[PDQ] The Grand Mythos Recruitment Thread

[Berenzen]

In the Beginning, there was boredom. An Ultra-being comprised of the sum total of the previous universe languished for a timeless eternity, categorizing all knowledge--until that knowledge was all neatly sorted and known. ?What is there to do when there is nothing more to know?? it asked itself.

So it looked over its information, squeezing out everything that could be inferred by the connections it had. Magical theories, Divine quandaries, scientific breakthroughs, Elemental disputes, down to Psionic headaches until the being realized it missed debate. Then it began to go over the creation of all known creatures, and it knew loneliness.

Eventually it came up with a plan. Perhaps similar to the way the world had been created before it. It would divide itself up, with power for divine beings and much left over for the creation of New Worlds and New Life.

I will be attempting a Tabula Rasa Big Gods game. You will be a powerful god starting at the beginning of time, participating in creation and then the maintenance or ultimate destruction of that creation. You will have Action Points(AP) to pay for general actions, and Mythic Points which are intended to be used for actions that will enter the world?s mythology with lasting effects and providing for mortal faith in the future. Your gods will draw from an entire destroyed universe of information and power, but you have no past: you are coming into existence now.



This game will be ran in PDQ with a +12/-2 build. You can read about PDQ here: http://www.atomicsockmonkey.com/freebies/di/pdq-core.pdf

Now to get some things out of the way:

Setting Player Expectations
You can have excellent players but the wrong kinds of characters. This is usually because players go into a game not knowing what the game is actually about or their missions/perceptions of what the game should and should not be are not in line with the GM's way of running the game. In fact, in some games it may become so detrimental that the GM and certain players will be in complete and total opposition, which causes the game to self-destruct in a prompt and messy fashion. Most of that can be avoided by keeping an open dialogue with the GM and other players.

To that end these are the following expectations of the players.

Communication - Players must be able to communicate with each other in game. While it is virtually impossible to prevent meta-gaming, especially in a play by post environment, as long as the players are talking to each other is what counts. This also means that players also must communicate their concerns to the GM in a constructive way and the GM listen to those concerns. Please do this and be clear and concise when you do.

Teamwork and You - This is a Competitive Sandbox style game, player characters can co-operate with one or act in opposition to one another based off their natures and alliances. Unlike any other multi-player game, the majority of the time will be spent working to increase the player's personal power base and accomplish goals. This can be accomplished through teamwork or other means. This game requires interaction with the other gods and is not meant to be played with your god barely interacting with the other characters.

Meta-game - Planning long term projects and sharing information outside of the game is fine, as long as player knowledge and character knowledge remain separate. Ideally all interactions would happen in game in order to allow people the opportunity to discuss what to do and act accordingly in character. The idea behind this is that players are mature enough to actually play through with what their character knows and is expected to know rather than what the player knows.

Post Quality - Players should be interacting with each other and the game world frequently and dynamically. This is not to say that posts should not be long or short, but they should be well thought out. Players should always stay abreast of what is going on and clarify the situation before posting something that doesn't make any sense to anybody else because a player misunderstood what is going on. All other standard conventions and rules still apply.
Note: Posts too long with little actual game content should be avoided. Most GMs don?t want to have to read your novella just to learn, ?I use +X to do a DC:Y action.? But then, your post shouldn?t be devoid of flavor. Hitting the sweet spot is important.

Post Frequency ? This is at the GM's discretion, but people should post when the GM tells them to go post. If people have to take breaks, etc. then they can let the GM know what they're doing in "autopilot" while the game progresses forwards. All players should include their time zones (or if they change) so that the GM can properly regulate the flow of the game.

Acceptance - Things will happen in the game that may not always be what players want. Some decisions may be made which may anger or frustrate this players. Acknowledge that these things are going to happen but they are to service the game and to move the story forward - if there is really that serious of an issue over a decision that is made, then it can be brought up with the GM in private. If it's serious enough AND no common ground can be reached, the player will be gracefully removed from the game and a replacement will be hand-waved in as necessary.





The Character


Overview
The system for character generation and resolution is Prose Descriptive Qualities (PDQ).


Standardized Divine Qualities
One of the biggest problems about a game of this type is that people will often place their qualities into categories and then proceed to completely disregard them. There are also catch-all qualities that, when looked at by some players, would suggest that they pretty much may as well be used damn the consequences.
A Dominion(s) or Domain(s) [+X] ? This is what composes your deity. This is their primary reason for being in existence, and is a broad category type of quality.






Domains / Dominions
This is your deity's realm of expertise. While all gods can use their relevant domains to modify this thing we call existence, they will find it more difficult to try and use their domain in a way which it wasn't intended. (Indeed they may find that their efforts may backfire completely.) The following is a listing of a few domain categories and domains. This by all means is not an all inclusive list! Some domains may even overlap such as the domain of ?nature? and someone with a domain of ?natural magic?. Feel free to mix and match or come up with concepts of your own.

