Possession by a dead god

[Dioltach]

How to simulate a struggle between a dead god and an immensely powerful PC?

In the 2e campaign I'm currently running, there will come a point when one of the PCs (power level the equivalent of something like 20th level, I reckon) has to try and take over the essence of a dead god. However, this god will also be trying to take over this PCs body at the same time.

What would be the best way to play out this struggle? The PC has a WIS of around 25, I think, so his mind won't be fried instantaneously. I want it to be a real fight, but one involving willpower and stamina rather than weapons. And I don't want it to hinge on a single roll of the dice.

Any ideas, anyone?

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey there Dioltach!

I have a few ideas about this.

Firstly, how about the idea that the PC could be possessed, however, the god cannot gain control when the PC is at full health (full hit points). Treat possession as a percentile roll, so that if the PC was at 48% hit points, the god would have a 52% chance of gaining control. Every round the PC takes damage the deity could roll percentile dice.

Vice versa, if the deity gains control, the PC would have a percentile chance of regaining control, but this time the percentage would be reversed.

Another idea might be to have have the PC make a Will save every hour, with the save DC increasing by 1 each time. Once the god gains control it must make a similar roll every hour to maintain control. This way the PC might be slipping back and forth between the two minds. Which could lead to some interesting roleplaying moments.

Hope some of the above was of use to you.

 

[wedgeski]

If you haven't already played your hand, you could do something sneaky like play out an entire adventure, the success of which determines whether or not the PC wins. The characters of course should not become aware of this until pretty far in. Perhaps the goal is a small statuette of the PC in question.

This is akin to stuff I've done both in Cthulhu (where the adventure took place in the mind of a madman) and Dragonlance (the traditional Test of High Sorcery), and I think is more impactful than a few rolls of the dice.

 

[genshou]

Upper_Krust has the right idea. Make it a constantly shifting battle between the two opposed forces. Remember, though, that a dark god is likely to have a very high Will save...

 

[Dioltach]

Yes, I like Upper_Krust's idea too, and if the PC wins the struggle I will make the dead god fight back. But I'm still looking for ideas to make the initial struggle interesting. The god is a kind of Cthulhu type, and the PCs have been tricked into seeking out its essence (there are various reasons for them to do so, but it's a very complicated story). The god's essence is bound on a plane called Necrotopia (very original, I know), which is basically a desert with an Egyptian-style temple complex.

I thought perhaps once the dead god has been awakened by the PC trying to steal its essence, it might manifest tentacles that drain the PCs levels.