Aliens as Gods - Cliche? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Aliens as Gods - Cliche? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Xyppenphrendleinackobus
08-16-04, 05:52 AM It was sometime around 1973 when I read a Star Trek comic book in which Captain Kirk and the gang encountered the Greek gods who had been hanging around on an empty planet for centuries since the people of Earth don't believe in them any more.

I thought, "It would be interesting if there was a pantheon of gods who were, in reality, power-mad aliens from a world whose technology is much more advanced than ours, pretending to be gods."

But, how many other people have, all independantly of one another, had the same idea born from something they read, heard, or watched?

In Star Trek V, Kirk encounters an alien who pretends to be God and demands that Kirk give him the Enterprise. I saw an episode of Stargate SG1 not long ago in which there was a race of aliens who were worshipped as gods by the inhabitants of a more primitive planet.

Has this idea become cliche yet?

Does anyone know of any other stories in any media (book, television, movie) that uses this concept or any variation thereof?

I haven't DMed in a while and I am just beginning to create a new campaign world (just for fun at the moment, due to a lack of players). I was thinking of using the "aliens as gods" theme for my new world's pantheon. Eventually the truth would be found out (more than likely by the PCs) and I was thinking this might make a nice introduction to epic level play.

Has anyone ever run a campaign with a similar concept?
Palin the Wizard
08-16-04, 06:53 AM I know of a comic called Thorgal which has a snippet of that theme, but that's about it.

I like the concept, but how are you going to have gods of good alignments?
Watchman
08-16-04, 07:10 AM Go read up on H.P. Lovecraft's classic Cthulhu Mythos and the associated games (there's a D20 version too). Now that's an... interesting take on the subject.

Iä iä, Cthulhu fthagn. :88E:
Nurgan_the_drunked
08-16-04, 07:41 AM It is an interesting concept, and even if it had been done to death, doesn't stop it, partly because there are so many different ways to do it:

What are the "gods" getting from humanity's praise?
If they get their servitude then what are they doing with it?
What commandments and credences do they give?

Is there a war of Good V Evil? Are both sides aliens?

Are they good beings who think it's for mankinds benefit to think they're gods and are acting in mankind's interest?

Can the "gods" leave? Maybe there's been a crash, and most of their tech works, but they are trying to leave.

Will they try to prohibit mankinds tech and power in case they become a threat.

Is this standard D&D, if so, is their "tech" linked to cleric magic, possibly this is a gift to their worshippers.

How old are the Aliens, how long have they been on the planet, do they grow old?

Are there, actually, Gods, who could kick the living daylights out of the imposters, but don't for reason?

Is this post too long?

Should I stop now?
Tanuki, the Bewildered
08-16-04, 08:10 AM Originally posted by Xyppenphrendleinackobus
I saw an episode of Stargate SG1 not long ago in which there was a race of aliens who were worshipped as gods by the inhabitants of a more primitive planet.

Two of the major races in Stargate (The Goa'uld and the Asgard) were worshipped as gods on Earth for a long time (The Asgard were the Norse pantheon, the Goa'uld were pretty much everyone else other than the Jewish/Christian/Muslim god - but they did pick up Satan), and are still worshipped by many of the various human-offshoots - always more primative than us, because the Goa'uld keep their chattle from getting to advanced, and the Asgard reveal themselves when their protected peoples become advanced enough.

The 'god(s) as alien(s)' idea is well worn, but it's not without life yet. It can still be done in interesting ways (I like where Stargate goes with it).
Theocracity
08-16-04, 11:33 AM I think the alien-god thing would make a pretty decent high-level campaign. You could have some of the more Greek gods as power-hungry but not essentially bad, while some of the more Cthulhu / Hellboy Conquerer Worm style gods as the enemies.
starfire311
08-16-04, 12:37 PM Aliens as gods...

I can think of star trek as you mentioned

Stargate... Gou'ald and the asgardians

Rifts(campaign setting) all the classic gods exist(egyptian, norse, greek, aztec, even the four horsman of apocalypse, they are all actually just really powerful aliens.

