Quick Navigation:

• Basic Mechanics
• Characteristics and Equipment
• Combat
• Divinity
• Realms and Advancement
• Souls and Enhancement
• Monsters, Invocation, Animancy, and Artifice
• Magic
• Religion and Faith
• Advanced Options

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Basic Mechanics

This game uses a simple system to determine the outcome of events. Most situations will call for the generation of a 'threshold' which is often the combination of an Attribute and Skill. Thresholds can be modified by equipment, circumstances, and other effects.

Bonuses and Penalties

In many situations your threshold will be affected, positively and negatively, by outside factors. These factors can allow you to overcome insurmountable odds or turn something that was supposed to be routine into a challenge. Below is a simple scheme to arbitrate these modifiers:

Minor: +2
Major: +4
Overwhelming: +6

There is no limit to the number of bonuses and penalties that one can have on a single action.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:58, Tue 19 May 2020.

Characteristics and Equipment

Attributes

There are six attributes in the game:

• Might: a measure of power and raw strength.
• Finesse: a measure of dexterity, reflex, and poise.
• Resilience: a measure of endurance and vitality.
• Will: a measure of mental fortitude and resolve.
• Grace: a measure of charisma.
• Essence: a measure of arcane connection and potency.

These attributes are ranked between 0 and 10. The limit of mortal ability is 5 and most monsters will not have attributes higher than 7. Gods on the other hand can exceed 10 under unique circumstances. All Gods begin with scores of 1 in each attribute.


Skills

There are 5 levels of skills which represent increasing degrees of proficiency and knowledge in a given action or field. Skills are free-form in this game and should be discussed with the GM.


For every level above Novice (1) you gain a Feat which modifies the associated what you are capable of doing with the associated skill. At Master (4) you receive a special mastery feat which is more potent than a traditional Feat.

All gods begin with 3 Adept (2) skills and 2 Novice (1) skills. Additionally gods have a magical skill at Novice (1) level.

Magic

Magic is the arcane ability to use anima, a potent energy from Creation itself, to exact changes on the world through the mages will. The fields of magic are varied with some being broader or more narrow depending on the needs of the mage. The basic fields are Abjuration, Conjuration, Illusion, Divination, Necromancy, Transmutation, and Enchantment.

Refer to the Magic section for more details.

Equipment and Items

Due to the sheer diversity of items which an individual could possess or use the following scheme is used to determine the bonus any given item provides to threshold: simple (+1), advanced (+2), and specialized (+4).

A simple item is any item that allows an action to be performed but is not its sole function or requires little investment to obtain (ex. a wooden torch). An advanced item is any item that augments an action and has a limited scope of alternative uses (ex. general crafting tools). A specialized item is an item that is created exclusively for one function or is cost and/or labor intensive to obtain (ex. scientific instrument).

A similar scheme exists for weapons, armor, and shields:


+3 weapons, unless otherwise stated, require two hands to wield and cannot be used with shields except +1 shields. Additionally, items of different qualities or material strengths can provide similar bonuses but degrade at different rate, especially when used against one another. Finally, weaponry of sufficiently advanced nature can ignore bonuses offer by inferior defensive wears and vice versa.

Note: Weapons of exceptional quality or those made of special materials may have higher bonuses than those listed here. Unless otherwise stated these items do not required two hands unless their base item would.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:58, Tue 19 May 2020.

Combat

Initiative

Combat is an inevitability for gods as Monsters and their violent nature often clash with the objectives of the god. When in combat a god acts first and then their opponents. If a god has mortal allies they act on their initiative. When fighting without their god they obey the following scheme:


Actions

There are three actions which are to be considered during a combat situation: major, minor, and swift. During any one post a player can take actions according to one of the following schemes:
- a full-round action and a swift action
- a major action, a minor action, and a swift action
- two minor actions and a swift action

The major actions a player can take include: using a major ability, using an artifacts active power, or casting a spell. The minor actions a player can take include: activating a minor ability, dropping or standing from prone, or drawing or sheathing a weapon. A swift action is often limited to speaking a short phrase, dropping an item, or taking a step in any available direction. Defensive actions such as dodging or blocking are assumed in posts but particular actions, such as rolling to cover, should be explicitly stated. In addition to these actions a being can move a number of feet as determined by their Finesse and this table:


This movement can occur before or after taking your actions but cannot be taken in parts unless some effect allows for it.

Note: A spell can be cast using a minor action but its threshold is halved, round down, unless some effect modifies this.

