Immortal Power Definition (2e)
Powers (Legend and Template)
Definition
A power is an epic being that has achieved immortality and acquired the ability to accept worship. Powers are not Gods, but one step lower. Old terminology might call them a demi-god, but in actuality, a power is one-step below even that.
In the Southern Continent, dating back to possibly its creation, there have been powers. In fact, the worship of powers, is much more popular than god worship in the Southern Continent. There are various theories as to how the Southern Powers came to be since there was not standard pattern of advancement approved by the Gods of Wold at that time. They seem to have ascended separately and independently.
In the Northern Continent, if you were not among the Gods of Wold, you were considered a “Cult God,” and hunted down as well as despised no matter your “alignment,” even though gods are beyond alignment.
After the start of the 5th age, however, and with the addition of the Gods of Testing, a path for achieving godhood seems evident. The basic steps of ascension from mortal to god are as follows:
1) Epic awareness--this occurs somewhere after a being achieves level 21. Usually it happens very quickly. What is Epic awareness? There are three parts to this. First, it is the ability to sense other epic beings within a certain area. Second, it is the ability to not be noticed by mortals within a certain area at will. Third, it is a waning ability to affect and influence mortals.
2) Immortality--this is the ability to be immune to attack by all mortals. It allows a being to cease aging, and in many cases, be able to control, within limits, their appearance with respect to aging. Immortal beings can appear to be in their prime or older.
3) Power--Powers have learned “worship acceptance.” Mortal worship gives them power. This comes in two ways: supernatural/extraordinary abilities and spell-giving abilities. They personally gain supernatural abilities and spells. They can also give domain abilities and spells to their worshippers. This is limited until godhood is achieved. In addition, Powers, can now only be killed by other powers or gods. Powers can now avoid/not be noticed by epic and immortal beings. They also continue to wane in their ability to affect mortals. They also now begin to wane in their ability to affect Epic and Immortal beings.
4) Godhood--Gods have a full set of abilities and spells that they can give to their worshippers. They can only be killed by other gods. They can no longer affect mortals directly without repercussions. They have a limited ability to affect epic or immortal beings directly.
This means of advancement was opened with the recreation of The Wold when mortals (any being level 20 or less) were finally allowed to advance into epic levels of awareness. (Advance past level 20.)
The exact means to advance from Epic to Immortality and beyond is still a mystery.
Achieving Immortality, without resorting to lichdom or vampirism, is still a great mystery.
There, interestingly, are many more theories about how to become a Power. One of these theories stated that the position of Power had to be bestowed upon a dead being by a God. However, evidence exists to the contrary. Another theory states that powers are created by the strong emotions of 1000s of living creatures. This comes from the evident creation of Saint type powers.
It is known that, those who were Powers before the Death of the Wold and its rebirth, were recreated as Powers afterward. Other knowledge comes from those who have dealt with the powers since the recreation of the Wold. One adventuring group, The Defenders of the North (local group) claim to have aided an ascending power as well as preventing one being from achieving Power status. They claim that one can naturally progress to become one by continuing to advance in life experience. [See footnote 1]
Gods can assist a being in their advancement toward becoming a power in various ways, but these are not fully understood, because it seems that the path to becoming a power has changed. Gods cannot simply appoint beings to be powers anymore. To what extent they can help is a mystery. Nor can Alemi simply appoint mortals to become gods anymore. This ability seems to have been lost with the recreation of the Wold and the official sanctioning of the Gods of Testing. Marteaus lacks this ability as well. Once a being has achieved godhood, it cannot be taken away. All gods begin as Rogue Gods, simply meaning that they have not been accepted as members of either formal pantheon: The Gods of Testing or the Gods of Wold.
There are three variants of the standard “Power.” These are the Saint, Martyr, and Sacred Being.
The Saint is created when a holy man dies. As is mentioned above, if 1000s of mourners and celebrants create great and lasting emotion concerning someone who had died, a being can seemingly skip the steps of Epic and Immortal to become a saint type Power. In fact, the terms saint and power can be used interchangeably in the draconic language. Saint may be one type of power.