Spoiler: Domains

FUNDAMENTAL FORCE : Life, Death, Creation, Destruction, Protection, Good,
Evil, Light, Darkness, Order, Chaos, Law, Anarchy, Decay,
Change


NATURE: Natural Phenomenon (Storms, Lightning, Volcanoes),
Elemental (Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, etc.), Natural (i.e.
Forests, Deserts, Mountain God, Oceans), Cosmic/Celestial
(Sun, moon, stars), Disease, Toxicity, Pollution, Evolution,
Generic: All of Nature


MAGIC: Shamanistic, Nature, Blood, Ritualistic, Runic, Lore,
Hexes, Curses, Arcane


TECHNOLOGY: Steampunk, High-Tech, Magical Artifice, Biological


EMOTIONAL CONSTANT: Love, Hate, Strength, Compassion/Mercy, Justice, Vengeance,
Sorrow, Joy, Pride, Corruption, Redemption


CIVILIZATION: War, Diplomacy, Architecture, Artistry/Arts/Inspiration,
Education/Learning, Kings, Royalty, Government


SPIRITUAL and MENTAL: Oracle, Wisdom, Knowledge, Secrets, Dreams, Psionics,
Insanity, Madness, Deception, Revelation


FUNCTION: Murder/Assassination, Hunters/Stalking, Trickery/Con-
artistry, Thieves, Blacksmithing, Craft work, Merchants,
Strife, Corruption, Redemption, Chance, Luck


RACE: Humans, Sea People, Elves, Snakemen, Orcs, Halflings, Dwarves, Minotaur, Leonin, goblins, dragonkin/born, robot people, etc...

The following is a listing of a few off limits domains and concepts. This list has accumulated over many godgames and has proven problematic and detrimental to those games.

Spoiler: Off Limits Domains and concepts

Time -Too hard to keep up with and do well both for the GM and the Player.
Also, it wouldn't do justice to the game or the player.-


Inanimate Object style domains i.e. ?I am a swordgod of godswords.? -No one wants to worship a pet
rock and it is just about as interesting.-


Being multiple beings or constant shifting ?I am a sentient dining room set, I am
through states of being twins, I am a series or group of things.
I am a baby then a man and then an old man.? -It gets confusing! Stop it!-


Opposites, Balance, Equilibrium -They're never done well and the players who pick these NEVER accomplish
anything other than being annoying to the other players.-


Plain Mindless or Mindless Destroyers -Gods without minds are like the pet rock example above.
Mindless destroyers or destroyer gods that simply destroy have no character.
If you do submit a destroyer god MAKE IT GOOD!


Atheism -Really? In a GODgame?-


Pacifism - Just more trouble than it?s worth.

An example character given 6 ranks of points for a Domain and one rank as a drawback:
Black Gol; The Sculptor, Monsterfatherer
Patron of Artists and the Vengeful

In a small town nestled between emerald hills and sapphire streams, a young artist made his home. His medium was clay and the rivers of this quiet hamlet provided the perfect material for his work. Thanks to his patron, the artist had little to want for--he had good food, clean water, warm lodging with coin still left over for special occasions. All he needed, save for a wife. The muses may have been fine companions for his artistry, but a man of flesh and blood needs a lover of the same.

There was a fine girl that caught his eye, the daughter of a carpenter. As time passed, he grew fond of her, but before he could voice his desires, she was burned terribly in her father's shop. She once had many suitors, but after the accident, only Gol came to her. He spoke to her and gave her beautiful gifts. Those days brought him much joy, though he could feel his love's pain.

Gol endeavored to sculpt his masterwork, a bust of his fallen love, as she was before the accident. Into it, he poured his heart and soul and sweat and blood. His labors were rewarded with miracles as by virtue of his art, his love was restored to the full bloom of her beauty. It is a shame that her appearance was the only thing that changed

As soon as the sun and cool winds of the valley caressed her renewed face, she threw Gol away for another. In his rage and sorrow, he took a hammer to his masterwork and began to scuplt his next project. By morning, his former love and her new suitors wore the faces of terrible beasts to match the abominations of clay Gol had made during the night.

And so young lovers beware. Your flights of fancy may bring you brief pleasure, but take care who you hurt. Artists, take heed. Your sculptures and paintings have more power than you know--a careless mind is as dangerous as a careless hand. Ignore my warnings at your own peril, it is not I who will suffer when you draw Black Gol's wrathful eye.

Domains
Art [+4]: One of the few things that still bring joy to Gol's black, withered heart is art. Despite, or perhaps because of his temperament, he is the most popular god for artists.
Monsters [+4]: For every work of beauty Black Gol creates, in his rage for what he never had, so too he makes things of horror. The dark places of the world are infested with the spawn of his twisted imagination.
Vengeance [+4]: Where love turns to ashes and spite survives, Black Gol is moved to action.

Flaws:
[-2] Vengeful: While it is rarely wise to earn the ire of gods, Black Gol is a special case. Some deities may strike you dumb for speaking blasphemies. Black Gol would prefer to turn your tongue into a venomous snake. And then do the same to everyone who happens to be nearby.





More examples:
A good domain description:
Death: There is an end to all that is living and it is the god of death, this domain ensures the natural end to all living things.
A bad domain description:
"The Cat Drops the Kettle in Hay": Being of the only living cats and last of the nine lives gives catgod the power over "The Cat Drops the Kettle in Hay" and "feet paws at the head of a sick man" (GM thoughts: wtf, is this death?)





Actions and difficulty:

Notes on Keywords:

Avatar: The physical form you manifest as. Some games may limit you to actions in an avatar state. Only assume one avatar at a time, but can be nearly anything.

Bless- A lasting positive action performed on a mortal or group of mortals.

Create Magic Item(Mortal scale) These act as D&D magic items. From everlasting chalk to a Handy Haversack to a tricked out Vorpal sword, even the most powerful of these cannot be used to harm gods except in extensively-discussed GM-sanctioned unlikely events.

