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View Full Version : Re-imagining Deities and Demigods [3.5]



Frozen_Feet
2013-02-07, 02:20 AM
In this thread, I attempt to near-completely revision Divine Ranks and Salient Divine Abilities, as well as that being a God or Demigod actually means in D&D. It is meant to be used together with this feat fix (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154811), but should be usable without it. In addition, this variant replaces all Epic rules, expect for Epic Feats, which are already included in the feat fix, and Epic skills, which are assumed to be available in non-epic play by the aforementioned feat fix.

Important Warning: Using this variant, almost anyone, or anything can become a god or demigod, at any character level. Using this variant, gods and demigods are made significantly weaker than they are in core. A high-level non-divine character can trivially be more powerful than a low-ranking god. Furthermore, low-ranking gods will have continuous and serious incentive to constantly get involved in matters of non-gods, as otherwise they cease to be gods.

Without further ado:

Becoming a God

To have a shot at becoming a god proper, you must first become a quasi-god, also known as Venerated Hero. A quasi-god is a being with Divine Rank 0. To become a quasi-god, you must fulfill two conditions: you must have enough worshippers, and must have undergone a Legendary quest. Knowing the specifics of becoming a god requires a DC 30 Knowledge (Religion) check - each succesful check takes a week of research, and reveals one condition pertaining to becoming a god. It is possible to become a god accidentally, as long as you fulfill all the proper conditions.

Gaining worshippers: Persuading people to worship you is a special Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate check. It can only be attempted towards creatures who have first been brought to at least Friendly. The base check DC for this is 60. Several special modifiers apply:


If you are using Diplomacy, you may substitute your Wisdom for Charisma for purposes of making this check.
If you are using Intimidate, you may substitute your Strenght for Charisma for purposes of making this check.
If you can present a fully thought-out ethos to govern everyday life of your subjects, the check DC is lowered by 10.
The check DC is lower by further 10 points if you are accompanied by a devout cleric of yours.
If you roll a natural 20 on your check, your target will entertain your delusions out of pity and/or sense of humour, but only for 1 day.


This check takes 10 minutes per each person you are trying to convince at once. You need at least 200 worshippers to have a shot in becoming a quasi-deity.

Undertaking a legendary quest:

For a quest to count as a legendary quest, it must fullfill the following conditions:


You must defeat a dangerous creature in single combat. The creature's CR must be at least 4 greater than your character level. The following conditions count as defeating such creature: killing it, bringing it to negative hitpoints and rendering it unconscious, trapping it for a minimum of 7 days, or persuading it to be your worshipper.
This event must take place at least 200 miles away from your place of birth
You must return to your place of birth within 7 days of completing the challenge.
At least 1 worshipper of yours must witness the whole journey.


Once you succeed in become a quasi-deity: You must pick yourself a holy symbol and one portofolio item. Your portofolio item must be such that its existence is easily verifiably and quantifiable.

At Divine Rank 0, your portofolio includes only a single instance of that portofolio item. For example, if your portofolio item is "furniture", you are quasi-deity of one, specific piece of furniture, such as "that chair over there". If your portofolio item is "war", you are quasi-deity of one specific war, such as "the hundred year war". If your portofolio item is "love", you are god of love between two specific creatures, such as "god of love between Joe and Jill.

You can't share a portofolio instance with any god of equal or lower Divine Rank than you before your Divine Rank exceeds 5. For example, there can never be two quasi-deities of year 2013. If your desired portofolio instance is taken, you must succesfully contest it to gain it.

Note: Character classes are legitimate portofolio items, save for Clerics or Druids. You are (obviously) always a god to Clerics deriving their powers from you, and not of those who aren't. Druids, on the other hand, derive their power from nature - to them, worship of gods is coincidental. You can be a god to other divine casting classes, but can only affect members of those classes who worship you. You also can't be a god of gods - gods worshipping other gods is already taken into account in the rules for advancing in Divine Rank. Finally, you can't be a god of "divinity" or "divine magic", for a similar reason to why you can't be god of clerics - you already have control over your divine powers, and don't have control over powers of other gods.

If a suitable instance of your portofolio does not exist, you have 7 days to create one.

If all instances you are a god of are destroyed: This misfortune means you become an unemployed god. An unemployed god has 7 days of time to create new instance of his portofolio to be a god of, or his Divine Rank drops by 1. A quasi-deity will hence cease to be such.

Benefits of Divine Rank 0:
You can never be harmed by the instance of your portofolio you are a god of. Expection goes to creatures and magic items: creatures with HD exceeding your Divine Rank (and all their special abilities) can still harm you. Items with Caster Level exceeding your Divine Rank can also still harm you.
You can always hear prayers of any creature praying to you while who is holding your holy symbol, or involved in the instance you control. If the number of simultaneous prayers exceeds 1 per round, it takes a DC 20 Listen Check to single out a prayer said by particular creature or holding particular keywords. The check DC increases by 10 per each additional prayer you want to listen to per round. Failure means that you listen to one random prayer instead.
You can grant Orisons (0th level divine spells) from the Cleric list to any divine caster worshipping you, or from spell list of any divine casting class you, the god, have.


Alternative ways of becoming a god:


Defeating a god in single combat. The following conditions count as defeating a god: killing it, bringing it to negative hitpoints and rendering it unconscious, trapping it for a minimum of 7 days, or persuading it to be your worshipper. You automatically gain Divine Rank of 1 point lower than the god you defeated, and inherit its holy symbol, all of its portofolio items and anathemas, and all of its worshippers. The god you defeated ceases to be a god.
Being an heir to a god. A god who is dying of old age can designate any creature as its heir by touching it within 7 days before its death. Once the god dies, you automatically gain Divine Rank of 1 point lower than the dead god, and inherit its holy symbol, all of its portofolio items and anathemas, and all of its worshippers. You also gain access to all of your predecessor's memories, but your experience, skill etc. don't rise to match.
Being a child of two gods. If you happen to be so blessed, you gain Divine Rank 1 point lower than your lowest-ranking parent. You can pick one portofolio item from those your parents have, and have your own holy symbol.

Advancing your Divine Rank:

There are multiple ways to gain a higher Divine Rank. The first method is to increase your number of worshippers and completing more legendary quests. However, the number of worshippers required, as well as the requirements of a legendary quest, become more stringent with each rank. A god's Divine Rank can never exceed its Hit Die.

Getting more worshippers: Gaining worshippers follows the same rules as before. However, the number required is 200 multiplied with your current Divine Rank+1 squared. These must all be new worshippers. Whether or not worshippers you used to gain prior Divine Ranks worship you still is of no consequence. After Divine Rank 5, all new worshippers must be from a plane of existence you have not previously visited!

Example: Moving from Divine Rank 1 to Divine rank 2 requires (200x2^2)= 800 new worshippers.

Completing more legendary quests: New legendary quests must fulfill the following conditions:


You must defeat a dangerous creature in single combat. The creature's CR must be at least 4 greater than your character level. The following conditions count as defeating such creature: killing it, bringing it to negative hitpoints and rendering it unconscious, trapping it for a minimum of 7 days, or persuading it to be your worshipper.
This event must take place at least (200x[Your Divine Rank+1]^2) miles away from your place of birth. After Divine Rank 5, all new legendary challenges must take place in a plane of existence you have not previously visited!
You must return to your place of birth within 7 days of completing the challenge.
At least (Your Divine Rank +1)^2 worshippers of yours must witness the whole journey. After Divine Rank 5, these worshippers must come from as many planes of existence as you have previously visited.



Alternative ways of advancing Divine Rank:


Defeating another god in single combat. The following conditions count as defeating a god: killing it, bringing it to negative hitpoints and rendering it unconscious, trapping it for a minimum of 7 days, or persuading it to be your worshipper. Your Divine Rank automatically increases by 1, as long as the god you defeated had Divine Rank at least one point higher than yours. At your option, you can take 1 of its portofolio items, but must take 1 of its anathemas as well if you do. The defeated god loses 1 Divine Rank and respective portofolio items and anathemas.
Being an heir to a god. A god who is dying of old age can designate any creature as its heir by touching it within 7 days before its death. Once the god dies, your Divine Rank automatically increases by 1 as long as the god who died had Divine Rank at least one point higher than yours. You also inherit its holy symbol, all of its portofolio items and anathemas, all of its worshippers, and gain access to all of your predecessor's memories, but your experience, skill etc. don't rise to match.


Issuing a challenge: Single Combat

These rules make a lot of references to the concept of "single combat". For purposes of gaining or advancing Divine Rank, the rules for this are simple: you, the challenger, must be alone, save for one familiar, psicrystal, animal companion or unintelligent mount. Your possible cohorts, worshippers or followers can watch, but if they interfere, your challenge is void. Summoning of monsters is allowed, if it's done after the challenge has started.

At the start of the challenge, your opponent must be unrestrained, and holding at least one weapon of his choice. Unlike you, your opponent is under no obligation to fight alone. Using your opponent's allies against him, through domination or the like, is allowed, as long as they were previously not your allies.

Each detail of a combat challenge takes a DC 30 Knowledge (Religion) check to know for sure and takes a week of work to uncover.

Benefits of Divine Rank:


Increased portofolio access: the number of portofolio instances you are a god of equals (your Divine Rank+1)^2 . After Divine Rank 5, you become god of all instances of your portofolio within your plane of origin, and can extend your influence to one more plane each Divine Rank afterwards.
You can grant Divine spells from the Cleric spell list, or any list you can access through your class levels, up to a maximum spell level equal to your Divine rank.
You can hear prayers of all creatures who pray to you while holding your holy symbol or while involved in any portofolio instances you control. Once the number of simultaneous prayers exceeds 1 per round, it takes a DC 20 Listen Check to single out a prayer said by particular creature or holding particular keywords. The check DC increases by 10 per each additional prayer you want to listen to per round. Failure means that you listen to one random prayer instead.
You can pick 1 Salient Divine Ability at each Divine Rank. You must fulfill all prerequisites of SDA before you can use it.
You can never be harmed by instances of your portofolio you are a god of. Expection goes to creatures and magic items: creatures with HD exceeding your Divine Rank (and all their special abilities) can still harm you. Items with Caster Level exceeding your Divine Rank can also still harm you.
You get cumulative +1 Epic Base Attack Bonus at every odd Divine Rank. This means all your attacks bypass Damage Reduction/Epic. Your EBAB is added to all attack rolls you make against Outsiders, Undead, Extraplanar creatures of any kind, and other gods. EBAB stacks with all other attack bonus. EBAB does not grant you any extra attacks. Any time a feat, prestige class, or other rule refers to your base attack bonus (except for gaining additional attacks), use the sum of your base attack bonus and epic attack bonus.
You get cumulative +1 Epic Save Bonus at every even Divine Rank. You add your ESB to your AC and all Saving Throws when dealing with Outsiders, Undead, Extraplanar creatures of any kind, and other gods. ESB stacks with all other save bonuses. Any time a feat, prestige class, or other rule refers to your base save bonus, use the sum of your base save bonus and epic save bonus.
You instantly sense when any portofolio instance you're a god of ends or is destroyed, or when a new portofolio instance free for you to claim comes to being.
For each three Divine Ranks, you can pick one Domain. You can grant all spells and powers of this Domain to your Clerics. Once per day per each Divine Rank you have, you can also use any Domain power you can grant.


Disadvantages of Divine Rank:


For each portofolio item after the first, you must pick one anathema. (See below.)
Gods can only be raised from the dead by a True Resurrection spell.
When a god dies, its soul will not travel to any sort of afterlife. Instead, it becomes diffused into their plane of origin, becoming a non-sentient part of that plane's native divine background magic. (This background magic is why Clerics worshipping concepts instead of proper gods can have any power at all.)
A god who neglects his worshippers can become target of a Blood Curse or Oath of Vengeance. (see below.)

Expanding your Portofolio, and Anathemas:

Two methods of gaining more portofolio items have already been mentioned: Defeating or being heir to another god. There are three more ways to gain more Portofolio items:


Pioneering a phenomenom: if you are the first being on your plane to ever attempt and succeed at something, you add that phenomenom to your Portofolio. For example, if you are the first being to ever build an aircraft, you can become god of aircrafts.
Completing a legendary task: you succeed in five checks relating to your desired portofolio item with a DC in excess of 20+(your Divine Rank+1)x10. These checks must take place within 24 hours of each other, and must be performed in succession. Even one failed check ruins the attempt, meaning Taking 20 by ordinary means is disallowed.
Stealing a portofolio item: stealing a portofolio item from another god is a Sleight of Hand check with base DC 50. For each point the target god's Divine Rank exceeds yours, the DC increases by 10.


A god's amount of portofolio items can never exceed 1 + ½ its Divine Rank.

Contesting portofolio instances: as mentioned before, you can't share a portofolio instance with any god of equal or lower Divine Rank than you before your Divine Rank exceeds 5. If you desire to add that instance under your influence, you must prove you are a better god for that instance than its owner.

For this purpose, you must devise a challenge and present it to your opponent. This challenge can be anything as long as your opponent accepts it. Next, you will need a witness. If the instance being fought over is a sentient creature, it can serve as a witness - in this case, the witness is utterly immune to all divine powers from either party until the challenge is over. Last, you need to place a wager - something you will give up to your opponent if you lose the challenge. Usually, this is a portofolio instance of your own, but it can be anything. If you win, you now hold control of the desired instance. If this was the last instance of a portofolio in your opponent's control, your opponent completely lose the portofolio item it fell under. Same goes in reverse.

Example: A recently ascended quasi-deity of stars wants Betelgeuse, but Betelgeuse is already held by an older god of stars. Quasi-deity proposes a speed contest - whoever can make it from Earth to Mars first wins. If quasi-deity succeeds, he will get Betelgeuse. If he loses, he will instead give his wife to the older god. The older god acepts, and they call God of Mars to serve as a witness.

Against the odds, the quasi-deity wins. Because this was the last star held by the older god, he is no longer a god of stars. If this was the last instance of any portofolio item the older god had, the poor god is now unemployed.

Contesting portofolio instances at Divine Ranks above 5: A high-ranking god, as noted before, is not bothered by lower or equal level gods sharing instances with them, as a god with Divine Rank above 5 governs instances on a planar scale. However, they can still contest portofolio instances with other gods of Divine Rank 5 or higher - in these cases, a "single" instance is actually all instances of given portolio item in a single plane.

Example: Loki is the god of fire in prime material and elemental fire. Surtur is the god of fire in the Abyss and Hell. Loki can contest Surtur for the spot as either Abyss's or Hell's god of fire, following the normal contesting rules.

Anathemas: Holding more than one portofolio item comes at a price. For each portofolio item after the first, you must choose one anathema. An anathema is something diametrically opposed to your portofolio - for example, a god of fire might have water or ice as his anathema. For a god of agriculture, his anathema might be famine, or mice.

Anathemas are very dangerous to a god. A god is entirely unable to affect an anathema with his Salient Divine Abilities. If an anathema would cause damage to a god, it bypasses all Resistances and Damage Reduction the god might have. Finally, each round when a god is within 50 feet of an anathema, he must succeed in a Fortitude Save against (DC20 + ½ HD of the anathema [when applicable] + number of anathemas within range [if possible to count]). If he fails, he will be Nauseated for that round. Even if he succeeds, he will be Sickened instead. This conditions apply even if the god would ordinarily be immune to them!

Managing your worshippers

Once a god has attained his desired Divine Rank, he no longer needs worshippers to keep it. Indeed, accumulating worshippers can be a major pain in the behind, as the number of prayers will eventually drown a god. However, there are penalties for neglecting your worshippers. Below are few things you should know about managing your worshippers:

Granting spells: You can grant Divine spells to your worshippers, with maximum level of spells depending on your Divine Rank, as detailed above. When a Divine spellcaster worshipping a god meditates to prepare spells, part of his spirit travels to his god. Once the spirit has arrived, it will bargain the god, in this case you, for spells.

In exchange, you can ask a favor or favors in return from the petitioning spirit. These favors can be anything from something as simple as fixing your socks or watering your flowers, to slaying dragons if you so wish. You can make the petitioning spirit physical for the duration of the task if necessary.

It is considered good courtesy that the task(s) do not take up more time than 1 hour times the level of the highest spell being prepared. However, 1 hour times the level of the highest spell is the minimum the process of channeling divine energies will take regardless. A spellcaster's spirit can refuse from attempting risky or impossible tasks, but in that case, you are under no obligation to give him spells either. Gods typically reserve asinine or lethal tasks for spellcasters who have drawn their ire.

Keep in mind, however, that divine casters are valuable boon to all gods, because just being a god does not allow you to cast Divine spells without levels in a proper class!

Banning spellcasters: If you deem a divine spellcaster who gets his powers from you has been too much of a burden, or has broken your conduct, or for whatever other arbitrary reason, you can ban him. A banned caster's spirit can no longer find you, and thus the caster is incapable of preparing more spells unless he finds another god.

In addition, banning a caster immediatly bestows one negative level upon him, and all other servants of yours can immediately tell that he is being shunned by his god.

Delegating prayers: Once you have enough worshippers, it becomes impossible for even a god to keep track of all their wishes and needs. Because of this, most gods delegate answering prayers to other creatures.

Delegating prayers requires Truespeak skill - you must know the true name of the creature whose prayers you are delegating. After finding out the true name of a character, you must find someone to relay his prayers to - this can be any creature not immune to mind-affecting effects. Next, you must touch this creature of your choice - the creature is entitled to a Will save against (10 + your Divine Rank), but if it fails or forgoes its check, it will from that point on hear all prayers of the creature whose true name you relayed to it, while you will no longer be bothered by them.

Selective Listening: Alternatively, you may restrict what kind or whose prayers get through to you. The easiest way to do this is through a Code of Conduct - anyone who fails to follow it will not have their prayers reach you. Another way is to simply specify which sorts of beings will have their prayers heard - this can be very specific, such as stating the true name of a character who you want to hear, or more general, such as stating that only elves (for example) will be heard, or that only prayers recited at 4 AM while wearing pink pajamas will be heard.

