Enemy Gods (Mythic Edition) (Updated)
November 25, 2022 | Author: Anonymous | Category: N/A
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Description
ENEMY GODS THE MYTHIC EDITION Writing
John Wick Invaluable Design Contributions
Jess Heinig Heinig Playtesters
Jess Heinig Heinig,, Sean Mooney, Annie Rus Rush, h, Baron Silverton, V Vachon achon Simien, Robert elmar, elmar, and Josh “the Cursed” Wasta
Inspiration (direct and otherwise)
Jared Sorensen, U Jared Unheilig nheilig,, Renee Knipe, Annie Rush, Michael Moorcock, Robert E. Howard, Homer, Joseph Campbell Special Thanks
o Ganesha, Lord o Categories, He who bestows Good Fortune on Long Journeys. o Athena, Go Goddess ddess o Craf, who gguided uided our hands on this endeavor. endeavor. o Caliope, Muse o Epic Works, whose Song never lef our ears. o Snake, Fire-Bringer and rickster rickster,, whose tongue tickled our ear as he whispered to us. o Discordia ((just just in case). And to Prometha, Lady o Imagination. We We are your humble servants.
CONTENTS Introduction.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction Chapter 1: Creating Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 First Step: Your Your God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Second Step: Your Your Hero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chapter 2: Risks. Risks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Taking Risks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Violence.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Violence
Chapter 3: Devotion Devotion & Divinity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Starting Divinity Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Domain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Divine Inspiration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Intervention & Retribution Retribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Ranks of Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Chapter 5: Making Your Your Hero Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Appendix 1: The Pantheon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 God of the Battlefield: Falvren Dyr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 God of Craft: Aelon Valeron Valeron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 God of Fortune: Ashalim Avendi Avendi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Goddess of the Hearth: Hear th: Manna Renay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 God of Justice: Jonan Drax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Goddess of Love: Talia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 God of Wisdom: Tyane Tyane Bran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Lord of Death: Uhmume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 The Fell Gods Gods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Appendix 2: The Fell Gods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 The God of Murder: Ikhalu. Ikhalu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 The Bloody-Eyed Bloody-Eyed Widow: Widow: Mahl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 The Grinning man: Afhil. Afhil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 The Lord of Demons: Sorcel Shem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Appendix 3: Creating Your Your Own Pantheon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Define Your Your Pantheon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Two Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 The Four Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Lastly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Appendix 4: D20 Conversion Conversion Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
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INTRODUCTION “Let’s play Gods!”
– Me, circa 8th Grade Way W ay back in junior high school, when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons Dragons, the ultimate u ltimate goal was “uplifing” our avorite avorite characters to “god status.” Now, we heard all kinds o ways to do that: become 36th level, kill a god to assume his mantle, or even sleep with a god (something my boys never believed, no matter how much verisimilitude verisimilitude I employed). And so, many years later, later, I’m thinking back to those days, wondering the same thing I was wondering then: “How would a roleplaying game or gods work? Afer all, can’t gods do anything?” Well, W ell, as it turns out, that iisn’ sn’tt exactly true. A college mytholog mythologyy course taught me that most gods are just as limited as human beings are. Tat is, gods are limited by the imaginations o the men who create them. (Mythological gods, that is. Not real gods. You know, the gods you worship, as oppose opposedd to other people’ pe ople’ss go gods.) ds.) And so, here’s Enemy Gods. Gods. A roleplaying game or those o us who aren’t aren’t content with just playing heroes, heroes, but want a step up into the heavens, heavens, to play what may may be the world’s most dangerous game…
What is Enemy Gods? It’s a role-playing game where you play two characters: a God Go d and a Hero. Te Hero is a mortal trying to win the avor o the Gods by doing the kind o things Heroes do. In exchange, the Gods help the Hero out with acts o divine intervention, trying to win enough avor rom him (or her) the Hero. Te more the God helps the Hero, the more the Hero helps the God, and it all goes round and round in a big symbiotic circle. Sword and Sorcery While Enemy Gods is a antasy game, the setting is more in line line with the Conan and Elric genre o antasy than the high romance o Te Lord o the Rings. Te world o Enemy Gods is steeped in the “age rom beore the all o Atlantis;” pre-historic times that man does not remember, except sometimes in dreams. For a real world comparison, the world o Enemy Gods is closer to 500 BC than 1300 AD and it is ar more Elric than Aragorn.
What Do I Need to Play? You need this book, pencils and a lot o 6-sided dice. asty beverages help.
CHAPTER 1: CREATING CHARACTERS Gods and Heroes share a very special relationship. As a Hero perorms abulous acts o unbelievable heroism (or despicable villainy), he increases a God’s ame in the mortal world, thus increasing increasing the God’s God’s power and inue inuence. nce. But he can’ can’tt do it alone; he needs divine help. Te more assistance the God gives the Hero, the more the Hero can accomplish. Te morethe theGod Hero accomplishes, theHero. which is more power can use to help the Hmore ero. power he gives back to the God, I your Hero wins enough avor rom one o the Gods, he becomes that God’s Champion (and gains access to even more powers). Te Greeks had this game down to a science: science : the whole rojan War War was about battles betwe between en the Gods and their Champions. In the myths, Athena’s Champion was Odysseus, Zeus’ was Heracles and Aphrodite’s Champion was Hector. I you’re you’re a God, you need nee d a Hero to urther your cause in the world o mortals. Most players assume their Hero and God get g et along amously amously,, but more daring players even go so ar as to make enemies o their Hero and their God. Whatever relationship you have, consider it careully. careully. So, with all that in mind, think o all the classic heroes rom mythology. Tere’s Arthur,, the reluctant King o Britain; Roland, Charlemagne’s Arthur Charlemagne’s noble knight; Siegried, Sieg ried, the Norse dragon-slayer; and Manabozho, the Algonquin trickster. (Okay, maybe you don’t know about Manabozho. Tat’s okay — I didn’t either until I started researching this game. You should check che ck him out; he’s he’s pretty awesome.)
First Step: Your God Te rst step in playing Enemy Gods is picking out a God or each player in the game. Is your God the God o the Battleeld? Te God o Craf? Te Goddess o Love? Because there can only really be one God o the Battleeld, you’ll need a method or choosing who gets to play whom in the Pantheon. Here are a ew ways to pick Gods or the game. Creation by Design
Te GM assigns Gods to the players based on their personalities and player types. Te guy who always plays ghters gets the God o the Battleeld, the guy who always plays bards gets the God o Love, the guy who always plays thieves gets the God o Fortune. You get the picture. Creation by Accident
Te group throws all the God names in a hat. Everybody picks out one and you get what you draw. draw. Whether or not everybody gets g ets to trade aferward or not is uupp to you.
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Creation by Will
Te GM says, ““W We’re playing Enem Enemyy Gods Gods!” !” and lets the players decide among themselves who gets to play which God.
a card is drawn, he knows its ace and rank. Tere is no Fate, no Destiny… only the whim o the God o Fortune. Goddess of the Hearth: Manna Renay
She is the Mother o the World, World, the one who A Sample Pantheon taught men to tame the beasts, who taught them For your perusal (and possible use), here’s a how to make the crops grow g row,, taught them the pantheon o gods. I you’re you’re amiliar with some rituals to bring the world back to lie afer the o my other games, you may recognize a ew long sleeping death o winter. She is Mother o aces. I you like l ike ‘em, use ‘‘em. em. I not, make up Us All. your own. Choose them in whatever whatever method you see t. A more detailed God of Justice: Jonan description — along with Lesser Gods Drax rituals, miracles, allies and Tere are other Gods in the It was he who gave g ave men laws enemies — is in Appendix 1. world, although they do not have and the will to enorce them. the same power as the Gods listed It was he who gave men the God of the Battleeld: above. Tese “City Gods” are promise o justice. Jonan Jonan Drax Falvren Dyr worshipped locally and sometimes and his devoted paladins walk are just different maniestation maniestationss the earth or the sole purpose o DyrGod. is also as Falvren the Blood Heknown is a o Greater Gods. Te Lady o bringing justice to the wicked strong God who demands the Well, or example, is a minor and to protect those who cannot nothing rom his ollowers Goddess in the city o ’jir. protect themselves. but sel-reliance. He despises Ofen called the “Pat “Patron ron Saint o the weak and avors the Tieves,” she protects the lower Goddess of Love: Talia strong. He never bestows classes (pick pockets, burglars, Yvarai blessings on those who ask: condence men, etc.) rom the More than just the Goddess o only those who deserve it. tyranny o the corrupt monarchy Love, alia is the world’s muse. and merchant class. While she Trough her divine d ivine inspiration, God of Craft: Aelon does protect the criminal classes, all great works o art are made. It Valeron Brother to the Bloody God, Aelon V Valeron aleron is the master orger, the master crafsman, crafsma n, the master tradesman. tradesma n. He taught men how to cultivate re, struck the very rst coin, and gave men the skills they needed to rise above the beasts. God of Fortune: Ashalim Avendi
When a coin is tossed, he knows how it will all. When
she is a lesser maniestation o the God o Just Justice. ice.
Also, in the city cit y o Shurr, tales o the “Cookie ueen” (obviously,, a maniestation (obviously o the Goddess o the Hearth) are abundant. Tis goddess maniests once a year, delivering delivering cookies to the children o the city. Tey leave out a cup o milk or her at night and wake to nd a plate o cookies in the morning.
is by her with her hand voice that thatartists singerspaint, singers sing, with her passion that that lovers love. God of Wisdom: Tyane Bran
Whenever man asks a question, yane Bran is there. When he wonders, yane yane Bran is there. When he dreams, yane Bran speaks to him. Te world is ull o secrets, but the God o Wisdom knows them all… and
reveals them to those worthy o his knowledge.
Or, Make Your Own! Finally,, i you want to make up your Finally own Pantheon, there’s some ree advice in the Appendices (and we all know what ree advice is worth) on creating your own Gods. Enjoy!
Second Step: Your Hero Once you have your God gured out, it’s it’s time to gure out your Hero. Heroes in Enemy Gods aren’t your typical adventurer types; instead, they are touched by the divine, selected by the Gods themselves or greatness. Also, they are characters with pasts. Your Hero isn’t some “rst level” nobody ; he’s a great and mighty symbol o what is best in humanity. A conquering warrior, a sly trickster,, a subtle seductress; these are all trickster the kinds o characters you’ll be making or Enemy Gods.
Step 0: Description Mythic Heroes have many traits in common, all o which you should consider while creating your Hero. Listed below are some o themythic most common characteristics characteristi cs about heroes. Read through and answer the questions at the end o each section. When you’re nished, you’ll have have a better idea o not only who your Hero Hero is, but why he’s a Hero. (Tis, o course, is a very abbreviated and truncated version o Joseph Campbell’s “hero’s adventure” cycle. For a much more detailed description, check out the Bibliography in the back.)
Lord Raglan’s Hero Pattern
Joseph Campbell Campbell wasn’ wasn’tt the only scholar (or even tthe he rst!) to point out the seemingly se emingly common structure in hero stories. Lord Raglan R aglan (FitzRoy Richard Summers Summerset, et, the 4th Baron Raglan) published Te Hero, A Study in radition, Myth and Drama in 1936. He suggested that mythic heroes were notand historical gures, butoutlined actually characters o religious ritual drama. dra ma. He twenty-two traits most common with the mythic hero. Some heroes have less, but they all t the same structure. Here are Raglan’ Ra glan’s twenty-two common traits:
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Her Hero’ o’s mother mother iiss a royal royal vvirgin; irgin; His at ather her is a ki king, ng, and and Ofen a near relative relative o o his mother mother,, but Te circ circums umstance tancess o his conception conception aare re unusua unusual,l, and He iiss als alsoo rep repute utedd to be tthe he son o a god. At bi birth rth an aattem ttempt pt is made, made, usually usually by his a ather ther or his maternal grand ather to kill him, but he is spi spiri rited ted awa awayy, and Reared bbyy oste osterr -par -parents ents in a ar count country. ry. We are told not nothing hing o his child childhood, hood, but On rreachin eachingg ma manhood nhood he returns returns or goes to his uture Kingdom. Afer a vic victory tory over over the king king and/or and/or a giant, giant, dragon, or wild beast, He m marr arries ies a princes princess,s, ofen the the daughter daughter o his predecessor and An Andd beco become mess kkin ing. g. For a ti time me he reigns uneve uneventull ntullyy and Pr Presc escrib ribes es laws, laws, bbut ut Late Laterr he lloses oses avor avor w with ith the gods and/or his subjects, and Is ddrive rivenn rom tthe he thr throne one and city city,, afer which which He meets with a myste mysterious rious deat death, h, Ofe Ofenn aatt tthe he top top o o a hill hill,, His cchil hildre dren, n, i an anyy do not su succeed cceed him. him.
■ His body is not buri buried, ed, bu butt neverthele nevertheless ss ■ He hhas as one or m more ore holy holy sep sepulch ulchres res.. 4
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Birth & Youth
The Wastelands & Transformation
Some sort o miracle ofen marks a Hero’s birth. Whether it is an omen, a blessing, or even divine conception, the Hero’ Hero’s birth is miraculous, isolating him rom the rest o the world. Because he is marked marked as different, the Hero is ofen a loner in his young lie and must
Far rom his home, the Hero wanders through the Wastelands, a vast wounded world o strangers. Te world is wasting away, away, an open and estering wound in need o healing. Te Hero will heal it, although he doesn’t doesn’t know that yet. Walking through the Wastelands, he
spend it in sel-reection, learning how to rely on his own strengths to survive. Ofen, the Hero is an orphan, ignorant ig norant rom his true heritage until he is called upon to ulll his destiny. destiny. A reoccurring theme is the Hero being sent down the sea (the world’s world’s biggest bigg est symbol or the human unconscious). Tink about your Hero’s birth. What marks it as unique? Does he have a divine heritage? Was he abandoned by his real parents, only to be discovered later?
encounters beasts o all kinds and men who are strong and cunning enough to live in such an awul place. Tere, in the middle o the world, the Hero nds a mentor who teaches him the skills he needs to survive in the world. With the mentor’s help, the Hero Hero wanders the Wasteland, encountering and overcoming dangers as he goes. It is also here he learns a deep secret: in order to ully succeed in his mission, he must drink a magic potion made rom the blood o the creature he must ultima ultimately tely deeat.
The Call to Adventure
A Hero spends most o his lie isolated rom the rest o his community. He’s seen as an outsider, a dreamer, a stranger. It’s only when adventure adventu re invites him away do does es the Hero nd his true calling. cal ling. Ofen, O fen, the Hero’s community is endangered by some terrible evil and only the Hero has the courage (and imagination) to conront it. He isn’t always enthusiastic about the adventure, sometimes reusing it outright. However,, deep in his heart, he knows he’s However he’s the only person who can save the community rom danger. He goes orth — even haleartedly — to save the people who have treated him like an outsider all this time. Your Hero has heard and answered this call, going orth rom his homeland into the great unknown to conront an evil only he has the imagination to understand and deeat. What called your Hero away rom his home ho me and what did he nd when he lef everything behind?
