The Mortal God

[Angel Tarragon]

Stats are needed pdq.

 

[grimslade]

I voted for stats since it is much easier to ditch stats than to whip them up on the fly. I like the concept of needing artifacts, rituals, omens, prophecy and bloodlines to commit a deicide.
Straight bashing of hit points is fine for demigods and demon lords, but deities need a lot more effort and will than slinging spells and swinging a sword. The stars have to be right and you need all the right tools. A Deities and Demigods that included the prophecies and artifacts along with stats important to gods would be cool.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I'm down with god stats...

(and this is important)

for D&D.

There's a grand epic legendary tradition of mortal gods and half-mortal heroes and slain near-gods and the like. D&D can and should support that mythic arc.

What I'm interested in is if this edition will be the first one where adventuring groups actually DO take down gods, as more than just exercise in the "Whoa" factor.

 

[Melan]

I'm very much for the idea of mortal, petty gods with immense character flaws.

 

[Khaalis]

Personally, for me, any stats that are written for a deity are simply for their Avatar, not their true form. I do not think that mortals of any level can actually slay a deity. Only another deity can slay a deity. However, with that said, epic characters should be able to slay a deity's avatar and thus severely wound a deity for a period of time. If PCs are going to slay a deity, they must first attain at least demigod status themselves. JMHO of how it works in my worlds.

 

[Li Shenron]

For me, their are beyond the PCs.

But you can have fun with their avatars, if you like.

 

[Aldarc]

Personally, for me, any stats that are written for a deity are simply for their Avatar, not their true form. I do not think that mortals of any level can actually slay a deity. Only another deity can slay a deity. However, with that said, epic characters should be able to slay a deity's avatar and thus severely wound a deity for a period of time. If PCs are going to slay a deity, they must first attain at least demigod status themselves. JMHO of how it works in my worlds.

This would most likely be how I would handle it as well: these will be avatar stats.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Gods are just really big monsters people bribe to help/ignore them. Sure they're powerful, but they're not transcendant, they're material physical beings with flaws and character of their own. Not a universal force of existence. They mess with people and sufficiently high level people mess back. Just as the highest level tier of mortal heroes become divine though their greatness.

 

[frankthedm]

Stats for the gods is an especially good thing in a game with an actual level cap, since this means there is a fixed point for "the greatest of mortal heroes", so you can pitch the stats for the gods to be a bit beyond the capabilities of those 30th level heroes. Which would mean that killing a god would be possible if the characters are really good and the characters are really lucky, and they do everything right. Which is as it should be.

This i like. Though I also like the idea of Level / CR 10 or so divine beings, killable if you can get through thier 'cult'.

 

[Aloïsius]

I said "can be defeated", but it's something that is really setting-dependant. In Eberron, you just can't encounter them. In FR, you can.
I can have a setting where "gods" are just mortals who have received some portfolio by virtue of oracles : think about the real life living gods : for an egyptian, a pharao is a god. And, there is this place in Himalaya where a youg girl is designated to be a living godess until she reaches age 12. So the job can even be a temporary one. In a fantasy setting, such a "mortal made God" can absolutely have real godly power AND be easily killable.
So, what if your PC have to protect the godess of spring, a 9 year old child with 6 HP : if she dies, the land will know a one year winter (and the devastating famine that come with it) until another godess is born.