Weapons and Armor

Weapons and armor provide a threshold bonus relative to the following scheme:


Weapons with +3 threshold, at base, require two-hands to wield and cannot be used with shield expect bucklers (+1). Items of different qualities or material strengths can provide similar bonuses but degrade at different rates, especially when used against one another. Weaponry of a sufficiently advanced nature can ignore bonuses offered by inferior defensive wears.

Example: A stone club and a steel dagger both provide a +1 bonus but when wielded in combat the stone club will break after a few strikes against steel armor whereas the dagger will prove reliable so long as it is maintained.

Example: A thaumaturgic firecaster (+2) will ignore armor that is not at least made of steel.

Damage

When unarmed, damage is dealt by comparing the threshold of the attackers relevant Attribute + Skill versus the defenders threshold of relevant Attribute + Skill. If the threshold is higher then the attack is successful and damage equal to the difference in threshold is dealt. If reduced to 0 HP the target is considered dead unless they are god in which case they obey the rules laid out in the above Vitality section.

Situational Modifiers

When improperly skilled and improperly armed you are at a great disadvantage but there are several things that can be done to offset the situation in your favor. To arbitrate these modifiers a simple system is employed:

Common: +/-1
Advanced: +/-2
Specialized: +/-4

Example: A well-led force can benefit from a +2 bonus to their threshold while obeying the orders of their superiors. Whereas an assassin under the mantle of a illusory guise might have a +4 bonus to sneak attacking said superior commander. The poor guard who failed in protecting their commander might have benefited from a torch (+1) if not for their drunken stupor (-2).

Healing and Afflictions

A god heals 1 HP per point in Resilience each day regardless of their activity. Monsters heal at rate of 1 HP/Resilience/Day but only while resting. If active this rate is cut half, rounded down to a minimum of 0. Basic Chosen heal 1 HP/Resilience/Week although this doubles if resting. Advanced and Elite Units heal as if Monsters of equivalent Resilience.

Beyond HP there are certain conditions and circumstances which impose lasting penalties. These are known as Afflictions. There are three degrees of Afflictions: minor, major, and extreme. Unless stated to be permanent minor afflictions resolve themselves within a week and impose a -2 penalty to some action(s) and major afflictions resolve themselves within a month and impose a -5 penalty to some action(s). Extreme afflictions are always permanent and often prevent actions from being performed or impose a -10 penalty; whichever is more appropriate.

Note: Gods are more resistant to lasting harm but are not immune to Afflictions. Regardless of endurance Afflictions heal at the same rate unless some effect modifies this.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:58, Tue 19 May 2020.

Divinity

As a god you are one of the most powerful beings in existence. As such you benefit from a few advantages that set you apart from mortals.

Celestial Body

Gods are largely more resilient then mortals regardless of their Resilience attribute. As gods you cannot contract mundane diseases, heal from wounds faster, and fatigue more slowly. When in RP PUBLIC Realms you need not eat, drink, sleep, or breathe as you are in their fully divine forms. Magical and theurgic effects still operate as normally on gods.

Aura

Every god is shrouded in a sphere of invisible divine power. This shroud acts as a dampener to any damage that would be dealt to the god. The strength of a god's Aura is equal to their Essence plus their Divine Rank and reduces damage by that value before being further reduced by active defense. Certain items can augment the efficiency of an Aura and even bestow it special effects. Attacks which are equal to or greater than the Aura reduce its power by 1 until it is allowed to regenerate, often at a rate of 1 per 5 minutes. Lesser attacks also reduce a god's Aura but at a rate of 3 attacks per 1 Aura reduced.

Even an unconscious and dying god benefits from their Aura.

Paradox

Paradox is the ability for a god to appear in more than one place at once. This ability is restricted only by the status of the realm that the god wishes to be in. A god can maintain only one instance within given Realm unless otherwise stated and must maintain at least one instance at all times. Under normal circumstances a god cannot select where they arrive when paradoxing, although symbolic entrances are often emergence points.

A god is aware of each of their paradoxed instances, obtaining any knowledge, souls, aspects, or natures instantly and being able to share them with each instance of themselves. Equipped Artifacts and Familiars manifest with a god across instances but mundane items and invoked Monsters must be transported across Realms using portals. Finally, any damage suffered, either to the celestial body or Aura, is shared between instances but spell uses are not.

Note: You cannot paradox to a Realm, regardless of status, that you are unaware of.