Tis potion takes many orms, but the theme remains: in order to deeat the beast, you must see through its eyes, live in its skin, and walk in its ootsteps. o o know its secrets, you must be the thing you ear the most. Only the Hero is strong enough to survive such an ordeal, and by surviving it, he is no longer the young ool who wandered away away or home in search o adventu adventure. re. He is transormed into something greater g reater,, something powerul and not entirely o this world. He is nally the Hero Hero he was born to be. What kind o skills did your Hero learn in in the Wastelands? Wastelands? Who was his Mentor? What was the greatest lesson he learned? How was he transormed by his experiences? The Underworld & The Beast
Finally, he reaches the darkest part o the Finally, journey — the Underworld. Underworld. It is here here the Hero typically loses his mentor and must ace the darkest challenge all on his own. Whether or not he succeeds in the challenge is up to him. Te creature waiting or him is “the dragon;” the ultimate metaphor or the sickness o the world. Te Hero must conront and slay the dragon,
but more ofen than not, once the deed is done, the dragon turns out to be another Hero… one rom the past who reects the uture waiting or our current protagonist. Slaying the dragon drag on represents destroying the traditions o the past; those rites and rituals whose meaning has been orgotten by current generations. Te Hero represents the present, the action o the moment. He kills the tradition o the past and makes the new tradition. And, perhaps one day, day, he will ace another Hero and ace the nal conrontation conrontation with his own uture. uture. Te old King must give way to the new King. Tat is the way o the world. What was the nature nature o your Hero’ Hero’s “dragon?” What did he represent represent to you? What did you learn rom deeating him? Now that you ishave betterhe’understanding who your Hero andawhat s capable o doing (and what he isn’t isn’t capable o doing ), let’s let’s start writing numbers numbers down on the sheet.
condemned to death. He begged the Queen that if he was to be killed, that at least his daughter be spared. The Queen saw the love in the man’s eyes, but she could not break the law law.. Any man who entered her domain without her permission was to be killed. So, she took the child from him and ordered his execution. Then, one night, she secreted him to a boat and told him to leave and never come back. He told the Queen his daughter’s name and then sailed away. Alkemene was raised by the Queen of the Amazons herself to be a warrior, but the young girl seemed forever enchanted, and distracted, by the moon. Then, one night, Alkemene woke from a terrible dream. She was not in her bed, but on a hil hill, l, llooking ooking up at the full moon, hearing the echo of hunting hounds below her. She followed the howls and found the hunt and joined them, running naked through the woods. And as she leapt over broken brok en trees and ran throu through gh bramb brambles, les,
Step 0 Example I talked to the Narrator and he’s told me the game is going to take place in Classic Greece. With that in mind, I begin making the story of my character. My character’s name is Alkemene (it means “strength of the moon”). She was bor n duri during ng a terrib ter rible le storm sto rm on a shi ship p sailing for Ithaca. The ship wrecked on the shore and her mother was killed. To save his daughter, Alkemene’s father cut her from her dead mother’s womb. He pulled the child from his dead wife’s body, but the baby was not breathing. He prayed to the goddess Artemis for help and the baby started crying. Unfortunately, the ship crashed on the shores of Pontus—the land of the Amazons. When the warrior women found Alkemene and her father, he was
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she felt fur on her skin and claws ripping up the ground. Breaking through the trees, she saw what the hounds were chasing: a young man, exhausted and collapsed in a small pool reflecting the light of the moon. She paused for a moment… and then helped the hounds tear the man to pieces. Alkemene heard a woman’s voice behind behin d her, call calling ing out to the dogs. She turned and saw a beautiful woman with a bow and arrows, all shining with a silver light. With blood on her lips and hands, she bowed to the woman. The huntress smiled and the next thing Alkemene remembered was awakening in her bed… with blood on her lips and under her nails. She also had a question in her mind. A question she could not dismiss. She asked the Queen of the Amazons, “Where is my father?” The Queen’s eyes looked down
7 and she told Alkemene the secret story of her father’s fate. Alkemene then swore she would find her father. She took with her a bow and a quiver of arrows and sailed away in a small boat, searching for her father. Now,, Alkemene wanders the islands of Now Greece searching for that man. She does not even know his name.
Step 1: Backgrounds Backgrounds represent skills and talents rom your Hero’ Hero’s past. A Background could be a word or phrase that describes something you want your character to be really good at. For example, you could pick the Background, “Swordsman, “Swordsman,” or “Courtier,” or even “emple Prostitute.” You get 7 points to ll out your Backgrounds. Each point you put into a Background representss a die you get to roll or risks. You represent You can divide them up any way you see t; however, no Background can start higher than rank 4. You could have one our-point Background and one three-point Background, seven one-point Backgrounds, three one-pointers and two two pointers, or however you want want to split them up.
Step 1 Example
My hero has two Backgrounds. The
first is Huntress. I put four points into that one, giving me four dice to roll for risks involving hunting and shooting her bow. My second Background is Daughter of Amazons. I use that Background whenever Alkemene must fight.
Step 2: Devotions On the sheet, you’ll see a number o spaces or Devotions. List all the Gods in the game (including Non-Player Gods in the Pantheon).
Your Hero begins with one po point int o Devotion De votion to every God. You You have 10 additional points to customize your Devotions. No Devotion can be higher than 4 at this point. Every point o Devotion is another die you can roll when taking an action in that God’s God’s Domain. In other words, i you’re in a ght, you call on the power and blessings o the God o the Battleeld. Or, i you want to connive your yo ur way past a guard, you want to call on the eloquence o the Goddess Go ddess o Love. I you’ you’re re making a boat, you call on the God o Craf. Te higher your devotion to the God, the more dice you can use. Step 2 Example My GM says we can invest points in the twelve Olympian gods. I have one point of Devotion in each of the twelve Athenians plus ten points more. I allocate them thusly: Artemis: 4+1 = 5 Poseidon: 2+1 = 3 Apollo: 3+1 = 4 Hera: 1+1 = 2
Step 3: Heroic Flaw Your Hero has one Flaw. Tis can be nearly anything you like. Achilles had the most amous Flaw in the world, Lancelot had his blind devotion, and Oedipus Oe dipus suffered rom an entirely different kind o blindness (his Flaw is a dark secret rom his past) and, o course, Achilles had the most amous Flaw o all. Your Flaw can also be someone who depends on you or someone you owe ealty to. For example, Gwenevere could be considered Arthur’s Arthur’s Flaw (Lancelot, too, or that matter). It’s up to you. Tere’s a mechanic or bringing your Flaw into the game, and we’ll talk about Calling on the Flaw in Chapter 3: Devotion & Divinity.
Step 3 Example Alkemene’s Flaw comes from a promise she made to Artemis. She promised the Huntress that she would never allow a man to see her naked. If such an event happens,
What kind o person is your Hero most attracted to? What kind o person drives you to ts o rage? How does your Hero dene “love?” I given the opportunity, would your Hero kill or prot? I not, what would your Hero kill or?
her Flaw can come into play.
Step 4: Hubris Te Greek word hubris means “dangerous vanity” or as the MerriamMerriam-Webster likes to say: “exaggerated pride or sel-condence.” IInn Enemy Gods, Hubris is a trait measuring your Hero’s sel-condence. It’s It’s his ability abilit y to rely on his own skills rather than the blessings o the Gods. Every Hero begins the game with two points o Hubris. We’ll takeina better look Hubris, what it does or you Chapter Chapter 2: at Playing the theand Game.
Step 5: A Game of Questions Finally,, take another moment and answer Finally these questions. What social caste does your Hero come rom? Is he poor, rich, a landowner? Your social ccaste aste has a lot to do with your attitude toward others; describe whether or not you t the cliché o your caste. Which o the ve senses is most important important to your Hero? Hero? How does your Hero eel about her parents? Her amily in general? Does she have any siblings? Did she lose any siblings or amily members beore now? What are your Hero’ Hero’s avorite oods? Drinks? Drinks ? What does he like to wear? Does your Hero hold any grudges or vendettas? Does he owe any avors or boons? Does he have any obligations at all? 8
What is more important, important, to be eared or to be loved? (“Yes,” is not an acceptable answer.) Who does your Hero trust trust most? Why does she trust this person above all others? Which God does your Hero revere most and why? Which God does do es he revere least? o whom does your Hero owe the most loyalty? What are some o your Hero’ Hero’s reoccurring mannerisms? Figures o speech, physical habits, etc.? How would your Hero’s parents describe him? I you could give one piece o advice to your Hero, what would it be? What would be the most appropriate appropriate death or your Hero? What quality about his personality does your Hero like most? What quality about his personality does your Hero like least? Rank the Seven Deadly Sins in order rom deadliest to most benign: Lust, Greed, Anger, Pride, Jealousy, Sloth, and Gluttony. Rank the Seven Beatic Virtues rom most noble to least noble: noble : Prudence, emperance, emperance, Fortitude, Justice, Faith, Hope, and Charity.
Determining Divinity Afer all the Heroes have been created, ask each Hero how much Devotion he has to your God. Write Write all those down and add them up. Te total Devotion the Heroes have or your God is your God’ God’ss starting Divinity. Tis is
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how many Divinity Points you start with at the beginning o the game. I a Hero’s Hero’s Devotion to you increases, so do the number o Divinity Points you start with at the beginning o each game. I’ve put spaces on your God’s God’s sheet or Heroes’ Devotion to your God.
CHAPTER 2: RISKS First off, playing Enemy Gods G ods is just like playing any other role-playing game. You’ve You’ve got a character sheet, you’ve got dice and a Game Master. All you do is play as usual. Go delve into dungeons, go wander through shadowy cities, or go maneuver your way through the intrigue o kingly courts. It’s all the same, just a switch o o perspective. Tis time, you have a God’s-eye view.
Taking Risks “Te only time a thie should have to bother rolling dice to pick a lock is i there’s a big monster chasing him.” — Jared Sorensen Most days, a Hero can get by without ever rolling dice. He doesn’t need to roll dice or most actions, just the ones that are really risky. Eventually, Jared’s aorementioned thie will pick the lock; otherwise, the story stor y sits still with the tthie hie on one side o the door and the adventure on the other. Rolling dice should only occur i: Te success o the Hero Hero’’s action is in question, and/or and/o r Rolling dice adds tension and/or drama to the situation. So, instead o using the standard “ “ask ask Resolution System” cliché, I’ve chosen to call it “aking Risks.” You roll a number o dice (determine by your character sheet and other actors), looking or successes. Every die that rolls an even number is a success. Every die that rolls an odd number is not. Te outcome o your roll does not determine the success or ailure o the risk. Instead, it determines who gets to narrate the outcome o the risk. I your successes are equal to or greater than the target number your GM assigned to your risk, you get to narrate the outcome outcome o your Hero’ Hero’s action. I your successes are less than the target number your GM assigned to your risk, the Narrator gets to narrate the outcome o your Hero’s action. How do you get g et dice dice?? From your Devotions, Hubris and Advantage Advantage Dice. Let’s Let’s talk about those.
Devotion and Hubris When your Hero Hero takes a Risk, he must mak makee a choice: either he may rely on the will o the Gods or he can rely on his own skills and talents. When he invokes the Gods, you roll dice based on his Devotions. When he relies on his own skill, you roll dice equal to his Hubris. Here are examples o how both work.
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Devotion
I your Hero wants to call on the power p ower o the Gods to guide his hand through his Risk, roll a number o d6s equal e qual to yyour our Hero’ Hero’s De Devotion votion to the appropriate God. I you are ghting, roll your Devotion or the God o the Battleeld; when you are building a wall, roll your Devotion to the God Go d o Craf, when you’re trying to seduce the ueen o the Black Mask, use your Devotion to the Goddess o Love. Tere’ss a trick. Te player o the appropriate Tere’ appropriate God decides how many dice you may roll. He may allow you to roll your total Devotion or he may allow you to roll only a portion o that number. For example, i you’re in a sword ght with one o the Assassin-P Assassin-Priests riests o Ikhalu, you call upon the God o the Battleeld or strength in the ght. Your Your current current Devotion to the God o the Battleeld is 5, so the player o that God can allow you to roll up to 5 dice or the ght. He may,, however, allow you less dice. It all depends may on what you’ve done or him lately. You may choose to call upon a God whose powers are not appropriate appropriate to your rroll. oll. For example, calling on the Goddess o Hearth and Home in a ght or your lie or calling on the God o Justice or picking a lock is invoking a God outside that God’s God’s sphere o inuence. I you choose to call upon a God whose inuence does not cover your current Risk, they may only lend you dice up to hal your Devotion, rounded down. Please note that calling upon a God to impose their will in a sphere o inuence that is not their own is a good way to anger the other Gods. Just so you know.
Hubris
You may choose or your Hero to rely on his own skills rather than call upon the avor avor o the Gods. I you do so, you roll a number o dice equal to your Hubris (plus any Advantage Dice). Your Hero’s Hubris increases and decreases during the course o the game. See Chapter 3: Devotion & Divinity: Curses, and Chapter 5: Making Your Hero Better, below.
Advantage Dice One o the most important elements o the Enemy Gods system is Advantage Dice. Tese are dice the GM hands out to players or showing initiative and or good roleplaying. Each Advantage Die is another die the player can roll or a chance o rolling another success. Advantage Dice represent advantages your Hero has in any given Risk. GMs should not be shy about giving Advantage Dice; they are here to reward good roleplaying, planning, and innovative innovat ive thinking. Here are some examples o when the GM should award Advantage Advantage Dice. A player says, “I have three advantages over my opponent. My Hero has a sword. Also, I’m I ’m on higher ground. Finally, my Her Heroo has the sun behind him, shining in my opponent’ opponent’ss eyes.” Te GM agrees and says, “Okay. You You have threeon advantages. You You dice your attack. attack.” ” can roll three additional In many ways, a Hero’s Backgrounds are like permanentt Advantage Dice. Because a Hero has permanen a past, he can use the skills he learned rom that past as Advantage Advantage Dice.
Advantage Dice
Hey, Mr. and Mrs. GM! Don’t skimp on the Advantage Dice! Tey’re Tey ’re what make the world go g o ‘round. Advantage Dice came out o a response Advantage to watching another system in action. (Te system shall remain nameless, but its initials are DAD.) In that system, all the advantages a character could have were pre-loaded: right there on his sheet. Te player didn’t have to think about how to gain bonuses because all his bonuses were already in ront o him. Besides, the wimpy circumstantial bonus (+2) didn’t match the Feats he had on his sheet. Tis led to the classic “I roll to hit” syndrome that drives me crazy. So, I decided to come up with something I liked more. Advantage Dice make the player Advantage engage the world around him, make him look or any advantage his character can get. Rather R ather than rely on his sheet, the player has to think outside his sheet and think o ways to gain advantages. Te advantages aren’ aren’tt ront loaded and calculated ahead o time. When all the thinking is already done or the player, he resorts to “I roll to hit.” He doesn’t even address the situation with an in-character voice. “I roll to hit.” With advantage advantage dice, he must think about the ght g ht in-character in-character.. He must address the situation going on. I he just “rolls “rolls to hit,” he’ he’ss missing out on all the goodies. As the GM, it is your job to reward his creativity. creativity. Do it. Y You ou might be surprised at the response. 12
Risk Difculty Each Risk Ri sk has a ddegre egreee o Di Diffi fficulty. cult y. Y You ou roll your dice — whether they’re they ’re rom Hubris Hubris or Devotion — and count the number o evens you roll and compare it to the Difficult cultyy assigne assignedd by the GM (see below). Your GM picks pick s the Risk Diffi culty cult y depending dependi ng on how hard he eels the Risk is. A Hard Risk is something that requires an incredible amount o effort; a Mythic Risk that the Hero only makes once or twice in his lietime (or game session, depending on how “heroic” you want your campaign to be). be ). We We recommend most actions be set to a 3 Diffi cult cultyy or eeven ven a 2 Difficulty. cult y. Tat way, most Heroe Heroess (who are heroes, afer all) succeed most o the time on most o the tasks they want to accomplish. All mundane tasks — such as tying sandals, picking up a piece o paper and successully sneezing into a handkerchie — are actions requiring no dice roll: they’re just not risky. risky. Y You ou should only roll dice i the success o the Hero’ Hero’s action is either important, or in doubt. do ubt. In other words, i the success o a simple action means the lie and death o thousands, by all means, orce a roll. But i it means stalling the game or an hour while we determine i Bill the Barbarian Barbarian can count to three, three, ignore it and move on. Tere are many more important (and dramatic) actions in store or our Heroes and we’ve only got go t until midnight beore the GM’s GM’s girlriend starts calling on his cell phone. Contested Risks
Actions that directly test your skills against another Hero are called Contested Risks. Here’s how they’re the y’re handled. First, both contestants roll dice (add any Advantages) and keep the evens. Te Hero with the most successes gains a Moderate Success. I the successul Hero gets double the successes o the other Hero, he gains a Complete Success. You will nd rules later on in this book bo ok or Moderate and Complete Successes, but in general, g eneral, just what Complete and Moderate Successes mean is up to the GM and the players. Tey are just handy tools to make the process less binary and more colorul.