Obviously, selectively listening prayers has the setback that you might miss a legitimately important or sincere prayer.

Once you have implemented selective listening, it takes 10 minutes of time to undo the mental barriers and resume listening all prayers said to you.

Neglecting worshippers: As noted, a god does not strictly need worshippers until he wants to rise in Divine Rank. However, this doesn't mean a god doesn't have obligations towards his subjects.

Whenever only one worshipper remains on a plane, that lone worshipper has legitimate reasons to think his god has abandoned him. Either on purpose or accident, this lone worshipper can then level a Blood Curse or Oath of Vengeance against the neglectful god. Knowing the specific rhymes and reasons of either requires a DC 30 Knowledge (Religion) check, but just cursing the god's name in perfectly ordinary manner is enough to invoke them.

Blood Curse causes a similar effect to Bestow Curse (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/bestowCurse.htm) spell, with two key differences. First, the god it's placed upon can not break it by any means, other than personally making things up to the one who recited it. Second, a Blood Curse will afflict all offspring of said god, whether present or future.

Oath of Vengeance makes the one swearing it, and all of his descendants (whether present or future), an Anathema for the target god.

A god can also become a legit target for Blood Curse or Oath of Vengeance if he makes the mistake of personally slaying any faithful worshipper. A faithful worshipper is one who has flawlessly obeyed the god's Code of Conduct continuously for at least 5 years. Any leftover spouse or offspring can then recite the Curse or Oath.

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-10, 10:46 AM
Alter Reality
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1
Benefit: Once per year per Divine Rank, you can create an unusual instance governed by your portofolio. This unusual instance will behave like normal example of its kind save for one, specific rule it ignores. An unusual instance is considered to be perfectly mundane in nature - no matter how logic-defying, it is immune to dispelling, disjunction, anti-magic field or other magic-nullifying effects.

Examples of valid effects: A god of fire could create a flame that never consumes its fuel, or that doesn't radiate heat, or that doesn't shed visible light. A god of plants could create a tree with fruits that never rot. A god of water could create a lake that never freezes. A god of war could decree that in some war, no gun-powder weapon works, or that the war can end in no truce.

At Divine Ranks above 5, you may instead choose to change how all instances of your portofolio work in one plane. However, this ties up use of Alter Reality SDA for a century, or until you undo the change.

Note: You can't use Alter Reality on yourself or gods of higher rank than yourself.

Annihilating Strike
Prerequisites: Divine rank 1, base attack bonus +10
Benefit: Once per day per Divine Rank, you can make a special melee touch attack. This is an Extraordinary ability. Any creature struck by your attack takes 2d6 points of damage per point of BAB. Any creature reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by this attack is entirely annihilated, leaving nothing behind. All non-magical equipment carried by the creature are reduced to dust.

When used against an object, your attack annihilates as much as one 10-foot cube of nonliving matter per Divine Rank. Thus, your attack annihilates only part of any very large object or structure targeted. Your attack affects even objects constructed entirely of force, such as forceful hand or a wall of force, but not magical effects such as a globe of invulnerability or an antimagic field.

A creature or object that makes a successful Fortitude save against (DC 10 + your BAB + your Divine Rank) is partially affected, taking only 5d6 points of damage. If this damage reduces the creature or object to 0 or fewer hit points, it seemingly remains in one piece, though any of its movements are halted. However, even the slightest breeze or touch will cause this petrified visage to quickly crumble away.

Craft Artifact
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 2, Alter Reality, Any feat
Benefit: Using any of your [Item Creation] feats, you can make one Artifact per Divine Rank. You can never have more Artifacts under your name than you have Divine Ranks. If an Artifact you have made gets destroyed, you [I]do not get to make a new one to replace it. Each Artifact you make permanently reduces your Constitution by 2, or your Charisma by 2 if you have no Constitution score.

Consumables Artifacts (potions, scrolls etc.) are not truly consumed after use, but can only be benefited from once by any given character. Items with multiple charges cease to be useful for a character once he has expended all charges. At your option, you can decide all such items disappear and return to you when "expended".

Divine Blast
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1
Benefit: Once per day per Divine Rank, when making an attack using a ranged weapon or a spell, you can declare that attack or spell to be a Divine Blast.

A Divine Blast will automatically destroy any one magical barrier, such as wall of force, prismatic wall, or prismatic sphere it hits (all layers in a prismatic effect are destroyed), and the original attack or spell will then continue to strike its target. Alternatively, if you hit a creature directly with a Divine Blast, you can automatically rob them of any one defensive buff spell, one type of damage reduction, regeneration, natural armor bonus or fast healing. In case of a buff spell, that spell is automatically dispelled, and that same spell can't be re-applied on your target for rest of the day. In case of DR, regeneration, fast healing or natural armor, the ability will not be restored until the victim sleeps for at least 8 hours. Your target gets no save.

A Divine Shield will stop a Divine Blast without letting anything through.

Divine Shield
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 1
Benefit: Once per day per Divine Rank, you can divinely prevent yourself or someone else within (30' x your Divine Rank) from coming to harm. This is a free action. A Divine Shield last for 10 minutes per Divine Rank, and within that time will prevent one attack or spell per Divine Rank from affecting its target. It can also protect from any natural hazards, such as falling, being burned by fire etc.. A Divine Shield is invisible, and to beings incapable of perceiving invisible objects, the presence of the Shield is not obvious - they will think they survived due to luck or their own abilities unless otherwise informed.

A Divine Shield will stop a Divine Blast without letting anything through.

Divine Messenger
Prequisites: Divine Rank 1, Character level 15th
Benefit: You get a special Astral Deva companion to serve as your messenger. This Astral Deva is not a typical example of its kind: it comes without any equipment, and its alignment is the same as yours. Its alignment subtype is changed to match: if you are Evil instead of Good, your companion will be [Evil]. If you are Lawful or Chaotic Neutral, its subtype becomes [Lawful] or [Chaotic] respectively. If you are True Neutral, your companion has no subtype whatsoever. Your Divine Messenger will not have the following spell-likes (regardless of alignment): detect evil, dispel evil, holy smite, holy word. Its supernatural Protective Aura ability is changed to protect it from those with opposite alignment to its new alignment subtype, or if no subtype exists, all alignments that don't have a neutral component in them (Lawful Good, Chaotic Good, Lawful Evil, Chaotic Evil). Finally, it becomes an Outsider native to your plane of existence, meaning it has to eat and sleep.

No matter where you and your messenger are in relation to each other, you can always send a telepatic command for it to come to you. Your messenger will then use its abilities the best it can to arrive to your location as soon as possible. Your messenger can also always instantly notify you if something is preventing it from doing so, and should your messenger die, you will know exactly when and where this happened.

Your messenger is not your slave. It will not do your laundry, you have worshippers for that. It expects you to provide it shelter and food in exchange of its services. If your messenger dies, you will not get a new one unless you retake this Salient Divine Ability at your next Divine Rank - to get your messenger back, you are expected to raise it. A sufficiently peeved messenger may refuse to do its job, though in that case, you can lay a Blood Curse on it that remains until it remains to work.

A Divine Messenger will never directly assail you, though evil or neglected messengers may scheme behind your back. Should you ever die or cease to be a god, though, your messenger will perish as well.

Special: You can take this Salient Divine Ability multiple times. Each time, you get a new Divine Messenger.

Amechra
2013-02-10, 02:42 PM
I'm now looking forward to being the god of furniture.

I will be immune to chairs, and I shall create chairs that massage the one sitting upon them!

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-11, 06:42 AM
Divine Palace
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1, Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering) 6 ranks, Craft (Any building related) 6 ranks.
Benefit: You can designate any building you have planned and built by yourself to be your Divine Palace. At your leisure, you can make your palace invisible to all creatures you specify (such as all elves, or anyone who doesn't wear a top hat). When in your Divine Palace, rate of natural healing is tripled for you and all guests you have welcomed. On the other hand, any unwelcome guests, or guests you decide you don't like very much, will be denied of all natural healing within your palace, and wake up fatigued if they decide to sleep here. Two or more nights of unwell sleep stack to exhausted.

Whenever your Palace or any inanimate object within suffers 10 or less hitpoints of damage, you can automatically fix that damage with a full round of concentration, even if the object was broken. In the case your palace is ever destroyed, you can put it back together in 10 minutes if you succeed in a Craft check with a DC 10 points lower than what it took to originally construct it. A failure only means that fixing your palace takes (24 - your Divine Rank) hours.

As long as you are present within the limits of your palace, your larder will never run out of food and beverages that are brought there.

Divine Leadership
Prerequisite: Divine Palace, Leadership
Benefit: Whenever your worshippers die, their spirits come to you first before going to their destined afterlife in the Outer Planes. At your consent, any dead worshipper of yours can stay with you instead of moving on. If you don't desire for your deceased worshippers to always follow you, you can decide they flock into your Divine Palace instead.

Spirits of dead worshippers are mostly useless. They float around as invisible visages of what they looked like just before their deaths. At your leisure, you can discuss with any dead worshipper of yours. A dead worshipper has access to all of his memories of life (even those he might have forgotten during it), but has no skills or experience level.

If you wish, you can give a new, corporeal form to a deceased worshipper. This can be any inanimate object you can craft or find (examples: rock, chair), or any animal or plant creature with 1 HD or less. They will act (or not act) in the limits of their new form. Deceased worshippers in these forms do not count against your limit of followers.

Alternatively, you can make a deceased worshipper into a petitioner.

Rules for creating petitioners: A petitioner counts as one of your followers gained from your Leadership feat. As such, a petitioner's maximum level upon creation is based on how many and which spots for followers you have empty.

The following creature types may become petitioners depending on the deity: aberrations, animals, dragons, fey, giants, humanoids, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids, and plants, oozes, and vermin with Intelligence and Wisdom of at least 1. Undead, constructs, elementals or outsider may not be.

A petitioner becomes a low-level character of the type and species it was in life. If it had class levels, it may now have class levels in any NPC class. Its feats, skills etc. are reselected, but should be reselected to reflect what the petitioner used to be at that level when alive.

Petitioners are tied to the plane of existence they were created in. Petitioners cannot leave this plane by any means beyond raising of their original body. They are teleported one hundred miles in a random direction if an attempt is made to force them to leave.

Divine Proxy: In addition to having your dead worshippers at hand and the ability to create petitioners, you also gain a special cohort character. This special cohort, called your Divine Proxy, is in addition to your normal cohort from the Leadership feat, but you can also make your existing cohort into a Proxy.

Attracting a Divine Proxy follows the normal rules for attracting cohorts. A Divine Proxy can grant spells to your worshippers from the same lists as you can, and its effective Divine Rank for these purposes is your Divine Rank minus 1.

While a Divine Proxy may help you in your adventures, it mostly expects to stay in safety and manage spirits of your dead followers in your holy place. You may also decide that all divine spellcasters worshipping below a certain level automatically go to get their spells from your Proxy instead of you. However, if you made your mundane cohort into a Proxy as well, both will be understanding if they occasionally have to switch places.

Divine Realm
Prerequisite: Divine Palace, Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering) 12 ranks, Craft (Any building related) 12 ranks.
Benefit: With 7 days of continuous work, you remove your Divine palace and everything within 1 mile radius of it from your plane of origin and transfer them into a conterminous demiplane. In the previous location of your Palace, the surrounding terrain warps and knits together in such way it seems your Palace and its surroundings never were there.

By default, your demiplane shares the traits of the plane it was created from. You can adjust alignment traits, magic traits, elemental and energy traits as well a gravity to suit. Changing any of these traits takes 10 minutes of concentration. Your demiplane will always share its time trait with the plane it was created from.

Your demiplane is divinely morphic in respect to you in the following ways: you can adjust terrain, temperature, lighting and weather to suit. Altering any of these things is a swift action. You get no special sway over living creatures or buildings besides those granted by your other abilities - you must, for example, change vegetation or toilets on your demiplane through other means.

By default, your demiplane is accessible from the place your Divine Palace used to be in, though you can restrict access to it for kind of creatures or things you specify (your anathemas are immune to these restrictions). The point of connection is also invisible to those creatures. The point of access can be any portal or vaguely portal-like object, such as an arc formed by arching tree braches, or a tunnel through a rock. Through it, your Realm can be perceived. Walking through the point of access will always transport a creature 1 mile away from your Palace.

Once per year per Divine Rank, you can change the point of access to your demiplane to any other point in the plane it was created from. Each time you rise in Divine Rank, you can expand radius of your demiplane up to a maximum of (Your Divine Rank + 1)^2 miles.

Omnicrat
2013-02-11, 09:32 AM
So, I can be a god of war, who makes all wars in the material plane not allowed to cause death?

A god of spoons who makes a spoon that turns all water it touches into delicious soup?

A god of life who reduces all maximum ages to middle age?

Also, it seems any campaign running this would have dozens to hundreds of low-divine rank gods and very few with a divine rank above five. Most gods who get to 6 ranks will not be able to get to enough planes to keep getting new ranks (depending on your cosmology) and will have so many followers they are bound to make a mistake or so few that they are relatively unknown.

Basically, it is a hard life for the gods.

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-11, 10:33 AM
So, I can be a god of war, who makes all wars in the material plane not allowed to cause death?

A god of spoons who makes a spoon that turns all water it touches into delicious soup?

A god of life who reduces all maximum ages to middle age?

If you're using Alter Reality, yes, no, and yes.

The second example is invalid, because instead of ignoring one rule, it introduces a brand new one. However, you could make such spoon as an artifact.


Also, it seems any campaign running this would have dozens to hundreds of low-divine rank gods and very few with a divine rank above five. Most gods who get to 6 ranks will not be able to get to enough planes to keep getting new ranks (depending on your cosmology) and will have so many followers they are bound to make a mistake or so few that they are relatively unknown.

Basically, it is a hard life for the gods.

This is entirely intended. It is my intention that a high-level character could trivially become a god, but might not want to, because being a god is not easy.

Also, it is intended that just being a god is one major plot hook, leading to more and more shenanigans to remain one.

Omnicrat
2013-02-11, 12:05 PM
If you're using Alter Reality, yes, no, and yes.

The second example is invalid, because instead of ignoring one rule, it introduces a brand new one. However, you could make such spoon as an artifact.

With regard to the third one (max age = middle age), what makes that valid? Taking away the rule of "you don't die at this age"?


This is entirely intended. It is my intention that a high-level character could trivially become a god, but might not want to, because being a god is not easy.

Also, it is intended that just being a god is one major plot hook, leading to more and more shenanigans to remain one.

It seems like most gods would emerge situational (the god of this harvest, the god of that persons fertility, ect) and would swap in new portfolios as theirs expired. I mean, you could probably get a few guys taking a quest like this once a generation for however many generations there have been a world (in fantasy settings, usually like 1000 or something) so by now you have the village god, or people you pay to be the god of x for x amount of time. If that's also what you are going for, I think a world like this would be very interesting indeed.

Allnightmask
2013-02-11, 08:52 PM
I'm liking this idea. We can expect more from you right? because I really want to start throwing "little" gods in a good mechanical way.

Scholar23
2013-02-11, 09:05 PM
This would be awsome for pbp, just saying

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-12, 10:53 AM
I'm liking this idea. We can expect more from you right? because I really want to start throwing "little" gods in a good mechanical way.

You can expect a whole lot. I will not consider this project done until I have reworked how all Salient Divine Abilities and character levels beyond 20 work.

For hints of how far this project will go, you can check my related Feat Synergy (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154811&page=2) project. That project started with the goal of reworking each Fighter feat in the d20 SRD to be synergistic - I'm now well on my way to reworking all feats in d20 SRD.


With regard to the third one (max age = middle age), what makes that valid? Taking away the rule of "you don't die at this age"?

You can formulate it as "[Instance] does not live past middle age", which is a valid formulation. :smallwink:


It seems like most gods would emerge situational (the god of this harvest, the god of that persons fertility, ect) and would swap in new portfolios as theirs expired. I mean, you could probably get a few guys taking a quest like this once a generation for however many generations there have been a world (in fantasy settings, usually like 1000 or something) so by now you have the village god, or people you pay to be the god of x for x amount of time. If that's also what you are going for, I think a world like this would be very interesting indeed.

You are correct, expect it's not (strictly speaking) portofolios that expire, it's portofolio instances. For an example, take this quote from a hypothetical character:

"I am a god of death. This is my bird. For six days, I will treat this bird like it was my only child. On the seventh day, I will slaughter it. Then I will find myself a new bird."

So when a low-ranking god's portofolio instances expire, he will swap it out for next available one. A god of year 2013's harvest will have a problem in creating a new harvest in 7 days, though. :smallbiggrin:

This will also have a great deal of power explaining why gods of death, war, or other disasters are not liked very much. They have to go around killing people or otherwise causing misery constantly. So you will have people bribing them to look another way.

"Please, Mr. Death, don't kill me. I have wife and kids. Instead, take this rooster. I can bring you a new rooster every six days, is that enough?"

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-12, 11:51 AM
Area Divine Shield
Prerequisites: Divine Shield
Benefit: This ability conveys benefits of Divine Shield to every creature within a certain area. The deity produces an invisible barrier whose area is up to one 10-foot square per rank, or a sphere or hemisphere with a radius of up to 1 foot per rank. The barrier can be placed anywhere within (30 x Divine Rank) feet from the deity. The deity can place the barrier so that it is mobile with respect to some unattended object or willing creature.

Mass Divine Blast
Prerequisites: Divine Blast, BAB+15
Benefit: Each use of this ability counts as a use of the deity’s Divine Blast ability. You can declare the use of this ability when making a full attack using a ranged weapon, or when using a Quickened spell. All attacks you make as part of a full attack count as Divine Blasts, or both the Quickened Spell and the spell after it count as Divine Blasts.