Create Race(non sentient)- Whether it be large medium or small, please be pretty clear about it?s form and habits. Carnivorous rabbits or beetles the size of a T-Rex for example.

Create Race(Sentient)- A mortal race roughly equivalent to humans in intelligence and ability. Take great care, as a god is only allowed 1 official patron race at a time.

Curse- A lasting negative action performed on a mortal or group of mortals.

Enchant: A sustained magical effect over an area. Break DC will always be 2 less than the DC used to create it. Can just be present or have a focal point like a physical object. Altering/Destroying an area by divine power falls under enchanting?s header.

Forge Magic Item(Ranked 1-4): Through increasingly considerable costs and effort you forge a magic item capable of wielding a fraction of the power of the gods. Please think carefully about these.

Inspire- A lasting change to the way of thinking of a mortal or group of mortals. Teach actions fall under this Keyword in the absence of other mechanics to handle them.

Scry- To use divine senses and powers to search over an area.
Note: Please ask 1-4 clear, concise questions you hope to have answered by the scry.



Effortless: no roll, not counted as actions
-Conjure up a small quantity of anything
-Listen in on mortal prayers to you.
-Talk to someone(across any distance if known or scried or receive prayers from.)
-Talk to another god(across any distance)
-Take on a physical avatar.(Gods may only possess one avatar at a time)

Difficulty: 5 Local Action Cost: 1 AP
-Affect(Bless/Curse/Inspire) a single mortal for the term of their natural life
-Enchant/Scry an area the size of a large room.
-Create a trivial mortal-scale magic item.
-Identify a magic item in your possession


Difficulty: 7 Villiage Action Cost: 2 AP
-Affect(Bless/Curse/Inspire) a small group of mortals (less than 50) for life
-Enchant/Scry an area the size of a village or neighborhood.
-Create a group of trivial(10) or one heroic mortal item.
-Creating or altering a single nonsentient creature smaller than an elephant.


Difficulty: 9 Town Action Cost 3 AP
-Affect(Bless/Curse/Inspire) a large group of mortals(500) for life.
-Enchant/Scry an area the size of a town or small city
-Create a Paragon-equivalent mortal item.
-Creating or altering a one-off living creature bigger than a blue whale.
-Creating or altering a non-sentient species smaller than an elephant.



Difficulty: 11 Area Action Cost 4 AP
-Affect (Bless/Curse/Inspire) a very large group of mortals(2000) for life.
-Enchant/Scry an area the side of a Large City or a town and surrounding countryside.
-Create an Epic Mortal Item.
-Creating or altering a sentient species (Limit one per god.)
-Creating or altering a non-sentient species larger than an elephant.
-Grant transmittable immortality of a sort to a small group of mortals. (One strain per god)(eg vampires; immortality with a major instant-kill weakness, basically)
-Grant genuine immortality and invulnerability to a single mortal. They will gain the quality Immortal +0 as long as their god still lives. This does not include superpowers (eg the ability to break out of a prison cell) Nor are they immune to attack by other gods or mortals with ranked items.


Difficulty: 13 Regional Action Cost: 5 AP
-Affect (Bless/Curse/Inspire) a huge amount of mortals(5000) for the rest of their lives.
-Enchant/Scry an area of many towns or a metropolis or small Kingdom.
-Forge a +1 Magic Item
-Reforge a +1 Magic Item into a +2 Magic item(Same conditions as +2, failure will destroy the item)


*Note: All gods are aware of DC 15 and above actions.*

Difficulty: 15 Continental Action Cost: 6 AP
-Affect (Bless/Curse/Inspire) an entire race or civilization.
-Enchant/Scry a large area of the game world.
-Forge a +2 Magic item(see Item Forging)
-Turn a mortal or creature into a demigod [+2 Quality, -2 Drawback](Limit 4 Demigods per God, is NPC under GM?s control.)
-Introduce a major change to the world?s structure or its atmosphere without causing any lasting damage to the world (eg adding a new moon, new islands etc)


Difficulty: 17 World Action Cost: 7 AP
-Affect (Bless/Curse/Inspire) the entire world(Other players will likely take issue with this)
-Forge a +3 magic item (see Item Forging)
-Create or alter a sentient species vastly superior to a human (GM and player to agree on any bonus/es, eg immunity to disease, invulnerable to certain types of weapons etc)



Difficulty: 19 Planar Action Cost: 8 AP
-Change one of the rules of the universe across the entire world. This is likely to have a catastrophic effect.
-Enchant/Scry an area equal to the entire game world and attached realms.
-Forge a +4 Item(see Item Forging)

Item Forging:

Note: Only 1 Ranked item may be forged per age by a player.

Difficulty: 13
Forging a +1 Item (For example: Excalibur)

Easy to create a god merely forges it magically. Item can be destroyed by another god. Can also reforge a +1 item to a +2 with the same conditions(see below)

Difficulty: 15
Forging a +2 Item (For example: The One Ring)

Item must be forged in an area where it may be destroyed. Gods can figure out where by identifying the magic item. Legends exist telling mortals where to do this as well. (Location cannot be out of reach of mortals)

Difficulty: 17
Forging a +3 Item (For example: The Rod of 7 parts)

Sacrifice an entire race or continent to create. Cannot be destroyed.

