What Happens When a Character Becomes a Deity?

[supersonic29]

All the things involving divine rank involve characters with very high ability scores, and it also says even creatures of divine rank 0 have unusually high scores, but what happens if a regular old character with regular ability scores becomes a deity? Do they get some sort of increases to ability scores to enable them to effectively take Salient abilities? Help much appreciated.

[Psyren]

All the things involving divine rank involve characters with very high ability scores, and it also says even creatures of divine rank 0 have unusually high scores, but what happens if a regular old character with regular ability scores becomes a deity? Do they get some sort of increases to ability scores to enable them to effectively take Salient abilities? Help much appreciated.

That one beggar deity they put in the web enhancement seems to have pretty ridiculous ability scores even at quasi-deity status, so RAI seems to be that they get a big boost upon ascension.

[Darkweave31]

Nope.

Or rather, nothing in the rules to say they do. If they want a divine rank they need to get on the gods' level the old fashioned way.

If you are the DM you could certainly allow them to increase their stats if you feel so inclined.

[Werephilosopher]

Increases to ability scores wouldn't let them take salient abilities, they need at least one divine rank for that. However, beings with rank 0 "usually have one or more ability scores that are far above the norm for their species," so there's that.

[Zytil]

Isn't there a divine array that's something like 32, 30, 28, 26, 25, 25 for deities that were created as deities?

[supersonic29]

Isn't there a divine array that's something like 32, 30, 28, 26, 25, 25 for deities that were created as deities?

There is one about like that I saw posted which was a 100 point buy, but I couldn't find it in any book, only posted.

[Falcon X]

Deities and Demigods is somewhat the spiritual successor to 2nd edition Planescapes "On Hallowed Ground", and had a few similar contributors (Monte Cook, Michele Carter, etc.)
So I'll quote On Hallowed Ground's precident:

Deities are all conceptual beings, created from the beliefs and legends of the people. Those combined beliefs were so strong that they took form and became the gods.
Demigods (Rank 0-5) are described as mortals whose legend became so great that they rose to the rank of godhood.

Demigods: The key word here is "Legend". When a person becomes a god, they become an entirely new type of being.
It isn't the person that becomes the god, it is the legend and belief about the person that becomes the god.
Therefore, the god may look very much like the person they once represented, and have the mind of that person, but in truth are an entirely new being.

Ability scores: If a person's legend is so great that they become a deity, then they are "larger than life" in the literal sense. The people who believe in them view them as stronger than they actually were.
Even if the person actually had a Strength of 20 as a mortal, legend portrayed them as having unsurpassed Strength, likely closer to 40.
Thus, when the legend becomes a reality, it embodies the ability scores that people viewed them as having.

In brief: Yes, I believe that it isn't a steady growth of attributes. There aren't enough class levels for that anyway. It's a dynamic boost in ability scores as the person suddenly becomes the embodiment of their own legend.

[The Insanity]

He becomes an NPC.

[lightningcat]

Tell the player "Congratulations, you have won D&D."

[supersonic29]

Ability scores: If a person's legend is so great that they become a deity, then they are "larger than life" in the literal sense. The people who believe in them view them as stronger than they actually were.
Even if the person actually had a Strength of 20 as a mortal, legend portrayed them as having unsurpassed Strength, likely closer to 40.
Thus, when the legend becomes a reality, it embodies the ability scores that people viewed them as having.

In brief: Yes, I believe that it isn't a steady growth of attributes. There aren't enough class levels for that anyway. It's a dynamic boost in ability scores as the person suddenly becomes the embodiment of their own legend.

This was very helpful to sway my confidence and my DM. Did manage to become a god btw :smallwink: