,

No problem mate!

I guess I wasn't very clear.

It did seem a little confused.

The earth is fairly new, but the realm of the gods isn't.

I didn't have any problem with the setting of the campaign, but rather how you were thinking of going about it, specifically the power of the gods.

Also, as gods, we're allowed to create Races, defend and help them, and basically plot and plan as gods normally would.

Exactly - thats something I would advocate!

But you seem to be developing a macroversal scaling for the gods which is going to remove direct interaction with mortals on a physical level. The greatest success of such a campaign will come from the relationship between the mundane and the divine which should be a grey line (to facilitate interaction) not black and white (no pun intended Joshua).

Also, I may have given the impression that this is our primary campaign. This is more of a side-campaign that we play whenever we want to do something different.

Okay. A God-level campaign should be tried by everyone at least once. The problem is that it can be tricky to get right if your not sure what to do - this leads to a lot of negative press (notably on the message boards) from people whose campaigns have degenerated into a mess of 'trumping' itself until they end up killing Zeus; get bored or destroy the whole multiverse.

However, you have the right idea in that worshippers/servants play a large part in properly developing such a campaign.

I just think you would be better served to outline the deities in a manner consistent with the Core Rulebooks. Check out Deities & Demigods to gauge the relative power* - though to be fair that book does leave a lot of blanks.

*You could begin the characters at 20th-level and add the powers of a Hero-deity (Divine Rank 0), 30th and add the powers of a Demigod (Divine Rank 1) or 40th and add the powers of a Lesser God (Divine Rank 6)?

The link looks cool, I've skimmed over it, I'll be sure to keep reading though.

Theres not much information in that thread. But the Immortals Handbook has a lot of material to interest anyone playing either a God-level Campaign or a Religion-heavy Campaign. I'll have some previews shortly before release (dictated by Deities & Demigods entering the SRD) and a web enhancement shortly afterwards.

As for not having a history for our characters, I actually have a fairly decent history of mine, though I'm going to have to modify it somewhat.

I meant the sort of campaign history that builds up over months (and years) of play from which you can derive your own directions.

For example; over the course of a year the players will have made many enemies and allies in a campaign. Whereas if you are starting afresh you won't have this 'history' to draw upon.

Also when you simply create characters of power from the start you won't respect them as much as having built them up over the years. So the fact that they are gods won't have the same impact as someone who had roleplayed a character from low-level through epic level and divine ascension.

Also, if it helps anyone at all, here's the characters that have been created so far.

Taiyou, the sun god. Chaotic Good. Domains- Sun, Fire, Good, Protection.

Dranic- Goddess of dragons and dragon-like creatures (Kobolds, pseudo-dragons, etc...) True Neutral Domains- Magic, Knowledge, Fire, Protection

Darin, protector of the forest (yes, it does seem like our group tends to look out for other people.) Neutral Good Domains- Nature, Protection, Plant, Animal

So far, each god has created a race if that matters.

Presumably these are part of a young emerging Pantheon of Gods vying for control over the 'chessboard' of a lifeless world?

 

[Moe Ronalds]

Presumably these are part of a young emerging Pantheon of Gods vying for control over the 'chessboard' of a lifeless world?

As far as I know. So far my friend has been pretty sketchy about, well, everything. We play tomorrow though so I'll post how the first session goes in the story hour forum in case anyone is interested.

But you seem to be developing a macroversal scaling for the gods which is going to remove direct interaction with mortals on a physical level. The greatest success of such a campaign will come from the relationship between the mundane and the divine which should be a grey line (to facilitate interaction) not black and white (no pun intended Joshua).

Um... Judging by what I *think* those words mean (I appoligize for my ignorance.), I can say that is a good point. I'll talk to the DM about how avatars will work. I don't know how soon we'll even be going onto the material plane though and he may not want to be bothered with another detail.

Once again, thanks for the help!

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hello again mate!

As far as I know. So far my friend has been pretty sketchy about, well, everything. We play tomorrow though so I'll post how the first session goes in the story hour forum in case anyone is interested.

I'll be there!

But you seem to be developing a macroversal scaling for the gods which is going to remove direct interaction with mortals on a physical level. The greatest success of such a campaign will come from the relationship between the mundane and the divine which should be a grey line (to facilitate interaction) not black and white (no pun intended Joshua).

Um... Judging by what I *think* those words mean (I appoligize for my ignorance.),

Okay, I'll simplify:

You stated that the gods are going to be 5th-level with equivalent cleric abilities. That means you are setting up two systems that don't corelate. One is microversal (mortals) with standard levels. The other macroversal (gods) also rated in standard levels.

However they can't interact. Is a 10th-level mortal cleric more powerful than a 5th-level god character!? No. Hence what you are using is the same system on two distinct (and incompatible) levels.

From my experience its the interaction/relationship between mortals and gods that makes a God-level campaign successful; interesting and different.

So I advocate Divine Power being relative to a gods worshippers (the quick and easy rules for which are explained in the Immortals Handbook). That means all deities (regardless of power) have that "Achilles Heel" that enemies can exploit and that takes the campaign in a new direction!

I can say that is a good point.

I'll talk to the DM about how avatars will work. I don't know how soon we'll even be going onto the material plane though

I'll get back to you more on this point a little later.

and he may not want to be bothered with another detail.

Hey! The main point is to have fun after all!

Once again, thanks for the help!

Sure thing mate. Its difficult to go into details in the space provided herein, but I am happy to try and help as best I can.