Difficulty: 19
Forging a +4 Item (For example: The Infinity Gauntlet)

Have part of a domain (+2) donated from a god, living or dead. Item cannot be destroyed, only imprisoned or placed beyond the reach of mortals and other gods.





AP (Action Points)


All gods will recieve 30 AP for the use of actions. At the start of each age the gods get a recharge. AP cannot be collected or banked.

MP (Mythic Points)

All gods receive 2 MP at the start of an age. Mythic points are intended for big, world-changing actions or dire situation last-ditch efforts in a style reflecting many other real-world and fictional-world mythologies.. Actions involving Mythic Points use half AP, rounded down. Mythic Actions are intended to enter the mythology of mortals and other lesser beings.




Worship and Power and YOU!

Mortal Worship will have no effect in the first age, but that can easily change in future ages.


For those of you who may have trouble making a god, I?ve made up a template to help you along.

Spoiler: Template

Name: Your god?s name and title.


Picture: Worth a thousand words.


Backstory: Tell about your god?s personality, goals, the flavor of your god.

Domain: +12(total) [Whatever] then a brief description of it. How would you use this domain to perform an action? To attack another ranked PC/NPC? To defend against another ranked PC/NPC.


Drawback: -2 [Whatever] Be careful of your wording.


Core Values: Optional. The most important things to your god. It can relate to your domain or your drawback. directly, tangentially, or hardly at all. I think it might help for character generation and direction.

What you want out of godgame: Basically your intended playstyle and what you expect/want out of the game.

Game-Specific Notes

Combat:

-As normal, the difference of the attack roll minus the defense roll equals the number of ranks lost.

-However, you cannot be destroyed outright by the outcome of a single skirmish. Instead, should a PC be dropped to 0 ranks they will lose all of the AP in their pool(basically out of play until the next age), the winner can choose to either:
-subtract a rank from the loser(first instance would drop a god to +10, note that this lost rank will work as a prerequisite for a +4 magic item)
-confer an additional drawback(to be discussed with opposing party and GM. Example: in D&D histories Corellon wounding Gruumsh?s eye).

-Attack/Defense for both sides will be resolved at the same time, so nobody has to jockey for attacking first. It will be possible for both sides to be reduced to +0, which I would find hilarious.

Imprisonment: Should a god run afoul of many others, if the opposition should so choose they can imprison the target in a demiplane(DC19 action, likely overwhelmed defender gets a free opposing roll or normal cost final action). This effectively ends a character?s run and is kind of a big deal.

Mythic Points: Actions using mythic points are intended to be in the style of the myths of many world cultures. As such these posts should have some distinct effort and flavor to them as befits your god. This is not to say that they should be especially long or complicated, just well thought out and decently executed. Really good attempts will likely get an upshift. Really bad ones will get a downshift.

Interconnectivity: Should you choose to create a populated part of the game-world separate from a unified physical world(like the moon, as an obvious example) it must be accessible to mortals under some fairly regular conditions(examples: a crossing forms under certain repeating predictable natural conditions, or a stable entrance portal or magic door etc) To make mortals in an absolutely separate realm is to remove yourself from the game.

Update Schedule: I intend to have regular weekly updates on Sundays, and maybe supplementary ones on Wednesdays if time and player participation allow. Exception: Should you get into a godbattle, I will update for you to resolve that in a timely manner.

Participation: Due to problems I?ve had in the past I?m instituting this rule: players missing two consecutive weekly updates without any notice will be considered to have dropped. I?m not hunting you down. So if work or school or real life gets busy, let us know so we don?t feel abandoned.



IRC- While not necessary, it does help.

It really helps to be in irc fairly often(we're in #escapistgods on Synirc), both to communicate with other players and have IC chats to speed things up should your schedules align. The absolute simplest way to do that is to click this link: http://webchat.synirc.net/, next to "Nickname" put your escapist username(preferably), and next to "Channel" type in "#escapistgods".

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

Can I use the godess I made for the last one?

 

[Berenzen]

Yeah, just power her up- it's +12/-2 rather than +2/-2.

 

[TheBlueShotgun0]

Wow. You clearly put a lot of work into this, and I respect that. I'd like to make a sheet. One thing though; how do you feel about a god that has two unrelated roles? Like a fire/wisdom god, or an assassination/lightning god. Of course such a character would be less focused on either role.

 

[Dogmatic99]

on the subject of Interconnectivity: I'm considering making a death god, so would it be possible for me to make THE UNDERWORLD!!! (with entrances/exits so plucky musicians can try and rescue their girlfriends/ undead poets can give guided tours/psychotic warriors can try and fight their way out.... obviously)

 

[Pappytech]

Ooooooooh... I remember the last one of these you ran. Heh, that was a fun RP, even if it was tragically short-lived. Due, in part, to my own lack of posts there at the end... Sorry about that.

Still, this version strikes me as even more intriguing than its predecessor, and now that I've finally gotten midterms out of the way... Don't suppose you'd mind me submitting a new character?

 

[Berenzen]

Yeah, an underworld/afterlife is easily possible. I'm planning on running this as sort of a creation and religious myths made. The concept of an afterlife is basically universal across cultures, not making it possible would harm the game, not help it.

And go ahead pappy, applications are open to all, just try to let me know ahead of time if you guys are having troubles posting for one reason or another.

 

[Terratina.]

I will return to this! Expect a sheet soon, maybe the same, but I tell a lie...

 

[JoJo]

This sounds interesting, scratch me up as a maybe. I'll get back to you soon with either a sheet or a no-thanks.