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Mythic Risks
Initiative
Mythic Risks are the kind o actions that dey At the beginning o the round, everyone logic. Everything Heracles does in his twelve involved in the combat rolls a number o dice tasks is a Mythic Risk. Heroes should be taking equal to their Battle Devotion (or equivalent). on Mythic challenges rom time to time. ReTe Hero with the most successes acts rst, routing rivers, holding up the world ollowed by the second-highest and ooling the God o Fortune number o successes, right down the Target Numbers isn’t the bread and butter o Heroes, Easy Risks = Diff 1 line. I two characters roll the exact but... well, actually, it is. So, every initiative, the God o Battle decides Normal Norm al Risks = Diff 2 once in a while, Heroes get to do who goes rst. Difficult R Risks isks = Diff 3 something spectacular. Isn’t that Te God o Battle may spend a why they’re heroes heroes afer all? Hard Risks = Diff 4 Divinity to put a character (Hero or otherwise) at the ront o the Mythic Risks = Diff 8 initiative order. Violence I designed this combat system is Action designed to encourage the kind o epic battles When it comes time or your Hero Hero to do ound in Greek, Roman, and Norse myths. something, he can take one action. Tat action Where bigger-than-lie Heroes Heroes duke it out in can be any number o things, but it all boils earth shattering, pulse pounding p ounding battles until down to doing one thing. You You could run across one makes the killing blow. blow. In order to do that, the room, jump over a table, use your sword to we had to throw throw out a ew standard antasy antasy slice open a guy’s artery… artery… whatever you like. It conventionss (hit points, or example) and convention just has to be one thing. replace them with a system that eels mythic Te number o successes you roll is the and encourages players to keep that eel alive — number o actions you can take during the rather than resort to the standard “I roll to hit” round. cliché. Te player with the highest initiative chooses Don’t worry, there’s still an initiative and to his action rst. He says what he intends to hit rolls, so you’re not completely in the dark. do. Te player with the next-highest initiative Te biggest change here is one o timing. Instead ollows and so on down the line. Once every o announcing your action, then rolling to see player has announced announced his action, those actions i you succeeded… you roll or successes, then are resolved (see the next step). use those successes to describe your character’s character’s actions. It’s a little l ittle different, and it requires a little bit o explaining, but it’s also a lot simpler Heroes vs. NoNames than a lot o other systems. Beore we get any urther in the combat procedure, let’s let’s talk a moment about Heroes Heroes and NoNames NoNames (pronounced no-nah-mays; no -nah-mays; it Combat Phases rhymes with mayonnaise). You already know Every combat consists o the ollowing phases: about Heroes — the Chosen o the Gods. But 1. Initiative NoNames NoN ames are characters in the world who are 2. Action 3. Resolution
just characters. Tey’r extras. Tey reallywalk aren’on aren’t t an essential Tey’re part oethe script.
When a Hero attacks attacks NoN NoNames, ames, he rolls a number o dice equal to his Battle Devotion + any Advantages Advantages he may have. Te number o successes he gains g ains is the number o NoNames he can dispatch with a single action.
Heroes vs. Heroes When a Hero aces another Hero, Hero, the combat system is a little different. I a Hero uses his action to attack another Hero, he rolls his Battle Devotion + any Advantages Advant ages hhee has. His N N is his opponent’ opponent’ss Battle Devotion + any deensive Advantages he may have. Te Hero with the most successes narrates the outcome o the attack and gains one bonus Advantage Die or his next attack against that same opponent. Te successul Hero must explain how he gained the Advantage Die. Perhaps he put a cut above his opponent’s eye. Or a gouge across his knee. Or a powerul blow to the stomach that knocked all the wind rom his opponent’ opponent’ss gut. Wounds Every time your Hero loses a contested risk during a ght scene, he h e gains a W Wound. ound. Wounds W ounds don’ don’tt detract rom the nu number mber o dice you roll, but they do affect you in different ways. I your Hero ever takes te tenn Wounds, Wounds, he needs divine assistance to keep going. A God must spend a Divinity Point or your Hero drops, incapacitated by his Wounds. Gaining and Losing Advantage As the ght proceeds, you keep all Advantage Dice you gained rom the previous rounds. Tat is, i you gain 1 Advantage in the rst round, 2 in the second, and 1 more in third, you roll 4 additional dice or each subsequent attack, gaining even more Advantage Dice with each round… as long as your attack succeeds. 14
I any o your attacks ail, you lose all Advantage Dice you gained rom the combat. You do not lose Advantage Dice rom weapons, armor,, or Backg armor Backgrounds; rounds; just the Advantages you gained rom successul attacks. Also, i your Hero changes his target, he loses any Advantage gained rom attacking his previous opponent.
Fighting More Than One Opponent I your Hero is ghting more than one opponent, each opponent gets a number o Advantage Dice equal to the additional opponents. So, i three people are attacking your Hero, each gets 2 additional Advantage Dice. Divine Intervention Te Gods may interere in a battle, but they need Divine Authority to do so. I a God has Authority, he may give Divine Inspiration, create Miracles, or otherwise interere. Te God o Battle and the Goddess o the Hearth, however, always have Divine Authority over a battle in two very specic ways. Te God o Battle has Domain when giving Advantage Dice to the attacker; he is always eager to see more bloodshed. He may spend 1 Divinity to give the attacker a number o Advantage Advant age Dice equal to the attacker’s attacker’s Battle Devotion or one round. Te Goddess o the Hearth has Divine Authority when protecting the Deender; all the creatures creatur es in the world are her h er children, and she will protect them to the end. She may spend spend 1 Divinity to increase the N to hit the deender or one round. Te N increase is equal to the deender’s Devotion to her. When other Gods try interering in a battle, battle, they must justiy their action. For example, i the Goddess o Love wants to interere in the battle, she must have a reason to assert her authority;
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either the Hero is protecting his true love, or two lovers are ghting to the death, or some other excuse. Likewise, the God o Fortune or the God o Craf must justiy their meddling in the God o Battle’s Domain. I a Hero has ve or more Devotion to a God, that God may interere with the battle because o the Hero’s Hero’s high hig h Devotion.
Winning the Fight As soon as one combatant rolls a number o successes equal to his opponent’ opponent’ss Battle Devotion + 5, he wins the ght. Te winner has the choice to kill the loser or spare him; he determines how the ght ends. Tis could be as simple as “I kill my opponent,” or it could be, “I slam my shoulder into you and you all to the ground, losing your sword. I step on your chest and put my sword at your throat.” Combat Details Weapons, W eapons, armor armor,, tactics… all o these are represented represent ed by Advantage Dice. Here are the details. Melee Weapons
When it really comes down to it, a knie can kill you just as quickly as a sword can. Te whole notion o a knie doing d4 hit points while a sword does d8 or d10 is really very silly. In the hands o a proessional (and let’s assume our Heroes are proessionals; they do get paid or what they do), a knie and a two-handed bastard sword are really the same thing. Tey’re just means to the same end: piercing your opponent’ opponent’ss heart or cutting his throat. A weapon provides an advantage. Swords, knives, pole arms and back-o-the-hand claws all provide your character an advantage, you get Advantage Dice: one, two or three, depending on the circumstances. I you have a knie and your opponent has a pole arm, arm, one o you has an advantage — and it ain’t ain’t you.
In a ght between proessionals, the advantages weapons give are entirely circumstantial, circumst antial, depending on the g ght, ht, the ghting ground and the ghters. A good GM will take that into into account when the the un starts and apply the bonuses as necessary. ne cessary. Ranged Weapons
On the other hand, there’s no doubt a skilled archer shooting at a target rom three hundred yards has a denite advantage. advantage. When a Hero uses a ranged weapon, give him 3 Advantage Dice and his opponent, i he doesn’tt have a ranged weapon o his own, can’ doesn’ can’tt do anything about it but try hiding. Ain’t ranged weapons cool?
Maneuvers
Anoingenious playtester came up with idea incorporating maneuvers into thethe above system. A maneuver involves dropping a die rom your current roll to make your opponent drop a die rom his subsequent roll. For example, i you want to get cancel an opponent’ss Advantage Dice he gets because opponent’ be cause o weapon reach, drop one die rom your roll. roll. I you make the roll, your opponent has has to drop one Advantage Die out o his next roll. Te same can work to cancel Advantage Dice gained rom armor, advantageous ground, etc. Dropping dice allows a more naturally skilled ghter to cancel the circumstantial circumstantial advantage o his opponent. I your Hero’s Wounds cancel out any dice he’d get to use or a Risk, he cannot take that Risk and must choose to do something else. Healing
How do I get rid o my Wounds? In the myths and legends o yore, Wounds aren’t a serious issue. Every day, you heal one Wound. Wound. Also, the Gods can heal you i you ask. A God can clean
effort. I he lives up to his own abilities at being clever, I give him two dice (that way, way, both the clever and non-clever player both get the same reward or living up to their own potential). po tential). I Non-violent combat the player goes above and beyond his usual level Not all contests are physical; some are mental o perormance, I give him three bonus dice to or even social. For example, roll. But, that’s just me. You may let’ss use the classic antasy let’ Verbal and Cereberal like giving g iving “roleplaying bonuses” RPG contest, better known as Duels or you may not. “seducing the barmaid.” Duels o wit and intellect My character has 3 Devotion can be just as much un The Repartee Reserve or the Goddess o Love. Te and just as dangerous - as a Tis is a pool o dice the player GM (playing the barmaid) ght with sword and shield. adds to whenever he’s clever, clever, decides this buxom wench has 2 ales o samurai playing witty or just plain unny. unny. In other Devotion or the same Goddess. Go with the loser bowing b owing words, i the player roleplays roleplays Wee both roll dice and we keep W his head or a quick slice o well, actively contributes to rolling using the same method his opponent’s katana are conversations and otherwise just described above: We We keep rampant through Japanes Japanesee makes his character seem “real,” making “attacks” “attacks” (me, irting irting;; olklore. Arthur’s knights were aced with puzzles Ihis give him oneReserve Point to to her rebuking) until my character Repartee at add the end gets a kiss or a slap, depending on just as ofen as jousts. And o each session. He keeps these the outcome o the contest. what knight’s tale would be Points between sessions and can complete without a run-in Now,, some players are very Now trade them in or dice he uses enchantress, looking during any verbal exchange. And witty and some are not. Some can with an enchantress, or a ew knights to ll her be unny on the y while some once they’ve they ’ve been spent, you can’ c an’tt bedcha-I mean, court, court! get them back unless you earn get a good line in every once in a while, and there are a ew you yoursel more. just have to pry out o their shells with a big, at character reward crowbar. crowbar. While Getting Hurt Other Ways this is a roleplaying game, which intimates good Now we come to all the nitty gritty details. roleplaying should be rewarded with bonuses b onuses How much damage does re do? How about and bad roleplaying punished with penalties, I poison? How about alling damage? Well, Well, to be don’tt see why a player who isn’ don’ isn’tt clever or crafy honest, I usually handle this stuff on the y when can’tt get a reward or trying. can’ trying . So, here’ here’ss what I do I’m the GM, even in games that give me specic to make sure everybody gets a chance to get a rules or it (I don’t like pausing the game to look kiss rom the barmaid. up a rule). So, I’ll give you a ew guidelines and encourage you to be creative and treat every Bonus Dice circumstance as its own specic rule. First, i the player just rolls dice or the exchange with the barmaid without even trying Falling to be clever, charming or witty, he gets no help I you have to wonder i a hero can survive a rom me. (I you don’t try, you don’t get the all, he probably can’ can’t.t. My buddy the orensic prize.) I he makes makes even a simple attem attempt pt at specialist tells me i the human body takes a 20 being witty, I give him one bonus die or the to 30 oot all, it generally doesn’t get back up up all a Hero’s Wounds with a single Divinity Point.
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on its own. Anything higher hig her than that is risking internal intern al hemorrhaging and a slow, painul death. I you want something a bit more “heroic,” roll one die per ten eet the character alls. Every odd is a Wound.
Fire Getting burned or real isn’t isn’t like ggetting etting burned in the movies. You can’t out-run an explosion: you have mass, re has next to none. However,, it is un to watch the hero run down However the corridor away rom the tumbling pillar o ame, so lets work something out. Once re hits you, it continues to burn. burn. You’ve You’ve got to get any burning clothes or accoutrements off beore they get to your skin (as opposed to real lie where the re just melts your clothes and skin together). to gether). I’d say roll dice equal to the size o the re and every odd doesre one(campre) W Wound ound until the dice. re isAput out.re A small is three large (like your classic reball) is ve dice. For every item o clothing, the GM gets to roll once or the re. Tus, i your shirt and pants are on re, the GM gets to roll twice.
Poison Most poisons kill you right on the spot, rather than just make you sick or kill you over time. But in antasy literature, there’s there’s a rich tradition o the slow poison, giving the hero ample opportunity to nd an exotic cure or his impending doom. Tus, I’d suggest giving each poison a deadline and divide the amount o time between contact and that deadline into even segments. seg ments. For example, i a poison has a twenty-our hour deadline (you get poisoned on Saturday at noon, you die on Sunday at noon), divide those twenty-our hours into 4 segments. Each segment gives the character a cumulative —1 to all actions. So, every 6 hours he gets another penalty. I I the deadline is one month (now that’ that’ss a slow poison), divide into days. I the deadline is
minutes, divide the penalties into seconds. Tat’s how I’d do poisons.
Knock Outs I someone hit me over the head with something heavy, I wouldn’t wouldn’t be ch checking ecking or hit points, I’d I’d be on the oor, bleeding rom the head, suffering rom a concussion, throwing throwing up all over mysel. O course, we want a system that simulates the literature literature that inspired it, so i you successully sneak up and hit someone over the head, they’re they ’re knocked out and won’t won’t wake up until it’s absolutely the least opportune time or them to do so. Last Word on Wounds Like everything else on a character sheet, Wounds W ounds are a method o comm communication unication between the player and the GM. “I want to be strong!” the player says; he communicates this to the GM by having a strong character. character. “I want to be a social character!” the player says; she communicates communicat es this by having lots o social skills. Wounds W ounds are a way or tthe he GM to communicatee to the player. communicat player. Tey indicate a general degree o health the player’s player’s character is in. Te more W Wounds ounds a character has, the more it communicates to his player that he’d he’d better keep an eye on his character. Use Wounds Wounds as a gguide; uide; not as an absolute. Not all Wounds Wounds are the same: a broken leg is not on the same level as a gash across the orearm. Use Wounds to tell stories, not keep track o gory details.
CHAPTER 3: DEVOTION & DIVINITY Every once in a while, a Hero nee needs ds your help, and what’ what’ss a God Go d or i it isn’ isn’tt answering petitions o prayer? Your Your Divinity Points Points are sitting right in ront ront o you, and they are your key to helping Heroes Heroes out in their tim times es o need.
Starting Divinity Points
Gods start each session with a number o Divinity Points equal to the total Devotion the Heroes have or your God. Go around the table and have each Hero tell you how much Devotion he has or you. Te total Devotion is the number o Divinity Points you gain at the beginning o the game. You retain any Divinity you saved rom last game, so add these new points to your old points. Divinity can be used in many ways. You You can spend Divinity to assert your divine authority,, help a Hero, curse him, create miracles, or bestow blessings. Each is discussed authority below.
Domain A God has a certain amount o power based on whether or not he has authority on a matter. For example, when you seduce the barmaid (again), the Goddess o Love has Domain. When you ght a villain with knives, the God o the Battleeld has Domain. When you call on your knowledge o poisons and venoms, the God o Wisdom has Domain. Domain is an important concept to understand understand because it is the lynchpin or using Divinity. Using Using a God’ G od’ss Divinity is easier within his or her Domain. Using Divinity outside your yo ur Domain is much mo more re difficult.
Divine Authority In most RPGs,they i players they askthe theGods. GM. In Enemy Gods, i players have questions, consulthave the questions, proper authority: I the players raise a question during the game and a God can answer the question, he spends one Divinity to assert his authority over reality. When a God has Domain, it is easier or the God to give inspiration, bestow miracles, and otherwise use Divinity. For example, a group o Heroes are standing in a village. Raiding trolls are stealing away villagers. Tey come in the night, attack a single homestead, leaving no one alive to tell the tale. One o the Heroes asks, “I’m a hunter. What do I know about trolls?” Usually, this question would go to the GM, but in this circumstance, the God o Wisdom — the ont o all knowledge — can answer the question. Te God o Wisdom spends one Divinity and answers the question. “Y “You ou know very ver y little, little,”” he replies. “But you do know trolls cannot simply simply be killed. Tey must be burned or they rise up again under the light o the moon.” 18
19 Convocation Example
In the instance o the villagers and the trolls above, one Hero prays to the God o Justice, asking i the trolls’ actions against the villagers villag ers are just. Te God o Justice spends a Divinity and says, “Yes.” Te Goddess o the Hearth, on the other hand, spends a Divinity and says, “No, it is not.” Because two Gods have spent Divinity to assert authority, they may call a Convocation. Now, all the other Gods have an opportunity to spend Divinity or an opportunity to vote on the issue. Te God o Justice argues the trolls are, in act, making justice by attacking the villagers. Long ago, the trolls lived here and the elds and crops belonged to them. But, humans moved into the land and drove out the trolls. Now, many generations later, later, the trolls are taking their land back. By declaring that the trolls’ actions are just, the God o Just Justice ice is saying the battle is under his Domain, and not any other Gods’ Domain. Te Goddess o the Hearth argues that the people living on the land now should should not be punished or what their ancestors ancestors did. She also brings up the act that the God o the Battleeld should be careul — the God o Justice is trying to usurp the Bloody God’s authori authority ty and Domain in this circumstance. Te God o the Battleeld agrees and snarls at the God o Justice. Just ice. Finally, the GM announces there’s been enough discussion and all the Gods should vote. Each God secretly votes and in the end it is decided the God o Just Justice ice is wrong wrong;; the trolls’ action is not just and the Goddess o the Hearth is correct. Te villagers are protecting their homes, and thus, the Goddess o Hearth and Home has Domain over the matter.
