The Gods

Game Master Cdawg

Also feel free to interact with each other as much as you want now as the game has officially started. Do what you like.

Personally I see Michazra as a very young goddess, possibly even the youngest, seeing how she's the only PC God that is an ascended mortal.

Nope. Zodaxus and Atheos are also ascended mortals (and Adriel is an ascended outsider). The fact that the actual source of Michazra's ascension has apparently been forgotten (suggested by the description) means she might be older than some of the other ascenders.

Hmm, hadn't thought of that. And sorry, for some reason it's hard to remember that Atheos is an ascended. Same for Zodaxus (he's a bird, right?).

I didn't know the party bird used to be mortal...

Zodaxus is not technically an Ascended mortal. He is a manifestation of the desire of the Nightbirds to return to their peaceful nights of old. He is not any specific Nightbird, and all of them still exist, or at least did initially independently of him.

When the night birds were tortured, there were enough of them in the same place, having the same desire intensely enough that the psychic force of their collective desire congealed into a god.

Oh! Got it, Zodaxus—my bad. Still don't have a good explanation of *how* Atheos became a god, but he's not sure either (unless/until I figure it out).

Thinking possibly one of the trio of crusader gods tried to summon a new demigod devoted to fighting evil, by casting some sort of spell/ritual that would empower the greatest hero currently alive who opposed the organized churches of Cyric and Bane and themfolk, and with sloppy wording the spell wound up empowering a renowned, proselytizing atheist philosopher instead of a martial champion of any sort. Then his general intelligence and stubbornness wound up grabbing onto more divinity than he was supposed to, backed by the weight of the world's atheists.

@Michizra: Regarding you coming to the party, I don't mind it, but it would make no sense for Zodaxus to invite you and there's no getting into his divine realm without him letting you.

@GM: If Zodaxus lets a god into his realm, does he then need to win a contest to cancel out their actions in that realm or can he auto-win at events which take place solely inside his own realm? In other words, if Zo let Michizra in, could he stop her from breaking the rules without a die roll?

@GM: If Zodaxus lets a god into his realm, does he then need to win a contest to cancel out their actions in that realm or can he auto-win at events which take place solely inside his own realm? In other words, if Zo let Michizra in, could he stop her from breaking the rules without a die roll?

Within their own realm each God is, well God, and auto wins contests of will though another God could initiate a fatal contest if they refuse to bend to the Gods will or be booted out.

Zodaxus wrote:

@GM: If Zodaxus lets a god into his realm, does he then need to win a contest to cancel out their actions in that realm or can he auto-win at events which take place solely inside his own realm? In other words, if Zo let Michizra in, could he stop her from breaking the rules without a die roll?

Within their own realm each God is, well God, and auto wins contests of will though another God could initiate a fatal contest if they refuse to bend to the Gods will or be booted out.

Ah, in that case, Michizra is free to come... but will instantly be kicked out the instant she attempts something Zodaxus doesn't like, and any attempts to harm, tempt to evil or corrupt others others in any way will be blocked. Evil scheming and villainous networking will also not be tolerated.

In fact, all that, both the retroactive invitation and the rules, applies to all other gods, save Cyric, Bane, Asmodeus and Tharros if he can't figure out a way not to kill everything he touches.

Vortae will RSVP in the positive. Why not? Being the god of solitude and all, It probably won't bring anyone else.

Oh, are we allowed to post about non party events while our gods are at the party?

Oh, are we allowed to post about non party events while our gods are at the party?

Yes, absolutely.

Scrapeknee wrote:

Oh, are we allowed to post about non party events while our gods are at the party?

Yes, absolutely.

Okay. I put up some fiction about a centaur tribe. Frankly, since no one else wants Centaurs, I think I'll make Scrapeknee the 'creator god' for Centaurs. This doesn't mean all Centaurs worship him, quite a few tribes might other gods as their patron but most recognize Scrapehoof as their originator.