 

[Terratina.]

Spoiler: M'endaxius the Deceiver

Name: M'endaxius the Deceiver, The Whispering Wyrm, Truthsbane

Pictures:

Spoiler: True Appearance

​

Spoiler: Avatar

[small]Pull back the hood and the face is whatever the person wants it to be, e.g. if M'endarxius said it was a girl, there would be a girl's face. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AppearanceIsInTheEyeOfTheBeholder][/small]​

Backstory:

Out of the crawling chaos, M?endaxius was formed. Using its formidable eye, it then saw how mortals were troubled by something called 'the truth' and how it caused trouble to their daily lives. Over the millennia, its awareness grew and learn about the opposite of truth - lies. M?endaxius then saw how lies helped mortals overcome truth and made their lives easier. It has been searching for a purpose ever since it was born in the womb of primordial ether, M?endaxius has found one - helping mortals overcome truth and swallowing it in a miasma of falsehood.

It rose out of the ether, to spread chaos and confusion among men and other mortals using lies and deception. Every form of falsehood, from an innocent white lie, to a glaring whooper feed M?endaxius. It has grown fat on this, and has become a giant insect-like wyrm with a gaping maw where the most vile vilifications spout, flowing into the minds of others. It has found that it has other powers as well and with that, other sources of power. It now seeks to use them hand in hand with its dominion over deception, to fill the world with thick fog of lies, with it at the heart of it all.

Domains:

Deception [+4] - The ability to conceal the truth from other's eyes, feed peoples' ears stories, and have them believe it is the truth. Whether it be fraud or slander, M?endaxius is adept at this.

Chaos [+4] - As a being born from chaos, M?endaxius has the power of chaos. It can sow chaos into other?s hearts, causing them to run riot for no reason whatsoever. It can also sow chaos into the heart of the world, causing it to change unpredictably.

Corruption [+4] - Twisting the truth corrupts it into something else - another thing M?endaxius is adept at. This is the ability to twist a creature?s nature, degrading it, against its will.


Drawback:

A Load of Hot Air [-2] - As lies are only worth as much as they are believed, M?endaxius becomes weaker when someone knows the truth about it.

Core Value: Untruths, deception, intrigue. It has decreed that mortals will never stand up to the truth, that they can't take it. M?endaxius sees itself as helping mortals cope with the world by covering the truth in a shroud of lies.


What you want out of godgame: End goal is domination, but with a more subversive playstyle.

Here the sheet. Comments and criticism welcome.

Last edit: 30/10/12 13:07 PM [GMT+0]

 

[Berenzen]

It's pretty solid Terratina, a good Deceiver archetype character is always fun in a game like this.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

Name: Eldarwen, Queen of Nature.

Picture:

Backstory: <spoiler=Old>Eldarwen was born into a traveling band of elves long ago. They traveled far and wide across the lands of Arichon, from the misty peaks to the deep seas. They revered nature as a god and wouldn't kill an animal, unless it was absolutely neccessary for their continuing existence or in selfdefense. They treated sick or wounded animals and received gifts in return, such as milk or fruit. Balance was a very important part of their beliefs.

Eldarwen upheld the beliefs of her people and never hurt a fly. Her life was even threatened by an angry boar once, but she simply told it that if her life would calm it, then she would gladly give it away. Her words alone calmed it down.

One time, as the band of elves had made camp close to an old forest, she heard whispers calling her name and telling her to come visit them. The elders warned her of the forest spirits, as they had claimed lives before. Eldarwen heeded their words at first, but as the voices of the spirits grew more desperate, she decided to venture into the forest. She recognized herself as just another part of nature and if the spirits needed her help, she should listen to them.

Eldarwen ventured into the forest, uncertain if she would return or become a sacrifice. The voices lead her through the forest for hours, until she came upon a lake. The trees by the lakeside made her uneasy, as they reminded her of elves. She was told to throw a rock in the water and observe the ripples, so she did.

What she saw was fire and smoke, strange machinery and advanced technology, killing the forest and banishing the spirits to stories meant to scare children. It terrified her and she understood why the cries of the spirits had sounded desperate. As the vision ended, she were about to walk back to her race and tell them what she had seen. She couldn't though, since her feet had been entangled by roots. No matter how hard she tried to break free, she couldn't.

The years went by and the roots grew to become a part of her. They climbed higher and higher on her body. The other elvenlike trees reminded her daily of the fate that laid before her. She had struggled at first, then cried, then pleaded to the spirits who no longer spoke to her.

The tree prolonged her already long elven life and when hundreds of years had passed, the spirits appeared in front of her. She hadn't fully turned into a tree, like the other elves. The spirits told her to walk, even though she didn't have legs anymore. She tried moving and the roots now moved with her. She was free to roam the forest. She could sense everything inside it.

The spirits told her their true name "Kami" and named her Princess "Shizen". Shizen was the word for nature in their language. She was the leader, which their magic had created. The other elves were failures.

<spoiler=Fall>As their princess, Eldarwen went on to create a thriving society that lasted for centuries. The forest spirits would wage war on whoever tried to attack their country, a great and old forest. They rode into battle on beasts and used their magic to strike down enemies. Eldarwen expanded the forest as she saw fit, but respected the other races and gods, as long as they left the forest alone.

