Dire Panda
2013-03-12, 08:38 PM
(Note to readers: If you're currently playing in a 3.5 fantasy/steampunk game with a were-anaconda swordsage as the party leader, there's a good chance you're one of my players. Stop reading now!)
So what experiences have the Playgrounders had with PC divine ascension as a story reward, and what sort of work do the players and DM need to do to make it feel suitably epic? My current campaign is slated to end sometime this spring, and I must have rewritten the endgame at least six times. Given all the effort they've put forth, and the number of times they've outwitted my villains' cleverest plans and forced me to scrap pages of plot, I want the reward to be something beyond simply saving the world. Preferably something that has an impact on future campaigns that will be set in the far future or a distant world. Divine ascension seems like it would fit the bill rather nicely.
The gist of the scenario:
Five hundred years ago, the heroes of the previous campaign used a time paradox to destroy the universe's creator, That Which is Mother and Devourer, just seconds before it was going to awaken and remake the cosmos. This cut off the cosmic source of magic, causing all lesser deities to wither and die without that sustenance, the Outer Planes to collapse, and the gradually declining amount of magic in the cosmos has forced mortals to obey an E6 ruleset.
In the present (industrialized) age, Asmodeus - who survived in a vastly weakened form - has manipulated the nations of the world into a great war, with each of their defense budgets funding a different techno-magical superweapon. Combined, the devices would not only be able to resurrect any sort of dead tissue, but also to clone it on a vast scale and fill it with the souls of the war's recently deceased. Asmodeus's cult has recovered a tissue sample of TWiMaD and plans to resurrect a "lobotomized" version of it with a fragmented mind stitched together from millions of tortured souls, serving as a new font of magic without an agenda of its own. He'd then use his control over it to become the universe's sole deity.
The PCs know all of this and are going to confront Asmodeus while he's performing the ritual that will return magic to the universe and grant him godhood. Assuming they prevail, there are a number of different ways they could resolve the situation - four major categories of ending in total, plus any the PCs are clever enough to come up with - but both Asmodeus and an NPC they've come to trust will advise them to complete a modified version of the ritual which will split the divine power evenly between each character.
If they do take this path - and knowing one or two characters in the party, it's fairly likely - there is enough racial and alignment diversity in the party (plus Asmodeus for the LE component) that the resulting pantheon will be fairly balanced and suitable for use in future campaigns. The trouble comes when I consider the mechanics of the process itself and the impact it'll have on future campaigns.
My plans so far:
-Given the small size of the pantheon, each PC should pick maybe 6-8 domains
-The PCs can also appoint an NPC whom they're particularly fond of to become a demigod in their service
-Each PC designs their own holy symbol, new divine name (if desired), favored weapon, doctrines they'll spread, and what creatures they'll send as their heralds/servants
-A new Outer Plane forms around each PC, reflecting their character and the domains they've chosen
-This is an important one: I'd want to play up the psychological changes that divine ascension introduces into the characters. The sense of being completely overwhelmed by cosmic knowledge and the prayers of mortals at first, then gradually adjusting while losing one's "humanity" and developing a mindset that totally emphasizes the aspects of existence they've chosen to embody. Friends and loved ones might find the changes terrifying, or they could begin to worship their former comrade.
-One post-campaign adventure dealing with all of the above - adjusting to godhood, forming your plane, helping mortals pick up the pieces of their shattered world, and developing interesting divine politics. (The party has its share of divisions already - not enough to induce PvP when there's a world to be saved, but enough to be a good catalyst for conflict)
That's it for the ideas I have at the moment. I'd appreciate input, especially from anyone who has used a similar plot point before!
So what experiences have the Playgrounders had with PC divine ascension as a story reward, and what sort of work do the players and DM need to do to make it feel suitably epic? My current campaign is slated to end sometime this spring, and I must have rewritten the endgame at least six times. Given all the effort they've put forth, and the number of times they've outwitted my villains' cleverest plans and forced me to scrap pages of plot, I want the reward to be something beyond simply saving the world. Preferably something that has an impact on future campaigns that will be set in the far future or a distant world. Divine ascension seems like it would fit the bill rather nicely.
The gist of the scenario:
Five hundred years ago, the heroes of the previous campaign used a time paradox to destroy the universe's creator, That Which is Mother and Devourer, just seconds before it was going to awaken and remake the cosmos. This cut off the cosmic source of magic, causing all lesser deities to wither and die without that sustenance, the Outer Planes to collapse, and the gradually declining amount of magic in the cosmos has forced mortals to obey an E6 ruleset.
In the present (industrialized) age, Asmodeus - who survived in a vastly weakened form - has manipulated the nations of the world into a great war, with each of their defense budgets funding a different techno-magical superweapon. Combined, the devices would not only be able to resurrect any sort of dead tissue, but also to clone it on a vast scale and fill it with the souls of the war's recently deceased. Asmodeus's cult has recovered a tissue sample of TWiMaD and plans to resurrect a "lobotomized" version of it with a fragmented mind stitched together from millions of tortured souls, serving as a new font of magic without an agenda of its own. He'd then use his control over it to become the universe's sole deity.
The PCs know all of this and are going to confront Asmodeus while he's performing the ritual that will return magic to the universe and grant him godhood. Assuming they prevail, there are a number of different ways they could resolve the situation - four major categories of ending in total, plus any the PCs are clever enough to come up with - but both Asmodeus and an NPC they've come to trust will advise them to complete a modified version of the ritual which will split the divine power evenly between each character.
If they do take this path - and knowing one or two characters in the party, it's fairly likely - there is enough racial and alignment diversity in the party (plus Asmodeus for the LE component) that the resulting pantheon will be fairly balanced and suitable for use in future campaigns. The trouble comes when I consider the mechanics of the process itself and the impact it'll have on future campaigns.
My plans so far:
-Given the small size of the pantheon, each PC should pick maybe 6-8 domains
-The PCs can also appoint an NPC whom they're particularly fond of to become a demigod in their service
-Each PC designs their own holy symbol, new divine name (if desired), favored weapon, doctrines they'll spread, and what creatures they'll send as their heralds/servants
-A new Outer Plane forms around each PC, reflecting their character and the domains they've chosen
-This is an important one: I'd want to play up the psychological changes that divine ascension introduces into the characters. The sense of being completely overwhelmed by cosmic knowledge and the prayers of mortals at first, then gradually adjusting while losing one's "humanity" and developing a mindset that totally emphasizes the aspects of existence they've chosen to embody. Friends and loved ones might find the changes terrifying, or they could begin to worship their former comrade.
-One post-campaign adventure dealing with all of the above - adjusting to godhood, forming your plane, helping mortals pick up the pieces of their shattered world, and developing interesting divine politics. (The party has its share of divisions already - not enough to induce PvP when there's a world to be saved, but enough to be a good catalyst for conflict)
That's it for the ideas I have at the moment. I'd appreciate input, especially from anyone who has used a similar plot point before!