Another example: two armies stand ready to match skills and swords. A player has a question: who has the advantage? Te GM turns to the God o the Battleeld. “Who does have the advantage?” Te God o the Battleeld spends a Divinity and answers, “Te “ Te army o the Y Yellow ellow Moon. Tey have the advantage. advantage.”” A nal example: a player asks, “How long would it take me to orge a sword?” Te God o Craf spends a Divinity and answers: “One month.” Te GM always has nal say over Divine Authority, but i he does veto a God’s answer, the God does not have to spend Divinity. For example, the God o the Battleeld has just answered, “Te army o the Yellow Yellow Moon has the advantage.” Te GM replies, “No. Tey don’ don’t. t.”” Te God G od obecause the Battleeld have to spend Divinity the GMdoes has not vetoed his Authority.
Contesting Domain Sometimes, an issue o Domain isn’t isn’t quite clear. For example, i a man is in a sword ght or his true love, does the Goddess o Love or the God o the Battleeld hold Domain? I he is in a sword ght against his true love, does that change the answer? I a group o armers want to better their crops, does the God o Wisdom or the Goddess o the Hearth hold domain? I the issue o Domain is contested, both Gods have the opportunity to spend Divinity to assert their right o Domain. Te God who spends the most Divinity is the one who may assert his authority on the matter. Divine Convocation For players who want to emulate the disagreements between Gods and play some o the political game between Deities, I recommend the ollowing rules.
I two Gods ever disagree on an issue o authority,, they may call a Divine Convocation. authority Either the GM or a God may call a Convocation. All mortal activity ceases while the Gods gather to discuss the issue o authority. Each God has the opportunity to spend one Divinity. He does not need to spend a Divinity to attend the Convocation, but he does need to spend a Divinity to vote at the end o it. I a God does not spend a Divinity, he may speak at the Convocation, but he may not have a say in its decision. During the Convocation, all the Gods discuss the matter at hand, deciding the issues presented. At the end o the Convocation, all the Gods who spent Divinity at the beginning o the gathering are allowed a single vote. Te winning side has Divine Authority over the matter. At any time during the Convocation, i the GM eels the meeting is going too long or the arguments are getting stale, he may call or an immediate vote.
Divine Inspiration Heroes use their Devotion to a God to determine how many dice they roll or a Risk, but sometimes, that isn’t isn’t quite enough. When a Hero needs it, Gods reach down into the world and touch Hero,o hisInspiration abilities a little umph. Tisthat moment ogiving Divine augments the existing strengths o the Hero, making him a little stronger, a little aster or a little smarter than he already is. We call this Divine Inspiration Inspiration and it allows you to give your Hero Hero additional dice to roll or any action. Divine Inspiration Inspiration co costs sts differently depending on the circumstances.
Within Your Domain I you help your Hero in a eld that alls under your inuence, every Divinity Point you spend gives that Hero a number o dice equal to his 20
Devotion to you. Tat is, i the Goddess o Love wants to help a Hero Hero seduce the barmaid (there (there she is again), every Divinity Point she spends gives that Hero a number o dice to roll equal to his Devotion to the Goddess.
Outside Your Domain Helping Heroes outside your sphere o inuence costs a bit more. Inspiring Inspiring your Hero outside your Domain costs one Divinity Divinit y Point per die rolled. Tus, i the Goddess o Love wants to help a Hero Hero in a sword ght, she has to spend one Divinity Point to give him one bonus die. Quick Note Gods do not use Divinity Points to give Heroes dice or Risks; those are part o the basic system. Te dice Gods give out as Inspiration are a separate mechanic all together. Just Just in case you were conused.
Intervention & Retribution Gods are powerul beings, capable o ripping up mountains, draining oceans, creating rivers, and making lead into gold. At the beginning o this game, we talked about dening the nature o your pantheon, and what your Gods were capable o doing. Can they directly manipulate nature? Can they turn the sky black and make the clouds rain blood? Can they send manna down to eed their hungry people? It’s all up to you and the GM. alk alk about it. Tere is one rule ru le about Divine Intervention that really should not be broken, and that’s that’s killing a Hero. Tis is strictly orbidden. Y You ou can smite down an army o ten thousand with thunderbolts rom the sky i you like, l ike, but you cannot kill a God’s Hero. Any another mortal can do that. I you are Poseidon and you want to keep Athena’s Champion away rom home or twenty
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years (thus (thus drawing Athena Athena’’s wrath), that’ that’ss all right. Just remember: never make an enemy who you can’t can’t kill. Odysseus is actually a good example to bring up right about now, because being lost at sea or twenty years is exactly what he deserved. Afer the rojan War, Odysseus looted the temples o roy roy,, destroying altars o all the Gods. Poseidon didn’tt like that, so he punished Odysseus by didn’ keeping him away rom home or two decades. At the end o the Odyssey, he asks Athena — his patron — why she didn’t didn’t help him (a common question or Heroes; they never notice when you’re you’re around). Athen Athenaa just shook her head and said, sa id, “I couldn’t couldn’t help you.” you.” Tis implies rules mortals are not aware o, rules that bind even the Gods. Come up with a set rules or pantheon. to aomortal whoyour offends them?What Do thehappens Gods have the right to meddle with them, even i they are Heroes o a rival God? And can the patron o that Hero aid their beloved mortal, or must they watch rom the sidelines and hope? Athena did. And at the end o it all, she got the greatest Greek Hero o them all. Most curses can take the orm o a simple die penalty related to the God’s God’s sphere o inuence. You may also orbid a Hero rom touching a specic material. A Hero who cannot touch iron, or example, would put out any combatoriented Hero quite well. On the other hand, a scholarly Hero who can’t touch books without suffering a Wound is in a whole different world o pain. Using a Hero’s vanity against her is a classic method o divine punishment. Medusa’s curse is the most amous, o course, but there are so many examples o Gods punishing Heroes with curses related related to their greatest strength. strength. Be creative and just a little cruel. But, be warned! I you are too cruel, you may lose the Devotion o the other Heroes.
Divine Intervention (Miracles) Every once in a while, a God has to really pull off some serious mojo to help his Hero out. Whether this is parting parting the Red Sea, knocking knoc king down arrows ying at the Hero’s back or saving his ship rom sinking between the Scylla and Kharibdis, we call this blatant use o divine power Divine Intervention. Intervention. Any God can push his Hero a little here and there, but it takes some serious power to change chang e the world, even or just a moment. Divine Intervention Inte rvention is a little trickier than simply inspiring a single person, and it requires a lot o Divinity Points. Step One: Devotion Rank
When perorming a miracle, determine determine the target Hero’s Devotion Rank. R ank. For every e very Divinity Point you spend, you can roll a number o dice equal to the Devotion o the Hero. For example, the Hero you want to target has 3 Devotion to you, so every Devotion Point you spend gives you 3 dice to roll or your miracle. I the miracle does not affect a specic Hero (or NPC), you must spend 1 Divinity or every die. Step Two: Inuence
I your miracle alls within your y our sphere o inuence, there is no penalty. I it does not, no t, the miracle’ss Divinity cost is doubled. miracle’ For example, the God o the Battleeld wants to prevent prevent a Hero in a Duke’ Duke’ss court rom drinking a cup o poisoned wine. Te Hero has a 4 Devotion to the God o the Battleeld. Because this miracle does not all within the God’ss sphere o inuence, D God’ Dyr yr must spend two Divinity to gain g ain our dice (based ( based on the Hero’ Hero’s Devotion o our our.) .)
Step Three: Help and Hindrances
Finally, other Go Finally, Gods ds can either help or hinder your miracle. Gods with more Divinity Points than you (beore you started spending them or your miracle) can spend one Divinity Point to subtract or add a number o dice equal to the Hero’’s Devotion to them. A God can only do Hero this once per Divine Intervention. I a God has less Divinity than you, the cost to interere is doubled. For example, the Goddess o Love wants to aid one o her priestesses by making another Hero all in love with her. Te priestess has a 5 Devotion to the Goddess o Love, so every Divinity the Goddess spends gives her 5 dice or her miracle. But the God o Craf doesn’t appreciate the Goddess’s meddling, so he decides to interere. At the moment, the Goddess o Love has 12 Divinity and the God o Craf has 14. Tus, the God o Craf has more Divinity than the Goddess o Love, so interering with her miracle will not cost double. Te priestess has a 2 Devotion to the God o Craf, so every Divinity he spends subtracts 2 dice rom the Goddess o Love’s miracle roll. He may only spend one Divinity to interere, but there is nothing stopping him rom convincing the God o Fortune to interere as well…
N 10: Vast Interventions such as raining re and ash down an entire city, parting parting a sea, sea , leveling a mountain range, or making every rstborn child in a city die. I you succeed, your miracle works. I not, your miracle ails.
Divine Retribution (Curses) Sometimes, Heroes get out o line and need to be reminded o their place in the world (which is worshiping the Gods, o course). When its obvious a Hero Hero has become too big or his britches, you may decide to give him some Divine Retribution — also known as Cursing the Hero. (Smiting is a good word, too.) Mythology is ull o Gods who take offense at the littlest things and punish mortals mercilessly or it. (Tere’s even a story about one God who did it or nothing more than a bet.) You You may choose to smite a Hero at any time; you’re you’re a God, there’s nothing stopping you rom being jealous, wrathul, and belligerent i you eel a mortal has offended you. When you choose to smite a Hero, use a ormula similar to the ormula or perorming a miracle. Step One: Using the Hero’s Hubris Against Him
When casting a curse, every point o Divinity you spend gets you a number o dice equal to that Hero’s Hero’s Hubris.
Step Four: Making the Roll
Te GM assigns a arget arget Number, you roll the dice, and see i your God succeeds: N 5: Small Interventions such as healing wounds, stopping a atal atal blow, or letting letting a Hero walk on water. water. N 7: Major In Interventions terventions such as moving a Hero across the world overnight, making a marching army get lost in the woods, or draining a lake. 22
Step Two: Determine the Curse’s Strength
Roll your dice, and i you roll higher than the Hero’ Hero’s Devotion to your God, your curse is successul. I not, it doesn’t affect him. ell the hapless Hero what Doom has beallen him, and tell him the number o successes you got on your roll. Te o Hero writes down the curse and your number successes.
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Whenever a God successully curses a Hero, the Hero decides i his Devotion to that God alls by one. He doesn’t have to drop his Devotion; the choice is his. For example, the Goddess o Love wants to curse a Hero or perorming a poem without invoking her (he used his Hubris rather tha thann invoking the Goddess). Te Hero has a 3 Hubris and a 3 Love Devotion. She spends three Divinity or 9 dice (3 Hubris x 3 = 9). Te Goddess’ player rolls the dice and gets 4 successes. Because she rolled more successes than the Hero’s Devotion, the curse is successul. Te player o the Hero writes “Cursed “Cursed by the Goddess o Love: 4” on his Hero’s sheet. Te Hero decides not to lower his Devotion to the Goddess, hoping he can win her avor again. Burning a Curse
Tere are two ways o getting rid o a curse. At the end o each game, a Hero is given 2 Devotion Points to put toward increasing his Devotions. He may burn one o those Devotion Points to burn one Curse Curse Rank. Rank . Te Hero may also burn one Hubris Rank to burn one Rank o the Curse.
Blessings
A God can also use Divinity to give a Hero Blessings. Tese are permanent bonuses on the Hero’s sheet — permanent until that Hero loses avor with you and you take them away, away, that is. Te rules or Blessings are as ollows: A Hero may call upon a number o Blessings rom a God equal to his Devotion to that God. Te Blessing should adhere ad here to the God’ Go d’ss theme. Te Blessing can do one thing. Te berserker rage, the lustul kiss, the knowledge to make a specic kind o weapon or item are all good examples o Blessings that do a single thing.
Blessings cost 5 Divinity to bestow and 5 Divinity to revoke. For example, a ollower o the God o the Battleeld has a Battle Devotion o 3. He may use up to 3 Battle Blessings per game session. So ar, the God o the Battleeld has given this ollower two Blessings: Berserk and Slash. Te ollower may use Berserk three times in one day and never use Slash at all, or he may use Slash three times. Or, he may choose to use Slash twice and Berserk once. A God o the Battleeld who gives his warriors the ability to become bloodthirsty berserks on the battleeld; a Goddess o Love who’s who’s priestesses can make make any man all in love with them with a single kiss; a God o Craf who teaches his ollowers the secrets o metalworking no other living soul knows; these are just some examples o Blessings that Gods can give to the aithul. Again, i you’d like to se seee some sample Blessings, check out the sample Gods in Appendix 1.
Ranks of Faith As a Hero’s Hero’s Devotion increases, his relationship to that God also increases, allowing or more potent uses o Divinity. Devotions up to 3 are typical or Heroes and do not bestow any special benets. Devotions o 4 or higher, on the other hand, give a Hero and the God in question a ew notable advantages.
Devotion 4: Acolyte I a Hero has a 4 Devotion to a God, he is known as an acolyte. He is considered avored by that God who listens to his prayers more intently.. A Hero may be an acolyte o many intently Gods, but be careul; those Gods are known to be jealous wrathul. HeroTe may alsoboth choose notand be an AcolyteYour o a God. same warnings apply.
Prayer
Requirements
When the Acolyte calls upon the God in question, he may re-roll one die per Risk. For example, an Acolyte o the God o Wisdom calls upon the God o Wisdom or knowledge about a specic region’ reg ion’s history. When he rolls his dice, he may re-roll any one die or the chance o rolling another success.
Devotion 5: Anointed At Devotion 5, the Hero is considered an anointed priest or priestess o the God and may be initiated in the mystery rites o the God. A Hero may only be a priest o one God at a time, regardless o his other Devotions. In other words, a Hero Hero can have multi multiple ple Devotions o 5, but he can only be a Priest o one God at a time. Mystery Rites
When a priest calls upon a God, his Devotion to the God provides great power. power. Once per game, a priest can perorm rites to give his God power. Perorming Perormi ng the rite takes an entire night, leaving the priest exhausted at the end o the ritual (an Advantage to any opponents). At the end o that time, God gains Divinity equal the to the Devotion o his Priest.
Devotion 6: Champion A champion is a Hero who has so much Devotion or a single God, he becomes a living symbol o that God’s power. Becoming a Champion is not easy; the Hero needs more than just Devotion to be a God’s God’s champion. 24
In order or a Hero to become a Champion, she must rst accomplish a ew minor tasks. Te Hero must have at least 5 Dening Den ing Moments. Te Hero’s Devotion to that God must be at least no other Devotion can be higher than 65.and As soon as a Hero becomes a Champion, all other Devotions higher than 5 drop to 5. Finally,, a God Finally Go d may have only one player character champion at a time. Although, there may be other Champions out there, somewhere… Benets
Tere are many benets to being a God’s Champion:
A Note on Death
“Don’t let me go out like some punk.”
–attributed to Samuel Jackson, speaking speaking to George Lucas Character death can be senseless, but a Hero’s death is almost never without reason or meaning. We’re talking about mythological heroes here, olks. Everything about them has meaning. How they were born, how they live, how how they brush their teeth, and yes, how they die. Killing a character because some punk gets a lucky roll is not only “unun,” it also ies in the ace o everything myth is about. A Hero’s death is just as important as his lie. Don’t waste it on an unlucky die roll. Make something o it.
When your God Divinely Intervenes on your behal, it costs other Gods double to interere. I your God wants to give you a Blessing, it costs only 3 Divinity Points rather than 5. Finally,, i your God Finally G od wants to invoke a miracle, he can do so by channeling Divinity through you. Under normal circumstances, Gods have to use Divinity 1-or-1 or miracles that do not directly target you. Because you are a living avatar o your God, he can send the Divinity through you, allowing you to call upon his power and perorm miracles at at the usual cost (1 Divinity = your Devotion in dice). The Hero’s Flaw
At some time during the game, aeither Hero’s willorcome play, byFlaw chance ate. into No God can spend Divinity Points to
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protect him. Tey can’t can’t summon oods to wash her away rom danger, they can’t can’t lif her onto a cloud away rom poison arrows… nothing. At some time in every myth, the Hero must ace her worst ears alone, without the help o the Gods. Tis is that time. In order or a Hero’s Flaw to come into play,, a God (PC or NP play NPC) C) must Call Call the Flaw.. A God spends ve Divinity Points Flaw to call a Hero’s Flaw. By spending ve Divinity Points at the beginning o a game session, beore anything else happens, a Hero becomes destined to encounter his Flaw during during that game session. When it happens is up to the player (or GM) who spent the Divinity Points. When your Hero’s Flaw is invoked, no God may spend any Divinity Points to help her in any way. Te Hero must overcome the situation without any divine divine help. Tere is an upside to all this, by the way. I your Hero Hero survives the situation, it is automatically considered a Dening Moment. I your Hero doesn’t survive encountering her Flaw… Flaw … well, its time to get a new Hero.