Mind Of The Beast
The deity can make plants and animals sentient, and it can reduce sentient creatures to animal level.
Benefit: Once per week per Divine Rank, you can give any plant or animal you touch Intelligence 3, as well as minimum of Wisdom 3 and Charisma 3 if the creature doesn't already have better scores. If you attempt this on a hostile animal or animate plant creature, you must make a succesful touch attack to succeed. This effect is permanent

Alternatively, you can touch any creature with Intelligence 3 or more, and reduce them to Intelligence 1. The subject is allowed a Will save (DC 10 + ½ your HD + your Divine Rank) to resist. This effect lasts for 7 days. It can be undone with a Remove Curse spell.

Undying
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio Item: the Undead
Benefit: The deity becomes an undead creature. Undead have the following benefits:


No Constitution score.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy can heal undead creatures, while positive energy harms them. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature’s Intelligence score.
Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
Uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.
Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead. (In case of deific undead, the last two spells cancel Undead Qualities Salient Divine Ability for 7 days.)
Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.


In addition, you gain Turn Resistance equal to your Divine Rank. As an undead, you cease to age and won't die from old age (since you are already dead).

Possess Mortal
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 1
Benefit: Once per day per Divine Rank, you can possess any of your worshippers whose prayers you are listening to. Unwilling mortals can attempt Will saves (DC 10 + ½ your HD + your Divine Rank). If you succesfully possess someone, your own body falls into deep slumber for the duration of the possession.

Notes: Spells that prevent possession block this ability if the mortal is unwilling. Likewise, spells that end possession drive out the deity if the mortal is unwilling. If the mortal is willing, however, the deity cannot be blocked or driven out.

The possessed mortal effectively becomes an avatar of the deity. The possession lasts as long as you, the deity, desire. The possessed mortal can reveal any memories or knowledge it has to you if it so wishes.

While the deity is in possession, the mortal’s abilities are unchanged, except as noted below.

Hit Points: Same as the mortal, +1 for each rank of the deity and further +1 for each HD the deity has more than the mortal.
Armor Class, Saves & BAB: Add deity's EBAB and ESB to mortal's values.
Ability Scores: Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are unchanged. Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma become those of the deity (or remain as the mortal’s scores if they are higher).
Skills: The mortal can use its own skills and the deity’s skills. If the mortal and the deity have the same skill, use the skill of whichever has more ranks in the skill. Use the mortal’s effective ability scores to determine skill modifiers.
Divine Rank & Salient Divine Abilities: the mortal counts as having your Divine Rank for the duration of the possession, and you, the deity, can use all your Salient Divine Abilities through the mortal.

If your own body is killed while possessing a mortal, you become permanently trapped in the mortal's body until the time your own body is raised. Unlike usual, Raise Dead and Resurrection are sufficient. If, while bodiless, you are driven out of the mortal you're possessing, you die.

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-13, 06:28 AM
Avatar
Prerequisites: Craft (Sculpture) +8 ranks, Divine Rank 1, Portofolio item: any base character class
Benefit: By 7 days of continuous work, you create a life-sized effigy to serve as your avatar. You must also make a miniature copy of the effigy using the same materials - exact size of the copy is not dramatically important, as long as its proportions are in a correct scale compared to the original and it can fit on your palm. Quality and cost of construction are likewise not terribly important - they only affect how presentable and hard to destroy your avatar is when you're not using it. Creating an avatar takes (1000 x your Divine Rank) experience points.

Once the effigy is ready, you can, once per day per Divine Rank, move your spirit into or out of the effigy. While your spirit is in it, the effigy springs to life and turns into a real creature. Your original body falls into deep slumber for this duration.

However, your avatar is not you. Rather, it is a caricature of you, representing one limited aspect of your portofolio. You must pick one base class you're a god of; your avatar will be a single-classed character of that class, with ECL of (your character level - 4). By default, it is the same type and species as you, but if you are the patron of some other species or race, you can decide your avatar to be of that species or race instead. Your avatar will use the Elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) for its abilities. Its alignment will be same as yours.

The first time you use your avatar, all of its feats from class and levels, all of its skill points and all of its spells or powers known (etc.) are unallocated. It only has its abilities, racial features, BAB, base saves, basic class features and hitpoints determined. It also lacks any equipment, save for those you might have made and placed on your effigy. To get your avatar to its full potential, you must train while in it. Each feat takes 1 month of training to acquire, and they must be trained in proper order to meet all prerequisites. Each skillpoint takes 1 day of training in the proper skill to allocate. Each spell or power known (or similar) must be researched, not costing any money or XP, but taking as much time as it ordinarily would. Once you have completed all this work, however, you can essentially become an entirely different character. When you are inhabiting your avatar, it has Divine Rank equal to yours, and you can use all your Salient Divine Abilities through it, except for Avatar.

An avatar does not gain levels or experience the ordinary way. Instead, it increases in level and experience at the same rate time you do. These changes don't take place before the next time you inhabit your avatar, however.

Once you have trained your avatar to its peak, its capabilities are set - any retraining (etc.) for the avatar must be done using the normal rules while you're inhabiting it. While your spirit is absent from the avatar, it returns to its original state as an inanimate effigy. At such times, your avatar is vulnerable to being destroyed or being robbed of its equipment. The former is, fortunately, not much of a setback as long as your miniature copy of your avatar is in your possession. Whenever your avatar is broken, the copy breaks too, so you will know what has happened. Fixing the copy is an easy task - it takes 10 minutes of work per Divine Rank if you succeed in a Craft check with a DC five points lower than what it took to originally build the copy. The latter is best solved by having loyal worshippers guard your avatar's belongings.

If your avatar "dies" while you're inside it, your spirit will return to your own body. Getting back into your avatar is merely a matter of fixing the miniature copy. However, hilarity ensues should you ever lose possession of the miniature: anyone who succeeds in an Use Magic Device or Use Psionic Device check with a DC of 30 + your Divine Rank x 10, can inhabit your avatar and use all of its abilities, save those granted by Divine Rank! If you can't get your miniature back, there is only one other solution: you must smash your avatar. However, if you do this, your avatar is permanently lost - you must build a new one from scratch.

If the miniature copy is destroyed while you are inhabiting your avatar, nothing adverse happens. If the copy is stolen instead, you lose the ability to return to your until you regain it. If your original body is destroyed while you're inhabiting your avatar, you permanently become your avatar, lose 1 Divine Rank and the associated Avatar Salient Divine Ability. (Adjust your abilities according to your new Divine Rank)

Special: this Salient Divine Ability allows you to have only one avatar at once. However, you can take it multiple times to gain the ability to build multiple avatars.

Avatar Autonomy
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 3, Avatar
Benefit: Sometimes, it's just too much work to control your avatar by yourself. For such lazy gods exists this ability. Once per day, when leaving your avatar, you can order it to keep working under specific guidelines. These guidelines must fit in 77 words in whatever language your avatar can understand. Based on these guidelines, as well as your alignment at the moment you leave. This is important to note: if you suffer alignment drift while away, your avatar's alignment will not update before you inhabit it again! While you have an avatar running around autonomously, your effective Divine Rank lowers by one point, and you must choose one Salient Divine Ability that is not Avatar or Avatar Autonomy; you are barred from using that ability until you resume control of your avatar, or return it to inactivity.

While working autonomously, your avatar can gain experience and increase in level, up to a maximum ECL of (your character level - 2). If any effect would make it go past this level, it instead stays one experience point short of rising a level. These gains don't go away when you re-inhabit your avatar.

While you are away, your avatar has effective Divine Rank equal to half of yours. At the moment of departure, you can decide which ones of your Salient Divine Abilities it can access. Your avatar can't rise in Divine Rank by its lonesome.

However, leaving your avatar to work autonomously for long periods is risky. If you gave it conflicting guidelines, it may suffer alignment drift. This may change its behaviour and how it goes about following your guidelines. While working autonomously, no-one but you can asume control of the avatar.

You are in serious trouble should the following happen: if your autonomous avatar becomes of opposite alignment than you (such as Chaotic Evil to your Lawful Good) and you lose possession of its miniature copy (it is destroyed etc.), your avatar runs amok (literally, if it is of Evil alignment. Read: it goes on a killing spree). You lose all control of it, and even worse, your out-of-control avatar becomes an Anathema to you and you become an Anathema to it. You also lose the portofolio item your avatar was made to represent, as well as instances related to it, to your avatar. Finally, a link between your divine powers means that if your out-of-control avatar dies, you die as well. On the other hand, if you die, so does your out-of-control avatar. Defusing this situation requires some sort of a truce or agreement between you and your out-of-control avatar. If you have Ritual of Reunion Salient Divine Ability, you can use it to reabsorb your avatar into your being.

Special: An out-of-control avatar can gain Divine Ranks and character levels in excess of you. If you use Ritual of Reunion when this has happened, your avatar will absorb you!

Ritual of Reunion
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1, Perform (Any) 6 ranks
Benefit: Once per week per Divine Rank, you can perform a special ritual to make a splintered soul whole again. The ritual takes 10 minutes to perform and can do the following things:


Cure any confusion or insanity
Restore 1d4 sanity points per Divine Rank (if using that variant)
Remove 1d4 points of taint per Divine Rank (if using that variant)
Allow you to reabsorb an out-of-control avatar
Cure any non-permanent negative levels
Cure any ability score loss to mental attributes from ability drain
Dispel any fear effect
Free a subject of soul bind or trap the soul. This works regardless of the location of the gem, as long as the True Name of the subject is known. Only one subject may be freed at once.
Cure lycantrophy
Dispel any curse that affects mental abilities, such as feeblemind, or Mind of the Beast SDA
Render a lich's phylactery useless by forcing its soul to remain in its body
Return beings under the effects of Magic Jar back to their original bodies.


Unless otherwise specified, the ritual affects all creatures within (30 x your Divine Rank) feet.

---

Yes, all the new rules for Avatar and Avatar Autonomy are inspired by Kami and Piccolo from Dragon Ball. :smalltongue:

Omnicrat
2013-02-13, 12:03 PM
So, can a god of agriculture be a god of 2013's harvest? If so, after the 2013 harvest could it be a god of Steve's potted tomato plant in the front room until the 2014 harvest?

Could a god of death make someone immune to natural death or death from hit point loss? A god of life? If so with regard to death, the less scrupulous nations will most likely employ these gods to keep their sovereigns alive for eternity (sacrifice a peasant on Sunday to keep the 1000 year old king alive). If so with regard to life, every nation will have ancient kings and God of Life special forces (can't get killed).

Are you also anathema to your out of control avatar? If so, most of the eldest gods would most likely be a Progenitor god and a rebelled avatar, because though they diametrically oppose one another, they both have a vested interest in keeping the other alive.

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-14, 04:33 AM
So, can a god of agriculture be a god of 2013's harvest? If so, after the 2013 harvest could it be a god of Steve's potted tomato plant in the front room until the 2014 harvest?

That is a legit progression, yes. If the poor tomato dies, the god could swap to Steve's illegal cannabis farm in the closet for the interim. :smallbiggrin:


Could a god of death make someone immune to natural death or death from hit point loss? A god of life? If so with regard to death, the less scrupulous nations will most likely employ these gods to keep their sovereigns alive for eternity (sacrifice a peasant on Sunday to keep the 1000 year old king alive). If so with regard to life, every nation will have ancient kings and God of Life special forces (can't get killed).

I presume you're talking about Alter Reality again. A god of death can make a person immune to dying in a certain way, though that is a bit counter-productive, because a god of death depends on, you know, people dying.

A god of life can do the same, though it takes awful lot of uses of Alter Reality to make someone truly immortal. There are multiple weakpoints in your proposed strategy, however. Most glaringly, you don't need to kill a god to make it lose its divinity. With a group of benevolent life gods, extending the "best before" date of your sovereigns is certainly possible, but as time passes, the chance of someone overthrowing you or your gods approaches 1 regardless.

Besides, to quote one certain Disney character, "it's amazing what you can live through". Trap the Soul, Imprisonment and the like were probably devised precisely to get rid of unwanted immortal god-kings. :smallwink:


Are you also anathema to your out of control avatar? If so, most of the eldest gods would most likely be a Progenitor god and a rebelled avatar, because though they diametrically oppose one another, they both have a vested interest in keeping the other alive.

I waffled on it for a bit, but yes, you now become anathema to your rebel avatars. And yes, your scenario is pretty much what the rules are for.

Omnicrat
2013-02-14, 09:55 AM
I presume you're talking about Alter Reality again. A god of death can make a person immune to dying in a certain way, though that is a bit counter-productive, because a god of death depends on, you know, people dying.

I was referring to Alter reality again. And gods of death would make a king immortal for the permission to kill anything (or any one) they needed to survive.


A god of life can do the same, though it takes awful lot of uses of Alter Reality to make someone truly immortal. There are multiple weakpoints in your proposed strategy, however. Most glaringly, you don't need to kill a god to make it lose its divinity. With a group of benevolent life gods, extending the "best before" date of your sovereigns is certainly possible, but as time passes, the chance of someone overthrowing you or your gods approaches 1 regardless.

Well, its just kill a god or destroy all its portfolio instances, right? And a god can replace its portfolio instances within a week before it looses divinity. Also, kings with a court of gods would also have access to a plethora of artifacts.


Besides, to quote one certain Disney character, "it's amazing what you can live through". Trap the Soul, Imprisonment and the like were probably devised precisely to get rid of unwanted immortal god-kings. :smallwink:

And the parrot got better, didn't it? Again, one could be made immune to those by a god of magic, could they not? If not, there are always artifacts.

I realize these regimes would be hard to keep up, but many kings, great or vile, would probably be able to pull it off. One through love of his people, the other through fear and oppression.


I waffled on it for a bit, but yes, you now become anathema to your rebel avatars. And yes, your scenario is pretty much what the rules are for.

Would the rebel avatar be a god of the same thing the progenitor god was a god of, just opposed in alignment? If so, you get interesting things like evil gods of fertility and good gods of famine.

Now for totally new questions!

1) Would a god of magic need to start as a god of a specific spell, specific magical effect (like the spell bob cast last Tuesday), or a school of magic?

2) Can a god of life be a god of their own life? Can a god of a class be a god of themself in that class? More stuff like that.

3) Can a god of nobility be the god of a noble or royal line, or would they have to be a god of a specific noble or monarch?

4) Are gods immortal by nature, or are the just as mortal as ever, the only difference being they have new god-powers? If they are immortal, do they still have to eat, drink, and breath?

5) What would be a specific portfolio item of a god of darkness? light? betrayal? Deception? An emotion? Water?

6) Can a god be a god of gods? If so, see question two.

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-14, 11:13 AM
Well, its just kill a god or destroy all its portfolio instances, right?

Or bring a god to negative hitpoints and unconscious, or trap it for 7 days, or convince it to be your worshipper. If the one doing this is mortal, the god loses its divinity, do not pass go, do not collect 4000 zorkmids. If it is another god, the victim god loses 1 Divine Rank and one portofolio item.


And the parrot got better, didn't it? Again, one could be made immune to those by a god of magic, could they not? If not, there are always artifacts.

Certainly, if you have near-unlimited wealth and can curry favor from enough gods (and sufficiently strong ones. Remember, weak gods can't share instances), you can become nigh-indestructible. That's not much of change from core D&D, just replace "god" with "high-level caster".


Would the rebel avatar be a god of the same thing the progenitor god was a god of, just opposed in alignment?
It's a god of the thing(s) you made it to represent, and that you consequently lose if it rebels. For example, if your rebelling avatar was a Fighter, it is now a god of fighters and you are not.

Now for totally new questions!


1) Would a god of magic need to start as a god of a specific spell, specific magical effect (like the spell bob cast last Tuesday), or a school of magic?

Specific spells, spell-likes, supernatural abilities and magical schools are all valid instances. They would also be valid portofolio items. (So would be bardic spells, or wizard spells, or...) I have to say, though, "magic" as one, undivided portofolio item is problematic because there are so many "magical" elements in the game, and many of them don't even share the same rules. So it'd be reasonable to ban "magic" as a singular portofolio item on these grounds.

Less problematic ways to be a "god of magic" would be though being a god of Wizards, or other casting class.

"Spell bob cast last tuesday" is a valid instance, with the problem that unless it was permanent or really long duration, it is already gone, and you are now unemployed. :smalltongue:


2) Can a god of life be a god of their own life? Can a god of a class be a god of themself in that class? More stuff like that.

Technically, the answer to both is yes. In practice, it should not matter much outside few specific instances I plan to detail. I am considering the idea that you can't use Alter Reality on yourself, or other gods, though.


3) Can a god of nobility be the god of a noble or royal line, or would they have to be a god of a specific noble or monarch?

Bloodlines are valid portofolio items or instances, though it'd be more in the spirit of the rules to start with a singular noble character.


4) Are gods immortal by nature, or are the just as mortal as ever, the only difference being they have new god-powers? If they are immortal, do they still have to eat, drink, and breath?

I purposedly excised immortality as being part of the package of being a god. Gods are explicitly not immortal unless they find a specific way to become so. They need to eat, drink and breath as usual.


5) What would be a specific portfolio item of a god of darkness? light? betrayal? Deception? An emotion? Water?

Shadows would be a good start.


6) Can a god be a god of gods? If so, see question two.

Well, under these rules, it's technically legit. I should make an exception for them, I suppose.

Omnicrat
2013-02-14, 02:04 PM
Or bring a god to negative hitpoints and unconscious, or trap it for 7 days, or convince it to be your worshipper. If the one doing this is mortal, the god loses its divinity, do not pass go, do not collect 4000 zorkmids. If it is another god, the victim god loses 1 Divine Rank and one portofolio item.

Ah. Man, gods in this world must be paranoid.


Certainly, if you have near-unlimited wealth and can curry favor from enough gods (and sufficiently strong ones. Remember, weak gods can't share instances), you can become nigh-indestructible. That's not much of change from core D&D, just replace "god" with "high-level caster".