Then came what the kami refered to as the fall, leaves turned yellow and fell from the trees. Many of the older trees died, and the spirits who lived in them died as well. Eldarwen couldn't do anything to stop it, as she had gone completely insane. The little sanity she once possessed was gone and so was her personality. She destroyed more during that time than she had created in the last decade. The kami had little choice, and a group of them decided to destroy their godess. They succeeded.

Eldarwen awoke again, to a new existence. She didn't know why or what had created her a second time, but she knew her purpose. To fight for nature and build a great society, that did not waste resources or got overpopulated. She rose from where she laid and started searching for something, but couldn't find them. She didn't actually know what she was searching for, just that it felt like a part of her was missing.

She discovered mortals, and saw that their society was still simple. It hadn't begun to hurt her domain yet and she left them alone, keeping an eye on them, until she thought they were ready to meet their new queen.

Domain:
Forest +6 Forests are the birthplaces and homes of many animals and spirits. Animals who would become food for the other races. Spirits who would be destroyed, when their homes, the trees, are cut down for wood. Eldarwen unites the animals and the spirits, to give them a fighting chance. She can control the trees and expand the forest.

Nature Magic +4 Eldarwen draws on the power of nature, to defeat those who would oppose her and heal her followers.

Magical Artifice +2 Her worshippers are often adept in the use of magic, and the technology they developed was affected because of it. Eldarwen saw it as a good thing, as magic rarely wasted resources. She began to use it herself, to create greater and more powerful technological advancements.

Drawback: -2 Compassion. She wouldn't hesitate to turn loose her powers on those who oppose her. Her followers aren't excluded from this, except for those who are particularly fanatic.

Core Values: Environment, unity and perseverance. Eldarwen had a vision about the future, which she shall fight to stop from happening. She wants to make sure that nature remains, even as the more advanced races develop. She will unite the animals and the spirit in her cause.

What you want out of godgame: I want to play a character who fights for the environment

Almost the same, just edited her a bit.

Let me know what you think.

 

[TheBlueShotgun0]

Spoiler: Pentar, God of Order

Name: Pentar, God of Order, Democracy, and Justice.

Picture:

Spoiler: Appearance

Backstory:
From the first moments of his existence, Pentar looked upon the young universe with a look of displeasure. The swirling masses of gas and energy, milling about in unpredictable patterns, disgusted him. Within milliseconds, he pledged to bring order to the universe, a doctrine he will uphold for as long as he exists. In Pentar's mind, he is a beacon of uniformity in a realm with a horrendously short supply of it.

Domain:
-Government(+2): Pentar encourages and inspires mortals to bring order and prosperity to an otherwise chaotic and difficult life through the use of organized government. He especially favors democracy, as it is the most fair of the systems.
-Justice(+4): Pentar will go to great pains to see to the punishment of the wicked and the rewarding of the good. No mortal misdeeds escape his notice, or his judgement.
-Order(+4): For any great civilization to be maintained, be it mortal or otherwise, order must be kept. Pentar knows this, and thus is the enemy of revolt and rebellion (unless it is firmly justified by one of the previous domains). This extends to his fellow gods as well; disrupting the status-quo will not bode well with the God of Order.
-Lightning(+2): The power of the electron is Pentar's preferred method of killing. It's combination of power and showiness appeal to Pentar, and he usually channels it through his hammer while in a physical form.
Drawback:
-Intrigue(-2): Pentar prefers to kill his foes in battle, not with a hidden blade before vanishing into the night. As a result, secret plots, assassinations, and treachery do not come naturally to him.

Core Values: Order and fairness. Anything that deviates from those values is evil to Pentar, and anyone who opposes them will quickly find themselves on the receiving end of a very heavy hammer.

What you want out of godgame: Since this would be my first experience with a god game, my aim will mainly be to get the hang of things, at least at first. Long term goals will probably focus on forming a pantheon of like-minded characters to rule the universe in peace. Easier said than done.

DING! Sheet's done. Sorry if some of the sections seem short; I didn't want to ramble. Any constructive criticism will be appreciated.
Edit: Gave him a little more power on the battlefield. Now he shoots lightning. I also changed his weakness because I didn't fully understand the game mechanics before.

 

[Dogmatic99]

Spoiler: Zareth

Name: Zareth, The watcher on the wind, The grey tide, Ghost father.

Appearance:Zareth has a few avatars he likes to choose from. When travelling in the realms of mortals he will take the form of whatever race he is walking amongst, be it human, elf or anything else. But the form is always one of a kind looking male. He surrounds himself with an aura of warmth and welcome. Unless that mortal has angered him in which case he is more than happy to take the form of a dark reaper figure.

Spoiler: Two forms Zareth has been known to take when around other gods:

Spoiler: when calm

http://lohauu.deviantart.com/art/hades-199220110

Spoiler: when angry

Backstory: It was with great surprise that Zareth came crashing into creation, along with his fellow deities. He was there to see all of creation given birth to as lights sprang out of the darkness and life followed after it. He saw as beings known as mortals began to the world that formed before his eyes and above them gods awoke to their new found power. He didn't know how he knew these things... only that he did know... that he was born to know.

One thing that interested him was what happened to mortals after their physical forms fade and fail them. Their spirit form remained to wander endlessly without direction, something Zareth could relate to. One thing he found was that they offered a great source of conversation and they always seemed to need someone to talk to, mortals never seem to get over their fear of death. Zareth was appalled to see how readily other gods discarded the mortal souls after their death and this was where he found his purpose. As a Sheppard for the dead.