CHAPTER 5: MAKING YOUR HERO BETTER At the end o every game session, your Hero and your God both receive two “Devotion Points.”
see t. Your Hubris can also uctuate depending on other circumstances. See Devotion & Divinity, above.
Your Hero’s sheet has a place or “Devotion Points.” Every point po int invested in a Devotion representss you try represent trying ing to increase your relationship with that God. First, your Hero spends his Devotion Points. He has two, so he can put them both in one Devotion or one point in two Devotions. Second, your God gives his two Devotion Points to a Hero or Heroes. He may only put Devotion Points toward his own Devotion (the Goddess o Love can only put Devotion Points on your Devotion to her, not your Devotion to the God o War). Likewise, he can give two Devotion Points to one Hero or one Point to two Heroes. I a Hero has a number o Devotion De votion Points equal to three times his current Devotion, that Devotion increases by one. For example, at the end o a game, my Hero has 2 Devotion Points to spend. Likewise, my God has 2 Devotion Points to give away. away. I
Dening Moments Tere are moments in a Hero’s lie that are so remarkable, so memorable, that they become part o his legacy. legac y. Tese are his Dening Moments. Teseus deeating the Minotaur in the heart o its own labyrinth, Odysseus slaying all the suitors, Tor T or winning back Mjolnir rom the Frost Giant Trym (in a dress, no less); these are moments or a Hero that live on throughout Eternity. Eter nity. When a Hero does something so remarkable that that even the Gods G ods must pause and gape in awe… game mechanics must be invoked! invoked! As a player, you know these moments. When everything is right, when every player stands up and cheers, when the GM stands slack jawed at the unexpected brilliance o a player’s actions — this is a Dening Moment. When such a moment occurs, the Gods have an opportunity to reward the Hero appropriately. appropriately. Each God may give up Divinity Points in recognition o the mighty deed. A God may only give a number o Divinity Points equal to the Hero’ Hero’s Devotion De votion to that God. I 5 Divinity Points are given up in this way, the Hero earns a Dening Moment. Write W rite it down on his Her Heroo sheet. At the end o each game session, i a Hero had a Dening Moment during that game, he gains g ains one ree point to allocate to any Devotion or Hubris.
decide spendsand oneone Devotion on the God omy theHero Battleeld on the Goddess o Love. Likewise, I decide my God (the God o Wisdom) grants two Devotion Points Points to a single Hero. Tese points are automatically allocated to his Wisdom Devotion.
Hubris Hubris increases differently. Every time you use your Hubris, it gains a point. When you gain six Hubris points, your Hubris increases by one. Also, whenever your Hubris increases, you gain ga in another Background point. You may increase a current Background, or create a new one as you 26
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APPENDIX 1: 1: THE PANTHEON Te Pantheon below is the deault set o divinities or Enemy Gods. I you’d like to use a different pantheon or even make up your yo ur own, consult Appendix 3. Each God in the pantheon has a brie description, a list o allies and rivals as well as some sample Blessings he can bestow. Tere are no real rules or Blessings. I just made them up. Tey aren’t balanced in any way,, nor do I eel they should be. Tese are acts o divine grace. Te way T e will o the Gods. What in the world world is “balanced” about the will o a God? Go d? Anyway, use the examples o the Blessings below to come up with your own Blessings.
God of the Battleeld: Falvren Dyr “I don’t don’t need your help, Bloody One! Stay up there in the sky and don’t don’t get in the way!” — ypical ypical prayer to FFalvren alvren Dyr Falvren Dyr (dire) appears as a large man with owing red hair. His armor shines like the sun, his blade carved rom the moon. On his shield is the head o the God o Darkness whom he slew in personal combat at the beginning o ime. Te scars he bears are rom every war ever ought. Dyr’s ollowers espouse a lie o sel-reliance; a strange dichotomy or those devoted to a God. Dyr despises prayer and those who ask or assistance. Rather, he blesses those who survive on their own wits, cunning, and strength. Dyr only drops his hand to protect those who show courage and prowess in battle; he never assists those who ask or it. A God who doesn’t like being relied upon, worshiped by heroes who don’t like relying on anyone. It’s a perect t. Allies & Rivals
Dyr doesn’t like anyone, but his brilliant tactician mind knows well enough that he can’tt stand alone. He tries to maintain alliances with the other Go can’ Gods, ds, but the act o the matter is his temper always gets the better o him. He has a brotherly hate-love relationship with the God o Craf (his true brother) and doesn’tt tolerate the Go doesn’ Godd o Fortune’s Fortune’s tricks. He is always trying tr ying to impress the Goddess o Love (who does her best to dissuade him rom doing so), and thinks the God o Wisdom is a sissy. sissy. But, i called upon, he would ght to the death to deend any o them. Tat’s Dyr. And he wouldn’t want to be any other way. Blessings
Praying to Falvren Dyr is always a tricky task; he despises those who ask or help and rely on others or strength. Tereore, prayers to the God o the Battleeld sound more like curses and boasts than petitions o humility. humility. Below are listed some o the most common blessings Dyr has been known to bestow. bestow. Each costs co sts 5 Divinity.
Battle Cunning
During a battle, the Hero may subtract dice rom his attack to subtract dice rom his opponent’s Advantages. Tis T is effect lasts until the end o the battle. Berserk
In order to invoke this Gif, the Hero must taste blood (it may be his own). Roll a die at the beginning o each round, noting the roll. I any subsequent roll is lower than the previous roll, the Berserk is invoked. Tis means a Hero cannot, by deault, berserk on the rst round. Berserk lasts until the end o the curren currentt combat scene. During that scene, the Hero has 4 Advantage Dice to attack and does not suffer the effects o any Wounds. Wounds. At the end o the combat, he drops unconscious rom exhaustion. Also, his h is Wounds nally take effect. Wounds A berserk has no control c ontrol while under the blood rage, attacking riend and oe alike. While berserking, the God o the Battleeld directs the Hero. Tat is, Falvren Dyr chooses whom the Hero attacks. Te player o the Hero makes all the rolls and chooses how to attack his opponent, but the God o War directs the Hero’s hand. For example, Tyn has the Berserk Gif and bites his own tongue to taste blood beore going into battle. On the rst round, he rolls a die and gets a result o 3. Because there was no previous round, he cannot roll lower than his rst roll. On the second round, he rolls a 5. Because this is not lower than his previous roll, his Berserk is not yet active. On the third round, he rolls a 1. Because this roll is lower than his previous roll, his Berserk is now active. Master Parry
I the Hero has any weapon in his hand (including an improvised he canagainst cancel our successes in any roll toone), hit made him. 28
Two-Weapons
Your Hero has gained enough skill with a weapon that he may may employ one in each hand. Tis grants him two Advantage Dice in combat. Slash
You may make two attacks in a row.
God of Craft: Aelon Valeron “He has only one arm, but he has no need or two.” Aelon is ofen called calle d “the Wounded Wounded God” or o r he is missing his right arm. He gave it up to orge an anvil, Urdrazen. His blood and esh cooled the hot metal rom the center o the world, his divine essence blessing the hardened iron. Now, anything made rom the anvil is stronger than any material ound in the world. Blood iron weapons made upon it are are the desire o every warrior in in the world — as is any item item Aelon Valeron creates. But Aelon is more than just a blacksmith; he is a God o many means. As God o Craf, he is skilled in nearly every e very endeavor. He is a master sailor, a cooper, a tailor, and a brewer without peer. Creation Creation is his tr trade, ade, and any who seek to better their skills need seek no urther than the temples o Aelon Valeron. Allies & Rivals
Valeron is ofen depicted disagreeing with his headstrong, bloodthirsty brother. O the two, Valeron is obviously the more “cerebral.” While the two don’t quite get along, they are brothers. It is also said Aelon has a particular ondness or the Goddess o Love. Some claim the two were lovers, although the affair ended poorly. poorly. Followers o Valeron Valeron say she still pines or the Blacksmith, although the ollowers o the Goddess o Love know a different ending o the story.
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Relics (Aelon’s Blessings)
Valeron does not act much in the world; world ; heroes go to seek him out. He believes in selreliance, in making one’ one ’s own way in the world. It is said that when a ollower o the Wounded God dies, Valeron’s angels, the valere, come to bring the hero to him. Tere, the hero must prove his worth to join the warriors warriors who drink at his table. I he does not, he is cast out into the world as restless dead, dead, orever lamenting he was not cunning enough to sit at Valeron’s table. But Valeron Valeron does not leave his ollowers helpless; he assists them in subtle ways. He gives them insight into their own abilities, shows them their own strengths and helps them overcome their own weaknesses. His valere also appear rom time to time, carrying weapons made rom rom Aelon’s mighty anvil. Relics are Blessings bestowed by the God o Craf. He does not grant the usual Blessings, but items o great power to aid those who revere him. Whether it is Excalibur, the Aegis Shield, Stormbringer, Stormbri nger, or the Ancestral Sword o the Crane Clan, as ar as game mechanics go, a Relic is a pool o Advantage Dice linked to thematic advantages and weaknesses. Giving a Relic to a Hero costs the God o Craf 5 Divinity per Advantage. For every 5 Divinity spent on the Relic, it must also have a drawback. Te most typical drawback or an Item is “Can Be aken Away” or “Can Be Broken,” but there are more creative drawbacks to give Relics. Michael Moorcock’s Elric has the world’s most wicked Relic: the willul runeblade Stormbringer. Stormbr inger. Tat thing is chock ull o drawbacks — the act that the blade likes killing Elric’s closest riends and love lovedd ones is just a start. So,gives i Aelon a Hero an Relic weapon that him give +3 Advantage dice, itorcosts 15 Divinity. Whether that that Relic is a Sword o Elder
Fire or a Shadow Kiss Medallion or a Dead Man’s Eye is irrelevant. All we’re looking or is how many Advantage Dice it gives g ives the Hero. Tere are many ways to interpret “Advantage” and “Drawback.” We encourage players to be creative with the kinds o powers an item can have, as seen rom the examples below. The Sword of Elder Fire
An enchanted blade that burns when drawn, the Sword o Elder Fire provides three Advantages: When in the dark, the Sword Sword lights the Hero’ Hero’s way.. way It can also set anything ammable on re. When striking, striking, the heat and ickering ickering ames are distracting and can burn an opponent. (1 Advantage Die in combat.) Tese three advantages are set-off by the sword’s three drawbacks: I the sword is wet with water, it will not burn. Te sword can be broken. Te sword can be taken away. The Shadow Kiss Medallion
Tis Relic — said to have been made or the high priestess o the Goddess o Love — allows the one who to move shadows without beingwears seen.it(+2 to all between Stealth rolls.) Unortunately Un ortunately,, the item also has two drawbacks: Once someone has seen the medallion’s magic, they are never affected by it again, and Te Relic’s power will not work in brightly lit l it areas. The Dead Man’s Eye
Tis item, a golden eye set with sapphires and rubies, is one o ne o the Blacksmith’s nest creations. Te one who uses it must close his eyes to do so.
When he does, he can see i a man or woman is in league with the Fell Gods. He may also see any invisible creatures creatures (or people) pe ople) within his area o vision. ( (wo wo Advantages.) Unortunately Un ortunately,, the Eye has two t wo drawbacks: Te eye is very ragile and easily broken. Te wielder must shut his eyes to use it and completely concentrate, taking no other action.
God of Fortune: Ashalim Avendi “Tank Avendi or small avors, or his wrath is never so small.” Ashalim Avendi typically appears as an old, blind man, althoug he has many orms. A story tells o a rich man who was accosted by a poor, blind churl sitting on the side o the road. Te rich man shook his purse o coins at the poor man, mocking his poverty and ill ortune. Te beggar smiled and said, “What you give is what you get.” As it turned turned out, the beggar was none other than the God o Fortune, and the story ends with the rich man on the side o the road, blind and penniless, holding out a cup, pleading or coins rom his own servants who no longer recognized him. Te ollowers o the God o Fortune remind the world Ave avors can that turnthe on Avendi the ndi tossisoa ackle coin.god whose Allies & Rivals
No God would openly call wrath on Avendi; his ollowers would ace an endless river o bad ortune. On the other hand, no God openly adores Avendi, Avendi, or they are very aware Avendi is easily offended and his wrath is ten times worse than his blessing. Blessings
Avendi’ vendi’ss miracles appear aass wild luck. luck . A good hand o cards, the ip o a coin, a chance 30
encounter with an unclaimed bag o gold, a cart o hay that happens to pass by when a Hero jumps rom a tall window: these are all miracles attributed to Ashalim Avendi. Avendi provides or his ollowers, but such miracles are not without a price. Avendi Avendi only blesses those who realize their ortunes are easily lost and those who assist others who have have lost their own good luck. A toss o a coin to a beggar, assisting a helpless lady in distress, or even helping an old woman across the road are small prices to pa payy or Avendi’s blessings. The Cloak Deceiveous
Te Hero may disguise himsel in a general way: a soldier, guard, innkeeper, innkeeper, etc. Te blessing requires a cloak. Te blessing causes any to look upon the blessed as i he naturally belonged. Tat is, i guards he is disguised as a guard the other would look at himinasaicastle, he was supposed to be where he was, doing what he was doing. Te Cloak Deceiveous only lasts until the disguised Hero takes off the cloak or tells a lie. Once he tells a lie, the disguise is over. Glamour’s Veil
Te Hero can make himsel or an item appear differently than they normally appear. He cannot change the nature the item, alterappear its appearance. Tus, aocopper coinonly could to be a gold coin, a rusted knie could appear to be a silver knie, or a beggar could appear to be a king. Te glamour remains until midnight. Lucky Coin
Te Hero nds a coin in his pocket worth one night’s stay in a good inn. Te coin can be used to purchase other things as well, the night’ nig ht’ss stay is just a relative value. At midnight, the coin disappears. Tis Blessing may be used once per day (rather than the standard once per game session).
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Lucky Shot
When invoked, this Blessing gives your Hero Hero 3 automatic automat ic successes on any roll. “Trust Me”
Te Hero says one sentence, beginning or ending with the phrase “rust me.” When he invokes this Blessing, anyone listening to the sentence will believe it to be sincere. Please note the difference between bet ween “sincere” and “true.” Tis Blessing cannot be used to convince someone the sky is orange, but it can be used to convince someone o the Hero’s integrity. Tis Blessing also cannot be used to convince someone out o something they know to be true. For example, i a guard sees the Hero picking a pocket, the Hero cannot convince the guard g uard he did not see what he thought he saw, but he can convince the guard that the other ellow is a “rotten, scabby, scabby, oul thie who deserved it. it.””
Goddess of the Hearth: Manna Renay “All the world is her child.” Appearing as a round, happy, happy, middle-aged middle-ag ed woman, Manna Manna Renay is com commonly monly known as the Goddess o Hearth and Home. A shrine to her sits in a prominent place in every household. While she some dismiss her as “the cooking goddess,” is,may in act, the goddess o Motherhood, Childbirth, Medicine, and Saety. Saet y. She is ofen pictured with a cat and dog at her eet or under her hands as she was the one who taught men to domesticate these little guardians. g uardians. She is also the protector o children and it is known that she whispers the secret language o her protectors (cats and dogs) dog s) in an inant’s inant’s ear when it is still in its mother’s mother’s womb. Tose who revere Manna Manna Renay remember this languag language; e;
Allies & Rivals
Manna Renay’s Manna Renay’s chie rival is the Goddess o Love whom she sees as a harlot invader who has swooned the hearts o men and women away rom her worship. Meanwhile, she maintains a healthy relationship with the God o Craf. Blessings
Manna Renay’s miracles are subtle and powerul. Her priestesses teach the the delicate arts o mothering. Tose who revere her nd allies among the guardian animals and may speak their secret language. Children are most ofen witness to her divine interventions as she looks out or them — especially orphans. Beast’s Tongue
When invoking this this Blessing, the Hero may hold one conversation animal. Te conversation conversat ion cannot bewith longer longany er than ve minutes. Once hearing Manna Renay’s name, the animal will also perorm a single task or the Hero. I the task is lie-threatening, the animal may reuse, depending on the situation and the conversational conversati onal skills o the Hero. Circle of Protection
Te Hero must draw a circle on the ground to invoke this Blessing. Drawing a circle takes one round. Te circle must be drawn on a solid surace. It cannot be drawn on gravel. I it loses its integrity, the magic o the circle is broken. Drawing the circle on sand, or example, is dangerous. Te Hero must also know the rue Name o the person inside the circle. Once the circle is drawn, nothing may enter it. Nothing. No arrows, no re, no swords, nothing. nothing . Nothing may damage the circle but the person inside and the Hero who drew it. Te circle lasts until dawn the next day. Hearthbread Cookies
those who do not, orget it.
