Vanilla Gods

[Exubae]

I've been thinking about another approach to God building:
Take each rune (or aspect of a rune) and assign 2 common Magic, 2 skills, and 2 Divine Spells.

ie

Elemental Rune Templates

Night Deity
Runes: Darkness
Common Magic: Boon of Lasting Night, Darkwall
Divine Magic: Eclipse, Fear
Skills: Stealth,Sleight

Sea Deity
Runes: Water
Common Magic: Co-ordination, Water Breath
Divine Magic: Summon Elemental (Undine), Ebb and Flow
Skills: Swim, Ship-handling

Earth Deity
Earth Rune
Common Magic: Heal, Second Sight
Skills: Resilience, Brawn
Divine Magic: Heal Body, Summon Elemental (Gnome)

Wind Deity
Runes: Air
Common Magic: Mobility, Push/Pull
Divine Magic: Summon Elemental (Sylph), Call Winds
Skills: Athletics, Evade

Thunder Deity
Runes: Air
Common Magic: Voice of Thunder, Strength
Divine Magic: Crash of Thunder, Lightning Strike
Skills: Brawn, Combat Style (Hammer or Spear)

Weather Deity
Runes: Air or Water
Common Magic: Co-ordination, Heal
Divine Magic: Rain, Fog
Skills: Seduction, Resilience

Sun Deity
Runes: Fire
Common Magic: Ignite, Fire Blade
Skills: Orate, Perception
Divine Magic: Summon Elemental (Salamander), Sun Spear

Sky Deity
Runes: Fire
Common Magic: Light, Fire Arrow
Skills: Combat Style (Bow or Spear), Perception
Divine Magic: Summon Elemental (Salamander), Sureshot

Seduction Deity
Moon Rune
Common Magic: Co-ordination, Second Sight
Skills: Dance, Seduction
Divine Magic: Aphrodisiac, Eclipse

Madness Deity
Moon Rune
Common Magic: Bandit's Cloak, Second Sight
Skills: Insight,Stealth
Divine Magic: Madness, Summon Elemental (Lune or Selene)

Other Rune Templates

Ruling Deity
Mastery Rune
Common Magic: Glamor, Bear Witness
Skills: Influence, Orate
Divine Magic: Shield, Mind Blast

Death Deity
Death Rune
Common Magic: Hand of Death, Demoralize
Skills: Weapon Style, Persistence
Divine Magic: Sever-Spirit, Spirit Block

War Deity
Death Rune
Common Magic: Blade Sharp or Bludgeon, Strength
Skills: Weapon Style, Resilience
Divine Magic: True Weapon, Berserk

Hunter Deity
Death Rune
Common Magic: Speedart, Bandit's Cloak
Skills: Missile Weapon Style, Track
Divine Magic: Sureshot, Alter Target

Life Deity
Fertility Rune
Common Magic: Heal, Cauterise
Skills: First Aid, Craft (Healing Potions)
Divine Magic: Resurrect, Heal body


Reproduction Deity
Fertility Rune
Common Magic: Glamour, Vigour
Skills: First Aid, Craft (Healing Potions)
Divine Magic: Aphrodisiac, Regrow Limb

Peace Deity
Harmony Rune
Common Magic: Heal , Spiritbane
Skills: First Aid, Influence
Divine Magic: Reflection, Disarm

Balance Deity
Harmony Rune
Common Magic: Understanding , Becalm
Skills: Insight, Influence
Divine Magic: Dismiss Elemental, Clear Skies

Trickster Deity
Disorder Rune
Common Magic: Babel, Befuddle
Skills: Seduction, Influence
Divine Magic: Fear, Laughter

Thief Deity
Disorder Rune
Common Magic: Bandit's Cloak, Golden Tongue
Skills: Sneak, Evaluate
Divine Magic: Disarm, Reflection

Fate Deity
Fate Rune
Common Magic: Fate, Fanaticism
Skills: Any two in line with other cult skills
Divine Magic: Alter Target, Disarm

Luck Deity
Luck Rune
Common Magic: Lucky, Parry
Skills: Gambling, Any one in line with other cult skills
Divine Magic: Alter Target, True Weapon

Truth Deity
Truth Rune
Common Magic: Detect Lie. Abacus
Skills: Orate, Any one in line with other cult skills
Divine Magic: Heal Mind, Mindblast

Illusion Deity
Illusion Rune
Common Magic: Glamour. Befuddle
Skills: Stealth, Sleight
Divine Magic: Illusion, Reflection

Travel Deity
Motion Rune
Common Magic: Mobility. Clear Path
Skills: Athletics, Resilience
Divine Magic: Channel Strength, Clear Skies

Stasis Deity
Stasis Rune
Common Magic: Slow. Becalm
Skills: Resistance, Resilience
Divine Magic: Shield, Heal Wound

Then to create your Gods,
all you need to do is combine 3 templates for a greater god,
2 for a standard god, and a single for minor deities to the basic template

Basic Template
Skills:
Pact(Deity) Lore(Deity)
Divine Magic
Behold
Blessing
Consecrate
Dismiss Magic
Excommunicate
Extension
Soul Sight

Myth-wise a Greater god gains 170% over three Myths
Standard god gains 120% over two Myths
Minor god gains 75% resonance in one myth.


