Play - This is probably what you are most interested in hearing about so I will do my best to be both brief and informative. There are initially three ways that I am including that allow you to play as a divine character. The first is directly becoming a mortal god. This will be explained further in the update. The other two, at the moment, are less directly gods but are directly related to the gods. These of course are the two custom ancestries the Nephilim and the universally applicable sub-race Demigod. Another option can be made available through the Oracle class but as that is subject to being unlocked we won't count it at this time.
Ancestries: The Nephilim boasts a unique set of built-in subraces via Heritages. Players will be able to select a heritage ranging from Celestials to Great Old Ones (Elder Gods) and several options in between. Each will provide the character with unique abilities and or statistical bonuses. These characters are not directly gods but created through the forbidden union which spawns beings feared for their potential. Similarly, the Demigod is a sub-race that can be applied to any existing ancestry which adds a statistical bonus and ability to the existing stats and abilities. These rare beings are a breath away from the divine and are born with a dormant divine spark.
On to the realities of becoming a mortal god. To enable greater balance and enjoyable play no character that is actively being played should ever be elevated to the status of a Traditional near-omnipotent Immortal god. If this is something a player wishes to achieve through this system it should be seen as the end goal for their character in the campaign and understood that doing so is essentially, as far as their ability to play the character is concerned, the death of that character as they will no longer be playable. Suggestions for how this could be achieved are included in this section.
Mortal Gods: As you are probably already aware Belief is the primary driving factor behind becoming a divine character. However, before any of the belief systems can be used the character must first obtain a Divine Spark. A divine spark can be obtained in a number of different ways however, none of them are particularly easy and none of them are common. Characters will accrue believers via primarily challenging social encounters but can also do so through achievements in battle and reputation. The level of influence (detailed in a table of course) of various NPCs directly corresponds to the amount of Belief they are worth. This allows the system to account for the ability of people in positions of power and influence to spread their beliefs among those that follow them. The more influential the NPC, however, the more worldly they are likely to be and thus a greater level of difficulty will be present when attempting to convince them that you are in fact a god. The numerical systems will be presented in detail through an easily useable reference table. As complicated as the system sounds on the surface it is rather simple to implement in practice.
Abilities: When certain thresholds are met players will receive what are essentially divinity points which can be used in exchange for Divine Feats which add powers to their character outside of the normal leveling structure. These powers can be fairly mundane, for a god, such as the ability to appear to their believers as an incorporeal Aspect. which allows the characters to interact with their believers without having the ability to cheese the game via traditional Divine Aspects which are essentially a cheat code for the gods to wander the mortal plane without risk of death.
Divine Feats can also offer characters the ability to perform miraculous displays of power (with sensible gameplay limitations) such as forming demi planes, where they are able to shape reality more or less as they see fit within the confines of that plane. One feat allows a mortal god to make a grove of trees sentient and capable of assisting them. Some feats are restricted to those of a certain divine nature, similar to the portfolio and domain systems used in popular campaign settings, and largely interchangeable when needed. Another higher tier divine feat with divine nature restrictions grants the character the ability to transform themselves into a Huge creature made up of various vermin granting them a temporary pool of health and increased stats and bonus abilities.