A Blessing originally given g iven to Renay’s Renay’s most amous high priestess, a single Hearthbread
cookie heals all a ll W Wounds ounds when eaten. Te cookie also eeds a person or a day. A Hearthbread cookie may be split in two to share with one other person. It may not be split urther.
those who wear the code need not eat, sleep, or drink. Tey cannot be inected by disease or suffer the effects o poison. Tey are also completely bound by Drax’s laws, and even a slight slip jeopardizes the blessings bestowed by their god.
Hearthward
When the Goddesses’ name is written written on the door o a house, no one may secretly enter. As soon as any stranger o the house (someone who is not within the house when the ward ward is written) enters, enters, the priestess priestess knows someone has violated the home and knows the intruder’ intruder’ss rue Name. Once the ward is broken, it must be re-cast. Outpost
Allies & Rivals
When her name is written written on an object and
No God calls cal ls Drax an enemy. His Paladins
lef behind, the object will warn the Hero whenever anyone passes it by. by. I the Hero Hero who inscribed the outpost is asleep, he will waken. Te Outpost can only send one warning, then it’ it’ss magic is gone.
ght or justice regardless o the cost. Only a ool would openly call the God o Justice an enemy. enemy. Openly.
God of Justice: Jonan Drax “Tere is only One Law, and it is His Law.” Te god who is closest to the people is Jonan Drax, sometimes called “the compassionate,” sometimes called “the lawmaker.” It was Drax who handed down the rst ormal ormal Code o Laws people lived by. Tis 7-article code outlined a basic system o law and justice. It was because Drax so loved the world he gave it law and the realization that with introspection, compassion and understanding, men could become better than what they were. Tose who ollow Jonan Drax are called “paladins.” Tese warrior warrior-monks -monks wear the Code o Law on their bodies: the very words tattooed to their esh. Te ritual — which takes several days and is painul beyond description — empowers the paladin with blessings. It is said 32
A paladin Jonan Drax ever — uses weapons.oHis body is aseldom weapon——iinused with the power o his god. Draxian paladins are ofen called upon by judges o the Empire or their ability to sense truth and dispatch villainy. And while they do not stand above the legal system (their god was the one who enacted it), they sometimes operate outside o it, to make sure justice prevails even when law might ail.
Blessings
Te Paladins o Jonan Drax do not rely on their God or miracles, but rely on His Word to give them strength. Te Laws tattooed to their bodies give them tremendous power over evil, protecting them rom evil magics magics that inuence the mind and body. Each Law is also a Vow: an oath the makes to uphold the laws o Jonan Drpaladin Drax. ax. Unlike other Blessings, the Vows are not “invoked.” Te Words o Jonan Drax are burned onto the paladin’s body, scaring him and changing him orever. Once he’s taken a Vow, only his own actions can break it. Vows Vows last until they are broken. At this point, the tattoo ades. Vow of Compassion
It is said that a noble heart recognizes the pain in others and cannot turn rom it. Te Vow o Compassion makes it impossible or a paladin to turn rom those in need. Whenever he is asked
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or help, a paladin palad in must give whatever assistance he can. As long as he maintains this Vow, he may — once per game — demand the assistance o another.. Tis person must do every another everything thing in their power to meet the paladin’s request or aid. Vow of Fidelity
When a paladin takes a Vow Vow o Fidelity, he vows to “stay “stay true” to one person, protecting protecting that person rom all harm. Te person in question question is usually an honorable soul, although not always. As long as the paladin maintains his V Vow ow — always protecting the subject o his Vow Vow — he gains 4 Advantage Dice on any action that directly protects that person. Vow of Truth
Like the other Vows, the Vow o ruth is tattooed paladin’s body: the thisvirtue one too his chest.to Hethe swears to uphold truth over lies, willing his heart to never suffer alsehood. Once the Hero makes this Vow Vow,, he may never again tell a lie or the Vow Vow is broken. Also, as long as he ne never ver breaks the Vo Vow, w, he can always tell when someone is telling him a lie. Vow of Valor
Te paladin makes a promise to never turn rom meting out Jonan Drax’s justice. As long as as he never turns rom a battle against evil, he can never be the target o emotion-based magic. The Final Vow
Tis Vow Vow may only be given i the paladin has been branded with all o Jonan Drax’s other Vows. Te paladin makes a personal Vow, “I shall do _____.” Once this Vow is made, it will come to pass, although the paladin will die accomplishing it. Te Vow Vow cannot be used to violate physical laws or to create unrealistic or absurd situations. Rather, it is meant to allow a paladin to set right a great wrong; his ultimate sacrice is what gives the Vow its power.
Goddess of Love: Talia “She is the Muse o All Muses, the Inspiration Inspiration or All Beauty.” alia’s temples are exotic and oreign. Her priestesses (she accepts no priests) priests) are beautiul, beautiul, witty, and well versed versed in the arts. All the arts. A common misconception o alia’s ollowers is that belong to a sex cult. Tis is incorrect. alia’s priestesses are skilled lovers, but they are also painters, poets, sculptors, scu lptors, and musicians (as well as composers). All artists revere alia, alia, seeing her as the archetypal muse o all muses. alia’s priestesses know the proper methods o preparing and eating elegant meals, the techniques o banter and debate, as well as the high holy art o love. In return return or their devotion, de votion, the ollowers o alia alia learn secret arts no other school or academy in the entire world knows. In addition, she bestows blessings and magic that are secret… and seldom seen. Te use o magic or any mundane purpose is taboo. Even i only to save her own lie, alia’s priestesses are reticent to their secret magics outside the connes o alia’s Domain. Allies & Rivals
It is said her chie enemy is the Goddess o the Home who views alia alia an usurper; oreign Jenn Jenny-Come-Lately y-Come-Lately whoasseeks to stealaaway the aithul ollowers ol lowers o the All-Mother. All-Mother. Meanwhile, alia has been romantically linked to nearly every other God in the Pantheon. Allegedly, her avorite lover is the God o Craf, while her recent dalliance with the God o War has created a bit o tension between the two. Blessings
alia almost never uses miracles, nding them vulgar. Instead, she preers the rigorous use o rituals and ordeals to make her ollowers stronger.. While she will dip her hand stronger
occasionally to protect a particularly devoted ollower, she generally lets them ght (and win) their own battles with cunning, skill, and charm. And kisses. Priestesses are taught the Seven Secret Kisses; powerul magics that have been known known to enslave kings. Whileinvoked arebycalled kisses, the powers are actually inthey voked any particular kind o contact. Each kiss requires only a moment o contact and another vital element: the target’s trust. Contact between the priestess and the target cannot be initiated by her; the target himsel must touch the priestess. Te priestess may may extend her hand, but the ttarget arget must put his own hand in hers. Without this, she cannot invoke any o her powers. I the target touches the priestess, she may then activate any o the effects at any time. It could be immediately or the ollowing week or later that night, just as she invokes the power o the kiss within the current month. I the moon has passed through her phases and the priestess has not invoked the power o a kiss, she must reinvoke it with another touch. Befuddling Kiss
The Enchanting Kiss
When activated, the priestess priestess can make the target eel the pangs o any emotion she deems t — except love. It can be anger, jealousy, nervousness, or even heart-break, but none can cause a heart to eel untrue love… not even the Goddess hersel. Te effects o this kiss last until the next sunrise. Goodnight Kiss
When activated, the Kiss sets the target target to sleep until the next dawn. Nothing will wake him except a touch rom the priestess who originally kissed him. The Muse’s Kiss
When invoked, the target eels the pure inspirational power o the Goddess o Love ll his heart. He gains our Advantage Dice on his very next action. Te effects o the kiss ade thereafer.
God of Wisdom: Tyane Bran
When activated, this Blessing causes causes the subject to become conused and bewildered with an overwhelming tide o emotions. Te subject
“Te world is an imperect place… only reason is pure.” His ollowers call him “the Patient One,” or
loses a number o dice rom each action equal to hal the priestess’s priestess’s Love Devotion. De votion. Te effe effects cts last until the next sunrise. sunrise.
“yane Bran, the Indeatigable.” He is always portrayed as a small man with with long, well kept hair and diligent eyes, standing to the side o an event, watching rom a distance. He is always watching, never acting. In the tales o the Patient Patient One, even the smallest actions are viewed as monumental and ull o meaning. He only chooses to act when it is most appropriate, when it is most necessary, when it is most effective. His devoted ollow his example, watching and listening, providing their knowledge when it is
The Black Kiss
alia rst ggave ave her priestesses the Black Kiss in response to violence against them in her temples. Te Black Kiss may only be given under specic circumstances; it is the exception to the aorementioned rules. Te priestess’ priestess’ lips must be blooded (either by her own blood or another’s) another’ s) and she must know the true name o the target. I she gives the Kiss with blood on her lips, whispering the target’s name, name, he receives re ceives a 34
Wound. Te Kiss may be maint Wound. maintained ained with the target gaining an additional Wound Wound every round.
needed, acting only when it is most necessary. Tey distain what they view as “the corrupt world o temptation” temptation” preerring preerring the world world o
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thought and reason, the world o spontaneous and immediate action. Allies & Rivals
yane Bran and his ol ollowers lowers are too isolated to have enemies or allies, although the Fell Gods despise him more than any other diety — more than they do Jonan Drax. Blessings yane Bran’s miracles take the orm o bursts o enlightenment and insight in those who revere him. Tey see connections between disparate acts, spot tiny details most miss and gain an awareness around them unparalleled by any other. A Moment of Insight
Te monk suffers a moment o pure insight, a moment both painul and powerul. He is immobilized by the moment, in touch with the mind o yane Bran. Once he recovers — with a ew moments — he awakens awakens with a new perspective. When invoked, this power allows the player player o the monk to ask the GM or God o Wisdom one question which must be answered truthully. Wisdom’s Clarity
When invoked, this power allows the the monk to sense alsehood. He may not see through illusions and the like, but he knows when things are not true. I he sees one o Ashalim Avendi’ vendi’ss glamours, g lamours, he knows something is wrong with the item; item; that it is not what it appears to be. Likewise, i a person is cloaked with Ikhalu’ Ikhalu’s shadow magic, the monk can sense that something is in the room that cannot be perceived. The Softest Spot
Tis Blessing requires one ull invoke as the monk observes his action target. to On his next action, the monk knows exactly where the
weakness o an object or person lies. Even the weakness o an argument. Using Using this knowledge, he gains a number o Advantage Dice equal to his Wisdom Devotion. He can also reveal this weakness to another (watching a ght and shouting out the weakness to one opponent, or example), but the person he is communicating communicating to does not have his complete understanding. Another can only gain hal his Wisdom Devotion i the monk reveals the weakness to him. The Heart’s Riddle Revealed
By spending an action, the monk can contemplate upon a person he knows or has knowledge o (the target cannot be a complete stranger). When the moment is over, the monk knows that person’s motives exactly and what he plans town; on doing next. Te mayBecause be in another distance is notperson an issue. the monk knows the target, he can deduce rom his knowledge o that person what his plans may be. Truth th The Most Evident Tru
A monk must have at least three other Blessings beore he receives this one. When invoked, the monk declares one act to be true… and he is right. Whether that truth is that ogres cannot walkthe in Duke sunlight turning to stone or that o without Belshavay is really a sorcerer, the monk reveals this truth and it is act. Te truth revealed may only be one truth. It cannot be a number o truths linked by a theme. For example, the monk could declare that the Duke is indeed a sorcerer, but he cannot declare that the Duke is a sorcerer plotting to overthrow the emple o Dyr. One truth. Tat’s all you get. Te monk’s truth truth may be disputed by the Gods, but it requires three Divinity to do so. Te God o Wisdom can spend one Divinity to cancel the truth, or he can spend one Divinity
to cancel out any other God’ G od’ss dismissal o that truth.
Lord of Death: Uhmume “Uhmume comes when his duty calls. No sooner, no later.” Uhmume is not a God; he is something else entirely. Tere are legends o the entities known entirely. as “Lords and Ladies” that pre-date the Gods, but no historian has ever ound o und any other Lord than Uhmume. Stories involving involving the Lord oo Death are many and varied. It is said no man may look upon Uhmume Uhmume (uh-moom or uh-moom-ay uh-moom-ay;; depending on dialect) and live. Others say any living man who sees is struck blind, his hair turns white and his skin turns turns ashen. While there are many stories o men who have seen Uhmume and lived to tell the tale, no one has ever actually met one. Perhaps that is the most telling thing about these tales. Tere are many tales o Uhmume’s appearance. Some say he is a tall gure with a skull or a ace, standing in black robes that billow like l ike smoke. Others say he is a beautiul boy who kisses those doomed or death. Others suggest Uhmume can appear as any orm he likes. l ikes. Whatever he may appear to be, Uhmume is the Lord o Death, the inevitable end or all creatures. Te world is ull o ghosts who still cling to the living lands; the priests o Uhmume assist those ghosts, completing business the ghost eels needs to be resolved beore it can move on. Blessings
Uhmume does not give out miracles to his ollowers. In act, the Lord o Death doesn’t have “ollowers” as he has priests who serve the needs o the bereaved. Uhmume’s ollowers aassist ssist those who are haunted haunted by departed souls unwilling to move on to their rightul resting place (or unresting unrest ing place, as it may be). It is also said he 36
sometimes visits omens on those who have been targeted by his evil brother, Ikhalu, the Lord o Murder (see Te Fell Gods, below). Allies & Rivals
Te priests o Uhmume tend are devoted solely to the service o the Lord o Death. Tis devotion earns them no avors rom the Gods, although ollowers o Uhmume Uhmume care little or what Gods think or do. “Uhmume “Uhmume comes to all,” is the ttypical ypical answer or those challenging chal lenging an Uhmume Uhmume priest or his anatical devotion to a single God. Tis does not mean ollowers o Uhmume never pay reverence to other Gods; they just make no secret o the act that their true devotion lies with the Lord o Death.
The Fell Gods Te Fell Gods Go ds are dark entities who were deeated and driven rom the world into the Land o Shadows. Worship Worship o the Fell Gods is orbidden but that doesn’t give the desperate pause. Tose who want the kind kind o power the Fell Gods offer will always nd a way to contact their evil devoted. While the names o the Fell Gods are never uttered, their names are well known. Tey are Ikhalu, the Lord o Murder; Mahl, the BloodyBlo odyeared Widow Widow;; the Grinning God… Tese dark, oul entities are listed listed in Appendix 3, ar away away rom curious players’ eyes.
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APPENDIX 2: 2: THE FELL GODS I told you they were back here. Te Fell Gods can be used with just about any standard antasy pantheon. Tey’re nasty, wicked, evil, dirty, cunning, and all together eeeeviiiilll. Use them at your own risk. Note that the Fell Gods are not openly worshiped and most cities consider revering these Gods a crime punishable by death. Tereore, their temples are hidden away, their cults remain secret, and a Hero who reveres a Fell God takes his own lie in his hands. players beware!!!
Te inormation that that ollows is or the Game Master alone! aking aking a peek at the Fell Gods will not only ruin r uin the surprise, but will also make them a lot less scary. Te less less you know about the Fell Fell Gods, the more...
Oh, what am I doing? You know this routine by now. Don’t be a wanker. Stop reading unless you’re the GM. You’ve been warned.