Xiogorn the Murderous
The Major deity of his pantheon
Runes Mastery,Earth,Death

Common Magic: Hand of Death, Demoralize,Heal,
Second Sight,Glamour, Bear Witness
Skills: Weapon Style, Persistence, Influence,
Orate,Resilience, Brawn, Pact (Xiogorn), Lore (Xiogorn)
Divine Magic: Sever-Spirit, Spirit Block , Heal Body,
Summon Elemental (Gnome), Shield, Mind Blast,
Behold, Blessing, Consecrate, Dismiss Magic, Excommunicate,
Extension, Soul Sight
Myths: One Myth 70% resonance, two others 50% resonance


Not sure how much this merit this has but it does allow you to build pantheons pretty quick.

 

[Deleriad]

I've been thinking something along those lines in terms of "aspects." an aspect might be a rune, celestial/mythic feature (the sun, a star, a mountain), a kind of action, virtue, domain etc.

Then as you say a particular cult might worship a certain god through 1-3 aspects depending on the size and influence of both cult and deity. It probably works better than a list of gods. It is, if you like, an effects based system for cults.

 

[Exubae]

The other problem is it is a bit flat and lifeless.

 

[PhilHibbs]

The other problem is it is a bit flat and lifeless.

No formulaic system is going to make imaginative, creative deities with depth and character. You have to use your imagination to do that, so it isn't really a failing of this system. It's like saying that 7 characteristics and a bunch of skills is flat and lifeless. Yes, it is, but it's just a starting point.

 

[sdavies2720]

No formulaic system is going to make imaginative, creative deities with depth and character. You have to use your imagination to do that, so it isn't really a failing of this system. It's like saying that 7 characteristics and a bunch of skills is flat and lifeless. Yes, it is, but it's just a starting point.

Yes, I like this idea as an idea generator or starting point for members of a pantheon.

What I've found though, is I tend to put many more components into the gods I create (components = common magic spells, divine spells, heck even myths). I find that I need each cult to provide access to more spells and other stuff (it's the primary way that heroes get them), and as I write them, the logic of the god suggests other things to add.

So, I'd use this as a starting point for each cult, then add a handful of other items as appropriate and as the writeup suggests them.

Steve

 

[Mixster]

I like this domain approach, you can build gods with it pretty quickly I'd think, which is useful when you don't want to use all your preparation time on writing a background story for each and every deity.

 

[Radioactive Ape Colin]

The other problem is it is a bit flat and lifeless.

No formulaic system is going to make imaginative, creative deities with depth and character. You have to use your imagination to do that, so it isn't really a failing of this system. It's like saying that 7 characteristics and a bunch of skills is flat and lifeless. Yes, it is, but it's just a starting point.

Absolutely. I've given up on my vanilla cults, by the way; the thread fell prey to too much useless and pointless debate over whether vanilla was useful/desirable, how I should check out X, Y, and Z (assuming I hadn't), people who felt I somehow needed to be educated that vanilla cults would need flavour added (despite me saying as much in the freaking OP), how people see myths, etc. All despite me being clear from the onset and even asking folks to keep any OT postings to a minimum. Damn well killed any enthusiasm I had to share the project with anyone.

Colin

 

[cthulhudarren]

The other problem is it is a bit flat and lifeless.

No formulaic system is going to make imaginative, creative deities with depth and character. You have to use your imagination to do that, so it isn't really a failing of this system. It's like saying that 7 characteristics and a bunch of skills is flat and lifeless. Yes, it is, but it's just a starting point.

Absolutely. I've given up on my vanilla cults, by the way; the thread fell prey to too much useless and pointless debate over whether vanilla was useful/desirable, how I should check out X, Y, and Z (assuming I hadn't), people who felt I somehow needed to be educated that vanilla cults would need flavour added (despite me saying as much in the freaking OP), how people see myths, etc. All despite me being clear from the onset and even asking folks to keep any OT postings to a minimum. Damn well killed any enthusiasm I had to share the project with anyone.

Colin

Sorry about that. I hope I wasn't part of the problem.

 

[cthulhudarren]

No formulaic system is going to make imaginative, creative deities with depth and character. You have to use your imagination to do that, so it isn't really a failing of this system. It's like saying that 7 characteristics and a bunch of skills is flat and lifeless. Yes, it is, but it's just a starting point.

Yes, I like this idea as an idea generator or starting point for members of a pantheon.

What I've found though, is I tend to put many more components into the gods I create (components = common magic spells, divine spells, heck even myths). I find that I need each cult to provide access to more spells and other stuff (it's the primary way that heroes get them), and as I write them, the logic of the god suggests other things to add.

So, I'd use this as a starting point for each cult, then add a handful of other items as appropriate and as the writeup suggests them.

Steve

+ me

The hard and fluffy part is coming up with the myths.

 

[Exubae]

The hard and fluffy part is coming up with the myths.

Agreed, but when you've built your pantheon, you can make a sparse web of interaction based on closeness or opposition of runes owned by the deity.
IE a darkness deity may be in opposition to the fire god etc.