Realm Status

• RP REALM: The personal Realm of a god. You cannot paradox into the realm of another god without their permission. Attempts to do so simply fail.
• RP PUBLIC: A realm which has no god and is considered the equal domain of all divine beings. Paradox allows divine beings to travel freely to major locales within these Realms, removing the need for mundane transit so long as they are aware of where they are headed.
• RP SECRET: A realm of this nature is hidden from casual intrusion, often sealed behind ancient theurgic powers and eldritch forces. When an entrance is uncovered to these Realms a god may paradox into and out of the Realm, unless another force bars them.
• RP LOST: A lost realm is an alien world which has been thrust from the protective birth-womb of Creation. Travel to lost realms is hazardous and often difficult as all other instances of a god cease to exist until they return to Creation, often through means that are not Paradox.

Portals

Gods are the only beings that can freely open portals between Realms. A portal can be opened at the cost of 100 Minor Souls/Hour. An opened Portal does not allow the transfer of items or matter unless a will propels it through. One end of a portal is always fixed to the location which were you opened it and the other will be within the location you specified up to a certain extent. You may open a portal to a minor locale or a known division within a Province but you cannot designate a particular structure to open within. Often Portals will appear within areas were a metaphysical entrance is; such as a gate or town center.

Portals are not conventionally gated. This means that while open anyone may cross without impunity. At any time a Portal can be closed by the will of the Creator. Portals cannot be used to bisect or otherwise sever beings or objects. Transfer through a portal is instantaneous and beings or entities partially within a Portal during its closing will be forced to the opposing side without harm. Finally, portals cannot be opened to or from RP SECRET and RP LOST realms.

Realm Authority

A God is the supreme authority within their Realm. While truly grand efforts will require magic or theurgy, there are many things that a god can perform with concentration and focus although the time varies depending on the alteration.

• Alter weather (minutes to hours)
• Alter landmasses (days to weeks)
• Alter your people while in your Realm. (weeks to months)
• Create portals to other realms by which to travel, or create a portal to your realm which other gods may enter or exit. (instantaneous)
• Sense the presence of other divinities although not their location. (passive)

It is important to note that alterations to ones Chosen cannot grant them abilities or skills but it can change their form, behavior, or inherent nature. A species of sea-dwellers can be made to be amphibious but they cannot be made to summon storms.

Divine Senses

The senses of a god are beyond the scope of mortal beings. With a single glance a god can identify those of their own kind and the strength of their divinity relative to their own. Divine beings whose celestial essence differs can also be identified, although exact details cannot be gleaned. Additionally, a god can identify the Rank, Aspects, and Nature of a Monster with similar ease. This does not reveal Attributes or Skills although this can be overcome with the appropriate divination spell or ability. Beings which are similar to Monsters can also be identified but without the benefit of knowing their Aspects and Natures or at times their Rank. Finally, a god can identify the Chosen of any other god. If they have meet the god before then they recognize their signature on their souls, otherwise they simply get an impression of their primary domain.

Triplet Existence

A god has three lives to live. When killed they return to the primordial dream-realm where gods are birthed until they can reconstitute and resurrect. With each death they are weakened on an essential level until they can no longer reconstitute themselves and their identities are lost forever.

This is the cycle of creation and destruction, birth and death. With the passing of a god into Final Death their Realm will begin to wither and perish before ceasing to exist all together unless passed to an Heir. Those souls unbound to a Paradise will be lost to the steady entropy of the Abyss or consumed by fleeing monsters and alien forces.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:59, Tue 19 May 2020.

Realms and Advancement

Realms

Each Realm has 5 Provinces. A god arrives in a Province that is contested and once they solidify their claim can be begin to expand their reach. For each province that is brought under their command they will increase in Divine Rank. Once they have claimed command of all 5 Provinces, reaching Rank 6, their Rank cannot increase without performing grand deeds in other Realms.

Each Province will provide a bonus to the god for having it under their command. These bonuses can be:
[*] 1 major power or blessing
[*] 2 minor powers or blessings
[*] Cost reduction of action
[*] GM-determined bonus. [/list]
The reward gained by controlling a Province will be relative to the order in which the Province is liberated. With each Province under the god's command the other Provinces become more difficult to gain. The Monsters in the region have been given time to feast and grow more powerful, to organize and build, and even rally the support of outside forces and entities.

Advancement

When major objectives, such as the control of a Province, are accomplished a god increases in Divine Rank. These Ranks provide attribute and skill improvements,some bonus, and at certain thresholds provide Titles to reflect their increased power. Detailed below are the ranks, titles, improvements, and benefits.


Class: As a Minor God you gain a class which will further define your abilities and skills. Classes are broad terms (mage, warrior, rogue, craftsman, etc.) and provide you with a Special Ability related to the Class.

Resistance: You are now resistant to some source of harm. Subtract your Rank from any damage that you would suffer from this source. Sources should be limited: blades, fire, etc.