Under his care the souls of the dead have found warmth and care in the cold and barren afterlife. Now Zareth has direction at last, to protect and care both for the dead and the living, after all the balance of life and death is a delicate thing and could be easily upset with so many immortal deities inhabiting the world. It is a tough job but some one has to do it, Zareth will keep the peace however he can. Both amongst the cosmic forces and among the gods. His first step: creating a world for the souls of the dead to "live" where they need not clash with the living.

Domains: Death (+6) - Making things dead, making them NOT dead *("cancelling" their death or resurrection I am open to discussion on this one)* altering and calming the dead, tending to the underworld. ect death ect

Age (+4) - Zareth has watched mortals grow old and die since the dawn of time. He cannot control the ebb and flow of time itself but he can reverse or hasten its effects. Many a mortal has prayed to the death god to restore their youth and slow down their date with the grave.

Crafter (+2) - Zareth respects those who celebrate life and in his eyes no one does this better than creators, be they humble artisans or ambitious inventors. This has lead him to try his hand at crafting and forging artifacts and works of art as well.

Drawback: Tender hearted. (-2) Zareth hates to face the tears of those who miss their lost loved ones but face them he does. Still even he feels remorse over the loss of a young life. What is the point of life if mortals do not get the chance to live it? As a result of his reluctance (and because of the natural font of life energy within them)his power is weaker when it comes to "reaping" the souls of children.

Core values:Death, the natural ending of things, balance, kindness and peace.

What you want from the game: To make an underworld/after realm for the dead and to help form an official pantheon of gods (hopefully ending up in the top 3). Victory through alliances I guess.

Zareth MKII: Trimmed the story a bit and spread out the domain points and got a clearer weakness from a gameplay standard. (plus I think we're all slowly getting into a rock paper scissors kind of set up lol)

edit: couldn't get one of the pics to appear so I just left the link up for it.

 

[Berenzen]

Wenseph, Shotgun- it looks pretty good. Though Wenseph, I'd alter your backstory a little bit- you aren't an ascended mortal this time, instead you are a piece of an ultrabeing that created a new universe then split itself up.

Dogmatic- The backstory and such are pretty good, though I would like a picture. I have concerns about the full on specialization of death. I just feel that by specializing so far into it, you are probably going to have issues if/when you come across things that don't fall into your domain. Going +8 Death/+4 [Something Else] or +6 Death/+6 [Spread out 1-3 domains] still keeps a lot of specialization in death, but at the same time broadens your capabilities.

 

[JoJo]

snip

Quick question. I'm most of the way through designing a character, however it's +6 chaos for one of it's domains and I've noticed that Terratina also has a god with that domain. Given that my character is very different from hers other than being chaotic, is it possible to have two gods who overlap somewhat in domains?

 

[Floris2123]

Spoiler: Melanthios

Name: Melanthios The Dark Messiah

Spoiler: Pictures:

Spoiler: With robe

Spoiler: Without robe

Back story: When the universe was created, Melanthios was created along with the other gods. Melanthios was born without any kind of purpose. He began drifting through space, studying the fabric of the universe. It was then that he heard prayers to a 'god'. People were asking this god to make their life easier and to guide them. Melanthios decided that he would guide these creatures. Only not all the prayers he received were equally pure, the dark desires of men and the sins they admitted fused with Melanthios.

Melanthios began to study the creatures who prayed to what they referred to as 'god'. He learned much about them, through studying them and their world. Eventually he decided that the time was right. He descended and began to walk the planet, looking for people worthy of helping him build his utopia. He would guide the people into a perfect world. And anyone who stood in his way would be destroyed, by whatever means necessary.

Domain:

Arcane magic[+6]: When Melanthios was created, he could sense the fabric of the universe around him. He studied it and learned how to bend this fabric to his will. Eventually this power got the name arcane magic. He can use this magic for almost anything, ranging from making it rain to enchanting weapons. He can build giant monuments, make magic shields and impress people with his magic power.

War[+2]: Melanthios absorbed all kinds of information from the mortals. One of the people that he studied was a general. He learned much from him about the art of war. He can use his knowledge to anticipate enemy tactics, make better use of his man, better arm them to suit their skills, and fight better in general.

Wisdom[+4]: Melanthios has gathered much information about the universe, and everything in it. He can use this knowledge to help him with a range of things. From knowing how to build monuments, to knowing what a certain group of people wants and using this knowledge to better appeal to them.

Drawback:

Curses[-2]: The art of curses has always been shunned by Melanthios. He sees curses as foul magic that he wishes to avoid. When he tries to make curses, something holds him back. Making his curses weaker.

Core Values: The end justifies the means, that is the core of Melanthios believes. He will use whatever means necessary, to build the utopia he desperately searches for. He wants to help people, but he believes that people can't save themselves. They need someone to lead them. And that person is Melanthios.

What you want out of god game: The endgame is to build an utopia. It can be ruled by one person or multiple allies.

Edited, more commentary is still welcomed.

 

[Pappytech]

Spoiler: Nivix, the Celestial Chemister

Name: Nivix, the Celestial Chemister

Appearance:

Spoiler: Human Form

Backstory:

It should come as no surprise that the forging of a brand new universe is accompanied by all manner of bangs, flashes, and explosions. Tongues of flame and rays of heat will dance across the untarnished canvas of reality as stars and worlds are crafted from the void.

What might be slightly astonishing, however, is the fact that one such explosion happened to be sentient.

