Champion of the gods

[randomhero00]

If you were playing a game where the players are champions of the gods themselves (about a +5LA/CR) what sorts of abilities would you give them? So far regen 1, fast healing 10, DR/5--. I'm not sure about the rest. But am very open to creative ideas!

[Sir Swindle89]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineRanksAndPowers.htm#rank0

Theres rules for that. :smallwink:

[Gensh]

Giving players arbitrary special abilities solely for the purpose of making them "more powerful" or "more divine" is a little silly. I say go for certain thematic templates based on the gods in question. The players do a favor for bahamut? Suddenly, they gain draconic (+1). Make it a gradual change, and make each template have a story of its own. And don't be afraid to give each player a different template if they serve different gods; so long as they're in the same ballpark, it'll be fine.

[randomhero00]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineRanksAndPowers.htm#rank0

Theres rules for that. :smallwink:

Those are actual gods. This is a new thing DnD doesn't really represent. These are champions of gods. Not palandins or anything. They have free will, aren't even neccessarily pious. They are just such outstanding individuals that a god took notice and granted a mortal powers for free. Infusing some of their divine blood (and therefor their fates...its not all altruistic) in them.


Giving players arbitrary special abilities solely for the purpose of making them "more powerful" or "more divine" is a little silly. I say go for certain thematic templates based on the gods in question. The players do a favor for bahamut? Suddenly, they gain draconic (+1). Make it a gradual change, and make each template have a story of its own. And don't be afraid to give each player a different template if they serve different gods; so long as they're in the same ballpark, it'll be fine.

Its not arbitrary. Its a way to keep the game sane (mostly spell casters) below 10th level while still making the players feel like super heroes (or villains).

[Vladislav]

There is the "Monster of Legend" template from MM2, which was specifically designed to represent a divine champion.

[Gensh]

Those are actual gods. This is a new thing DnD doesn't really represent. These are champions of gods. Not palandins or anything. They have free will, aren't even neccessarily pious. They are just such outstanding individuals that a god took notice and granted a mortal powers for free. Infusing some of their divine blood (and therefor their fates...its not all altruistic) in them.

Well, that's basically a favored soul.


Its not arbitrary. Its a way to keep the game sane (mostly spell casters) below 10th level while still making the players feel like super heroes (or villains).

There's a difference between feeling like super heroes and feeling like Superman. The gods are all different. The deity rules make them sacks of arbitrary abilities with immunities to everything except fire (seriously), but they each have their own thematic abilities. Try looking at some of the Justice League's second string. They're certainly more interesting than the Man of Steel.

[randomhero00]

I don't want them literal super heroes. Just have the power of level 10 or so, without all the rule game breaking shenanigans that are possible. CL is 1-6. Template continues to grow. They gain interesting abilities. I'm not looking to make them invincible. Just feel special.

[Sir Swindle89]

You could play Scion if thats the kind of game you really want to play.

Or an actual super hero RPG.

If you want to write their characters for them just tell them so. They'll "gain new abilities" either way

[Grelna the Blue]

Have you checked out the Devotion feats in Complete Champion? They have no prerequisites (any class/race combo can take them at 1st level) and grant some nifty abilities that scale somewhat with level. If you intend all the players to be champions of the gods, perhaps you could allow each of them to take one or two for free. Not the major abilities you were probably thinking of, but you could toss them into the mix.

Here's one as an example:
PROTECTION DEVOTION [DOMAIN]
You exude an aura that protects you and those around you.

Benefit: Once per day as an immediate action, you can activate a protective aura. While it is active, you gain a +2 sacred (if your deity is good or neutral) or profane (if your deity is evil) bonus to AC, as does every ally within 30 feet of you. This bonus increases by 1 for every four character levels you possess (maximum +7 at 20th level). This effect lasts for 1 minute.

Special: You can select this feat multiple times, gaining one additional daily use each time you take it.

Special: If you have the ability to turn or rebuke undead, you gain one additional daily use of this feat for each three daily turn or rebuke uses you expend.

[akma]

I say: no abilities.
Sometime the simpliest solution is the best. Just say that the fact that adventure finds them is why they count as blessed by gods. Besides, very diffrent gods should require diffrent templates.

[Gensh]

I don't want them literal super heroes. Just have the power of level 10 or so, without all the rule game breaking shenanigans that are possible. CL is 1-6. Template continues to grow. They gain interesting abilities.

I understand that you didn't mean super heroes literally, just that you're not thinking of the gods, but "gods." While the literal rules are some blanket nonsense, they really should all have independent specialties, much like the super heroes weaker than Supes' tier.


I'm not looking to make them invincible. Just feel special.

All right.


So far regen 1, fast healing 10, DR/5--.

Here's your problem.

[randomhero00]

Keep in mind this is a homebrew setting where there are very very scary things out there that would like to eat them for lunch. Part of the game is staying in hiding until they've gathered enough wealth and power to take on these things.

[Gensh]

I don't understand where you're going with this. If there are big scary squid monsters from beyond the stars or whatever, and you want your players to be scared, why are you removing the fear of death? Why would they not immediately switch to guerrilla warfare if they can rapidly regenerate their wounds and reattach severed limbs and the like?

[Sir Swindle89]

you could gestalt their normal classes with a homebrewed one that gives stuff based on the god's domains and such.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Divine Rank 0 is probably what you're looking for. The "hero deities" they're referring to are those like Perseus, Hercules, and other mythological figures--heroes who aren't gods, but who have a bit of diving blood or a smidgen of divine power. Most the divine powers specified in that section are for deities of rank 1 or higher; quasi-deities mostly get increased speed, a bunch of immunities, high SR, DR 10/epic, and that's about it.

[Gensh]

Divine Rank 0 is probably what you're looking for. The "hero deities" they're referring to are those like Perseus, Hercules, and other mythological figures--heroes who aren't gods, but who have a bit of diving blood or a smidgen of divine power. Most the divine powers specified in that section are for deities of rank 1 or higher; quasi-deities mostly get increased speed, a bunch of immunities, high SR, DR 10/epic, and that's about it.

Well, you can't really take any of D&D's high level stuff seriously. I mean the Epic Level Handbook refers to Gandalf as an example, for Ra's sake.

If you really want to give your players some interesting special powers, try giving them an invocation progression. Not a major boost in power, but it gives them all a few extra abilities that they can use at will.

[Sir Swindle89]

If you really want to give your players some interesting special powers, try giving them an invocation progression. Not a major boost in power, but it gives them all a few extra abilities that they can use at will.

This is actually a pretty good idea.

[Shyftir]

There is a "god-blooded" template. I don't remember what source it's in but you could just give each of them that template for their respective gods.

[Gensh]

There is a "god-blooded" template. I don't remember what source it's in but you could just give each of them that template for their respective gods.

I don't remember where those are, but I have a vague memory of them being disappointing for some reason. If it helps anyone else, the book in question also mentioned something about Nerull having one of the oldest copies of the BoVD.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Well, you can't really take any of D&D's high level stuff seriously. I mean the Epic Level Handbook refers to Gandalf as an example, for Ra's sake.

I didn't say it was at all accurate, just that those kind of "gods" are what DvR 0 is supposed to represent.