In the story, I had the priestess use a spell that merged a human with a horse to create a centaur. I figure it's a Scrapeknee given spell. One doesn't need a whole animal to do it per se, but for the centaurs it has become the custom. Not sure what level it would be. Both Baleful polymorph and Awaken are 5th level spells so I think 6th or 7th for creating a new viable race is not unreasonable. GM's call though

Anyway. It just seems to me that after being around for thousands of years, more than one race or sub race might call Scrapeknee papa, but I don't want to claim so many that I crowd others out.

Let me know if any of you have or wish dibs on these:

Merfolk or Aquatic elves

Dragon men...

Winged Folk or Bird men types

Scrapeknee—do you have tauric creatures in general? (Minotaurs, Satyrs, Scorpionfolk...)

Also, a spell that merges two creatures *temporarily* might be something of 5th or 6th level, but that's a lot more likely in 3.5e than Pathfinder (because of the changes to how polymoph spells work).

As far as signature spells (since they're usually things low level enough that most priests of a religion can use them), might I suggest something like Disguise Self/Alter Self, but letting you take the form of *any* creature? As a lesser version of Polymorph (maybe a name like "Scrapeknee's Becoming") it might fit as a 3rd level spell, and would let your clerics shapeshift where they normally couldn't.

(Meanwhile, my signature spell has been renamed Protection from Dogma and Magic Circle Against Dogma)

I might design a race of birdfolk for Zodaxus to have created. They'd be really OP though, because that's how Zo would make them.

I think OP bird people already exist...

Scrapeknee—do you have tauric creatures in general? (Minotaurs, Satyrs, Scorpionfolk...)

It would certainly fit him if he did, but let's take Wemics, for example... those wonderful half lion folks. I figure they scream Osoro if any race does. So far, the only ones I've really put a hard claim on is Centaurs and that's because no one raised their hands and said 'oo meee too'. So I think while Scrapeknee would be inclined towards 'tauric' folk, that might give him too much while at the same time limiting him. He's just as likely to have helped create a demi-human race or subrace too.

Also, a spell that merges two creatures *temporarily* might be something of 5th or 6th level, but that's a lot more likely in 3.5e than Pathfinder (because of the changes to how polymoph spells work).

More towards 7th then or even eight? Ouch.

As far as signature spells (since they're usually things low level enough that most priests of a religion can use them), might I suggest something like Disguise Self/Alter Self, but letting you take the form of *any* creature? As a lesser version of Polymorph (maybe a name like "Scrapeknee's Becoming") it might fit as a 3rd level spell, and would let your clerics shapeshift where they normally couldn't.

could definitely work, though I still one a high level one for those who really progress. Not that he's got loads of high level priests per se, but they deserve something for their hard work.

I'm not familiar with Wemics. Are they in one of the Pf Bestiaries?

I was thinking that the Sphinxes would probably be some sort of children of Osoro, but lost children, especially the rape-y one.

Well... the highest faith-limited spell I can think of is a 4th level, though it has a 6th level "greater" version (and Freedom Zap, as a sort of anti-Atonement, is probably around 5th level; no reason not to stretch things a bit, I guess). But permanently combining two creatures in a beneficial way seems about as useful as Polymorph Any Object. (or, yeah, an appropriate use of Miracle)

@Osoro: Wemics are Forgotten Realms beasties, and they're N aligned (unlike Lamias).

Atheos is new enough that he hasn't created a whole lot. He's got some Axiomites and Inevitables, but they were around before he got here, and I'm guessing most Inevitables in this world serve Helm (whom he might be poaching the Axiomites from). He likes Sphinxes, though he didn't create them, and his worshippers are mostly human, though he might try to make an entry into the Elven and Gnome pantheons soon.

I think OP bird people already exist...

No... I mean like... they'd shoot lasers, have retractable chainsaw talons, basically be something a nine year old would come up with, because that's Zodaxus' level of maturity, at least where creation is concerned. (He strategizes and makes moral decisions on somewhat higher levels than that.)