I wasn't trying to imply it was too powerful, just thinking of how it would be used.


It's a god of the thing(s) you made it to represent, and that you consequently lose if it rebels. For example, if your rebelling avatar was a Fighter, it is now a god of fighters and you are not.

So you could theoretically get the Evil god of paladins? Or the chaotic god of monks?


Specific spells, spell-likes, supernatural abilities and magical schools are all valid instances. They would also be valid portofolio items. (So would be bardic spells, or wizard spells, or...) I have to say, though, "magic" as one, undivided portofolio item is problematic because there are so many "magical" elements in the game, and many of them don't even share the same rules. So it'd be reasonable to ban "magic" as a singular portofolio item on these grounds.

Less problematic ways to be a "god of magic" would be though being a god of Wizards, or other casting class.

"Spell bob cast last tuesday" is a valid instance, with the problem that unless it was permanent or really long duration, it is already gone, and you are now unemployed. :smalltongue:

Alright. I believe I understand what exactly specific portfolio instances are now.


Technically, the answer to both is yes. In practice, it should not matter much outside few specific instances I plan to detail. I am considering the idea that you can't use Alter Reality on yourself, or other gods, though.

I understand not being able to use it on other gods (at least other gods of equal or higher divine rank), but if anything it makes sense to be able to use it on yourself even if you are not specifically one of your portfolio instances. A god of fire should not get burned.


I purposedly excised immortality as being part of the package of being a god. Gods are explicitly not immortal unless they find a specific way to become so. They need to eat, drink and breath as usual.

Hm... sorta puts a damper on the presence of thousands of gods if they still have a maximum age...


Well, under these rules, it's technically legit. I should make an exception for them, I suppose.

Or make it so that only gods with more than 5 divine ranks can have gods in their portfolios?

Also, as it is written, under Divine realm, you could potentially have a maximum radius of 127 miles. It says you increase the radius by those amounts, not to those amounts. Was that intended? Also, you cannot have its radius increased until you gain a divine rank after having taken it.

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-15, 01:50 AM
Ah. Man, gods in this world must be paranoid.
As said, it's hard work to be a god. :smallbiggrin:


So you could theoretically get the Evil god of paladins? Or the chaotic god of monks?

Hilariously, yes. (It's a feature, not a bug! :smalltongue:) Of course, such rebellious avatar would be less of a threat than usual, as a fallen Paladin loses most of its class features, and a chaotic monk can take no more monk levels.

Paladins and monks likely wouldn't be too happy about it, either. :smallbiggrin:


Alright. I believe I understand what exactly specific portfolio instances are now.

I think, once I remember how, I'll make a big table with example portofolios items and instances, with values required for different Divine Ranks precalculated. :smallsmile:


I understand not being able to use it on other gods (at least other gods of equal or higher divine rank), but if anything it makes sense to be able to use it on yourself even if you are not specifically one of your portfolio instances. A god of fire should not get burned.

I appreciate your sentiment, but Alter Reality is not the extent of power or godhood. A god still has character levels, magic items, domain powers and such to make himself hard to damage.

Being a god is hard work. A big part of this fix was to remove blanket immunities from gods and make players work for their divine might. :smallwink:


Hm... sorta puts a damper on the presence of thousands of gods if they still have a maximum age...

Well, achieving Divine Rank 1 is not much more difficult than achieving Divine Rank 0. And if you have two Divine Rank 1 gods, they can have a lot of cute little Rank 0 quasi-deity babies.

Or, if a DR 1+ god can't have babies, it can make some unrelated creature its heir.

So while some gods will certainly disappear between generations, most of the time it just means the next generation has gods of 1 Rank lower, necessitating young gods to take on their own legendary quests.


Or make it so that only gods with more than 5 divine ranks can have gods in their portfolios?

After thinking of it, I excluded gods as a valid portofolio elements. Other gods worshipping you is already factored into rules for rising in Divine Rank. Excluding gods as a portofolio elements also makes sense for the same reasons as excluding divine casting classes.


Also, as it is written, under Divine realm, you could potentially have a maximum radius of 127 miles. It says you increase the radius by those amounts, not to those amounts. Was that intended? Also, you cannot have its radius increased until you gain a divine rank after having taken it.

I fixed the wording so that it is clearer. When you rise in Rank, you can expand your Realm's radius to a potential maximum of (Divine Rank +1)^2.

I'm a bit puzzled about where did you get 127 miles, though, because the equation was the same. As it depends on your rank, at first possible expansion at Rank 3, it's (3 + 1)^2= 16 miles, and at Rank 20 it becomes (20 +1)^2= 441 miles. The equation doesn't result in 127 miles at any Rank, the closest is at Divine Rank 10, where it ends up in (10 + 1)^2= 121 miles.

Doorhandle
2013-02-15, 02:48 AM
I am liking these feats... and I am VERY tempted to use them in a campaign.

Omnicrat
2013-02-15, 03:06 AM
As said, it's hard work to be a god. :smallbiggrin:

I thought you just meant to become one and stay one, not to make sure the friendly bar keep doesn't drug your meed then put you in a cage for a week to steal your godhood. I feel like most nations would have laws against this sort of thing, to keep their gods happy and working with the current regime rather than against it.


Hilariously, yes. (It's a feature, not a bug! :smalltongue:) Of course, such rebellious avatar would be less of a threat than usual, as a fallen Paladin loses most of its class features, and a chaotic monk can take no more monk levels.

Paladins and monks likely wouldn't be too happy about it, either. :smallbiggrin:

Well, he could always make himself into a god of blackgaurds with his next rank, right? And you can't tell me there isn't a chaos monk PrC out there.


I think, once I remember how, I'll make a big table with example portofolios items and instances, with values required for different Divine Ranks precalculated. :smallsmile:

That would certainly be helpful.


I appreciate your sentiment, but Alter Reality is not the extent of power or godhood. A god still has character levels, magic items, domain powers and such to make himself hard to damage.

Being a god is hard work. A big part of this fix was to remove blanket immunities from gods and make players work for their divine might. :smallwink:

I agree with and understand what you are saying. Still, being able to divinely alter themselves to fit with their portfolio makes sense. Maybe only one use per divine rank? Or at least one use per divine rank - 5.


Well, achieving Divine Rank 1 is not much more difficult than achieving Divine Rank 0. And if you have two Divine Rank 1 gods, they can have a lot of cute little Rank 0 quasi-deity babies.

Or, if a DR 1+ god can't have babies, it can make some unrelated creature its heir.

So while some gods will certainly disappear between generations, most of the time it just means the next generation has gods of 1 Rank lower, necessitating young gods to take on their own legendary quests.

Ah, so most gods were born that way and have been a god of ______ either their whole or almost their whole life? That's got to mess up some childhoods.


After thinking of it, I excluded gods as a valid portofolio elements. Other gods worshipping you is already factored into rules for rising in Divine Rank. Excluding gods as a portofolio elements also makes sense for the same reasons as excluding divine casting classes.

Honestly, I've always thought divine casters should be valid portfolio items. What if a god wants to specialize in paladins? I mean, non-fighters might still worship a god of fighters for strength or whatever, and all fighters will not worship the god of fighters.


I fixed the wording so that it is clearer. When you rise in Rank, you can expand your Realm's radius to a potential maximum of (Divine Rank +1)^2.

I'm a bit puzzled about where did you get 127 miles, though, because the equation was the same. As it depends on your rank, at first possible expansion at Rank 3, it's (3 + 1)^2= 16 miles, and at Rank 20 it becomes (20 +1)^2= 441 miles. The equation doesn't result in 127 miles at any Rank, the closest is at Divine Rank 10, where it ends up in (10 + 1)^2= 121 miles.

Before, it started with a 1 mile radius, then you added 16 miles to that radius, giving you a total of 17 miles as a radius. Keep doing that once a rank and you get 127 mile radius at rank 5(which I forgot to say in my op). Which, since you changed it to increase to a maximum radius when ones divine rank goes up, can no longer happen.

Also, how big is the portal to ones divine realm? From what I can tell, its always a mile radius circle, even if you choose to move said mile radius circle.

If a god has a large enough divine realm, can another god create his divine palace in it?

What happens to the place the divine palace used to be? Is it a giant two-mile-wide crater?

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-15, 04:29 AM
Still, being able to divinely alter themselves to fit with their portfolio makes sense. Maybe only one use per divine rank? Or at least one use per divine rank - 5.

I still have a lot of SDAs to rework. I may make other SDAs similar to Undying, that change the type of a deity.


Ah, so most gods were born that way and have been a god of ______ either their whole or almost their whole life? That's got to mess up some childhoods.

I consider it hilarious. :smallbiggrin:


Honestly, I've always thought divine casters should be valid portfolio items. What if a god wants to specialize in paladins? I mean, non-fighters might still worship a god of fighters for strength or whatever, and all fighters will not worship the god of fighters.

After some thinking, I changed it so that the exception only touches Clerics and Druids. You can be god to other divine casting classes, but if they opt to worship someone else, you can't affect them.

Divine casting classes are an exception because they are, well, divine. It'd step on the toes of other gods pretty hard if you could alter their clerics.

Non-divine classes have no such protection, but on the other hand, they can always work to become anathemas.



Also, how big is the portal to ones divine realm? From what I can tell, its always a mile radius circle, even if you choose to move said mile radius circle.

...

What happens to the place the divine palace used to be? Is it a giant two-mile-wide crater?

Hmmm, good catch. I will edit the ability to answer these questions.


If a god has a large enough divine realm, can another god create his divine palace in it?

Sure, why not? Nothing precludes it.

Omnicrat
2013-02-15, 05:18 AM
I am liking these feats... and I am VERY tempted to use them in a campaign.

By feats, do you mean salient divine abilities? There are no feats in this whole thread...


I still have a lot of SDAs to rework. I may make other SDAs similar to Undying, that change the type of a deity.

Could you put something in Undying to let you be a deathless instead? It would be easier than writing up a whole new sda with basically the same thing.


After some thinking, I changed it so that the exception only touches Clerics and Druids. You can be god to other divine casting classes, but if they opt to worship someone else, you can't affect them.

Divine casting classes are an exception because they are, well, divine. It'd step on the toes of other gods pretty hard if you could alter their clerics.

Non-divine classes have no such protection, but on the other hand, they can always work to become anathemas.

Can a god of paladins still effect paladins who do not follow a god?

Also, why are druids exempt?


Hmmm, good catch. I will edit the ability to answer these questions.

So, just making sure, the portal into a divine realm is any doorway-like in a one mile radius, either centered on where the divine palace used to be or centered on a location selected by the god? If so, what if he selects a point in the middle of a city? Would everyone trying to walk through a door in that city go into the divine realm instead?


Sure, why not? Nothing precludes it.

If a god dies, what happens to their divine realm, palace, artifacts, ect?

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-15, 06:19 AM
Could you put something in Undying to let you be a deathless instead? It would be easier than writing up a whole new sda with basically the same thing.

I do not support goofy positive energy undead. :smalltongue:


Can a god of paladins still effect paladins who do not follow a god?

No.


Also, why are druids exempt?

Historical reasons. The original idea of druids in D&D was that they revered and received their powers directly from nature, rather than gods. They are hence exempt.


So, just making sure, the portal into a divine realm is any doorway-like in a one mile radius, either centered on where the divine palace used to be or centered on a location selected by the god? If so, what if he selects a point in the middle of a city? Would everyone trying to walk through a door in that city go into the divine realm instead?

If not barred from entering, yes, anyone stumbling through that door ends up in the realm. (Hilarity ensues.) And yes, the point of access is centered where the Palace used to be, or whatever arbitrary place a god shoves it to.


If a god dies, what happens to their divine realm, palace, artifacts, ect?

They stay where they are. Where di d you think all those abandoned artifacts came from, huh? :smallcool:

Omnicrat
2013-02-15, 07:05 AM
I do not support goofy positive energy undead. :smalltongue:

Well, why can't positive energy be used to bring immortality to people just like negative energy?


No.

Why not?


Historical reasons. The original idea of druids in D&D was that they revered and received their powers directly from nature, rather than gods. They are hence exempt.

Fair enough, I suppose.


If not barred from entering, yes, anyone stumbling through that door ends up in the realm. (Hilarity ensues.) And yes, the point of access is centered where the Palace used to be, or whatever arbitrary place a god shoves it to.

Evil gods could use this to depopulate an enemy population. Move your connection to an enemy capital and slaughter the confused people as they walk through into your realm.


They stay where they are. Where di d you think all those abandoned artifacts came from, huh? :smallcool:

This makes all those plane restrictions a lot less problematic. There have got to be tens of thousands of mini-planes by now, with who knows how many people living in each.

Edit: D&D being polytheistic, worshipers don't have to be exclusive, right?

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-15, 07:47 AM
Elemental Body
Prequisites: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio item: one of fire, earth, water or air
Benefit: You become an Elemental, of the subtype you control. If you control multiple, pick one. You gain following traits of being an elemental:

Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning.
Not subject to critical hits or flanking.
Unlike most other living creatures, an elemental does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit. When an elemental is slain, no soul is set loose. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don’t work on an elemental. It takes a different magical effect, such as limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection, to restore it to life. (Since you are a god, this has no bearing on you.)
Elementals do not eat, sleep, or breathe.


If you have the Fire subtype, you get immunity to fire. You also gain vulnerability to cold, which means you take half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from cold, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.

If you have the Water subtype, you get Swim speed equal to your land speed.

If you have the Earth subtype, you gain Burrow speed equal to half your land speed.

If you have the Air subtype, you gain Flight speed equal to 1½ your land speed with average maneuvrability.

As an elemental, you live much longer than normal. Recalculate your lifespan, tripling the time you'd have spend in each age category based on your previous form. If this causes you to fall in a younger age category than previously, adjust your ability scores accordingly.

Divine Inspiration
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1, Perform 6 ranks, Portofolio Item: at least one of courage, despair, dread, frenzy, hope, rage, love or lust.
Benefit: Through your performance, you become able to inspire the emotions that are part of your portofolio. If you expand your portofolio to contain more of the listed emotions, you become able to inspire them as well.

Divine Inspiration is a special performance that takes 10 minutes. You can perform once per day per Divine Rank, and each performance can affect a number of creatures equal to twice your Divine Rank. All affected creatures must be within your line of sight. All effects are mind-affecting compulsions.

Courage: The enchanted creatures become immune to fear effects and receive a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, skill checks, and Will saves.

Despair: The enchanted creatures are affected as by an improved version of the crushing despair spell: affected creatures suffer a -4 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, saves, and checks unless they make a successful Will save (DC= deity's perform check result). The effect lasts one day.

Dread: The enchanted creatures must make successful Wisdom checks (DC= deity's perform check result) to attack or fight. If the check fails, the creature flees in panic for 1d4 rounds. If the check succeeds, the creature does not have to check again for 10 minutes. The enchanted creatures also suffer a -2 morale penalty on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, skill checks, and Will saves.

Frenzy: Frenzied creatures spend themselves in drinking, feasting, and dancing unless provoked or incited to violence. Frenzied creatures turn violent if they are attacked or perceive a threat to their safety. Frenzied creatures receive a +4 morale bonus to Strength and Dexterity, a -4 penalty to Wisdom, and a -2 penalty to AC. Subjects can attempt Will saves (DC= deity's perform check result) to resist the effect.

Hope: The enchanted creatures gain a +4 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls.

Rage: The enchanted creatures receive a +4 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution scores, a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, and a -2 penalty to AC. They are compelled to fight heedless of danger. Subjects can attempt Will saves (DC= deity's perform check result) to resist the effect.

Love and Lust: A love effect causes the target to fall in love with the specified creature, seeking every opportunity to be near that creature and making every effort to win the creature’s affection. A lust effect is similar, but the target seeks any opportunity to become physically intimate with the specified creature. Subjects can attempt Will saves (DC= deity's perform check result) to resist the effect.

Divine Focus
Prerequisite: Craft Artifact, Possess Mortal
Benefits: Your Divine Focus can be any wearable or wieldable item you can craft. You can only ever have one SDA. Crafting of a Divine Focus takes 77 days in addition to what it would take to ordinarily craft the item. At its completion, you lose 4 points of Constitution and 4 points of Charisma, or 8 points of Charisma if you have no Constitution score. You can only ever have one Divine Focus.

Once your crafting is done, pick one new Salient Divine Ability you meet the prerequisites for. That ability becomes imbued in your Focus.

The mere existence of a Divine Focus conveys the following benefits:

You cannot be brought to lower than Divine Rank 4. Any event that would ordinarily remove your divinity reduces you to Divine Rank 4 instead. You always retain Alter Reality, Create Artifact and Divine Focus SDAs.
Defeating you in single combat does not make your challenger a deity, or convey him more Divine Ranks. (You still lose Divine Ranks in excess of 4 if you are defeated.)
If you die, your spirit stays whole and lingers on your home plane. You can be brought back from the dead by raise dead and resurrection despite being a god.
The time you live as a venerable creature before dying extends by 100 years per Divine Rank.
If you ever get an heir, you can testament your Focus to him to convey to him at least Divine Rank 4 and the Alter Reality, Artifact Creation, Possess Mortal and Divine Focus SDAs.
You can try to possess any mortal creature within your line of sight who touches your Focus. The save DC is increased to (DC 20 + ½ your HD + your Divine Rank)
You can try to possess any mortal creature who tries to kill you while in possession of your Divine Focus. The save DC is increased to (DC 25 + ½ your HD + your Divine Rank)


Wearing or wielding your Divine Focus grants further benefits:

You immediately gain effective Divine Rank of 1 point higher and gain access to the SDA you imbued in your focus.
You get +2 Divine Bonus to all skills you have more than 6 ranks in, and +4 Divine Bonus to all skills you have more than 10 ranks in.
You get +1 to all attack rolls and saving throws.


