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Requiem for a God
and power. She might do this out of a craving for might or for benevolent reasons, seeing an unfulfilled need. The dead god may have willingly bequeathed his might and position to another similar deity, or the replacement may come about with the usurping god’s initiative after the death.
Unrelated Inheritor An unrelated god moves in to take the position. Sometimes, this scenario can cause confusion among the faithful worshippers (see Checklist “Syncretism,” page 15). Determine cosmological effects of If the goddess of time the god’s demise in your campaign takes on the position of world. the recently deceased What changes are there to the way magic works, the laws of god of merchants and physics, and available races and money, she suddenly has character classes? a mixture of portfolios Did the death create or destroy with seemingly little in cosmic features such as portals or planes? common. On the other Decide between a cosmic locality hand, mythology is not and immediate locality for deathwithout examples of effects. gods with a strange mix What constitutes a “neighboring plane”? ture of portfolios, such Identify cosmic problems that as Poseidon, god of might occur due to the god’s horses and the sea. The absence. synthesis of two portfo Consider the fate of the god’s celestial home or realm. lios might create a whole Outline how the other gods new area of influence for respond to the death. a god. A deity combining Determine whether the god may be the portfolios of thieves replaced. and the sky might If so, how and by whom? become known as the mysterious Star-Thief. The goddess of flame taking on the position of a dead mountain god would become goddess of volcanoes.
Loosed Divinity When a god dies, the divine power he possessed escapes into the universe. Most of this incredible might is simply lost. Some of this energy draws the attention of creatures like divinity parasites (see Chapter Seven), which feed upon it, or learned characters like the disaffected (see Chapter Three), the harvesters of divinity, or someone with a divinity collector†—people who know how to collect and tap into the power and use it for themselves. The loosed divinity can cause unpredictable and strange effects in the surrounding area. Some of these prove positive, as the power of the god infuses the surroundings. Others are negative, as the absence of the god’s control over the divine power allows the energy to run amok. The range
of the effects depends on the power of the god. A greater god’s death affects the entire cosmic locality where she held influence. The death of a lesser god, a demigod, or any other divine being with a 1-to-20 power rating of 15 or less simply affects the immediate locality—usually a land where she enjoyed great power or near where she died. Sometimes the effects of loosed divinity can grip a whole world or plane(s).
Effects of Loosed Divinity The following list, based on the domains in the god’s portfolio, offers possible effects of the loosed divinity that emerged upon the god’s death. Some are positive and some negative, but all result from the god’s energy flooding into the universe. Where possible, the effect carries an associated game mechanic, but many of them require in-depth DM adjudication. The DM should decide which of the god’s domain-based effects should occur (or if all of them should), and whether they should be positive or negative. A random determination would suggest a 50/50 chance for either. Air—Positive: The air becomes rich and bolstering, granting a +2 divine bonus to all creatures’ Constitution scores for a week. Negative: Terrible storms lay siege to the immediate locality for weeks. Animal—Positive: A few animals in the immediate locality become awakened. Negative: A massive, seemingly natural dieoff of many animals occurs. Perhaps a few animal species particularly important to the deceased god disappear altogether. Chaos—Positive: Freedom and creativity abound. All Craft and Perform skill checks gain a +4 circumstance bonus for a month. Negative: Totally random and unpredictable events plague the area for two weeks. Strange things pop into being, and others simply disappear. Death—Positive: Monsters and other unwanted creatures and people die. Negative: A plague spreads through the locality, resistant to cures and spells, for three months. Destruction—Positive: A huge landslide uncovers a lost city within a mountain. Negative: Buildings collapse. Fires spread through both cities and forests for a month. Earth—Positive: Stone grows hardier and sturdier. Add +2 to the hardness of stone for a year. Negative: An earthquake of great severity lays waste to the immediate locality. Evil—Positive: Evil creatures gain a +1 circumstance bonus to saves, ability checks, and skill checks for a week. Negative: Plagues spread, food rots, and crops wither. Famine and pestilence abound for three months. Fire—Positive: Fires burn hotter, inflicting a +1 bonus to damage per die of damage. Forges work better, adding +1 circumstance bonus to any related Craft or Profession checks for six months. Negative: Fires spread through both cities and forests for a month.