Meet Nivix. An ingenious (if eccentric) entity with boundless energy, no concept of caution or subtlety, and enough raw power to smash a world to bits. Manic, impulsive, and more than a little unhinged, the mad scientist will not rest until he understands every level of this new and fantastic creation, even if he has to destroy it to do so!

Domains:

Destruction [+4] - "Knowledge can't be gained without passion, and an explosion is a result." Sometimes, in the grand scheme of things, sacrifices have to be made in the name of progress. A laboratory might blow up in order to discover a new element, a city might be razed in order to test out a new weapon, and a planet might be sacrificed in order to... Okay, yeah, don't really have a good reason for that last one. It was mostly just for fun.

Magical Artifice [+2] - "Nothing evens the odds like a little lightning." There comes a time when neither magic nor technology will quite cut it. Spells can't capture the minute movements of a solitary quark, and machines tend to stop functioning when exposed to temperatures in excess of 1,000,000 C. So, why not combine them and see what you get?

Knowledge [+6] - "The only action worth taking is one with an unknown outcome." Above all else, Nivix desires nothing more than to stride boldly into the unknown, to plumb the depths of doubt and mystery. Granted, most of these forays into uncertainty tend to end with something blowing up, but it?s all in the name of science! So that makes it okay. Right?

Drawback:

Wisdom [-2] - Just because he's smart doesn't mean Nivix has a lick of common sense. Sometimes things are labelled "impossible" or "forbidden" for a reason, reasons that the chemister will pointedly ignore as he charges headlong into his next experiment.

Core Value: Discovery, at any and all costs. Meaningless terms like "ethics" and "laboratory safety" don?t have a space in Nivix?s vocabulary; so long as you?re advancing something in some field or another, odds are he?ll be watching just over your shoulder.

What you want out of god game: While not a god of chaos, Nivix certainly won't be playing by any one set of rules. Fun, followed closely by progress in some form or another, are his priorities; he will only be stirred to action against a fellow deity when their actions threaten one of these.

Annnnnd, that's the first draft! Complaints or criticisms are welcomed and appreciated.

Edit: Alright, got the domain point values redistributed and rewrote the backstory a little. No big changes, but made the "brand new reality" aspect a bit more obvious.

 

[Berenzen]

snip

Quick question. I'm most of the way through designing a character, however it's +6 chaos for one of it's domains and I've noticed that Terratina also has a god with that domain. Given that my character is very different from hers other than being chaotic, is it possible to have two gods who overlap somewhat in domains?

Yeah, it's not an issue whatsoever- hell if you look at something like the greek pantheon, there are several entities that cover things like war, they just cover different aspects of that particular domain.

Also Pappytech, ranks are done in +2s, so you have to go +6/+4/+2 or +4/+4/+4 for your domains if you want to go with those three and keep close to those particular values.

And remember for your fluff guys, you literally have no past- you've just been born into a brand new universe after splitting off of an ultrabeing, you guys are literally starting at the beginning of time, no in medias res for any of you.

 

[JoJo]

Here's my sheet, the final copy:

Spoiler: Roe, Child of Chaos

Name: Roe, Child of Chaos


Picture:

Spoiler: Appearance

Backstory:

In the beginning Roe was nothing more than a nameless spark, floating in the emptiness of the new universe. He knew nothing except he was glad to be alive. After an aeon of wandering through the darkness he came across a planet of mortals and found himself a home amongst their people. There he discovered new joys in their games and music but most of all... laughter. After a time he came to learn that certain mortals were usually more fun to play with than others, the smaller ones with large eyes and high-pitched voices. He came to take on their form, finding that they trusted him better that way.

Domains:

Chaos (+6): Roe is mischievous and loves nothing more than undermining authority, whether they be good or evil, mortal or divine. He can achieve this by coaxing or tricking others to help him achieve his goal, or more often he uses his chaotic powers to make the most unlikely events inevitable: when the knight's horse suddenly bucks, when the King's scribe accidentally substitutes a vital word for another in a proposed peace treaty with their long-time enemies, when the peasant's fence blows over yet again after a strong gale, leading to his livestock escaping.

Childhood (+6): He has natural affinity for mortal children and is far more inclined to help or appear to them than their adult counterparts. He has the power to influence children to a large degree, although he cannot outright control them. Roe often uses his wide network of young friends as his eyes and ears across the mortal realm and on occasion has undermined human enemies by influencing their children into spying or even rebelling against their parents.

Drawback:

Maturity (-2): Roe is a trickster but his childish mind means he can often be outwitted himself if one is cunning enough. He also shares many of the mental limitations found in mortal children, such as seeing the world in simplistic terms and having difficulty emphasising with others. Trying to lecture Roe on a serious matter is generally a recipe for failure.

Core Values:

Playfulness, mischief and fun. Roe only has a very simplistic childlike view of morality based mainly around what he wants rather than what will help or hurt other people. He has been known to set in motions events of great suffering in order to make the world "less boring", however he has also been known to assist mortals in times of need if it'll bring him enjoyment. He always thinks of himself first, others second.

What you want out of godgame:

I intend Roe to be somewhat of a wildcard character, not the most powerful god in the pantheon but an unpredictable one who's goal is to have a good laugh rather than dominate the universe and could potentially end up helping any faction. Any god trying to ally with him though will have to think out of the box to keep him loyal and on task due to his natural resistance to authority.

Edit 2: Sheet now complete, any criticisms and comments welcome as always