A second variant of “Power” is very related to the saint type. This is the martyr. A mortal who dies for a cause, and in doing so becomes a moral or national standard bearer for some great cause can possibly be propelled straight to becoming a martyr type power due to the veneration and lasting emotions of mortals.
According to some epic druids, there is a third type of power, which most cleric scholars refuse to recognize. These druids claim that some areas of nature have been infused with such magic, age, power, and importance that these areas become self aware and develop a soul or somehow obtain one. At this point, say the druids, the “sacred being” can achieve epic awareness, immortality, and then begin accepting worship. The process is much more subjective and is not understood even by the epic druids who have begun to study this. Others think that Sacred Beings are simply powers who wish to permanently inhabit some “structure of nature.” This may be through noble purpose, or according to some, a means to more directly affect the mortal world by become part of nature itself.
Worshipping Powers:
It is possible in the Wold to worship a Power instead of a God. The worshiping of a power has drawbacks and benefits. Among the benefits is a closer relationship with the one you worship. Powers deign to communicate with mortals with greater frequency than gods. Powers, being in a more precarious position than a god, will need help from his worshippers to continue to advance towards godhood. The drawbacks include diminished spells, and levels of spells and abilities when compared with a full god. Those who worship powers are restricted from getting extra domain spells as well as powers from domains.
A PC that wishes to worship a power may do so by taking a level of cleric with that power. (Players must have permission of their DM and the Campaign DM before choosing a power to worship.) Priests who worship Powers, receive NO domain spells; however, each Power grants a “gift” at levels 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, and 16. Most Powers cannot give spells and gifts past a certain level, and therefore restrict level advancement and spells past that same specific point. These “gifts” may be in the form of an extra spell at a certain level, bonus to a skill, or a weaker domain type power. (See the write-up of the power in question.)
Only the strongest of powers allow level advancement to 16th and no power can grant advancement for his clerics past that point unless they achieve godhood. Once the top level of cleric is reached, the PC cannot take ANY more levels of cleric unless the power itself advances and grows stronger. [See Footnote 2:]
TEMPLATE
Name of Power
Title (Ex: Power over the Future)
Realm of Interest (Ex: Tarot Cards)
Appearance
Holy Symbol
Cleric’s Appearance
Cleric’s in Society
Adventuring Clerics
Worship
Holy Days
Consist of Sacrifices
Ethos
“Gifts” for Clerics and Restrictions
Level of power
Legend and Relationships
It is said that ... (all powers will start with this as that keeps the in the realm of legend and not history)
Foonotes: I, Jerry, include for now, the following discussion dating back to 2003. It gives insight into how we developed these ideas.
Footnote 1:
I, Jerry, include for now, the following discussion dating back to 2003. It gives insight into how we developed these ideas.
Kent: What powers were there before the destruction and rebirth of the Wold? Who did they support in the whole Marteus thing? Why would some have been recreated and others not?
Jerry: I’m not sure what you’re asking here. If you read the writeup of the Southern Continent, there is an explanation out of character as to why we decided to add the concept of the powers to that area. There are dozens of them (none really developed) down there from former heroes, holy men, villains, legendary representatives from the various classes, etc. We also need them for the ideas we have for a new Egyptian area we’re developing. The “god concepts” we needed for that area to work right didn’t fit with ANY of our existing gods WITHOUT adding lots of minor deities, etc. So we fell back again upon the idea of using Powers like in the Southern Continent.
None of them participated in the YOA at least in our storyline. I’d say for fear of being killed, they stayed neutral. But to be honest, we didn’t consider them then nor include them.
Did I imply that some were not recreated? I didn’t mean to. All were recreated.]
Jan: So - this gives us a lot of flexibility, especially if we were to use, as Jerry said - an Egyptian or perhaps a Roman type setting. Jerry - do the existing Gods have any control of these Powers? What do the various Gods think of them? Competition? A nuisance? Underlings? I see below that Marteaus tried to use one them as a pawn.)