Honor Guard: Your divine power has reached out and ceased fragments of Creation, molding them into a group of warriors whose loyalties are absolute and powers are reflective of their god. These units are considered Elite and are treated as if they posses Natures the same as your Domains. They also gain 1 ability for each of your Domains. If such a unit exists already elevate them to the appropriate status and refund any Souls spent in their advancement.

Specialization: You have progressed along your path and as such have gained a class specialization.  Example specializations are envoker for mage, knight for warrior, assassin for rogue, blacksmith for craftsman, etc.) A Specialization provides you with a Special Ability related to the Class.

Hero: Your divine power reaches out once more and forges a Hero. Possessing powers as if a demigod, a hero is your mortal instrument in which to exact your will. They are treated as if a Rank 5 monster whose Natures are the same as your Domains and gain up to 3 Aspects of your choosing. If an existing being is elevated to the status of Hero they can gain Aspects up to 3 and they gain your Domains in addition to any Nature they previously possessed up to a maximum of 4. Refund the cost of any improvements and gain 1 ability for each Nature possessed, excluding any that were already possessed.

Mastery: You have reached the end of your path and with it has come mastery of your class. Mastery gives you a second, more powerful ability related to your mastery path. An example mastery may be Pyromancer for Envoker or Artificer for Blacksmith.

Heir: You have amassed enough power to spawn a new god. Your Heir inherits a primary domain related to your own and a secondary domain of the GM's choosing. This new Heir does not have their own Realm but can forge one using a Paradise Seed. If you experience final death you may continue the game as your Heir who inherits all that you possess.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:14, Tue 19 May 2020.

Souls

Souls are the key resource of all gods. Nearly all actions are fueled by the use of souls or their consumption. Souls are divided into three categories:

Minor Souls - Motes of pure spiritual energy that are released when a being dies or harvested passively from the Heartstar. These souls defining qualities but are the most abundant type of soul. As celestial beings, gods consume these souls to fuel their major abilities, enact great changes, or create new Artifacts and beings.

The primary gain of souls is passive. As a God you will gain 100 Souls each IRL week. This amount will increase by 100 per province Divine Rank you obtain. Another method of gaining minor souls is to kill monsters. When a monster is slain it releases a quantity of souls relative to its Rank. Please reference the monster section for further details.

Monster Souls - Monster Souls are souls which are obtained from the death of Monsters. Their souls are simulacra of true souls. In reality they are bundles of spiritual energy and stolen pieces of Creation, all centered around a eldritch Seed of Chaos. Still Monsters have their uses. The first is simply the dissolution of the soul to obtain further Minor Souls and a modicum of the stolen pieces of Creation, known as Aspects and Natures. The second is to bind the soul to yourself as your Familiar. You may have one such Familiar at any given time. Familiars can be summoned to your side at will and if killed will resurrect after 1 day, relative to the Realm they are slain, so long as you are alive. Familiars may also Paradox with their bound deity. Finally the soul can be used to craft Artifact, augmented in various ways, or temporarily summoned to serve their summoner. Please reference the Artifice, Animancy, and Invocation section for further details.

Chosen Souls - Chosen Souls are the souls of a god's chosen species. These Souls possess the memories and identities of the person they belonged to. Without a Paradise these souls will linger around the god, their fate linked to their survival. If a Paradise exists then the souls will travel to that location and be re-born as the god has dictated. If a god  suffers final death then those souls outside of a Paradise are lost forever but those within continue on indefinitely. That aside Chosen Souls are potent sources of spiritual energy and if offered the opportunity Monsters will consume these souls.

Soul Consumption

As previously mentioned souls, more accurately Minor Souls, are consumed to fuel various abilities. Below is a summary of some of the costs.

• Open Portal - 10 Faith/hour
• Animancy (Fusion) - 15 + 15/Rank
• Animancy (Alteration) - 20/Quality
• Animancy (Genesis) - Varies
• Artifice - 150 Faith
• Enhancement - Varies

Enhancement

Mortals can belong to one of  three tiers based on their attributes, skills, and abilities: Basic, Advanced, and Elite. A Basic Unit is equivalent to a Rank 0 or 1 Monster and has no special skills. An Advanced Unit is equivalent to a Rank 2 or 3 Monster and has a class. An Elite Unit is equivalent to a 3 or 4 Monster and has a specialization in their class. At both Advanced and Elite levels, Chosen will obtain Special Abilities related to their class and specialization respectively.

Mortals will naturally improve with time, often on the order of months to years, but a god can accelerate the process through the infusing them with of minor souls as determined by the table below. Additionally, mortals can wield Artifacts and can be further improved through Alteration Animancy as if Monster of their lowest equivalent Rank up to the maximum limit imposed by that Rank.