The drawbacks of having a Divine Focus are as follows:

Your children will not be gods.
If you lose possession of your Divine Focus, you suffer -3 profane penalty to all rolls.
If your Focus is ever destroyed, you immediately die and your soul is reduced into a pathetic wreck. Instead of fusing into your plane of origin, you are reduced to a mute, imbecile shadow, lower than the lowliest ghost. You can never be restored and can never regain divinity.


If a mortal wields or wears your Divine Focus:

He gets +2 Divine Bonus to all skills he has more than 6 ranks in, and +4 Divine Bonus to all skills he has more than 10 ranks in.
He gets +1 to all attack rolls and saving throws.
He slowly suffers alignment drift towards your alignment.
If he thinks of destroying your focus and is more than 1000 miles away from you, he has to make a Will save against (DC 5 + ½ your HD + your Divine Rank) or dismiss the idea as ludicrous. If he is more than 500 but less than 1000 away, the DC increases by 5. If he is more than 100 but less than 500 miles away, the DC increases by further 5. If he is more than 10 but less than 100 miles from you, the DC again increases by 5. If he is closer than 10 miles, the DC increases by another 5 points, and a failed save immediately alerts you to the presence of the mortal.

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-15, 07:58 AM
Well, why can't positive energy be used to bring immortality to people just like negative energy?
I'd rather people just find a more creative solution to do so than be positive undead. :smalltongue:


Why not?

For a similar reasons to druids and clerics of different gods. Atheist Paladins get their powers from Universal Goody-Two-Shoeness, not you, so you don't get to affect them. Paladins of other gods are under a clause similar to clerics.


Edit: D&D being polytheistic, worshipers don't have to be exclusive, right?

I plan on writing a treatise on that. You can already pray to multiple gods, as long as you have proper holy symbol at hand, or are involved in a god's instance. There's more to come regarding this.

Matticussama
2013-02-15, 08:41 AM
I really like this concept, and I understand why having "God of Clerics" wouldn't work due to your given example. I also understand the historical reasons for not wanting the "God of Druids" option to be valid. However, what about God(s) of Nature? Would they be able to exercise influence over Druids?

For example: Say you have a God of Lightning. Would s/he be able to keep Druids from using Call Lightning (or any other lightning-based magic)? Presumably nature gods would excise some sort of payment from Druids once they got strong enough; sacrifice X number of people/animals/etc to me, or I won't let you call forth your lightning.

Now sure, at that point maybe the Druid moves on to cast a Fire spell. Until the God of Fire demands sacrifice...

Omnicrat
2013-02-15, 08:42 AM
For a similar reasons to druids and clerics of different gods. Atheist Paladins get their powers from Universal Goody-Two-Shoeness, not you, so you don't get to affect them. Paladins of other gods are under a clause similar to clerics.

Fighters don't get their power from a fighter god, so why should non-god-worshiping paladins be any differant?

Also, if this is the reason clerics (and druids) are exempt then shouldn't a god of druids be possible? I mean, there are nature gods.


I plan on writing a treatise on that. You can already pray to multiple gods, as long as you have proper holy symbol at hand, or are involved in a god's instance. There's more to come regarding this.

I look forward to it.

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-17, 04:31 AM
For example: Say you have a God of Lightning. Would s/he be able to keep Druids from using Call Lightning (or any other lightning-based magic)? Presumably nature gods would excise some sort of payment from Druids once they got strong enough; sacrifice X number of people/animals/etc to me, or I won't let you call forth your lightning.

A sufficiently powerful druid (read: higher level than the god) flips a bird at the arrogant godling and zaps him with lightning regardless. Other than that, you are correct.

As a sidenote, i think it's likely most "Nature gods" are infact ascended druids.


Fighters don't get their power from a fighter god, so why should non-god-worshiping paladins be any differant?

Also, if this is the reason clerics (and druids) are exempt then shouldn't a god of druids be possible? I mean, there are nature gods.


Paladins are different from Fighters in that they are already divine and fighters are not. The paladin's personal connection to divinity overrules that of a god's.

And while there are "nature gods", I think for the purposes of these rules it's better to split them into gods of plants, lakes, forests etc.. Nature as a whole is problematic portofolio element for the same reasons magic is. It's too abstract and governs too many different things to pin down properly.

The Bandicoot
2013-02-19, 03:09 PM
I love this! This is perfect for my new campaign. Though I do have one question. Lets say a god with.....8 divine ranks is dieing of a disease and hands off his divinity and his name. That god catches the disease and passes the divinity off again. Eventually we're down to a divine rank 1 god without ANY of his followers realizing that the first god died.

So this divine rank 1 god with thousands if not hundreds of thousands of followers can still give out cleric spells and such, but he needs to do some legendary quests to advance in rank, correct?

Omnicrat
2013-02-19, 03:30 PM
I love this! This is perfect for my new campaign. Though I do have one question. Lets say a god with.....8 divine ranks is dieing of a disease and hands off his divinity and his name. That god catches the disease and passes the divinity off again. Eventually we're down to a divine rank 1 god without ANY of his followers realizing that the first god died.

So this divine rank 1 god with thousands if not hundreds of thousands of followers can still give out cleric spells and such, but he needs to do some legendary quests to advance in rank, correct?

Or gain worship from other gods. Or gain inheritance from other gods. Or capture other gods. Or kill/defeat other gods.

The Bandicoot
2013-02-19, 05:28 PM
Or gain worship from other gods. Or gain inheritance from other gods. Or capture other gods. Or kill/defeat other gods.

Yes but for what is essentially a level 5 magic store owner/Boccob those are not the easiest things to accomplish. The easiest thing would be to ask the party to help her complete some legendary quests. :smalltongue:

Omnicrat
2013-02-19, 06:43 PM
Yes but for what is essentially a level 5 magic store owner/Boccob those are not the easiest things to accomplish. The easiest thing would be to ask the party to help her complete some legendary quests. :smalltongue:

You think a legendary quest is easier than catching random (evil?) god x and locking him in a cage for a week?

The Bandicoot
2013-02-19, 07:01 PM
You think a legendary quest is easier than catching random (evil?) god x and locking him in a cage for a week? Good point, but in my campaign world it has been only a short time since it became this easy to become a god. (i.e. a short time since it switched from the original deity system and this one) So while there are a few new lower-rank gods they aren't really easily tricked or captured.

Omnicrat
2013-02-19, 07:17 PM
Good point, but in my campaign world it has been only a short time since it became this easy to become a god. (i.e. a short time since it switched from the original deity system and this one) So while there are a few new lower-rank gods they aren't really easily tricked or captured.

What happened to make the change, may I ask? Did the old gods die or get weaker or do they still run on the old rules?

The Bandicoot
2013-02-20, 12:12 AM
Well picture this. A giant dam lets out a small river of water. Most of the water is gathered by tribal leaders who distribute it to their tribe and the remaining water is gathered by lone people. Suddenly the dam is blown wide open. In the immediate flood some tribes die off, some tribes survive, some tribes thrive, some loners band together and make their own tribes. Soon though everything goes back to to rative normality next to the now wider and more unpredictable river.
Sorry, got a bit ahead of myself with the metaphors but basically....water=magic tribal leaders=gods and loners=mortals

Omnicrat
2013-02-20, 12:18 AM
Well picture this. A giant dam lets out a small river of water. Most of the water is gathered by tribal leaders who distribute it to their tribe and the remaining water is gathered by lone people. Suddenly the dam is blown wide open. In the immediate flood some tribes die off, some tribes survive, some tribes thrive, some loners band together and make their own tribes. Soon though everything goes back to to rative normality next to the now wider and more unpredictable river.
Sorry, got a bit ahead of myself with the metaphors but basically....water=magic tribal leaders=gods and loners=mortals

I think I saw another post somewhere about dam breaking and the flood of magic. The game looked interesting. I would find it very odd if two campaigns simultaneously sprung up with the same basic premise, using the same metaphor as a description.

The Bandicoot
2013-02-20, 01:43 AM
More then likely it was me over in World Building :P if not, the. It's a strange coincidence.

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-20, 11:10 AM
I love this! This is perfect for my new campaign. Though I do have one question. Lets say a god with.....8 divine ranks is dieing of a disease and hands off his divinity and his name. That god catches the disease and passes the divinity off again. Eventually we're down to a divine rank 1 god without ANY of his followers realizing that the first god died.

So this divine rank 1 god with thousands if not hundreds of thousands of followers can still give out cleric spells and such, but he needs to do some legendary quests to advance in rank, correct?

Even more eventually you're down to DR 0, and only able to grant Orisons (0th level divine spells). So your level 5 store owner / Boccob is now plagued by immense amount of confused prayers from people holding his holy symbol, with little power to do anything about them.

Better start looking for that evil god. :smallbiggrin:

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-20, 11:38 AM
Indomitable Strength
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1, Str 18
Benefit: Once per day per Divine Rank, you can multiply the weight you can carry by (Your Divine Rank +1)^2. This last for a number of rounds equal to your Str modifier. Lifting anything that exceeds your normal carrying capacity is a full round action, as is putting it down. Whatever object you pick stays whole and is undamaged by you moving it around.

You will also automatically win Grapple checks during this period against all creatures who constitute a light load or less for your (newly improved) carrying capacity.

Hand Of Death
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio element: Death.
Benefit: Whenever you succesfully hold an opponent in a grapple or hit an opponent with a natural weapon or unarmed strike, your opponent immediately ages by 1d10 years, fortitude save against (DC 15 + ½ your HD + Your Divine Rank) for half. This is akin to natural aging and can only be reversed by effects that reverse natural aging.

In addition, any inanimate object you touch immediately loses 1 point of hardness and 1d10 hitpoints, as if to natural erosion. You can use this ability against any given object only as many times as you have Divine Ranks.

Omnicrat
2013-02-20, 11:48 AM
Hand of death could actually be beneficial to someone without a maximum age who doesn't take aging penalties. Also, it could be used to bolster your armies by taking all babies and bringing them up to adult age in a few seconds.

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-21, 08:05 AM
Hand of death could actually be beneficial to someone without a maximum age who doesn't take aging penalties. Also, it could be used to bolster your armies by taking all babies and bringing them up to adult age in a few seconds.

The first I was aware of. The second, probably would not turn out so well, because you'd end up with loads of adults without any of the skills normally associated with being adults.

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Lay Curse
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1
Benefit: You can use this ability to place a Blood Curse on a creature once per year per Divine Rank. The target is allowed Will save (DC 10 + the deity’s Charisma modifier + the deity’s divine rank) to avoid. The target must be a creature that has slighted you in one of the following ways: wounded you, wounded your offspring, destroyed your place of worship, wounded one of your worshippers or destroyed any divine creation (Avatar, Palace, Artifact etc.) of yours.

A Blood Curse functions like the bestow curse (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/bestowCurse.htm) spell, save for two key differences: first, it can not be removed by any means other than the target personally making things up to you, and second, it afflicts all existing and future offspring of the target.

Lay Quest
Prerequisite: Lay Curse
Benefit: Once per year per Divine Rank, you can place a creature under a legacy quest. The target creature must be one of your worshippers. A legacy quest places a magical command on a creature to carry out some service or to refrain from some action or course of activity, as desired by you. While a it cannot compel a creature to kill itself or perform acts that would result in certain death, it can cause almost any other course of activity. The targets gets a Will save against (DC 15 + the deity’s Charisma modifier + the deity’s divine rank) to avoid.

The target creature must follow the given instructions until the quest is completed, no matter how long it takes. If the quest can't be completed within the target's lifetime, it gets passed on to their firstborn child, and so on and so forth until it is either completed or lineage of the target gets severed.

If the subject is prevented from obeying the lesser geas for 24 hours, it takes a -2 penalty to each of its ability scores. Each day, another -2 penalty accumulates, up to a total of -8. No ability score can be reduced to less than 1 by this effect. The ability score penalties are removed 24 hours after the subject resumes obeying the lquest.

A legacy quest can be put on hold by break enchantment, limited wish, remove curse, miracle, or wish. This removes the need to follow the quest and any penalties from the target. However, once the target has offspring in any manner, once his firstborn reaches young adulthood, the quest gets passed on to him (so on and so forth).

Gift Of Life
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1, Craft (Alchemy) 6 ranks, Portofolio element: at least one of life, medicine or alchemy
Benefit: You have come to understand the elemental checks and balances that allow for biological life to come to being. By succeeding in a special Craft (Alchemy) check with DC 30 and using 1,000 gp worth of raw materials, you can distill the essence of life into a special potion. This potion has following effects:


If ingested by a living creature, whoever drank it immediately becomes pregnant. This happens even if the target is infertile or of the wrong sex. Otherwise, the pregnancy proceeds as normal for the target's species, and without complications.
If spilled into a body of water, one year from then the body of water will become inhabitated by a thriving population of waterborne plants and animals never seen before. All of these creatures will be Fine or smaller in size, and perfectly adapted to live in their environment, no matter how hazardous. These new lifeforms will spread with water currents.
If spilled on a lifeless terrain, a similar process will occur, an area of 1 mile radius becoming inhabitated by new lifeforms in 1 year. All of these creatures will be Fine or smaller in size, and perfectly adapted to live in their environment, no matter how hazardous. They will slowly reproduce and migrate to new areas.
If poured on a creature that's been dead for 1 hour or less, the creature will spring to life in a new form, similar to reincarnate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/reincarnate.htm)spell.


Divine Fast Healing
Prerequisites: Con 18 and Gift of Life salient divine ability
Benefit: By succeeding in a special craft (Alchemy) check with DC 30 and using 1,000 gp worth of raw materials, you can make a special draught that bestows anyone who drinks it with Fast Healing equal to (your Divine Rank x 3). While under the effects of this draught, lost limbs or body parts reattach instantly when pressed against the wound on the body. Any ability drain, damage or burn the target has suffered is healed by a number of points equal to half of your Divine Rank.

Rejuvenation
Prerequisites: Divine Fast Healing salient divine ability.
Benefit: By succeeding in a special craft (Alchemy) check with DC 35 and using 2,500 gp worth of raw materials, you can make a special draught that decreases the age of anyone drinking it by 3d10 years. Any ability damage, drain or burn is immediately restored, all disease and poison is cured and all ability scores adjusted according to new age category (if any).

Beings that aren't alive or are immune to aging do not get any benefits from this draught.

Furthermore, if a god drinks this potion, he can't be killed for 48 hours. Instead, if any effect would kill the god, the god instead reincarnates (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/reincarnate.htm) one week later, either in the spot he was killed in, or in his Divine Palace (if he has one). The god does not lose any divine ranks, and his slayer doesn't get any benefits normally associated with defeating a god.

Golden Apples of Immortality
Prerequisites: Rejuvenation salient divine ability, Portofolio item: at least one of life, plants or trees.
Benefit: With a special Craft (Alchemy) check with DC 45 and using 15,000 gp worth of raw materials, you can make a special apple tree seed. This tree will slowly grow into a mighty apple tree that produces special golden apples.

The tree will produce its first fruit after 25 years from planting. From there on, it will produce one fruit per your Divine Rank each century. The fruits appear at even intervals. As long as they are not picked, they remain intact and do not rot. A plucked fruit will rot like a normal apple. It is possible to grow more trees from the seeds of these apples, but each generation takes additional 25 years to reach maturity.

Eating one of these apples will immediately return any living creature into Young Adult age category. Adjust ability scores accordingly. Only one apple can be eaten by a creature each century. Creatures immune to aging are unaffected.

Beyond producing these special fruit, your golden apple tree is a perfectly normal. If treated well, it can live up to 500 years before withering.

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-21, 09:17 AM
Divine Familiar
Prequisite: Divine Rank 1, Handle Animal 6 ranks, Diplomacy 6 ranks, intimidate 6 ranks, Craft (sculpture) 6 ranks.
Benefit: You can attract any one creature of the following types with HD and CR equal to or less than your Divine Rank to be your Divine Familiar: aberration, humanoid, animal, magical beast, fey, dragon, giant, monstrous humanoid, plant, vermin, ooze. The summoning ritual takes 24 hours and costs 100 gp per HD of the creature summoned. A Divine Familiar serves as a companion and servant, but has other uses as well.

The summoned creature retains the appearance, Hit Dice, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, skills, and feats of the type it once was, but gains either Celestial (if you're good or neutral) or Fiendish (if you're evil) subtype. Your Divine Familiar can't also be ordinary familiar or animal companion.

As you advance in Divine Rank, your Divine Familiar gains special qualities. See "familiars" under Wizard class description (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/sorcererWizard.htm). Subtitute your Divine Rank for "master's class level".

However, a Divine Familiar is not as fragile as an ordinary one. At your leisure, you can make a special Craft (sculpture) check with DC (15 + ½ your familiar's HD), taking a week's time, to make a miniature effigy of your familiar. Should your familiar ever die, you will be notified by the effigy breaking. You can restore your familiar to life by succeeding in a Craft check with a DC 5 points lower than what it originally took to craft the effigy, taking 10 minutes of time per HD of your familiar.

Finally, your familiar gains a special miracle-like spell-like ability. This ability is usable once per year, and will provide a number of miracles equal to one-third of your Divine Rank. All desired miracles must be worded within 10 minutes of each other.

The following miraculous events are possible:
Casting of any spell you, the deity, have prepared, through your familiar. You will be notified when such request is made and the miracle happens on your consent.
Casting of any divine spell of 8th level or lower that you, the deity, can grant. Spell level limit based on your Divine Rank applies as normal.
Casting of any other spell of 7th level or lower that is part of your, the deity's, spells known.
One use of any applicable salient divine ability through your familiar. You will be notified when such request is made and the miracle happens on your consent.
Undo a harmful spell effect, such as insanity or feeblemind
Undo harmful effect of a salient divine ability originating from a lower ranking god than you.
Granting of any item or items you, the deity, are in possession of. You will be notified when such request is made and the miracle happens on your consent. All requested items will be immediately transported to your familiar. If multiple items are requested, there's a weight limit of 1000 lbs. per your Divine Rank.
Immediate presence of you, the god. You will be notified when such request is made and the miracle happens on your consent. If applicable, you can send your Avatar instead. You will appear next to your familiar, bypassing all barriers that would normally prevent teleportation.
Immediate transportation of the requester and one additional person per your Divine Rank, to either your Divine Palace or Divine Realm (if applicable). You will be notified when such request is made and the miracle happens on your consent. They will appear in a plae you specify, bypassing all barriers that would normally prevent teleportation.