Somewhat spoiler alert for AVP
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
And since I saw AVP this weekend I get to add the Predators to the list.
Xyppenphrendleinackobus
08-17-04, 08:53 AM I've almost completed the world map, other than that everything is still in the rough draft stages, so pretty much everything is subject to change at this point, but this is the basic idea that I had:

The world is very loosely based on the classic arcade game "Joust." There is a continent that is approximately 1/4 volcanic mountains and lava. This is where the main BBEG and his military forces come from.

There are belts stoneclouds that drift through the sky. I can explain the existance of these, but I'm not sure if I want to until, possibly, later in the campaign.

For 250 years, there has been nothing but oral stories of the different gods passed down from generation to generation, all myth much like the mythologies of our world (Greek, Roman, etc.)

One man (haven't named him yet), takes an interest in and begins to study all mythologies and writes them all down - the first time any of the "god-stories" has been put to print. He completes the writings in the year 250. He locks them all away in a gold box and then something happens to his home (haven't worked out the details yet, but I'm thinking either natural disaster or battle destroys his hometown).

In the year 800, a band of adventurers finds these texts along with some paintings that were commisioned as illustrations.

Somewhere around the year 1049, the aliens arrive and begin to study the planet, taking a major interest in the mythologies of its peoples. They decide to take on the roles of the gods that the peoples of this planet have created and in 1050 the "gods" begin to make their first "real" appearences on the planet.

Before this time, there was no "divine magic." Although there were some cleric/wizards, clerics were mostly botonists, alchemists, and chemurgists, studying the medicinal and other benificial properties of plants. In 1050, however, the "gods," using their advanced technology, begin to give clerics "divine" spellcasting abilities.

At this point, I'm considering "borrowing" again, this time from Fred Saberhagen, and have the aliens take on the roles of these gods as a game, using the planet as the game board and it's people as the pawns. However, I'm not entirely sure if I want to go this route yet.

When the campaign begins, it is the year 2004 and the BBEG is just begining to put his master plan into motion.

Since I will be putting major time into creating as realistic a game world as possible and don't currently have access to Deities and Demigods, I was thinking of just going with the standard D&D pantheon (I already know them, I like them, it would make it a little easier on me :) ).

As for the reality of the world, I'm considering one of two things: either having it be Darwinian world (all evolution, no real deities) or a monotheastic world, paralelling our own.

I'm leaning toward the monotheastic storyline because I want the PCs to discover the truth about their "gods" at around level 20 and have this somehow introduce epic level play into the campaign. From here, events could then paralell our own religious events (a "drifter" travelling from city to city, telling people about the one true god, "Jahwe," the eventual birth of his only begotten son, the rise of an organization paralelling the Roman Catholic Church, and the eventual arrival on the scene of the "Jahwe's Witnesses." All of this would, of course, be centuries down the road in game time and years from now in real time).

Which leaves me with at least one more question:

What we be a good reason for the "gods" to make their first appearances on the planet?

Last night, I thought perhaps have "Gruumsh" first appear to an Orc in an attempt to organize the Orc tribes into a "nation" to begin an all-out effort to erradicate the elves from the planet. This would prompt "Correlon Larethian" to appear to the elves to prepare them for the upcoming war. This is just a preleminary idea and I'm not sure if I really like it or not yet.

To clarify on the world being very loosely based on the classic arcade game "Joust," the BBEG will have an airforce comprised of buzzard riding soldiers and the good guys will have an airforce comprised of soldiers on flying ostriches. I want much of the climactic battles being fought in the skies, among the stoneclouds. This plus the "Lava Trolls," other lava/fire based creatures, and an abundance of pteredactyls is really the only similarities to "Joust." (I was also considering having the BBEG's buzzards be magical birds that lay magic eggs that hatch into soldiers - the buzzards hatch their own riders, basically, but this just might be getting a little too silly for a serious campaign.)

(A note on Stargate SG1: I don't get to watch it as much as I would like to and, in my original post, I forgot about the movie - the Egyptian gods.)