The God of Murder: Ikhalu At the beginning o time, two Gods petitioned Men or the right to be the God o Death. Uhmume created created a vast palace open to any and all while Ikhalu created a ortress so terriying only the most courageous courageo us could climb its walls. Men chose Uhmume’ Uhmume’ss luxurious palace and Ikhalu has been making Mankind pay or it ever since. Te assassin-priests o Ikhalu steal the souls o the living, sending them to their dark lord. Priests o Ikhalu are promised that when they die, they will go g o to their master’s dark ortress where every soul they murdered serves them until the end o time. Tis promise keeps the assassin-priests very busy. areHe masters o disguise disg andart strange shadow powers their dark lord bestows dark uponTey them. also learns lear ns a uise martial specically designed to immobilize targets, the undamentals o disguise, stealth and inltration. Also, every Ikhalu priest carries a magical dagger; any person killed by this dagger has their soul sent to Ikhalu’s ortress where they serve those who are aithul to the God o Murder. Blessings
Ikhalu assists his ollowers with powers devious and diabolical. Every aassassin-pr ssassin-priest iest is given an unholy dagger that steals souls and sends them to Ikhalu. His shadow-magic helps hide his assassin-priests, giving them the ability to hide in plain sight and disappear into shadows. Ikhalu also intervenes directly on his ollower’s behal, knowing he must protect what little Devotion he has. Tis makes him one o the most active Gods, but it also means his Devotion D evotion is always low. He protects those he can can… … but more ofen than
not, he doesn’t have enough Devotion to go around. The Ikhalu Knife
An Ikhalu knie is a sacred item given to the most trusted assassin-priests. All o Ikhalu’s Blessings are bestowed through the knie. The Hidden Blade
All Ikhalu knives are bestowed with one Blessing: i the priest hides it on his person, it cannot be ound. No man, woman, or child ch ild can nd the knie i the priest hides it. The Deepest Cut
By invoking this Blessing, the priest gives his opponent a permanent Wound. Tis Wound cannot be healed by normal means. False Death
One o the greatest secrets o the Ikhalu assassin-priests is their ability to eign death. By invoking this Blessing, the priest tells Ikhalu “I am not yet ready, Lord,” and appears by all accounts to be dead. His wounds appear atal to any onlookers. Only i his heart is removed rom his body is the priest actually killed. He remains in this alse death until midnight. Ten, under the moon, he rises again.
present. throat the victim or piercesTe hispriest heart.slices Ten,the thethroat priestoutters a small prayer to Ikhalu, telling his dark Lord that a soul is on its way. Again: the avali ritual may only be committed i the target has no clue the priest has intention to kill the target. Te priest could be in disguise or hidden. Ten, once the priest is in place, he rolls his Devotion De votion to the God G od o Murder. Murder. I he gains a number o successes equal to or greater than the target’s Hubris, Hubris, the attack is successul; the target is doomed to die in three rounds. Allies & Rivals
All Gods o the Pantheon are enemies o Ikhalu and would see him h im murder murdered ed with one o his own daggers.
The Bloody-Eyed Widow: Mahl She walks the streets when there is no moon, snatching up children who have no home,
The Stolen Mask
drinking blood, them close her bosom astheir she looks orholding more. Blood bleedstorom her eyes as she weeps and those who hear her wails are doomed to know her deadly kiss. Children who all under her care are transormed into awul beasts. Mahl’s Children are the monsters o the world: world : vampires, specters, ghouls and the rest. She is the Mother o All Monsters, claiming those society casts away as her own.
Avali: Holy (or Sacred) Murder
Allies & Rivals
By invoking this Blessing upon a body he’ he’ss murdered, murder ed, the priest may steal the ace o his victim. By stealing the ace, he steals the demeanor o the victim as well. Te priests clothes appear to be his victim victim’’s clothes, his voice sounds the same, even his possessions are identical. Te deception is true until the mask is removed; the ace then shrivels and cannot be used again. Whenever an Ikhalu priest priest commits “holy murder” with his knie, he sends the soul to
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Ikhalu’s palace rather than the God o Death. Ikhalu’ Te knie immediately gains an Advantage Die. Te knie may have a number o Advantage Dice equal to the Devotion o the assassin-priest. o commit avali, the assassin-priest must strike his enemy without the enemy knowing he’s
While all the Gods view Mahl as abhorrent, the Goddess o Hearth and Home is (obvious)
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a particular enemy. She despises Mahl and her children and encourages her ollowers to destroy them wherever they can be ound. Blessings: Monsters
Mahl’s worshipers revere their dark mother at hidden altars, capturing wayward children to drink “mother’s “mother’s milk. milk .” A priestess is chosen, and afer an exhausting ritual (involving painul ordeals), Mahl possesses the priestess. She then bestows her milk on the children (a combination o blood and breast milk). Slowly, the children are transormed into the horrors associated with Mahl. Te ollowers o Mahl don’ don’tt have Blessings: they have Monsters. Mahl sends creatures creatures to her devoted; devoted ; horrible creatures rom the worst part o the Nightmare Realm. As a GM, you’ll need to build Monsters or your Heroes to ght. Monsters are made up o their Parts. For example, some Monsters have one hundred eyes, claws, a tail, and venomous teeth. Other Monsters have have wings, scales, and hypnotizing eyes. Each o these descriptors is a different ability the Monster can use against Heroes. Making Monsters
A Monster can have any number o Parts, but Mahl typically rewards her ollowers based on their Devotion. A ollower may have a number o Monsters equalotoMahl her Devotion De votion to Mahl. Each Monster cannot have more Parts than double their master (or mistress’) Devotion. For example, the Witch-ueen o Falvthrough has a 4 Mahl Devotion. She may have up to 4 Monsters and those Monsters may not have more than 8 Parts. All Monsters only have Devotion or Mahl equal to the number o Parts they have. For example, i a Monster has 4 Parts, it has a 4 Devotion to Mahl.
Using Monsters
Te reason Monsters are back here in the GM G M only section should be obvious: so the players don’ don’tt know what Monsters can do. However, clever players will begin to notice that that Monstes wit withh similar physical eatures (scales, claws, etc.) have similar powers. Use the Parts to give physical descriptions o Monsters. Don’t call a Monster by its name; use its Parts. “It’s big and has seven legs. Its one hundred eyes look at you with malice and its orked tongue strikes out at you!” Tat way, way, players will beg begin in to learn how Monsters work by recognizing their physical eatures. Tey’ll learn what different different beasts do, and know the best way to ght them. Parts
A Monster’s Monster’s Parts each have a special ability — like a Blessing. A Monster may only use each Part once per game. Some Monsters may have a Part more than once, which means they can use each one once. For example, i a Monster has two Claws, it may use each Claw once per game session. I Heroes want to damage specic Monster Parts, they may try to do so as a Contested Action. I the Hero gains a Complete Success, the Part is damaged and the Monster may not use its advantages. I the Hero gains ga ins a Moderate Success, the part may not be used or two rounds (including the current round). Camouage
Tis Monster gains 3 Advantage Dice when trying to hide rom opponents. Claws
Tis Part allows a Monster to deliver a Wound on any successul combat roll. Remember, this Part may only be used once per game.
Extra Heads
Tis Monster has an additional head. For each additional head, the Monster gains an additional action per round. It also adds 1 to the number o successes that must be rolled to deeat the Monster in combat. For example, i a Monster has two heads, the N to deeat the Monster is: Mahl Devotion + 5 + 1 (additional head). Eyes of Stone
Tis part is very deadly and should be reserved or only the most powerul Monsters. Tis Monster can turn Heroes into stone statues. Te Hero and Monster make a Contested Roll (most appropriate deense: Goddess o the Hearth, God o Fortune). I the Monster gets a Complete Success (not a Moderate Success), the Hero is turned to stone. Te only o nly way to turn a Herothe back to hisousual state is by covering with blood the Monster who who turnedhim him to stone. A Monster has enough blood to turn only one victim back to normal. Giant Size
When multiple opponents opponents ght this Monster, they gain one less Advantage Die or outnumbering the Monster. I the Monster buys Giant Size more than once, he cancels an additional Advantage Die or each time he buys it.
Night Eyes
Tis Monster may see in the dark. Paralyzing Tongue
Te poison o this Monster’s tongue knocks an opponent on the ground. Te Monster must get a successul Contested Roll (most appropriate: Goddess o Hearth, God o Fortune, God o the Battleeld) to use his h is ongue. ongue. Once struck, the Hero gains a Wound and is paralyzed until that Wound W ound is healed. One Hundred Eyes
I a Monster has One Hundred Hundred Eyes, it cannot be surprised. It also gains three Advantage Advantage Dice when trying to nd a hidden opponent. Rhino Hide
Monster may , once per p er game,rolls. cancel oTis his opponent’ oppo nent’may, s successul combat rol ls. one Scales
A Monster with scales cannot be effectively attacked with sharp weapons. It must must be rolled rolle d over to expose its sof underbelly. Tis Part does not need ne ed to be activated. o o roll a Monster over, you must make a Contested roll (most appropriate: God o Battle or Fortune) against the Monster’s Monster’s Mahl Devotion. Siren Song
Hypnotic Eyes
Te Monster may paralyze one opponent or one round. Te opponent can do nothing but gaze at the Monster. Iron Stomach
Tis Monster can eat anything: wood, stone, brick, people. Anything. Tis Part is not activated, it is “always on.”
Tis Monster may use its voice to lure Heroes to their doom. Te voice mesmerizes any Heroes who ail a Contested Roll (most appropriate: appropriate: Goddess o Hearth, Goddess o Love) against the Monster. Monster. Once they are enchanted by the song, the Hero will do anything to get nd the source o the song. Once enchanted, the Hero is considered helpless or the purposes o the Monster taking liberties with the Hero’s health and welare. While this power may only be used
Many Legs
Tis Monster gains 3 Advantage Dice when chasing or running away rom Heroes. 40
once peraday, it can a large — even whole shipeffect ull o them.group o Heroes
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Small Size
Tis Monster gains 3 Advantage Dice during Contested Rolls when trying to avoid being caught. Spiked Tail
Tis Monster may grab an opponent, wrappingg the Hero up iinn its tail, squeezing wrappin tightly or the chance at additional Wounds. Te Monster and Hero make make Contested Rolls (most appropriate: God o War, God o Fortune). I the Monster gains a Moderate Success, the Hero is caught in the Monster’s ail and may only try to escape. He may make no other actions. I the Monster gains a Complete Success, the Hero takes a Wound or every round he remains trapped. At the end (not beginning) o each round, the Hero may try to escape e scape making another Contested Roll with the Monster. I the Hero gains a Moderate Success, he escapes. I he makes a Complete Success, he escapes and the Monster takes a Wound. While the Monster holds a Hero Hero in its ail, ail, any other Hero gains an Advantage Die to chop off the tail. A Hero needs a Complete Success to chop off the ail. I a Hero is attacking the ail while another Hero Hero is held in it, the held Hero should gain an Advantage Die when trying to escape. Spy Eye
Te Devotee may see what this Monster sees. Tis Part is ““always always on;” it doesn’ doesn’tt need to be activated. Whenever Whene ver the Monster takes a Wound, W ound, the Devotee takes a W Wound ound as well. Troll Blood
Te boiling, oozing blood o trolls runs in many Monsters. A Monster with roll Blood regenerates all Wounds in one hour and all severed limbs grow back at midnight. Te only way to kill a creature with roll roll Blood is to completely destroy it (with re or acid, or example).
Venomous Fangs
Tis Monster delivers a poisonous bite when it makes a successul attack roll. Roll a die; i the die roll is odd, the Monster’s venom inicts the Hero. He loses one Advantage Die at the end o each round. Wings
Tis Monster can y. Monsters & The God of Wisdom
Te God o Wisdom (and his most blessed ollowers) has the power to dene things, but does this include dening what Monstes can do? Well... maybe. Priests o the God o Wisdom may know many things, but the Bloody-E Bloody-Eyed yed Widow keeps secrets even the Great Wise One doesn’t know. Monsters Monste rs all under the Domain o Mahl, not yane Bran. Tat means, in order to dene a Monster, yane Bran must challenge the ueen o Beast’s Domain.
The Grinning man: Afhil Ail is a tall, spectral gure dressed in immaculate black robes, his ngers are slender and groomed, his hair is black and wet against his skull, his aggressive brow hides his eyes. And his grin… any who look upon it risk madness. Under his black robes are barbed whips, butcher’ss knives and other instruments butcher’ instruments o pain. Ail’s ollowers understand their dark lord’s master: pain is the path to strength, the truth only the devoted can ollow. Ail’s ollowers hide h ide deep scars under their clothes or such scarication is a tell tale sign o Ail worship. What makes the Grinning God’ss worshipers dangerous isn’ God’ isn’tt that they seek wisdom in their own pain, pain, but that they seek wisdom in the pain o others as well. orture orture is a
routine occurrence in the hidden shrines to the Grinning God. Blessings
Te ollowers o Ail seem completely impervious to most injuries. Tis is due to their aggressive torture/training and Ail’s blessings. Ail is also capable o striking down enemies o his ollowers with incredible wracking pains. The Darkest Fear
Followers o Ail are distorted creatures so awul to look upon, only the bravest may do so. When he activates this this Blessing, the Follower o Ail causes a Fear Effect equal to his Devotion to the Pain God. He rolls a number o dice equal to his Devotion and counts his evens. Any Hero looking upon him when he activates this Blessing losestoa the number dice rom their action equal evensothe disciple o thenext Pain God rolled. I a Hero cannot muster any dice, he cannot take any action. The Malice Hammer
A devastating curse put upon those who are Ail’s enemies, the Malice Hammer makes the target revisit his most tortuous moment. Te priest calls upon the power o this Blessing and looks upon the target. In that moment, he knows the one thing that pains the target most. Whether this is a lost love, an estranged estranged parent, a villainous act committed long ago; the priest knows it… and the target knows he knows it. The Sweetest Sting
Tis Blessing does not need to be invoked; it is always active. Followers o the Grinning Man suffer or his wisdom. Tey swallow glass, carve car ve their bodies, distort their eatures, and make themselves cruel mockeries o happiness. Tis makes pain an empoweringg experience, not a debilitating one. empowerin For every Wound Wound a ollower o Ail gains, he also gains a Bonus Die. 42
Wit’s Teeth
Te Grinning Man is the twisted jester, the God o Pain and Malice. He delights in causing sorrow and misery; he even draws strength rom it. His ollowers ollow his example, and by using this Blessing, are capable o bringing even the greatest warrior to tears. Te priest invokes this Blessing and rolls a number o dice equal to his Pain Devotion. Te Hero may roll any Devotion he deems de ems t. I the priest succeeds (even a moderate success), the target alls into a whimpering, sobbing mess. Te target is completely helpless and cannot even deend himsel or a number o rounds equal to the successes o the priest. I the priest ails, the target’ targ et’ss eyes well up with tears and anyone taking any action against ag ainst him (physical, social, or mental) gains 2 Advantage Dice. Da’fhil: Afhil’s Children
Woe to those who are captured by the Woe ollowers o Ail, or they are taught the ultimate lesson in pain. Te body is bound and rituals cast upon it. Te secret name o Ail is written in spiral patters along the skin: skin: written with razors. Te spiral patterns orbid the spirit rom leaving the esh. Te body is wrapped in sacred garments, then slowly smothered to death. Te process takes many months. Finally, Finally, when the body b ody dies, the soul remains within the rune carved skin. Te creature is called Da’il: a Child o o Pain. Te wretched creature suffers eternal pain so blinding, all it can do is strike out at others. A Da’il Da’il has only one Devotion and that is to the Grinning God. Its Devotion is 8 and it has all the Grinning Man’s Blessings. Allies & Rivals
It’s no joke that nearly every other God G od o the Pantheon Pant heon would like to see Ail suffering under
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the sharp edges o his own tools… i only they weren’t’t so certain he’d enjoy it. weren
The Lord of Demons: Sorcel Shem Wizards in their isolated isolated towers making deals with demons eventually eventually encounter Sorcel Shem: the Lord o Demons. It is this dark lord who made “selling your soul” popular on Shanri (the word “sorcerer” “sorcerer” comes rom his name). Ma Many ny have sold their souls to Shem or the power he promises; and that power is great, indeed. Many speculate that Shem is not actually rom this world at all, but rom another one where the rules are not the same. He is ofen depicted as a tall, swarthy, beautiul beautiul man with long, long , straight black hair, braided down the back His eyes are like the rainbows o oil mixing with water and his voice is pleasant and almost musical. His charms have deluded many ambitious men and women, and the gifs he gives them always leave them wanting more. Blessings
Shem does not give miracles to his ollowers, but instead teaches them spells o power. power. Tese are written in accursed black books, bound in demonic esh. Te spells he teaches are, in actuality, the secret names and bindings o demons. By knowing the name o a particular demon, the sorcerer may bind it and put it to service. In this way, a sorcerer is always surrounded by “magic items;” sorcerous tools containing co ntaining bound demons. Each demon gives the item particular powers: a cloak that protects rom re, a ruby eye inserted into the skull that sees the intents o those it looks upon, or even a black bladed sword that drinks souls are all good examples o demonic items a sorcerer would have in his orbidden tower.
Sorcerers may learn any Blessing listed in this book by summoning demons to their side, binding them, and orcing them to act. Sorcery does have a price, however, howe ver, and that price is blood and time. A binding requires blood. Tat blood may be the sorcerer’ sorcerer’s s blood orto another’s, but itand must be spilled: enough blood draw a circle write the demon’s name (about two pints). Any ritual takes about one hour to perorm. Once a demon has been summoned, it perorms a single action, then leaves. leaves. I the sorcerer wishes another Blessing, he must summon another demon, going through the motions again. Te demon bestows the Blessing on the sorcerer who may then call upon its power as he sees t. Te power remains until used, then is gone. A sorcerer may call multiple demons to gain the same Blessing many times. A sorcerer may only have a number o Rituals active equal to twice his Devotion to the God o Sorcery. Allies & Rivals
All the Gods despise Sorcel Shem or he provides the quickest route to power — thus thus stealing potential ollowers or himsel. Even the other FellIGods despise (orknives the very reasons). Ikhalu couldhim get his onsame Shem, he would.