For points 2 and 3, all spell components and focuses are eschewed. For point 1, you, the god, must have all requisite materials for casting the spell at hand. For point 4, the use of an SDA will count against your usual limit(s) of using that ability.

At your leisure, if a requested miracle would consume resources from you, you can take a fee of 5,000 experience points from the requester.

Create Object
Prerequisites: Divine rank 1, Craft (Any) 6 ranks, Portofolio item: at least one object or class of objects.
Benefit: Once per day per Divine Rank, a deity can as a full-round action create one or more simple, nonmagical objects with a total weight of up to 50 pounds per divine rank, or with a total volume of 10 cubic feet per rank. All created objects must be items the deity is a god of - for example, a god of furniture can create furniture. If the deity uses this ability within its own Divine palace, double the volume and weight the deity can create. If the deity uses this ability in its Divine Realm, triple the volume and weight the deity can create there.
Notes: For purposes of this ability, a simple object can have no moving parts more complex than a door hinge and must be composed of a single material. The material can be no more valuable than iron (1 sp per pound). Once created, the objects are permanent and nonmagical. If the deity has the appropriate Craft skill, the deity can make a Craft check when creating the item to make it a masterwork item.

Create Greater Object
Prerequisites: Create Object salient divine ability, Craft (any) 12 ranks.
Benefit: This ability works like Create Object salient divine ability, but the collective weight of items that can be created is doubled. You can also create objects out of more expensive materials than iron. The following exceptions exist:

Rest:The deity must convert a considerable amount of its own energy into the object, which can leave the deity impaired. The deity can create an object with a value of up to 100 gp without impairment. For every additional 100 gp of value (or fraction of 100 gp), the deity must rest for 10 minutes. If the deity is creating an item in its Divine Palace, it can create a 200 gp item without resting. If the deity is using this ability in its Divine Realm, it can create a 300 gp item there without having to rest.

Divine Creation
Prerequisites: Create Greater Object salient divine ability, Craft (sculpture) 6 ranks, Portofolio item: at least one kind or class of creatures.
Benefit: Once per day per Divine Rank, you can craft any one creature you're a god of. This will take 1 hour. The creature can at most have HD and CR equal to ½ your Divine Rank, and can only have class levels in NPC classes or classes you're a god of. The creature uses point-buy for its ability scores. Make a Craft (sculpture) check; the number of points it has available is equal to ½ your Craft check result. None of its abilities can exceed 18 before other modifiers, however. The creature will be a young adult or younger, depending on your choice.

The creature's feats and skillpoints will be unallocated, and you will have to train with it to allocate them. Each feat takes 1 month to train, and each skillpoint takes 1 day of practice to allocate. Spells known must be researched, costing no money or experience but taking the usual time.

Unless otherwise informed, the creature will consider you to be its parent.

Recite Death
Prequisite: Hand of Death salient divine ability, Perform (Oratory) 6 ranks
Benefit: Once per day per Divine Rank, you can tell one mortal creature the precise manner in which it will die. The target is allowed a Will save against a DC equal to ½ your Perform (Oratory) check.

The kind of death you doom the mortal into can be as elaborate as you can think. The only rule is that you can't set the exact date (time of day is allowed, however). After you have recited a mortal's death, the mortal will die in the described manner, no matter what tomfoolery he attempts to avoid such fate. Anything else that would otherwise kill him just leaves him at -9, unconscious and stable.

A good example of a recited death: "You will die of old age". (The god of death then proceeded to use Hand of Death to depose of the hapless mortal.)

If a creature is subjected to multiple recited deaths, mutually non-exclusive conditions stack. For example, if one god says you're going to die of old age, and another says you're going to die at dawn, you will die of old age at dawn. In case of mutually exclusive conditions, only the death recited by highest ranking god applies.

A creature can be relieved from a recited death by a remove curse or break enchantment spell cast by a higher ranking god than the one who recited the death.

Know secrets
Prequisite: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio item: at least one of Books, Secrets or Knowledge
Benefit: Whenever you touch a creature, you will be able to browse through all prayers that creature has said to either you or any other god. Each prayer takes a standard action to unveil. Using this ability against an unwilling target requires a succesful touch attack.

Alternatively, you may dig out any other piece of information a creature might know, even something the creature itself has forgotten. Using this ability against an unwilling target requires a succesful touch attack, and the target is also allowed a Will save against DC (15 + your Wisdom modifier + your Divine Rank).

Wound Enemy
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 1, BAB +5
Benefit: Once per day per Divine Rank, you can cause an everlasting wound to a victim. This is an extraordinary ability. You can only use this ability through weapons, natural weapons, unarmed strikes and ranged weapons. You must declare you're using this ability before making an attack - a missed attack wastes the attempt.

If succesful, in addition to normal effects of your attack, you can choose to either permanently reduce any physical ability score of your foe by 1 point, permanently reduce maximum hitpoints of your foe by 1d6 points, or cause an everbleeding wound. Everbleeding wounds need to be tended with a succesful Heal check (DC 15 + the deity’s rank) or closed with a cure wounds spell every hour, or the patient will resume bleeding 1d6 hitpoints per round.

These effects can only be undone by actions of higher-ranking god than you.

Omnicrat
2013-02-21, 06:41 PM
Still, you could probably take a few months teaching them how to walk, run, kill, and follow orders, then their better of than a fair amount of commoners. After the battle, if any of the grunts are left alive, have them fight to the death. The last one alive helps train the next army.

1) Can normal plants be given the gift of life drought? Awakened plants?

2) I think hand of death shouldn't be able to give the mental bonuses, and the youth stuff shouldn't take them away. Mental age bonuses are representative of the life experience on has gone through, while physical age penalties are representative of the decay of the physical body over time. An old body with a young mind should not be more wise, nor should an old mind in a young body lack such wisdom.

3) So if a god of death tells a bunch of soldiers they will die peacefully in their sleep of old age, nothing can ever kill them?

4) Can knowledge also be a portfolio item for know secrets?

edit: As written, create object can create things more expensive than greater create object without the need for rest. Was that intentional?

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-22, 07:59 AM
1) Can normal plants be given the gift of life drought? Awakened plants?
Yes. It results in fruits. But remember it still takes normal time for the fruit to develop. :smallwink:

2) I think hand of death shouldn't be able to give the mental bonuses, and the youth stuff shouldn't take them away. Mental age bonuses are representative of the life experience on has gone through, while physical age penalties are representative of the decay of the physical body over time. An old body with a young mind should not be more wise, nor should an old mind in a young body lack such wisdom.

It's divine rejuvenation potion. Supposedly, it also rejuvenates your mind, making you more naive etc. You have a point with Hand of Death, but I think the ability is more interesting if it can, indeed, give those bonuses. It leads to more juicy exploits that way.


3) So if a god of death tells a bunch of soldiers they will die peacefully in their sleep of old age, nothing can ever kill them?

Someone with Hand of Death sneaking on the soldiers while they sleep blissfully could do it. :smallwink: The ability is kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy if people are just aware of how you're supposed to die. If you've read Lord of the Rings, it's similar to Witchking's "no man can slay me", which just meant he got owned by a woman and a hobbit.


4) Can knowledge also be a portfolio item for know secrets?

Good catch, I was thinking what other portofolio elements could appropriate.


edit: As written, create object can create things more expensive than greater create object without the need for rest. Was that intentional?

Create Object can't make things out of more expensive material than iron (1 sp per pound). Greater Create Object can. If there's an odd corner case where Create Object can make something more expensive, it's funny, but not a big deal. (It's not a bug, it's a feature!)

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-22, 08:58 AM
Sunder And Disjoin
Prerequisite: Annihilating Strike, Divine Blast, BAB+16
Benefit: Once per day per Divine Rank, you can make a special sunder attempt. This is an extraordinary ability. You must declare the attempt before you make your sunder check - a failed check wastes the attempt. If you succeed, your target item will be automatically broken, and it will lose all of its magical qualities as if hit by mage's disjunction, no save. This has a chance equal to (Your Divine Rank)% to happen even if your target item is an artifact. However, you can only ever attempt to use this ability once per artifact. Failing to sunder and disjoin an artefact has no repercussions for you.

Alternatively, you can spend one use of this ability to disjoin all magics within (your Divine rank x 5') radius. Expendable magic items, such as potions, wands and scrolls, are immediately destroyed. All active supernatural effects are dispelled. Each permanent magic item must make a successful Will save or be turned into a normal item. An item in a creature’s possession uses its own Will save bonus or its possessor’s Will save bonus, whichever is higher. The save DC is (10 + ½ your HD + your Divine Rank). This ability makes no difference between your items or spells and those of your enemies.

You also have a 3% chance per Divine Rank of destroying an antimagic field. If the antimagic field survives the disjunction, no items within it are disjoined.

Artifacts are not affected by area disjoining.

Finally, if you have this ability, you can opt to eat an artifact. Digesting an artifact takes 1 year of time, after which it is destroyed forever more. Once done, you get permanent 1 point increase to Constitution. You can only be digesting one artifact at a time.

You can also digest soul gems created by Trap the Soul or Soul Bind. Digesting a gem takes 1 year. While being digested by you, only a deity of higher rank can free a soul from its trap. Once done, you get 1/100 of the digested creature's experience total. You can only be digesting as many creatures at once as you have Divine Ranks.

Anti-magic Shell
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1, BAB +7
Benefit: Once per day per Divine Rank, you can cloak yourself in a skintight anti-magic shield. This shield lasts for 1 round per Divine Rank.

During this period, all magic items you carry save for potions are suppressed and unusable. Magic weapons and armor turn to masterwork weapons and armor. You can't cast any spells or use any spell-like, supernatural or psionic abilities.

On another hand, all magic weapons striking you only count as masterwork weapons, and magic armor and shields lose their enhancement bonus to AC against you. All spells and supernatural abilities targeted at you, save for instantaneous conjurations, are automatically dispelled. Spells not targeted at you but which catch you in their area of effect fail to effect you. Summoned and incorporeal enemies can't attack you - their attacks phase harmlessly through you.

Anti-magic Shell also protects you from all salient divine abilities of other deities that are not specifically called out as extraordinary abilities.

Master Crafter
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 1, 10 ranks in two different Craft skills.
Benefit Any object the deity creates is treated as a masterwork item, but uses the base item price (not the masterwork price) to determine time and cost required to create it. Any item the deity creates also has twice the hit points it would normally have, and its break DC is increased by +10. These benefits apply to walls, doors, and other components of buildings the deity creates, as well as smaller items. Time to craft all items less than 500 gp in worth is halved.

Frightful Presence
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 1, Intimidate 10 ranks
Benefit: Whenever the deity performs a specific action specified in the deity’s description (usually attacking, but sometimes making an intimidating gesture), foes within a 30-foot-radius burst must make Will saves against DC equal to deity's Intimidate skill modifier. Foes within the burst, but not the deity’s immediate target, become shaken for 3d6 rounds if they fail their saves. Creatures the deity attacks when it activates the ability become panicked for 3d6 rounds if they fail their saves. Foes who make successful saving throws are unaffected by this ability for one day.

Divine Fighter
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio item: Fighters
Benefit: Your Epic Attack Bonus and Epic Save Bonus apply against all creatures. You immediately gain one bonus feat you meet prerequisites of from the list of Fighter bonus feats. You get one additional Fighter bonus feat for every 6 Divine Ranks you gain afterwards

Divine Paladin
Prequisite: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio item: Paladins
Benefit: You get one use of a Paladin's Smite Evil ability per day, plus one additional use for each two Divine Ranks you have or gain, with the difference that you add your Divine Rank to damage instead of Paladin levels. If you have levels in Paladin, extra uses from this ability stack with your normal uses per day, and you get to add your Divine Ranks to damage in addition to your Paladin level.

You also gain Paladin's Aura of Courage ability. If you already have this ability, it's range increases by 5' per each Divine Rank you have, and the morale bonus to saves against fear effects rises to +8.

Your sacred mount, if you have any, gains the Celestial subtype. If you also have the Divine Familiar salient divine ability, your mount can also be your Divine Familiar. Where applicable, bonuses from sacred mount and Divine Familiar stack.

Finally, as long as you stay Lawful Good, your Epic Save Bonus applies against all opponents.

Divine Monk
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio item: Monks
Benefits: When using unarmed strikes or special monk weapons, your Epic Attack Bonus applies against all creatures. When fighting while wearing no armor and at most carrying a light load, your Epic Save Bonus applies against all creatures. You get 10' enhancement bonus per Divine Rank to your movement speed - this stacks with all other enhancement bonuses.

Finally, you get one [Monastic] feat you meet the prerequisites for, and one additional [Monastic] feat per each 6 Divine Ranks you gain afterwards.

Divine Ranger
Prequisite: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio item: Rangers
Benefits: You get one type of creature to be your favored enemy, just like a 1st level Ranger (see: Ranger class description) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/ranger.htm). For each five Divine Ranks you gain afterwards, you get an additional favored enemy from those given on the table. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by 2.

You also get the Track feat for free, and can add your Divine Rank to all survival checks you make. If you have levels in Ranger, you instead get the Legendary Tracker feat without having to meet the prerequisites.

Your animal companion, if you have any, gains the Celestial subtype. If you also have the Divine Familiar salient divine ability, your companion can also be your Divine Familiar. Where applicable, bonuses from animal companion and Divine Familiar stack.

Divine Barbarian
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio item: Barbarians
Benefit: You get the ability to rage like a Barbarian (see: Barbarian class description (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/barbarian.htm)) once per day, plus one additional time per each three Divine Ranks you have or gain. If you have levels in Barbarian, these are on top of your normal daily uses, and your bonuses to Str and Con increase by 2, and your bonus to Will saves by 1.

When raging, you get Damage Reduction/-- equal to your Divine Rank. This stacks with Damage Reduction gained from Barbarian levels. For each six Divine Ranks you gain afterwards, you get one [Wild] or feat you meet the prerequisites for as a bonus feat.

[B]Divine Druid
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 1, Druid level 5th
Benefit: While in a wild shape, the deity gains all the extraordinary, spell-like and supernatural abilities of the creature whose form it adopts. True seeing will not reveal the wildshaped deity to be anything other than the form he has assumed. The deity counts as either its own type and subtype, or type and subtype of the wildshaped creature, whichever is more advantageous.

Divine Bard
Prequisites: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio item: Bards
Benefit: You gain the Bardic Lore and Bardic Music class features (see: Bard class description (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/bard.htm)), substituting your Divine Rank for Bard level where appropriate. if you have levels in Bard class, you get to add your Divine Rank and Bard level for purposes of these abilities.

You also gain 1 extra skillpoint for every Divine Rank you have or gain.

Divine Rogue
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio item: Rogues
Benefit: You get +2d6 Sneak Attack and Trapfinding class feature. This Sneak Attack damage stacks with all other sources of Sneak Attack. If you are a Rogue of at least 3rd level, you double your bonuses from Trap Sense class feature and also immediately gain Skill Mastery with Move Silently, Hide, Open Lock and Disable Device as a 10th level Rogue.

You also gain 2 extra skillpoints for every Divine Rank you have or gain.

Divine Wizard
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio item: Wizards
Benefit: You add your Divine Rank as an insight bonus to all Spellcraft and Knowledge (Arcana) checks.

If you have levels in the Wizard class, you can choose a number of spells equal to your Divine Rank from among the spells you know. You can prepare these spells without a spellbook, and add your Divine Rank to all save DCs with these spells. You can choose one more spell each time you advance in Divine Rank. At your option, whenever you cast an Arcane spell, you can choose to make it count as Divine if it makes a difference.

Divine Sorcerer
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio item: Sorcerers.
Benefit: You add your Divine Rank as an insight bonus to all Spellcraft and Knowledge (Arcana) checks.

If you have levels in the Sorcerer class, you gain one extra spell known for each Divine Rank you have or gain. This can be a spell of any level you can cast. If you have Divine Familiar salient divine ability, you can have your ordinary familiar be your Divine Familiar also. Where applicable, benefits from these two features stack.

Divine Assassin
Prerequisite: Divine Rogue, Assassin level 1st, Portofolio items: Death and Assassins
Benefit: You add your Divine Rank to all save DCs against your death attack. If you succeed in a death attack to kill an enemy, your enemy will die as if due to old age, and no power in the world can resurrect them.

In addition, your spells bypass all immunity to death effects in case of creatures that still have a Constitution score. For example, your death effects will still affect a human under death ward, but not undeads or constructs.

Divine Horizon Walker
Prerequisite: Divine Ranger, Portofolio items: Horizon Walkers, and at least one of wagons, aircraft, ships, horses (etc.)
Benefit: Once per week per Divine Rank, you can immediately transport yourself to any locale you have previously visited on the same plane. This movement bypassess all effects that would ordinarily prevent teleportation. If you have more than 5 Divine Ranks, you can transport yourself to any location on any plane you have previously visited.

Starbuck_II
2013-02-22, 11:15 AM
Benefits of Divine Rank 0: [LIST=1]
You can never be harmed by the instance of your portofolio you are a god of. Expection goes to creatures and magic items: creatures with HD exceeding your Divine Rank (and all their special abilities) can still harm you. Items with Caster Level exceeding your Divine Rank can also still harm you.


Doesn't 0 mean all creatures and spells exceed your Divine Rank and thus can harm you?

Omnicrat
2013-02-22, 01:50 PM
Doesn't 0 mean all creatures and spells exceed your Divine Rank and thus can harm you?