Jerry answers Jan: Good question. I’d say that Gods could order Powers around, but powers who stuck together could withstand that. I’d say that various ones of the gods think pretty much all the things you listed there about various powers. Their opinions of them probably run the gamut.]
Anthony: When I first wrote this up I envisioned the Powers as being seprate from the Gods, neiter having power over each other. That there might come to wars between the powers worshipers and the Gods but the Gods would want to avoid that as it cost everyone worshipers and it Martyers the Power and NO One has more power than a Myarter. Also The powers are convient ways to get things done. Jancassis is starting to interfeer with a plan I have. I make aligenvce with a Power instead of using my own people and that way it doent look like I did it, now I can keep my hands clean. I guess the best way to think of it for me is like a Royal court. You have the Royalty and then the lower coutiers. They Royalty cant boss aroun the Lowers to much cause they would loose all power…. Well maybe that only makes sense in my head….
Jerry Answers Anthony: I agree with Anth, but don’t want to actually put that they are separate or that gods have authority over the powers. Anth just ran a series of adventures for the local game where a god was pushing the rising of another god and powers got involved in that struggle. I’d think it’s tough to push upwards from power to god. Nearly impossible. It’s like the gods are in a closed country club and they aren’t accepting new members….normally. So most powers are content to be a power. Those who push might disappear. J]
Jan: That works. I could compare that power structure to something say, like an English king (a God), and his Dukes who were rich, had a lot of land, and commanded armies (Powers). He had to be careful - keep them sweet, otherwise they’d come together and plot his downfall - off with his head, and put his cousin from France (a God) in charge etc. He could manipulate them, set them against each other, or maybe have them help him against his troublesome cousins in France?
Perhaps on a gaming level in the future, we’d see a beyond Epic group going toe to toe with an actual God? Or perhaps an NPC Power - appealing for help from a group to sway the God/God/Power/Power structure, one way or another?
I’m interested in this Martyr theory. Is this just an idea right now, or do we plan to have a practical gaming application? What if we were in the middle of a major Wold-wide campaign, like the YOA, led by a Power, who EVERYONE was following, and that Power was murdered. What would become of him? What if that leader was a PC?]
Footnote 2:
Kent: Ok, I am a bit unclear as to what/who a Power is. I am assuming NPC, lowest level deity, along the lines of spirit worshiping? Why would a PC want to worship something like this? What advantage is there? There seem to be more disadvantages than advantages. I think I would need to see a specific write-up in order to more clearly understand the what and why of this.
Jerry: think of it as natural progression. You hit level 21 and you become epic and aware. About level 31 you achieve immortality. About level 40 you can begin to accept worshippers. Perhaps at level 50 you become a god. I dunno. But a similar progression is hinted at in the latest deities book. This is kinda how I’ve been looking at things. So a power is a being who has hit level 40 (not sure about those exact levels meaning those exact things—just putting down numbers to help explain the concept). He’s become epic and aware, earned immortality, and discovered how to accept worshippers to boost his divine power. And worshippers and their success is the path to godhood. So powers are one step short of true godhood.
Does this help Kent? Does this create other thoughts and questions from others of you?]
Jan: Does Kent mean perhaps that there is no advantage for a PC to be a ‘worshipper’ of these powers, and that as a Power, you’re worshipper base are likely to be NPCs?)
Jerry answers Jan: Could be. Interesting.
Anthony: I think there are HUGE advantages. One every one is like a prestige class. Easch power granting different gifts and restrictions. Secondly there is no real established church or hirearechy in each one. The PC for all intents and purposes becomes a head priest of the order. That may be because hes the only one or because he wants to play it that way. It gives a lot of freedom for roleplay. Helps establish flavor to an area…. Any number of other advantages too. As far as all that goes what is the benefit for worshiping a God? And most of the worshipers of Gods are PCs too. If it helps think of them as cult gods although they arent.