I apologize for any typos or incorrect spellings, I'm tired and I don't have time to proof-read/edit right now.

Thank you, everyone, for your replies. They have been most helpful. :)
Daybreaker
08-17-04, 02:19 PM What are other possibilities for the origins of the Gods?

I've never been a big fan of the whole, "They're just there, stop asking questions," approach. :)
Ilium
08-17-04, 03:08 PM I like the "world as cheessboard" idea. Picture this: The gods are hideously powerful immortal aliens. They might or might not be the same species. It doesn't really matter. Each has nearly limitless followers and technology. If they were to really fight with all their power, they would decimate whatever planet they fought on. Plus they could die! What's the point of being immortal if you're just going to get whacked by an enemy? So they concoct these rules to settle their disputes:

1) They find a nice, primitive world to play on.
2) They are each allowed to appear in person X times per decade to the inhabitants, and they can grant certain limited abilities to those natives that sign up with them.
3) Whoever controls the most territory/followers/mana/whatever after 10 turns wins (a turn can be a century or whatever).

So in a sense they are "just there" but their arbitrary behavior is explained (at least to the DM). This is kind of cynical, in that it means even the "good" gods are using people. But if the stakes of the bet include ownership of the game world, the good vs. evil roles are still maintained. Even if Pelor is gaming with your life, you would still rather have him win the Gruumsh!
Edymnion
08-17-04, 07:05 PM Originally posted by Daybreaker
What are other possibilities for the origins of the Gods?

I've never been a big fan of the whole, "They're just there, stop asking questions," approach. :) I have a tiered approach for my homebrew world, and the one I use as a houserule in normal campaigns. The lowest of the low are the mortals, us.
Next step up are the Portfolio Gods. These are the ones that have portfolios and that have at least semi-regular contact with mortals and their affairs. These would be gods like Ehlonna, Olidammarra, Bahamut, etc.
Above the Portfolio Gods are the Elemental Gods. These are the embodiments of the elements. Ifrit, God of Fire. Undine, Goddess of Water. Gaia, Goddess of Earth. Zephyr, God of Air. Its up to these guys to keep the world in one piece and in balance. They are the bosses of the Portfolio Gods. Each stays mainly on their respective Elemental Plane. The Elemental Gods almost never assotiate with mortals, unless there is dire need.
On the same level as the Elemental Gods are the Essence Gods, who hold sway over the powers of alignment. Good, Evil, Law, Chaos, each have an Essence God. Like the Elemental Gods, the Essence Gods usually stay on their respective planes of existance (Celestia, The Abyss, etc), and do not come incontact with mortals.
Above the Elemental and Essence Gods is the Planar God. He/She is the head honcho for each setting. Only one of him exists, and he oversees everything going on in his realm. This is also the highest level of god that mortals know about. He is often seen as the creator god, if he is or not. He is never contacted by mortals, and he does not contact them. Only another god may converse with the Planar God. Even then, he simply doesn't care whats going on in any particular plane. Nothing short of the utter destruction of a plane will get his direct attention. Petty matters of necromancer hordes trying to conquer the world are beneath him, thats what his underling gods are for.Each campaign world/setting has it's own set of these gods. This is why Greyhawk has it's set of gods, Faerun has it's own set, and Eberron has yet another. But there are layers above this. In charge of keeping the multiverses in check is the Multiverse God. He listens only to the Planar Gods from each of the individual settings. He doesn't care if one single plane is going to be destroyed, he cares and acts only when the entire planar system is in danger.
And sitting at the top of the heap is the Creator God. He is the true creator of everything that is, from the smallest insect, to the expanses of all the multiverses. He is completely removed from the plights of those living in his creations, and cannot be bothered with danger to any one of his creations. He is only roused when all of creation is threatened. None can stand before his terrible power. Only the council of Multiverse Gods may gain his ear, and even then they do so only at great need. He works constantly to create new realms, and never rests.When a new setting comes out, with its own version of the core rules stuff, that is the Creator God having just completed a new system. All the gods under him are mearly caretakers of his creations, with varying levels of authority. Any god of a higher rank can override the decisions of those under him.

