[3.5/PF]Divine Ascension: What would you do as DM?

[satorian]

This is more to share my game experience with you all and see what you think than to ask for an actual rule reference or "your Dm should do x, IMHO", though such would be welcome.

I am currently playing an Oracle with Heavens Mystery in a PF Rise of the Runelords game. Since I was 4th level, I have been wandering around preaching goodness everywhere I have been. Inasmuch as I am an Aasimar with magic item enhanced charisma of 26, and inasmuch as I have masterwork diplomacy mendicant robes, as well as feats that pimp my diplomacy, and as I often float into town squares, arms wide, with Light of Venya cast on me, my sermons have begun to have a massive effect on commoners. I now have over 100 worshipers.

The odd bit is that while the DM has been clear that they worship me, one of the reasons that they do so is that there are two entities from beyond the veil (think Far Realms), one with 6 eyes and one with none, that are granting sorcerous powers to my followers in my name. They may also be the source of my oracle abilities.

So my questions are: assuming these beings are not leeching away the power of the worship, are there actual rules for the effect that being worshiped has? Would I somehow ascend to Divine Rank 0 barring DM fiat, or does it conversely take DM fiat to allow it?

caveats: I am only just shy of 9th level, and don't want to be DR0 or DR anything, at least not until 15th level. It would screw up the game. I am, however, taking Leadership next level, as well as Enter Image. I am continuing to preach. I will likely end up with several thousand worshipers within a couple levels.

What would you do if you were DM? If you were me?

[Kobold-Bard]

It's entirely up to DM fiat. There are rules for what happens when you ascend, but not for the process of ascension.

I've seen DvR0 quoted at LA+5-6 before so you could see if your DM will allow you to make it into a class (making SR 12+HD and changing the DR from X/Epic to sort some of the stuff out).

TBH DvR0 isn't that screwy, no spell granting, no Salient abilites.

[satorian]

Well, since Oracle is a spellcasting class with interesting class features at many levels, taking a LA5, whether as a Savage Species progression or not, would kind of be a horrible idea.

Also, while DivR0 might be LA5 at level 1, or even 10, it shouldn't be at level 15+.

Still, my question remains: what would you do if, thanks to the reasonable progression of events, one of your characters became the object of worship for thousands, with temples and sacrifices and all?

[Marnath]

I'd probably say that the far realm critters giving you power absorb the energy from their worship.

[Kylarra]

Well, since Oracle is a spellcasting class with interesting class features at many levels, taking a LA5, whether as a Savage Species progression or not, would kind of be a horrible idea.

Also, while DivR0 might be LA5 at level 1, or even 10, it shouldn't be at level 15+.

Still, my question remains: what would you do if, thanks to the reasonable progression of events, one of your characters became the object of worship for thousands, with temples and sacrifices and all?Probably retire my character to godhood and start something new.

[satorian]

That's a bit glib. This whole thing arose from role-playing. My character is only 8th level. As I said before, I don't actually want him to be a god, at least until he is of high enough level to make the ascension of little consequence. I want to play this character.

I've seen discussions (some of them in char-op, which wouldn't exactly be applicable here) of how divinity arises from worshipers. I merely wished to use my experience in-game to spark a discussion of how such things have/should be handled.

The siphon-off answer is one way to do it. But that raises the question of whether non-deities (or even deities) can just do that. If that were the case, I think we'd have a lot of devils successfully manipulating mortal cults and siphoning off the prayers to make themselves gods. And conversely, those few instances in the cosmologies where mortals have ascended thanks the faith of their followers would be nearly always complicated by the already powerful seeking to take the prayers for themselves.

[Kylarra]

Well right now you only have 100 worshippers. If you had thousands of worshippers, then I'd go ahead and just ascend already. :smalltongue:


Ultimately if you were overly attached to your character, I might consider continuing the campaign by just giving you DvR 0, if the other players are okay with that sort of ascension, but most likely bad bad things would start happening to your cult, as it is wont to do in places where gods are real and you are subverting their worshippers.

[Crossblade]

Here's a question, what are you preaching about?
Is it a general look at me? Or are you prmoting betterment? Having worshipers is one thing, a king can have hundreds of thousands of those; having a religious following is another.

If it were me, I'd grow it more and depending on the cause I was championing, I'd live in some sort of Dalilama(sp?) life style upon retiring from adventuring.

[HandofCrom]

With Golarion's fluff, you need to do something real special to ascend. I think only 5 of the gods used to be mortal: 3 passed the test of the starstone, 1 was an uber monk and is known as the master of masters, and 1 fled from judgement at the spire and became the first undead being and the god of undeath. Razmir has a major nation worshipping him but is still a mortal wizard. For you, I'd work with the DM and see if he'd like something cool to happen to you as you gain followers.

[satorian]

It's a non-sectarian be-excellent-to-one-another type thing. I didn't do it explicitly to get worshipers, but my character has decided that, especially in a lawful evil kingdom (Chilexia (sp?) in Golarion), having people follow me in my good works and thoughts is one way to prevent them fro falling into the clutches of the evils that abound in the city and empire. Thanks to enormous diplomacy rolls, they followed me, then

At the moment I am meditating to Desna, who is the good goddess of the stars and heavens in Golarion, to tell her that my interests are parallel to hers. I am also helping a party member paladin of Hieroneous to give that god a foothold in the empire.

I'm essentially telling my followers that I am doing this because good beings must work together, no matter their other interests or philosophies, to combat evil and prevent its spread. The fact that they have begun worshiping where I only asked them to do good is kind of a side effect of my diplomacy rolls and my appearance.