No... I mean like... they'd shoot lasers, have retractable chainsaw talons, basically be something a nine year old would come up with, because that's Zodaxus' level of maturity, at least where creation is concerned. (He strategizes and makes moral decisions on somewhat higher levels than that.)

Yeah that's... basically a Tengu, in terms of power level. (Though many deities also have some powerful, rarer monsters they create than just the basic, common races—like Cayden's Cayhounds, Irori's Mummies, Erastil's Stag Archons, or Lolth's Driders—which is the premise behind Atheos's Librarians)

@Adriel: If you want to talk to Zodaxus about that boy king, the party would be a great place to do so. He'd be more than willing to send some Epic Liberators to assist you.

Hmm. I don't think we have any weather gods. Wacky!

I created Cattle, Corn and Wheat.

I have destroyed several thousand species of spiders, diseases, insects, basically anything that spreads disease or scares sentient life arbitrarily.

Updated the profile a bit with some information about Babaki's herald and unfortunate troll son.

Also, I'm really glad the invitation was expanded to almost everyone. After all, what kind of party doesn't have a clown? Besides, you know, fun parties.

Okay, so I'm working on my spreadsheet, and there's some interesting things I've noticed so far...

-We have a LOT of patron gods of thieves/assassins. It's nearly half the pantheon. (Even Lathander is a patron god of thieves!) There might be some interesting conflicts there.

-There are no true neutral gods. None at all. Interesting.

-I've been looking into NPC gods' home realms, and this basically is connecting things to a planescape. I've stitched together what I can, using either elements from Golarion, Forgotten Realms, or both, as required by various gods' backstories (some FR backstories connect personal realms to MULTIPLE planes). Basically, I've cleaned things up so that most deities' realms are closest to the one plane of their alignment and possibly a second plane if it's thematic. I'm still working on this, but my proposed configuration right now is:

LG: Heaven (connected to Adriel and Helm's realm)
NG: Elysium (connected to Lathander, Mystra, and Osoro's realm)
CG: Beastlands (connected to Osoro, Zodaxus, and Ishalla's realm)
CN: Maelstrom (connected to Zodaxus, Vortae, Cyric, and Scrapeknee's realm—since the Maelstrom in Golarion at least is canonically the biggest, it seems to make sense to put gods on the Evil and Good borders as well as in the middle)
CE: Abyss (connected to Babaki, Lolth, and Cyric's realm)
NE: Abaddon (connected to Loviatar and Bane's realm)
LE: Hell (connected solely to Asmodeus, because of his story has him ruling Hell, thus bumping Bane and Loviatar to Abaddon)
LN: Mechanus and Axis (connected to Atheos and Helm's realm)

Other Planes:
-Material
-Ethereal
-Astral
-Negative Energy (connected to Tharros and Michazra's realm)
-Shadow (connected to Shar and Cyric's realm)

-There are some interesting portfolio/alignment conflicts I've noticed. For instance: with the old Mystra gone, Atheos would love to take on more of a role as a God of Magic (thus taking one other arbitrary god off the board), but SOMEONE wanted to divinify her...

-Also a personal conflict: the old Mystra, as LN, was based in Mechanus; the new one, as NG, is connected to the NG plane of Elysium. (Elysium is CG in Pathfinder, but it seems more straightforward to use the Forgotten Realms CG plane of the Beastlands, as this fits far better with Osoro and Ishalla). What this means, however, is that now there are only two gods located on Mechanus/Axis, and they don't quite see eye to eye...

think my plane would lie close to shadow and/or material plane.

Oh... and a lack of LG deities other than Adriel suggests that either this guy rules all of the LG plane (as a sort of counterpart to Asmodeus), or another LG god was recently killed, and Adriel is left behind to pick up the pieces.