Of these underlings, only the Portfolio Gods, as the lowest ranking amongst the gods, can be created and destroyed. The creation of a Portfolio God requires either a majority agreement amongst the other Portfolio Gods and no outspoken refusal by the Elemental/Essence Gods, or the direct appointment of the Planar God. All other levels of gods are beyond things like being destroyed, and only the Creator God has the power to remove them from their positions. However, the Elemental/Essense Gods can be beaten by a strong enough force of Portfolio Gods. Not destroyed, but they can be thwarted, although they are likely to dstroy many of the opposing Portfolio Gods in the process.
Art_Tillary
08-17-04, 09:38 PM Originally posted by Ilium
I like the "world as cheessboard" idea. Picture this: The gods are hideously powerful immortal aliens. They might or might not be the same species. It doesn't really matter. Each has nearly
(snip)

Lets see.

This idea is similar to the Babylon 5 TV series of Vorlons and Shadows.

I can also recommend some of the Grimes novels by Chandler.

There have also been numerous short stories in this vein.

AT
Xyppenphrendleinackobus
08-17-04, 10:29 PM Originally posted by Ilium
I like the "world as cheessboard" idea. Picture this: The gods are hideously powerful immortal aliens. They might or might not be the same species....

I've really liked this idea ever since I read Saberhagen's Book of Swords trilogy and I like your take on it:

So in a sense they are "just there" but their arbitrary behavior is explained (at least to the DM). This is kind of cynical, in that it means even the "good" gods are using people. But if the stakes of the bet include ownership of the game world, the good vs. evil roles are still maintained. Even if Pelor is gaming with your life, you would still rather have him win the Gruumsh!

I also like the rules that you've given (#s 2 & 3). I think I may implement them and, possibly, expand on them just a little. :)

Edit: Almost forgot:

