Salt and Sanctuary: How would you represent the Nameless God in Pathfinder?

[Xuldarinar]

In short, as the title. How would you present them (or something akin to them) given Pathfinder's framework and the tools available within it?

[tzar1990]

In short, as the title. How would you present them (or something akin to them) given Pathfinder's framework and the tools available within it?

Hmm... Well, his ability to maintain the existence of his island and create copies of various locations is basically a plot-level power, but other than that, what do we have that we know he can do?


Create storms on the ocean
Control Kraekans
Know the politics of the surrounding kingdoms, and presumably other information about them
Project avatars capable of communication (probably only on his island)
Project a combat-form (probably only in the tomb where his true body lies hanging)
No known limits on lifespan, but can be destroyed
Kinda-sorta possess anyone who takes on his mantle?
Combat abilities: skilled swordfighter who can also grapple and fight unarmed, brutally strong, very fast, can teleport his sword to attack at range, massed arcane missiles


I'd probably stat his combat form up as a Vilderavn (Bestiary 5) with the following changes:

Basics: Size large, dropping his AC but boosting his damage. Type changes to Undead, altering his immunities and HP. He'd have the equivalent of the Raven Knight ability up constantly, meaning he loses his flight speed, although I'll say he can ignore difficult terrain. Give him a slam attack in addition to his sword.

Special Abilities: Take away his hexes, but in return give him the ability to use his sword on anyone within 120ft (although he still only threatens within 10 ft.) He loses Bloodbird, but gains, say, the ability to force anyone hit by his slam to make a DC 26 Fortitude save or suffer extra damage, be sent flying 30 ft, and knocked prone. Trade Soul Eater for something like Hastur's ability to reform my possessing whoever dons his armor. His energy blasts should probably be modelled as an AoE attack hitting in a line for very heavy damage, since resolving it as a bunch of individual hits seems like too much work.

Remove his Circle of Death, Ethereal Jaunt, and Limited Wish spells, but give him Dominate Monster at will (targeting Undead and Evil Outsiders only) and Control Weather 1/day (range unlimited although still needs to see his target, can cast through scrying).

Swap out his feats to focus on swordfighting and grappling.

[Agrippa]

In short, as the title. How would you present them (or something akin to them) given Pathfinder's framework and the tools available within it?

Could you tell me what this Nameless God comes from?

[tzar1990]

Could you tell me what this Nameless God comes from?

He's the final boss of Salt and Sanctuary, a 2D platformer version of Dark Souls with metroidvania elements.

Basic story is that you're a random person on a boat transporting a princess to be married into another kingdom, thus ensuring peace between your warring people. Unfortunately, a storm hits, assassins murder the guards, and then a hugeass demon punches you to death (unless you're REALLY good at dodging hits).

You wake up on a mysterious island, filled with souls-esque enemies, and travel through various creepy locations - demon-infested forts, ruined towns, pitch-black forests, poison swamps, etc. The various locations actually turn out to be copies of original locations, brought through time and space and mashed together by some force. Throughout your journey you encounter a few other sane individuals, each unique NPCs wiht their own quests, although it seems that the details of who's doing what have been somehow mixed between them. You also encounter a creepy scarecrow / crucified corpse who talks about control, dominion, making you bow before him, etc.

Eventually, the scarecrow is revealed to be an avatar of the Nameless God, a powerful being who created and controls the island. He's not a true deity - real gods have souls of imperishable fire, while he was born mortal, with a soul of sea-salt (like all other humans). Somehow, through unimaginable avarice and desire, he became some undying thing, his true form a crucified yet still-living body. While he cannot physically move his body, he can project avatars of himself to interact with those he finds interesting. He also possesses command over the Kraekan, demonswho vary in power from "like a xenomorph, but without the acid blood" to "basically a demigod". He also exerts control over the politics of the surrounding kingdoms - by strategically wrecking ships, sending Kraekan, and (maybe) inducing madness he ensures that there's constant, low-level war between kingdoms.

I'd say he's nothing like a real god except, well, he miiiiiight have the ability to grant miracles to his unwitting worshippers. It turns out that the Three, a trio of local gods, have been reduced to shambling husks - maybe they were of mortal origin like him and so they're ultimately finite, or maybe the fact that most of their worshipers are forcible converts rather than willing means their prayer was somehow toxic. But their followers still gain spells, even if you personally go and wipe them out. So its possible he's the true power behind worship of the Three.

[Xuldarinar]

-snip-



For the suggested statistical approach, I never seen that creature before but it works quite well. I'd argue a type change (Since everything on the island save for one NPC is made of dead salt, unless I am mistaken, as opposed to live salt). That being said, I dare say it is just about perfect.



In terms of your explanation, well... thats the plot in a nut shel, and I couldn't have said it better myself.