GM's Lords of Creation

Game Master Monkeygod

We can discuss actions, creations, etc here.

dotting in

Hello! Very glad to be here, and excited for the game. Obviously I asked the early question of how we want to start things, since I'm assuming it should be fairly cooperative. Maybe we each post in taking a part in creating the world, and shaping it in some way? I'm thinking on creation myths I know and they tend to follow that route when there's more than one god at the start of things.

I'll also say that I plan on spending some AP to grab an ability for Apedemak, and I'm also willing to put forward the extra AP to found a Pantheon at the start, as well as make a meeting place for the gods on the new world. Apedemak is a god of leadership, and while I don't want to be coming off like trying to become a "king of the gods" or anything, it makes sense he'd take a willing role in forming a group.

Yeah, that sounds good. Maybe each of us should write an intro post that sets up our character, and claim any abilities we want while doing that?

Greetings all. I am excited for what this may become. Two things:

1) could we get the link to the LoC in this discussion?
2)I'd be more than happy for someone else to take the lead on some creation.

Hey my fellow godlings!

link to LoC rules

I think an initial intro post would be good. The GM Creator takes the first post and sets up creation proper, if I remember correctly. We can take it from there.

I plan to take an ability as well. I also plan on creating a lot of life. Like a lot. I need to earn my title of Progenitor some how. :)

I'll do ya one better Shess, and will include in the campaign info.

As for our initial post, I was kinda thinking it would be fitting for Ms Possibility Storm to make the first, as she is a goddess of creativity. Course, if she doesn't want to, I'll make it instead.

I would be fine with that as well.

I just had a thought: This game is going to need a bad guy at some point. Story is nothing without Conflict. So far we have a "bad" (NE) god of knowledge, a few goodie two shoes types (not that there's anything wrong with that) and me, the N one. What if Shess and I got together sometime soon after the Creation and became the dark to the other's light? Should we plan something like that, or should we just let this flow organically?

*evil grin*
You can join me if you like, but I've got things readily handled for now.

<smites Shess> Oh sorry, what was that? lol

Thought it might be handy to have a quick list of the gods to remind everyone who's who, and what they're all about.

Might be nice to have in the campaign info as well?

Oh, uh, Atheos is LN, not LG. (He was a paladin god in the last game I played him in, but it was a small order, a la Irori, that he was fine with but didn't really advertise. Paladins of Atheos are basically just redditors with swords though.

EDIT: Okay utility be damned, this seems like a hilarious/thematic ability. Going with Immovable Object as a starting ability and adjusting stat dice to compensate.

Since the universe seems to have just been destroyed and remade, I'm, uh... working that in to my starting post. Not a creator deity, though, so I can wait and see what happens. (We might need a life deity to start dumping people and things into the world?)

I just had a thought: This game is going to need a bad guy at some point. Story is nothing without Conflict. So far we have a "bad" (NE) god of knowledge, a few goodie two shoes types (not that there's anything wrong with that) and me, the N one. What if Shess and I got together sometime soon after the Creation and became the dark to the other's light? Should we plan something like that, or should we just let this flow organically?

Oh, and there are, of course, some pretty easy conflicts. Will Zakaz create civilized life, or will he focus on horrible monsters and the occasional tribal society? Because Apdemak and Atheos wouldn't be too fond of a "monsters first" approach. Shess, as a power broker, might well be able to build temporary coalitions, while a goddess who favors elves above other life might get sour look.

Though, hmm, the mix of alignments does seem a bit small.

* * *

Now, this should really only be done to create a child that another PLAYER will then portray in game, but I suppose there could be instances where it's used as a way to create an NPC deity. Unsure what sort of limitations to apply to this use, but there should obviously be some, so it's not abused as an extra AP font.

The guide seems to suggest "reasonable" limits for the weaker versions of this—e.g. only around one demigod and/or legend and/or imbued order (legends and demigods seem similar to pathfinder heralds or favored servants), and only a few heroes—which makes sense because each one does less than the last.

As a god of order, I'm planning to create one or two helpers with things like bookkeeping the universe, but I plan to try to limit it to one AP-action-taking deity to begin with.

Oh I intend to be behind a Lot of life. I plan on doing the Forge Land move as soon as we have some matter to work with.

I plan on taking One With the Wild (5ap) and possibly Herald of Life (5ap) then doing Forge Land (3ap) to create some stuff, then blessing all the predators. :)

I'm not sure about herald of life though. I don't thing I need it right this moment.

That all sounds good to me. Apedemak is going to take Lord of War, as he's a god of conquest and battle, and I'm looking at Authoritative Adjudicator as well--he's a god of leadership, so that's fitting some extent. Kingmaker also fits very well, but I'll probably save that for a little ways down the line.

Conflicts I'm sure will arise organically as we focus on different things and come into contact with one another. After all, the world isn't static, and unless we all start making our own planes that don't interact, we're bound to butt heads at some point. That's also part of why I'm thinking of Gathering a Pantheon at the start--it immediately gives us something to do with each other, if nothing else.

Not sure how you guys feel about it, but I've also been thinking it would be neat to have our own myths written out, especially as we're creating things and setting up the world. Substories in a way, events that capture important moments in the creation process. One that comes to mind, for example, is How Apedemak Won the Lions, or something like that, deaing with an obvious point of interaction that's apparent to me: Shess is the lord of beasts, and the clearest progenitor for them, but Apedemak is the god of lions specifically. Might be neat to play out how that works, and other things of that nature.

Also, Zakaz, I'd say Herald of Life is perfect for you--it means you can freely create the beasts of the world, and they spring up from your very footsteps. Fitting for a nature god, at least in my mind.

@Zakaz (and Apedemak): Note that a fledgling god can only get one ability (until you rank up). Herald of Life is definitely far more useful for creating stuff at start—it's the sort of "life springs up behind you wherever you go" and lets you be responsible for basically all the world's creatures—but it sounds like you've got less of a preference for that one.

Actually, I forgot the "one ability" bit. Thanks for the reminder! I'm changing that then. I'll edit the post.

Post on its way

Err, do we get a freebie starting planet/material plane, or does someone need to create one via weave plane?

And are there outer planes, or should we be creating the ones we plan to use?

Yea, somebody needs to create a planet/material plane with weave plane. Sorry.

I thought the initial post did that... Sorry. I'll upgrade my action to weave the plane then.

Also, all outer/inner/etc planes need to be created. We're literally starting from nothing.

We can also split the load? Tissari may have an interest in creating the material plane. I'm planning to construct an extra planar plane of neutral law in just a bit. Etc.

I would be happy to. She could easily hear the roar and come help. Anyone could, I think. I don't mind any of you taking things I do and adding to them. Or taking them and stopping them in the middle of their effect to RP. Nothing I do besides divine decree is unopposable, or closed to RP.

Sure! Mostly just saying sharing AP or whatever.

We may also need Astral or Ethereal planes (or something else, like a Plane of Magic or whatever), but only of some god has a use for them.

That said, I don't think outer planes need to precisely fit any model of alignment; Planescape had like 3 planes for every alignment, and there are other settings where multiple alignments fit planes. So uh... we may wind up with an odd set of outer planes, I guess.

Yea, if you guys wanna chip in for Weave Plane and making the first planet, that's fine.

What if we had no outer planes? We are starting from scratch, so we don't need to hold onto any rpg conventions of we don't want to. The Planes could meerly be planets. It would certainly cut down on construction costs.

Araneae: If you want to share the Weave plane cost with me that could conver the stars, I think.

Perhaps 2 for me for the first planet and base reality, 2 for you for the cosmos, 1 for Tissari for whatever she wants to do?

Oh, no, I definitely *want* at least one outer plane.

Ok. Cool. :)

Araneae: If you want to share the Weave plane cost with me that could conver the stars, I think.

Perhaps 2 for me for the first planet and base reality, 2 for you for the cosmos, 1 for Tissari for whatever she wants to do?

Works for me,... consider those 2 AP spent by me.

Cool. That puts me at 7

Nice plane, Atheos! I would participate, but I think I'm slightly too occupied right now. :)

Can each of you have spent AP give me a brief, simple description here? I plan on adding them to this profile to easily keep track.

Ex, Atheos wove the plane of Axis, plane of order and law.

5 ap: Gain ability Herald of Life - Your god becomes life itself. This is not necessarily a good power. Instead it means your god is surrounded by life and mere presence nurtures it.Your god is a master at creating life. You thrive anywhere, and beings near you are filled with vigour. When you use the Create Life Action, you may subtract 1 AP from the cost. This means you can make monstrous and Mundane Life for free.

3 (2 if Tissari agrees): Weave Material Plane via the Great Roar.

Gain ability: Crystal seer (5AP)
Join Zakaz in creating material plane - the stars: (2 AP) created by weaving a cosmic web that captures motes of fate (the stars themselves).

Have added stars to the list of things Araneae is god of.

@Zakaz: It's cool, I don't know if the Great Axis is really your sort of place.

