How do you like deities that were once mortals?

[Li Shenron]

I think in FR there are really a lot of deities that started as mortals: Mystra (the current one), Kelemvor, Cyric, Bane, Azuth, and a bunch of lesser/demi gods.

Personally I think the idea is ok, but it's been overdone too much. Four greater deities in the same setting that ascended from mortals (three of which basically at the same time) in my opinion makes the whole process too normal...

But how do you like the idea? I think that in greek mythology it didn't happen that often: I remember only Hercules being admitted to Olympus, and not exactly turned into a god (and then he was son of a god and a mortal since the start IIRC). Having the option there is ok for me - at least seems to me the players always want it open for themselves - but if it becomes too common, then it feels quite bleah :\

 

[Geron Raveneye]

I like it...having started with Basic D&D, which ended with the Immortal Set, it's a fine concept for PCs that have transcended the mortal bounds a long time ago.

 

[delericho]

It depends very much on the campaign and the cosmology thereof. Some cosmologies will admit to the possibility of ascended mortals, others will not, and either option is fine. The question can even be left unanswered: perhaps it's a possibility, but something that hasn't ever actually happened, or cannot be confirmed.

One campaign setup I thought would be potentially interesting was something akin to the "Elemental Nodes" thing behind the Dark Sun dragon kings, and their ability to grant spells. That is, you have some impersonal source of divine magic that certain mortals have found a way to tap into, and thus become gods. In effect, therefore, all the gods of the setting are (or once were) mortals. What's more, 'gods' in the setting would be eminently killable, and would rise and fall quite naturally as the history of the setting progressed.

 

[Voadam]

I think in FR there are really a lot of deities that started as mortals: Mystra (the current one), Kelemvor, Cyric, Bane, Azuth, and a bunch of lesser/demi gods.

Personally I think the idea is ok, but it's been overdone too much. Four greater deities in the same setting that ascended from mortals (three of which basically at the same time) in my opinion makes the whole process too normal...

Four out of how many greater deities though? Shar, Talos, Tempus, Tyr, Sune, Chaunteau, Lathander, Silvanus, Moradin, Corellion, that three in one elven goddess, Gruumsh, Garl Glittergold, Thoth, Ra, the elemental gods, etc. IIRC.

Bane was once a mortal?

I know Lathander is considered a relatively new god so I'm not sure if he was once mortal or not.

 

[Delta]

Personally I think the idea is ok, but it's been overdone too much. Four greater deities in the same setting that ascended from mortals (three of which basically at the same time) in my opinion makes the whole process too normal...

I absolutely 100% agree with you. Having one St. Cuthbert in Greyhawk is okay. Having one PC in your personal campaign do it is okay. But having it be a standard career path that everybody knows about is not okay, IMO.

 

[Drowbane]

Meh.

I don't use any single published Setting Pantheon as is. My FR Pantheon is quite abit smaller than canon's... and this is with stealing one or two gods from GH.

Four out of how many greater deities though? Shar, Talos, Tempus, Tyr, Sune, Chaunteau, Lathander, Silvanus, Moradin, Corellion, that three in one elven goddess, Gruumsh, Garl Glittergold, Thoth, Ra, the elemental gods, etc. IIRC.

Bane was once a mortal?

I know Lathander is considered a relatively new god so I'm not sure if he was once mortal or not.

there is a story of how Bane, Bhaal (?), and Myrkul (?) used to be high level adventurers who took over for two of Jergal's portfolios. So yeah, Bane was mortal... perhaps around the time of Netheril?

edit: I know Bane was one of them, not so certain of either Bhaal or Myrkul... but Bane had a companion in the story who also gained godhood. This story seemed lame to me as Jergal basicly gave up Greater Godhood out of boredom.

 

[Thanael]

there is a story of how Bane, Bhaal (?), and Myrkul (?) used to be high level adventurers who took over for two of Jergal's portfolios. So yeah, Bane was mortal... perhaps around the time of Netheril?

edit: I know Bane was one of them, not so certain of either Bhaal or Myrkul... but Bane had a companion in the story who also gained godhood. This story seemed lame to me as Jergal basicly gave up Greater Godhood out of boredom.

That's right, all three of them were mortals. It's in the 2E Faiths & Avatars book. See also this thread) It has been hinted that facts about Bane, Myrkul and Bhaal's ascension may be revealed in the upcoming Grand History of the Realms.

 

[frankthedm]

Yes! I also want a divine ruleset that has a mechanic for a smooth power increase from mortal to god. Like if Divine rank 0 was spit up into 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4... etc.

 

[prosfilaes]

Personally I think the idea is ok, but it's been overdone too much. Four greater deities in the same setting that ascended from mortals (three of which basically at the same time) in my opinion makes the whole process too normal...

I think there's a lot of variety in the way that pantheons, even D&D pantheons, are structured. Except for a couple ill-thought-out references here and there, the Dragonlance pantheon is a nice tight balanced pantheon. Forgotten Realms, on the other hand, is a mess; there are gods that explicitly wandered in from other pantheons, gods get promoted, demoted, and rearranged at a whim. Having a number of gods who used to be mortals adds to the feel of the pantheon, which is that there is no overwhelming structure.

 

[AuraSeer]

I think in FR there are really a lot of deities that started as mortals: Mystra (the current one), Kelemvor, Cyric, Bane, Azuth, and a bunch of lesser/demi gods.

Personally I think the idea is ok, but it's been overdone too much. Four greater deities in the same setting that ascended from mortals (three of which basically at the same time) in my opinion makes the whole process too normal...

In most worlds I would agree with you, but those three ascensions were part of the FR Time of Troubles-- an innocuous name for a world-shaking cataclysm. All the greater and lesser deities were kicked out of heaven and had to walk around in mortal form; before it was over almost a dozen of them had been killed. The results came close to destroying the entire world, and even decades later the aftereffects are still being felt. If there ever was an appropriate time for mortals to ascend to godhood, that was it.

Even counting that triple, we're looking at four ascensions in the last couple of thousand years. On average that means it happens only once every few centuries, which doesn't sound like a "normal" occurrence to me.