This message was last edited by the GM at 18:39, Tue 23 Mar 2021.

Monsters

Monster is a general term for the beings which inhabit the various Realms that were not created directly by the god. They are instead forged of chaos and within their souls are the bound up remnants of Creation. Seeking to fuel themselves and their powers they subsist on the souls of other monsters and the Chosen. They are often aggressive and simple-minded although more powerful monsters may demonstrate intelligence and even motivations beyond simple survival.

However, Gods should not be lead astray by this as monsters are incomplete beings whose chaotic souls must subsist on spiritual energy, often from the souls of other beings. That, however, does not prevent a god from showing mercy or favoritism to certain beings and some gods have even allowed monsters into their Paradises where their souls are made stable by the constant influx of spiritual power.

Aspects

Aspects are qualities of a Monster which largely define its form and behavior. A massive hydra-like monster might have Aquatic, Serpent, and Dire as Aspects to represent their habitat, form, and size respectively. Aspects are powerful as they can be bound to items through items using Artifice and bestow those qualities to the bound item or wielder.

Nature

Natures represent the essential substance of a creature. As in the previous example a hydra is likely to have a Water and Poison Nature to represent its prodigious command of currents and ability to vomit forth streams of poison. Natures are powerful because they can be bound to items using Artifice to give the item that nature.

Please refer to the Bestiary thread for further information

Rank

Each Monster has a Rank which shows its relative strength. Ranks go from 0 to 5 with each rank being roughly twice as strong as the previous, although Attributes and Skills may offset this one way or the other. Below are some examples of Monsters for each Rank.

Rank 0: Slime
Rank 1: Goblin
Rank 2: Ogre Berseker
Rank 3: Fire Dragon
Rank 4: Soulflayer
Rank 5: Greater Eldritch

A Rank 0 Monster is mostly a nuisance, Rank 1 Monsters are potential lethal in large numbers but easy to kill, Rank 2 is a challenge for young gods and begin to demonstrate impressive abilities, Rank 3 is potentially fatal for young gods and often have well distinguished powers, Rank 4 is generally outright lethal to a young god and is a challenge even for mid-tier gods, and finally Rank 5 monsters are demigods in their own rights.

This scale also really only controls for simple Aspects and Natures. As Aspects and Natures become more complex they will increase the strength of the individual proportionality. So a Rank 3 Fire Dragon is easier to kill than a Rank 2 Hellfire Dragon.

Monster Death

On the death of a Monster it releases Minor Souls relative to its Rank and the soul of the Monster is gained unless otherwise stated. If the Monster Soul is broken down then it provides an additional amount of Minor Souls and some number of Aspects and/or Natures up to the maximum they posses; min 1. These Aspects and Natures are selected by the individual who destroys their soul.


Invocation

Invocation is the temporary summoning of a monster whose soul a god or other being possesses. To invoke a soul you must expend faith equal to it Rank and it remains manifest for a scene or 1 hour; whichever is more appropriate. To maintain them beyond that time for 1 Faith/Rank/hour.

A god can have a number of Monsters Invoked equal to their Rank + Will. Any others Invoked above this limit are lost to the god as they regain their form and independence, often to flee or attack their previous master.

Animancy

Animancy is the method of creating new souls through the use of entire souls or Essence of Aspects and Natures. There are three methods of animancy: fusion, alteration, and genesis.

Fusion

Fusion is the process of combining two monster souls together. The souls being fused must be of the same Rank and this Rank determines the likelihood of success as detailed below. On successful fusion the monsters rank increases and they inherit a random collection of Aspects and Natures from the fusion material monsters up to the limit imposed by their new Rank. On failure the souls are lost but you gain the Base and Dissolution amount of minor souls relative to their Rank and a single random Aspect or Nature from each of the monsters. Finally, when fusing monsters there is a chance that an Aspect or Nature may combine into a more complex or powerful variant. This likelihood is half, round down, the likelihood of a successful fusion.

Rank 0: 100%
Rank 1: 75%
Rank 2: 50%
Rank 3: 25%
Rank 4: 10%
Rank 5: 1%

Alteration

Alteration is the process of taking an Aspect or Nature and adding it to an existing Monster. This new Aspect or Nature is gained up to the maximum limit imposed by the Monster's Rank. If added in excess of this level the Aspect or Nature will randomly replace one already possessed by the soul, although the replaced Aspect or Nature is simply lost. Similarly to fusion alteration has a chance of aspect/nature fusion which is half the base success rate of fusion.