Edymnion, I never really thought much about deities before, usually they were always just sort of there, in the background, and never really played much of a role in any of my campaigns. I like your system. Very nice.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Xyppenphrendleinackobus 08-16-04, 05:52 AM	It was sometime around 1973 when I read a Star Trek comic book in which Captain Kirk and the gang encountered the Greek gods who had been hanging around on an empty planet for centuries since the people of Earth don't believe in them any more. I thought, "It would be interesting if there was a pantheon of gods who were, in reality, power-mad aliens from a world whose technology is much more advanced than ours, pretending to be gods." But, how many other people have, all independantly of one another, had the same idea born from something they read, heard, or watched? In Star Trek V, Kirk encounters an alien who pretends to be God and demands that Kirk give him the Enterprise. I saw an episode of Stargate SG1 not long ago in which there was a race of aliens who were worshipped as gods by the inhabitants of a more primitive planet. Has this idea become cliche yet? Does anyone know of any other stories in any media (book, television, movie) that uses this concept or any variation thereof? I haven't DMed in a while and I am just beginning to create a new campaign world (just for fun at the moment, due to a lack of players). I was thinking of using the "aliens as gods" theme for my new world's pantheon. Eventually the truth would be found out (more than likely by the PCs) and I was thinking this might make a nice introduction to epic level play. Has anyone ever run a campaign with a similar concept?
Palin the Wizard 08-16-04, 06:53 AM	I know of a comic called Thorgal which has a snippet of that theme, but that's about it. I like the concept, but how are you going to have gods of good alignments?
Watchman 08-16-04, 07:10 AM	Go read up on H.P. Lovecraft's classic Cthulhu Mythos and the associated games (there's a D20 version too). Now that's an... interesting take on the subject. Iä iä, Cthulhu fthagn. :88E:
Nurgan_the_drunked 08-16-04, 07:41 AM	It is an interesting concept, and even if it had been done to death, doesn't stop it, partly because there are so many different ways to do it: What are the "gods" getting from humanity's praise? If they get their servitude then what are they doing with it? What commandments and credences do they give? Is there a war of Good V Evil? Are both sides aliens? Are they good beings who think it's for mankinds benefit to think they're gods and are acting in mankind's interest? Can the "gods" leave? Maybe there's been a crash, and most of their tech works, but they are trying to leave. Will they try to prohibit mankinds tech and power in case they become a threat. Is this standard D&D, if so, is their "tech" linked to cleric magic, possibly this is a gift to their worshippers. How old are the Aliens, how long have they been on the planet, do they grow old? Are there, actually, Gods, who could kick the living daylights out of the imposters, but don't for reason? Is this post too long? Should I stop now?
Tanuki, the Bewildered 08-16-04, 08:10 AM	Originally posted by Xyppenphrendleinackobus I saw an episode of Stargate SG1 not long ago in which there was a race of aliens who were worshipped as gods by the inhabitants of a more primitive planet. Two of the major races in Stargate (The Goa'uld and the Asgard) were worshipped as gods on Earth for a long time (The Asgard were the Norse pantheon, the Goa'uld were pretty much everyone else other than the Jewish/Christian/Muslim god - but they did pick up Satan), and are still worshipped by many of the various human-offshoots - always more primative than us, because the Goa'uld keep their chattle from getting to advanced, and the Asgard reveal themselves when their protected peoples become advanced enough. The 'god(s) as alien(s)' idea is well worn, but it's not without life yet. It can still be done in interesting ways (I like where Stargate goes with it).
Theocracity 08-16-04, 11:33 AM	I think the alien-god thing would make a pretty decent high-level campaign. You could have some of the more Greek gods as power-hungry but not essentially bad, while some of the more Cthulhu / Hellboy Conquerer Worm style gods as the enemies.
starfire311 08-16-04, 12:37 PM	Aliens as gods... I can think of star trek as you mentioned Stargate... Gou'ald and the asgardians Rifts(campaign setting) all the classic gods exist(egyptian, norse, greek, aztec, even the four horsman of apocalypse, they are all actually just really powerful aliens. Somewhat spoiler alert for AVP . . . . . . . . . . And since I saw AVP this weekend I get to add the Predators to the list.