Level 0 spells don't exceed your divine rank.

Now, at Frozen Feet...

Three words. Stone Art Object.

That is a really low amount of xp from Sunder and disjoin's soul digestion. Could it at least be divine rank / 1000?

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-22, 04:26 PM
Doesn't 0 mean all creatures and spells exceed your Divine Rank and thus can harm you?

All except 0th level spells, yes.



That is a really low amount of xp from Sunder and disjoin's soul digestion. Could it at least be divine rank / 1000?

You're right, it had one zero too much.

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Divine Loremaster
Prerequisite: Know Secrets salient divine ability, Portofolio item: Loremasters
Benefit: You get one secret from Loremaster's selection of secrets. Your Int modifier determines which secrets are available (see: Loremaster class description (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/loremaster.htm)). If you have levels in the Loremaster class, you can select again secrets you gain from this ability (and vice versa) - the bonuses stack when applicable. You get one additional secret for each five Divine Ranks you have or gain.

Additionally, once per day per Divine Rank, you can make special Knowledge check against any creature. The check's DC is five points higher than normal. If you succeed, that one check allows you to know absolutely everything about the past and current condition of that creature, such as its alignment, all its special abilities, and what it ate for lunch one hour prior.

Finally, you add your Divine Rank as a competence bonus to all Knowledge checks.

Unholy Guard
Prerequisite: Frightful Presence salient divine ability, Portofolio item: Blackguards.
Benefit: You get one use of a Blackgguard's Smite Good ability per day, plus one additional use for each two Divine Ranks you have or gain, with the difference that you add your Divine Rank to damage instead of Blackguard levels. If you have levels in Blackguard, extra uses from this ability stack with your normal uses per day, and you get to add your Divine Ranks to damage in addition to your Blackguard level.

You also gain Blackguard's Aura of Despair ability. If you already have this ability, it's range increases by 5' per each Divine Rank you have, and the penalty to saves becomes -4.

Your fiendish servant, if you have any, gains the Half-fiend template. If you also have the Divine Familiar salient divine ability, your mount can also be your Divine Familiar. Where applicable, bonuses from fiendish servant and Divine Familiar stack.

Finally, as long as you are of any Evil Alignment, your Epic Attack Bonus and Epic Save Bonus apply against all opponents.

Elder Knight
Prequisites: Divine Fighter and Divine Wizard, Portofolio item: Eldritch Knights, OR Divine Fighter and Divine Sorcerer, Portofolio item: Eldritch Knights
Benefit: You get one bonus feat chosen from Metamagic feats and Fighter bonus feats. For each five Divine Ranks you have or gain, you get additional feat selected from Metamagic and Fighter bonus feats.

Once per day per Divine Rank, you can also channel any touch spell through an attack with a weapon, natural weapon or unarmed strike. The spell's effects are in addition to damage from your attack.

If you have levels in Wizard, once per day per Divine Rank, you can spontaneously cast any spell you know in place of any spell of the same level you have prepared.

If you have levels in Sorcerer, you get one extra spell known picked from either Evocation or Transmutation schools. For each five Divine Ranks you have or gain, you get one additional spell known.

Supreme Theurge
Prequisite: Levels in a divine casting class, Divine Wizard and Portofolio item: Mystic Theurges OR Levels in a divine casting class, Divine Sorcerer and Portofolio item: Mystic Theurges
Benefit: You add your Divine Rank as an insight bonus to all Knowlege (Religion) and Knowledge (Arcana) checks. Any spell you cast can count as either arcane or divine at your leisure. Your caster level for all spells is always at least equal to your character level, before bonuses from feats, class features etc.

Elder Mage
Prequisite: Divine Wizard, Divine Sorcerer, ability to cast 7th level arcane spells, Portofolio element: Archmages
Benefit: You can pick any two High Arcanas available to the Archmage class, paying the usual costs (see: Archmage class description (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/archmage.htm)). You can delay picking your High Arcanas for as long as you like.

Additionally, once per day per Divine Rank, you can counterspell any arcane spell without using a spell yourself. You must be able to identify the spell you're about to counter.

Finally, you add your Divine Rank as a competence bonus to all Spellcraft checks.

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-27, 08:51 AM
Changed Divine Fighter, Divine Monk and Divine Barbarian so that they break my nifty feat system a bit less. They were giving a bit too many bonus feats as it was.

---

Elder Mind
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1, Portofolio Item: any psionic base class
Benefit: You gain the Wild Talent feat. You add your Divine Rank to your pool of powerpoints. You add your Divine Rank as an insight bonus to all Psicraft and Knowledge (Psionics) checks.

One with the Shadows
Prerequisite: Divine Rogue, Perform (Dance) 8 ranks, Portofolio item: Shadowdancers
Benefit: If you have the Hide in Plain Sight ability, you get the power to hide in your own shadow. You also get the ability to Summon Shadow like a 3rd level Shadowdancer. Use your Divine Rank in place of Shadowdancer level for determining bonus HD and other details of the ability.

Supreme Thaumaturge
Prerequisite: Divine Wizard, Portofolio item: Thaumaturgists OR Divine Sorcerer, Portofolio item: Thaumaturgist.
Benefit: Whenever you summon a creature, it automatically gains either Celestial or Fiendish template if applicable, at your choice. All Planar Allies work for you for only 75% of the standard fee. This is cumulative with other cost decreases.

The Living Flame
Prerequisite: Portofolio items: Fire and Pyrokineticists
Benefit: All your attacks do bonus fire damage equal to your Divine Rank. You become able to use the Fiery Discorporation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/fieryDiscorporation.htm) as a psi-like ability at will.

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-27, 08:57 PM
GM's guide to Portofolio Items and Instances

When your player becomes a god and asks what is a proper instance, you may be puzzled as to what the answer is. Almost any tangible thing can be a valid item or instance. Undoubtedly, some players will want or try to pick portofolio items that give their fledgling god the maximum amount of influence over a setting. Knowing just what portofolio items and instances are is also fundamental for adjucating the Alter Reality salient divine ability, which is bread and butter for the existence of many gods. The following text will, mostly through varied and numerous examples, give hints and tips on how to manage portofolios.

Interistingly, almost any kind of god will remain manageable as long as it remains at Divine Rank 5 or below. Even a god of "everything, ever" will not be too hard to adjucate, because he can only choose tiny pieces of everything, ever, to be his instances.

What is a valid portofolio item?

As said, a valid portofolio item "be such that its existence is easily verifiable and quantifiable". But what are such things? The definition is broader than you might expect. Below are three sorts of things that are almost always valid:

Physical Objects: These are by far the easiest portofolio items to adjucate. It is trivial to tell if, for example, some specific rock or lake exist in a setting. You should never ban a player from picking a physical object, even if it is something goofy, such as top hats, or something so big as to be virtually indestructible, such as stars or planets.

Groups: Groups include such things as character classes or monster species. Handling groups as portofolio items is made easy due to existing rules definitions of several groups. You should never ban a player from picking specific species (such as red dragons), defined creature types or subtypes (such as "aquatic" or "aberrations"), or character classes (save for divine classes as explained before). Groups such as families, nations, armies or guilds are also moderately easy to handle, as the GM's role as an "omniscient" narrator makes it easy to tell when such groups start or cease existence.

Events: Events are things that happen and then go away. There are many events that are very easy to handle, because they are given clear game definitions: death, a barbarian's rage, casting of a spell and magical insanity are great examples of well-defined events that can easily be fit into a portofolio. Of course, events pose a challenge to a low-ranking god, as a god must continuously go around triggering events they are a god of. Surprisingly, most emotions are easily made into portofolio items through viewing them as events - once again, it's easy for a GM to tell when, say, love or hate begins, or ends. Physical events, such as wars, forest fires and eclipses are also easy to handle.

What doesn't fit, then? Abstract concepts and things which are too varied in meaning or are ill-defined in general make for bad portofolio items. "Justice", "Freedom", "Nature", "Law" and "Equality" for example shouldn't be allowed, even though there might be gods of them in previously-made settings.

If a player wants to be god of such things, it's better to fill their portofolio with less abstract things that somehow relate to the concept, and then roleplay the rest. A "god of justice" might be a god of jurors, police and Paladins, for example.

Tiers of Portofolio items

Not all portofolios are created equal. Under rules presented by this variant, "rocks", "hills" and "mountains" are all valid items and instances, but a god of a rock is at a clear disadvantage compared to god of Mt. Everest!

Below are several examples of portofolios, sorted into five tiers. Tier 1 is weakest and narrowest, while Tier 4 is the strongest. Tier X is reserved for things that should be disallowed as portofolio items, even if some of them are technically valid or have precedence in traditional mythology; they are simply too hard to handle. In case of Tier X, alternative suggestions are given.

This is by no means an exhaustive list - rather, it is a tool to a give a picture how to sort relative strenghts of portofolios, and how to balance them against each other.

{table=head]Tier 1
{table=head]Item | Type | Instance | Commentary
Fir trees | Object | The fir on the courtyard |
Torches | Object | A single ever-burning torch | You might allow counting this as "fire" for qualifying for SDAs
Hurricanes | Event | Hurricane "Catherine" | You might allow counting this as "air" for qualifying for SDAs
Carolinean kings | Group | King Charles XII |
Diamonds | Object | Africa's star | You might allow counting this as "earth" for qualifying for SDAs
Magic Missiles | Event/Object | Magic Missile cast by Will the Wizard |
[/table]
[/table]

{table=head]Tier 2
{table=head]Item | Type | Instance | Commentary
Trees | Group | Tree of Valinor | Note how a broader portofolio item subsumes a narrower one
Furniture | Group | The throne of King Desmond |
Winds | Group / Event | The North Wind | An example of a group of events as a portofolio item. You might allow counting this as "air" for qualifying for SDAs
Humans | Group | John Doe the Commoner |
Mountains | Object | Mt. Everest | You might allow counting this as "earth" for qualifying for SDAs
Wizard spells| Group | Any spell cast by a Wizard |
[/table]
[/table]

{table=head]Tier 3
{table=head]Item | Type | Instance | Commentary
Years | Events | Year 2013 | It is recommended this is the shortest period of time you'll allow as portofolio item.
Plants | Group | Yggdrasil | Once again, a broader item subsumes earlier, narrower categories
Nations | Group | Finland |
Buildings | Group | Cathedral of Notre Dame |
Humanoids | Group | John Doe the Commoner, Olga the Orc, Henry the Halfling (etc.) |
Planets | Objects | Mars | You might allow counting this as "earth" for qualifying for SDAs
Evocation | Group | Any evocation |
[/table]
[/table]

{table=head]Tier 4
{table=head]Item | Type | Instance | Commentary
Centuries | Event | 21st century | It is recommended this is the longest period of time you'll allow as a portofolio item.
Life | Event/Group | any living creature | While extremely powerful, life as a portofolio item is surprisingly manageable, because there are creatures that are not living (Undead, Constructs).
Death | Event | death of any living creature | Death too is surprisingly manageable because it is well-defined within the rules, and interesting as it requires proactivity from the god who has it.
Fire | Event/Object | any torch flame, any forest fire etc. | Broader categories give wider selection of possible portofolio instances. This is what makes them of "higher tier"
Water | Object | any lake, any river, any sea |
Earth | Object | any rock, any hill, any mountain |
Air | Object | any hurricane, or atmosphere of a planet |
[/table]
[/table]

Understanding the inequality between narrow and broad portofolio items is especially useful in creating a hierarchy of gods when you don't want to raise Divine Rank of your gods excessively high. Even at same Divine Rank of 6, it's easy to understand that a goddess of apple trees is weaker than goddess of all trees, who is in turn weaker than goddess of plants.


{table=head]Tier X
{table=head]Item | Commentary | Suggested alternative
Alignments | Underlines too many differing mechanics, including gods themselves. | None. If a player wishes to influence how people view morality in a setting, he should focus on crafting his god's code of conduct
Gods | Gods worshipping other gods is already factored into the rules. Would allow for too many abuses | None. A player wishing to be "god of gods" should merely focus on achieving higher Divine Ranks for his god.
Magic | Too ill-defined. Too many "magical" effects within the system that share almost nothing in common. Too abusable. | Instead, pick a specific school of spells, or a specific spell-casting class.
Divinity | Would allow for rewriting rules for gods at the table. That is counter-productive. The idea is to play using these rules, not use a loophole to rewrite them. | None.
Nature | Too abstract. | Pick more tangible things associated with nature: life, plants, animals etc.
Clerics | A god already has significant power over his clerics. He already has ways for "bending the rules" through use and research of divine spells. Finally, it's not in the spirit of the rules for one god to hold power over clerics of another | None.
Druids | Druids and clerics of concepts have their own personal connection to the divine. They do not need gods. | Have your character be a god of things that druids venerate: the sun, the moon, forests, lakes, etc. Consider having your character be a druid.
Blood Curses, Anathemas, Oaths of Vengeance | These are penalties and reasons of caution for gods. They are supposed to be beyond their powers to affect. | None.
Ideals (Justice, Freedom, Liberty etc.) | Too abstract. | Pick more tangible things related to an ideal. F. ex. police for Justice. Make your god's code of conduct reflect these ideals.
[/table]
[/table]

The primary reason for playing a god should be for the roleplaying challenge and leaving a mark on the setting, not trying to facilitate Calvinball arm's race between GM and the players. On the other hand, this rules variant does have its limits - it can't model absolutely every kind of god. It focuses on limited, small-time gods; if players instead want gods to be big and powerful, maybe another system would be more approriate.


A great big list of possible items and instances

{table=head]Portofolio item | Example Instances
Apple Trees | Eve's apple tree
Trees | Tree of Valinor
Plants | any plant
Life | any living creature
Torches | Bob's everburning torch
Bonfires | Midsummer Eve's bonfire
Forest fires | The fire that consumed Mirkwood
Fire | any torch flame, forest fire, conflagration etc.
Brooks | the brook you stepped over
Rivers | The Great Nile, The Yellow River
Lakes | Loch Ness, Saimaa
Seas | The Atlantic, the Pacific Ocean
Water | any brook, river, lake or ocean etc.
Whirlwinds | Hurricane "Catherine"
Clouds | Any rain or thunder cloud
Winds | the North Wind
Air | any wind, whirlwind, cloud etc.
Rocks | the rock you use as paperweight
Hills | Kill Devil Hill
Mountains | Mt. Everest, Halti
Planets | Mars, Venus, Earth
Earth | any rock, hill, mountain etc.
Moons | the Moon, Europa, Phobos, Deimos
Stars | The Sun, Betelgeuse
Solar Systems | Alpha Centauri
Galaxies | The Milky Way, Magellanic cloud
Duels | The duel between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris
Wars | The Hundred Year War, the War of the Ring
Genocides | The Uchiha Massacre, the Final Solution
Hatred, Wrath, Rage etc. | Frozen_Feet's hatred of pineapples
Love, Lust, Affection etc. | David's lust over Bathsheba
Frenzy, Mania, Hyperactivity etc. | Joe's football mania
Despair, Depression, Delirium etc. | Insanity of Charles Dexter Ward
Sleep | Sleep of Sally the Sleepy-head
Unconsciousness | Unconsciousness of your fallen friend John
Death | Untimely demise of Ronnie James Dio
Dreams | Dreams of the Great Cthulhu
Harvest | Year 2013's harvest
Agriculture | any farm, barn etc. sign that agriculture is being practiced
Rapiers | Rapier used to kill Captain Farrel
Swords | The Excalibur, the Stormbringer
Weapons | Any weapon
Shovel | the shovel in the tool shack
Digging tools | any shovel, pick-axe, mattock, drill, bulldozer etc.
Tools | any tool
Tribes | The Apachee, the Sioux
Guilds | The seamstresses' guild, the thieves' guild
Nations | Finland, Rohan, Nation of Fire
Villages | Bree, Village Hidden in the Leaves
Towns | Springfield
Cities | New York, Minas Tirith, Atlantis
Settlements | any village, town, city etc.
Lightning | the lightning that burned down your house
Thunder | the thunder storms that's going to strike tomorrow
[/table]

Omnicrat
2013-02-27, 10:19 PM
1: Why is evocation a tier higher than wizard spells? I would say wizard spells are more inclusive than evocation.

2: I just had an idea. How about the god of apple trees has more power over apple trees than the god of trees? This assumes equal divine rank, of course.

3: Whadaya got against pineapple? :smalltongue:

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-27, 11:52 PM
1: Why is evocation a tier higher than wizard spells? I would say wizard spells are more inclusive than evocation.

It was a tough call to make, but the thought goes like this: Wizard spells only affects spells cast by wizards. Evocation affects all evocation across class boundaries.


2: I just had an idea. How about the god of apple trees has more power over apple trees than the god of trees? This assumes equal divine rank, of course.

Gods of equal ranks have roughly equivalent control over instances, so the god with smarter player wins. I like it that way.

But even when a god of narrower aspect manages to overpower a god of broader aspect, the one with broader aspect remains stronger. A god of plants still has all other plants even if he loses out on apple trees, while to a goddess of apple trees, they are all she's got.


3: Whadaya got against pineapple? :smalltongue:

Because some heretics like to spoil pizza with it.

Omnicrat
2013-02-28, 12:17 AM
How does one god "overpower" another in the sense you mean?

Also, best pizza: extra cheese, pepperoni, pineapple, black olives, bacon, and onions. :smalltongue:

Frozen_Feet
2013-02-28, 12:50 AM
For example, in case of alter reality, the one who gets the last word usually wins. In case of gods below rank 5, the one who manages to get the first claim usually wins. So on and so forth.

Frozen_Feet
2013-03-04, 05:00 PM
Believing and not believing: What it means to be a worshipper

Throughout ages, many people have observed that a god needs worshippers to ascend - and from that, they've concluded that gods require belief.

But this is an erroneous conclusion. Save for the Outer Planes, most worlds will simply ignore what you think of them and follow their own laws as usual. No matter how hard someone believes he can fly, gravity will spread remains of such misguided fool across the pavement.