Genesis

Genesis is the process of creating an entirely new Monster. This is done by combining Aspects and Natures that the god possesses and expending the requisite amount of Minor Souls to stabilize it. Genesis has no chance of Aspect or Nature combinations and monsters created through Genesis cannot be Fused or Altered further.

Rank Limits and Genesis Cost


Artifice

Artifice is the act of combining Aspects and Natures to items. For the purposes of Artifice there are five classes of items: Helm, Raiment, Sceptre, Arms, and Ward.

• Helms are worn upon the head and can be anything from traditional armor helmets to circlets or crowns. Aspects and Natures instilled into Helms bestows the quality to those Units under the wearers direct leadership or command.
• Raiments are worn upon the body and can be anything from fine armor to elaborate robes to even a simple cloak. Aspects and Natures instilled into Raiments give the weare those qualities while worn.
• Sceptres are held in the offhand and can be actual sceptres, wands, blasting rods, or similar channeling implements. Aspects and Natures instilled into Sceptres can be applied to Monsters under the wielders command or leadership.
• Arms are held in the main hand and can be any weapon. Aspects and Natures instilled into Arms give that item a quality or special property related to the qualities placed within it.
• Wards are worn on the hands and neck and can be anything from simple rings to elaborate jewelry. Aspects and Natures instilled into Wards grant those qualities to the god's Aura, augmenting them. Other beings gain a lesser version of the Aura which possesses only the qualities given to it by the Ward.

While many of the properties Artifice bestows upon items can be replicated with sufficiently advanced magic, Artifacts are not impeded by efforts to dispel their effects and do not have usage limits. A normal Artifact can possess a single Aspect or Nature and a being can wield a single item of each type at any given time. Items possessed by a god travel with them when they Paradox.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:41, Tue 23 Mar 2021.

Magic

All gods have an innate understanding of magic, although their Essence determines how strongly connected they are to the universal fonts of magic that flow through Creation. Regardless of Essence however all gods can perform magic and are the first Awakened beings to be capable of doing so. At character creation, gods select a magical discipline to have a Novice rank in. Additionally all mage have a pool of anima, energy used to cast spells, which is equal equal to their (Essence + Magical Skill) * 2. This pool regenerates fully each day and the anima pool's value can be modified further by Feats and other effects.

Spellcasting

Magic is expressed most often in the form of spells. The potency and complexity of these spells is limited by a beings Essence + Magical Skill threshold. To determine what magic you are capable of performing consult the following tables:


Spell Guidelines

• Non-Damaging Duration: A spell has a potency relative to its threshold and multiplied by any bonus it might possess from its Rank or Magical Feats. Spells which have a non-damaging effect last for a duration relative to their Rank and this scheme:
  
  

  Rank	Duration
  1	minutes
  2	hours
  3	days
  4	months

• Conjuring: It is important to note that conjurings fall under this scheme but their potency, or threshold bonus, is limited by the following scheme:
  
  

  Threshold
  Item	Spell
  01	01
  02	02
  03	04
  +1	+2

• Buff and Debuff: Spells which grant an advantage or impose a disadvantage have their potency limited to half their threshold, round down, or the spells Rank; whichever is greater. They last a number of rounds equal to the threshold. These spells may stack increasing duration but not potency.
• Effect Over Time: For spells which cause or remove damage over time, their potency is limited to half the threshold, round down, or the spells rank; whichever is greater. They last the same duration of rounds. These spells do not stack.
• Multiple Target: Spells, of the appropriate Rank (2+) which affect more than a single target divide their threshold equally among the targets, unless an ability allows them to do otherwise.
• Area Effect: A spell which affects an area >5 ft. has its threshold halved, rounded down.

This message was last edited by the GM at 14:44, Fri 12 June 2020.

Religion and Faith

As gods you are considerably more powerful than mortal beings and as your power and wisdom matures you will rival even the most powerful of Monsters. That said a god without the support of their Chosen has denied themselves and their charges a potent boon. Detailed below are the rules regarding the establishment of a religious following, divine magic, blessings and curses, and a pool of energy known as Faith which can be wielded by divinities.

Establishing a Religion

Establishing a religion among your Chosen is an easy task. A god need only create and disseminate dogma among their people. This dogma will determine their moral code, any requirements or prohibitions the divinity wishes to place on them, and any holy observations or ceremonies.

If a god does not directly shape these behaviors a religion may be produced spontaneously at a speed relative to the divinities Grace and actions. Those with low Grace will be slow to create a religious following, while those of high Grace will have one as a matter of course.

Divine Magic

Once a religion has been founded, the belief that a Chosen has in the dogma and actions of their god begins to manifest as a unique magical discipline. This discipline is directly related to their gods domains and is shaped by the nature of their religion and the society it is within.