Xyppenphrendleinackobus 08-17-04, 08:53 AM	I've almost completed the world map, other than that everything is still in the rough draft stages, so pretty much everything is subject to change at this point, but this is the basic idea that I had: The world is very loosely based on the classic arcade game "Joust." There is a continent that is approximately 1/4 volcanic mountains and lava. This is where the main BBEG and his military forces come from. There are belts stoneclouds that drift through the sky. I can explain the existance of these, but I'm not sure if I want to until, possibly, later in the campaign. For 250 years, there has been nothing but oral stories of the different gods passed down from generation to generation, all myth much like the mythologies of our world (Greek, Roman, etc.) One man (haven't named him yet), takes an interest in and begins to study all mythologies and writes them all down - the first time any of the "god-stories" has been put to print. He completes the writings in the year 250. He locks them all away in a gold box and then something happens to his home (haven't worked out the details yet, but I'm thinking either natural disaster or battle destroys his hometown). In the year 800, a band of adventurers finds these texts along with some paintings that were commisioned as illustrations. Somewhere around the year 1049, the aliens arrive and begin to study the planet, taking a major interest in the mythologies of its peoples. They decide to take on the roles of the gods that the peoples of this planet have created and in 1050 the "gods" begin to make their first "real" appearences on the planet. Before this time, there was no "divine magic." Although there were some cleric/wizards, clerics were mostly botonists, alchemists, and chemurgists, studying the medicinal and other benificial properties of plants. In 1050, however, the "gods," using their advanced technology, begin to give clerics "divine" spellcasting abilities. At this point, I'm considering "borrowing" again, this time from Fred Saberhagen, and have the aliens take on the roles of these gods as a game, using the planet as the game board and it's people as the pawns. However, I'm not entirely sure if I want to go this route yet. When the campaign begins, it is the year 2004 and the BBEG is just begining to put his master plan into motion. Since I will be putting major time into creating as realistic a game world as possible and don't currently have access to Deities and Demigods, I was thinking of just going with the standard D&D pantheon (I already know them, I like them, it would make it a little easier on me :) ). As for the reality of the world, I'm considering one of two things: either having it be Darwinian world (all evolution, no real deities) or a monotheastic world, paralelling our own. I'm leaning toward the monotheastic storyline because I want the PCs to discover the truth about their "gods" at around level 20 and have this somehow introduce epic level play into the campaign. From here, events could then paralell our own religious events (a "drifter" travelling from city to city, telling people about the one true god, "Jahwe," the eventual birth of his only begotten son, the rise of an organization paralelling the Roman Catholic Church, and the eventual arrival on the scene of the "Jahwe's Witnesses." All of this would, of course, be centuries down the road in game time and years from now in real time). Which leaves me with at least one more question: What we be a good reason for the "gods" to make their first appearances on the planet? Last night, I thought perhaps have "Gruumsh" first appear to an Orc in an attempt to organize the Orc tribes into a "nation" to begin an all-out effort to erradicate the elves from the planet. This would prompt "Correlon Larethian" to appear to the elves to prepare them for the upcoming war. This is just a preleminary idea and I'm not sure if I really like it or not yet. To clarify on the world being very loosely based on the classic arcade game "Joust," the BBEG will have an airforce comprised of buzzard riding soldiers and the good guys will have an airforce comprised of soldiers on flying ostriches. I want much of the climactic battles being fought in the skies, among the stoneclouds. This plus the "Lava Trolls," other lava/fire based creatures, and an abundance of pteredactyls is really the only similarities to "Joust." (I was also considering having the BBEG's buzzards be magical birds that lay magic eggs that hatch into soldiers - the buzzards hatch their own riders, basically, but this just might be getting a little too silly for a serious campaign.) (A note on Stargate SG1: I don't get to watch it as much as I would like to and, in my original post, I forgot about the movie - the Egyptian gods.) I apologize for any typos or incorrect spellings, I'm tired and I don't have time to proof-read/edit right now. Thank you, everyone, for your replies. They have been most helpful. :)
Daybreaker 08-17-04, 02:19 PM	What are other possibilities for the origins of the Gods? I've never been a big fan of the whole, "They're just there, stop asking questions," approach. :)
Ilium 08-17-04, 03:08 PM	I like the "world as cheessboard" idea. Picture this: The gods are hideously powerful immortal aliens. They might or might not be the same species. It doesn't really matter. Each has nearly limitless followers and technology. If they were to really fight with all their power, they would decimate whatever planet they fought on. Plus they could die! What's the point of being immortal if you're just going to get whacked by an enemy? So they concoct these rules to settle their disputes: 1) They find a nice, primitive world to play on. 2) They are each allowed to appear in person X times per decade to the inhabitants, and they can grant certain limited abilities to those natives that sign up with them. 3) Whoever controls the most territory/followers/mana/whatever after 10 turns wins (a turn can be a century or whatever). So in a sense they are "just there" but their arbitrary behavior is explained (at least to the DM). This is kind of cynical, in that it means even the "good" gods are using people. But if the stakes of the bet include ownership of the game world, the good vs. evil roles are still maintained. Even if Pelor is gaming with your life, you would still rather have him win the Gruumsh!
