kuo-toa

[mehs]

Kuo-Toa, for those unaware, are a race with the ability to collectively use divine magic, up to and including believing that a random thing is a god to the point that it actually becomes a god. So, if a large city of kuo-toa decide to believe that a random person is a god, what happens to that person? Do they just get the abilities of a god, or do they shift in personality and form to match what the kuo-toa believe that they are? If they believe that a paladin is a wrathful god of evil and cannibalism, would the paladin just get some evil/cannibalism powers, or would they actually become an evil cannibal to match what the kuo-toa believe?

[OrbanSirgen]

I don't know much about kuo-toa, but there's a theory that their goddess, Blibdoolpoolp, was a figment of the imagination of one of them given form by that ability...

[Draconi Redfir]

there is this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF83hrcaJTA)

i think it might be less that the paladin becomes a god of evil and cannibalism, and more that a god of evil and cannibalism that looks a whole lot like the paladin pops into existence.

[Braininthejar2]

A living person already has some sense of self, that's hard to override.

But if they find someone who buys into this and he starts believing himself a god, he'd probably start getting templates.

[Braininthejar2]

Also reminds me of a Warhammer theory that the Chaos Dwarves might have prayed Hashut into existence.

[Biggus]

Kuo-Toa, for those unaware, are a race with the ability to collectively use divine magic, up to and including believing that a random thing is a god to the point that it actually becomes a god.

Sounds interesting, what book is this ability mentioned in? MM only talks about them collectively casting lightning bolts.

[KillianHawkeye]

In a sense, that's how any deity is created in a system where the gods are dependent upon their followers' belief to exist. It's not limited to kuo-toas.

[The Viscount]

In a sense, that's how any deity is created in a system where the gods are dependent upon their followers' belief to exist. It's not limited to kuo-toas.

Was going to say just this. All deities in D&D are made deities by their followers.

Given that Kuo-toa have no love for humans and the fact that Blibdoolpoolp appears as a human female with a lobster head and claws for hands, I doubt that their belief could change the form or personality of their deity. If it were true I would expect their deity to look like a kuo-toa, and also not to be such a cruel taskmistress.

[Khedrac]

In a sense, that's how any deity is created in a system where the gods are dependent upon their followers' belief to exist. It's not limited to kuo-toas.

Was going to say just this. All deities in D&D are made deities by their followers.
Except that this depends on the D&D game world, it is not an absolute for D&D.

Most notably is the Time of Troubles in the Forgotten Realms marked the transition from deities not caring about their followers to Ao forcing ghem to care (though I don't think their existence is yet linked to them?).

Given that most non-human races have a creator deity, it is quite hard for them to have made their own creator...

[KillianHawkeye]

Except that this depends on the D&D game world, it is not an absolute for D&D.

Most notably is the Time of Troubles in the Forgotten Realms marked the transition from deities not caring about their followers to Ao forcing ghem to care (though I don't think their existence is yet linked to them?).

Given that most non-human races have a creator deity, it is quite hard for them to have made their own creator...

Yes, that's why I specified it had to be that kind of system. That's one of the options in books like Deities & Demigods, but if your setting doesn't use that option then the gods aren't shaped by the beliefs of their followers. I do think that it's a pretty interesting system to use, though, because it creates a sort of balance of power between the gods and their mortal followers.