APPENDIX 3: 3: CREATING YOUR OWN PANTHEON I you want to create your own Pantheon o Gods Go ds (You (You Go Girl!), G irl!), here are some suggestions on God G od itles. JustGoddess remember, remember , the Greeks thought o Athena o War,” nor didnever the Norse consider Torasto“the be “the God o Tunder.” Tey were just Athena and Tor. Gobs and Gobs of Gods Sticking a God a title limits him, but it is a good starting Art Fire/Earth/ Music place to give your God theme and character. character. Look the over Wind/Water Wind/W ater Night the list to the right and talk about it. Beauty Flowers Birds Order Dene Your Pantheon Forests Birth (usually Plants Your rst step is to dene the nature o your Pantheon. (rees) Motherhood) Poetry Get together with the Game Master and other players, and Guardianship Chaos decide what kind o Pantheon Pantheon you’ll be playing. It could Politics Courage Craf
Hate Healing
Dance
Hearth & Home
Darkness Dawn Deserts (or, i you like, desserts)
Hunting
Proession (Sailors, ailors, Blacksmiths, etc.)
be aEvil, dualistic in the o Good vs. OrderPantheon, vs. Chaos.absorbed vs. Or, it could be concepts tha thatt the nature natur e o your Pantheon is more complicated than that. As an example, take a look at two Pantheons we all know rom our Mythology class.
Judgment
Seas/Waters
Two Examples
Justice
Sex (not Love)
Many interpret interpret the Greek Pantheon as an extension o the human psyche, a statement on the human condition, but they didn’ d idn’tt start that way. At rst, the G Gods ods were personications o power: the God o War, War, God o
Knowledge
Sky
Destiny
Learning
Destruction Direction (East Wind, West W est Wind, etc.)
Light Love (not Sex)
Spring Sun
Disease
Luck (Chance, Fortune)
Famine
Marriage
Volcanoes
Fate
Mercy
War W ar
Fatherhood
Moon
Winter
Fertility (again, Motherhood)
Motherhood
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Mountains
Snakes Storms ime ricks
Wisdom
Making, o Greeks the Waters, all veryother masculine gures. However,God However , as the conquered cultures, cu ltures, they added the conquered pantheon to their own, reinterpreting interpret ing it to t into their belie structure. At rst, the Greeks worshiped a Tunder God called “Zeus,” but when they conquered an agrarian culture, they adopted their Earth Mother, marrying marrying her off (in a subser subservient vient role, o course) to their own Tunder God. Tus, Hera and Zeus were wed, and always at odds with each other. When the Greeks encountered a people who worshiped a goddess o erotic love, they had her arrive in a shell, off the waters to the East. Tus, Aphrodite was added to the pantheon. When the Greeks encountered Athena Athena’’s people, it must have been a struggle (the higher up on the divinity
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chain you are, the tougher you were to conquer — supposedly). She is “born” o Zeus, but not born, bursting rom his skull afer he devoured de voured (conquered) another God, ully dressed in her armor, helm and spear, shouting a wild war cry that was heard across the universe. She’s She’s a remarkable gure, and one o the most popular Greek Gods… even though she probably came rom an enemy culture. Te Norse Gods are a little different rom their Greek counterparts, although very similar in many respects. Te chie god is male, married to a subservient emale (although not as subservient as Hera), and Odin (or, Wotan) is a God o Wisdom rather than a Tunder God. His son, the mighty HOR (just have to write his name in all caps like that, he would have demanded it) takes up the role o angry Tunder God. Te Norse Gods are less “Gods o…” and more like actual characters than their Greek counterparts, and ar more mortal. Tey can be killed, and will be killed in the Final Battle at the end o the world. Tis doom casts a shadow over all the stories, a oreboding aura you cannot ignore. Te Norse Gods G ods are more human their Greek companions as well, each with his own quirks and mannerisms. mannerisms. Te Greek Gree k Gods are almost inallible, while the Norse Gods are getting ooled all the time.
your God says a lot about how you’ll be able to use your Divinity Points.
The Four Elements Te our classic Greek elements — Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water Water — all carry symbolic meaning. TeoGod carries For the a primitive connotation GodooFire Wisdom. people, making re is a tricky tricky wicket, not something just anyone can do. It requires a specic knowledge that must be learned, and sometimes even stolen. Tus, many Gods “s “steal teal re” or humanity, bringing it rom the other side o the world, to help man conquer his ear o darkness, teach him cooking and toolmaking as well. Ofen times, the Firebringer is punished or stealing re and marked marked in some way.. In ma way many ny myths, animals st steal eal re or man, and the coloring on their urs or wings shows where the re burned burned them as they carried it. In Greek myth, Prometheus steals re or man and gets chained to a rock, his liver eaten away by a giant g iant bird or all eternity. In many Native Native American traditions, traditions, it is Crow or Raven R aven who steal re, thus their black “burned” “ burned” eathers. Odin is considered a God o Wisdom, and is wounded or his gaining o that wisdom — he must pluck out his own eye to learn the secrets o the world. Tus, re and wisdom are orever
So, while both Pantheons have their similarities (God o Tunder, God o Wisdom, God o War), they are aalso lso very different. IItt is important to decide what kind o Pantheon you and your other players players want to make make beore dishing out titles and responsibilities. Tink about the character o your myths, think about the mortality o your Gods, think about all o it. Don’t just slap “God o War” on your character sheet. Tink about it. Are you like Athena: a quick-witted, clever and crafy God Go d o War? War?
linked: wisdom burns you and scars you. It steals your innocence, changing you orever. orever. Tat is the nature o re: a dangerous tool that must be used careully. Tus, i you choose to be a Fire God, think about what sort o God o Wisdom you’ll be. Tere are many Earth Gods, and they are all aspects o the same thing: the circular nature o the world. All things come rom the Earth, walk upon the Earth, and return return to the Earth. Birth, Lie, Death De ath are the true holy trinity, and
Or are a bloodthirsty, reckless warmonger like heryou brother Ares and their distant cousin HOR? Consider careully. Te character o
every day, mankind goes through that cycle. He is innocent, he is experienced, he is stagnant, and he is born again into innocence. Te Earth
deity is typically emale, ofen represented as the Maiden-Mother-Crone. Maiden-Mother-Crone. Te innocent girl, ull o lie and vigor, ull o the magic o womanhood who gives her lie to the baby in her womb, changing rom dynamic lie-orce to protector. Ten, Ten, nally, she is the old woman woman whose wisdom cannot be taught, only learned with personal experience. Te girl who was mother who now watches her own girl-child as mother, knowing all the experiences her daughter will have. Because the Earth moves through its own cycles, represented by the our seasons, the Earth deity also represents all our o those seasons, including the Season o Death: Winter. Te Earth God is ofen the Death God, ar under the ground in his silent subterranean kingdom, greeting the mortal dead. In primitive primitive cultures, snake is ofen seen as a
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servant o death: the creature that goes under the ground, receives messages and commands rom his master, then returning returning again to the surace to do his bidding. Almost any creature that burrows can be associated with the Earth God. Finally, any creature that “sheds” in the winter and “blossoms” in the spring is also associated with the magical lie cycle. Tink o antlers that that all off in the winter and re-grow in the spring, bears who sleep the long death-sleep through the winter,, only to become re-born when the snows winter
thought (poets are seldom stable creatures), dreams and nightmares. It is the element o madness and the secret se cret insight it brings. Water Water is turbulent, mercurial, ever-changing. e ver-changing. Water Water is also the element o purity, purity, the most primal o all the elements. Te human body needs water to survive, it is the essential element o lie. It may be volatile, protean and ever changing, but water is the essential essential stuff o lie. Poetry, Poetry, music, stories and all come rom magical energy o water.. We water We cannot live without art, anymore than we can live without water water.. And it can only truly be mastered by those who understand it. It It can only be captured by those with minds as volatile, protean and ever-changing as the element element that guides them. Wind is the element o thought, the element element o concepts. It is too inclusive to say wind is the element o intellect, or it is also the element o intuition. It is the element o things that are true, but cannot be seen or explained. It is the element o gnosis, g nosis, o “knowing,” not “understanding. “understanding.”” Te belie that some things cannot be taught in books or by teachers, but can only be understood by direct experience. e xperience. Anyone who’s who’s never been b een to the Grand Canyon cannot explain the sheer she er awe o standing at the lip o something so enormous, so spectacular. Words ail to capture the sight o a baby and new-born mother,
thaw and you’ll be thinking o o “Earth animals.” animals.” Te Water God is a creature o mystery, emotion and change. “Still waters run deep” is the cliché, and in this case, the cliché is true. Water W ater deities are ofen ofen Goddesses, keepers o secrets, almost associated with the moon (another symbol o secrets). Tere are so many Goddesses associated with water and the moon, including Arthur’s Lady o o the La Lake ke and the Greek sorceress Circe. Generally, Sun Worshiping W orshiping Pan Pantheons theons viliy W Water ater Goddesses, but they are a part o nature, just as re and earth. Water conceals. Waters are always deeper than they appear. It is the element o creative
moments afer the birth. Men who y high above and beyond our own Earth, looking down, seeing the whole o our blue globe in one glance. How can words capture these moments? Tey can’t. Tey must be experienced. You cannot learn them, you must know them or yoursel. Tis is the truth o wind, the element o gnosis, the element o magic. So much knowledge is available or the one who is willing to sit, be quiet and listen. Te wind is calm, it is serene. It carries carries secrets and is willing to share them to anyone who will listen. Wind is power. It It powers the windmill, it powers the sail. It carves away the mountain, little by little, year by year. In In the
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end, wind is patient, and that is why its energies energ ies never ail.
Death Death is an important subject to discuss. Is death simply a mortal concern, or are the gods subject to responsible its whims asor well? Is theresouls a God o Death, claiming and returning them to his dim kingdom? I so, Death Gods are ofen isolated in some way, set apart rom the other Gods. Either the Pantheon Pantheon shuns him or he just keeps his h is distance, uninterested in the affairs o Gods or men, his mind set on keen indifference. Is Death even personied at all? In the Hebrew tradition, there may be One God, but there is no Heaven or Hell. In act, there really isn’t a your soul soul!!aith (Tere’s a lotmay o different Jews; mileage differ.) kind o Careully consider the role o Death in your Pantheon Pant heon and place him wel well.l. W Wee strongly discourage the God o Death be handled by one o the players; generally, it’ it’ss just too much responsibility or a God to handle, let alone a mortal.
Lastly When making your own own Pant Pantheon, heon, keep in mind all the stuff that makes mythology neat. Te ambiguous, ast-and-lose rules; the melodrama; the tricks; the Doom Waiting at the End o the World. World. Make it all part o your own Pantheon. Pant heon. I you don’t eel comortable making up your own, grab an existing ex isting one and play with that. Tere’s nothing wrong with using Enemy Gods to play with the Norse or Greek Pantheon, or even the Egyptian or Roman Pantheons. In the end, the point is to have un, so do just that.
APPENDIX 4: 4: D20 CONVERSION NOTES You can convert the mechanics in this book to be used in other games. For example, here’s a way to use Devotions, Miracles and Curses in the d20 system. here’s In essence, the core system ts right on top o the d20 system. Divinity Points work the same way, giving bonuses to rolls works the same way, etc. But to make it t, we need to alter just a couple o things.
Clerics, Druids, Paladins and other Holy Folks Obviously,, some character classes will have more devotion than others. Holy (or Obviously unholy) characters get bonuses and penalties in this system, making them exceptions to just about every rule. I’ll point this out when it’s it’s important or when tthe he rules change or those characters. Te most important thing to remember is that the gods expect more out o holy characters. Tey will get benets above others, but the penalties or alling rom avor will also be greater. Devotions Let’ss start with Devotions. Te rules are, essentially Let’ essentially,, the same. Each character gets points to devote to the gods. Te number o points depends on the number number o gods and how much inuence you want the gods to have on your campaign. (I’m assuming you want gods interering interering in the lives o mortals because you picked up this book.) Te more points you give your players, the more power the gods have. Afer all, a god’ god’ss power is completely dependant on the devotion that god gets. I suggest giving the players seven points to devote to the gods. Most d20 settings have a ton o gods and that lets them spread the points out. Don’t let anyone put more than three points in a single devotion, however. Fewer points lessen the gods inuence; more points make the gods more prominent. prominent. Holy characters may begin the game with a rank higher than three in their chosen god. Tey may also, depending on the god and the DM, have a rank or two in another god. Most deities would take offense to such a choice, but others may not mind so much.
Divinity Points Te DM can keep track o the gods’ Divinity, but I nd that most d20 games ocus more on the heroes than the gods. Te gods are ar more powerul than they are in the world o Enemy Gods, but i the DM wants, he can maintain a running record o Divinity uses. He can even assign the roles o the gods to the players, as in the standard game. 48
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All Divinity costs are the same. Giving bonuses to rolls, granted blessings and curses, etc.
Roll Bonuses Whenever you roll dice or an act that either supports your god’s purposes, purposes, you get g et a divine bonus equal to the Devotion you have to that god. I your Devotion is 3, you get +3 to your roll. I your Devotion is 2, you get +2 to that roll. I you are using the rules that put the players in the roles o the gods, you may petition that god or the bonus. He may or may not give you a bonus up to your Devotion. He may not give you more, but he may give you less. Domain Spells Tose who are devoted to the gods may also gain spells rom the go god’ d’s domains. Y You ou get a number o spells equal to your Devotion to that god. Yes, Yes, this includes character classes who may not normally cast spells. Holy characters get bonus spells equal to their Devotion. Tat is, they get their usual spells rom their god plus a number o additional spells equal to their Devotion. Blessings & Curses Te gods may give characters blessings and curses as they do in the standard rules. I suggest using the standard bless/curse spells ound in Core Rulebook I (bless, harm, heal, cure light wounds, etc.). Te level o the spell is the amount o Divinity required to cast a Blessing or a Curse. Blessings last a number o rounds, hours or days (however you like) equal to the hero’s Devotion to the god. However, However, Curses don’ don’tt ade away in a number o rounds. Instead, the effect lasts until the hero satises the god’ g od’ss wrath. He could be commanded commanded to perorm a
special quest or just show the proper amount o obeisance to the god. You never can tell with those pesky deities.
Conclusion Tat’s about it: everything you need to play your rst game o Enemy Gods. I you have have any questions or run into any problems, eel ree to drop me a line at www.johnwickpr www.johnwickpresents.com. esents.com. I’ll be happy to answer any questions, clariy rules, or just take shameless compliments. But remember this: a roleplaying game is a game o imagination and make-believe. It is one o the only types o games in the world where the players are encouraged to make up things as they go. Tis not only includes the world but the rules as well. No RPG can suit every group’s needs. you to this change rules, make up yourI encourage own, and modiy game to suit your group’s tastes. Belie Believe ve it or not, I love hearing how players change my games — hearing about house rules shows that gamers are still thinking people who don’t just ollow rules, but make up their own. So, i you do come up with your own set o house rules, be sure to drop by and let me know what you came up with. Finally,, thanks or Finally or picking up Enemy Gods. I hope you enjoyed the read, but more importantly, I hope you enjoy playing it. importantly, ake care, John W
Hero
Hero
Rank
Blessing
Hero
Curse
Rank: Points:
God
Rank
Points
Leave blank if the Hero has not gotten there yet.
Birth and Youth
What social caste does your Hero come from?
Which of the ve senses is most important to your Hero?
How does your Hero feel about her parents? Her family in general? Does she have any siblings? Did she lose any siblings or family members before now?
The Call to Adventure
What are your Hero’s favorite foods? Drinks?
What does he like to wear?
The Wastelands & Transformation
Does your Hero hold any grudges or vendettas? Does he owe any favors or boons? Does he have any obligations at all?
What kind of person is your Hero most attracted to?
What kind of person drives you to ts of rage?
The Underworld & The Beast
How does your Hero dene “love?”
If given the opportunity, would your Hero kill for prot? If not, what would your Hero kill for?
What is more important, to be feared or to be loved? (“Yes,” is not an acceptable answer.) Rank the Seven Deadly Sins in order from deadliest (1) to most benign (7) Lust
Jealousy
Anger
Greed
Sloth
Pride
Who does your Hero trust most? Why does she trust this person above all others?
Gluttony Which God does your Hero revere most and why? Which God does he revere least?
Rank the Seven Beatic Virtues from most noble (1) to least noble (7) Prudence
Faith
Fortitude
Temperance
Hope
Justice
To whom does your Hero owe the most loyalty? Charity
What are some of your Hero’s reoccurring mannerisms? Figures of speech, physical habits, etc.?
If you could give one piece of advice to your Hero, what would it be?
What would be the most appropriate death for your Hero?
What quality about his personality does your Hero like most?
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