Divine magic does not suffer from the same limitations as traditional essence magic as the power to perform its workings comes from their god directly, drawing on their latent celestial power. Additionally divine magic, while it cannot be bestowed through Unit Improvement, can be revoked temporarily or indefinitely at the discretion of the deity or under unique circumstances.

Urkil, God of Victory and Honor, has a prohibition against taking war prisoners. When one of his warrior-priests takes a village woman hostage he finds his powers stripped from him, only to return after releasing his hostage and undergoing a cleanse rite of trial.

Mechanistically speaking Divine Magic is a skill whose level is capped by the title of the divinity it is devoted to.


Just as a mundane or essence magical skill a divine magic user gains Feats at the appropriate levels which reflect their unique qualities and abilities.

Faith

A god who tends to his peoples needs and desires is rewarded with their faith and obedience. While useful for mundane matters of state and operation, a god is capable of deriving a far greater boon from such admiration. This is known as Faith and is measured a pool of Faith Points (FP) that accumulates over time.

FP accumulates each week alongside a god's passive soul gain. The base amount of FP gained is the god's Grace multiplied by their Rank, min. 1. This amount is increased by the following factors:Clerical Body, Positive Requirement, Negative Prohibitions, and Rites &  Observations.

• Clerical Body: Your religion possesses a clerical body of some kind. The simple existence of those who can tend to the faith of your people increases your FP by 1 before any multipliers. If these clerics must undergo special or intense training their bonus increases to 2.
• Positive Requirement: A god asking their Chosen to perform duties for them is common place, so much so that they can be a hindrance to their actual progression. A divinity that instills a selfless requirement for their people to obey receives a +1 bonus. If such a positive requirement could likely lead to hindering the god's own ambitions or objectives then the bonus increases to +2.
• Negative Prohibitions: A god often instills a basic set of taboos on their people; often revolving around high crimes such as murder. A divinity that institutes a moral code which goes beyond these basic taboos gets a +1 bonus to the FP total. If the moral code is extremely restrictive then they receive a +2.
• Rites and Observations: Your religion possesses sacred rites or holds certain events or days to be sacred. The law of these rites is absolute and respected, the days held in the highest regard and given precedence over other matters. A god receives a +2 bonus to FP for the weeks in which such events are recognized.

FP can be spent to make manifest a god's will beyond the limits of their innate celestial abilities or the base expenditure of spiritual energy. Each manifestation costs a number of FP relative to its function and scale. Those manifestations which align more closely with a gods domain are performed with less power and those which differ considerably cost more so.




* >100k

Blessings and Curses

A god can reward or punish those who worship them. These manifest themselves as blessings and curses. A blessing is any positive manifestation of a god's will and a curse is its opposite. To create a blessing or curse a god must expend the appropriate amount of Faith or satisfy a number of hidden conditions. Alternatively, when they would gain a Minor or Major Ability for themselves they can instead convert them into Minor or Major Blessings or Curses. For Chosen adherents conditions that must be satisfied to earn the benefit or ire of such powers are determined during their Creation.

It is important to note that neither blessings nor curses can affect those who are not adherents to a faith and those Chosen who willingly remove themselves from a faith cannot be affected. Any active blessings upon them cease but any curses remain until such a time as their duration elapses or they leave the Realm that the god controls; whichever is sooner.

Creation

A God is not limited to the craftsmanship of mundane beings and instead can fashion items and structures from nothing through an exertion of divine will. Still there are limits to what can be made and under what circumstances. The first and most important limit is that because faith is derived of mortals a god cannot create something of a technological level higher than their adherent mortals possess. The second limit is that a god cannot create magical items, unless that magic is divine in nature. A god may also not create Artifacts using this method although they may use Artifice on items created through these means.

It is important to note that Major Creations are always singular and scale is used to determine their duration. Minor Creations, however, last for an indefinite time and scale is used exclusively to determine their number. When using the Massive scale the upper limit is 100k items.

Smiting

Smiting is the most powerful tool that a god can wield against their Chosen mortals. With this ability they can cause their adherents to die, instantaneously and in a manner related to the god's domains. A god can establish conditions that will lead to a smiting and when triggered will lead to the death of the offending parties, up to a limit set by the scale. Indefinite duration smites punish adherents indefinitely but cannot be used to target those whose faith is waning or nearing its end. Attempts to do so waste the faith invested.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:01, Tue 19 May 2020.

Advanced Options

Teaching

A being with a Skill Level of 2 or higher may teach other beings their Skill. Instruction of this level is only capable of providing them with a Novice Skill level if they possessed none. Alternatively they can be instructed in a particular Feat, gaining it in excess of their normal Skill Feats.