Hold on there. The Beastlands is the "Good, slightly Chaotic" plane from the PLANESCAPE setting (and primary D&D cosmology), but I don't think it shows up in the Forgotten Realms cosmology at all - what it's got for CG planes is Arvandor (home of the Seldarine), Brightwater (home of deities like Lliira and Tymora - would be good for Zodaxus), and House of the Moon (Selune's realm - I think that's what it's called).

Abaddon is the Golarion setting's NE plane, but I think the other LE gods would be better off in other LE planes, like (to follow PLANESCAPE's venerable lead) Acheron and Gehenna. Of course, if we were to do that, we'd want to expand all the planes out in the PLANESCAPE fashion of "border planes that are very this but also a little that."

Also, speaking of "forgotten realms," maybe you want to mention that there's a funny little walled-off section somewhere in there...? ;)

I definitely like Brightwater for the location of Zodaxus' realm. It seems to fit very much with his ideals.

I definitely like Brightwater for the location of Zodactus' realm. It seems to fit very much with his ideals.

*gawks* Awp! You misspelled your own naaa-ame!

Zodaxus wrote:

I definitely like Brightwater for the location of Zodaxus' realm. It seems to fit very much with his ideals.

*gawks* Awp! You misspelled your own naaa-ame!

I've no idea what you're talking about. In any case, let's not forget that Zodaxus is also the God of the night and the moon. Perhaps he should have some affiliation with the Gates of the Moon as well?

Hmm. Okay. A second LE plane isn't a bad idea; or planes not that connected to things. I just picked "Abaddon" as a name.

Also, Beastlands (and the rest of the Planescape planes) all DO show up in the Forgotten Realms; during the 3e-4e transition, most of these planes in the Realms "collapsed," leading to a reorganization of totally new planes.

Let's discuss this further; but I figure it might save a lot of headache to stick to "one plane per alignment, plus shadow/negative energy/ethereal/astral" (I'd really not have to think about the whole planescape wheel, and I don't think the Blood War is a good idea here)

Also, Zodaxus, I found you some bird servants.

Proposal: The backdoor of Zodaxus' palace opens to the ocean which is the Gates of the Moon. From that beach, one can step onto the staircase the Gates contain.

Zodaxus' presence there would mean the moon wouldn't have its mind-controlling properties, as he abhors such things.

Hmm. Okay. A second LE plane isn't a bad idea; or planes not that connected to things. I just picked "Abaddon" as a name.

Also, Beastlands (and the rest of the Planescape planes) all DO show up in the Forgotten Realms; during the 3e-4e transition, most of these planes in the Realms "collapsed," leading to a reorganization of totally new planes.

Let's discuss this further; but I figure it might save a lot of headache to stick to "one plane per alignment, plus shadow/negative energy/ethereal/astral" (I'd really not have to think about the whole planescape wheel, and I don't think the Blood War is a good idea here)

Also, Zodaxus, I found you some bird servants.

You certainly did.

Garudas also shoot lightning, cast all the best party spells, and are generally pretty OP.

@Zodaxus: do you have a named home realm? Because instead of having the Gates of the Moon, etc. cluttering up the planescape, you could pick one as your personal realm and then attach it to whatever we call the main CG plane. (though I figured you might also want it to open to the CN plane so you can go visit your buddies over there)

Garudas also shoot lightning, cast all the best party spells, and are generally pretty OP.

@Zodaxus: do you have a named home realm? Because instead of having the Gates of the Moon, etc. cluttering up the planescape, you could pick one as your personal realm and then attach it to whatever we call the main CG plane. (though I figured you might also want it to open to the CN plane so you can go visit your buddies over there)

I do indeed: Super-Awesome-Party-Town-Central-Level-Fivemillion. Perhaps I'll just barrow some of the Gates' properties instead of outright keeping it. Brightwater, however, is much too big for the whole of it to be Zodaxus' Realm. GM said the things are supposed to be 100 miles. That's not enough space for all of what Brightwater is supposed to be.