Edymnion 08-17-04, 07:05 PM	Originally posted by Daybreaker What are other possibilities for the origins of the Gods? I've never been a big fan of the whole, "They're just there, stop asking questions," approach. :) I have a tiered approach for my homebrew world, and the one I use as a houserule in normal campaigns. The lowest of the low are the mortals, us. Next step up are the Portfolio Gods. These are the ones that have portfolios and that have at least semi-regular contact with mortals and their affairs. These would be gods like Ehlonna, Olidammarra, Bahamut, etc. Above the Portfolio Gods are the Elemental Gods. These are the embodiments of the elements. Ifrit, God of Fire. Undine, Goddess of Water. Gaia, Goddess of Earth. Zephyr, God of Air. Its up to these guys to keep the world in one piece and in balance. They are the bosses of the Portfolio Gods. Each stays mainly on their respective Elemental Plane. The Elemental Gods almost never assotiate with mortals, unless there is dire need. On the same level as the Elemental Gods are the Essence Gods, who hold sway over the powers of alignment. Good, Evil, Law, Chaos, each have an Essence God. Like the Elemental Gods, the Essence Gods usually stay on their respective planes of existance (Celestia, The Abyss, etc), and do not come incontact with mortals. Above the Elemental and Essence Gods is the Planar God. He/She is the head honcho for each setting. Only one of him exists, and he oversees everything going on in his realm. This is also the highest level of god that mortals know about. He is often seen as the creator god, if he is or not. He is never contacted by mortals, and he does not contact them. Only another god may converse with the Planar God. Even then, he simply doesn't care whats going on in any particular plane. Nothing short of the utter destruction of a plane will get his direct attention. Petty matters of necromancer hordes trying to conquer the world are beneath him, thats what his underling gods are for.Each campaign world/setting has it's own set of these gods. This is why Greyhawk has it's set of gods, Faerun has it's own set, and Eberron has yet another. But there are layers above this. In charge of keeping the multiverses in check is the Multiverse God. He listens only to the Planar Gods from each of the individual settings. He doesn't care if one single plane is going to be destroyed, he cares and acts only when the entire planar system is in danger. And sitting at the top of the heap is the Creator God. He is the true creator of everything that is, from the smallest insect, to the expanses of all the multiverses. He is completely removed from the plights of those living in his creations, and cannot be bothered with danger to any one of his creations. He is only roused when all of creation is threatened. None can stand before his terrible power. Only the council of Multiverse Gods may gain his ear, and even then they do so only at great need. He works constantly to create new realms, and never rests.When a new setting comes out, with its own version of the core rules stuff, that is the Creator God having just completed a new system. All the gods under him are mearly caretakers of his creations, with varying levels of authority. Any god of a higher rank can override the decisions of those under him. Of these underlings, only the Portfolio Gods, as the lowest ranking amongst the gods, can be created and destroyed. The creation of a Portfolio God requires either a majority agreement amongst the other Portfolio Gods and no outspoken refusal by the Elemental/Essence Gods, or the direct appointment of the Planar God. All other levels of gods are beyond things like being destroyed, and only the Creator God has the power to remove them from their positions. However, the Elemental/Essense Gods can be beaten by a strong enough force of Portfolio Gods. Not destroyed, but they can be thwarted, although they are likely to dstroy many of the opposing Portfolio Gods in the process.
Art_Tillary 08-17-04, 09:38 PM	Originally posted by Ilium I like the "world as cheessboard" idea. Picture this: The gods are hideously powerful immortal aliens. They might or might not be the same species. It doesn't really matter. Each has nearly (snip) Lets see. This idea is similar to the Babylon 5 TV series of Vorlons and Shadows. I can also recommend some of the Grimes novels by Chandler. There have also been numerous short stories in this vein. AT
Xyppenphrendleinackobus 08-17-04, 10:29 PM	Originally posted by Ilium I like the "world as cheessboard" idea. Picture this: The gods are hideously powerful immortal aliens. They might or might not be the same species.... I've really liked this idea ever since I read Saberhagen's Book of Swords trilogy and I like your take on it: So in a sense they are "just there" but their arbitrary behavior is explained (at least to the DM). This is kind of cynical, in that it means even the "good" gods are using people. But if the stakes of the bet include ownership of the game world, the good vs. evil roles are still maintained. Even if Pelor is gaming with your life, you would still rather have him win the Gruumsh! I also like the rules that you've given (#s 2 & 3). I think I may implement them and, possibly, expand on them just a little. :) Edit: Almost forgot: Edymnion, I never really thought much about deities before, usually they were always just sort of there, in the background, and never really played much of a role in any of my campaigns. I like your system. Very nice.