What allows a person to ascend is influence. When he goes on a legendary quest, his actions trigger changes in the world around him. When people decide to worship him - even if in jest or just for a fleeting moment - that moment, they pawn a part of their (near-)immortal soul to support the cause of the aspiring god. By succeeding in the ritual known as a "legendary quest", the person has proven he is powerful enough to alter the world, and this causes that world's balance of power to shift in his favor. In essence, he becomes an embodiment of some aspect of the world.

Why is this so? It is a question some scholars have tried to answer for aeons. Maybe it was a decree set by the very first god - for if belief could truly shape a world like in the Outer Planes, then the first creature to believe "My will is the one true word, and none can defy it" would force everyone after itself to heed its decision.

But for the lay worshipper, the implications of this are simple: he doesn't need to believe much in his god. Just following the letter of a god's law is enough, even if the spirit is lacking. Worshipping a god could be likened to a contract - the mortal's worship for the god's favor. As long as both do their part, everything is fine. But it is important to remember that the god has already done some of his part. Through his legendary quest or other feat of ascension, he has proven his right to be a god. A mortal can withdraw her worship, losing any rights or duties in regards to a god, but the god's status as a god is his alone, and mere lack of worship is hardly enough to remove it.

Worshipping multiple gods

The prime thing preventing a mortal from worshipping multiple gods is the gods themselves - they can be quite jealous for attention. But when two or more gods are in good relations with each other, it is pretty common for mortals to worship multiples. A group of gods who share more-or-less same interests and have a mutual agreement over what happens to their worshippers is colloquially referred to as a "pantheon".

Even when there are multiple conflicting pantheons, mortals are suspect to paying respects to all of them, for the simple fact that it's good to have all your bases covered. Of course, they might try to hide these practices from the more wrathful gods, or their zealous followers.

In game terms, worshipping multiple gods has few special rules. A person worshipping multiple gods counts as a worshipper for all of them. A cleric worshipping multiple gods can choose her domains from those of all gods she worships - sometimes necessary to get their intended two starting domains if there are not many powerful gods around.

Any mortal, worshipper or not, can pray to any god using their holy symbol, or when involved in that god's instance. This can even be accidental. (Read: Don't curse the god of furniture while sitting on a chair!)

Frozen_Feet
2013-03-15, 08:26 PM
Creating an Artifact

Artifact creation is a trait of many gods. For the most part, artifact creation is similar to crafting of any magic item: to place an enhancement on an item, a deity must have enough time and money, and know any prerequisite spells of an enhancement. However, there are several special considerations:


As outlined in Craft Artifact salient divine ability, creation of an artifact costs the crafter 2 points of Constitution or Charisma, permanently.
The base item that is made into an artifact must be at least of Masterwork quality, and it must have been crafted by the deity himself.
A deity can never have more artifacts under his name than he has Divine Ranks. If a deity loses Divine Ranks and later regains them, he does not regain ability to craft artifacts. A lost artifact can also never be replaced.
An artifact can exceed limits of a normal item. An artifact can:

Grant a bonus on attacks or damage greater than +5.
Grant an enhancement bonus to armor higher than +5.
Have a special ability with a market price modifier greater than +5.
Grant an armor bonus of greater than +10 (not including magic armor’s enhancement bonus).
Grant a natural armor, deflection, or resistance bonus greater than +5.
Grant an enhancement bonus to an ability score greater than +6.
Grant an enhancement bonus on a skill check greater than +30.
Mimic a spell of an effective level higher than 9th.
Have a caster level above 20th.

All artifacts are indestructible, save for the following exceptions:

An artifact can always be destroyed in the same place and manner as its base item was created.
An artifact can be destroyed by any Anathema the God has or had at the moment of creation.
An artifact can be destroyed through spells and special abilities that specifically state they can affect artifacts.
By the creator of the artifact, through any means.

While an artefact costs a limited amount of money to make, they are essentially priceless - their value can't properly be gauged in money.


At the god's option, an artefact can have its abilities divided into three subsets:

Minor powers: these abilities can be used by anyone, and are apparent through the artifact's use. An artifact could have reduced base abilities as its minor powers, or masquerade as some lesser magic item. For example, a Flaming artifact sword might appear as a Flaming Sword +1, or as a Cursed Sword -2.

Hidden powers: These powers and enhancements only become apparent when certain special conditions, outlined by the creator. For example, an artifact sword might turn from Cursed Sword into a Flaming Sword +1 if wielded by a Fighter, or when used at midnight, or both.

Major Powers: As noted, artifacts can exceed limitations of normal magic items. However, this is not unconditional: access to abilities of this magnitude requires special conditions, like Hidden powers. Only a character of certain kind, such as a member of certain class or alignment, the artifact's creator, or the creator's worshippers, can access these abilities reliably.

If powers of an artefact are not divided to these categories, all of its powers count as Major powers, and to those not qualified to use them, the artifact appears as a relatively ordinary and useless item.

Improving Artifacts

An existing artifact can be improved upon by its creator, but never more than thrice. Each time an artifact is improved, it gains one curse. A table of possible curses is given below, though a GM might invent more. A GM determines secretly what curse an artifact gains. A curse manifests itself each time a major power of an artifact is triggered.

{table=head]D50 + 1d12-2 roll result | Curse | Effect
1 | Feebleness |-3 penalty to Strenght
2 | Shakiness | -3 penalty to Dexterity
3 | Frailty | -3 penalty to Constitution
4 | Idiocy | -3 penalty to Intelligence
5 | Short-sightedness | -3 penalty to Wisdom
6 | Reclusive | -3 penalty to Charisma
7 | Bleeding Eyes | When ever the wielder has his eyes open, he loses 1 HP per minute. At half or less hitpoints, he is blinded.
8 | Cowardice | Loses all immunity to fear, suffers -2 penalty on saving throws against it.
9 | Mortality | Loses all immunity to Critical Hits. Suffers -2 penalty on saving throws against Coup de Grace.
10 | Paranoia | Wielder perceives other characters as being one step less friendly than their actual attitude.
11 | Unextinquishable Thirst | The wielder is constantly thirsting for water. If he goes for 1 hour without drinking, he starts to suffer from thirst, but instead of each hour, he must check for non-lethal damage each 10 minutes.
12 | Gluttony| The wielder constantly craves for food. If he goes 1 hour without eating, he starts to suffers from symptoms of starvation, but instead of each day, he must check for non-lethal damage each hour.
13 | Weak-willed | The wielder loses all immunity to Mind-affecting effects, and suffers -2 penalty to saves against them.
14 | Vulnerability to Cold | The wielder automatically fails all saves against effects that deal cold damage, and all cold damage is doubled against him.
15 | Vulnerability to Fire | The wielder automatically fails all saves against effects that deal fire damage, and all fire damage is doubled against him.
16 | Vulnerability to Electricity | The wielder automatically fails all saves against effects that deal electric damage, and all electric damage is doubled against him.
17 | Vulnerable to Acid | The wielder automatically fails all saves against effects that deal acid damage, and all acid damage is doubled against him.
18 | Vulnerable to Sonic | The wielder automatically fails all saves against effects that deal sonic damage, and all sonic damage is doubled against him.
19 | Sloth | Whenever a wielder tries to act, there's 25% chance he will do nothing, and his turn is wasted.
20 | Greed | Love of coin overwhelms the wielder's mind. Whenever he sees loose wealth or treasure, he must succeed in a Will save against DC 35, or run straight to that treasure in attempt to obtain it.
21 | Opposite Alignment | The wielder's alignment shifts to alignment diametrically opposed to his.
22 | Sickliness | The wielder loses all immunity to disease, and is immediately inflicted with 1d6 random diseases.
23 | Weakness | -6 penalty to strenght.
24 | Fumbling | -6 penalty to Dexterity
25 | Unhealth | -6 penalty to Constitution
26 | Stupidity | -6 penalty to Intelligence
27 | Foolishness |-6 penalty to Wisdom
28 | Pariah | -6 penalty to Charisma
29 | Feeblemindedness | The wielder is hit by a Feeblemind spell of CL 20.
30 | Cannibalism | The wielder is overwhelmed by craving for flesh of his own species. Each day, he must devour such flesh, or suffer effects of starvation.
31 | Lovelessness | The wielder loses capability to love or feel empathy towards other creatures.
32 | Blight | All natural plants within 100 feet of the artifact suffer 1d6 points of damage.
33 | Voicelessness | The wielder loses all ability to speak.
34 | Empty thoughts | The wielder loses all ability to communicate via telepathy, and also loses all ability to read minds.
35 | Wrath | Each time the wielder is wounded, he must make a Will save against DC 35 or Rage like a barbarian for a minimum of 1d6 rounds.
36 | Vanity | Each time the wielder sees himself in a mirror or other reflective surface, he must succeed in a DC 35 Will save, or stay put for 1d6 rounds, utterly fascinated by his own visage.
37 | Lust | Each time the wielder is offered sex, he must succeed in a DC 35 Will save or succumb, no matter who is making the offer.
38 | Envy | Each time someone else within 100 feet possess items more valueable than the wielder (discounting artifacts), the wielder must succeed in a DC 35 Will save or attempt to steal one of such items.
39 | Pride | Each time the wielder is insulted, he must succeed in a DC 35 Will save or attack the insulter at first opportunity.
40 | Impurity | The wielder gains an evil Aura with strenght equal to twice his character levels - this subsumes any other auras he might have.
41 | Swollen tongue | The wielder's tongue becomes hideously long to the point it no longer fits in his mouth. His speech slurs and he looks abominable, suffering -4 penalty to all Charisma checks, and suffering 25% failure chance with all spells and other abilities requiring verbal components.
42 | Deafness | The wielder loses all hearing and related senses, such as tremor sense or blindsense.
43 | Misfortune | The wielder must roll each d20 twice, taking the worse result.
44 | Impotence | The wielder's attacks are only capable of causing non-lethal damage.
45 | Noselessness | The wielder's nose fades from view. He loses all scent ability he might have, and suffers -2 penalty to Charisma checks.
46 | Facelessness | The wielder's face fuses into blank, colorless visage. He becomes blind, deaf and mute as well as loses all scent ability.
47 | Hysteria | The wielder is hit by a Hideous Laughter spell with CL 20.
48 | Despair | The wielder suffers -4 penalty to saves.
49 | Frenzy | Whenever the wielder hears music, he must succeed in a DC 35 Will save or fenzy like a barbarian for a minimum of 1d6 rounds.
50 | Insanity | The wielder must make a DC 35 Will save or become confused permantly.
51 | Death | One of the wielder's relatives dies of a heart attack. Priority goes to spouse, children, grand-children, then siblings, cousins, aunts etc.
52 | Forgetfulness | The wielder loses 50 XP each day
53 | Poison touch | All drinks and potions have a 5% chance per day to turn into poison in the wielder's hands. This poison does 1d6 Con damage as initial and secondary damage, save against DC 25
54 | Scribe's bane | Any writing the wielder reads or writes has 50% chance of catching fire and being annihilated. Scrolls that combust don't release their spell
55 | Touch of rust | Any iron item the wielder touches turns into rust in 1d6 minutes.
56 | Touch of agony | Any creature the wielder touches, no matter his intent, suffers 1 point of lethal damage per round of contact.
57 | Rot |The wielder suffers 1 point of lethal damage per minute.
58 | Hatred | The wielder is overwhelmed by irrational hatred for his own species and suffers -4 penalty to all Charisma checks made against them.
59 | Nightmares | The wielder can get no restful sleep. He wakes up Fatigued each morning.
60 | Hallucinations | The wielder suffers -8 penalty to all attempts to disbelieve illusions.
[/table]


Inventing new artifact powers

Artifacts are meant to be a cut above other items, and so it is suggested a GM allows for players of gods to come up with unique and unusual effects for them. Creativity should be encouraged in place of raw power. If, compared to an existing ability (such as a spell), an artifact ability is merely "same but more", a GM should favor the pre-existing ability and simply scale it up in limits of the normal rules (such as increasing Caster level).

Frozen_Feet
2013-03-28, 09:59 AM
Elder God

A deity can be as low as the lowliest commoner, or as high as the mightiest wizard. But beyond all, stand the Elder Gods, those who have cemented their place as fundamental building blocks of the universe.

Prerequisites: Enough experience to rise to level 21, Divine Rank 1

Special: Character who has Divine Ranks, or acquires them after 20th character level, has to take all further levels in this class.

{table=head]Level | Epic BAB | Epic Save Bonus | Special
1 | +1 | +0 | Impervious Divine Rank 1
2 | +1 | +1 | Damage Reduction 10 / Epic & Divine
3 | +2 | +1 | Bonus SDA
4 | +2 | +2 | Damage Reduction 20 / Epic & Divine
5 | +3 | +2 | Impervious Divine Rank 2, Supreme Resilience
6 | +3 | +3 | Damage Reduction 30 / Epic & Divine
7 | +4 | +3 | Bonus SDA
8 | +4 | +4 | Damage Reduction 40 / Epic & Divine
9 | +5 | +4 | Impervious Divine Rank 3
10 | +5 |+5 | Damage Reduction 50 / Epic & Divine, Planar Transformation
[/table]

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills: All skills are class skills to an Elder God.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Elder God.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Elder God gains no new proficiencies.

Impervious Divine Rank: At 1st, 5th and 9th levels, an Elder God receives an additional Divine Rank and all associated benefits. He cannot lose these ranks in any manner. Effects that would ordinarily make him lose his divinity instead ring him down to Divine Rank 1, 2 or 3, depending on his class level. If he only has 1, 2 or 3 Divine Ranks left, defeating him in single combat does not make his challenger a deity, nor convey him more Divine Ranks.

Damage Reduction: At 2nd level, Elder God receives damage reduction that is only bypassed by epic attacks from other gods. This damage reduction increases by 10 points at every even level afterwards.

Bonus Salient Divine Ability: At 3rd and 7th levels, an Elder God receives a bonus SDA, above those he would normally have. These may be any SDA he meets prerequisites for.

Supreme Resilience: At 5th level and beyond, an Elder God always takes 15 on all saving throws, or his d20 roll if it was better. All force and energy damage (fire, cold, lightning, acid, sonic) he suffers are halved.

Planar Transformation: At 10th level, the power of the Elder God's spirit is so great that no existing plane is vast enough to contain it. When an Elder God of this level dies, his body turns into a new infinite Material Plane. The world (planet) they're standing on is immediately and irrecovably destroyed. The Elder God may not be resurrected through any means when this happens.

Frozen_Feet
2013-08-11, 11:24 AM
Instant Move
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 1
Benefit: Once per round as a free action, the deity can instantly traverse up to 50 feet per Divine Rank. The deity still moves through all intervening spaces, so he still can't bypass obstacles or move in ways not allowed by his normal movement modes. For example, a deity incapable of flight can't move to the sky, and a corporeal deity can't move through solid obstacles.

Power of Luck
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 1, portofolio item: gambling, games etc.
Benefit: Once per year per Divine Rank, you can lay a special blessing or curse on a character. In case of a blessing, whenever the target would have to roll d20, he rolls twice and keeps the better result. In case of a curse, whenever the target would have to roll d20, he rolls twice and keeps the worst result.

This benefit lasts for a year. The target gets no save.

Power of Nature
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 5, portofolio item: earth, fire, wind, water etc.
Benefit: You gain ability to use Control Weather (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/controlWeather.htm), Control Water (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/controlWater.htm) and Earthquake (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/earthquake.htm) once per day each as Extraordinary abilities.

Power of Truth
Prerequisites: Divine Rank 1, Know Secrets salient divine ability
Benefit: Once per year per Divine Rank, you can lay a special curse. The target becomes completely incapable of lying, and whenever asked of something, must succeed in a Will save against DC (10 + ½ your character level + your Divine Rank) to abstain from answering. This does not mean the character always tells accurate information, however, as a person can only tell what he thinks is true.

This curse lasts for a year. The target gets no save.

Dodge the Divine
Prerequisite: Divine Rank 1
Benefit: Once per day per Divine rank, you can completely avoid one attack, curse or effect caused by a Salient Divine Ability, even if that SDA would normally allow no save.

Divine Splendor
Prerequisite: Frightfull Presense salient divine ability
Benefit: All creatures with HD less than your Divine Rank lose any and all immunity to Fear Effects when they come within 30 feet of you. Furthermore, all active spells, powers, spell-like, psi-like and supernatural abilities on such creatures that grant immunity to Mind-Affecting effects are dispelled and magic items are suppressed, as if hit by Dispel Magic.

Creatures with five or more HD less than your Divine Rank must make a Will save against DC (10 + ½ your character level + your Divine Rank) or be struck dead. A creature immune to death effects is always considered to make its save. A succesfull save means they are instead stunned, blinded and deafened for 1d6 rounds. A character only needs to make this save once per 24 hours.

equaloppoffendr
2014-07-03, 08:39 PM
God of Atheism. Those who do not believe in gods worship you by not believing. You have plenty of worshippers.

Frozen_Feet
2014-07-04, 07:48 AM
That doesn't quite work. Atheists by definition do not believe in gods, so they can not qualify for worshippers under this system.

However, atheists, the people who do not believe, might qualify for a portofolio item, as they are concrete and identifiable objects. A god does not need his portofolio items or instances to believe in him to have power over them, he only needs them to exists. But a god also never has control over all instances of his portofolio. A hypothetical God of Atheists would start as the god one, particular atheists. To gain power over even all atheists in a single plane, you need Divine Rank of 5. To achieve this, you would need to convince 11000 unrelated people to worship you.

Once you've done this, though, as DR 5 God of Atheists you'd be able to use Alter Reality to introduce an exception to how atheists work: "an atheists is a person who doesn't believe in gods except for me". After this, every atheist on your home plane can theoretically qualify for your worshipper without ceasing to be atheist, but you'd still need to convince them to do so.