So I get some support. Yay!
Tonguez, that's my plan right now...I don't have plans to give any of the actual figures stats. Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, whatever. I don't even think I'll be using the DDG to described Yahweh in D&D terms just so some guy somewhere can say "Hey, everybody, I killed God!"
That said, I'll probably describe a *similar* deity, and *similar* characters, using all the mechanics. But, in this way, I can present variants and things based on the series. Brian could truly be a savior-figure, and have levels of the Incarnate Deity PrC, or he could be simply a high-level illusionist with a high Charisma, who likes to pretend he's an incarnate deity. This will allow, I hope, for even devoutly religious types to toy with "what if's," without invoking any divine wrath.
Of course, I want the *focus* of the campaign to not be becoming/beating/submitting to the biblical figures, but rather about the environment and effects these create. I do want it to be possible to play as a savior-figure, or something, if that's what you want, but I think I'd be rather unentertained if my friend Tom got to play a Messiah-figure and I was some disciple. I'd much rather have Tom be another disciple, and the Messiah-figure to be in the DM's control.
I'm glad to see some religious types comment...makes me think I'm doin' the right thing.
Of course, there's a huge gulf between re-naming and re-casting biblical figures and turning Pontious Pilate into an orc and Pharoh into an elf. ^_^
Honestly, I'm leaning away from this much fantasation. I find the human-led, lower-magic campaign a lot more interesting, from a player perspective. I'd like to play a character who is amazed by the miracles possible by those chosen by the God(s).
Right now, I'd like to make the campaign human-based, perhaps with regional variation a la the clans of OA....
And about the blessings....yeah, that's a good idea. I do, however, have to wait for the print version of BoeM2 before I do that...my computer is too unreliable to try and have something that valuable on it.
Should I use the idea of "Unexceptional Adventurers?" E.g.: the PC's are just normal people thrown into the events they encounter, or keep with the standard D&D questin' for riches and fame theme?
The thing is, if I go with the average joes, I'm going to have to account for more NPC classes and a lower power base, perhaps even turning the usual PC classes into PrC's that require the NPC classes to get into. It involves quite a bit of restructuring, then.
If I go with heroic adventurers, I run the risk of hurting the flavor of the time period, where the only exceptional people were those inspired by the gods. It could work, but the PC's would be strangely seperate from the campaign world, unless everyone in the campaign world was of a moderately high level. Part of the feel of the world seems to be that most people are mere men, and only with the power of The God can you rise above that, to become a hero.