Atheos AP expenditures:
Gain ability: Immovable Object (5 AP)
Create plane: "The Great Axis" (5 AP)
(Plane details: 7 layers; center of plane is timeless, static, and law-aligned, though these effects grow weaker further from the center, with normal time and neutral alignment in the outer few rings)

Note that anyone can take over a layer of a plane for 3 AP ("stronghold," but it basically becomes your personal demiplane with some bonuses) with the one-time permission of the plane's creator, although just sort of building a regular house on another plane doesn't cost anything.

I'm also keeping track of my AP actions in my profile, so feel free to look there, but here's what I've done so far.

5 AP: Gain Ability: Lord of War. Apedemak declared himself from the beginning to be a god of combat and conquest.
1 AP: Form Land: Creating the Vault of the Gods. With a strong grip, a mighty leap, and a powerful blow, Apedemak shaped a high plateau where the gods might meet, speak, and oversee their creations.

Add three to create the land described in my post. AP left is now 4

Haha oh man, I just created a place for the gods to meet specifically not in the world, and you created one for them to meet specifically in the world. See, there'll be conflicts after all!

Also: feel free to claim one of the meeting halls I made or the whole ring if you want (and thus tailor it more as a demi-plane sort of thing). I guess I haven't made it clear that Atheos is totally cool on other gods "buying real estate" in the great axis if it brings them away from the material plane, but it'll come out in conversation once we have meetings, pantheons, etc.

And the meeting/feasting halls in particular are more of a giveaway to gods who like that sort of thing. If you want to practice creating kings or lions or something in Great Axis while you wait for the world to become livable, go for it.

Note that Alter Land can be way more versatile than simply making a plateau; you can fill it with new life forms of your choice (as long as they're not really dangerous things, which then cost AP), set the temperature, create a natural rock formation with chairs and a giant table, etc., stetching over miles — something suitably "Vault of the Gods" y if you want to go further in that direction.

* * *

Otherwise, I don't want to swamp the busier people too much with posts, so I'm saving my "it comes later" stuff for when everyone else has done a bit more.

Same here. We have a couple gods that have yet to post.

I have added a list of ap expenditures to my profile.

Right now, I'm just focused on bookkeeping and making sure we handle any 'issues, concerns, questions, etc' that might arise.

Not to worry, Lir will show up soon enough, but I actually prefer him to have a physical planet(vs just an empty material plane) to play anyways.

Haha oh man, I just created a place for the gods to meet specifically not in the world, and you created one for them to meet specifically in the world. See, there'll be conflicts after all!

Hah, I figured that was your intent, and I certainly haven't meant to step on toes or anything! I just figured it made sense for us to have a meeting ground in both places--in the world and out of it--and it was something I was planning to do anyway. Now we can have meetings in either location as the event calls for (or secret meetings at the same time!).

Note that Alter Land can be way more versatile than simply making a plateau; you can fill it with new life forms of your choice (as long as they're not really dangerous things, which then cost AP), set the temperature, create a natural rock formation with chairs and a giant table, etc., stetching over miles — something suitably "Vault of the Gods" y if you want to go further in that direction.

Yeah, I figured I probably could, but I wanted to keep it simple for now. Apedemak is a fairly simple god at the moment, and he's more given to a natural-feeling formation than shaped chairs and tables and all that. Although I could certainly see the Vault being shaped further as time goes on and we want more cool things going on around it!

If you want a more fleshed out world I can certainly oblige. :)

Not to worry, Lir will show up soon enough, but I actually prefer him to have a physical planet(vs just an empty material plane) to play anyways.

Huh, and our god of SECRETS also hasn't posted yet. HMMMMMMMMM

Just did.

DISCLAIMER: Playing evil is a risky business and I regard it as so. I will tell you, my priority 1 is the entertainment and enjoyment of all. Priority 2 is my own entertainment.

That being said, if I step out of line please let me know.

That being said, I have some fun plans in store. Shess is not reckless evil...

Also, correct me if I am wrong but in order to become a higher tier god, one must gain more domains? If that is true then how many domains should we start with? If that is not true, then how do we gain a higher tier?

Gain Ability 5 AP: Crystal Seer
1 AP to keep secret

I think that's how it works? It looks like we start with 2 domains and need 4 to ascend?

Also, hmm. Does Shess contain all of the old world's evils written down, Pandora's box style, but with a plan behind their release? Because that could be right dangerous.

Tee-hee

Ok, the world has been brought to order in very broad strokes. That should be enough for those who wanted an active planet to come on in. I didn't want to define a lot so as to not limit other's options in their initial posts. Think of this world like a perfectly balanced earth. Chaos without any constraining, pesky civilization, yet order in the larger scale.