We're not the ones cluttering Planescape. That was WotC.

I would also vote for the 1 plane per alignment thing, just because that's always made the most sense to me. And while the Beast Lands does sound more appropriate to Osoro, I guess I put him Neutral Good because of the Agathions. I'm just way more used to Golarion (and to a lesser extent, Greyhawk). I know very little about FR

I do have a question for the GM. Is the million follower mark supposed to be exact or just a number to show that we've got a large number? Its a bit hard to feel deific when Ashton Kutcher has more followers than I do.

Definitely on board for limiting the number of planes. I'm only somewhat familiar with FR, and where Golarion borrows from it, and don't know those other settings at all. Also, considering our pantheon is much smaller than those others, having the full compliment of planes would just be a lot of contested space (not really a bad thing, but we've probably got enough of that already without adding umpteen more realms).

Unrelated - I can't believe the god of uncivilization is the only one considerate enough to bring a gift for our host. Unofficially naming it in honor of Zodaxus: Awesome Jungle Murder Dance Seed.

Let's discuss this further; but I figure it might save a lot of headache to stick to "one plane per alignment, plus shadow/negative energy/ethereal/astral" (I'd really not have to think about the whole planescape wheel, and I don't think the Blood War is a good idea here)

Oh! Oh! I want the Quasielemental Planes that come from the interactions of the 4 elements with the 2 energies back! I love those!

I have created this monstrous spreadsheet. If you see ANYTHING you don't like, please change it, but I think having all that info centralized could be massively helpful in playing out this game.

Unrelated - I can't believe the god of uncivilization is the only one considerate enough to bring a gift for our host. Unofficially naming it in honor of Zodaxus: Awesome Jungle Murder Dance Seed.

What are you talking about? I brought the gift of endless reason! Tharros brought the same Gift he brings everywhere!

@Vortae: Elemental planes don't belong to any gods and generally aren't subject to fights for control, so I'm not too worried about what we wind up doing with those.

EDIT: I'm an idiot. Link changed to one you should be able to edit.

Hell of a spreadsheet, Atheos! Good job!

I do have a question for the GM. Is the million follower mark supposed to be exact or just a number to show that we've got a large number? Its a bit hard to feel deific when Ashton Kutcher has more followers than I do.

A million is just the mark of what Greater Deities had back in 3.0 D&D typically, I prolly shouldn't have said a million but million(s)+. The exact number doesn't matter much as they have no effect on your power but yeah you have basically as many followers as you want.

On the issues of Gods and planes I'm not a fan of needless symmetry in regards to alignments so with planes just add the ones you want, don't worry about it all lining up perfectly(unless everyone wants it that way).

okay, good, hong kong has a population of 7 million people.

Sure... and the entirety of Ancient Greece, with its large and famous pantheon, had a population of around 1-3 million. A lot of it depends on historical era and continent, but there are plenty of modern religions around today that you might learn about in school with only a few million followers.

Sure... and the entirety of Ancient Greece, with its large and famous pantheon, had a population of around 1-3 million. A lot of it depends on historical era and continent, but there are plenty of modern religions around today that you might learn about in school with only a few million followers.

Zodaxus seems to have been created post-space flight, so a single planet could have billions and there are multiple planets as the majority of my followers have been from a single planet.

Actually the elemental planes do have some gods. Well somewhat. The elemental princes.

Hmm. I don't think we have any weather gods. Wacky!

Well, the weather can always... wait for it... change!

I have created this monstrous spreadsheet. If you see ANYTHING you don't like, please change it, but I think having all that info centralized could be massively helpful in playing out this game.

While first looking at the relations chart, I thought "this isn't so monstrous." Then I clicked through the other tabs... that's a very nice reference document Atheos, thank you.

Ishalla... I will find your weakness, and destroy you...

Yes! I mean... the other way around... but yes! I was going to suggest we have some sort of battle elsewhere while attending the party. I'm gonna see if I can prompt that in-game ;)