The time that this instruction takes depends on the being taught. Gods are naturally fast learners and obtaining this degree of skill through the instruction of another god can occur within moments. However if a god is instructing a Chosen or intelligent Monster then the process takes considerably longer; often days or weeks of instruction unless they are gifted in some fashion to obtain information more quickly. This duration increases dramatically if the God wishes to teach a being magic often taking months for them to grasp.

A god can learn from a mortal being but is subject to the same restrictions laid above as a mortal teacher cannot deliver the same amount of information as another god could in the same time period.

Honors

An Honor is a special title that is earned as a reward for exceptional actions and deed performed. These actions are often legendary and have a profound change on the Realm they are done in and perhaps all of Creation. An Honor cannot be earned in your own Realm however as your dominion over it, however contested, is absolute. Each Honor will confer its own special benefit that is related to the act performed.

Sanctum

A Sanctum is a unique structure that can only be created by divine beings. These structures are deeply attached to their divinity and serve as one of the most prominent and powerful manifestations of their divine will upon the physical world. To create a Sanctum a god need only find a suitable location, either within the Land or any territory they control within a Realm, and spend 5000 minor souls.The spiritual energy from these souls roots the god's influence more firmly into the land and creates a zone of influence in which the following benefits apply:

• Entry and exit into the zone of influence is controlled by the god. If permission is revoked then the offending party is forcibly paradoxed from the zone of influence.
• The god has total awareness of all events within their zone of influence.
• The god can communicate telepathically with any being within the zone of influence.
• The god and those they permit may paradox accurately to any location within the zone of influence.
• Invoked or allied Monsters and Chosen are treated as if under a god's Sceptre and Helm artifact passively.

The range of this zone is equal to 100 ft * Rank. If a zone conflicts with another zone then it does not expand in that direction.

Beyond these benefits, a Sanctum is warded against harm, as if with an Aura whose potency is equal to five times the god's own. This Ward behaves similarly to an Aura but attacks of half or less than its potency simply do not affect it. Additionally, within the Sanctum's zone of influence they can freely create structures using souls as if using Realm Lordship. However, if they possess the appropriate crafting skills they can fashion furnishings and other items although items made in this way cease to exist if removed from the Sanctum. Finally, each Sanctum has a Throne Room from which a god can speak to any empowered Chosen within his Realm, hear the prayers of his adherents, and perform realm alterations. A Throne Room cannot be entered by a mortal or monster and if a god is slain within their Sanctum they will materialize again within their Throne Room rather than dying properly; this can only occur once per year. Finally, each Sanctum obtains a free Grand Artifact, a structure of divine power that is bound to the sanctum's grounds.

All of these benefits are not without their flaws. If a god's sanctum is breached and it is destroyed then they lose 1 life. The Sanctum of a dead god will remain so long as it is intact but it loses its protective benefits and any celestially created items and furnishings.The Grand Artifact, however, remains although it cannot be claimed.

Theurgy

The deep magic of Creation that only the greatest of divine beings can hope to wield. Mortal theurges are often demigods or have been uplifted through pacts with alien beings and powers beyond Creation. Even still the use of theurgy will rob them of vitality, often causing them to sacrifice years of their life for a single use.

Theurgy is often learned as a particular expression and has unique conditions that must be meet in addition to the expenditure of souls. Theurgy lasts indefinitely or until dispelled by theurgy cast by a being of equal or greater power.

Amaranth

The divine act of sacrilege, the consumption of the Essence of another god. If a god slays another god in combat or otherwise causes their death they can drain their power away from them. The victim god loses a Divine Rank and half of the Minor Souls they possessed if any. The aggressor god increase by 1 Divine Rank up to 10 and gains the victims lost souls.

This act defiles the god and they gain a Corruption. Corruptions are both boon and curse as they give the god some special ability but also a weakness.

Example: Ghuric, the Mad God of Beasts. Corruption - Feral: The possessor is no longer effected by abilities that would target their Will. In return they cannot recognize friend from foe, attacking Chosen Units, bound Monsters, and allied gods once they begin fighting.

Paradise

A Paradise is a second Realm, one for the Chosen Souls of a god's people. A Paradise obeys the will of its creator and is more mutable then their first Realm. Souls within a Paradise can never truly perish and will continue indefinitely into the future even if their god is slain. A Paradise has a single entrance within the Land. If this entrance is destroyed then no souls may enter the Paradise and it becomes a Lost Realm. Paradises built by gods with Sanctums have their entrances within their Sanctum and benefit from its protections.

A Paradise is created through a World Seed which can be obtained through gameplay.